Thursday, May 24, 2007

Whoops, I did it again

And this time to no other then to my boss. Not just my own Reporting Officer, but the RO's boss, the school's director. It turns out that little over the top eM to explain to me the concept of graduation is, according to my RO, because Director felt I threatened her in order to get her to approve my leave - and she doesn't want be subjected to threats from anybody.

The fact that she doesn't like threats is understandable; that she feels that I have threatened her is laughable.

At least I'm laughing about it now. Though the reality is that I might not be laughing for long and I sure wasn't when I heard about it at first this afternoon - it was more like.... haaa... wtf...

Well joke aside, why I might not be laughing for long (around here) is b/c my next contract is in the air. When I went there to talk to her at the end of the day on Monday her PA gave me the new contract (w/ old terms) to sign. Contract was due to be signed on that Monday, again I was like 'why like this?'. PA was not around so the offer was sitting on her desk for a whole week, and she said that she'll buy me more time with HR and then eM me about the new due date.

When my RO told me about Director's feelings after the meeting, my instinct was to go and discuss this bad miscommunication w/ Director straight away. But I didn't, as working in the same way as I would in my own village doesn't work around here - obviously. David explained to me that you don't discuss these sort of confrontational issues by confronting the person whom you had an issue with again. Even though the only reason for talking to them directly again shortly following 'the issue' would be to iron it out, discuss the differences, and apologise if necessary. I tried it twice previously. David's right.

To sprinkle dash of irony onto the scenario, that meeting last Friday was the preparation for this morning's 'Staff Communication Session 2007' - thought they forgot to pout in prefix 'Theatrical', but apparently it's omitted b/c it's the common sense around here. As part of the preparation during that last Friday, Director gave presentation titled 'Organizational Communication'. The presentation was covering topics on congruent communication and managing your boss. Following the presentation Director ran the workshop on how to ask constructive non-threatening, non-self serving questions. According to the lesson from her own presentation, Director failed to take on the visual cues and focused too much on the other 7% of communication - apparently 93% is visual - namely: 'Then I'll just go to HR, and claim it there.'

iiiiiiitttttttt'sssAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaJJJOOOOKKKKEEEEEEE...!


Ps: Lose transcript from 5min meeting on Mon:

PA: Z's here to see you. (To depict the context a bit: the moment PA opened Director's door, until I left it was all ha ha ha... basically every sentence finished with a laughter/smile/giggle. At one point of interaction, not sure what was discussed (hope not the tonality of my voice) she taped my shoulder - I noticed that as I founded it surprising, and also as apparently she's reading all the psycho stuff (as well:)).

me: aren't you going to say something more for the introduction, after all that interrogation just now (PA asked me all about why am I seeing the director before she walked me into her office).

me: Hi thanks for this. (pointing at the new contract PA just handed to me moments ago. PA's exiting the office).

D: I was wondering whose is that deep sexy voice on the other side of the door (she heard me while I was chating w/ the PA about the need for at least a month more before I can sign the contract (so I can find some other offer in order to get some bargening power with target of getting better contract - more $) ).

me: Thanks, but I only hope students can understand it (my voice, and thus what I'm saying).

me: I was gonna catch up w/ you after our staff meeting on Friday, but didn't get to, so hence I'm here now. During your presentation you mentioned that graduation is compulsory. That was a surprise to me...

D: some BS on importance of graduation.

me: the thing is I booked my ticket in February for a trip to Vietnam for the duration of the break.

me: blabbing on about how I understand the pressures are there that I don't see, setting precedence, rules and so on... but I am' just an IF-i was a-teacher teacher, it's my 1st year, I didn't know...

D: some more BS on how all staff are seen as equal 'we are all equal'.

me: that sounds nice (ha ha ha)

D: what do you mean? We treat everybody the same..... some more about importance and precedences.

D: reschedule; other's have done so as well.

me: my ticket cannot be changed. what do I do about that?

D: ~~

me: I'll just get you to pay for my ticket then (ha ha).

D: we cannot do that

me: Then I'll just go to HR and claim it there (approving claims is of the things that HR actually does around here. Though it wouldn't work in a way I had in mind (get full re-found), not in a million yrs - I know it, she knows it, HR knows it, everybody knows it - hence funny)

D: ha ha ha (or was it my imagination seeing her laugh)

D: I'll talk to your RO and deputy D, and then I'll eM u.

me: thanking her for the time and leaving by saying that I hope she can make everybody happy.


Pps: Communication is what other person perceives you've said, not what you say. (ref?)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

ok, nice one. liked the transcript. yeah she is good- reads the physo b.s although where she finds time too i wonder. anyway, point being that in every villiage there are exceptions and glad you took that meeting with her. money is on me seeing you in june, which i certainly am looking forward to, although if they do let you go on that vacation, i would naievely be expecting them to do so with no strings attached. either way i think that meeting means you'd be there another year :)

zb said...

I think u got few things misunderstood cos I confused you - since that seems to be the flavor of the wk for me, let me say this: don't feel bad, it's not you, it's me - ma bad.

There was no exception. I'm still confused on how things work in this village. And I did not use my village approach - at least not yet (check the next post).

Vacation is happening for sure. The only question is where will I be on the 13th. My RO gave me suggestion: just go, apply for leave till 13th n from 13th (but not on 13th itself), and then get a MC for flue, sun-burn, or something, anything for 13th as an excuse for not being able to show up. This came from my RO! The same advise Shan and you gave me when I missed my class last semester when Monkey and I went out on some Wednesday last semester n head one, two, few too many. The advise coming after she new that Director felt threatened by me...??!!??~~~??!!??