There aren’t many people who are blessed enough to have never dealt with a terrible manager. While bosses, by definition, can’t be your friend, they can be cordial, kind, and polite.
Sometimes, however, they are downright terrible, and “Ashley,” unfortunately had this experience with her former manager, “Jane.”
One Hundred and Eighty Degree Turn
“Ashley” says that when she got her job, she was excited as she and her husband were out of work for three months at that time. She was happy with her new team, and their manager, “Gary,” was terrific.
Unfortunately, her excitement didn’t last long, and Ashley got moved to a new team with a disaster that was Jane.
Ashely says that Jane wanted to micromanage her, constantly infringing on her work time, demanding she work through her lunch, and calling late at night on the weekend to harass her about work-related topics.
Moved Back
Gary wasn’t as busy as he’d been in the beginning, so he immediately moved Ashley back to his team, but that didn’t stop Jane from berating her or trying to demand results from her. When Ashley ignored her emails, Jane came to her desk and yelled loudly that she “wasn’t qualified for her job.”
Thankfully Gary stood up for Ashley and told Jane off, but Ashley says the verbal abuse continued to be a problem until she said that if Jane didn’t go, she would.
Unfortunately, Gary didn’t have the authority to fire Jane, so Ashley sent her resignation letter with a copy of Jane’s nasty comments.
Things Turn Around
After seeing a public memo about a bigshot we’ll call “Ryan” joining the company she had just resigned from, Ashley contacted him. She had worked closely with him at a different company and was truly happy for him.
Ashley texted her former colleague and told him she was truly happy for him and that he could get in touch if he wanted any insights into the new company. Ashley said they had a quick call, and she shared ways she thought they could innovate.
Ryan was so impressed that he asked Ashley to join his team as his Chief of Staff, two full levels above her former manager’s position. Thrilled, Ashley accepted and was very excited for their first ‘all-hands’ meeting.
Jane Gets a Pink Slip
Everyone welcomed Ryan to the company and quickly set things in motion, noting that Ashley would be his Chief of Staff. This fact didn’t sit well with Jane, as she’d had to turn over her entire team when Ashley worked there and her three-month hiatus.
Gary was delighted for Ashley and said all nice things. Jane, however, sent an email filled with criticisms, like Ashley was an unqualified idiot and a bald-faced lie that Ashley had likely lied to get ahead.
Ryan forwarded Jane’s email to Ashley and asked her about it. Jane didn’t know that Ashley had worked as a director at a competitor company, and moving up a level wasn’t a big deal. She also didn’t know that Ashley and Ryan had worked together for five years before she’d lost her job.
When Ashley finished explaining how Jane had treated her, that her entire team had quit, and that she was terrible for the company in numerous other ways in which she included documentation, Ryan promptly fired Jane.
Posted to an online forum, comments came in quickly, praising Ashley for her calm under pressure and apparent smarts.
Yes, Ma’am
One commenter kept it super simple. “I salute you.”
Applause
Another poster quickly applauded Ashley’s ethical approach to Jane and the situation. “I applaud your efforts and am super happy with this outcome! However, I am routinely disgusted by how difficult it is to get rid of people well known to be genuinely awful.”
Catch Up
Someone wanted Ashley to enjoy being out from under the stress Jane caused. “Good for you. Catch up on your bills stress-free from Jane.”
Agreed
This user completely agreed that good workers often lose jobs while terrible managers get to keep theirs. “For real. Especially when it seems easy for decent or even good people to get fired for dumb reasons.”
Well Done
One forum participant was impressed with Ashley and hoped she’d ensure no one like Jane worked for the company during her tenure as Chief of Staff. “Well done! I have to wonder how anyone in management let this entitled person get comfortable enough to drive off that many people and still have a job. I hope that’s one of the things you fix in your tenure.”
Toxic Staff
Another individual has a deep hatred for toxic staff. “I really hate when a staff member is so toxic that they are driving other staff away, which costs the company money, and don’t address it in any way, shape, or form! Listen to your staff!”
Buh-Bye
“One participant was so glad Jane was gone. Good Riddance! Hope you’re doing better now!”
New Details
Ashley shared more info on her company with the forum. “My company has had a lot of trouble hiring and retaining women – no surprise with someone like Jane there – so it became a D&I issue in recent years, and it took several layers of approval to get her out of here. Jane was also there for 20+ years and is very well-connected. She did not leave quietly.”
Step Two
Another contributor thought Ashley’s next step should include canning Jane’s manager. “Step two is to look into Jane’s useless manager, who let this continue for so long. Time to clean house.”
Timely Advice
Someone had excellent advice for everyone. “This is why you never burn bridges!!!!!”
Turned Tables
Ashley was facing some turbulent times, but she didn’t let that stop her from standing up for herself and her mental health. The tables turned, and she returned to the same company with a huge promotion and better overall benefits.
Whether or not you believe in karma, it’s not hard to see that what goes around comes around, and Ashley’s situation is the perfect example of this. She gave grace to Jane, and grace was shown to her when Jane tried to use backstabbing tactics to have Ashley pulled from her job.
Learn to give courtesy, kindness, and grace to those you come into contact with, and what you give out will likely come back to you, usually in a much more significant way.
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