Work & Life

[JOHN DOE]

17 hours ago, Grafter said:

4 weeks ago we started a process which i manage which involves people filling in spreadsheets. Deadline was Monday gone

Week before last i sent my regular weekly email and followed it up with " please be advised of the timeline" and included the time table

Last Friday loads of people still hadnt engaged so in my weekly email above the red writing (which ive been including for the last two years and flags things people need to aware of AND was praised by manager for doin so) i added in black bold 'we had wanted the spreadsheets to be completed by monday because...and here i included the exact text my manager used in her original guidance and timeline

Underneath i wrote "unfortunately the timeline will be impacted because several spreadsheets are no where near finished"

All directors are copied in

My manager just tried to reprimand me today over this. Apparently its too abrupt...

I also asked people to please ensure they fill in the basic information otherwise the rest of the spreadsheet content is "rendered useless"

That was also deemed rude and abrupt and "stingy"

Only one person responded in a rude way imo (manager is justifying this persons remarks) even though two other people agree this person was rude.

As a result of my email on Friday engagement increased by 60%

An im askin her several times to tell me how i should have worded it. No concrete response, diversion to bits rhat are irrelevant to the "abrupt" remark

Oh an the flagged points in red which she previously praised me for are apparently now too rude because its in red...

I am done

Don't even wanna come in again

fuck them devils 

about dont want to come in 

thats only going to effect you not them 

let them 'reprimand' you in the way they deem necessary and continue to do your job whislt looking elsewhere 

if you really want to take it to them, document the emails and when you leave take them to court 

we as black people never exercise our right to litigation when we are wronged 

dunno if these is a fear of the law or laziness or both 

 

[Grafter]

I have no fear of anything tbh unless im in physical danger

Theres no legal aid for employment tribunal, I dont know my grounds and frankly ive been navigating the legal system for a couple of reasons for the last 4 years and its totally biased. There is no such thing as justice or fair application of the law. People like me have little protection. 

Of course i felt like not comin in but I'm here because of course i need to be here. Also wont be pushed out of a relatively cushty job (flexi time, nice annual leave etc) because of some fools. Im workin on lots of personal development projects at the moment so things will be fine within the year

I said previously i spoke to my union rep an she failed me. What she actually did was conflate me with another black woman for an entire hour talkin about yhhh ur emails are rude ive had so many complaints. But it wasnt me. An the union rep is mix race an felt the need to tell me she grew up amongst only white people an blablabla

An btw the other black womans emails are not rude, they are just to the point and her manager doesn't reprimand her because she is doing her job correctly, not letting people stiff the system

 

It's all a joke

[Drift]

You're being managed out, they fundamentally don't like YOU. Find a new job, this shouldn't be an issue.

[Grafter]

Its one person, new director who manages my manager. Before this everything was calm

But i will stay as long as it suits me

[M.Dot]

I do think you probably could have worded your email differently tbh. 

But your manager is a poor one if they can't provide a suitable alternative on how you could have put it. You could have added the exact same points in your email without giving them the opportunity to call your email rude or abrupt, and still highlighting the lack of engagement at that point so far which would have put the focus on those people who weren't doing what they should have.

If they are trying to push you out, they'll definitely use things like your email to target you, I would say you should try & alter your responses without changing yourself and maintaining your own integrity - which can be done, but it's not easy if your on your own in there tbh(I've seen and been involved in this in the past)...

I have more to add but I'm about to be late for work myself. TBC

 

[Grafter]

Fair point

There is this behavioural economics thing I could have done which would be to praise the people who did engage there by setting a standard and shaming the rest and including some red amber green light stuff which could have covered me

Since the first incident i check my emails with other colleagues. We cant always anticipate the level of sensitivity

[YFSD]

Why do you care to shame people that haven't done your spreadsheet

You even said in your first post people weren't engaging with it so you know for whatever reason your team or colleagues aren't engaged with you or your work

You should take a different approach because your current direct approach of bold caps and copying in seniors is not working obviously

The responsibility is on you to change your angle

Personally I know how I would have looked at your follow up emails if I hadn't filled it in at that point and I wouldn't be filling it in either

Are you in management?

[Grafter]

This is an organisation wide exercise

It's not a personal project or a project i have created or have a vested interest in

Its organisation critical. People not engaging is not stickin two fingers up at me even if they think it is

Used the word shame because its part of the behavioural economics angle and it has worked in other areas of my job.

Thanks for your input tho. Probably best to shut this down now as the topic aint about me. Still something to think about.

[YFSD]

Probably would have been best to follow the escalation process then IMO without throwing everyone under the bus in front of the directors

You had an email trail of you doing what you was supposed to be doing so your ass is covered

Don't piss people off and make yourself enemy no.1 when there's no need especially like you said if you're not personally vested in the project

I work with engagement and management of teams so if you want any advice PM but otherwise GL

[Grafter]

Actually I was giving people the chance to engage prior to the deadline

Would have made more enemies if I let the deadline pass then started escalating. And I would have been held in some way responsible myself

The facts are that engagement increased by 60% between the Friday when I sent my email and the following Monday which was the deadline.

I had 2 negative responses, my manager and some cow who can't rally her own team and is constantly trying to get me to do her work. Overall the response was positive and apologetic and excuse filled.

So the data proves I did a good job. The lack of engagement is not my fault its the directors, and this has been said by several people. I was informed after the deadline that some people had been instructed to deprioritise the exercise

[Anderson]

Sounds to me like:

- your manager didnt think it was rude initially

- the one who got aggy (because shes lazy/on her reds/whatever) then went up to your manager and said something along the lines of 'that email from grace was rude, she should speak nicer to people above her. You need to have a word with her'. That kinda thing.

- your manager probs in a throwaway manner, or because theyre friends, then partially agreed which resulted in her saying to you it was rude

- your manager didnt initially think that so has nothing to back up that complaint when you ask her

Basically....its a minor in the grand scheme of things. Your managers a bit weak and gets told what to do even when they dont agree. Id just be saying 'sorry, didnt mean for it come off rude i just wanted to people to realise the importance' and that would be the end of it.

I see this sort of thing happen with my managers manager all the time. Its quite jokes watching him try reprimand someone for something he doesnt give a fuck about.

[General Mac]

Started a new job last week still. Already on a verbal warning for some nonsense. CEO is on my side but HR ain't having it. VEX. Makes no sense

[Grafter]

Congrats on new job

Whats the warning for an how HR think they can override the CEO?

[General Mac]

They knew I was mad sick from Monday but I still went in extra early but yesterday I was so destroyed. Woke up at 3:47am and just threw up everywhere.. must have fallen asleep at 5 and was KO until 9:20. Called up and said I feel awful and sorry for missing calls but I was flat out. Explained well, Marketing director was like it's cool, everybody been I'll, rest up and see you Monday. HR then call me at 11 saying are you coming in because we need a chat, im like I've already notified relevant parties. I gather as much energy as possible and go in for 12:30.... this woman's like verbal warning for being 5 hours late. CEO is like he's not supposed to be in, some little skirmish ensues between 2 HR woman and him. I get sent home. Turn up today and HR call me in to pick up the warning letter. I go to my boss and as he's reading it he's like this is utter bollocks and rips it up and all I here is, "she's been a right bitch since Mike left her" - Mikes the silent co founder.

Mans caught in some domestics lol

[Grafter]

Ohhh no

Sounds like you will be alright tho

Wouldn't have gone in if I were u tho for that 12:30

That woman is a bitch. She must think/know she is mad valuable if she's chucking it with the CEO. This why knowledge/record management/process/contingency notes is so important, cut out this fear of losing fools

[Mind Reader]

Yeah new job 

Fucking finally 

[Realone2016]

Really enjoying this job, big name for my CV too sometimes being 'let go' in the probationary period is a blessing in disguise as you can find yourself in something much better within a month or two.

[Mind Reader]

Just experienced my First night shift althogh We finished early so ivr been walking home since 430 as no buses

My legs gonna cave in any minute

[Mind Reader]

But yeah not tired at all thought i was gonna be falling sleep at work tbh

[Afroman]

Loving my new job too so far. Journey is a bit exhausting. But I m getting used to it.

Great culture , nice colleagues , valuable experience .

[Rippy]

Someone got the EXACT role I wanted before I had even got a chance to speak to the person heading up the team. 

I say someone, it's someone who started out same time in the company is me, same level and we caught up every so often at work. 

And it pains me she's got this role. She's sly which makes it more painful. The jealously is so REAL. Never felt so sour, for so long. The exact type of scenario to not focus on others, do you, support their grind etc etc etc. But fuck. Not taking it very well, particularly as I know she will kill it.  

[Grafter]

Sorry to hear that

What is for you will not pass you

Do the best you can not to show the jealousy

[NORA BATTY]

Put a spell on her rips.....thats wot i would do, its worked for me 

 

[Simply D]

If by your own admission she will "kill the role", then it sounds like the company chose the right person for the job.

Although if it is an actual NEW role...then it should have be advertised etc, and then they should/could have wasted your time n picked her anyway

Chin up...no point wasting those salt tears, let them fuel your drive to do/achieve more than that role would have offered

[Rippy]

Yeah - new role, the team just spun up. 

Fully aware I need to focus on myself and really can't quite believe how burnt I feel by it! 

She'd kill it from the skills she'd bring but I know I'd have tackled it from a different angle (she's gov/public policy and I'm business/tech), and that was the beauty of that role - it could've been self-defined. I look at across all my interests and all I've been working towards/advocating for and that role could've have brought it all together. The team is looking to expand but in the past she's tried to discourage me from moving into areas she's in (no joke and that's why this sourness is sticking as she really is sly), so not even keen to join alongside her. I could go on, but it's not the right thing to do! 

Agree though - all about driving success where I am now. I'm really sad but I am in a good place where I can do well. Must must must focus as it's becoming distracting.