Teamwork

Because I'm gone, I'm missing the daily drama of Marty's New Boss. Let's just say, one employee has vaguely threatened his last day is coming up. Another one is looking at retirement options and several others have spiffied up their resume. What I'm hearing is a corporate America nightmare, sprinkled with pandemic work-arounds and even as an outsider, I don't see this ending well. But I can't tell you for whom.

There have been whispers that there are human resource discussions and Marty's co-workers are looking up all sorts of employment law. And is it really a good idea to chastise a deaf employee, demanding in front of her co-workers that she should be "listening better?" Or how about a group e-mail, berating one of Marty's colleagues because the colleague tried to call New Boss to get an urgent question answered? According to the e-mail, New Boss doesn't want to be bothered on the phone. Or--my favorite--telling a Vice President in an all hands, company-wide meeting that teammate Larry Smith is insubordinate (which was news to Larry and all of his co-workers). Yep, we are talking about this level of insane. Marty's attitude is simply, he will be part of any coup, but because he is too vulnerable with layoffs, he doesn't want to be the one to start the uprising.

The theory I've bandied around is New Boss was brought on to dismantle the team. Marty has thrown this out to his colleagues, and, though a bit warped, it has gained some mileage.  

I am told also that every virtual staff meeting is now a marathon Indeed and Monster search for Marty and his teammates, all sending text messages back and forth, "Hey did you see Cactus Juice LLC., is hiring a person with your skill set?" "Really? No but I'm sending you this job requisition from Arizona Snow Cone, Inc., I thought you might like... I know someone who works there. Use my name." 

True Teamwork.