Posted on 01/09/2006 by vanilla ginger
Viewed: 647 times
This is not actually about my boss, but the boss of the department that my department routinely comes in contact with. Up until September '05 I worked for a very large mortgage lender (I have since gone to work for an even larger competitor) as an underwriter/pipeline manager. This position requires almost daily contact and cooperation from the funding department to get deals closed. The manager of this department (we'll call her Lulu) is one of the worst bosses around. 1) Lulu sets her own hours - walks in about 9a, takes 2 hour lunches with her employees and waltzes out about 4p irrespective of how many files are ready to fund. (So you understand - the Fed is open 8-4:30 EST, and fundings happen on their clock. We are on the west coast, so fundings could go on from 5:00a to about 1:30p our time or when they terminate the wires for the day). This makes for a frustrating day when you are responsible for making goals, because no one is actually putting in a full 8 hours over there, let alone when it would make the most impact/money for the company. 2) Lulu would rather make up exuses for her department than actually train any of her people. A typical exchange goes something like this:
Me: hey guys, when do you think the funding conditions will be sent out for the Smith File? It's past the 24 hour review window and we'd like to fund right away.
Teenager in Funding dep't: well, let me see. Um, well, I think we need escrow still?
Me: It's in the file - see on the approval where I signed it off?
Teen: Oh yeah.
Me: So do you think we could get the funding sheet?
Teen: Do you have the file?
Me: Um, No, the conlog says I turned it over to you yesterday after final sign-off.
Teen: Oh, well I don't have the file.
Me: is it with your assistant? It's a wet funding - you guys should have it.
Teen: well I don't know. It's not on my desk anymore...
(by now I am completely frustrated but knowing exactly where the file probably is I walk my butt across the entire floor to her assistant's desk next to hers, and in plain sight of the funder, her assistant and the entire funding department, open the asistant's drawer, pull out the file and hand it to her)
Me: do you think we could issue the funding sheet now?
Lulu: (rolling up on this little scene - fuming) Why did you need to go thru her drawer? You know the funders have a system, blah, blah, blah...
Me: well Teen said she didn't have it anymore and didn't know it's location, and since the last item in the conlog said I handled it, it's really my responsibility to track it down, right?
Lulu: Um well, ask permission next time you go into someone's drawer.
Me: OK, I'll be sure and do that. (smiling)
LuLu walks away still fuming.
I go back to my team and tell them what just happened.
POST A COMMENTcnubelevit(01/17/2006)
Ahhh..the wonderful perfection of organization in the large company structure. Files misteriously appear and disappear. Funds vanish and reappear in another acount. Ain't it great!
SouthernProgrammer(01/17/2006)
>You know the funders have a system, I like that line. When I ran it through my BS detector I got: You're proving how incompetant my department is! How dare you!
vanilla ginger(01/18/2006)
LOL!! Where can I pick up a BS detector like yours?
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