I’m a Sucker for Rules, and I Pay for it Every Day
I'm sitting here thinking how much I dislike the situation I find myself in and I realized that I'm as mad at myself as anyone else. Face it - they're doing everything they can get away with, and I'm the idiot playing by the rules. Who's the smart one? Not me.
I work with some people that I have to wonder what their motivations really are. They are a lot like people on the interstate - they push the rules until they think they can't get away with anything more, or they see people getting in trouble for similar actions. They are realizing that the "rules" aren't really rules, but just guidelines in case someone asks so it seems to be a level playing field.
But it's not. Not even close.
If I were a little smarter I'd see this daily and simply push back. I'd say "Hey, yeah, I'd love to, but I'm a bit busy now. You can do it." and then be done with it. Or I could tell people that I needed something today when I don't need it for a week and then when they give it to me tomorrow I still have it in plenty of time to meet my deadlines.
But silly me... I tell the truth.
So I get to do all this crap work, and I do it. I don't say "No." I don't think what I can get away with - I think what's the right thing to do. I'm going to pay for that every time in this environment. No question about it. There's always someone willing to undercut an honest person when there's no real cost to it. It might even been seen as clever by some.
The question is not if things will change - I know they won't. The question is when will I learn that it's time for me to leave. That's the only real solution. I'm not going to be someone that competes with them on their own level - I'm no good at it, and I don't want to.