WordPress prompt for today – Think of a time you let something slide, only for it to eat away at you later. Tell us how you’d fix it today.

Hierarchies rule in Government organisations. I put a lot of work into a document to go up the General Manager for approval. I provided a draft to my line manager and she changed it significantly and sent it up-line to the General Manager. I didn’t see the changes she made. Next thing I knew was the General Manager came to my desk and shouted profanities at me for the content of the document. I was dumbfounded – it was in front of all my work colleagues in an open plan office. My manager was in an office close by but did not intervene. I felt like I couldn’t say that the offending content was the work of my manager, not me – but that would have been dobbing her in, so I just sat there and copped it.

At the time I just shrugged it off and got on with my work. I knew an injustice had taken place but hey, that’s what the workplace is like, isn’t it?

No way would I put up with that sort of behaviour today. I would stop him in his tracks by indicating I wasn’t about to take what he wanted to dump on me. I would insist that we go somewhere private to have the conversation. I would not take the actual and body language he used. If he failed to respond to those requests, I would go to my Manager’s office and involve her in the discussion. To be honest, if these things didn’t work, I would leave my desk and either go home or seek help from Human Resources staff. When it comes to fight or flight, I definitely lean towards winging my way out of the situation 🙂

OMG – I am so glad I don’t work there anymore!!!

Lorraine

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