Monday, October 24, 2011

Open to other possibilities...

The other day, Secretary had several ridiculous hissy fits. I couldn't believe how she was acting. She was like a two year old on crack. What kind of grown adult behaves that way? One that knows she can get away with it.

One of the hissy fits was a hold over from the day before when I instructed her to send a one sentence letter out. One sentence. She then came to me to tell me she was not going to do anything without an attorney's approval. I was half-tempted to just do it myself, but decided I wasn't going to do her work and give in to her non-sensicalness (yes, I made up that word) - no more than I would give-in to a fit-throwin' two year old demanding ice cream at a grocery store.

I let that simmer and told her that if she wanted that confirmation from an attorney, she needed to ask for it herself and that I expected it to be done promptly regardless.

She spoke to B-Dub about it and he had no clue about what I asked her to do and instructed her to talk to me for instruction and do as I said. (Thank you, B-Dub for a little validation!) So she asked me again that next day what she was supposed to do. As I was starting to explain it again, B-Dub walked up and pulled us both into his office.


I explained to him the one sentence letter I wanted her to send and why it needed to be sent. He agreed it needed to be sent and asked what the problem was. Secretary continued to whine and argue, and eventually, B-dub just asked me to handle it. I agreed to do so. I wasted too much time on this little letter already. This is just another example of the failed management I deal with daily.

Without going into other long stories about her epic attitudedness (another made-up word - you're welcome), I will just give you a few examples:
  • Physically tearing paper from my (warm, living) hands;
  • Lots of dramatic horse sounds to infer her frustration with life;
  • E-mail blasts about what isn't in her job description;
  • Eye rolling (I think she keeps replacement eyeballs in her desk for days like that when she wears hers out); and
  • More breaks than work.
I just don't understand why someone who refuses to do work continually gets others to do their work, and why she doesn't lose her job. I really, really don't get it.

B-Dub later confessed that he did a poor job managing the situation and apologized. I agreed with him and told him I'm near the end of what I can take. I told him I have one solution to this "problem." He said he is open to other "possibilities."  Well, I am too now...

2 comments:

  1. Grr!! If only people did what they were supposed to, instead of messing about!

    Btw, I swear this secretary woman works at our firm too. :D

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  2. I am a 50 y.o. secretary having worked with lawyers and paralegals since I was 21. This is my work day: someone asks me to do something and I do it. Case closed (lol), done. It's that simple.

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