Small Town office dilemma

[Gugny]

[Guffalo]

On 1/8/2020 at 10:25 PM, Gugny said:

 

Catholic?

Charming

[DC Tom]

28 minutes ago, Guffalo said:

Charming

 

"Comely."

 

It's a great word for insulting women: it sounds like "homely," so they get pissed off, but it means pretty much the opposite.

[That's No Moon]

On 1/8/2020 at 10:12 PM, WotAGuy said:

Walk up to her and get about two inches from her face and call her the c-word. Women generally hate that. She won’t be back. 

Or you could try imagining that she was your grandmother, decide how you would like someone else to treat her in a similar situation and then do that.

[UConn James]

As someone who is on the autism spectrum, I would say that if a developmental disability  is a possibility here, you need to be very direct in saying that everyone in the office needs to be doing their jobs and really do not have time to talk. If you want to deflect blame from yourself, you can possibly say that the corporate / head office has noticed on security cameras that ... blah blah blah productivity blah blah blah and I’ve been told that blah blah blah and that if it doesn’t stop everyone in the office is going to get in trouble. Passing the buck up the ladder takes the blame off of y’all and puts it on a faceless entity.

 

But please do recognize that this might come as another hit to what may be a limited social life and a history of ostracization. Does she have family members in town that you could talk with to explain the situation so that they can then further explain and enforce it with her? Are there any local or regional activity groups or volunteering (e.g. senior care facility, if she likes to talk so much) that you could point her to and maybe follow up on her involvement in? 

[BringBackFergy]

4 hours ago, UConn James said:

As someone who is on the autism spectrum, I would say that if a developmental disability  is a possibility here, you need to be very direct in saying that everyone in the office needs to be doing their jobs and really do not have time to talk. If you want to deflect blame from yourself, you can possibly say that the corporate / head office has noticed on security cameras that ... blah blah blah productivity blah blah blah and I’ve been told that blah blah blah and that if it doesn’t stop everyone in the office is going to get in trouble. Passing the buck up the ladder takes the blame off of y’all and puts it on a faceless entity.

 

But please do recognize that this might come as another hit to what may be a limited social life and a history of ostracization. Does she have family members in town that you could talk with to explain the situation so that they can then further explain and enforce it with her? Are there any local or regional activity groups or volunteering (e.g. senior care facility, if she likes to talk so much) that you could point her to and maybe follow up on her involvement in? 

She is definitely on the scale somehow. That’s why I feel bad about coming right out and saying “we’re too busy for you”. As Gugny said above, I will probably take the middle ground and ask her to take a seat for a few minutes while we finish some things up, then let her talk after that for 5-10 mins, then tell her we have to get back to work on an emergency file. Trying to handle it with kid gloves to some extent. 

[Johnny Hammersticks]

On 1/11/2020 at 3:44 PM, BringBackFergy said:

She is definitely on the scale somehow. That’s why I feel bad about coming right out and saying “we’re too busy for you”. As Gugny said above, I will probably take the middle ground and ask her to take a seat for a few minutes while we finish some things up, then let her talk after that for 5-10 mins, then tell her we have to get back to work on an emergency file. Trying to handle it with kid gloves to some extent. 

 

You’re going to grope her with children’s gloves on?  Brilliant!!

[KD in CA]

On 1/11/2020 at 12:44 PM, BringBackFergy said:

She is definitely on the scale somehow. That’s why I feel bad about coming right out and saying “we’re too busy for you”. As Gugny said above, I will probably take the middle ground and ask her to take a seat for a few minutes while we finish some things up, then let her talk after that for 5-10 mins, then tell her we have to get back to work on an emergency file. Trying to handle it with kid gloves to some extent. 

 

Better yet, give her a job.  Put her in a room with the Pensky file.  Ask her to see what she can do with it.  When she fails, tell her she's not Pensky material and that she's fired.

[apuszczalowski]

42 minutes ago, Johnny Hammersticks said:

 

You’re going to grope her with children’s gloves on?  Brilliant!!

If the glove don't fit, you must acquit! 

[Gray Beard]

On 1/11/2020 at 3:44 PM, BringBackFergy said:

She is definitely on the scale somehow. That’s why I feel bad about coming right out and saying “we’re too busy for you”. As Gugny said above, I will probably take the middle ground and ask her to take a seat for a few minutes while we finish some things up, then let her talk after that for 5-10 mins, then tell her we have to get back to work on an emergency file. Trying to handle it with kid gloves to some extent. 

I believe the proper terminology is your entire staff is needed at a “High Level Business Meeting”

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

Any updates on this?

[Formerly Allan in MD]

If your secretaries are good looking, replace them.

[BringBackFergy]

On 1/20/2020 at 5:21 PM, ICanSleepWhenI'mDead said:

Any updates on this?

I was out of town Friday through Monday. I assume she made her visit and I would guess it was in the 10-15 minute range judging by the 1/2 pile of work still untouched. 
 

Yesterday was “Oh Fergy is back...I need an appointment this morning” and return emails and calls. I could have used a visit from Town Crier friend. Would have been a nice break. 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

On 1/20/2020 at 5:21 PM, ICanSleepWhenI'mDead said:

Any updates on this?

 

LOL 

someone has frequented the UFO on the ocean floor thread 

7 hours ago, BringBackFergy said:

I was out of town Friday through Monday. I assume she made her visit and I would guess it was in the 10-15 minute range judging by the 1/2 pile of work still untouched. 
 

Yesterday was “Oh Fergy is back...I need an appointment this morning” and return emails and calls. I could have used a visit from Town Crier friend. Would have been a nice break. 

 

This weeks door sign 

 

 

I just returned from China.   

 

Enter at your own risk 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

Any Update on this?

 

I heard that she's been MIA for the last week.

 

Have you sent out a search party @BringBackFergy ????

[Hapless Bills Fan]

On 1/11/2020 at 2:44 PM, BringBackFergy said:

She is definitely on the scale somehow. That’s why I feel bad about coming right out and saying “we’re too busy for you”. As Gugny said above, I will probably take the middle ground and ask her to take a seat for a few minutes while we finish some things up, then let her talk after that for 5-10 mins, then tell her we have to get back to work on an emergency file. Trying to handle it with kid gloves to some extent. 

 

This might be totally cray-cray but she sounds like someone who is starving for social interaction and purpose.

Is there any way that you could harness this?

 

Say you ask her if she would be willing to pick up lunch for you and your staff at a sandwich shop every day, in exchange for a sandwich.  She shows up, you greet her happily saying "great, we're starving! here's the order!"  She brings the sandwiches (your secretaries could call in the order if need be to get it right), you eat and chat in the normal duration of lunch, then you tell her you have some urgent, all-hands-on-deck business so thank you so much for her help which will let you all return to work full go, see you tomorrow!

 

Just brainstorming a different approach - could be a poor idea for 1000's of different reasons.

 

 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

According to Fregy his town is soooo small he can yell food orders out the front door and have the food delivered by a Laundry line on a pulley system 

 

[LeviF]

4 minutes ago, SlimShady'sGhost said:

According to Fregy his town is soooo small he can yell food orders out the front door and have the food delivered by a Laundry line on a pulley system 

 

 

I've been there.  They haven't heard of pulleys yet.

[BringBackFergy]

3 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

This might be totally cray-cray but she sounds like someone who is starving for social interaction and purpose.

Is there any way that you could harness this?

 

Say you ask her if she would be willing to pick up lunch for you and your staff at a sandwich shop every day, in exchange for a sandwich.  She shows up, you greet her happily saying "great, we're starving! here's the order!"  She brings the sandwiches (your secretaries could call in the order if need be to get it right), you eat and chat in the normal duration of lunch, then you tell her you have some urgent, all-hands-on-deck business so thank you so much for her help which will let you all return to work full go, see you tomorrow!

 

Just brainstorming a different approach - could be a poor idea for 1000's of different reasons.

 

 

Food is always a good payoff!!

[Gugny]

3 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

This might be totally cray-cray but she sounds like someone who is starving for social interaction and purpose.

Is there any way that you could harness this?

 

Say you ask her if she would be willing to pick up lunch for you and your staff at a sandwich shop every day, in exchange for a sandwich.  She shows up, you greet her happily saying "great, we're starving! here's the order!"  She brings the sandwiches (your secretaries could call in the order if need be to get it right), you eat and chat in the normal duration of lunch, then you tell her you have some urgent, all-hands-on-deck business so thank you so much for her help which will let you all return to work full go, see you tomorrow!

 

Just brainstorming a different approach - could be a poor idea for 1000's of different reasons.

 

 

 

1 minute ago, BringBackFergy said:

Food is always a good payoff!!

 

I like this approach.  But I still think it's important to be honest and set expectations.  "Okay, Karen … now that lunch is over, we need to get some work done.  See ya tomorrow!!"  That should be the consistent message.  Normal course of business, rather than a fake emergency.