OP, a 54-year-old woman, planned a two-day conference, and her boss, a 70-year-old woman. However, her boss did not attend most planning meetings, did not help organize materials or do any sales or communications. On the day of the conference, the boss shows up to give the message from the CEO, then disappears.
Bossed
When OP asked her where she went, the boss said she was working elsewhere because it would be unprofessional to work at the banquet table where OP was seated. The boss did not come to dinner with the team either of the two nights they held the conference but did come to a party with attendees where she announced that they were doing the conference again next year, but OP would not be involved.
Several days later, when OP returned to the office, the boss told her she was “taking back operation control” of the event and planned to use a lot of OP’s staff to do most of the work. OP’s staff was already at capacity and couldn’t do this work on top of their regular duties. OP offered to continue on as usual until the boss found a person to hire for it, but the boss lost her cool, yelled at OP, and accused her of not asking for help and wanting it all. OP delegated all the tasks and had help, but the boss kicked her out of her office.
The boss hadn’t spoken to OP since then, except for an email where she said that she could have it since the event meant so much to OP. OP responded that she was confused, and the boss replied that since OP said she wanted it, she was honoring her wishes.
OP feels like the whole thing was drama because the boss wasn’t the center of attention. OP doesn’t think she did anything wrong but wonders if she’s missing something and if she’s the a**hole in this situation.
The Boss Need To Relax
Essentially all of the Rettors are in agreement that OP’s boss’ reactions were strange and unjustified:
“She was invited to planning meetings and only showed up for a few. If she wanted things to be done a certain way, she was responsible for communicating that to you. It sounds like you were fully capable of handling the event, and it was successful.
Not sure what her problem is. Based on what you’ve written, it sounds like her nose is bent out of joint, but she didn’t give you any feedback that would indicate why she’d be upset.”
This Commenter suggests that OP’s boss did not convey any idea that she wanted to be part of the planning process. She was invited to make suggestions and be part of the planning but missed most of the event and did not contribute in any way.
They highlight that OP appears to be very competent at what they do. They had it all under control and are, in fact, in charge of a team of employees. They are an effective employee who knows how to get the job done.
So, it I strange that the boss is taking such offense to OP’s planning and organization. There was no additional feedback regarding OP’s mistake, just a flat response saying she is no longer organizing the event.
A Personality Fault
It seems clear to many of the Redditors that maybe there are some more severe issues.
“Who knows what was going on in her head? Maybe she expected to be kept more in the loop as to how things were progressing, but it was hard to know. Maybe it’s the start of dementia? Or has she always been the type of person that goes off like that?
From what you’ve written, NTA.”
Based on the information provided in the post, it suggests that the boss is a little lost. Perhaps they did expect more ongoing communication with OP. However, this was never voiced to the OP, nor were any other issues about the event. Not communicating their concerns inevitably left OP and Redditors scratching their heads about the crux of the matter.
There is a suggestion that the boss might suffer from a tragic degenerative disease or, more likely, a challenging personality. In either case, it appears as if the burden is on the OP to try and decipher the best way to deal with their boss and hope it doesn’t get any worse.
HIS STONE COLD GREED. WIFE TRAGICALLY LOSES HER PARENTS BUT HER HUSBAND DEMANDS INHERITANCE
Source: Reddit