Taking Orders From a Woman: Can you do it?

[LostArt]

:D Sounds good already, doesn't it? Heh.


There are a few of you that know my daughter has divorced her Marine. One day in March, over a year ago, he told her, "I love you, but I'm not in love you." I called BS and thought he never loved her to begin with. But, I don't wanna hash through all that. She is fine. Divorce is final. And she is getting on with her life.

While going to UF, she worked part time with an electric company. You might of read some of my stories about her and her dad talking shop. Well, last October she was offered a job at this company working as an assist. site manager. Right now the company is building on a prison site and should be there for the next 2 yrs.

She is the boss of mostly young and older men. Since some of the older men already knew her as the part time receptionist of that company, and then working with them on certain projects at UF, they have no problem with her boss status. If anything, they encourage and help. I'd say these men were in their 40's up to their late 60's.

She has mentioned some instances with the younger men, or one in particular that had a problem with her reprimanding him on a safety violation. She just mentioned it and for him to correct it. He took his complaint(of my daughter) to his boss and he said, "She is my boss. If you are in violation, then correct it. Don't do it again."

To make a long story short, the young man quit. Said he "wasn't taking orders from no woman" and left.

Have any of you guys took orders from a woman? How did it go? :D

[Highplains Drifter]

I think this topic might get hilarious. LA there are Bosses and Bossy people and a big difference between the two. I have work for one female Journeyman Lineman who knew what she was doing and I gave her the respect for her position as Foreman, as I would expect if I held the title to get the job done. You stated you’re daughter “mentioned some instances with the younger men, or one in particular that had a problem with her reprimanding him on a safety violation.” I have a problem with folks that went to college to become a Safety Director and have not done any of the physical work or have the knowledge of the work and try to tell me what is safe or unsafe, female or male. I have no respect for them and will not give them the time of day. So for me it is not the gender thing but the knowledge and if they earned the position they are in.

[LINEHAND]

Well said drifter! My sentiments exactly.

Couldnt care less about gender but when someone hasnt had their "ass in the grass" and try to enforce BLANKET saftey rules without any knowledge of the work being done, just a piece of paper that shows me they got taught math and proper grammar, well they get pretty much ignored. Male or female!

If someone became to big an a-hole about it then I would and have drug up.

[Pootnaigle]

Yep ditto what Drifter said. If her feild of expertise is in logistics or sumpin fine............. But dont let her be tellin me bout saftey unless she has worked in my craft and has a thorough knowledge of it.Also wouldnt matter to me a tad whether she was a male or a female the results would be just as bad

[BigClive]

Oh dear, I'll pile in with Drifter too. I absolutely HATE being given safety "advice" or "cautions" from people who have never worked in the field. It's utterly offensive when it happens and I've been known to blow my top in the past as a result.

Unfortunately here in the UK EVERYONE is a safety officer, and site labourers and office workers often use it as a means of showing they have power over the people who actually do the work.

[LostArt]

LOL! This sounds familar. She isn't an engineer---but, I know how you all feel about THAT! Including my husband. :D

I shouldn't have threw in that instance without giving the rest of the story, but the guy was kinda nuts. Seems he had threatened her bodily harm. She was going to let it go. Let him cool off. But, the other men didn't like it. They told "her" boss and he sent for the law. She gave her statement. The guy resigned.

Can you look at it from her side? I mean, just think of her as being your daughter. She calls her Dad all the time for advice. Remember, she is in a man's world. She is young. And it doesn't help her being attractive. But, she has been encouraged by men who are in their 40's and older telling her she can do this work.

My husband was at a fishing tournament a few months ago and over heard some men talking about the cute young girl that runs the construction site. I hated to even ask...but I did, "Did they say anything ulgy? I mean were they rude and crude?" My husband smiled and said, "No. Actually they didn't. I didn't want to say anything because I wanted to know what they were going to say." Good thing!

I asked one of the guys and my son(yes, he works on the site), how my daughter was doing. They both said she is tough, but herself to them. They just follow orders. Not really from her, but from the meetings. My son says she asks questions. Oh no. Heh.

My son says he can't tell any difference. And with a smile he says, "She has always bossed me. What's different Mom?" :D

She is serious about her work. She wants to learn everything. She has a licence to drive a crane. She called me excited a week ago saying she can operate a bucket now. She went up and changed some big light fixture thingy. She says, "Tell Dad." I laughed and said, "Call him and tell him yourself honey." When we were home from work I told the boss and he says, "What was she doing up in it?? Who was there with her?" LOL! I laugh all the time. He is a contradiction at times. He encourages her and yet, he worries about some of the things she is learning.

What I do know and what I do like, is that she turns to the "seasoned" men for advice. Those men in the trenches. They seem to have confidence in her and give her the support. And for some reason, as old as they are, they have no problem knowing she is the boss. Maybe because she doesn't throw it around that she is. AND they are the ones backing her when she does get grief. I guess you could say she has earned their respect. And the young man that started and lasted about a month, didn't give her a chance.

It's easy for me to be behind her and support her in her work. I'm her mother. And, boy howdy.....am I ever proud of her.

[tramp67]

Right there with Drifter. As long as she knows what she's talking about and doesn't let the "in charge" thing go to her head, I'd work for her too. I've got the same thoughts on "safety department" guys as everyone else. They get no respect, and I tend to ignore them, unless they have hands-on experience with what they are trying to enforce.

[Lizzy Bordon]

I find if you treat them with respect and fair they will respect you. If you do not have a clue its better to suck it up and admit it and check it out get the answers. Linework is different if you have not been in the air in the bucket with gloves on you have not done the job. I really do not think I would want to take riding lessons from someone who has never been on a horse. I have gone to job sites where they either love you or hate you. I have already had a guy tell me not to even get out of the truck they cant believe the power company sent a girl!!! Or OMG your a girl. I figure if he wants power bad enough he will have to call back and be civilized.

My favorite is when they talk to you slowly or really cute like I was 5 and had a pony tail. I had a guy actually say "Can I use the word conduit in front of the girl". I fired back a few complicated questions for him and did not hear a word out of him the rest of the meeting.

I have been in engineering for years and the role has been reversed when the lineshop can not understand why the nice easy route will never happen because you can not get a right of way.

I must say I did see reverse discrimination in a home center. They had a guy in the curtain isle and a women got pissed and left. I heard the guy later waiting on a customer and he knew his job she should have given him a chance.

Look at it this way. A lot of you guys have daughters or may have grand daughters would you want someone to treat them badly because they are a girl???

[johnbellamy]

Women in the work place:

1. Women run the world, they have most of the money and all of the, well you know.

2. You cannot win period, so don't even try, it is all in there favor period, end of story.

3. I am not scared or intimidated by anybody on this board, except "linetrampboozie", she scares the hell out of me.

4. You are guilty till proven innocent.


Advice:

1. Only speak when spoken too, either yes mam or no mam.

2. Never be alone with a women.

3. Look at the floor when speaking to a woman in the work place.

4. No rude jokes or comments when a woman is present.

5. Never make physical contact other than a quick handshake if absolutly neccessary.

6. Never raise your voice to a woman.

7. And finally, avoid women in the work place at all cost, you will be fine.

[BigClive]

5. Never make physical contact other than a quick handshake if absolutly neccessary.

6. Never raise your voice to a woman.

7. And finally, avoid women in the work place at all cost, you will be fine.

8. And NEVER masturbate openly in front of a group of female co-workers. Particularly when you're standing in the ladies restroom.

[LOCAL84]

LMFAO....**** Clive!!

[johnbellamy]

8. And NEVER masturbate openly in front of a group of female co-workers. Particularly when you're standing in the ladies restroom.

Whatever you say Mam........



Fish in a barrel boy's, fish in a barrel.