Summary

A junior assistant in a military company recounts a tense day at the office where a recent promotion leads to workplace conflict and fear of retribution.

Abstract

The narrative unfolds in a military company's office, where a junior assistant, Lucia, experiences a rare moment of tranquility before the holidays. Her peace is disrupted when the head of the training department confides in her about the recent promotion of a colleague to head of operations, a decision that has left another colleague, known for his quick temper, feeling bitter and vengeful. The aggrieved colleague confronts the boss, leading to a heated altercation that Lucia overhears, prompting her to consider calling human resources. The incident underscores the complex dynamics of power, stress, and gender within the military workplace, where men vie for dominance and women are often relegated to silent observers.

Opinions

The assistant, Lucia, feels that her role as a junior assistant in a male-dominated military company is undervalued compared to the responsibilities and stress faced by her male colleagues.
The head of the training department appears insecure about his decision to promote one colleague over another, seeking validation from Lucia and unburdening his fears onto her.
The newly promoted head of operations is perceived as deserving, yet his promotion has inadvertently caused workplace tension.
The colleague who was not promoted is described as hot-blooded and prone to overreaction, which has influenced the management's decision against promoting him.
Lucia perceives the behavior of the head of the training department as childish, given his high position and the expectation for him to handle such situations with more maturity.
There is a sense of resignation from Lucia, who chooses to remain a silent witness to the masculine displays of power and conflict, reflecting a broader issue of gender roles within the workplace.

Men And War: A Day At The Office

The Witness

Nobody likes to keep a secret, especially if he feels guilty about it.

It was the same for my colleague, who at the time was the head of the training department.

That day I was sitting at my desk and I was finally working on some boring stuff that I kept postponing, because of more urgent work. I was enjoying that relaxing time: there were just a few colleagues in the office, it was a week before the holidays. It was so peaceful. I was looking forward to my pleasant evening watching tv.

While I was concentrating on my tasks, my colleague walked by my office, and stopped in front of me. I found it unusual, and I thought it was not a good sign: when a boss goes into an assistant’s office in another department, it’s because he needs help. “Hi Lucia… it’s so hard to be a boss…” he started.

I kept silent, hinted at a smile. I was thinking “Yeah, while being a junior assistant in a military company ruled by men is very easy”.

“It’s been such a difficult day… ” he continued. He seemed to be choosing the words to say, or maybe he was considering if he should trust me, or not. I felt some special and secret information was being released. “We have just promoted a colleague, who is now head of the operations department”.

“You know him, he is such a nice guy… and he deserved the promotion, he has been working hard for years. Yet I am afraid his other colleague, who was hired in the same year, got very disappointed. Or better, I am sure he is mad at me, and at our general manager. He is hot-blooded, everybody knows it, right? He exaggerates sometimes. He said we will regret our decision.”

I didn’t reply, just lowered my head sending a message meaning “Yes, it is true, and yes, you made the right choice”.

“With such a personality, I don’t feel comfortable… I am afraid he might make a mistake. Of course, we didn’t choose him because of his poor stress management. What the hell!”

“Please, keep it for you, it’s still a secret!” he continued. He was whining and he was not convinced about his choice, but most of all he was scared. I was surprised he had such a brilliant career, I thought he was behaving like a child.

The conversation was very short, and he seemed relieved after talking to me, as if he took a weight off his shoulders. Then he left my office. My role was just to listen, and be silent.

Of course it wasn’t easy to start working again.

In a few minutes the silence was broken by heavy and slow steps of someone on the stairs. I bent over my desk and saw him coming upstairs, the quick-tempered and humiliated colleague. Red eyes driven by an instinct to kill. He was a big and strong man. I got a little anxious.

He came closer but didn’t enter, and he remained in the corridor since he had more important things to do. He asked me: “Is the boss in the office?” Without saying hello. It was not the right time to mention his lack of politeness, I am afraid.

“Yeah but…” I stammered… “he is leaving”. I lied, he knew it and he didn’t care because he was headed to my left to the end of the corridor. He was going to settle the matter with the boss. He opened the door and closed it behind himself. I heard someone shout, they were having an argument.

I was afraid things might get worse and there might be a fight, or someone might get hurt. I could feel the tension in that room from my office, and I heard some noise I couldn’t recognize, as if someone was throwing an object, maybe a chair.

I didn’t know what to do, so I decided to call the human resources department since I was aware that some colleagues were still at work. I wanted to inform them about the situation, but I waited a few minutes before calling, while the fight was still going on in the other office.

After all, I realized there was no hurry.

Men want to rule the world and go to war, while assistants are often required to be silent witnesses and listeners. Once again, I decided to let my bosses go ahead and show the world how strong they are.