Monday, I had asked my intern to prepare some event budget reports my boss needed for “yesterday” (as she always says…), and I find out this morning that not only are the reports not ready, but they're totally wrong! Ahhh! I wanted to yell, scream, stomp! But, you girls know me, I stayed calm and told her that it would all be ok…I sat down and reworked through all of the excel files!
That is, until my boss peered from around the corner and got mad at ME! Yes my dear friends, as she walked by my desk, she slyly looked over her shoulder and scolded me:
- “You’ll get nowhere if you don’t start standing your ground. She didn’t do the reports properly? Sit her down again, explain and get HER to do them again…Defend yourself Flora…You won’t go far letting people get away with things…”
What? Excuse me? Am I getting in trouble now because of my kindness and patience towards my intern? When did being “nice” become a crime?
Taking a deep breath and a deep drag of a cigarette outside (only 1 I promise!), I realized how right my boss was…She's not scolding me in a bad way, she's teaching ME what I have to do to get ahead! In a city like New York, where only the strongest make it to the corner offices, it’s not a matter of being good or bad, it’s a matter of being respected at work. The very history and landscape of this city confirms this fact: only the big, fierce, respected names are remembered (Carnegie, Morgan...Bloomberg) and only the tallest of the skyscrapers are most noted (Rockefeller, Empire...)... In a city where bigger is always better, respect and recognition make the difference.…and let me tell you girls, Big Apple respect is what this EI is gonna get!
With that, I’m off! I'm energized and respected ;) Have wonderful Thanksgiving day weekend chiquitas!
Besitos,
Flora xoxo
Flora, patience! Of course she's saying this for your own good. Standing up yourself is so important, especially in NY!
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Flora - stumbled on this blog by chance. Anyway, what your boss said is absolutely the right thing. As you grow in your career you will realize that it is hugely important to get people to deliver on what they are supposed to, rather than doing it for them!
ReplyDelete