Professionalism.
Last night, while I was talking to Karen, she told me a story about the day that she'd had. Apparently, she was on the line with one of her managers, who was evidently having a spotty cell connection. While she was trying to take instructions from him on some project or other--which, she explained, entailed her doing his job for him--he would cut out, forcing her to ask him to repeat himself. So he would, by repeating himself from the beginning.
Now, Karen relates this story to me, prefacing it by saying, "this guy's a pig anyway." I don't even know the story yet, and already I just know I'm going to love it.
So in the process of repeating himself needlessly, he gets impatient with her and says he's going to "send [her] to shorthand school." Now don't get me wrong, I admire Karen for saying what she said next, and I think it's great that she has the kind of relationship with a boss that allows her to say it: "I'm going to send you to kiss-my-ass school."
To which this smarmy fuck replies, "Oooo. That sounds like fun."
Hey! Tony Manero! I'm talking to you: Kill yourself, you macho douchebag. You're at work. And you're somebody's manager, to boot. Why don't you start acting like it? Leave that unprofessional bullshit at home.
Now, this whole exchange--while completely unmerited on his end, being that he's thoughtlessly passing his work on to someone else--was fairly innocuous. That's mostly owing to the fact that Karen can keep things in perspective. There are women out there that would've made a federal case of this. That's where at least some of my righteous indignation comes in to play.
When I'm at work, it's time for work. I'm a professional. I'm not there to flirt, pick people up, or make snide remarks. But I still have to go to sensitivity training and sexual harassment seminars; I have to walk on eggshells at work, in spite of all this. Even though we're catering to the lowest common denominator by tailoring workplace behavior to accommodate the most PC of the PC, there would be no need for any of this if douche-roosters like this guy would just go to work and have an ounce of professionalism.
And so it is with a glad heart that I present this week's Assclown Award to Karen's macho, unprofessional pig of a manager. He's a winner in all four categories:
Now, Karen relates this story to me, prefacing it by saying, "this guy's a pig anyway." I don't even know the story yet, and already I just know I'm going to love it.
So in the process of repeating himself needlessly, he gets impatient with her and says he's going to "send [her] to shorthand school." Now don't get me wrong, I admire Karen for saying what she said next, and I think it's great that she has the kind of relationship with a boss that allows her to say it: "I'm going to send you to kiss-my-ass school."
To which this smarmy fuck replies, "Oooo. That sounds like fun."
Hey! Tony Manero! I'm talking to you: Kill yourself, you macho douchebag. You're at work. And you're somebody's manager, to boot. Why don't you start acting like it? Leave that unprofessional bullshit at home.
Now, this whole exchange--while completely unmerited on his end, being that he's thoughtlessly passing his work on to someone else--was fairly innocuous. That's mostly owing to the fact that Karen can keep things in perspective. There are women out there that would've made a federal case of this. That's where at least some of my righteous indignation comes in to play.
When I'm at work, it's time for work. I'm a professional. I'm not there to flirt, pick people up, or make snide remarks. But I still have to go to sensitivity training and sexual harassment seminars; I have to walk on eggshells at work, in spite of all this. Even though we're catering to the lowest common denominator by tailoring workplace behavior to accommodate the most PC of the PC, there would be no need for any of this if douche-roosters like this guy would just go to work and have an ounce of professionalism.
And so it is with a glad heart that I present this week's Assclown Award to Karen's macho, unprofessional pig of a manager. He's a winner in all four categories:
posted by Drew at 4:01 AM
4 Comments:
Oh, that’s good stuff Drew – thank you for that! It made me cackle out loud more than once! He’ll be lucky if he doesn’t find a copy of this in his chair when he returns from the site next week.
On professionalism: I think I have learned about myself that I am much more professional at the onset than for the duration. Once I become comfortable, I break down the walls of trepidation and relax a little bit. I think this is just human nature. So, while sometimes I can be all business, I’m not the most strictly professional person. I appreciate a realistic approach and think it’s refreshing. However, there are those in the bunch who inevitably take it to the extreme and ruin it for the rest of us. These people are the reason PC even exists! And look what a disaster that whole movement has become!
Professionalism isn't about being cold or impersonal. Quite the opposite, actually: it's about being polite and respectful. It's also about minding where you are, and what is appropriate in those circumstances.
It's not unlike the difference between morality and ethics: the one is about what you believe, the other is about how you act. You indicated to me that F.S. is, perhaps, a good person. But if he behaves in a dirtbag-y manner, doesn't that by definition make him a dirtbag?
I suppose good person is a relative term.
Douche-rooster is as douche-rooster does.
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