My Brother Jim
9 April 2008
I got seminared in Sacramento yesterday so that I can “be an effective supervisor.” Most of the material was really good and the trainer was an energetic and often humorous speaker. My only real problem with the training was that the whole thing seemed to be based on creating a defensible position in relation to labor law. Not bad information to know, but not really applicable to my situation. I have my own supervisors and an HR department to worry about labor law issues for me. That and the trainer tended to be combative with the class, at one point apparently threatening me with violence:
Trainer: Relating a story about helping his daughter find material for managing a bank. “I just typed in [name of some standard HR form that I don’t recall] in Google and up came 1.7 million results. And the great thing about all these documents is they are all in the public domain. You are free to use them however you want.”
Me: Raised eyebrows, head tilted to the side.
Trainer: “What’s going on over here? I sense some negativity over here. What do you have to say?”
Me: Not feeling up to debating copyright law with a combative and overbearing professional speaker in his class. “Um, nothing.”
Trainer: Points at biggest guy in the class. “Jim stand up. Keith, I want to introduce you to my brother Jim.”
Jim: Stands up, looking confused.
Class: …
Cricket: “Chirp.”
Me: Look of incredulity changes to look of confusion/annoyance.
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