the beginning of the end

Disclaimer: All stories are real experiences, however names have been removed for privacy purposes.

Man. Marvin was hell.

Although he was supposed to be “coaching” me, his behavior was still hot and cold. He had this infectious laugh that reminded me of Dr. Evil from Austin Powers. It made me chuckle every time because the similarity was telling. He was evil...to me. After about seven months, I was launching my own campaigns and maxing out my quarterly commission. Even my peers began asking me for email templates to use and started to take notice to my new sense of confidence.

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Well, everyone except Marvin.

Marvin wasn’t a fan of giving kudos to his team, especially me. He didn’t feel he needed to give props for people doing their job because no one really “wowed” him or showed extraordinary talent. Previously, Marvin was at a large technology company where he saw people receiving million dollar commission checks at sales kickoffs, so yeah, I get it. He was comparing us to what he was used to and I was eager to change his perception. I knew there wasn’t enough I could accomplish at work for that change to happen, so I focused on something I could control: my response.

For the next several weeks, I changed my outlook altogether. When his attitude switched, I didn’t let it bother me. When he was condescending, I let it roll off my shoulders. If he asked to play games during work hours, I would politely decline. In order for him to change his perception of me, I needed to create a new normal. It felt like I was playing chess, almost.

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Eventually, Marvin began to show a different side to me. He shared stories about growing pains with his teenage son, frequent trips to visit his beloved Granny, how to start a small business, and all the mistakes he made. In so many ways, he became my mentor without me having to ask and that made me happy.

But like they say, some things are short lived. Three months later, I noticed (yet) another change in Marvin as he seemed more carefree. He arrived late and left early. He cancelled team meetings. He didn’t trip if we didn’t make our weekly goals. Something was going on.

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Friday came and he let everyone go home early, but I opted to stay. After everyone left, I sat at his desk and he said, “On Monday, they are going to lay off the entire team.”

And that my friends, was the beginning of the end.

-btg