To my boss

Dear Sir,

First let me state that I need my job as my darling husband is in the death spiral of pending layoff. Now as you have now learned that I am desperate; it doesn't mean that the daily beatings are your way of keeping morale high. The phrase "the beatings will continue until morale improves" really shouldn't be your motto.

And frankly - it's not the team in Northern VA that need the beatings, we deliver stuff on time, we answer your email, phone calls and questions. We try to the best of our ability to keep our team informed of changes, updates and processes. We want to work with our team mates in the southern part of the country but that becomes a problem. As their 'leader' has decreed that his team will not interact with us unless in a public forum, such as the staff meeting, or other meetings in which you attend.

And since you're in a beating mood - how about a little tough love to our customer? Specifically the two problem children who continually call and direct the development team then expect us to magically know what promises were made to whom and when - oh yeah and handle all that pesky paperwork stuff... without any information as I'm off attending a conference you know dining, dancing and the occasional meeting.

Then there is the Deep South Round About - while I'm sure if there was BBQ and beer this would be great fun, but in the working world and stone cold sober - frankly it's migraine inducing. Let me document the Deep South Round About - as you seem to be completely oblivious to its steps - First we have a question about an issue that came to our attention from a 3rd party, usually our customer who is also outside the developer/problem children circle of trust.

We your trusty beat-ees then race about trying to find out the information so we attempt to contact our 'friends' in the Deep South - and the dance begins. As no one returns phone calls, emails or other attempts to get any information about said issues. So finally we have shuffled, shifted, do-see-doed and finally we land in a public meeting and again bring up the issue.

The second part of the dance then begins when the statement in the public meeting is either, "I will have to check with...." (insert member of the circle of trust developers here) or we get this rambling, dance-you-across-the-floor and when you finally realized you've been danced into a corner and left for another partner answer. And we are not wiser for the experience.

So we take our minute pieces of information we can gleam, gather and scoop up from the dance floor spend hours taping, gluing and putting it all together polish that pile of bits and present it as the best answer we can get... only to get a member of the circle of trust coming up with another story which is completely opposites from the polished pile of poo we just presented.

And you wonder why we grumble when you tell US to work together.

Frankly sir your "love the one you're with" method of management is making us all crazy. We are professionals - we want to be treated as such. We are tired of being the bad guys when all we are trying to is our job. Do us all a favor, kiss or kill that manager wanna be in the south and tell us to either live with no communications from the Deep South and do the best you can or hold your guns let us blast away VERY publicly.

I can't see your ratings with our customer staying in the green if you choose the kissing option - especially when the team who actually completes our work on time -- leaves.

Signed,

Tired of chasing a moving target that continually landing on my back.

My thoughts for today, there will be drinking when I get home - which may continue into the working day Wednesday - I'll be home.