The Official "WWWD?" Thread

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I would not ask the Boss for money directly. I would present to the boss the potential for utilization overload for this software (and include, in glowing terms WEC new found interest). Start with current load on the software in factual terms. Suggest that given WEC's pending need AND RR et all that the software will be over utilized inhibiting everyone's ability to do good work (including WEC) If you need to lead him to the solutions "we could let RR upgrade, but then what about ...blah blah blah"... or we (aka 'Boss') could get more licenses. Stress the need for a solution BEFORE it reaches critical mass.

Let him come up with a solution that is his idea.

Thanks, Windsor! I will definitely use this approach. Some of what you say was going to be included. I plan to mention the work I've done so far, publications, and bringing in $$ for the department.

Good plan. If it fails, then tell WEC to fuck off!

[ArkieDukie]

I sent the request this afternoon. Crickets so far.

I told Road Runner I had decided to ask The Boss for the money to upgrade. She was supportive; ultimately it means that she has to spend less money.

In the course of this conversation, she told me that she and another colleague had really been talking my work up to The Boss. I'm hoping this will help with my request. She also suggested that I have my colleagues write letters of support to put in my folder for that time when evaluations roll around again. I figure that can't hurt.

[windsor]

I sent the request this afternoon. Crickets so far.

I told Road Runner I had decided to ask The Boss for the money to upgrade. She was supportive; ultimately it means that she has to spend less money.

In the course of this conversation, she told me that she and another colleague had really been talking my work up to The Boss. I'm hoping this will help with my request. She also suggested that I have my colleagues write letters of support to put in my folder for that time when evaluations roll around again. I figure that can't hurt.

That is an excellent suggestion. Always good to have letters/emails. Of course, forward copies home. Always.

[ArkieDukie]

I got blindsided/stabbed in the back today by Road Runner. I have spent, literally, hundreds of hours doing data analysis for her. I even worked 30 hours over the last weekend to finish the analysis so she'd have it for the symposium she's hosting this week. In the middle of a teleconference with some collaborators at other institutions, she had Bar Minion present the results of the analysis she's been working on. If you guessed that it's a variation of the exact same analysis that I just finished, move to the front of the class. This is especially hurtful because several months ago I asked Road Runner, flat-out, if Bar Minion was doing the analysis. She told me no.

Here's what's funny: I suspect that Bar Minion's husband actually did the work. During her presentation, she was asked a couple of questions that she couldn't answer. In fact, she actually flat-out said, "I'll have to ask my husband" in response to one of the questions. In summary, she was presenting results that she could not explain.

So, what do I do? I have managed to hold off on sending an email to Road Runner to let her know exactly what I think of the situation (in polite, PC terms). Basically, I have just wasted hundreds of hours doing work that I suspect will not be used now that she has Bar Minion's (husband's) work. At least I now have confirmation of the fact that I absolutely, positively, cannot trust Road Runner. I also think it might be time for me to reduce the amount of work I do with/for her.

Man, I hate working with cutthroat people.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

And this is the same bitch that you wanted to get the free instrument with? Sheesh. Good thing that fell through!

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

I can't stand it! I just can't stand it! Windsor, when is it time to just throw a hissy fit?!!!!!????? I mean the kind where you scare everybody shitless and they all get so scared they wet their pants!?
Love, Ima

[Turk]

Ah nuts, I hate when that happens.

No emails; gotta handle this face to face. Just the facts, ma'am: "I wanted to give you a hand, checked to make sure I wasn't overlapping with Bar Minion, spent some extra time, and then Bar Minion presents the exact same stuff." Ask Road Runner (politely) how that happened. Take the high road, but press for an explanation. Road Runner chose her course of action for specific reasons. Don't let her play dumb, and don't guess. Get Road Runner to give feedback on where she thinks you stand in the department. Then evaluate and decide how much you can do with Road Runner going forward, and whether or not to point out the facts that Bar Minion inevitably screwed up. Windsor will probably add a couple thoughts I missed....

[DukieInKansas]

No advice to add but I will send some pointy toed shin kicks Road Runners way. Just tell me when I should stop.

[ArkieDukie]

And this is the same bitch that you wanted to get the free instrument with? Sheesh. Good thing that fell through!

Yep; that's the one.

I think Road Runner realized later that she may have messed up. She introduced me before my seminar and talked up my expertise. Said I was a valuable member of the team. That line no longer works on me.

[IowaDevil]

I'm with Ima on this one!

[ArkieDukie]

Ah nuts, I hate when that happens.

No emails; gotta handle this face to face. Just the facts, ma'am: "I wanted to give you a hand, checked to make sure I wasn't overlapping with Bar Minion, spent some extra time, and then Bar Minion presents the exact same stuff." Ask Road Runner (politely) how that happened. Take the high road, but press for an explanation. Road Runner chose her course of action for specific reasons. Don't let her play dumb, and don't guess. Get Road Runner to give feedback on where she thinks you stand in the department. Then evaluate and decide how much you can do with Road Runner going forward, and whether or not to point out the facts that Bar Minion inevitably screwed up. Windsor will probably add a couple thoughts I missed....

Yeah, I'll have to come up with a politically correct way to ask Road Runner why she lied to me when I asked her if she had Bar Minion doing the same analysis I was doing, and why she thought it was appropriate for me to find out about it in a meeting.

At some point I'd REALLY like to know what the hell Bar Minion has on Road Runner. Seriously. I'll hold off on asking that question, though.

[ArkieDukie]

I can't stand it! I just can't stand it! Windsor, when is it time to just throw a hissy fit?!!!!!????? I mean the kind where you scare everybody shitless and they all get so scared they wet their pants!?
Love, Ima

Here's the kicker: I couldn't say a thing without coming off as an asshole. And, yes, I did want to throw a major hissy fit. I'm not sure how I made it through the meeting, but I think it was pretty clear that I was livid for those who know me. Road Runner timed it perfectly: she had Bar Minion present her results in the middle of a meeting with several outside collaborators, and with a couple of others on the line. The conference (Road Runner is an organizer) started right after. I was the second speaker, and I had to give a talk about the work I had been doing. Yes - just after finding out that Bar Minion was duplicating my efforts.

[lawgrad91]

I don't have any advice to add to what has been said already, but I am curious as to how the "I have to ask my husband" answer went over.

I bet Marie Curie never said she had to ask her husband. Or her married boyfriend, for that matter.

Can you do a little bit go Google search and see what degrees of separation are there between Road Runner and Bar Minion? I wonder if this isn't all BM's big setup, and RR just went along. Not that I would trust RR any further than I could throw her.

[ArkieDukie]

I don't have any advice to add to what has been said already, but I am curious as to how the "I have to ask my husband" answer went over.

I bet Marie Curie never said she had to ask her husband. Or her married boyfriend, for that matter.

Can you do a little bit go Google search and see what degrees of separation are there between Road Runner and Bar Minion? I wonder if this isn't all BM's big setup, and RR just went along. Not that I would trust RR any further than I could throw her.

I know that Road Runner and Bar Minion worked together at their last jobs (with a major pharmaceutical company). Beyond that, who knows.

I checked my work email a few minutes ago. Bar Minion had sent out a mass email to the participants in the phone conference in order to answer a question she alleges she misunderstood. From reading her answer, I would guess that hubby tried to explain it to her so she could answer. Her answer was gibberish. In other words, she still doesn't know.

[lawgrad91]

So the hubby doesn't know, either? Does he work in your specialty or anything related?

[ArkieDukie]

So the hubby doesn't know, either? Does he work in your specialty or anything related?

Hubby has far more expertise than Bar Minion. I was trying to say that she couldn't repeat his explanation in a coherent manner. She should've just had hubby write the darn email. Or maybe she did and he can't explain it...

[ArkieDukie]

No advice to add but I will send some pointy toed shin kicks Road Runners way. Just tell me when I should stop.

Keep going, unless you're really tired.

[ArkieDukie]

I don't have any advice to add to what has been said already, but I am curious as to how the "I have to ask my husband" answer went over.

I bet Marie Curie never said she had to ask her husband. Or her married boyfriend, for that matter.

Can you do a little bit go Google search and see what degrees of separation are there between Road Runner and Bar Minion? I wonder if this isn't all BM's big setup, and RR just went along. Not that I would trust RR any further than I could throw her.

I just remembered how Road Runner handled this. She said, "We're so lucky that Bar Minion's husband has a Master's degree from (prominent person X)'s lab in this type of work!" Really? Your senior scientist who allegedly performed the analysis she presented to one of the most prominent people in the field says, "I'll have to ask my husband" in response to a question from the expert, and that is okay? Sheesh.

Oh, and Road Runner knew about Bar Minion's work. She's known about it all along. Road Runner is the one that urged her to present at the meeting yesterday. I just wonder if she realized that Bar Minion's husband is the one who did the majority of the work. Road Runner allegedly does not have a high opinion of people who do such things. Maybe that's true unless it's to her benefit.

[windsor]

It is time to apply another of Windsor's Rules. We will now discuss Kahn's Law. Kahn?
Not Gengis not Kubla not Madeline no, not even Kahn Academy... THE KAHN....Khan Noonien Singh.

Utter of the great truth on Star Date 8130.3

Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold (crediting an old Klingon Proverb)

You really can't do much...now. You are not in a position of strength. However there will come a day, I promise it will come - when RR and/or Bar Mininion comment on something you have done in a positive light. You will smile, you will say thank you. You will tilt your head 30 degrrees to the right and smile and say "...and I don't have husband, so I did it all by myself" smile, straighten head, turn on your heels and exit. stage left. BANG.

Kahn's Law is exquisite.

Also..if you even suspect that you and Bar Minion are working on the same thing you check with RR a la "so we don't have an enormous duplication of effort like we did with <whatever it was that just happened> " and verify that Bar Minion is NOT doing the same work. If she is, you may have go to RR or The Boss and get it sorted out. "I will be happy to do this but Bar Minion is doing the identical work - that doesn't seem very efficient...is there something else one of us should be doing" This should, of course be in writing.


In other news - I am kicking myself - I just moments ago finished carving my pumpkins for tomorrow (snoopy and linus with/great pumpkin) and then what do I find...a stencil for road runner and Wile E Coyote. DAMN!!!

[DukePA]

What Windsor, and everyone else, said, especially the shin kicks part.