Times sure are a changin right. Once upon a time, we shook hands, we hugged, we kissed on the cheek and we shared drinking glasses and even the occasional bite of some yummy appetizer.
It must seem like things have drastically changed for some people, for others they may be glad that they have always practiced a certain routine each day. This may be a bit talked out for some so I will be ‘semi’ brief in my blogging this evening (pause for surprise).
At my job we did a lovely team building exercise, working with something called the Clifton Strengths: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx
It costs bucks for anyone to go through it but I was lucky enough to have my co. pay and find out what my so-called 5 top strengths are (stay tuned for more blogs on the others lol).
Fast forward to COVID 19 times – everyone I know has always come to work sick and it has always annoyed me. A manager was reported to have been coughing and sick at work, even taking flu medication while coughing and sneezing. A co-worker is telling me this, I had seen others coughing that week too, he was upset, we all have people we are worried about. So I do the most moral and rational thing, so I thought, I suggest he let someone know because that is not ok, people are dying after all. I should add his, the ‘sick’ gent’s’ wife works at an elderly assistance home, on the eastside (where it supposedly all started in Seattle, please don’t quote me on that). My co-worker didn’t want to cause a fuss but it upset me so I escalated it, in a very private and confidential way. What happens no more than 10 min later….
My supervisor, who is the most direct manager for the person that I reported, also myself, walks into the office, half on his phone, asking ‘Where is (we will call him Joe) I need to talk to him’. Nobody knows and I am already like WTF, so I keep working and say ‘I haven’t seen him since the morning’ (now 2 PM) which was true. He then he chatted with a few in the office, which is a rather open office, asking if Joe was sick AND that he was texted from the director (his/all of our/the top dog) that someone complained that he was sick and needed to go home. I am a HORRIBLE liar and this was awful but I still felt like it was good that I had said something. Then my co-worker, the one that had told me all about ‘Joe’, he recanted that he didn’t seem sick (I was one of a few people in the room but still) but that he was coughing, it was nothing though. Long story, well long, everyone is sure that it was reported by someone outside our team as my co-worker is a chatty charlie (like that?). It has been a few weeks and I am sure my direct supervisor and the gent I reported do not suspect me but what a predicament. Isn’t anything confidential in the workplace anymore??!! I feel a bit betrayed but in my role and my line of work it is not far off, what transpired after I reported things.
Besides my angst over this, thanks for listening btw 🙂 It brings up my strengths and whether or not they are in fact things that I should focus more on. I have always been someone who has over-promised it seems, I really do try to make things happen but sometimes I get caught in a quicksand of sorts. I have been that someone who has decided something was my job, my role, my place, my journey and yes, I have over promised and underdelivered. I am done boring you with my gripes about whether I should have come clean, been more honest, etc. I am still mulling this over but my main strength is ‘Responsibility’ and I don’t think that’s too bad of a strength…
Definition Of Responsibility:
People with the StrengthsFinder theme of Responsibility follow through on their commitments – they are known to take “psychological ownership” of anything they commit to; relationships, work, personal interests, volunteer opportunities, critical causes, etc.…
- Commitment
- Loyalty
- Trust
- Completion
-B
