Blacklisting

I have decided that life is too short for helping those who don't want to be helped.

Henceforth and from now on, I will be trustworthy, loyal, honest and helpful to as many as I can be. I will not tolerate duplicitous behavior, however, and will shun those who say one thing to my face and do the opposite behind my back.

In a recent "exit interview" with the CEO of a former employer, I was told that the executive who had severed my relationship with the company was "not my enemy," nevermind he had the power to retain my position if he wanted.

Not my enemy?
Indeed, who needs enemies with friends like that?

This polecat had the balls to look me in the eye and tell me he was my friend.
Some friend.
Someone lied, someone was not truthful, and my litmus test for honor, virtue and shooting straight just got a lot harder to pass.

So I have now learned to be wary of female executives and Hebrew CEO's (or incarnations of both traits in the same body.)
If that's stereotyping, tough.

My experiences with both types have been less than successful in recent months, and I don't intend to repeat the pain.

Oaf!

I recently had the opportunity to assist a professional with his presentation skills.

His delivery and sense of entertainment is about as exciting as watching paint dry.

I gave him sound advice, coached him on his content delivery, and created several different, interesting ways for him to tell his story and accel in his effectiveness.

He stabbed me in the back.

He told me one thing and then did the opposite.

He had the gall to call me on a weekend and spew his venom and bile into my restful space.

Fine.

I will not get even.

I will get ahead.

He can rot in his own juices.

Communication Breakdown

They don't call the workplace a sandbox for nothing.

Our little sandbox is full of emotional five-year-olds, who figure the best way to get their way is to resort to childish methods...like refusing to talk to other people with whom they disagree or have a beef.

Yep, it's personal.

Case in point: One of our clients has in its employ a fellow against whom our CEO has carried a grudge for years. He won't admit it, but it's there.

Recently, our Fearless Leader all but told the client that if it were up to him, the man would be fired. Behind the scenes, he told us to not communicate at all with this individual.

The problem is, this person is the primary conduit through which essential communication flows from that business to others, including our's.

So we have been essentially crippled in managing our relationship with this company, all because our CEO thinks their CEO is an idiot for hiring this guy, and has forbidden us from talking to him.

Brilliant!

In sandbox vernacular: takes one to know one.