On the positive side, you had some spice in what otherwise would have been a procedural day, and you found a story to tell us. Not all bad as I for one rather liked the reading.
Sadly I did not get to observe this first hand. Back in the 70's when Affirmative Action was the rage major corporation I worked at had an offsite AA training. As the white participants would enter this large black dude would get in their face like the proverbial Drill Instructor and yell "ARE YOU PREJUDICED?" Naturally answering yes or no was wrong.
One quick witted white attendee instantly answered "Damn right! I HATE French Canadians!"
Left the black dude speechless and stunned immobile. Apparently it wasn't in his script. White guy walked around him and took his seat.
So yes Miggy, get off their script. It destroys them.
Way back when on the old Brady Campaign public message board, their single supporter, and AWFUL/Karen of the 1st degree, would use rape terminology to try and shut down pro-gun people from destroying her idiotic arguments. "No means no" and those kinds of statements.
Oh this brings me flashbacks from when I was a telecom tech.
What this is is CYA for their incompetence, nothing more. Just like you called it. They weren't ready, so they were looking to offload blame.
I've had that happen twice a few years ago when I was helping our pro services group. I met another tech in San Antonio, got to the customer who wasn't ready. We had a quick conversation with each other in front of the customer about which of us should bail. That got the customer moving. Contractually, they'd have been on the hook for travel expenses.
Another time, I got scrambled to LA for a down system. I rocketed out there, got to the site, and sat. I sat so long, I bailed and went to lunch. Then I came back and sat some more. Things started moving when I said I was out, heading to the hotel, and let me know when you want to get this thing back up.
I met another tech at a site once, and he's sitting in a room staring at a server on a desk. What's the deal?, I asked. When I found out I said let's get this thing in the rack and get started at least. Nope, he said. I'm not touching it. They are supposed to have all the hardware ready. I think we bailed for the day after that.
Time is money in field service. You aren't ready, Next!
The interesting part is feminism demands women are absolutely equal to men in all ways, but treat them the same way you would treat a man, and... PROBLEM!!!!
Great story and you can tell it well. I remember back in the day when these people were entering the work force and they were all white women. They didn't know proper etiquette for getting off and on subway cars. (believe it or not there was a protocol at rush hour) It always struck me that they were told that to get ahead they had to be tough, but of course they didn't know what that meant.
The role-play exercises in those leadership seminars geared toward women (a.k.a. "Female Empowerment Seminars") will cover many topics and how the trainers believe they should be addressed in the professional environment.
But two critical things they DON'T cover:
1. What if someone -- particularly a man -- challenges you WITHOUT becoming angry or belligerent?
2. What if you're wrong? (Not "it's a gray area" wrong, and not "agree to disagree" wrong. Factually, objectively, and/or contractually WRONG.)
On the first, the seminars teach that keeping your cool when others don't is empowering. The role-players will get hot and bothered but the "students" are expected to stay controlled. Which is fine until they get to real-life and their adversaries also keep their cool.
On the second, being wrong isn't part of their script. The seminars don't acknowledge the possibility, so they don't cover it and the "students" don't practice it. Which is also fine until they get to real-life and are just as prone to mistakes as anyone else.
End result: The attendees walk away feeling fully-empowered but are really only half-trained in professional conflict management.
Ergo, when you catch them wrong (objectively), call them out on it (politely), and stand your ground (professionally) ... well, they never encountered this scenario in training so they have literally no idea what to do or say or how to handle it.
On the positive side, you had some spice in what otherwise would have been a procedural day, and you found a story to tell us. Not all bad as I for one rather liked the reading.
luv it when awfuls get hammered into the ground without sharpening first.
note- keep every scrap of paper and every digital record of who what when where an why…. well done Sir.
Thanks for a story that makes me smile and my day start well.
It always pleases me to put someone in their proper place with class and dignity. For me.
Role play "training"
Sadly I did not get to observe this first hand. Back in the 70's when Affirmative Action was the rage major corporation I worked at had an offsite AA training. As the white participants would enter this large black dude would get in their face like the proverbial Drill Instructor and yell "ARE YOU PREJUDICED?" Naturally answering yes or no was wrong.
One quick witted white attendee instantly answered "Damn right! I HATE French Canadians!"
Left the black dude speechless and stunned immobile. Apparently it wasn't in his script. White guy walked around him and took his seat.
So yes Miggy, get off their script. It destroys them.
I have a sign on my desk that says "I'm not prejudiced, I hate Everyone!"
I got kicked out of a college course in the 90s because that question came up and I declared, "I was, in fact, prejudiced against stupid people!"
Apparently, the professor did not think I was as funny as I did.
Progressives were humorless, even then.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_ZuiwnzAgQ
Way back when on the old Brady Campaign public message board, their single supporter, and AWFUL/Karen of the 1st degree, would use rape terminology to try and shut down pro-gun people from destroying her idiotic arguments. "No means no" and those kinds of statements.
Oh this brings me flashbacks from when I was a telecom tech.
What this is is CYA for their incompetence, nothing more. Just like you called it. They weren't ready, so they were looking to offload blame.
I've had that happen twice a few years ago when I was helping our pro services group. I met another tech in San Antonio, got to the customer who wasn't ready. We had a quick conversation with each other in front of the customer about which of us should bail. That got the customer moving. Contractually, they'd have been on the hook for travel expenses.
Another time, I got scrambled to LA for a down system. I rocketed out there, got to the site, and sat. I sat so long, I bailed and went to lunch. Then I came back and sat some more. Things started moving when I said I was out, heading to the hotel, and let me know when you want to get this thing back up.
I met another tech at a site once, and he's sitting in a room staring at a server on a desk. What's the deal?, I asked. When I found out I said let's get this thing in the rack and get started at least. Nope, he said. I'm not touching it. They are supposed to have all the hardware ready. I think we bailed for the day after that.
Time is money in field service. You aren't ready, Next!
Just another adverse side effect of feminism.
The interesting part is feminism demands women are absolutely equal to men in all ways, but treat them the same way you would treat a man, and... PROBLEM!!!!
Great story and you can tell it well. I remember back in the day when these people were entering the work force and they were all white women. They didn't know proper etiquette for getting off and on subway cars. (believe it or not there was a protocol at rush hour) It always struck me that they were told that to get ahead they had to be tough, but of course they didn't know what that meant.
The role-play exercises in those leadership seminars geared toward women (a.k.a. "Female Empowerment Seminars") will cover many topics and how the trainers believe they should be addressed in the professional environment.
But two critical things they DON'T cover:
1. What if someone -- particularly a man -- challenges you WITHOUT becoming angry or belligerent?
2. What if you're wrong? (Not "it's a gray area" wrong, and not "agree to disagree" wrong. Factually, objectively, and/or contractually WRONG.)
On the first, the seminars teach that keeping your cool when others don't is empowering. The role-players will get hot and bothered but the "students" are expected to stay controlled. Which is fine until they get to real-life and their adversaries also keep their cool.
On the second, being wrong isn't part of their script. The seminars don't acknowledge the possibility, so they don't cover it and the "students" don't practice it. Which is also fine until they get to real-life and are just as prone to mistakes as anyone else.
End result: The attendees walk away feeling fully-empowered but are really only half-trained in professional conflict management.
Ergo, when you catch them wrong (objectively), call them out on it (politely), and stand your ground (professionally) ... well, they never encountered this scenario in training so they have literally no idea what to do or say or how to handle it.