Too Few Pins

I used to say I am the garbage can at work.

Basically, everything that needs to get done and no one has done it…well, I do it.  If it’s been left over, I do it.  If something is on fire, I fix it.  If someone needs to know something, they come to me.  I am the garbage can.

But, JR has recently introduced me to a better term.  He says he’s the guy that jumps on live grenades.  I think that fits me a lot too.  I’m not sure what the actual term would be — “garbage can” is such a clean way of describing something, “grenade guy” doesn’t have the same visual feel to it.  Maybe someone can come up with a good way of describing this type of role.

Lately though, I’m getting tired…

There are too many grenades and too few pins…


  1. Wally

    Is it because you will do it w/o fuss? I’m the same way, but I learned to say no. IHMO, if the emergencies consistently spring up, then there is a gap in the process / product and leaning on an engineer is not a solution.

  2. chanter

    i think of myself as the janitor. if there’s a mess, i come clean it up. recently though, i’ve started making others clean up there own crap.

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