OK, I'm Pissed

Am I allowed to have a moment to be pissed?

Last week when I tendered my resignation from my current employer, I offered to train the person she had assigned as my assistant to take over my position. I told her it would help to smooth the transition (I had actually already been training him off and on for a couple of weeks anyways).

She agreed that it would be a good idea. She even went as far as to ask him if he wanted my job. He, of course, said "yes." Obviously I must have failed in my training somewhere if that was his response.

And everything was going just swimmingly. With there now being one week left in my tenure there, we were done with all the major training issues and were starting to work on the little stuff, like customizing Quickbooks. The only issue left to discuss was his new rate of pay - something she had already told him she would discuss with him.

Then today, while trying to figure out why a designer wasn't running any of his sales through the company like his agreement with the store stated he should, she goes off and says - in front of my replacement - that she's going to hire a new bookkeeper, indicating it is due to his lack of experience.

Needless to say, he was pretty well stunned. Yes, he's young. Yes, he lacks experience. But her choice is a lady with a design degree who has never managed anything either. He's at least got training, tenure with the company, an understanding of how the owner works, and most importantly, he had desire. He was looking forward to the challenge. He wanted the opportunity.

Instead, I found myself outside, in my outdoor office, trying to console him; trying to help him find a silver lining. We talked about ways for him to make the most of the situation. I encouraged him to help the new person. I told him exactly why he should be glad that she was separating out the pain in the ass portion of my job and giving it to someone else. We talked about making his job into a resume builder.

And we talked about how he felt betrayed. He felt as though he was lied to. Getting passed over for the position was one thing - he could understand that, it was the way in which she did it. She offered it. He accepted it. He started working on it. And then she pulled the rug out from under him.

And you know, I understood completely. When I first heard that she was bringing in someone else, I felt a tightness across my chest, like I had done something wrong. I felt terrible because I ended up feeling like I had contributed to his getting his hopes up, only to watch them get crushed. I've been passed over for positions in the past, but this, his getting passed over in such a vile manner, hurt worse than any of my own failures.

People asked questions because of his age. My answer was always that he would be able to succeed in the position if the company were able to survive the learning curve - which is questionable no matter who comes in. And I believe it absolutely. He has the right temperament and the right ability to observe, process and react in a timely manner. He has what it takes.

I just wish that if she was going to deny him the opportunity that she would have done it with more class. He has been going above and beyond the call of duty. He has been doing more than he was asked or required. She owed him at least a little smidgeon of common courtesy. He didn't deserve it, he earned it.

God, am I pissed about this.