The Letdown

I've always been one of those people who is happy to help out if I'm asked, particularly if I know my failure to act or complete a task will impact on the person who asked me for help.

Today I was mega disappointed to find a schedule co-ordination task I assigned to a few of my 'reliables' some of whom, had just read my email, ignored me face to face follow up and done absolutely nothing about my request.

Consequently, I found myself doing some hardcore apologising to a colleague who I regard as a mentor and whose support and understanding I value a lot. In short I looked like an incompetent tool.

To be told by one of those assigned that she was "really busy" and it "wasn't her job" really pissed me off, particularly because I've done a role like hers on numerous occasions over the years and compared to my curent one, I wipe the floor with her take on being busy.

Once I'd finished being pissed off, I did what I should have done originally, which was to make time to complete the task myself. It took me a day and a half of phone calls, favour pulling and some mild pleading to pull the schedule together, send it to my mentor and apologise again.

Fortunately, she was understanding and thanked me, but it goes without saying that tonight while I'm working late, to make up for the time I 'wasted' today, doing something I delegated two weeks ago, little Ms 'I'm too busy" is off getting very merry at one of our numerous Christmas parties.

I have no problem with that at all, but what did hack me off is that I've always bent over backwards to make sure she's ok and today she basically told me to get lost.

A mistake. Hers not mine, because as I always say, don't piss off someone if you don't need to. Life has a habit of biting you hard when you do the wrong thing.

I remembered something S said to me recently, with that wary raised eyebrow look she throws me sometimes.

"You need to leave behind your past. You aren't the same person and you most definitely aren't one of the girls anymore. Stop acting like one and stop protecting some people who wouldn't do the same for you".

Never a truer word said by you S and yes, yet another BB lesson learned !!