a hundred degrees

Mr. Pointy Hair

A friend of mine has a long record of loyalty. At least that's one way that you could read the fact that she has never left a job before the business closed down. Another way might be to say that she is a harbinger of doom. I prefer the former.

She started working at an international communications company about four or five years ago. This seemed like a challenge, even for her. So far, though, she has nearly succeeded in lasting to the end of her department's lifespan (or read the other way: closing down her department).

Recently, the boss that was beloved of her group retired. The guy that came in was the level of slime I have previously only read about. This guy takes classic middle manager faux-pas to new lows. I guess that I've lead a sheltered career. No doubt folks in large corporations see this kind of behavior constantly.

What evidence am I basing this harsh judgment upon? An anecdote and a memo. Here's the anecdote: My friend had only met this new guy once, in an informal business lunch setting. The first day on the job he walks into her office, props his feet up on her desk, and tells her that he's removing a group of her responsibilites.

As to the memo, if it weren't real it would almost be a thing of beauty. There's nothing quite like being condescended to by poor grammar. But even if we allow for the obvious fact that English is not this guy's first language, we still have to wonder if Human is his first race. He sent this note to all his new reports on his first day, before getting to know them or even meeting some of them. It is so insulting and self-aggrandizing that I figure he would be right at home as a courtier in a Rennaisance-era royal court. I have obscured a personal name (L**** S*****), the name of the company (**C), and an identifiable project (**** ****). Otherwise, this is exactly what he sent.

Read it and weep.

Posted to Work Life at May 20, 2005 7:36 AM