Irritability the Sequel

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I experienced one of the worst butt chewings I've had the displeasure to be a part of today. What made it worse is that it was completely unexpected. Went to a meeting that was supposed to be a straight forward QA meeting with all the supervisors. And within two seconds after I sat down I realized I picked the wrong seat because I was at the opposite end of the table from the man doing the butt chewing. Talk about eye contact.

The thing that struck me and at least four other people I've spoken to is the fact that things he said could only have come from Janie. Janie is the new QA coordinator. The obvious conclusion is that she had gone to the man with her complaints and victim mentality and because he's someone who flies off the handle, he came into the meeting and reamed us. This kind of back stabbing is something she does and has done in the past. I'd been warning D for three weeks that she was going to him and talking about things she shouldn't.

To make it worse, after the BC, someone came and pulled D out of the meeting. When she came back she said to me, I have to go and you need to come with me. So I stood up and she told him that she was sorry but we were being called to another meeting. He got so mad he picked up his pen and said, "Well, this meeting is adjourned until next month!" and stormed out of the room. D and I left and when we got to the elevator, he was waiting there. When he saw us, he took off down the hall to go down the stairs rather than ride in the elevator with us.

When it was safe to talk, I looked at D and said, "I'm gonna kick Janie's butt!" D was so angry at Janie she just shook her head. I said, "You KNOW she is the one who told him that stuff and mislead him as to what really happened!" D nodded. She was being good by not saying much. But she didn't have to say anything because it was so obvious.

We got back to the conference room after the other meeting and three supervisors including Janie were still in there. They started talking about the way he'd been and one of them made the comment that somehow he'd gotten the impression that... yada, yada, yada. I said, "SOMEONE had to tell him that stuff for him to know. He didn't just come up with that on his own." Then one of the other supervisors said she didn't understand why he thought... yada, yada, yada... I said, "SOMEONE told him that, SOMEONE had to have led him to think that."

Janie said to me, "Are you trying to say I told him?" All I could think was 'A bit dog yelps first.' What I said was.. "Did you?" She denied it, but I believe with all my heart she lied.

A few minutes later I questioned her about a LIMS QA recommendation she'd sent to D without ever talking to me about what she'd taken issue with. Background: this particular issue is one she's had a burr under her saddle about for years. We routinely go over the same arguments every year. So, as the new QA coordinator she thinks she has more authority to make me do what she wants done. I asked her about the regulation she'd cited in her recommendation as a support that I was out of compliance; because the reg she cited did NOT support her argument. I ended up making her so angry with my questions and my refusal to admit her interpretation of the regs was correct that she slammed her book shut and stomped out of the room. My parting shot to her back as she left? "Janie, getting upset and huffy isn't helpful!"

I went back to my office and one of the supervisors who'd witnessed the interaction came in a little later. She said, "Hold out your hand!" That made me laugh. I was like, No, I won't. She deserved everything she got! Which made my friend laugh. I shook my head at her and told her to stop acting all innocent because I knew she was loving every second of seeing my interaction with Janie and was secretly cheering me on.

Interestingly enough, I think today's BC will make Janie's job harder than if she had kept her mouth shut. Because after the BC, he left the lab. She had to stay there and face the people who believe she went behind their back and slandered them to him. Talk about stupidity and consequences of one's actions.

I'm still irritable. But even though I was direct, I didn't lose control of myself today and I'm thankful for it. Especially after seeing two other people act in a manner without self-control. Lessons and training. Lessons and training. Bleeck.

Oh... and the consultant did make a comment today about my food choice at lunch... I hit him.