Well, I did really great for eight months in a job I never thought I could do. I was an activities director at an assisted living community. I was fortunate because for most of the time we didn't have a director and I was able to plan and execute everything on my own. The multi-tasking that is necessary brought out the best in me. I wear so many different hats in the course of a day, I was never bored! And not to brag, but I did a very good job. Then.....SHE walked in and methodically changed and interfered with every aspect of my job. She had ADD herself, and a host of personality disorders, but was in denial. I couldn't take it and gave my notice and left. I felt like I abandoned the residents who I had grown very fond of. This was so much more than a job and likely one reason why I was so motivated.

Seems the only way to survive is to find the perfect job AND the perfect boss---and that's not likely to happen. So it's back to the drawing board and onto my next adventure!

So my ADD friends, I just felt the need to share that to remind myself I'm not alone.

UGH! Your story breaks my heart! WHY are the "SICK" ones always in the Power Seat? Ugh. Just devastating! I hope this problem in the workplace changes drastically in the near future. Right now I have NO DESIRE to dedicate much of myself to an employment situation due to just this type of thing. (And I've always been one of those "stand-out" employees before.)

Best wishes,
Sue

hey sandi,

I am real sorry to hear of your job. I know from what you have said how much this job ment to you. I really can relate to what you have gone thru seeing how I went thru it not very long ago. I dont really know if there is such a thing as a perfect boss. when we deal with people there will always be something that causes stress and fear. for me it is second guessing a lot of what I am doing and wonder when the boss will see what I am really like. I know the feeling of thinking you let your residents down, but you really have to do what you need to do to make it. If you have that much stress, eventully you are not doing good for the people, they can sence what you are going thru and that causes them stress. I really wish you lived up here we are looking for two new people in the job I am at right now. we are a day service for devolmpently disabled adults. It is really just providing activities for them and taking them on outings.
I still think the idea of consulting for activities is a great idea or even writing a book about it. I am still going to do the latter.

Thanks Sue and Lunas, for writing. We all have so much good in us that never gets brought out because, I believe, so many of the "powers-that-be" just aren't capable or willing to learn and appreciate the differences and uniqueness we bring to the table.

Thanks for the "job offer", Lunas! I was actually driving our bus quite a lot at the end and loving it, ha!

The best to you my wise and wonderfully wired friends,

Sandi

Know that feeling only too well, SandiRella, I was in a job where I was virtually my own section for several years, always busy but it was always stimulating & I was left on my own to get on with it. Then the workload got too much for 1 person & I asked for somebody to give me assistance, which was rejected & I was then told that people were going to be rotated through that job. As a result of the stress I was under at the time I had a breakdown & when I was well enough to go back to work, I was in a lesser job, with a supervisor.

I eventually got some of the work back that I had been doing before the breakdown, but it was not the higher level work, it was just the routine work. But I thought I was doing a good enough job until a new supervisor was appointed. I was still doing a more varied role that the others in Accounts Payable which I was happy about.

Unfortunately, the new supervisor wasn't happy even though I got all my work done & done well. Any mistake was magnified and last year I was put on a "final warning" with the words "It is not about your performance, it is about 'OTHER THINGS'". At that point I decided that I would try to go back to uni before I was sacked because the supervisor believed that I was not pulling my weight.

I got back into uni, resigned, and found out last week that my workload had been given to 3 people to do. I feel like I have had the last laugh there as I am a lot happier doing what I am doing now & I got very good marks at uni (which I found out the day before yesterday).

Thanks for the "job offer", Lunas! I was actually driving our bus quite a lot at the end and loving it, ha!
your welcome. how are things going? let us know, we will be thinking of you.

Well, as it turns out, my ex-boss got fired on Tuesday! Partly, because in addition to loving my job playing with the old folks, I also hated to see them getting shafted the way they were with this totally unethical, lying, self-centered, excuse of a "director", so I wrote an 8 page (certified:) letter to the CEO detailing her exploits.

It was sad that I had to quit my job because no one bothered to talk to me about these issues, perhaps thinking I was just a "complainer". But once I got behind my .44 caliber keyboard and took aim at the right target (was ignored at the regional level), things happened, and rather quickly!

So I don't have my job, but I do believe everything happens for a reason, and I'm proud I followed my heart and my conscience, consequences be damned.

I made a video of some of the stills of my "activity directing" days. The quality's not so great, but I felt compelled to express my feelings and put it up on "You Tube": http://www.youtube.com/sandellen

I know some of you reading this probably have probably found yourself in similar situations, and if you're like me, you've not been so effective at verbally getting your point across. But don't give up---if you're in the right, and get your facts straight, you can make things happen, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Bravo SandiRella. My first thought upon reading your original post was "who's the director's boss"? Everyone has a boss up the chain of command and yes, you can beat city hall. Way to go!

I usually do a short (1 side A4) report when I resign from a job and send it to the top dog. funnily enough the last time I did that the guy stopped me in the corridor and tried to get me to stay on.....it was the first time he had deigned to talk to me and one of the reasons for leaving was the organisations highly heirarchical structure I declined to change my mind.....if he'd offered more money and a promotion to a job I could have made a difference in....maybe I'd have reconsidered.....not.

The larger the organisation the worse the more duff managers it supports...as they get promoted to their level of incompetence and stay.

Well, as it turns out, my ex-boss got fired on Tuesday! Partly, because in addition to loving my job playing with the old folks, I also hated to see them getting shafted the way they were with this totally unethical, lying, self-centered, excuse of a "director", so I wrote an 8 page (certified:) letter to the CEO detailing her exploits.

It was sad that I had to quit my job because no one bothered to talk to me about these issues, perhaps thinking I was just a "complainer". But once I got behind my .44 caliber keyboard and took aim at the right target (was ignored at the regional level), things happened, and rather quickly!

So I don't have my job, but I do believe everything happens for a reason, and I'm proud I followed my heart and my conscience, consequences be damned.

I made a video of some of the stills of my "activity directing" days. The quality's not so great, but I felt compelled to express my feelings and put it up on "You Tube": http://www.youtube.com/sandellen

I know some of you reading this probably have probably found yourself in similar situations, and if you're like me, you've not been so effective at verbally getting your point across. But don't give up---if you're in the right, and get your facts straight, you can make things happen, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
all I can say is wow. It really reminded me of when I was working at cedar crest that well i kind of got choked up. I am glad that some kind of justice was done on your end. makes me feel a little better about what you are going thru. thank you so much for sharing this with us. ment a lot to me. it really really did. thank you.

I actually went by and visited the folks Friday evening and got such a warm sweet welcome. Overall I look at this as a successful experience and I'm hopeful about what the future holds. Thanks for the kind words:)