Some Wisdom For Working Women
OMG, it’s like, so hard to take orders from someone who is, well, so inexperienced and immature. It really is.
When I started working at age 19, the “boss” I have now was about 5 years old. I feel the fact that she is a woman in an office of mostly women may bring out certain social issues, but I am addressing my experience alone.
Even though I have never been in management, I have 23 years of watching co-workers screw up, seeing the cluelessness of supervisors and making plenty of mistakes myself. I learned the hard way…. So for my sisters in the workforce, especially those going into management, I share this advice.
One word for women in the workplace: discretion. Very important. Especially if you are in a leadership position. And if you have a husband at home and a boyfriend at work it’s really essential. My supervisor hasn’t figured that one out yet. I used to wonder “why don’t appearances occur to her?” but I guess now I find it slightly amusing. Eventually, she might choose to keep the drama at home, but it will probably take a few dramatic scenes, a divorce and ten more years of bad decisions.
Another important trait of the working woman, especially in management, is keeping your thoughts to yourself. At one time, my manager expressed her intent to stop working since she had enough staff to carry the load. It upset the employees who heard about it, and we lost some of them. Karma was in full effect when she found herself back working late.
A sorority-like atmosphere prevails in our office. In meetings, our supervisor will often reprimand us for gossip or catty behavior. It is almost funny, because in the office, she is right in the middle of the sewing circle. Her friendships with certain employees are obvious, and not handled in a professional manner. It is clear who she favors. Certain employees don’t have to take vacation or make up time they missed. Others do. Some get first dibs on vacation days. The rest take what is left. A good manager would never let that happen.
Since I am older than most, and do not tolerate bullshit, I am liked and probably disliked (strong women usually are disliked by someone.) In our office, I know who my friends are. But I don’t really pay close attention to the childish behavior going on around me. It is like being back in 8th grade. Only now I am 42 and couldn’t give less of a f*%k.
The sharing of personal information no one needs or wants to hear is another no-no that I’ve experienced a lot. I have worked with several people in their 20s who didn’t know that talking about their sex life, hygiene, or other “didn’t need to know” subjects is tacky, inappropriate, stupid and also laughable (as soon as they walk away.) It is really hard to listen seriously to someone you have heard crying on the phone to her Mom, or watched as she freaked out in the parking deck after work.
I doubt that anyone higher up in the chain of command is even aware of what is going on in our office. Since our department is scheduled to be closed, and we will be gone, no one really cares about us. People leave and they aren’t replaced. People who were promised raises or overtime aren’t getting them, and they are intimidated into working extra hours. As long as we get the work done, we are just waiting on the end, whenever it may come, like terminally ill patients. There won’t be any extra measures taken to save us.
I would gladly pull the plug right now. I’m tired of 8th grade.
