¿WWYD?

What Would You Do?

Scenario… you get paid to do a job. You are not trained but you figure most of it out by watching and expanding on the small amount of training by a co-worker who knows just a tad bit more than you.

Years pass, you get better at said job, though it is not turning out exactly as you were told during hiring, but you enjoy what you do.

Another year or so passes.

You are learning more, again by watching and listening, no formal training, no professional development sessions just strictly good ole fashion OTJT, on the job training. You are finally beginning to feel like you can open up your wings and show off what you know. You do so but not without some resistance from nay sayers who are strictly in the-box-thinkers. You find that your ideas are catching on. One person begins to push you back to the corner, really hard. You know you are right and you stand your ground. You find that superiors, outside of the department you work in, seem receptive and thankful for your “outside the box” thinking. They praise you. A few days later, you are chastised verbally, yelled at by this same co-worker, who may have seniority but lacks creativity and forward thinking that superiors have praised you for. You stand your ground.

Time passes.

You begin to develop a different approach to sharing ideas and seems all is well. You have learned to gingerly handle those who hate changes while still showing you are forward thinking.

A few more years pass.

You have become proficient at your job, new team members are added and you find yourself finally able to get out of the [metaphorical] cage and exercise the things you have learned. The room is the same size and with more bodies, it has become cramped but you are more mobile. You are feeling a little more free to openly discuss ideas.

Your ideas only take hold because one new team member happens to agree. Sadly, it seems they are listening to said team member. Things are being said by this team member that you have said for years, but now…the one that pushed you, chastised you and all but laughed at you…is listening and making changes.

It hurts.

“Why didn’t my words hold any value?” You ask yourself.

You stand back and observe. What you are seeing is not what you had hoped. You are once again, being passed over. You are once again being looked down upon. You are once again, the victim of verbal attacks. You have done NOTHING different. You fight, with all that is inside you, to just crawl in that cage and let the chips fall where they may. You refuse within yourself to be silenced but you cannot approach with anger. You once again, speak with soft, non aggressive, suggestive tones. Delivery is key, so you deliver ideas, new team member helps and before you know it, the superiors are asking you for ideas.

FINALLY!!

You feel vindicated! But, quickly, that goes away. Seems even the superiors look to this new team member for confirmation. You feel ignored. You return to doing what you know is right, ethically, morally and professionally you do what you are suppose to do to complete tasks, even picking up the slack of co-workers while saying nothing. You watch as others waste time. You watch inefficiency unfold right in front of you. You do your part to pick up the slack and foresee potential mistakes. You are now covering for the one person who has chastised you repeatedly. You are mobile. You are not in a cage. You are not taking too many liberties so as to not upset the egg crate. You are watching as someone else is also ready to explode over having to pick up the slack of others. You are trying to keep the peace. You don’t want another verbal attack. You watch as verbal attacks are dished out to co-workers and you stand back. You opt to discuss with superiors rather than stepping in immediately, knowing you will be the next one. You fly low. You do the job you know needs to be done and you keep the wheels rolling. You step in where needed. You don’t complain, (at least where anyone can hear you).

One day, you reach breaking point, your nerves are shot, you are frustrated and you once again find yourself unable to fight the urge to point out inefficiency.

BAM!

You get yelled at again!!

This time, while you have been doing things that make the team flow more efficiently and productively you are told “that’s not your job”. Yet. It has been for a while, so said the superiors when bodies were added to the team. The only thing that separates you and your “immediate superior” is a few years at current job and a title “given” to them because of those few years. There have been no demonstration of competence, professional communication, nor technical abilities that are needed to keep work flow running efficiently. Most of the things they know, you have taught them. Sadly. You stand there regretting ever teaching them anything you have learned. At this moment, you also regret having ever thought things were going to get better. Your faith in personal growth and expansion is extinguished in the blink of an eye AGAIN. You find yourself looking at someone who treats you like a child, not a professional or co-worker. You know you are not wanted on the team.

You know you are good at your job because you are always working to make things better for the team and customer. You have never attempted to beat down any co-worker with verbal attacks, you have no ill intentions, you share knowledge and you have demonstrated a lot of proficiency on the job. You are constantly treated as if you are beneath everyone, including those who came after you.

What Would You Do?