What happens when you make a verbal blunder at work? Can you recover? Should you apologize? Should you even acknowledge it? It all depends on what you say, whom you say it to and who overhears it, says Joseph Grenny, co-author of “Crucial Conversations.”
“It doesn’t just happen to news correspondents or politicians,” Grenny says. “Verbal blunders happen to all of us, and if they happen at work, these social gaffes can be even more damaging.”
Grenny gives us three quick face-saving strategies for recovering from verbal gaffes at work:
The blunder: You said something harsh about a boss or co-worker that should not have been overheard, but was.
What’s required: Own up to your loose tongue. A clear, unvarnished, unrestrained apology is all you can do. The bandage needs to be as large as the wound — if you made fun of the boss’s wife, a simple “I’m sorry” won’t cut it. They’ll need to hear an apology as intense as their disgust for you at the moment.
The blunder: You said something that was right, but it came across wrong in a meeting.
What’s required: The apology here is more complex but must still match the fervor of the upset. You have three tasks: 1) Acknowledge that the message people heard from you sounded as offensive as they’ve taken it. And don’t move to step two until they’re satisfied. 2) Say what you really think on the topic in the way you should have said it. 3) Repeat step one.
The blunder: You said something you believe, but that you shouldn’t have said in your position.
What’s required: In this instance you need to do the same as you did in the first situation – you must apologize. If you stated an opinion that is not the opinion of your company and brought shame to it as a result, then you must apologize as though you don’t believe what you said. This could sound disingenuous, but it’s not. It isn’t “you” who’s apologizing, it’s your position. So your apology is righting the real wrong — your irresponsible lapse of judgment in realizing you don’t get to represent your company in any way you see fit.
Tell us: Have you ever “pulled a Biden” at work? How did you recover, or were you not able to?
The petty behavior displayed in office settings is absolutely astounding. It would seem that the majority of employees have emotional IQs from grade school. To me, these stories show how personal values and ethics are declining.
Come on people - grow up!
I agree with most people that you shouldn't trust anyone, but keeping your mouth shut and just doing your job doesn't work. I also don't feel apologizing is the golden answer.
Office communications skills is an absolute survival MUST have. If a co-worker tries to make my life miserable, I go after that person with a vengeance. I also have no qualms about going straight up to my boss and speaking my mind.
Personally, I like the gossipers, especially the ones who are higher up than me. I get all the juicy details of whatever new nightmare management has planned and it allows me to prepare for it rather than get blindsided. Getting your hands on inside info is the key to survival in my office, and I would suspect this is the case in most offices.
Oh, I've said things out loud that got passed around, the difference is I didn't give a rats backside and if someone twisted my words, I made sure they were restated correctly, by me! No. I did not apologize. >:)
I transferred to an office that I found extremely hostile. My supervisor use to make racial remarks that were just inappropriate, "all blacks can sing and Latinos and Blacks dress their kids really well, and does your people eat cat (talking to someone of Asian decent). One day after work, my new Supervisor tried to start a conversation with me and I let her know, that unless our conversations were about the actual job, then I didn't want to hear any of her racial rhetoric. Well, the next week; the office had to lay someone off and guess who it was... the rationale was because I was insorbordinate and since I was the last to transfer in, I'd should be the first to go. I had a panic attack in the office and went to the doctor's office. The next morning, I immediately went to Corporate headquarters and spoke to the Program Manager, before meeting with HR. Well, come to find out, I had not been the only person to complain about this manager and I was sent back to work and told I wasn't on the chopping block. Come to find out, my manager was actually being let go, the Friday after me. So she calls an impromptu meeting and after it was over, She tried to stop and talk to me in the hallway and the pure ignorance and stupidity streaming from her mouth was just unbelievable... I remember thinking, goosh she is soooooooooooo stupid how did she ever become a manger. What the 'foot in the mouth' moment was... I actually said. "You are sooooo stupid", but didn't realize I was talking out loud until all my co-workers were quiet and staring at me. Se shut up, I walked away and sat down.... Chalk it up to the anxiety medicine for my "Alley McBeal" moment..... Anyways, she was fired that Friday and I worked for the company another 4 years before getting a WAY BETTER JOB!
P.S.
It seems other folks have had their share of office escapades. To those who managed to get their own small biz going in this economy, BRAVO!
I am so grateful not to have to put up with Cutie and the web of suspicion she crafted. Our employer ran me out after 23 years with the company. The state I worked in was not pro-employee. And peeps, those nasties kicked me right into paradise.
Sadly, the industry is fraught and we'll just leave it at that. More good office stories please... Mr. Xyz was the best! And the boss sleeping with anyone (Dave Letterman I mean you!) = severe kharma trouble in the future and not good for the office either!
Good one! Also, as far as how others interpret things, you can't always control that. If you say what you mean and mean what you say and do what both you and I have said (read my comment after yours), then you'll be known as someone who is forthright and upstanding...How sad it is that we need to a book to tell us to apologize when we screw up, and that happens everywhere, not just work. *Sigh*
Seriously, what a dumb article and I bet a dumb book. All it says for each one is own up and apologize, own up and apologize. Nothing new here, folks.
So, here's MY advice: Don't say anything you wouldn't sign your name under. See? I could write a book too.
My great boss left due to better pay, and the company replaced him with a Freddie Couger Btch! She did not try to learn her job, and she plotted and fired two good staff members. She was trying to get me in trouble but could not find a legit reason. That crazy dumbie went back to Lincare to work. She also shipped her crap with company ship papers.
Well Susan, at least you know what you said, and are able to deal with it. Take me, I was "supposed to have said something" about the Company I work for, quote:"I hate working for this Company" when I asked my supervisor to whom did I say this to, she would not give me an answer. And then told me that I would not be working the next four days I was scheduled to work. ( I do food demos) And to this day I have not been asked to work. I called her and left her a message asking her if this meant that I was being terminated? no answer to the day.How do you like that. She doesn' t have the courtesy to at least give me some kind of anwer to both my questions!!
Many years ago, I was working in an entry-level clerical job. Our supervisor was a clever lady with a very colorful voculary. Our company had brought in an efficiency expert who was supposed to examine every process in the entire office with a fine tooth comb. We'll call him Mr. Xyz. It did not take long for him to earn the hatred of every working person in the company. He also happened to be a rather effeminate looking fellow with a thick head of curls that looked like little springs. Our supervisor was standing in the door of our department. She had discovered one of the girls doing something in a way thant we had never done it before. "Who in the hell told you to do it like that?" she asked the poor girl. "Uh, Mr. Xyz" she replied. "So since when do we listen to that finger-wave fairy?' she yelled. Mr. Xyz happened to be standing right behind her. When she realized it, she immediately covered her face with her hands, fell to the floor in a fetal position and proceded to rock back and forth. Mr. Xyz just stared at her and finally walked away. I never did find out if she was reprimaned or if she apologized, but I know she did not loose her job. Not too many people could have pulled that one off. She was one in a million.
I would not have intentionally hurt a person's feelings, but I really pulled a
blooper at work...but, fortunately I did not receive any repercussions from
it.
I worked for 38 years for a Company that grew into one of the largest, nationwide, Fortune 500 Companies. We had basically an "open-door" policy
with the managers and even Area Mgrs and Area V.P's in our region.
Five years ago, our Company merged 3 different locations into one, big,
unworkable, location. Everyone one, VP, Area Mgrs, and even VP's in Corporate, tried to warn the President that it would never work, we would
never all fit into the new location...but it fell on deaf ears. Well, it never did
work, and the design was so "employee unfriendly", all employees were frustrated to the max...but still worked our rear ends off to do the best we could to make it work...because it's a great Company.
Anyhow, to get in the front door, you needed an electronic card to get in.
The new location also had the area conference room and area mgr..so we
always had people show up (who did not work at that location), but who were
attending meetings, etc. Unless someone saw them throught the double glass doors and the large glass enclosed lobby, they just stood out there twiddling
their thumbs...waiting for some one to notice them, leave their desk, and
walk quite a distance to let the people in....
We asked and asked for a "door bell" and also for a "buzzer" so we could just
remotely open the door for the people, so we wouldn't hvae to stop our work, get up and go to the door......the majority of whom we all knew
as mgrs from other offices, etc. We could not get authority from Corporate for the expenditure....We tried and tried for 3 years to fix this simple problem..No avail...
Well, one HOT AUGUST summer, approx 95 degrees in the hot sun, I looked
up and saw two men in suits waiting (for how long I do not know) at the door
in the hot, blazing sun, (one of which was doing Jumping Jacks trying to gain someones attention). I recognized the man doing the jumping jacks, (A top Corporate Area Vice President from our Headquarters). I jumped up and
quickly let the two men into the nice airconditioning! Having worked for over
30 years with the Company, I had known this Vice President when he was a
trainee at the local branch where I started. His father had been a truck driver
for the Co. Anyhow, I asked him about his dad, and we started talking about
the "Good Old Days", etc. for a while, Eventually:
I turned to the man standing with him and I said "I remember when we had someone who REALLY knew how to run this Company!"
I found out later that the President of the Company was visiting that day!
Oh, Well, ......Later I told people what had transpired, and even the Branch Manager said "Well, sometimes they have to hear the truth!"
I hated working in corporate America. The "system" is so unfair. My boss was as lazy as a pig and far dumber than I'll ever be even if I suffered a severe brain injury, and yet he made 4 times my salary.
Anyway, long story short, I got so tired of him oinking his way around the office that I started my own business and then walked in one day and said sayonara pal, I'll be out in 2 weeks. It is the best decision I have ever made in my entire life. I am doing so well and having such a good time running my own show, it really should be illegal. In fact, I am almost sure it is illegal to enjoy oneself so much (especially in light of the fact that all my ex-workmates are super miserable at "the company").
I made a big mistake when I agreed with a comment that a person made about someone. She said, "Who does he think he is, God! People glared at her and then gave me a look. What she said was true but since this person walked on water, it was taboo to make an negative comment about this person, even though the comments were true. Since at that time I was a temp worker, I could have been let go for agreeing with this comment.
An old saying goes: "If you have something negative to say about someone, tell that someone in person, in private, and with respect, and no one else."
Good advice, but it doesn´t work with the vast majority of people.
Conclusion: Don´t say it. And if you don´t want to mortify yourself, don´t entertain that negative opinion in your own mind.
Jessesir,
Maybe it's your apparent lack of understanding of spelling and English grammar that got you in trouble with your bosses. Just reading your post made my eyes bleed. Here's a suggestion, read a book, because it's clear that English is a second language for you...
I think Thumper's Mother said it best when she said "If you don't have nothing nice to say, than don't say nothing at all" Funny what we can learn from talking rabbits:)
I have been a paralegal for 17 years and I have seen and heard it all. There is always the maniacal boss, the "bitch", the gossiper, the worrier, the kiss-ass and the rest of us trying to dodge the whole game. I once worked for a firm that had an employee who had it in for me because I wouldn't "entertain" her fake advances to be people's friend. She was able to get all the girls to alienate me. At a meeting one day, the boss asked if there was anything anyone would like to add and I put my heart on the table. I told everyone that I wanted to apologize if I had offended anyone and that my intention was simply to be a team player. Everyone was taken back by my sincerity and forwardness. But of course the office "bitch" had to make a comment about how not everyone needs to be friends and like each other. It was the moment I had waited for, everyone was finally able to see that everything she had said about me was not about me but about her dislike for me. The girls were very grateful for my sincerity and accepted me. Unfortunately, the office bitch became the office manager. And yes, you guessed it she made my life miserable. I would complain to my boss and he wouldn't do anything because it turned out she was sleeping with him. Oh, and did I fail to mention that they were both married. It was so depressing. I loved my work but she made it difficult for me continue working there. I can't compete with someone who has no self-dignity or self-worth. After 4 years, I quit. My boss was very upset. After all he treated me like an associate and I did the job of two people. I told him the reasons why I was leaving. I was honest and told him he was a fool to continue believing that their little secret was not very well known. Ironically, I was asked to come back 5 years later and I did come back. I lasted another year and although my attitude changed because I didn't let her upset me, it really just turned my stomach to see that she continued to manipulate people and she would never stop. I finally had to come back to understand that it wasn't that she won, it was that no paycheck inthe world can make me kiss anyone's behind for my job. I can't stomach it. I was always honest but not mean. I'm sure she heard about it, but I never cared. Although I'm now in an office with one attorney and have absolutely no drama, I dont' feel like she won. Someday she has to account for her actions. Her mercedes can't make her happy, her minks can't make her happy, her money can't make her happy and the bottom line is people see her for what she is. I can say that I have dignity and I don't have to sleep with anyone to make an honest living.
I find that anyone and everyone where I work is a gossip, and it al gets back whether at work, and anywhere in my personal life, no matter what I say. God it's miserable. On one hand, I know it's just an attempt to put me down and divert attention from themselves. On the other hand, virtually everyone is not to be trusted and they are ALL pathetic folks who have no life.
Yet, get this. The "complaint" on me is being "antisocial" for trying to keep to myself and do my work.
Here's a great example of having something 'overheard' that shouldn't have been...
I was working at this company, and the office manager had been a real nightmare for a couple weeks. It was early in the morning and I had just gotten an email with a list of ridiculous duties from her. Feeling the need to vent, I went to text my husband. The text I sent basically ran like this, "Ugh! Julie (my office manager) is driving me crazy! I'm so annoyed!" I had been talking to another co-worker when I received a text back. It was a blank response text from...you guessed it...the office manger. I was horrified. I didn't speak to her right away, which led to an incredibly awkward day of work. At the end of the day, I asked to speak with her and spend a good hour explaining that it wasn't meant to be a personal slur against her, I was just frustrated with how things were being dealt with and was just privately venting to my husband. All in all it turned out good, we actually resolved a lot of office issues and got a bunch of things fixed. But man, was that a horrifying experience!
Just keep your mouth shut. Unless you work for the CIA or FBI, there is no such thing as secrets or confindentiality.
What a great forum to get off your chest some corporate nonsense! Here's one to make you feel better about where you work (I'm no longer in this situation, thank GOD!) Beautiful gal, let's call her "Cutie" hired per diem, muscles into full time almost immdiately with no client base to support additional hours for her. Now I'm supposed to share my full time with her. They hire in her sister. There are only six of us so now the duo are a third of our workforce. Cutie makes fast friends with the gal already there and they go barhopping to the point of cops but now they have to cover for each other. Younger sister is already nanny-slave and of course will cover sis's every move... younger sis told me once before she started working for us, "remember when my sis and I had that falling out? It's because she beat me up, but don't tell anyone." Perfect! Meanwhile cutie's former cowroker gets hired in. Now the entire office is under the age of 30 and I am 55. Cutie makes personal phone calls all night on her cell while working, loud, explicit fights with her hub. Secuirty guard used to hang with us, she told him to get lost one night as he was interferring with her personal phone calls (treating the office like a private phone booth, and his presence made no privacy for her). Cutie showed me her tummy to demonstrate her need for a "mommy-lift", told me of her flirting with former beaufriend. A good phrase to usein these situations BTW is "I really like working with you and I am not comfortable discussing this matter with you" and had to use that very phrase not 10 minutes later on Cutie! She once threw a complete temper tantrum and all I could say was "stop, stop, stop" but of course she didn't until she was out of steam. Former homecoming queen, if Cutie couldn't buy you (hub got perk tickets with his biz) or charm you to own you, she'd just bulldoze you. Cutie sis's mom smoked meth, the drama went on and on. They are still there, I am not. God Bless!
I have had plenty of experince with the foot in the mouth problem. Recently the company I work for hired someone that had absolutlly no experince in the field to do a job that I had been doing for two years because I had been moved to a different position (with on raise mind you). Now this new person needed to be trained so I was the one who had to do it because my boss who should have trained the new person was constantly gone. So I spent my days training someone and trying to keep up with my work. Eventually they realized that I needed to be back at my original position and was moved back to take over it once again. The new person was supposed to help me while still being trained. This still came without a raise or promotion. The new person who had been working there for only 4 months was given a raise put on salary (which I still am not) and a promotion over me. I am still training this person even though they are now making more than me and have better benefits! I got upset but tried to keep to myself I was called out by mu boss for my "bad attitude" I asked am I supposed to be happy that I was screwed I have been promised for a year now that I would get a promotion and raise and here comes a person underqualified and new that got what I deserve. Well needless to say the coversation didnt go well and Im still being treated like Im being replaced any day now. I appologized but it didnt seem to do any good. The company seems to hire and give raises out to people they like not those of us who do our job and do it well. I figure at some point they will be burned when they realize the company may not be better off with people who have no business being managers in these positions and they start losing clients. Im at this point just biding time until my husband is done with school and I can quit and move.
In a weekly meeting, a co-worker who I thought was a great person, said that fleas that were flying around the office were coming in because of my nationality - that I will not discuss here. It was horrible. In attempts to let it go I told everyone "you did not hear that". However, I would have thought the boss would have called her in and said something to her. She never apologized, my boss did nothing. And it was a RACIAL comment. I knew then that this was not a good place to work. Eventually this same worker arranged ever so cleverly for me to get fired from my job. She was jealous that my work was making her look bad. That fact that I was a minority was insulting to her, as she felt that I did not deserve the job I had; even though I had the qualifications and education, that perhaps she did not have. So even when you're right you are wrong in NEGATIVE environments...and minority's do get discriminated against. People who trash minorities are found everywhere in corporate offices and the trasher gets away with it. The minority is usually let go. So, as my grandmother taught me "You have no friends at work, do your job, and keep your mouth shut, don't discuss your personal life at work, go there to work, get your paycheck and nothing else". After all if you are let go, they [your friends at work] will not pay your bills; so they are not really yr. friends. Funny too, this employee was always telling me to go find another job.... I wonder why? Touche.....
MSM and MSN
MSM means "Main Stream Media" which is the usual crap that you see here on the MSN netwok.
Amongst other things, my mother once told me that if you can't say anything good about someone, keep your mouth shut. My dad, on the other hand, told me that there are three things you never discuss in public - sex, religion and politics. These were about the only things that really stuck with me. I never realized till recently what sound advice I was given at the time. The problem with me is that I do not tend to volunteer anything and when I do, I m very abrasive. You really have to pry things out of me. But if you ask for my input, I'll give it to you. Whether you like it or not. That has always been my character and I do not compromise my beliefs. But life being as it is, sometimes things happen for a reason. After busting my rear end working for a phone company for 14 years in the data processing department, I got axed. Yep, when I first got there I was a rising star. I started in a craft position (yes, it was aunion shop but I did not join it - beliefs). within a year, I was sent to a management evaluation training workshop and was the first to ever pass the course on the first try in that department. Shortly after that, I got promoted to management. Six months later, I was making more money than I had ever expected at that time in my life. The song about the future is so bright, I gotta wear shades was a hit then and I could identify with it so well. I did what was required and then some. Worked overtime when I was needed, 2nd and 3rd shift for 10 of those years and finally day-shift on the last four. Towards the end, I basically had no personal life; on-call 24/7/365. Always walked the straight and narrow and never, ever complained. Until the day I found out that our business unit was being sold to another phone company. Of course, no help was seriously provided in getting a job with the same company in another department. Why? Because we were expendable; all 30 of us. In that group were people with 20 years plus service. People that started working as soon as they got out of high-school or shortly before that. So since I knew I was out the door and upper management was asking for input, I gave it to them. Let's just say that the two guys sitting next to me so graciously scooted their chairs away from the table. I guess they didn't want to be guilty by association. But nothing bad or out of context was said, no threats. No yelling or throwing chairs around, no breaking glass. It's not my style. Just very calmly, eloquently and firmly voiced my opinions. Whether they liked it or not. They asked for it and they got it. Since I made a grand entrance I sure as heck was going to make and even greater exit. It was the least I could do since all 30 of us were part of the deal so that we could train the employees at the other company. The hatchet-man that was doing the wheeling-and-dealing actually had the gall to tell us that he was doing us a favor and should be thankful about it since at least we still had a job with the new company. Hmm, where have I heard that one before? And recently at that. Anyway, within a year everyone got canned at the new place. You could feel the tension in the air. A very bad situation. Long story short (or is it too late now?), in my case, I quit after 9 months at the new place, went back to school and got me another degree. After 5 years of advice, but no help, from so-called friends and 10-bucks-an-hour jobs, I eventually landed a really good job and am making as much as I did when I was so graciously flushed down the toilet. The job just plopped on my face and wouldn't come off until I accepted it. The best of capitalism in action because, yes, heaven forbid, it so happens I like money. At the old place, it took me 14 years to get where I am today. Was I PO'd at the situation back then? Of course. But I never compromised my work ethics. In looking back, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I have never been happier in my life as I am right now. I still work in an IT environment and my job is a 9-5 job. Work stays at work when I leave the office. No on-call duties. Nirvana! All being said, I am a true believer that eventually everyone gets what they deserve. Whether you like it or not.
Susan
Being that I have held many executive positions,and I have never been terminated in any way. I would suggest that you try this, because I am sure it will help your supervisor think twice. BTW, I am not sure who said this, but I try to live by it.
"Spend each day at work as if yourfuture, and your career depended on the work that you do that day" .
Good Luck
Ken
I agree. Trust no one. I had a friend at work and she and I would commiserate with one another. One summer I was working and, as a high school student, I had various activities. I had driver's ed and cross country and even though I explained this to my boss that I needed a different schedule, she ignored me and kept the same one. I am a very punctual person and I usually show up 15 minutes before my shift. One day I was 5 minutes late (gasp!) and was screamed at by my boss. I confessed to my friend that I was a little stressed out. BIG MISTAKE. One day next week, when my boss gave me extra hours and FORGOT to tell me about them (and then I obviously didn't show up!) my boss asked everyone where I was. And my "friend" meaning well and trying to stand up for me suggested maybe I was fed up! So my boss thought my missing my impromptu work hours was my way of quitting. This is an example of how a simple misunderstanding with schedules can turn into SHAKESPEAREAN drama. FUN FUN.
Life lesson: don't gossip. don't complain to coworkers. don't pick sides. keep your head down, work hard and keep honest. =_=+
I work for a small Company where the owners wife manages the office. While the Boss was out of the Country for over a month she decided to get a Dog, an Australian Shepherd that had been abused, and bring it into the office with her. The dog hated me from day one, I tried everything I could think of to make friends with the dog and just get along but nothing worked.
She kept bringing the dog in, it left it's feces in the conference room adjacent to my office. I sent an email to her husband (the owner) and my immediate supervisor explaining the situration, and that I would work to solve the situation directly.
I visited a local firearms store, purchased a gift certificate for $20 there and gave it to her commenting "I want you to feel safe here in the office. They have plenty of non-lethal products... just please leave your dog at home."
It finally came down to an occassion where the dog ran down the hall to my office and I slamed the door in it's face. At that point I emailed, my Boss, the owner and HR "Enough- aside from debatable appropriateness of bring a pet to the office I have had enough. The dog will stay home or you can consider this my two week notice."
My Supervisor wanted to stay so I did- the dog was left at home. The owners wife now hates me; but the owner is still glad to have me. The owners wife tried to say that I threatened the dog, and various other lies. Because of the way I handled with my Boss and the owner they saw through it. She now refuses to talk with me or even acknoledge I exist. I have a great working relationship with everyone but her.
Sometimes it doesn't matter how nice or forebearing you are or try to be; there are those whom will have an irrational hatred for you and lie about you; the more you try to correct the issue with them the worse life gets. So you just shut-up, be cordial, but mostly leave them the hell alone and don't try to fix the problem because it is all them.
Here's a good one: 4 years ago I was working at a local bank. I had only been working there for 1 month and although I was good at my job, I was still learning and made mistakes. Well, the very last time I made a mistake, I caught it before it got serious. It was the first time I found out what I did wrong without anybody's help. When the manager came to check on me, I told her "Yes everything is fine, I had a minor problem but I fixed it." She looked really proud of me, she complimented on how quickly I was picking stuff up, and walked away. Five days later I was fired. Apperantly I had offended her by implying that I thought I was better than her and that she didn't deserve to be the manager of a bank. Really?!?
Here is a good rule I live by at work:
If you do not want it repeated, do not say it.
I think I read that in a book somewhere...
I started my job at lenscrafters, and I couldn't stop calling people dicks. My boss fired me and called me a dumbass, like he was my dad and shit!
Susan, your attitude of "I will do just my job and nothing more, why not, since I’m in line for a layoff!" is why you're next in line for a layoff. You are either in the wrong job and should be looking elsewhere, or you should have told your boss that you intend to work hard to recover from this gaffe and earn his respect in the department. Good luck.
In a weekly meeting I made a comment about someone's inflexability and that it would cost us time to get around it. Accurate, but phrasing and word choce attributed that inflexablity to personality rather than job specification. The fix was to (1) apologize to the person involved, before he heard about the issue from others and (2) in the next meeting apologize to the person again, in absentia, and make it clear that I understood he was doing his job, and doing it correctly, and my comments from the week before were inappropriate.
I agree that you should probably look for another position as your feelings toward your workplace have changed. Your boss should not have said that to you in frustration, and should have gotten to the bottom of the situation. The co worker that spread the rumor should have been reprimanded as well. I agree with the sticking to just doing your job for now, in this economy especially, you don't know who would be willing to stab you in the back to save their own behind.
Its my first week on the job... I was going on a coffee run, and ask my office if they wanted anything. My boss said he did and I asked him how he wanted his. He said he "liked it black." Now in a social setting of people I know, I would usually quote the SNL skit: "I like my coffee like I like my women: hot, black, and first thing in the morning." Well I fumbled with the words and instead said, "Just like you like your women?" There were 10 blank stares at me and I was mortified, so I just walked out and got the coffee.
that happened to me - I was laid off about 6 months after the company hired another worker who had previously done my type of job for another company, but was hired for a totally different position in our company. Yeah - I saw the handwriting on the wall. My salary was much higher than they got away with paying the new person because the new person had been fired from their previous job and so the company could get away with offering less because the new person was a little desperate to get a job. So the 2 jobs became one and I was out - my mother used to call that "cutting of your nose to spite your face." Now this person is a horrible employee and not doing half the job I was doing for the company. A friend who still works there told me they are very unsatisfied with this new person's work. Sounds good to me.
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