In Which, Even In A Fit Of Despair, I Dispense More Priceless Advice

Not just one useful suggestion, but two!  Stay tuned til the end...

I am definitely having a "why bother?" sort of day, and "why bother?" is not what I'm all about.

My job, honestly, I find quite rewarding.  I truly enjoy helping people and solving problems.

You would think that a person who embraces these personality traits would be celebrated in a work place, wouldn't you?

I thought so too.  

Until recently, of course.

And I was celebrated!

Until recently, of course.

Here's a thought...how about, instead of punishing me for asking "What if?" or "Why not?" or hell, even just "Why?" how about you think in terms of possibilities instead of only in terms of how to keep me from ever achieving anything that matters?

How about, instead of seeing how much you can get away with NOT doing while simultaneously bullying me into not talking about you never do anything, that you just DO SOMETHING, or hell, why not ask me to do something, since I'm the one always flapping my jaw about wishing the fuck you'd just DO SOMETHING?

(Ancient managerial secret...when somebody comes to you saying, "Why can't you ______?" you make _____ THEIR RESPONSIBILITY!  Then, unless they're serious, they'll stop asking you for stuff.  See how that works?)

See how I did that?  Did you see that useful information tucked in there, among the complaints?  Neat, huh?

Anyway...

In the last 12 months, I have made a concentrated effort to NOT say anything, to NOT complain, to NOT act generally or genuinely dis-satisfied, and I worked very hard to NOT take any part in making my boss look like an asshole.  I mean, I was ZIPPED.  Every single time I felt like saying, "You sir, are an asshole," I stopped myself, picked up whatever I was knitting at the time, and did that instead, just so that if/when he was going to hear it, it wouldn't be from me.

What has happened during that time is that other people besides me have come out and said their own variation of "You sir, are an asshole."  I'm sure the powers that be thought it was my idea to send those other people in to do the bitching--nothing could be further from the truth, but I do applaud them because I know how my boss brutalizes people who bitch about things.  Has anything changed?  No.  Oh well, thought I...at least I wasn't the one being brutalized.

Then, today happened.  Stupid, stupid today happened.  All my hard work, all my "Shut the fuck up, Shelly," went out the window.  Today, I expressed disappointment (I used that exact word) about a managerial decision.

And how did that go for me?  Guess.

It's like an immediate trip to purgatory to question my boss.  Seriously.  And what a shame. I mean, even though I truly do think he's a worthless do nothing, it's not a personal thing--hey, this is just business, OK?  He and I were actually having pleasant conversations toward the end, there.  One time, he even ended a phone call by saying "It's good talking to you".  My boss said it was GOOD talking to me!  My boss who hates my fucking guts said that!  Friendly, right?

Yeah...not so much.  How quickly it all disappears.  And that is why I ask, why bother?  All that work I put into showing him that I was no threat to him, that I just have ideas, that's all--all of that work, POOF.  

It'll take me another YEAR to get back to "It's good talking to you".  Do I even want to?

Here's a suggestion, Corporate America...(I told you there would be two...) When interviewing people for management jobs, ask this one question and ask it often: "Do you find yourself easily wounded by words, or do you perceive threat when there is none, then lash out like a cornered animal?"  And if their answer is anything but a vehement "No!" tell them you're sorry, but you've decided to go with another candidate.  I promise, we'll thank you later.