One of the worst bosses I ever served under had a very critical spirit and could always find a way to turn anything into a negative, even accomplishments.

There were many incidents that I still haven’t forgotten.  One involved my telling her about working on a project she’d assigned to me and running into a roadblock that was keeping me from completing it. Her preferred approach wasn’t working but I’d found a work-around and completed the project.

“So in other words you just gave up,” she said.

“No, Debbie Downer, I clearly didn’t give up. I ditched a tactic that wasn’t working and found a way to get it done,” I said. To myself. Years later when I thought of it.

Your words will be remembered

I don’t even remember what the project was any more, which is one of my points. Continue reading →