Well, let’s count coup for the week.
On Tuesday, a long-time friend and colleague was, out of the blue (so far as I was involved), asked to resign. I got to be the one to call the group staff meeting to announce it.
Yesterday I received Official Word that a coworker here, someone I hired, was going to be RIFfed, and I was going to get to be the hatchet man. Joy.
That bullet was (barely) dodged, with a lot of interventions by a variety of people (my own part in it being relatively small but, I hope, important) and the person is instead going off to work at another position elsewhere in the company. A relatively happy ending, but a pretty nasty few days.
On the other hand, today was also the day that one of my subordinates was also RIFfed out, which I was not, of course, allowed to tell him about in advance(instead maintaining a bright, cheerful tone to my phone conversations and messages, trying not to lie directly of course, but also not tell the truth). My current boss got to make the long drive to that office from his own to let him know at COB today.
Just as glad I didn’t have to do it, which makes me feel rather cowardly, penance for which was made by my sitting there this afternoon, watching the clock, wondering why I hadn’t heard anything, thinking about how, since Boss was going to be getting there late in the afternoon (just before COB, to minimize stares as he had to pack up his stuff), I’d told said employee that he should not leave early in order to go pick up something for a big birthday party he was celebrating on the weekend, but instead stick around for something I was sending him. Which, on the spur of the moment, was the best I could do.
Received a cheerful (maybe) e-mail message from him a minute ago, the deed having been done.
Not. A. Good. Week.
Already cancelled my game on Sunday, and if I wasn’t already committed for a good chunk of change, I’d be cancelling my Saturday plans. Sleeping in and spending time with my wife (not necessarily in that order) sounds more my speed.
So far as I know, no similar wrenches are planned for tomorrow. Just as well.