July 21th, 2017 – 12:00am PST:

Sometimes, with a job, you’re asked to do bizarre things that are well outside your job description. Years and years back I’d just started a new job as a Technical Administrator, and was still learning the ropes. I was responsible for maintaining/updating the servers, running tape back-ups, and doing software support as needed. At one point, a manager asked me to come by his office when I had a chance. Expecting some sort of technical problem, I was wrong-footed when he ended up asking me to move a large, decorative plant that was sitting outside his door to a storage closet on the other side of the building. It may not *seem* like a huge deal to some, but that’s just really not what tech support is around for. I still moved it, because I was the new guy and didn’t want to make waves. However, a few months from later, when he asked me to bring in some boxes from his car, I had to (diplomatically) explain that moving shit wasn’t my responsibility. As with real relationships, sometimes you have to establish boundaries with users, and let the chips fall where they may.