News to me!

I found out today, that I am apparently "not assertive enough".

I'll wait a moment for you to stifle your chortling.






Feel better?


When I was discussing the situation with my mother, she asked if I told my boss to bite me. Sadly, I did not.

Believe it or not (most people who don't work with me don't) I am actually a very polite and unobtrusive person. I'm practically Canadian. (Eh?) I firmly believe in the adage that you will always catch more flies with honey than vinegar. You just do. I've also worked in enough places to know that if I need the rules bent (ever, not just in that transaction) I'm going to need to be memorably nice. (That, and damnit, you just don't treat people like shit. There's no excuse for being a gratuitous asshole.) And it works.

This doesn't mean I can't assert myself, and still be nice. I have become legendary (perhaps in my own mind) for my politely snitty correspondence with various deadbeats and slackers. And, when warranted, it's effective. I am not big on face-to-face confrontation, especially if I have to be a bitch, but I'll do it if there's no other way. Even in regular transactions, if I can email someone, I'll do it. I loathe calling people. I'm getting better at calling my boss about stuff, but on a whole, I kind of figure that unless I'm losing a limb or I've lost power (like this morning)whatever I've got can wait till it's convenient. (That and I feel like an idiot calling the house that's no more than 20 yards away.)

Despite my (not forceful enough) ways, I still get shit done. I know my strengths. I will organize you, I will make your words sound better, I will do everything in my power to make sure you're happy, but I'm not a haggler, I won't lie to people, and I won't flaunt my position to get things done.

Anyway. Thought you'd get a chuckle out of that.
"Not assertive enough."

Ha.