It was a legitimate job.<\/p>\n
When I responded they sent me a little 15 question quiz, which to answer properly would have been at least a 15 page response.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That wasn\u2019t the problem. The problem was that the further I went into the answers the more I realized they didn\u2019t want just a person to do a job. What they really wanted was a manager or a lead role.<\/p>\n
The more I thought about that, the more I remembered why I\u2019d stepped away from management roles. Then I thought about managing people in today\u2019s workforce and everyone\u2019s feelings and pronouns and gender identity and racial identity, how much politics has permeated the business world, and how easily offended people are…<\/p>\n
Still further into the quiz, my stomach knotted, the pounding in my ears grew, and after wondering why I was in such a foul mood, it dawned on me the mere thought of being in management again was triggering me.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not that I can\u2019t do lead roles or management. It\u2019s that when I\u2019d stepped away, people were already more interested in all the bullshit distractions than actually doing the job.<\/p>\n
Being labeled a manager or lead had become only a title and the manager was nothing more than a fall guy when something didn\u2019t work. But that person had no real authority to control the outcome.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The role was a placeholder to insulate upper management whose poor decisions could potentially lead to project failure.<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t begin to imagine how horrifically screwed up being in one of those roles would be today.<\/p>\n
What became crystal clear was that I not only wanted no part of that, but that physically it wouldn\u2019t be healthy.<\/p>\n
I made a decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Much as I want and need a job. It is still as true today, as when I exited from management, I choose to be happy, healthy, and want to be able to put the day behind me without worry.<\/p>\n
I spent too many years worrying about my job, doing the job well, dealing with problems, (project and personnel related,) missing out on vacations, time with Jerry, and in the end I did all this for very little reward or even recognition.<\/p>\n
I sent a polite but direct \u201cThanks, but no thanks\u201d email.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m breathing easier, and the stress is leaving.<\/p>\n
It might not have been the wisest decision, but it was the correct one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It was a legitimate job. When I responded they sent me a little 15 question quiz, which to answer properly would have been at least a 15 page response.\u00a0 That wasn\u2019t the problem. The problem was that the further I went into the answers the more I realized they didn\u2019t want just a person to … <\/p>\n