July 13, 2018
Standing Up For Myself

Dr. Laura:

A few weeks ago, I was in a status meeting with my boss, other managers, and the support staff at our company.  Side conversations always occur at these meetings, and I was involved in one when my boss asked me if I had taken my Ritalin that day and compared me to his teenage daughter.  This infuriated me.  

After stewing at my desk, and feeling sorry for myself, I decided to send him an email.  Here's what I wrote:

Today in our status meeting you asked me if I had taken Ritalin, implying that I have a behavior disorder and that I am a teenage child.  You did this in front of my peers and support staff.  I found these comments disrespectful and extremely unkind.  At times, friends, family and co-workers and bosses hurt each other with their words and it's important that our relationships are strong enough to communicate when that happens.  Perhaps in the future, you can find a more constructive way to accomplish what you were seeking.  On my part, I will do my best to not talk in sidebars at these meetings.

My boss responded:

I am truly sorry if I offended you in any way.  I did not mean it in that way, and I apologize if that's how my comments were perceived. I was just joking, which we all tend to do from time to time in these meetings, and I'm sorry to have offended you.   I will make sure to keep my "manager" hat on during these meetings in the future.

Thanks, Dr. Laura for giving me the insight to see my part in this, but to stand up for myself as well.  P.S.  His behavior has changed, so it worked!

Tammy  


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Posted by Staff at 10:59 AM