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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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agraham
Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Location: Daegu, Korea
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 Posted: Wed May 25, 2005 10:25 pm Post subject: My director - last minute hyjinks. |
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I need to vent. My director is starting to get to me.
She's great in most ways: honest; pays on time; lets me teach classes my way for the most part.
But she leaves everything to the last minute or just doesn't do them at all.
For instance: I arrived with an airplane ticket with a one year return. Since I didn't start for two weeks, I told her on the first day that I would be able to work for only eleven and a half months unless she wanted to spring for an extension on the ticket. "We'll worry about that later" she said.
Then six months ago I told her I was going forward on the assumption that I would be leaving after eleven months. We'll discuss that later she said.
Three months ago I told her I intended to make reservations for a vacation in Japan starting at the beginning of June - eleven months after I started. 'Whatever; I'm too busy to discuss these matters of the far future" was her gist.
Two months ago I asked her to reserve my outgoing ticket mid June - twelve months after my arrival.
One months ago she suddenly freaked out when she realized I was leaving in a few short weeks. "You must complete your contract!", she said. WHAT?!? I gave you ONE YEAR'S NOTICE that I would be leaving early. "OK, she said, but you must find your replacement." I trolled for one, but only got a couple nibbles. She's got a good prospect, but she's not sure he'll sign up, so now she's asking me about cancelling my trip. Ha! My sister is coming from London to meet me. We have over a thousand dollars in plane, train, and hotel reservations set up already.
THEN... Just now I asked for my outgoing ticket to show to K-immigration when I return from Japan...
drumroll...
SHE DIDN'T DO IT!!!!!
"You must call travel agent; make reservation"
JESUS H. CHRIST woman! How do you dress yourself?!? |
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Grotto
Joined: 21 Mar 2004
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| Posted: Wed May 25, 2005 10:40 pm Post subject: |
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welcome to the wonderful world of Korean ????????????? so many words and none of them seem to nail it down.
Korean: Teacher is leaving?? Oh you must find your replacement!
FT: Sorry dummy thats not my job...this isnt my hogwan and I am out of here in two weeks...you knew when I was leaving a year ago and you didnt do anything about it.
Korean: You must stay until I find a replacement...your plans mean nothing to me...you stay you work.
Korean: Oh your flight home? You must book your own flight!
FT: Why didnt you tell me that 2 or 3 months ago so I could make reservations?
Korean: Ohh you leaving far in future, me no worry about it until now. |
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Derrek
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed May 25, 2005 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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It's not just your director. It's a cultural thing. MANY Koreans do this. Of course, there are exceptions, but in my 3+ years here, I've noticed that waiting until the last possible minute is just being Korean.
Actually, they either wait until the last minute, or "slap and dash," as JungroGuru said. Quick, fast, balli-balli -- just do it and quality be darned. |
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hellofaniceguy
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: On your computer screen!
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| Posted: Wed May 25, 2005 11:51 pm Post subject: |
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| You made the mistake by not putting it in writing. Whenever you deal with koreans...especially hakwon owners...put it in writing and keep a few copies. ALWAYS! Same with immigration. Writing. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 1:37 am Post subject: |
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| Yeah, it's one of the most irritating, aggravating and frustrating parts of working in Korea. It also causes stress. I can say all these things because it repeatedly happens over and over again. |
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pollyplummer
Joined: 07 Mar 2005
Location: McMinnvillve, Oregon
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 2:16 am Post subject: |
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| Derrek wrote: |
| It's not just your director. It's a cultural thing. MANY Koreans do this. Of course, there are exceptions, but in my 3+ years here, |
It's a massive cultural DEFECT and it deserves no excuses. It's rooted in Korean laziness. Until they can acknowledge their poor planning, negligence, and dishonesty, they will continue to shout, "Korea #1!" from their tricycles while other nations ride past on their motorbikes. |
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PolyChronic Time Girl
Joined: 15 Dec 2004
Location: Korea Exited
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 2:31 am Post subject: |
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Also be warned that leaving at 11.5 months is golden for her to say that she doesn't owe you severence and airfare (she'll use the technicality that you didn't finish the contract, slimy but common practice in Korea). If you want that severance, you might as well finish the stupid alotted time on the contract she's bitching about.
This is kind of new....I would think most Korean directors would prance and party it up if they knew their teacher was leaving at the 11th month...that means no severance. |
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Hater Depot
Joined: 29 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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| pollyplummer wrote: |
| Derrek wrote: |
| It's not just your director. It's a cultural thing. MANY Koreans do this. Of course, there are exceptions, but in my 3+ years here, |
It's a massive cultural DEFECT and it deserves no excuses. It's rooted in Korean laziness. Until they can acknowledge their poor planning, negligence, and dishonesty, they will continue to shout, "Korea #1!" from their tricycles while other nations ride past on their motorbikes. |
The 11th largest economy in the world is the equivalent of a tricycle? |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 4:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Just buy a ticket and go somewhere else without saying anything. I hope you're the only FT at your school. Koreans really need to learn some things the hard way. |
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darrin312
Joined: 26 Jan 2003
Location: Kyopoville
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Hater Depot wrote: |
| The 11th largest economy in the world is the equivalent of a tricycle? |
Unicycle. |
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coolsage
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: The overcast afternoon of the soul
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| Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 8:04 am Post subject: |
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| 'Korean planning': Another oxymoron. |
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Derrek
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 5:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Hater Depot wrote: |
| pollyplummer wrote: |
| Derrek wrote: |
| It's not just your director. It's a cultural thing. MANY Koreans do this. Of course, there are exceptions, but in my 3+ years here, |
It's a massive cultural DEFECT and it deserves no excuses. It's rooted in Korean laziness. Until they can acknowledge their poor planning, negligence, and dishonesty, they will continue to shout, "Korea #1!" from their tricycles while other nations ride past on their motorbikes. |
The 11th largest economy in the world is the equivalent of a tricycle? |
Well, how about a kids bike with training wheels?
The training wheels being the financial propping-up/protection provided by the USA post-war.
Personally, I think it's time the training wheels come off. The Korean kid is a teenager now, and hating the parents because they have to ride around town with the big boys -- still with training wheels. |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Derrek wrote: |
| Hater Depot wrote: |
| pollyplummer wrote: |
| Derrek wrote: |
| It's not just your director. It's a cultural thing. MANY Koreans do this. Of course, there are exceptions, but in my 3+ years here, |
It's a massive cultural DEFECT and it deserves no excuses. It's rooted in Korean laziness. Until they can acknowledge their poor planning, negligence, and dishonesty, they will continue to shout, "Korea #1!" from their tricycles while other nations ride past on their motorbikes. |
The 11th largest economy in the world is the equivalent of a tricycle? |
Well, how about a kids bike with training wheels?
The training wheels being the financial propping-up/protection provided by the USA post-war.
Personally, I think it's time the training wheels come off. The Korean kid is a teenager now, and hating the parents because they have to ride around town with the big boys -- still with training wheels. |
Ideally, the training wheels would be invisible. As would the parent running alongside. |
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Derrek
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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| JongnoGuru wrote: |
| Derrek wrote: |
| Hater Depot wrote: |
| pollyplummer wrote: |
| Derrek wrote: |
| It's not just your director. It's a cultural thing. MANY Koreans do this. Of course, there are exceptions, but in my 3+ years here, |
It's a massive cultural DEFECT and it deserves no excuses. It's rooted in Korean laziness. Until they can acknowledge their poor planning, negligence, and dishonesty, they will continue to shout, "Korea #1!" from their tricycles while other nations ride past on their motorbikes. |
The 11th largest economy in the world is the equivalent of a tricycle? |
Well, how about a kids bike with training wheels?
The training wheels being the financial propping-up/protection provided by the USA post-war.
Personally, I think it's time the training wheels come off. The Korean kid is a teenager now, and hating the parents because they have to ride around town with the big boys -- still with training wheels. |
Ideally, the training wheels would be invisible. As would the parent running alongside. |
As would be the invisible Cheboel rope towing along KJI and NK in a wagon.  |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Derrek wrote: |
It's not just your director. It's a cultural thing. MANY Koreans do this. Of course, there are exceptions, but in my 3+ years here, I've noticed that waiting until the last possible minute is just being Korean.
Actually, they either wait until the last minute, or "slap and dash," as JungroGuru said. Quick, fast, balli-balli -- just do it and quality be darned. |
I said that? All right, I probably did. But Cyril Northcote Parkinson said something better: 'Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion'. (Okay, he really said something about data expanding to fill storage space, but anyway...) And that's actually the more common problem with Korean clients, the bigger ones in particular.
Planning -- Too Little or Too Much?
Often it isn't a case of not planning or underplanning, but rather too much pro-forma, sometimes overly elaborate, usually time-wasting and pointless planning. Untold scads of it. It's nothing short of tragic how they'll throw countless man-hours of the underlings into the process, only and always to have the bosses up the chain of command (all of them too busy or lazy to involve themselves earlier) waltz in and kick over the table. Not redo the work themselves ... just kick over the table. Repeatedly!! 
While there's always the potential for that wherever you go, I've personally never seen a people nor worked in a culture where there are as many trips back to the bloody drawing board and always so late in the day, chucking countless (though thankfully billable in most cases) weeks of work in the process. And because some of life's deadlines are sacrosanct and immovable, the final result frequently appears and is a slap-dash make-do or workaround that in no way reflects my capabilities or the time & effort I put into it. Sometimes the most valuable service you can render a client is to tell them, point-blank, to just abandon some utter abortion of a project before it sees the light of day, and before it drains away any further "planning resources".
Good God, the last thing these outfits need is to hear is 'You should devote more time & resources to planning'.  Not the way they go about it now, anyway. And really, that hasn't changed all that much in the decade+ I've been on the scene. Of course, in the OP's case it's not that his employer didn't plan, but indeed did her level best to avoid looking at a friggin' calendar(!). Our problems are quite different. |
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