Did I say gnawed by weasels? More like eaten by hyenas.
Horrible day yesterday – too many deadlines due to the current hissy fit of the US office conflicting with holiday merchandising and other, urgent, project deadlines…and too small a team to do it all.
The hyena who is trying to take my boss’ job came up from London for a meeting with me regarding the US site. They are still making demands about tearing apart the navigation and assortment structure on their site, and refuse to listen to reason. I spend a couple of hours explaining to her, so she can go back and explain again to them, where we have negotiated and what I am not going to move on. She wants to have another teleconference with the US; I refuse. She asks if I will just answer a few questions for them, and reluctantly I agree, although I make it clear that any major site changes are NOT going to be agreed to in this conversation.
Guess what we end up talking about? For over a fucking hour? Exactly. I have previously talked myself hoarse to these people about web standards, information architecture, the need for a common look/feel and navigation structure across all markets, etc., and then reiterated these points in email. And during this conversation I start to do it all again, but all they do is shout and over-ride everything I try to say, because my boss is not there. Literally, a room with several people in it all trying to shout over each other – it was the rudest, most unprofessional thing I have ever experienced. I am unable to say more than a few words each time before someone starts talking over me.
At one point I stand up and say to Hyena Lady “This is pointless. I’m out of here. If they ever shut up, tell them that.” She says no, no, just wait a minute…and on it goes.
I couldn’t sleep last night, and spent this morning (from 4:00 am on) being sick. I am SO out of there. I feel that my boss has totally given up and thrown our team to the wolves.
On the other hand…there is a very interesting job in Manchester that I think I’ll send a CV in for. And I also think I’ll start returning all the headhunter messages that I normally just delete from my phone.
Eeeek! Sounds downright nightmarish. I hate people that infest the professional workforce solely for the purpose of hearing themsleves talk and getting their way. I’m used to having my ideas shot down, but, being a peon, at least I’m in a position where I can back off and trust my boss to reiterate my mantra of standards and usability and get some ideas implemented.
Doesn’t sound like you’ll have trouble finding something else though… good luck!
Thanks. I’m all for open discussion, even if it gets a bit heated at times. But this was appalling.