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07 February 2007

Update. It's getting worse. I need to vent.[More:]

Today I had a client call me in some confusion over the latest invoice we sent him. Apparently, in my boss's section of the invoice, it described design services for a "single-family home". This guy's project is a country club.

Here's what happens with all the invoices: I write them out, leaving blank my boss's section. I email it to her, she fills out her part and emails it back. I save the document in the appropriate project file, then send the client a hard copy.

In this case, it's pretty clear to me what happened: she was working on two invoices at once. One for this country club and one for (gasp) a single-family home. So she cut and pasted when she shouldn't have, emailed them back to me, and I (stupid stupid stupid!) didn't check them before I sent them to the clients.

So I request she re-do the invoice for Mr. Country Club, and she a) demands to see a copy of what went out (fine) b) demands that I find the email containing the document I sent to her (fine, but is mildly insulting) and c) accuses me of cutting and pasting and how that's not a good idea blah blah blah (not fine, now I'm mad).

I politely told her that I never cut and paste, that I take what she emails me and archives and prints that very same document.

She still doesn't believe she made the mistake.

Second thing.

When we receive or send out ANY information, I keep an electronic copy in the corresponding project file. Transmittals, invoices, emails from contractors, faxed info... all of it is scanned/copied into a file.

So she comes to my desk with two documents and asks that I start a lateral file. I say sure, I can do that. (I always say yes immediately, no matter what she asks me to do. Then she usually ends up changing her mind once I tell her how I'd like to handle it.) She gives me the papers, and they turn out to be things I already have and are already in the project file. She asks me about three times if I'm sure I've got a copy in the project file, on the server, these very same documents, etc. I say yes, yes, yes.

Then she says "Well, I think we should keep these in a lateral file too, you know, a separate folder for each month. Just in case I need to look at them."

I start to explain that we've got an electronic copy of everything in the project folder, organized by date, so why am I going to be buying new filing cabinets in six months to keep dead trees around...?

I shut up and put them in a lateral folder.

Now she's all peeved at me for being disorganized, making mistakes, and being stubborn. I think she's disorganized, makes mistakes, and is ridiculous for wanting to keep pieces of paper in filing cabinets when we've got electronic copies of everything.

All these systems are SO. SIMPLE. If she wants to pay me to do it her way... Fine. I've just to turn off my brain and be a good little minion.

GAH!!!
I know a guy who knows some guys who can, uh, take care of your little problem, if you know what I mean...
posted by dersins 07 February | 16:24
She sounds like a royal see you next Tuesday.
posted by Lola_G 07 February | 16:24
You can't talk to someone in HR? While it doesn't sound like she's harassing you per se, she is adversely affecting your ability to do your best for the company.
posted by jeremiahbritt 07 February | 16:26
You can't talk to someone in HR?

*laughs hysterically*

She the owner of the company. Including me and her, there are five employees. We all owrk in a big one-room loft. There is no office gossip, no slipping your efficient way to do work under the radar, and no HR person.

dersins, maybe your people should, uh, talk to my people...
posted by Specklet 07 February | 16:28
If you get a call from a guy named Lou with a Brooklyn accent, don't say anything, just listen to what he has to say....
posted by dersins 07 February | 16:30
Wow Specklet. Quelle drag.
posted by richat 07 February | 16:30
Is getting yourself 'let go' and going on unemployment for a while a realistic possiblity? If it is, it beats giving yourself ulcers at the expense of some psycho. You're better than that.
posted by jonmc 07 February | 16:32
All I can say is I'm sorry you're in such a sucky situation. Oh, and get out of there. Find a new job. Whatever you do for this woman will never be right and all her mistakes will be your fault.
posted by essexjan 07 February | 16:32
Bosses are a little joke the universe plays on capitalism, we're the collateral damage.

I suggest Islay Scotch in quantity and a period of patience and murder fantasies while you wait the appropriate amount of time to look for a new job.
posted by Divine_Wino 07 February | 16:33
No. No new job.

Aside from this stuff, the job is exactly what I want: easy as hell, 30 hours a week, downtown, okay pay. She's not that bad, really, aside from the ADD.

I'm currently in training to persue my dream career, so don't worry.

In the meantime, though, this is it.

*waits for call from Lou, in the meantime*
posted by Specklet 07 February | 16:51
I've worked with idiots like that before. Fortunately for me, they were never the boss, so I could just go around them. Unfortunately for you, there is no cure for idiot, except leaving.
posted by matildaben 07 February | 16:53
I suggest Islay Scotch in quantity

You're killing me! Lagavulin is my favorite.
posted by Specklet 07 February | 16:53
Such suckage indeed. Leave "Is yous boss a psychoż" up on your monitor....start dressing well — for those upcoming interviews.
Another article by author Paul Babiak, PhD.
posted by alicesshoe 07 February | 17:04
Boooo. Kill kill kill.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero 07 February | 17:05
Talisker for me please.

Not long now until the dream job. Just keep thinking that. Each day that passes is one step closer.
posted by TheDonF 07 February | 17:14
I'm jealous that you have electronic copies of things. Please, take my lateral file, and my filing in my desk, and all 40+ file cabinets, and then 100's of banker boxes of past records we keep around. In exchange you just have to teach my office about keeping electronic records.
posted by youngergirl44 07 February | 17:29
Ugh, that sucks. I'm sorry, Specklet.
posted by occhiblu 07 February | 17:36
Oh god. Now she's telling me that I just need to ask more questions.

I'm SUCH a good suckup!
posted by Specklet 07 February | 18:17
Heh. She should meet my boss; they could control-freak each other out of existence!
posted by occhiblu 07 February | 18:20
Hon, she might be a little bipolar too if not just ADD.

In her heart she probably knows she's the screwup. Just be sweet to her; if she is that way at work the rest of her life is that way too, and that is a hell way to live. She will appreciate it.

Do not ask how I know this.
posted by bunnyfire 07 February | 18:57
Yeah.

That's kind of why I'm nice to her about it all. I just vent to you guys.

Thanks.
posted by Specklet 07 February | 19:05
I think you're doing admirably, Specklet, on all counts. Fantastic./
posted by alicesshoe 07 February | 19:29
Ooo Specklet, I wish I had any suggestions but I don't. Glad to hear you're on the way to a much better job, like TheDonF said. Other than that, we're always here for you!
posted by redvixen 07 February | 19:38
I'm sorry specks, just remember the Scotch will be more delicious in march, not less.
posted by Divine_Wino 07 February | 19:53
Venting is all good, Specklet.
I so agree with what bunnyfire mentions.
Hon, she might be a little bipolar too if not just ADD.

In her heart she probably knows she's the screwup. Just be sweet to her; if she is that way at work the rest of her life is that way too, and that is a hell way to live. She will appreciate it.

My experience tells me it's a dead end though, if that person doesn't address their issue and get on the right meds. This person may very well appreciate "it" ]in all its shades[, but they won't notice in the moment. Not until maybe much, much later, when the damage has been done.
Truly a sad place to be.

You could lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.
posted by alicesshoe 07 February | 20:43
Yrrrr, specklet--is there somewhere you can go and shriek with impunity?
posted by brujita 08 February | 02:38
(((Specklet)))

Maybe the Serenity prayer will help:

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people
I had to kill today because they pissed me off.
posted by deborah 08 February | 12:51
I'm glad everything turned out OK with Rainbaby's brush with the law || OMG, apartment!

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