I don’t normally hold grudges. I have a problem forgetting things, I’ll admit, but not a problem forgiving. I regularly counsel employees - “Let it go.” I tell friends - “Take a deep breath, have a drink and a good cry, and move on. It doesn’t do you any good to stew.” I tell Mr. Hot - “Shut it already…..”

Except once - and yes, I have held onto this, tightly to my breast, for about 8 years now. When I was a newly promoted manager, located in a different state than my boss and peers, my goal was to prove that my team was capable of doing anything that the “local” team was doing. One person in particular (let’s call her Janice, shall we - just to make it easier) was determined that nothing that “the Michigan group” was up to her high expectations.

The setting was our regular staff meeting, and this time, my boss’s boss (who is actually now a very close friend of mine) was in attendance. It was very important that my team did well and proved its worth - there was no real reason to keep 5 people who sat 300 miles from the rest of the team otherwise. When a particular project was discussed, (for one of Janice’s clients), and other managers hemmed and hawed around (she was notoriously difficult to work with), I quickly stepped up and volunteered my team. This was my chance to show the boss’s boss that we were important contributors to the effort.

But Janice? (Janice the bitch?) Well, here’s what happened y’all:

Janice: “Oh no, that’s okay, I’ll wait until Tom’s team is available.”

Tom: “But my team is working on the VeryBigLarge project that isn’t scheduled to be completed for 4 months.”

Janice: “Okay, what about Steve’s team?”

Steve: “Well, we’re finishing up Medium project, but you know that we’ve got TheCriticalFavored project lined up right after that. We won’t be able to start your’s until that’s over.”

Hotfessional: “We’re just finishing Tiny project, but we can be ready to go within 2 weeks, and with your timeline, we can actually come in 3 weeks before your deadline.”

Janice: “Um, well, I just don’t think your team is up to this. Nothing I’ve gotten back from them has ever been right.”

Oh no she didn’t.

Oh hell yes, she did.

Now, you all know that I slammed that phone into mute mode, called her some very, very choice words, and managed to calm myself down in about 30 seconds flat. She was there. Face to face with Boss’s boss, and I was on the phone and she said that. If I could have reached through the virtual world and slapped her silly, you know I would have.

But no. I was the consummate professional.

Hotfessional: “Janice, I certainly must apologize. I was never informed that my team’s work was not up to your standards. In fact, I don’t believe we’ve ever worked on one of your projects. We’ve worked most recently on Susan’s and Sally’s projects, and their clients have been very complimentary. Please send me the examples of what problems you had and I certainly will have a discussion with the team.”

Janice: “Um, well, really Hotfessional, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t follow the project process to get this work done, and when it came back with mistakes, I just did the work myself.”

Okay, now. Her role was not supposed to actually DO this work - whether there were ‘mistakes’ in it or not. The project process was very important in order to appropriately track client time and resource efforts. We were in the midst of attempting some certification that relied on ensuring that all processes where followed. She cared so much about making sure that my team and I were seen as incompetent - in front of Boss’s boss!!!!!!, that she actually forgot that she had made a bigger, badder blunder than a simple formatting mistake on a website.

Boss’s Boss: “Janice, I think the Michigan team is well suited to take on this work, and can get it accomplished within the appropriate timeframes. You make sure that you keep Hotfessional informed and involved so that if any questions arise she can ensure that her team knows what the client’s requirements are. “

But, sometimes there’s no justice in the world. Janice got promoted. To a position that should have gone to one of my peers. I’ve had about 5 phone calls from people (who are very senior in the organization) wanting to know if I agree with the decision to promote her. Not only to promote her, but to have my friend reporting to her. My friend who has way more experience and knowledge than Janice. My friend who should have that job.

How many of my co-workers are included in this number? I don’t have the exact count yet, or know everyone that has been let go, but it’s a BIG number. And the restructured organization? Demoralizing. A lot of work that has been done over the past 6 years to make this company more efficient and (as evidenced by the number of bidders when merger/aquisition talks started) successful was wiped out in one fell swoop. My peers and I all had the same reactions - we’ve made peace with the fact that we no longer see ourselves as having careers here. We’ll be professional, we’ll take care of our clients, but we don’t understand or buy into the decisions that were made. And when the top level of management doesn’t have the backing of their senior managers? It’s only a matter of time before the senior managers are gone. No matter whose choice it is, the loss of drive for a bunch of type-As can only hurt the organization.

—- And what is with a Wednesday off? Yesterday seemed like Saturday. Today seems like Monday. Maybe that has something to do with this sucky mood. It’s either that or it’s because Mr. Hot forgot the vodka —-