PoeticaL
cluttering the net since 2001

another j's leaving

Monday, Mar. 06, 2006
My boss is being transferred at his request to Sarasota�.away from St Petersburg. He will still be around on occasion (bi-monthly meetings), but I suspect I won�t see him often. Once you get used to working with someone on a daily basis, this is a hard adjustment to make. In addition, my new boss? Well�



So anyway, I wrote him a final email�..I actually found myself in tears writing this. No, I�m not in love with my boss�..I just really have tons of respect for a boss who gives out weekly kudo�s and truly stops everything to assist his employees. J. is a white guy studying black history and gaining his Masters degree. He likes rap music and we used to say rap lyrics to each other in order to deal with a stressful moment or day. J. loves Pooh Bear and used to send out Pooh Do�s (ie: Kudo�s) to thank people for their extra effort. This is something no one else has ever done in our company. I will miss those stupid Pooh Do�s.



It�s so sad when I think about how many other people will move around, leave the company, etc. while I get my degree. I try not to think about it at all. But Wednesday is my bosses last day�..



My email to J. (no not the guy that wrecked his car�.that was a different J. guy and he left too...he's in Chicago now!! My friend Kelly left too..she's now in Ohio..and before that it was Tonymac...who's now in San Antonio....so much transition in this company....so many great friendships....that move away...)



J,



It would appear that our close association as boss and employee has come to an end. It feels abrupt, although most good things that come to an end do feel this way somehow. I would really be a horrible person if I didn�t stop at this point in time and tell you how great it has been to know you, work with you, laugh with you and grow with you as an employee and more importantly as a person. I have learned a great deal from you by your mistakes but more so by your successes.



I imagine that at the end we always remember the good times most but I cannot even find in my own mind anything that I would call bad in any way. I find that I am sad but more so I am feeling that I am one very lucky person to have known good working relationships within my lifetime. Some never can say they�ve admired or even liked their bosses. I can say this more than once of this company and for that I am very lucky and grateful.



I hope that as your time as my direct boss ends you realize that I never quite figured you out to be my boss. You were my �go to� because I could find resolution with you, not because someone told me �this is who you report to�now do it!� You were my humor in many a long dark stressful day. You made it well known to me that dictatorship is not the only path to successful leadership. One cannot lead if no one wishes to follow them. I can�t help but to tell you that you will be my main protagonist for many a management paper to come, not for the misses but rather for the fact that you never hesitated to get back up there and try to bat another one out of the park.



I think the difference in success and failure is not always that different. People that succeed do so because they ask for the assistance of those closest to them and never fail to offer assistance in return, they are people that admit failure and give kudo�s to those that help them succeed. I have seen you do all of these things�.you are one of those people. I cannot ever recall a time that I came to you for help when you didn�t help me. I whined, cajoled and even nagged and complained, but never because of you and never because of any of your responses. I wouldn�t have ever done any of those things if I didn�t genuinely like you. It would be impossible, difficult and nearly a joke for anyone to come in now and fill the spot you�ve won over in my heart.



I�m trying not to fall into an abyss of disappointment at your successor, but it�s difficult. I know that everyone has a wall and there�s no one I can�t break down eventually. Look at M.. He now sends me jokes and has learned that life doesn�t have to be a series of drudgery and pounding away at the salt mines to be productive at work. I�ll chip away at that hardcore exterior or I�ll die in laughter behind the back of impending doom.



As you move onto making Sarasota a successful location, don�t hesitate to come to me if there�s anything I can do to assist you there. I will eventually forgive you for bailing on us. ;-)



Oh I�ll miss you and it�ll take a few months to mourn and move on, but I�ll write because I can�t help but say hello or tell you that I miss you while I�m doing the hard work of missing you. But mostly I just wanted to say there will never be another time in my life that I meet a man that is all inked up with pooh tattoo�s but is still a man I can respect. I think that�s a once in a lifetime experience.



I wish you all the best in Sarasota and hope your new team appreciates you just as much. Never forget this is *COMPANY NAME HERE* BITCHES!!!!!!!!!!! They can�t break you if you hang onto your own gang mentality!!



Lots of well wishes!

Kristy




Yes people...I sobbed like a baby writing this. Why? Because I've never had such a long bout of personal job satisfaction in my life and it's sad to see it possibly..most likely....oh shit....I think it's ending. I was sad when my last boss R. left, she was great and we had some good times giggling, but the fact is that I've worked one on one on most of my day to day work with J. for so long now. *sob* Onto boss #3 within this company.
6:43 p.m. ::
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