"Cross-training" (How I've grown to hate that term!)

[KansDem]

Okay, how many DUers are involved with..."cross-training?"--the new trendy term of 21st-century administrators.

Now that our economy's in the toilet, we have been told by our administration that we will be "cross training" since we now have a hiring-freeze here at my place of employment. "Cross training" is just a fancy word that means "do more work as more employees jump ship." So we will be "learning" the operations of other departments, so we can "jump in and help out" when our fellow staff members get fed up with the bullshit administration and find other jobs.

Yeah, "cross training!" So I wonder what you, Mr. CEO-man and your fellow "administrator types," will do to "cross train?" What? Nothing? Oh, you're toooooo important, toooooo busy to take on any more work. Yeah, "staff sucks" in your world, doesn't it?

We "cross train" while the administrators slap each other on the back and tell other what a wonderful job they're doing...:grr:

[TZ]

1. at a former employer we tried to cross train

and as we were a lab with different tests, learning different procedures would have actually BEEN HELPFUL career wise. But as much as they blathered on about it, they never could find the time to spare anyone to do it (maybe cause they kept laying people off, duh!)
Needless to say I don't miss that job.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. I really thought you were talking about shoes...

[KansDem]

5. You know, those shoes will have about as many ideas as our administrators.

And twice the personality!

[NJmaverick]

3. I am wearing 4 hats right now

I look at it this way, the more I can do the more valuable I am to them and the less likely I am to be shown the door.

[KansDem]

6. As are many of us here...

The only problem is that our original positions and been "deskilled" to the point I'm doing now what I could have done as a summer job in high school.

But I suppose in this economy, a regular paycheck takes precedence over job satisfaction. It's unfortunate, but true...

[NJmaverick]

8. pretty much

[KansDem]

10. I find myself between a rock and a hard place...

There is no professional development opportunities here. So, as we are being deskilled, I have to go to outside sources to "enhance my resume." Last year I joined two professional organizations in an attempt to attend as many classes and workshops as possible. Well, this has created friction with a few of my colleagues who are real "schedule examiners." I ask for release time to attend these functions and I constantly run up against members of the staff who resent my wanting time off to do so. And many times I take the time off as "vacation" to avoid arguments and uncomfortable situations.

So that's it in a nutshell. I'm currently looking for another position, but have to do it while being deskilled to do more tasks that will not contribute to my professionalism, all the while incurring the wrath of my colleagues for wanting to enhance my chances.

The pursuit of happiness is a lifetime journey...

[NJmaverick]

12. That's rough

I think you are doing the best you can though. Hopefully the economy will turn around soon and you can get out of there.

[Moondog]

4. A credo from a few years back captures some of this -

We, the willing
Led by the unknowing
Are doing the impossible
For the ungrateful.

We have done so much
With so little
For so long
We are now qualified
To do anything
With nothing.

[Orsino]

7. Part of my job is now cross-training.

The goal is smarter employees, specifically those who will be able to support each other with less ping-ponging.

[KansDem]

11. Does this cross-training involve mangers, supervisors, and administrators?

Or just staff?

[Orsino]

14. Hmm. Tricky question to answer.

But a few once-separate departments have merged in the last year or two, and I straddle two worlds in my work. Bosses are into this as well, though I think they're just learning by trial and error. I'm composing and conducting some training, alone and as part of a larger team; I was picked for this because I'm now back, sort of, in the department I was in a decade ago, though most of my current work is still in line with what I've done for the past eight years.

For ten years I've been saying how much more closely the two teams need to work, to better serve customers. Now I'm putting my money where my big, fat mouth is. It's paying off, I think.

[ForrestGump]

9. I'm doing it pretty steadily these days. It's hard work.

There are certainly easier forms of resistance training.


Still, we all have our crosses to bear.

[KansDem]

13. I see. You must like to...

A