Monday, August 27, 2007

When to Say "When"

I've made the difficult decision this week to resign from my church post. Having been the church secretary for five years, I've been there longer than the pastor. When the church had no pastor, I was there every day, week after week, for several months doing my job, publishing a weekly bulletin and a monthly newsletter.
Last Thursday I was ambushed at a job evaluation. I sat down with the church pastor and our Staff-Parish Relations chair and was completely flattened by what they had to say.
I think I am pretty realistic about my limitations. I filled out a form pertaining to my performance. I didn't give myself all "excellent" marks. I jotted down areas where improvements could be made.
The next thing I know I'm being assaulted with what a terrible job I'm doing. Funny thing is, I work two part time jobs. I give equal effort to both positions. At my afternoon receptionist job (that I've had for 5 months) I've received two raises, invitations to office functions and lots of praise. The afternoon job is much more hectic and complicated. How can I be perceived so differently?
Well, I guess I really can't be. The folks in the afternoon have wanted me to come on 3/4 time for quite awhile and I'm going to take them up on it. I don't need the aggravation.
You should NEVER be surprised at a job evaluation. If that happens, it means that your manager/boss has not been communicating with you. As problems come up, you should be hearing about them.
This didn't happen to me. I take pride in the job I do. I cried. I wrote a letter of resignation. (Did I mention that it's been 4 years since the church gave me a raise?)
I'd love to hear from others that had this happen to them. Cry on my shoulder. Tell me what you did. Share with me your cleverly worded resignation letters or speeches. I'm waiting!

27 comments:

Five and Dime said...

Just a follow up to say since my post Mr. Pastor has been the soul of consideration. "No hard feelings!" Sure. Just confirms my supicion that they had someone else in mind.

Snave said...

Bunch of hosers... sheesh...


About ten years ago, I worked two days per week in John Day running the Early Intervention program (working with preschoolers) as part of my school administration practicum. The local speech therapist doesn't like outsiders or people whom he perceives might be likely to step on his toes, and with his skills for manipulating people, he soon had the ESD superintendent and special ed director lined up against me. He kept starting negative rumors about me in outlying communities like Monument and Dayville, and then I would be quizzed about it by the spec. ed director (with whom he happened to be having an affair). One day he and the super cornered me at the ESD building and grilled me for about ten minutes, with the word "incompetent" coming up at least a dozen times. I was infuriated, but held my temper. I called my immediate supervisor (the special ed director from Baker City) that night from John Day, and she must have called my boss (ex-Union-Baker ESD director Lenny Williams) because after that, all relations between me, the John Day speech therapist, his sweetie the spec. ed director and the superintendent were cordial at the ESD building. That didn't keep Lenny from calling me a fuckhead, a shithead or a "piece of work" to my face on numerous subsequent occasions. It was after all that bullshit that I decided not to bother with becoming a special education administrator. Getting away from all the administrators and from the control-freak John Day speech therapist made me feel like a couple thousand pounds had been lifted from my shoulders. I shed no tears over getting back into just doing regular ol' speech therapy. The only disappointment was giving up $25K or $30K a year I would have made in admin, but screw that. Nobody could have paid me enough to have to be an asshole. It's much better visiting with and having fun with kids.

Out of control kids are much easier to manage than assholian adults!

Snave said...

Nice photo of the house, BTW!

I'll go make sure you are linked at my place now.

Nice blog! Keep going!

Five and Dime said...

Hi Snave...What is it with Grant County??! I'm embarrassed to admit that my paternal family is from there!
Thanks so much for letting me know that it's not just me getting the casto off from the feces flying into the cooling device. I've really had it with control-freak, type A jerks.
Surprise, surprise, they hired a church member to take my job when everyone was fed up having to volunteer because the pastor doesn't like to answer the phone. (Really, otherwise there isn't much to do except type the bulleting and edit the newsletter.)
The woman that was hired is a lovely person, very nice. But...her former job was assisting in the kitchen at the hospital. Word has gotten back to me from my favorite church member (a closeted atheist) that she absolutely has no concept of the operation of the most basic office machinery. (I guess I should really feel superior that they were that deperate or embarrassed that they think that she will be an adequate replacement!)

Five and Dime said...

Sorry, my resposes make it look like I shouldn't be working in ANY office setting! I really need to learn to edit.

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