“Great leaders don’t blame the tools they are given. They work to sharpen them.”
I came across this quote this weekend. Good timing, after an unproductive talk with a stubborn employee and a big fat apology tour to everyone else about their (in)actions.
After reading it, I decided to be careful. Collective “we” have a longstanding reputation for running the talent out of town and keeping the rest. So I recommitted to sharpening this particular tool.
Then chaos ensued first thing yesterday. Defying my orders. Publishing something without me seeing it, as always requested. Not making my changes to the near-live version I did manage to get a peek at. Mistakes, misspellings, and a reference to an element that’s in another product and not the one at hand. OMG I was so mad, I had to shut my door to stave off the 22 visits of “well that’s what I was told to do by someone who was here 45 years ago” lies.
That was another fun part of my day. A call from a fellow goddess who said get my name out of this person’s mouth. Don’t believe a word being said. They are trying to start drama and I want no part of it.
We compared notes on the terrible thing that happened Friday, and she was like, “Goddess, I would never instruct anyone to do that. Further, it’s YOUR call. It’s not mine and it’s not THEIRS.”
So now I am at the point of offering this person up as a human sacrifice. I’m also documenting. And I’m also praying that maybe I can sharpen this tool enough so that I don’t have to go interviewing for a new one. Although I’m really not sure which tactic will take less time. Finding and securing a new job and house in a foreign country feels like it would be a cakewalk in comparison.