The Story 10/21 Scene 1

Okay, so that was rather rude of me to leave you with a cliff hanger for almost a week. When I came back to the office, I immediately started off with a three day training where I am basically in a meeting from 8-5. It sucks, but I thought it would help for me to understand the interview that I have been running studies on for the last year. (I don't do interviews because I don't have the time.)

Anyway, the lady that conducted the training started off with this "I'm so fantastic" speech in the ice breaker activity. She is a "natural born counselor" who "understands people" and can tell people "things they don't even know about themselves". Really?!? WOW!!! Cuz no one else that was in the room can read people, build relationships and counsel. OBVIOUSLY, I am just good at it because I got a degree in it. No natural talent here..... I tried to strike up a convesation about the topic, but she simply shot me down saying that anyone could do what I do.

Nice. No really, as a "natural born counselor", she must have missed the gene sequence that helps her to VALIDATE the feelings of others. Good for YOU! I'm so glad that you understood me. As the training went on, she never once gave me a logical answer. I needed to listen to the answer and "feel" what they were saying. Lady, I don't care how many times you say it to me, I still don't think that "probably" means "yes". On the last test script, she finally explained that the research had been done and it was an acceptable answer. Well, THANK YOU VERY MUCH MISS LIPPY! That was something that could have been brought to my attention during the LEARNING PROCESS.

To get back at me, she gave me a silver level certification (silver is 85% and gold is 90%). I have only heard of ONE other person ever getting below a gold. It's okay, now everyone knows that I really am unique. She follows up this with a little pep talk that goes a little something like this:

"I know that you think you struggled because of your training on the in-depth interview (much more involved with gray areas in coding that I do everyday), but you just need to pay closer attention. You don't focus very well and if you would have just dedicated more time and concentrated harder you could have done better. You have to stop doing other things and emmerse yourself in the interview. Being unable to focus, you need to take extra care to do this in the future: be hypervigilant about it. Eventually it will start to affect your other work if you don't."

MAN. I WAS AANNNNGGRRRYYYY!!!! GRRRR!!!!!

For a place that prides itself on strength-based management, she sure missed the boat eh? (more like missing the Titanic actually.)

Anyway. I'm going to post some storied so that you ladies can have some entertainment. I feel like I've been neglecting you guys since these last few weeks have been so crazy. They will be labeled as different "Scenes", just like a play.