It's Good, But...

If you've been reading my blog recently, you know I've had some issues with the boss. I actually had a talk with her boss about these issues. I now have reason to believe that her boss discussed these issues with her. My boss will no longer sit in a conference room alone with me. She has cancelled 3 meetings with me, and instead has me and my co-worker join her at her desk or at a table in the lunch room. She is now making a small effort (and extremely half-hearted, too) at complimenting my work. Now, I will say that with the better direction she has been giving, I am able to do a better job. That being said, I turned in a DRAFT of a project I had been working on just to make sure it was what she was looking for. Well, I was called into the lunch room (alone - for the first time in two weeks) and told that this was a project and needed to be available for viewing by all levels of management. She went up one side of me and down the other about formatting, colors, 'making it pop', and so on. After I took my beating and went back to my desk, she called in my co-worker to ask her to sit with me for a few hours and show me how to do it. I have some issues with this: 1. My co-worker is also my friend, and does not want to be put in this position 2. My boss is the one who should 'show me how to do it' 3. The boss is playing us each against the other Here comes the compliment part: After my co-worker and I discussed, and made some changes to the project, I sent it back to the boss. The following is from her email reply to me: This looks MUCH better! Good Job! Only a few things to note: 1. On your analysis sheet, blah blah blah. 2. Your data label “January” should be identified in your blah blah blah. 3. On your data source, blah blah blah. 4. The colors you have chosen are fine, however, blah blah blah. 5. And lastly, blah blah blah blah. I’ve manipulated these few changes to show you a final output. These suggestions should be used to help you formulate charts going forward. Other than these suggestions, GREAT JOB!

So, it's good, but... I know it started with Good Job and ended with GREAT JOB, but after my recent issues with the boss, the middle part really says THIS SUCKS!

I think the lesson here is: NEVER send a draft to the boss. I tried telling her several times that it was a draft, but she wasn't listening. Another lesson I have learned from my recent experiences is: I will never please this boss, no matter what I do. Example: when I finally finished the project and sent it off to her, she called and said it was great, but... So I made the 3 changes that she wanted and double and then triple-checked everything to be sure I left no room for error. I sent it to her and she said it was perfect, but needed another chart added to it! At least I have realized that I will never please her. That will help to ease my frustrations at times, at least. Let me know what your thoughts are, or if you have or have had a bad boss. Please post your comments!

Kitty King

My kitty, Precious, has become the 'Don King' of our kitty community. I'm not quite sure if she's promoting fights, or just taking bets, but the following has happened on two occasions: I am watching TV and hear a cat fight outside the front door. I open the front door and see two cats going at it on my patio. Neither one of the fighting cats is Precious, though. No, Precious is perched on either the railing or the window sill watching the action!!! Kramer laughed so hard, he put himself into a coughing fit, and I almost peed my pants! After the fight was over, Precious Kitty pranced into the house like it was nothing at all. And thanks to her doorman, Kramer, she never has any issues getting in, either! All she has to do is hang on the window screens and Kramer knows that's his cue to open the door! Pretty smart cat, I'd say! So, Precious Kitty is now 'Kitty King'. I've got to get batteries in that digital camera. Next time it happens I will post a picture!

More on "The Boss"

So now the issue is: total micro-management. This is to the point where I think I've had just about enough. The following is a message from my boss with the subject line of "Time and Attendance": I didn’t receive your email today when you arrived letting me know when you came in this morning. Please be reminded, I need to receive this email everyday when you log onto your computer and every evening before you log off. If it helps, a reminder message can be set up in Outlook through establishing a recurring task, with a reminder message so that it appears as soon as you sign into Outlook. You need to send this email everyday, even when it has been arranged in advance that you will be coming in late. For today’s occurrence, I will seek assistance from security. But please make note of this and ensure that I receive this data daily. I believe this is creating a hostile work environment for me and my co-worker. We are in a professional environment, nobody punches a clock. We enter our time into PeopleSoft every day. Furthermore, when the boss stated that this would be a requirement, I asked her if we had given her any reason to be doing this, and she responded, "No, I'm just keeping track of time and attendance." I thought that's what PeopleSoft was for. This goes against one of our company's core values which is: Create and maintain an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. In addition to the "Time and Attendance" rule, we now have to 'filter' everything through the boss. That is, everything we send out (reports/data due) we have to send to the boss first, and then wait for her approval before we send to the party that is expecting it. We also have to 'filter' all requests through her as well. Like, if we need data from someone that is critical to a report, we cannot go to the source, we have to go to the boss and she will request said data. This goes against the aforementioned core value, and two more: 1. Encourage every team member to take risks, exercise initiative, deliver quality results and never be afraid to make honest mistakes. 2. Create a supportive environment that nurtures personal and professional growth. I don't feel like my personal or professional growth is being nurtured, and this is definitely not a supportive environment! I am also not being encouraged to take risks, and certainly not to exercise initiatives!!! The good news is, I have a meeting with the boss's boss on Tuesday. There are many more issues that could go into some ethical areas. That's for another blog.

About Me

Please note that the chances are slim that I will respond to an email asking me to answer questions about myself. Last week someone said that I was the least likely to respond and that people should just check the blog. So here goes, a combination of questions from the last several get to know you emails I received and some add ons: First Name: Ann Was I named after anyone: Yes, my Grandmother Anna (who I never got to meet) Favorite Color: Purple Favorite Number: 4 Favorite Restaurant: Firebird's Rocky Mountain Grille Sport I Played: Soccer Favorite TV show: Grey's Anatomy Largest Cell Phone Bill: Over $600.00 Reoccurring Dream: Well, I haven't had it in awhile but I used to be chased by cracks opening up in the ground while running in the field behind my parents' house Favorite Movie: Pursuit of Happyness Favorite TV Show Growing Up: The Muppet Show Favorite Store: Tuesday Morning Best Medical Test: The first ultrasound when I was pregnant Worst Medical Test: Drinking the barrium Best Friend in High School: Colleen Favorite Teacher: Mrs. Carter (12th grade) 4 Jobs I have had: Cashier, McDonalds, Customer Service, Executive Assistant Person I Miss the Most: Hands down, my Dad Song that Reminds me of someone: Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World by Israel Kamakawiwo Ole' Weekend Routine: Clean the House, do laundry, etc, etc. Would I bungee jump: Maybe Now I Am Listening To: Chitter-chatter; just background noise Favorite Smell: Daryl Favorite Drink: Miller Lite Favorite Hobby: None Favorite Food: Probably Sushi Favorite Ice Cream: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough How Many Emails in My Work Email Box: 723 How Many Emails in My Main Personal Account: ?? How Many Cameras Do We Have In Our House: 3 Best Alarm Clock Brand: All alarm clocks suck! Copy the questions and answers and respond by leaving a comment. If you do not do this in the next 10 minutes you might die..........or someone might steal your kidney.......or a stranger might be waiting in the back seat of your car to kill you.......Do not interrupt your response if you hear a crying baby out on your front porch-it's a trap, believe me.

Toxicity Level is HIGH

Does anyone ever think "Gee, wonder if I'm a bad boss"? Probably not. I know a select few who would benefit from asking themselves that very question. If they were honest with themselves, they would find that maybe they are micro-managers, time-mongers, or just the boss from hell. I was reading an article on bad bosses at www.toxicboss.com. Now that's an interesting site. It gives you tips on how to deal with a toxic boss, as well as stories about workplace revenge. It also has a Toxic Boss-o-Meter, to see how toxic your boss really is. I have had the misfortune to work for a few really toxic bosses. Every time, I find myself wondering, "Did I really piss someone off on a cosmic level?" or "What did I do in a former life that was so terrible?" I can never seem to get past the toxic boss, so I usually end up leaving the company or transferring out of the department headed up by said boss. I would love to learn how to win over a toxic boss. I don't mean I want to be friends with the boss, but at least get past the feelings of intimidation and worthlessness, and become a productive member of the team in the boss' eyes. Is that too much to ask? Maybe it is. I think Kramer would advise me to blow up the boss' house or car. Surely something evil. But I'm not looking for revenge. I just want to be comfortable, if not happy, at my place of business. My hubby tells me to document everything so I have it when I need it. And he's right, but am I missing something? I feel like maybe I can take an extra step somewhere that will lead to the boss not being so, well...bossy! I would love to hear your toxic boss stories. Any comments?

White House Retracts State of the Union Address

The White House has retracted the entire 5,600 word state-of-the-union address...has this ever happened before? Read the article here: http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/white_house_quietly I can't honestly say that I'm surprised. I mean, just about every word out of W's mouth has been a lie. But retracting the entire state-of-the-union address??? Did they look at the tapes and decide, "no, that's just not worthy of you, W" or better yet, did W himself decide that it sounded too truthful and would tarnish his record? I think the funniest part of the article is the last line: "Like the State of the Union address itself, the White House's retraction has not yet become a significant national news story" I wonder if Kramer will weigh in on this...

Introducing: Kramer

I thought I posted this yesterday, but for some reason it didn't post. Kramer is our neighbor that lives 2 doors down. He will be blogged about often, so I thought I should introduce him. A few quick facts about Kramer: He has too many vehicles (just ask the City of Peoria) He has some neighbor-relation issues He doesn't care what others think - to an extreme He is NEVER late for dinner He has become a very good friend to us For those of you that know Corey; Kramer has become something of our Corey in Arizona. He also takes Corey's place at our dinner table most nights. That's ok, except some nights he argues with Vicki and it feels like we have Eric & Sam (oil & water) living with us again! Kramer, you are a good friend, so don't take offense to anything I may say or write. It's just my normal sarcasm; nothing more, nothing less.