A Backstabber

Know thyself, and know thy, ENEMY, how you’d, finally realized, that it was you, that your superior was, feeding off of, and only, reacting to, how she’d, treated you…translated…

As I’d heard that the C.E.O. wanted to see me in her, office alone, I was, a bit, uneasy, wondered, what I’d done, did I not, perform up to, standards at work of late, then, she’d, handed me that wage slip told me, “this is the bonus for your special contribution to the office.  Claire also stated, that she was onboard your, taking the team to working very, hard, thank you for your, contribution to our, company!”  at this moment of, surprise, I’d started, seeing these past few years of work, flash before, my mind.

To learn more about a field I wasn’t, familiar enough with, many years back, I’d, asked to get, transferred to another unit, and, Claire was, my manager from the department after the transfer.  Although, as I’d gotten ready to switch, my coworkers mentioned, that it wasn’t easy, working with, her, but, having a smooth ride at work, I’d actually naively believed: so long as I keep on working hard, continue to be courteous, I can, put my skills to, good use, not knowing, that the challenges had, just, begun.

After the honeymoon of keeping the harmony on the surfaces, the knives, arrows, of the authorities of management started, coming AT, me.  And, under this sort of an atmosphere, I couldn’t, put my skills to, good, use, and, naturally, I’d not performed, up to, standards.  And although, I’d not earned, ANY bonuses for two whole years on end, until last year, my evaluation came, and I got, demoted, that was, when I’d, finally, awakened.

I’d finally realized: that we are like, Siamese twins, she and I, sharing all the glory, and all the, bad too, I can, no longer, turn the other way to how she does things, that it won’t, benefit myself, only, reflecting myself, adjusting my mindset, that, is the only way, to change how we worked, together.  And so, I’d, snapped out of the “I’m the victim” mindset, started adjusting my own attitude to work with he; from the tossed back proposals, I’d, tried seeing things on her perspective, from the memos she’d sent to us, to understand her, logic, to know the language that, she uses, and, see her everchanging means as, how I’d needed to, remain, flexible, and I’d, emailed my progress every single day, so she can, have control of whatever it is that I’m, doing.

difficult bosses, photo from online

And slowly, everything falls, into, place, although, Clare still, NEVER showed me an inkling of affirmation, privately or publicly, but, we’d evolved from hating each other, going at one another with the knives and guns, to, becoming, courteous toward, one, another, and, that was how this, bonus, came, about.

Recalling those days when I got, “fixed up”, I’d attempted to, amend our interactions, hoping that it can, turn us into, something other than, competitors, adversaries.  And yet, with what’s happened between me and her, I’d kept, interacting with her, using, my distant attitude, and, ignored how my facial expressions are, the best way, to get my attitude, across; and, as I’d, worn the pinky rings, putting that cactus on my desk at work, none of this, worked, I’d  suddenly, treating my superior as someone who stabs me in the back, was the real cause of, this trouble.

Finally, I’d come to understand, that the REAL backstabber, it was the me, who couldn’t, take anybody else’s, advice.

And so, this is, how, you’d, learned from, coping with, that difficult boss of yours, and, you’d realized, that how she’d, related to you, was what she’d, fed off of, from your attitude toward her, and once you’d realized that, and started, changing your behaviors toward her, everything started, flowing, more, smoothly.  Because you’d, come to, know your, self, that’s how you can, know your, “enemies” too!