Stomping on a Dream
@chipesterkhan (2925)
Philippines
February 8, 2011 3:03am CST
I stomped on someone's dream today.
I killed it with my bare hands. A heinous crime to inflict on another one's life. I deserve to be hung.
One of my agents applied to become a Territory Representative and gave me his Letter of Intent. I promptly signed the recommendation letter because of his good behaviour and his interest in the field of sales.
I have provided enough study material for him to pour over and he was able to pass the test.
He's already undergone training for a couple of days, dividing his time between Contact Center and Training Sessions.
And now I had to break the news to him that lateral movements were not allowed for now.
If there's anything that can really dampen my mood, it is seeing people get turned down for something they really want.
I've always told my agents to seek out what they want and grab any opportunity they come upon and here I am now telling him he can't pursue that dream.
The executive order was that no lateral movement was allowed. An order that HR was fully aware of. So why did they allow my agent to apply knowing that his application would be turned down. And the worst thing about this is that he attended some training session and he was looking forward to becoming part of the sales team.
So whose fault is this?
Someone please explain to me why I have to be the one to look bad for someone else' fault.
3 responses
@thekelz (277)
• United Kingdom
8 Feb 11
I've heard this saying "Sh#t rolls down hill" so basically the people at the top who make decision, haven't got the bottle to make these decisions face to face, so they give the duties to someone beneath them i.e. you.
I wouldn't worry too much this agent seems quite ambitious, and this will only be a temporary setback. He might even start looking foe another job at a rival, after all he now as some experience from the training sessions.
The narrow mindedness of some bosses staggers me. The agent wants to improve himself and push his limits, yet instead of encouraging him they try to push him down, it's crazy.
From waht you say, you seem like a good boss who encourages people to achieve their goal. there is nothing wrong with that. You keep doing that, I bet your agents really appreciate you.
1 person likes this
@chipesterkhan (2925)
• Philippines
8 Feb 11
thanks, can't say i'm a good one though
i think i'm more of a teacher than a boss
oh midlife crisis here we come
@NoWayRo (1061)
• Romania
8 Feb 11
It doesn't seem to me like any of these was your fault, or that anybody can blame you for what happened. It's up to your agent now to keep the dream alive, and make sure it is fulfilled some day.
If it's any consolation, I did even worse a couple of years ago: I created a dream, and then killed it.
I recommended a young girl for a management position, I really liked her enthusiasm. My boss at the time said she wasn't experienced or responsible enough, and chose a senior employee (who was an excellent employee, but I knew he was going to leave the company at the first chance, he was already fed up with everything). The saddest part is, we were both right: the senior employee left in the meantime, after a very expensive training process; the young girl I recommended is still there, but she's still too close to being a child for the position I had in mind for her. And maybe she's still a little disappointed, after having her dreams crushed two years ago.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
9 Feb 11
hi chipesterkhan I think this is called passing the buck so the one who is actually to blame can wash his dirty hands of any guilt thus passing the guilt to you the middle man who is in the position of the messenger who brought bad news to someone who immediately attempted to kill him when he was not the one who made the bad news, he was only the messenager. so you are not to blame as you have been used as the messenger.It is the higher ups who are to blame not you at all.
