Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Please Listen to the Words that are Coming Out of My Mouth!

I am having quite a chuckle this morning at someone in my life. This person, although very sweet and kind, is...dare I say it, DENSE!

Now, we all have our days. I know I do, often. However, this individual is really an exception as every day is a "day". One of my least favorite parts of my job is telling people when they are not meeting the mark. It really and truly sucks, especially when the person is so sweet. I had such a conversation with this individual on Monday. It was a "last chance" conversation. I always feel like such an ogre. During the conversation, I clearly outlined the issues and explained the steps necessary to correct each item. I left the meeting feeling terrible, but satisfied that we were both on the same page.

Today, I find out that one of the steps I asked her to take to correct just one of the many issues had not been taken. When I asked why it hadn't been done, I got blank stare and, after a very pregnant pause, a lame excuse. So, I had to resort to "interpretive dance". This is what my Rachel calls it. :) I use props and everything. Really, it is just a slow recap of what we have discussed. In this case, I used my chair, a notebook and some of my dramatic energy. Typically, it really breaks the ice and we both end up laughing. Today was no exception. This is a very rare event and I pull it out only when I have exhausted all other means of communication. Seriously, it has been SIX months of this nonsense. It has, in the past, worked wonders in the worst of subjects, but I question the effectiveness this time. We'll see. Sigh.

Keeping my fingers crossed for a miracle! I really really hate being a bad guy.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jess,

Be easy,I know dealing with a "Dense" individual can be annoying sometimes but I'm sure whatever the conversation was on Monday made her think to do better at her job. Though she had a "whops" today take in mind that she may be very nervous and know there are eye's watching her every move. You know some people can't deal with pressure. Don't give up on her,if she's a good person I'm sure she's not that dense to know that after your conversation she needs to shape up!

Jess T said...

Anon-

Did you read the part when I said SIX months? :) I am the most forgiving and understanding person; however, at some point, I cannot hold your hand and help you do your job. Otherwise, I might as well do it myself. That defeats the purpose right? There is certainly grace for a learning curve. That has expired.

Trust me, I am very kind, understanding, explanatory and patient here. Now, I wish I could carry those over to the rest of my life, like at home. There, I could use some work on my patience.

I just must be so tired after all of my interpretive dances to be that way at home. Ha ha! :)

Anonymous said...

Jess,

Six months is indeed within the right for leaning your job. And I am not making excuses for this person, just maybe understanding both sides. All I say is BREATH and look at today as a..."Scare" and maybe this to shall pass. Like I said if this person that you said is a sweet person,then she cares about her job to shape up. Like I said DON'T GIVE Up:)

Jess said...

Jess, you really are one of the nicest, most patient people I know. I think we all sometimes forget that certain jobs aren't a good fit for everyone. I was miserable in the law firm- I am not great with details and it is a detail oriented job, for sure.

You are not a bad guy, you are just doing YOUR job.

Laura said...

Oh my...! That makes me think of the "body mapping" they do in my son's 4th grade class to learn their vocabulary. It is basically interpretive dance. If it works for 8-9 year olds it should work well for you... ;) You have far more patience than I.

Laura said...

Oh my...! That makes me think of the "body mapping" they do in my son's 4th grade class to learn their vocabulary. It is basically interpretive dance. If it works for 8-9 year olds it should work well for you... ;) You have far more patience than I.

Courtney said...

That was a pretty funny post! I can see a pregnant woman doing interpretive dance. {Straightens shirt} Sorry, I'm done laughing now!