![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I think I've done a pretty good job establishing that I'm not especially happy at work lately. Today was a slightly better day because I took control of some things, but we'll get to that shortly.
I basically like everyone I work with - I mean, I don't understand why my principal hired the dude I referenced the other day, but I like my principal, for example. I can like people and not agree with them.
Anyhow, there is one dude I don't like here at the old institution and that's our fundraising bro. Fundraising dude-bro. Bro-dude. He's a snake oil salesman. He's a used car salesman. He's a con-man.
He's been here about a year and he's been bragging about how we've double the amount of money that we've raised in our major pledge drive since he started. Turns out, the reason the amount of money in our pledge drive doubled is because he started taking donations to other projects and coding them to the pledge drive.
So, the pledge drive is double and suddenly all of these program-specific donations are - poof - gone.
That's how he is.
Our program, which is pretty fricken high profile, is having a big event next year. To celebrate this, he proposed two things (well, more, but only two that are pertinent to this entry). First, he proposed we rent a banquet hall and throw a big party for alumni, parents, etc. Second, he proposed we have our top film students make a video about the event.
Cool, rock on. The party, we were told, would be run entirely from his office. I should form a support group.
I form the group, we have a meeting and then the next day I hear that the party was canceled. I stress that "I hear," because I hear it as a rumor (later confirmed but not by snake oil man). OK, too bad, so sad, but I moved on.
I get the film student working. Suddenly, I get a call from a different office. They've hired professionals to make the exact same video. They're going to interview me the next day.
OK, not complaining, but why not ask me about it? Why just schedule it and run with it? You'd think it would make sense to ask the head of the program about making a video about that program.
Once again, getting something I want and not being very happy about it.
Yesterday, I hear that the party is on again. I don't hear this from him, but through the grapevine. We've moved on to other things. I also hear that he's been making snotty remarks about my program in his meetings. His house is a mess and he's making fun of my carpet. Fuck that guy.
Soooo...
There was a big meeting scheduled today and this big event was on the agenda. I decided to be positive but also to be clear that (since I'd not officially heard that the party was back on) the party was canceled. I came in with an alternate proposals that achieved everything the party was supposed to do. I stressed 'Since the party was canceled." Almost everyone in the meeting seemed pretty impressed and excited about my proposal. The snake oil dude stared at the floor and never looked up.
Now, I'm not happy that he was unhappy - that wasn't my goal. But I need to be able to take action to take back some control of this situation. Not because I like control so much (quite the opposite) but because these dudes don't know what they're doing.
So, yeah, that was today.
I basically like everyone I work with - I mean, I don't understand why my principal hired the dude I referenced the other day, but I like my principal, for example. I can like people and not agree with them.
Anyhow, there is one dude I don't like here at the old institution and that's our fundraising bro. Fundraising dude-bro. Bro-dude. He's a snake oil salesman. He's a used car salesman. He's a con-man.
He's been here about a year and he's been bragging about how we've double the amount of money that we've raised in our major pledge drive since he started. Turns out, the reason the amount of money in our pledge drive doubled is because he started taking donations to other projects and coding them to the pledge drive.
So, the pledge drive is double and suddenly all of these program-specific donations are - poof - gone.
That's how he is.
Our program, which is pretty fricken high profile, is having a big event next year. To celebrate this, he proposed two things (well, more, but only two that are pertinent to this entry). First, he proposed we rent a banquet hall and throw a big party for alumni, parents, etc. Second, he proposed we have our top film students make a video about the event.
Cool, rock on. The party, we were told, would be run entirely from his office. I should form a support group.
I form the group, we have a meeting and then the next day I hear that the party was canceled. I stress that "I hear," because I hear it as a rumor (later confirmed but not by snake oil man). OK, too bad, so sad, but I moved on.
I get the film student working. Suddenly, I get a call from a different office. They've hired professionals to make the exact same video. They're going to interview me the next day.
OK, not complaining, but why not ask me about it? Why just schedule it and run with it? You'd think it would make sense to ask the head of the program about making a video about that program.
Once again, getting something I want and not being very happy about it.
Yesterday, I hear that the party is on again. I don't hear this from him, but through the grapevine. We've moved on to other things. I also hear that he's been making snotty remarks about my program in his meetings. His house is a mess and he's making fun of my carpet. Fuck that guy.
Soooo...
There was a big meeting scheduled today and this big event was on the agenda. I decided to be positive but also to be clear that (since I'd not officially heard that the party was back on) the party was canceled. I came in with an alternate proposals that achieved everything the party was supposed to do. I stressed 'Since the party was canceled." Almost everyone in the meeting seemed pretty impressed and excited about my proposal. The snake oil dude stared at the floor and never looked up.
Now, I'm not happy that he was unhappy - that wasn't my goal. But I need to be able to take action to take back some control of this situation. Not because I like control so much (quite the opposite) but because these dudes don't know what they're doing.
So, yeah, that was today.
