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#Post#: 30141--------------------------------------------------
But I Am The One Who Needs to Keep Her Trap Shut
DIR By: ZekailleTasker
Date: April 29, 2019, 4:58 pm
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A few weeks ago, the Assistant Big Boss informed me two members
of my staff would be moved to other library branches and staff
at those branches would be moved elsewhere and there was nothing
I could do about it, so "PLEASE, Tasker, keep your trap shut in
case nothing happens after all."
I kept my trap shut.
In the interim, a family emergency took me away for two weeks.
When I came back, EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT THIS. No one knows
who let it all slip. Wasn't me.
No one knew who the people were who were going to be moved, but
everyone knew there was going to be movement.
This week, those of us who are supervisors were given the staff
changes with the caveat that "none of this is set in stone, so
don't tell your staffs yet, even though it's now an open
sercret."
Well, lucky me, I am keeping a wonderful employee and my little
Eve Harrington is being moved to a department she doesn't want
to be in. Since we were given the caveat that we shouldn't talk
about it, I stuck to the plan, especially since Eve is likely to
make life a living hell for the next few months before the move.
I told Assistant Boss I was not going to tell Eve until we got
closer to the date since he already stated that none of this is
set in stone and I didn't want her stressing out, so PLEASE let
me handle it on my own. He agreed.
Today I found out that she called him regarding another matter
and he went ahead and told her. Now I look shifty because she
knows I knew and didn't tell her. My on staff guru says "Don't
say a word unless she asks you first."
Do I keep mum? Do I approach her tomorrow and say "I wasn't
going to tell you because he kept stressing that it might not
happen and I didn't want to upset you now that you're settling
in here again."
Or can I just go to his office tomorrow and kick his behind
until it pops up between his shoulder blades?
I can tell you which would be more satisfying.
#Post#: 30144--------------------------------------------------
Re: But I Am The One Who Needs to Keep Her Trap Shut
DIR By: TootsNYC
Date: April 29, 2019, 6:00 pm
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your on-staff guru is right.
Don't say a word.
It's not set in stone, for one thing.
IF she brings it up, you can say, "I've not been given the
go-ahead to talk about any of the things I was told. I've also
not been told whether those things are actually going to happen,
or whether they are still tentative. And that's all I can say
about it."
#Post#: 30145--------------------------------------------------
Re: But I Am The One Who Needs to Keep Her Trap Shut
DIR By: GardenGal
Date: April 29, 2019, 6:02 pm
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--- Quote ---
> Today I found out that she called him regarding another matter
and he went ahead and told her. Now I look shifty because she
knows I knew and didn't tell her. My on staff guru says "Don't
say a word unless she asks you first."
>
> Do I keep mum? Do I approach her tomorrow and say "I wasn't
going to tell you because he kept stressing that it might not
happen and I didn't want to upset you now that you're settling
in here again."
>
> Or can I just go to his office tomorrow and kick his behind
until it pops up between his shoulder blades?
>
> I can tell you which would be more satisfying.
--- End Quote ---
How frustrating! It sounds like she expressed her displeasure
to you today because you hadn't told her about the change in
status. Since she has already mentioned this to you, I don't
understand why your guru says not to bring it up - hasn't she
already brought it up?
I'd go to the boss and let him know that she told you that he
told her about the change, and you were exceedingly surprised to
hear that since he had directed you not to mention it. And
don't say another word until you hear his response. (1) It's
possible she's lying about the boss telling her and that she
really heard it from someone else. (2) It's possible he told
her because she is definitely being transferred, so he figured
he'd save you the awkwardness of having to tell her yourself.
(3) It's possible he's already kicking himself over his big
mouth and is eager to make his faux pas up to you. (4) I'm sure
there are other possibilities, but until you give him a
non-judgemental way to explain the situation I wouldn't assume
he did it deliberately to make things difficult for you.
Once you've discussed this with your boss, ask him how you
should handle the situation, because you don't want to
unnecessarily upset Eve Harrington (great choice of name!). You
might even follow through with an email to him along the lines
of, "As we discussed today, all information about Eve's future
assignment will come directly from you in the future, and I am
supposed to tell her to bring any questions to you and not to
me. Thanks for clarifying the situation.'
Sadly, the more satisfying option you mentioned is, as you know,
not the best choice politically. Good luck!
#Post#: 30204--------------------------------------------------
Re: But I Am The One Who Needs to Keep Her Trap Shut
DIR By: bopper
Date: April 30, 2019, 4:00 pm
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I would not say anything.
if asked, i would say "I was asked not to say anything in case
things change. "
#Post#: 30247--------------------------------------------------
Re: But I Am The One Who Needs to Keep Her Trap Shut
DIR By: Kimberami
Date: May 1, 2019, 9:37 am
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"This situation was above my pay grade. I was told to stay
quiet, and I did." End of story.
#Post#: 30338--------------------------------------------------
Re: But I Am The One Who Needs to Keep Her Trap Shut
DIR By: ZekailleTasker
Date: May 2, 2019, 4:12 pm
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I started updating this but it trailed off into a rant.
Eve did mention to me that Intermediate Boss talked with her and
she said she knew I wasn't part of a conspiracy because someone
else told her I was waiting until the order was set in stone to
tell her. Her comment was something on the order of "Boss needs
to retire or get a hobby so he isn't always in our business
here!"
Since Eve came back from her leave, she has been a lovely person
again and an exemplary employee, instituting some new programs
and trying some ideas to make our lives easier around here.
She's very young and has been through all the new training
techniques--and she is friends with the office supervisor, so
she manages to get us things we need even when they tell us
there is no money for it.
She did express to me her anger at the deal, however: she had
asked a long time ago that if she was moved, she wanted to go to
a certain other branch where she could do outreach and the like.
She's a creative kid with lots of good ideas for promoting small
public branches and so on.
Instead, they stuffed her into a department where she will have
nothing to do that clicks with her talents and where the Divas
(and the lazy) reign. The powers that be do this all the time.
The person with all the background in Young Adult programming
finds him or herself at the mercy of the Senior Citizen Brigade
who only want to watch old movies and complain that there are no
new Cary Grant movies. The talented and genial reference
librarian who, like Penelope Garcia, can find anything you want
is suddenly made a cataloger and kept out of the public eye.
I have tried to understand for years the way people in charge
think, and now that I am a people in charge, I still don't
understand what criteria is used for these decisions. None of
us do.
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