A Gen Z Team Member Lost It & Shouted at My Gen X Boss. I Was Utterly Speechless.
#HelpMeMyDearLord
I am usually prudent when it comes to performance appraisal.
It always felt like I was treading on thin ice. This year is no different. We just ended our appraisal session with the juniors in the sales team.
What IS different this year is the sitting presence of our HR Director in our sessions.
Yes. Sitting presence. What the hell does that even mean?
It means [exactly] that. James, our HR Director, must sit in during the actual delivery of the appraisals.
“I am protecting you, arseholes.”
Yes, of course.
Thank God.
It Begins with Elicitation
“Come in, Isabelle.”
Every candidate is given 45 minutes for their performance appraisal session.
There are 3 sitting members in this session.
- Isabelle’s direct supervisor — That’s me
- Isabelle’s direct supervisor’s boss — That’s Angel.
- The sitting Buddha — That’s James, the HR Director.
We would ask how our candidates think they performed for the year, measured against their KPIs or agreed benchmarks. The same goes for Isabelle, the Sleeping Beauty in my team.
Why do we do this is beyond my comprehension.
I’ve asked James once.
To which he said…
“It’s the standard process, buddy. Be a nice Nike. Just Do It. You can be a badass Nike, too. Just F**king Doing It. Take your pick.”
I laughed out loud.
Isabelle’s Elicitation Blown Past My Expectations
Isabelle is the youngest Gen Z in my sales team. The other one is Melissa.
They are Worlds apart.
Mel is highly polished.
She walked into the room, relaxed, responded directly to our questions, and was remarkably candid. Mel said she [just] hit the assigned sales target by a whisker and is looking forward to a better next year.
Angel is pleased. She endorsed my recommendation to increase her commission percentage to 5.5% from 5%.
“Melissa is really good. We must groom her. I take you to task for this.”
I am happy to do so. In fact, I am pleased to have an up-and-coming star on my team. Melissa will give Alex and Dora a run for the money.
Isabelle is slightly unfortunate.
She came in right behind Mel.
The contrast is stark.
Isabelle fumbled.
“My performance? I thought I submitted the appraisal online 2 months ago. I know I did well. I only missed the assigned sales target by 20%. I keep clients happy. Why? Am I not getting my promotion?”
You could hear a pin drop after her elicitation.
Dead silence. And James was [still] in his daydreams. I don’t blame him. He had a long day.
I gave him a nudge. I sense this conversation moving South. The HR Director needs to be on red alert.
I was about to say something to Isabelle. But she did not give me a chance. She rambled on.
“Why aren’t you people replying? Is it because I am not getting my promotion? Why don’t you tell me earlier since there is no intention to promote me? I don’t have to work that hard!”
I noticed that Angel fidgeted at the edge of my eye. She was starting to get concerned.
I wanted to respond. My mouth is in an ‘O’ shape, but alas, I had no chance.
James was no longer in his sitting Buddha position. He had his hands up, fingers crossed, and with that action, hiding his mouth behind criss-crossed fingers. He was on active alert.
Isabelle went on and on. This time, she aimed her shotgun at Angel and shouted.
“I don’t understand this entire process. Why is the point? You cannot write an explanation to me via email? Why pretend that you care? You don’t!”
I sighed.
Fortunately, Angel was calm and composed.
She turned to James and suggested the following.
“Do you think it is a good idea to open the door? I don’t want a young lady running out and spreading falsehoods later.”
James did not think twice. He obliged.
Angel, my Gen X Boss, Took Control
“Isabelle. Firstly, this is an office. It is a professional setting. Calm down. You said a lot. Aldric had no chance to say anything. I said nothing. Don’t jump to conclusions.”
Angel turned to me.
“Got anything to say before I begin?”
I was tapping the table with my pen repeatedly at this point. I was struggling with Isabelle’s accusations. They are not true, but sufficient to make me feel like sh!t.
I felt [rather] helpless.
“Go ahead, Angel. I trust you can see the situation for yourself.”
Angel asked James to stop her immediately if she went out of line. James nodded.
She looked at Isabelle.
“Isabelle, no one here says you have done badly. Do you agree?”
Isabelle calmed down. She muttered a yes.
“Good. Next question. Has anyone here promised you a promotion? If so, what is the basis? Do you recall?”
Isabelle shook her head.
“Very good. Third question. Has anyone here ever tried to exploit you to work harder? No one, not even Aldric, has given you a disciplinary warning for sleeping in the office. Is that correct?”
Isabelle shot an annoyed look at Angel.
“Why should I get a disciplinary warning? I am tired and need a nap, that is all. I am not your slave.”
Perhaps… that is unclear to you, dear readers.
Let me try to capture Isabelle’s tonality.
“I am NOT your SLAVE.”
Honestly, I find her rude. Like, bloody f**king rude.
She doesn’t owe us a living.
We don’t owe her a living.
I was unimpressed.
That said, that is not the highlight of the appraisal session. It was Angel.
Angel impressed me. She was steady, sturdy, and an incredible bastion of psychological support that day.
How she did it, I don’t know.
Angel said this to Isabelle before James walked the youngster out.
“Isabelle, nobody is a slave here. You are free to express yourself and curse me in front of me. No one stopped you. That said, you must achieve your sales target. Do you need help on that?”
Isabelle did not tone down.
“No, I don’t want help. I know I am good. I just need time.”
This time, the emphasis is on JUST.
Angel looked at me and then at James.
“Gents, are we aligned that Isabelle needs more time to hit her targets? Are we willing to carry her through for the next year?”
I gave Angel my concurrence.
In reality, I was too tired to respond.
The Close
Angel said this before making her way to meet her client.
“Aldric, learn to hold your ground, stay firm, and listen. Listening is not hearing. It is about taking hits and absorbing accusations. There will be more Isabelles coming our way.”
I am glad to have a supportive and experienced Gen X’er as my boss.
Years of working experience do mean something.
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