Twenty-Four: Meeting Minutes (08-11-2022)
Morning.
Good morning.
Trouble getting to work this morning?
No not really, it's a nice day out. I even got to sit at the park before coming in.
Do you usually do that?
No, no I just figured since it was nice out and all that I would enjoy it.
Well you did come in late didn't you?
Yes but it was only five minutes or so, I've been later before.
You've been later before?
Well yes, but I never thought it was an issue. I usually stay later than anyo-
I don't care.
Oh um, well, I can be on time from now on if that's an issue.
It's not. I said I don't care. That's not why we're meeting. Have you been drinking?
No?
Well you're acting like you have. You've never acted like this before. Is everything alright at home?
Yes everything is fine, what exactly are we meeting about?
Your behavior. You've been acting strange and its concerning your coworkers. We want to foster a welcoming, safe work environment here for everyone, and you've been becoming increasingly hostile to your coworkers. It's worrying them, and we want to understand why you might be behaving like this.
I don't know what you're talking about, I'm sorry but I don't think my behavior has changed at all in the past year, and if this is about that document review thing I thought that was a settled, uh, misunderstanding.
I'm not talking about that. This is a general discussion about your behavior. Performance reviews are coming up in a few weeks and we'd like to resolve any misunderstandings ahead of then.
Is this about the baseball game? I told everyone I needed to leave early, I had some commitments that night long before the outing was announced, and John never raised any concerns about it with me.
You left the baseball game early?
Yea, I left in like, the seventh inning or so. I didn't think it was an issue.
I didn't notice you left, why did you leave? Why didn't you tell anyone?
I just said I told John, he said it was okay and I figured he would have told everyo-
Who's John?
Uh, he's my boss, the uh director of uh what is it, document analysis?
I've never met him.
Oh well, he's lower management I don't think he often meets with you guys so
Guys?
Oh sorry, uh, folks.
Anyways, this is the kind of behavior we're talking about. You've been flippant and disrespectful to your coworkers, and you're a very confrontational person. This isn't conducive to a successful workplace. We would really like to make sure this is the result of external conditions and not a reflection of your true nature, as that would jeopardize your participation in our work.
Uh, again I'm sorry, but I feel like I've been very respectful up until this point, but if you're going to suggest, or uh, imply that my employment is at risk here I can't help but get defensive, I haven't been confrontational. The only thing I can think of was reporting that document review issue, and I thought I was very respectful, and other than that there was nothing. Can I ask who exactly is bringing up these issues?
Well, you did get very short with Todd recently. He says you 'rudely forced your way to the microwave', you know Todd has been working here quite a while, he's never made reports like this before.
Oh oh, okay well, you see, he was in the way, and on the phone, I waited until he was off the call to use the microwave. I didn't want to interrupt,
So you were eavesdropping? Do you often do that?
Well, I heard what he was saying, that's not really eavesdropping.
I don't care.
Look, I don't want any misunderstandings to poorly effect my performance review, can I talk to these people? Who's sitting in on the performance review, I'd like to clear this up with them also.
Why are you so worried?
Uh. It sounds to me like I'm being accused of some possible um transgressions, and you said they could effect my performance review.
What if they don't?
Huh?
Look, I have a meeting in ten minutes I need to prepare for. I'm going to mark this issue as open. We can discuss further at your performance review.
Oh. Okay. Well, I don't want to come across and confrontational but I would like to discuss this with the other concerned parties sooner than then, possibly today really, so if we could schedu-
I don't care. I have a meeting, can you please leave the room?