Watch what you do. Always.

Well, apparently it's easy for people to lose my trust. Maybe it's easy to get it back, I don't know.

I hesitate these days to post anything about work, as I am well aware that some people from work now read my blog regularly, and others read it occasionally when the regulars pass it on to others while still trying to keep it a secret that they indeed do read it. you know what? It's fine. I dump a lot into this blog - daily activities, travels, future plans, etc. Pretty much all of this is stuff I talk about anyway. Unfortunately, these days companies can hire or fire someone based on what they post online, so while I'd like to be candid with what I post, if it has to do with work I unfortunately can't be.

I am currently fuming because of something that happened today. a person in a role of leadership did something that to him and possibly some others in the company was the right thing to do, and to me, it was unnecessary, none of their business, and breached my trust. I feel that being a leader requires both parties to earn each other's trust, and the moment they breach it, they've lost that trust for a long time. I think that when you do have another person's trust, when they make comments that are meant to not be passed on, or when someone makes an inappropriate comment about either another person in the company, or a comment that would not be seen as "acceptable" if reported to people higher in the company, you don't worry that the other person will go around passing along that information. It is a friendship as well as a work relationship. By accepting that, I can name plenty of times that MANY people above me have made comments that I see as "not acceptable" but after it doesn't sit well for a day, and I fume to friends, I don't worry about it because it isn't worth being a tattletale only to be seen as someone around whom everyone else needs to walk on eggshells. There are times when those comments don't bother me, but I could easily see them as being comments that are either close minded or raw to others.

Anyway, in case you've gotten this far and are wondering what kind of comment got me in trouble, that's not what happened. I didn't get in trouble for anything, and really the incident I am upset about is insignificant to my future or the career future of anyone else involved in the company. What bothers me more is the manner in which it was handled.

I can't really say much more. Just know that being a female in this environment is difficult, MUCH more so than the males think it is, and with as much crap as I have to put up with from the starting line, there's no reason to add more to my plate. Oh, and by the way, I am NOT one of the guys. Sorry to break it to you, but it's the cold truth. Maybe watch your mouths a little bit around the ladies. As a coworker put it - you can pretend I'm your sister, but don't dare think I am one of the guys.

This is for everyone - no matter where you work:
Don't take advantage of people's naivety or kindness or happy temperament to benefit your goals - especially if it diminishes either them or their goals. (this comment isn't necessarily specific to today's incident, just specific to what I've noticed has happened to me in general.)