Where in the course of a relationship, regardless of what type, do we transition from a valued partner to unappreciated and taken for granted. No, I'm not talking about a husband or boyfriend, but there is this guy. He's the head of another department in my company, and I have to work with him quite a bit these days.
He's got plenty of his own issues: insecure, moody, catty, but I've always liked working with him. I enjoy his energy and his ideas. When we first started working on a big project together at the beginning of the year (I'm the project manager, he's the sponsor), he was all thank yous and praise. Now, I've turned into his whipping horse when he's having a bad day. How quickly things change.
I've tried every which way I know to avoid pushing the button that causes him to become so defensive, but I don't even know what the button is to avoid it! He's so insecure that talking to him isn't really an option. Once he knows he's been an ass, his version of an apology for an unnecessary head biting is to avoid me for weeks on end (at the expense of the project) and act like we've just been so busy we didn't have time. His misbehavior never comes up. He just acts like it never happened. All is forgiven, right?
Working with this person is no longer fun. I feel like I'm walking in a mine field. It's sad really. I could have learned more from him -- and him from me though he'd never admit that, but he won't change, and I'm not taking his shit anymore. Game over.
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