The Manager at the store where I have a part-time job (that I am thankfully quitting soon) had a little talk with the Assistant Manager. She told her that all the other staff had complained about her 'driving them too hard', being rude and unapproachable, that a client had called to talk about her attitude and 'tone' and that she needed to 'chill out and relax.' She then proceeded to leave the store early because she wasn't feeling too well and gave the Assistant Manager a list of about 12 things to do for the next day. You know, so that she could... relax and take it easy.
So when I was asked by this lovely Italian lady if I had said anything to the Manager, I was surprised, because I quite like working with her. Moreover, if I have a problem with someone, they're likely to find out about it in a more direct manner, i.e. through me.
Then the Manager asks me if the Assistant Manager had spoken to me (yes, I hope you're following the intricacies of retail politics), and I expressed my displeasure about being used as a little pawn in whatever weird strategy games they were trying to play,especially when I had never said anything to anyone about any of this!
To which she says, 'Oh, I had no idea she'd take it so personally.'
Which leads me to ask, what exactly does that mean? What other way is there to take it when your personal and professional qualities are being called into question? Are you supposed to file it under some other alter-ego and carry on as if nothing was said?
No one seems to know, but no one wants you to ever take anything they've said 'too personally'. Heaven forbid they may actually hurt your feelings with their unthinking words, callousness and (in the case of this particular Manager) downright lies.
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