The Greatest Lesson I’ve Learned as a Clerk.

They want Failure.

Not total disaster, but just enough to give them a reason to exist.

For years, I thought I had a unique complaint. Our PM shows up everyday. He kind of works, but he’s not very smart. I work at 200-300% of variance at everything I do. Arrival scans to RSS. Why was he always doing the wrong thing? Why would he schedule us in the dumbest ways possible? Why did the laziest clerks get the most hours and the motivated ones got sent home early? The ones who knew the scheme would be working the window while the ones who couldn’t remember their children’s name would be working mail at a crawl.

Then I saw it for what it was. He is unneeded. They are all completely unnecessary unless there is SOME failure. A few miniature disasters here and there that give them purpose. “Let’s slow things down so I can box a half tray of mail, or scan 30 packages and appear needed”.

They aren’t yelling at you because you aren’t fast enough or good enough. They are yelling at you because you are more important than they will ever be.