A lifetime ban on Thin Mints and Samoas

How fitting that this post comes just as the annual Girl Scout cookie sale starts in this part of Ohio....

I am not buying Girl Scout cookies this year.
Or next year.
Or ever again.

I am banning Girl Scouts from my house.
Yes, I am really REALLY serious.

This really is happening, despite the fact that Olivia is currently registered as a Brownie. That will (hopefully) come to an end very soon as I see nothing good coming from her association with the organization.

You see, I used to work for the Girl Scouts. That's the job I've been blogging about for the past year. You know, the one with The Bully and the director who called me a wussy. Yeah, that was my job with the Girl Scouts.

Lovely, right?

This organization touts itself as the place that "builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place." Hooey. That's laughable. Because if that was REALLY true, they wouldn't hire liars and bullies to run their councils. And that is exactly how I would classify the women who run the council I worked for. They are bullies. And liars. And all around horrible, awful people.

Working for the Girl Scouts was the WORST decision I made in my professional life. When I took the job I really thought I was going to work for a great organization and that I could make a difference somehow. When I quit my job last July it was the best decision I ever made.

EVER.

I have nothing good to say about the time I spend with the Girl Scouts. In fact, I have nothing good to say about Girl Scouts. Period.

The mission statement, the promise, the Girl Scout Law ... they are all useless and ignored at the council where I worked here in Ohio. There was no sisterhood in Girl Scouts at that council. There was only lying, bullying, and name calling.

I'm assuming there will soon be badges for all those activities.

As a mom to two girls, I find it appalling that an organization like the Girl Scouts would allow ANY of their councils to be run by bullies and liars. It makes me sick to think that THOSE PEOPLE are allowed to be part of an organization that is supposed to build girls up and make them strong leaders.

No one should be bullied at work - especially not when your employer is the Girl Scouts. No one who treats people with such blatant disrespect, as The Bully and the others do, should be allowed to call themselves a Girl Scout, let alone be allowed to RUN the organization.

And so, I have a new name for the organization.
They will be known as the "Mean Girl" Scouts in my house from now on.

And I say good riddance to Girl Scouts.
You are no longer a part of my life.

I can do a MUCH better job teaching my children to be strong, independent young women ... they will  learn more from me and my mom and my sister about how to treat people with respect and how to be honest and how to be a true friend. Much more than they would ever learn from being part of that organization.

Terrible Thursday

Remember on Monday when I wrote about "potentially" good news?

Yeah, well it wasn't good news.

I just got rejected for a job that I've wanted for more than a decade.
They "really liked me" but "were fortunate enough to have a very talented pool" from which to choose.

They liked me enough to call all my references last week.
Guess that wasn't enough.

Oh, and then I got more bad news.

And I'm sure my former employer - the devil and her minions - are celebrating today.
That celebration will be short lived however, because unlike THEM, I intend to tell the truth.
And the truth will win in the end.

Today has been one of the worst days I've had in a very, very long time.
I don't think I've cried this much in YEARS.
I feel completely defeated.

So I guess this must be what rock bottom feels like.

What it is like to work for a bully

My boss is a bully.
Plain and simple.
There is no other way to phrase it.
She's a bully with a capital "B".
(She's also another word that starts with a capital "B"...but for now we'll stick with Bully).

Six months ago my mid-year review was glowing with praise.
I had "strong communication skills" and it was pointed out that I was "particularly strong in [my] abilities to implement and maintain [the organization's] social media communication. I was told IN WRITING that the boss appreciated my "leadership on the communication team."

What a difference a few months makes.

I have written about my "trials" at The Job ... here, here, here, and here. It's not a secret (at least not to anyone who knows me or reads this blog) that I am no longer happy at work. But, I am still a good employee. I go to work every day and I do my job. And if we're being honest here (I am, as always) ... I am good at my job.

Or so I thought.
Until this morning.
This morning when I opened my e-mail and saw my "Development Plan" for the next TWO MONTHS.

(Yes dear readers...it appears that I have been given two months to "straighten up and fly right" as the saying goes.)

The e-mail went on and on for three very long paragraphs, detailing how there are "performance gaps" and how an "improvement plan" MUST be put in place and what I must do in order to be deemed "successful" by the end of the two months. It was pointed out that "successfully [sic] completion of this plan will demonstrate that you are building the foundation for longer term success." And then she Cc'd two other "directors" in the office...just for good measure, so they are "aware of the expectations." (read: so they can babysit me in her absence).

The best part of the entire e-mail?

This: I am now required to provide her with a written copy of my weekly schedule, and next to each activity I am to document the result of the activity, focusing on what I achieved and the "results should be in relation to [my] accountabilities." I also have to include my "planned activities and results for the upcoming week." But wait, there's more. I then have to call her every Monday morning to discuss my progress and visit the corporate office (a four hour drive away) once a month to have a "face to face opportunity" to discuss my progress.

Apparently I now require a full-time babysitter at the office.
Big Brother is definitely watching ME.

The "development plan" that was attached is unrealistic and is full of unattainable goals. Even if I was superwoman and worked 12 hours a day I could not accomplish the goals she has 'created' - most of which have never been part of my job requirements. And she knows this.

I have been set up to fail.
As one trusted co-worker said to me today..."you have been targeted and you have no hope."

A year ago when I started this job I was excited. I thought I had the chance to make a difference to do something great. That is no longer the case. Now, I am just being pushed around this giant chess board and have to report to this horrible, despicable bully.

The worst part? The organization I work for strives to promote anti-bullying measures. And yet, the women who run this office are all bullies. They belittle people via e-mail and in person. They degrade employees and our job performance, they make us feel worthless.

I found this definition today while searching 'workplace bullying': Workplace bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators that takes one or more of the following forms - verbal abuse; offensive conduct/behaviors (including nonverbal) which are threatening, humiliating or intimidating; work interference - sabotage - which prevents work from getting done. - from Workplace Bullying Institute.

This sounds a lot like what I have been dealing with for months.

And after a while, after the Bully keeps telling you how horrid you are, you start to believe that you really aren't any good at your job. And maybe people really don't want to work with you. You stop trusting people at the office and you talk in whispers just in case someone might overhear. You start believing that the work you are creating isn't any good.

And that my friends is not fun.
It is very difficult, no...damn near impossible to WANT to do your job.

I'm not a quitter.
I don't quit.
I don't walk away.
But right here at this moment that is what I want to do.
I want to tell them to take their development plan and shove it.
I refuse to be treated this way any longer.
I refuse to feel like I am an untalented, worthless, useless worker bee.
I refuse to be bullied any longer.

You gotta have (work) friends....

Today was my "year end self assessment review" at The Job.

Yes, a self assessment.
I had to explain what I thought were my successes and challenges and then The Boss gets to rewrite the whole thing and tell me what SHE THINKS are my successes/challenges.
This should be interesting. We also get ranked on a scale of 1 to 3. "1" meaning you're horrible at your job and "3" meaning you'll be the next CEO.

Anyway...after focusing on my "challenges" (this place always has to focus on the negative), we got down to business.

The Boss asks if I've given any thought to our "conversation" from a couple weeks ago. I say "a little but not much." Which is sort of true. I've been thinking about it a lot ... but what I've been thinking probably shouldn't be repeated in a year end review.

I go on to tell her that I've talked to quite a few people at the office and they all seemed surprised when I ask if they like working with me (or if they just like me as a person). She says "it's not a question of whether or not people like you, the issue is that 'these people' don't want to work with you."

WHAT. THE. HECK.

So I ask who "these people" are. And she dodges the question.
Apparently - according to her - "the people" she's heard from don't want to confront me. Apparently I am terribly intimidating and scare people with the slightest look. HA!

OK...so if you have an issue with someone but have to work with them...wouldn't you walk into their office and say "let's talk"???? Yeah, me too. Which leads me to the conclusion that "the people" are made up, figments of her imagination, a total fantasy. I'm "the bad guy"....OK, whatever. Make me the office villain.

Then she says "we gave you the benefit of the doubt and thought maybe you're just an introvert who likes to work in her office, away from people, with the door closed...you know, maybe you keep people at an arm's length..."

At this point, it's all I can do to not laugh in her face.
Me? An introvert?
Clearly she and the regional director don't know me at all.
I'm so far from being an introvert.
hahahahhahahahaha

Anyway...she continues by telling me that they determined that maybe I'm not introverted, but I "put on an air of negativity" and that turns people off.

Yep, that's me.
A negative introvert.
Ooooh...I'm so scary.....

And now we get to the reason behind the title of this post.
I was told in no uncertain terms that there is NO REASON to have friends at work.
I mentioned that I do have friends at the office and I do like the people I work with and we all get along. And The Boss says "I don't see why you need to have friends at work."

I couldn't even come up with a good response other than "I don't see why you wouldn't want to have friends at work."

(I mean really...I couldn't make this up if I tried. These people are just absolutely inhuman and crazy).

Oh and my "review" ended with "well if you aren't happy here then you shouldn't be here." And my response? "I would have to agree with you."

And yet, here I am.
Still working for the devil's minions.
Still miserable.
Still waiting for the phone to ring with a better job offer.

Because when that day comes I will walk into that office with the biggest smile on my face and say "I quit."

That day can't come soon enough.