Posted on 07/11/2006 by the cynic
Viewed: 470 times
I was interning in a social work agency that was very much into walking on eggshells around people's "feelings." Guess that can be a good thing compared to working for a screaming dictator, but this too can be taken too far....
I had to prepare a presentation that required information from several different "wings" of the organization. From a business standpoint, this usually means you email them as a group and request the respective organization, say, "For my upcoming presentation, I appreciate your help and will be needing the following information. Please send this to me at your earliest convenience, but no later than [day before the presentation]. Many thanks."
Which is...what I did.
Following which....I got an email from my supervisor, cc'ed on that email: "Call me immediately."
When I called her, she did the passive-aggressive boss thing:
Me: You wanted to speak to me?
Her: Yes. I mean, I was surprised...the email you sent....I mean, uh, when you are a STUDENT, dealing in a professional setting, there's a certain, um, TONE...I mean, you can't sound so demanding or so entitled like this. You should have gone through me. Students shouldn't address their agency workers this way...blahdee blah....
Me: [Ended up sending out an apology email to the entire agency stating that I was in the wrong, I overstepped my status and professional boundaries, and that I would take measures to make up for any hurt feelings.]
Apparently my use of the word "please" and "need" was too "demanding," and also, how dare I give a deadline of the night before for a presentation. I should let them send me stuff the morning of...or better yet...AFTER the stupid thing!
Now, in the corporate banking world, I send emails all the time to that effect: "We need/require....Please....By this deadline...Thanks." And you know what? My boss encourages it, and thinks I'm quite professional! :-)
POST A COMMENTfreedomringer(07/11/2006)
This women sounded very insecure about her abilites, recognized talent when it was present and resented you for owning an attribute she did not. In other words she was plainly jealous. They are out there in every field, you can not escape them, and they have both male and the female counterparts. It is funny what sets these people off. Sometimes it is the way you look, but most of the time it is a combination of youth, looks and talent, that really sets them off. They are deeply disturbed and unhappy people, whom we should pitty. I bet if you asked the parties that recieved your email, most of them were not offended or even thought twice about it.
the cynic(07/11/2006)
Most of them asked what I was apologizing for.
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