If you're one to ponder (a waste of time we've all experienced) why our managers fail to read our minds and not simply DO what seems so simple (only to us, no doubt) I offer this line of questioning:

HOW MANY SOLUTIONS - TO PROBLEMS - HAVE YOU OFFERED YOUR BOSS?

OF THE SOLUTIONS YOU'VE OFFERED HOW MANY WERE SUPPORTED BY COMMENTS (AND WRITTEN PLANS) - FROM YOU - SUCH AS:

"I'VE THOUGHT LONG AND HARD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND AFTER CONSULTING WITH MANY OF MY CO-WORKERS, INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF OUR WORK GROUP, MY SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE SITUATION ARE SUCH AND SUCH

AND

IN ORDER FOR ME TO BEGIN WORKING ON MY SOLUTION I NEED YOUR SUPPORT BY THE WAY OF:

DOLLARS (HOW MUCH, WHY, WHEN), PEOPLE (WHO, HOW LONG AND WHEN) AND TOOLS (WHAT, HOW MUCH, WHY)".

If you've not guessed already - yes, I am a manager. Guess what else? My work load is as heavy as my employees. Guess why? I've uncovered solutions to problems and prepared plans for correcting them.

Is it easy? No. Does it take a great deal of time? Yes. Have I regretted offering my precious time to projects which seem to gobble far too much of my time? Yes. Did I volunteer to work on problems rather than complain about them so that my next bonus and pay raise will be larger than last years? No. I do it because challenging work is its own best reward.

I've had employees on my team who have offered nothing but complaints, gripes, and bitches about the taste of the coffee and the color of the wallpaper. Guess who I call when I need help solving real problems? Not the whiners.

The real world is demanding, tough, and oftentimes a real drag. Is that any surprise? Haven't we figured that much out?