Kathi: Hey Rich! How's it going?
Rich Tatum: Good, you?
Kathi: Going slowly crazy :-)
Rich Tatum: Whyever for?
Kathi: The boss and I have a grand disagreement. We have a volunteer who told her boss where to go and what to do when she got there, and he thinks we should make nice. And, it's my job to do the making of nice. <sigh>
Rich Tatum: Is it your volunteer?
Rich Tatum: Pretend you're Laura Schlessinger.
Kathi: They're all technically "my" volunteers.
Who?
Rich Tatum: :-)
Rich Tatum: Jewess talk show host who advocates morality and adherence to the ten commandments. She's called "Dr. Laura" and it's mostly a "help me with my family problems" show.
Rich Tatum: She generates a lot of flak, but she's funny to listen to because she's so abrupt.
Kathi: Oh, that one. I've never watched it (or listened, she's radio isn't she?)
Rich Tatum: She's very New York.
Rich Tatum: Radio.
Rich Tatum: I think she's on TV too, now.
Rich Tatum: So, anyway, so much for pop culture references in my Instant Messages.
Rich Tatum: What does your "making nice" entail for you in this instance?
Kathi: :::shudder:::
I bet the boss would love her … he's a New Yorker, sorta.
He was born in Iran, raised in Kentucky, lived in the hills of Vermont for a couple of years before becoming a new yorker. THEN he moved to Greensboro. <g>
Kathi: Here's what happened … this volunteer was in competition for the job of forum leader. We picked someone else. It was an extremely difficult choice, both were qualified. She freaked out and said she'd rather leave than face life with someone else as her boss. I suggested she take a break, and she's been on leave for two months. The current forum leader wrote her a note that wasn't particularly nice (it was polite, business-like, and appropriate … but not "nice") and she freaked out, said she'd never submit
Kathi: to the @#$ @!%#!$# @!'s authority, etc., etc., etc. I wrote her back, said that she needed to be nice, apologize, and go on. She's now written to the CEO (my boss) threatening to quit and speaking badly of me (which bothers neither of us) but since she's been here for a couple of years without incident, he wants me to smooth things over and make nice with her.
Rich Tatum: Sorry, meeting was called …
Kathi: I figured … tis ok. Just pray I said the right words in the letter I just wrote ;-)
Kathi: I hate being in a position of having to make everyone happy.
Rich Tatum: IS this person remote?
Rich Tatum: No chance of a face-to-face?
Kathi: Yeah, she's in Phoenix.
Kathi: This is the one time I'll agree in favor of not using remotes. The one and only <g>
Rich Tatum: Crud.
Rich Tatum: Yet anther example where the insular nature of the 'net hurts rather than helps relationships.
Kathi: yes …
Rich Tatum: Ultimately, it's the "boss's" responsibility to maintain good relationships with employees, as I see it. Why doesn't your forum leader smooth things over?
Rich Tatum: (Even if neither are technically an employees.)
Kathi: Because the problem-causer appealed to a higher power (me) and the way our system is structured, it then becomes my problem.
Rich Tatum: That sucks.
Rich Tatum: And then she went to your boss. So, why isn't it his problem?
Rich Tatum: (Because the CEO delegates everything silly! That's his job!)
Kathi: Sucks to be me, yes it does ….
Oh well. The boss will be happy, or he won't. The volunteers will be happy, or they won't.
Oh, you have that right ….
Kathi: My job is to do his job. that's why he hired me all those years ago <grins>
Rich Tatum: Well, tell him you want to send them both a gift basket of fruits and nuts and a nice card saying, "Yeah, it's a sucky job, but somebody's got to do it, and we love you for it!"
Kathi: but they already are fruits and nuts. Maybe we should send some chocolate and call them trail mix
Rich Tatum: :-)
Rich Tatum: Sounds like they need more roughage in their diet, though.
Rich Tatum: Send '
Rich Tatum: Send 'em a bunch of hay.
Kathi: yes, fiber. they need fiber.
Rich Tatum: "Put that in yer pipe and smoke it. Or chew on it, whichever makes you happy."
Kathi: ewwwww
Kathi: I'm gonna blow out of here for a while and bake some bread and help the kids study their bible quiz stuff. Talk to you later! *
Kathi: and thanks for cheering me up, too :-)
Rich Tatum: Sounds good.
Rich Tatum: :-)
Kathi: have a good afternoon!
Rich Tatum: I will. You try to do the same.
Kathi signed off at 11:40:29 AM.
Rich Tatum: Enjoy the family.
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