What you learn

Over the years of being managed there is one key thing you learn - how not to do it.

My life is almost dedicated to improvement. I am a perfectionist. Some may see this as a negative trait, as I often struggle to see the good in people before the bad. I guess in that sense it's probably true. I'm unlikely to be the girl you'd come to for a cuddle, natter and hit chocolate, but so be it.

So, today my lessons in management came in two forms:

1) when my direct boss called me into a room for a "difficult conversation"
2) when I had lunch with one of my most important clients and my MD

Lesson One: Be careful who you trust.
I've always said I wouldn't trust this guy as far as I could throw him, but today all was confirmed. He's a loud mouth around the office and a couple of months ago he was saying some highly inappropriate things in front of junior staff. It got too much and I told his boss. She swore discretion and I left it at that. He has since moved desks and is in a corner. Today he took me into an office and accused me of the very thing, telling me his boss had told him. Nice. I avoided the direct question remarkably, but left with a bitter taste in my mouth. He won't trust me know, I trust him less and I wonder - did she REALLY say something?

Lesson Two: The X Factor
No matter how intelligent you are or how well you know your business, without The X Factor it's just not enough. My MD lacks The X Factor and it's painful to watch. I wanted to pop a pill in his wine or something. It's not that anything went wrong with the meeting, it just lacked umph!

Unfortunately these two matters have combined to make my life a little more complicated. After our meeting I told my MD about the incident earlier in the day with my boss. The response was so professional and straight I almost yawned. We all know the right things to say "on the record" but we also know that that's not how business works. I'm sure he was just trying to do the right thing by me by giving the advice, but what I wanted him to say was "yeah he's a shit isn't he - shall I fire him?". That's what my old MD would have said.

Anyway, I am left thinking that I have to watch this one play it's course, the game will contiunue with or without me and it will only change course if I decide to join in. I have, however, decided that I will only join in if I am invited.

I have a more important game to play. It's a bit like snakes and ladders, but the snakes are more like tadpoles and the ladders are only there at exactly the right time in the month...