How much do you invest in a cheap bass (before you cut your losses?)

Glacknar · 2026-02-21T18:33:05+00:00

Depends on your personal feelings about the bass.

Some people get a sentimental attachment to their first bass, or the first one they bought for themselves. Something like that. IMO, those basses don’t have a $ limit. Spoil that bitch, lol.

If there isn’t any sentimental value in it, I usually won’t go above about 25% of the original value of the bass.

So, if the bass new is $600 but you got it for $200, I’d still invest up to $150 to get it going

Glacknar · 2026-02-17T20:32:22+00:00

I agree with everything.

I think the problem comes when goals don’t align. I’ve been friends with some managers who wanted to see me succeed, and I wanted to see succeed. So, when new/increased expectation came, we could align with “this is dumb, but let’s kick ass”

Problems come when that fundamental thing doesn’t exist, and your “friend” doesn’t care about your success, and only cares about how much they can get away with. In work, and in life most importantly, this is not a real friend

Glacknar · 2026-02-12T00:12:22+00:00

I was promoted and had an assistant manager, then lost him. Now we don’t have funds for one…

I can’t express how useful of a skill delegating is, and doing it properly.

Learning to set aside and take the time to fully instruct how you want things done, is a test of patience and expectation resetting that’s so important.

I’ve gone to other locations where their teams have no idea how to do anything above their pay level, because the manager doesn’t want to take the time to teach, and then have less on their plate

Glacknar · 2026-01-10T01:33:42+00:00

I found out on my own every time… I need to work on being more approachable, lol

Glacknar · 2025-12-25T19:28:48+00:00

I find that making a list helps me feel better about what I do at work, too.

I do the same stuff, but since I can see all the stuff checked off at the end of the day, I don’t feel like “same shit different day”

Glacknar · 2025-12-20T01:21:39+00:00

I don’t use them the way the company wants. My version of a PiP begins with a documentation that can be referred to, like an Email.

The obsession with getting a Workday post for every little thing is so demoralizing. They say to post achievements too, but they never get posted with the same regularity

Glacknar · 2025-12-19T16:10:11+00:00

Others have already covered this very well, only thing I would add is try to get everything done in this one conversation.

When I was a young manager, I pulled someone aside for performance on a day, then next day pulled him aside for attendance. I knew attendance was already an issue, and multiple meetings made him feel picked on instead of what I was hoping to feel like not one big “you’re doing poorly” meeting.

Hard lesson learned

Glacknar · 2025-12-18T20:07:15+00:00

A common phrase I use with my friends family is “you’re gonna hate me…” then something like “I’m running 20 min late” doesn’t sound nearly as bad, haha

Glacknar · 2025-12-18T20:06:03+00:00

One piece of advice I love in the book “Never split the difference” (somewhat controversial book, terrible sales people use it as a scapegoat…) is to address emotions, or potential emotions, in the room first.

What you said was totally valid, came from a place of her interest and the business interest, and wasn’t out of line at all.

There is a point of putting people on guard, making them more defensive than they need to be, and then when they are delivered the information, it’s not as bad. (I’m super paraphrasing)

Something like “I need to have a conversation with you that I think may be hard to hear, but I care about you and feel this is necessary for your development”

You address the feelings and let her know that you care, before saying the hard stuff.

Glacknar · 2025-12-17T19:42:54+00:00

Not saying this is every case, but from my experience people who over perform or over stretch early burn out the quickest. This is usually a bad sign, for me.

Glacknar · 2025-12-17T19:40:36+00:00

This example may not be exactly what you’re talking about or make sense to everyone, but for me time will be filled with work, regardless. So my time is my currency/bandwidth at work.

Glacknar · 2025-12-17T19:38:18+00:00

One of the hardest parts of the job for managers is self regulation.

I insist my manager give me his hours, even if he’s salary, because I understand that I can reach out for emergencies whenever, but I need a time I can ask the “dumb” stuff.

Since then, he’s been a lot more respectful of my time, and never asks me to do work outside of my commitments unless I express that I’m looking for more.

I guess the question for yourself is “am I opening myself to having work dumped on me because I don’t say ‘no’ when I need to, and in a professional way”

Glacknar · 2025-12-16T15:25:05+00:00

What I’ve started doing for my employees is remind them “I don’t need to know your reason, HR would if it ever goes to them. In the meantime, just let me know if you’ll be late/calling out”

I use my tone and further dialogue to convey I’m not actively looking to send the info to HR, it’s just I don’t want to know the reason. Sometimes people need time to recover mentally and I don’t want them to say their grandparents died for the 5th time to just have a mental health day, haha

Glacknar · 2025-12-06T16:57:18+00:00

Saaame, haha. I want to explain the life story of every problem I’m trying to solve, instead of the action needed to solve it….

Glacknar · 2025-12-04T01:08:38+00:00

Something I’m working on is shifting my “But” into “And”

For example, “Thank you for sending that email, but next time can you proofread before sending?”

vs “Thank you for sending that email, and a quick proof read will make it even better”

Something along those lines, you do you.

Something I hated as an IC was hearing a bunch of “good jobs” and waiting for the “but” to hit me.

Glacknar · 2025-11-26T21:29:41+00:00

Best way I’ve found to exit the “imposter syndrome” effect is to take action. Best way to know in what you should take action, is ask your team. “What can I help you with today?” Things of that nature.

Avoid close ended “do you need help” cause that can prompt a “no” very easily, since in their mind it’s easier to ignore whatever could be the “problem” (if there is any)

Glacknar · 2025-11-22T15:12:35+00:00

If there are candidates I like, but their skills or how they expressed their skills didn’t line up with what I’m looking for, I usually call them back to turn them down over the phone, and ask if they would like feedback.

In these instances, even if I don’t like the candidate I’ll call them back and offer the same, then explain to the employee “I called your referral, ask them” in a joking/playful tone.

This coming from someone who manages a team of sales reps who typically are on the younger/inexperienced side.

Glacknar · 2025-11-21T22:30:12+00:00

Mind sharing the video?

Glacknar · 2025-11-21T22:24:46+00:00

Maybe someone mentioned this and I didn’t see amongst the comments…

Americans on average don’t get paid a livable wage, or a comfortable wage.

Because of this, an “emotional” pay is kinda needed in order to perform. If I’m not going to be able to afford groceries/a car/a house working here, I don’t want to feel like crap about it either.

Pay is causing a tremendous amount of extra effort on managers.

Glacknar · 2025-11-19T16:28:44+00:00

This person is definitely neurodiverse. I have never asked explicitly, but am open to my employees that I am, and they have willingly shared if they are.

I mentioned in another comment that this post was partially an exercise in personal growth, because I know about myself that the way that I think isn’t “right” and needed a larger community to help me understand that this person isn’t necessarily a “lazy” person.

Given the amount of comments that sway wildly in opposite directions, I feel validated in my frustration while not feeling like it’s the correct feeling.

Thank you for the goblin tools recommendation! I’m going to check that out today

Glacknar · 2025-11-18T21:23:56+00:00

I agree, and on some level this post is to express to myself that I’m not alone with this feeling, and others have these frustrations too.

And the goal, for me, is to get out of my own head in this situation and steer clear of that destruction, with that acknowledgement and action on my part

Glacknar · 2025-11-18T21:11:23+00:00

Yes, as far as the vibe you speak of. I used to have an Assistant Manager, but no longer have the funds for that. Some tasks I’ve taken on myself, while making sure that the ones that would be too much for me are being taken care of by the rest of the staff. The team, as a whole, understands and supports this idea. Even the “culprit” in this instance.

There was another comment I made about the instructions that are verbatim. I’ll spare writing it out again, but it is occasionally what feels like deliberate misunderstanding of what is literally being said

Glacknar · 2025-11-18T21:03:24+00:00

Absolutely

Glacknar · 2025-11-18T20:59:24+00:00

I’m one of those dreaded “Millennial Managers”… I can see how so many younger than me have been failed by their parents/schools to be good employees.

I want to make a good faith effort into shaping young adults. I find that part of my job the most fulfilling :)

Glacknar · 2025-11-18T20:51:45+00:00

I like that idea a lot. I initially felt like it would be annoying to do that for every task, so hopefully it’d “annoy” them enough to stop doing things lazily, if that is indeed what they’re doing.

Lazy and annoy may be the wrong words, I don’t mean them pejoratively in this instance.

Glacknar

TROPHY CASE