Lancing a boil

Last night I did an outline of what I was going to say when I quit. This morning, I practiced in front of Baby Brother. He said it took about 30 seconds. I knew I needed to slow down...

Today at work was a particularly strange day. I worked on a crisis project for three hours, and then had to leave for a funeral. I came back around 2, and walked around in a fog, trying to focus and gather my thoughts to get ready for what I expected to be a big altercation. The adrenalin was flying.

Here is exactly what happened, since I know you want to know.

I waited until the end of the day (4pm.) PM was headed upstairs, and I asked her to come with me to talk to ED. We went onto ED's office and I closed the door. I said that the events of this particular day did not have any bearing on what I was about to tell them, and in fact, I realized more today my worth and value to the agency, and it made what I had to say more difficult. I explained that I had been unhappy since I came back from my medical leave when I started sharing an office. I explained that I loved the agency, staff, the social workers from DCFS and its mission, and reminded them that I had developed good working relationships with outside sources. I had been content, until June, when after realizing the inequity in pay, I asked for a $2 raise, of which I received less than half. Again, I was somewhat (less) content, but willing to stay, still frustrated with the working environment, of which I kept PM updated. When the new development job opened, I told my support group of friends who encouraged me to go for it. I only applied for it AFTER I told PM, and I didn't get an interview, ("yet" ED interjected). When I told my support group about the slight, they were shocked. I told ED and PM that what came out of that experience was that I was recruited by another agency and that I had accepted the job. This all probably took about 2 minutes. I'm glad I practiced.

You could have heard a pin drop, and that's hard on Astroturf carpeting.

15 minutes later, I finally escaped to my office, after PM therapizing me with "what do you really want? Am I hearing that you aren't challenged here? What would it take to keep you? Two weeks notice just isn't enough time. Blah, blah, blah" I told PM that the challenge wasn't the issue, that I can create all the systems in the world, always making my job easier and faster, and instead of rewarding me with a shorter day, I'm asked to keep working 30 hours a week, Or I'm given more work to do with the most increased compensation limited to 1.5%. Meanwhile, mediocrity is never penalized. I told them that a lot of frustration comes from my working very hard and not working in an environment where my co-workers are dedicated to what they are doing. (BTW, I know that's because you get what you pay for, but I decided not to bring that up.) I told PM that her promising me an office now felt like I was becoming a whiner, and I didn't want to have that kind of relationship with her or the agency. I didn't want her to respond to me only because I was basically making it sound like an ultimatum.

ED, ever the poker player, thinks my quitting is in reaction to my not getting an interview. He said the reason I didn't get an interview "yet" is because they were first meeting the applicants who had more direct development experience (including DD the incompetent) and I said that after two years, I was disappointed that he didn't recognize that in 6 months, I'd be more valuable than anyone he was interviewing, and that I wasn't even given the chance to present that in an interview. (I guess I'm pretty offended, but I'll get over it) Then it got real quiet in the room again, and I said I'd be leaving them to talk amongst themselves. And I did leave, and went straight to the bar!!!

Any questions?

Oh, what do you think of these, to follow QOATIP as my job title?

DOA Director of Office Administration

ODD Office Development Director

SOS - Supervisor Of Stuff

GOD Guardianship Office Director

AHAH Administrative Helper And Human