Re: Tech Writer Lawsuit

[Ned Bedinger <doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com>]

Collin Turner wrote:
> Oh, it was great! I was getting paid very well. The job was a blast until I
> was kidnapped by a notorious manager who chewed through TW's like a
> play-ground bully through bubblegum. Once she started in with the lines "You
> don't know what the h*ll you're doing and I have no confidence in you."

Colin--

Maybe my immaturity is showing, but I can't imagine that this was a 
calm, rational conversation. It reminds me of managers who trot out 
horrendous performance reviews as some littler matter of fact--it is 
done so passively, but the naked aggression is unmistakeable. I picture 
some sort of browbeating, maybe calculated to unnerve you and make you 
do or say something that she could cast as a firing offense.

There's no question in my mind that I'd rather swallow bugs than be 
talked to that way. Saying so, eyeball to eyeball, would give me and my 
inner serpent, all coiled and ready to strike, some satisfaction.

But it would be a mistake to even acknowledge the insult. That manager 
apparently had demons of her own, and acknowledging them would probably 
encourage her to act out more. Ignoring them might shut them down, and 
that would be a good thing.

Still, if your job at that point was untenable, it might have been 
interesting to turn the tables and fan the flames, and see how far she 
would go off her rocker. She sounds so nutty that you might witness 
really unacceptable stuff. How cool would that have been? But unwinding 
the confrontation in the workplace would certainly have meant trouble 
for you.

Good to see you had your act together and that you documented the 
encounter(s) in multimedia. Nice work, I'd say your dues are up to date 
and paid in full.

Regards and good luck,

Ned Bedinger
doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com
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