SkyPigeon123
62012
1714
13
Sep 19, 2024 10:14 AM
SkyPigeon123
62012
1714
13
BlurrySnowWhite
Our boss has a way of draining people through a psychological sieve. She will tell the administrator or nurse on shift, on Fridays at around 15-16:00h, to inform a certain someone that she needs to talk to them on Monday morning. Following this notion, she is, of course nowhere to be found - you cannot ask what the talk is concerning, even if you mustered the strength to approach her before you leave. She has time to prepare for the meeting, you have your diarrhea inducing anxiety.
KittenVonCatsworth
I do the same thing with my teams. I've had too many times I had anxiety over a mysterious meeting with my own boss, so I try really hard to alleviate that with my crew.
minant
Some people are apparently still simply allergic to writing an actual email containing the information.
hodorgoestomordor
Except, he's set the bar. Next one say's "quick chat - bad thing" or just "quick chat" and you're going to be sweating.
METROlD
Ugh I had to teach my old boss this trick. He used to text me at like 7AM (he was in a different time zone) saying, URGENT, PLEASE CALL. And I would really freak out. Like something was broken or I was in trouble for something. I eventually got him to understand that this was very distressing for me. He still texted me at 7AM, only now he would say, URGENT, PLEASE CALL. YOURE NOT IN TROUBLE OR ANYTHING. I was like, OK I'll take what I can get. I never went in early or anything though.
cousteau
Still unsure if he means it like "thanks for clarifying it" or as in "I know my boss follows me in social media"
WynnCreek
"The good news is, you're gonna have a lot more free time, the bad news...."
kilgoth1
My foreman called me on the first day of my vacation to discuss my employment with the company one time. My anxiety went from 0 to 100 then down to 20 after he told me I was getting a raise and to enjoy my vacation.
normalizebeingalone
A friend of mine got a calendar request for a meeting at the end of the day on a Friday. Went straight to her office to ask about it and she was dodgy. It was exactly what it sounded like, he was being let go.
VeryEnthusiasticWalksThroughtheWoods
Two years ago, my bosses sent out a text to everyone at my level to come see them in the office. Course I didn't know everyone else got it, so I rightfully assumed it was bad. Only learned after 8 hours of anxiety it was a raise
nsmike
After 2008, when our company got hit hard by losing clients and layoffs, any impromptu all-hands meeting (how they did the layoffs) had something like this appended to the subject.
popejubal
Right before he left for the day, my former boss told me on Friday afternoon, “we need to talk Monday” and it destroyed my weekend. Turned out the talk on Monday was “[Company] been having problems with Client X and you have a great relationship with them. Can you help us figure out how the rest of us can get them to like us the way they like you?”
Motherfucker. Could have said something like OP has there.
cardinal29
Could have just sent that in a text
nothingunused
Did he ask you to buy gift cards and send photos of the numbers/codes?
Imalwaysready
"Which meeting is this...ah, yes, there it is, 'quick chat - good thing.' Why don't we begin. Ken, what's your current salary? Do you happen to know off the top of your head?"
"Yes, sir. It's $87,580 a year."
"Well then, I certainly have some good news!"
"Oh wow, I can't wait to hear it!"
"Well Ken, the company is about to start saving $87,580 a year! The boys in accounting are going to love hearing this. I trust you can have your desk cleaned out by 4:00?"
ArmedandOverclocked
When I managed people I'd do this. I'd let them know, even if it was verbal, "it's nothing bad" or something like that
OverwhelmingSurplusOfDiggity
As a manager, I once made someone feel Very Bad by not watching my words carefully enough.
Years later, I still try to make up for it every time I speak to someone over whom I have structural power.
twinkwtp
I called my boss out because every single time he asks for a chat, it's a bad thing. I told him it's demoralizing.
JohnSmithterms
"Quck chat, i need a hand with something" also works. Or "I need your advice" .
Hukkie
My boss has a tendency to do the completely apathetic "I would like to speak with you in private" bullshit. Unless I am told exactly what it is about she will have to schedule a meeting on the books so I can have a union rep with me, because I can not see a valid reason to not tell me unless there is something nefarious going on.
Any meeting I take without a rep that starts leaning away from what they told me it was about, ends instantly and they can reschedule with my union rep.
Daemencer
I don't know. There are plenty of ways to not feel anxious when someone asks you to talk, but they all require you do the work and seek help from a personal if need be. I don't know if I want to normalize having to think for others and what they might be afraid of, especially in a work setting.
Gray808
I’ve got great news!!! Starting next week the company is going to save the same amount of money we pay you! Here’s your pink slip.
Tyggna
I used "level set on. . ." and topic whenever I did this to one of my team members. Sometimes, the quick chat meeting was literally the topic only in the title, and the description said, "I doubt it'll take the full time"
Alphee99
Ours did this recently. Put his entire team in a sudden end of day meeting and labeled it "don't worry, this is a good one". Lol. We all got promoted.
TohmaytohTohmahtoh
If only all bosses did that. Context to a "quick chat" would certainly go a long way in enployee relations...
ThanksForTheThing
The underlying premise here is that people are often afraid to meet with their bosses.
channelranger
In my experience when it comes to bosses- no news is good news. If the boss doesn't know your name, good. That means you're not getting pestered all the times with write-ups.
Sanguinius4893
Ehhhh, what? What industry do you work in?
channelranger
Medical. But frankly, this is what I hear from most people. Promotions don't come from in-house anymore, or you get a promotion and an itty bitty raise to go with it that doesn't make doing the extra work worth it. Even regular significant raises have gone by the wayside. Thus, with no chance of advancement, it's usually best if your boss barely has any idea you work there. That means they'll leave you alone.
channelranger
These days if you want a pay raise, you quit and go work somewhere else, where they're offering more to start. The job you're at is rarely going to raise your rates in the same way. That's why it's normal these days for people to work at a place for like 3 years then leave- by then they could get a significant raise by doing so.
keys79
I have a business partner who does this all the time. It is never a quick chat. He’s going to talk at me for at least half an hour about some “amazing thing that I’m not going to believe and we’re going to be millionaires” but which doesn’t actually impact my life in the slightest, before he goes off on some wild tangent for another half hour about something completely random and even more meaningless. But yeah “quick chat, amazing news!” Don’t work with crazy people, folks.
HufflePuffPuff
You stated that you “have a business partner” but then advise that we “don’t work with crazy”. So you still work with this crazy person?
keys79
It’s a long story.
HufflePuffPuff
I have time
Rustsavit
And what do they write if it's not a good thing? Is any neutral title automatically bad?
feraldope
HR is also invited.
Feralkyn
It's like getting an email from a doctor after a test that says "appointment to discuss results" without any yes/no. You're gonna worry, you're gonna stress.
KnifeKnut
The phrase is often abused for something bad rather than neutral.
MelfsAcidArrow
“We need to talk” in a relationship is a cliche phrase that means something is bad
darthstormer
"Quick chat. :("
CloseupCaptionReaction
And if its really bad: :'(
dbbbbs
“Quick chat, but clear out your desk”
cmonyoulardass
Quick chat- security will also be there
thoughtfulllama
Quick chat about whether you should try and restructure your mortgage.
DaveSamsonite
They write - can you stop by about a potential new assignment? (Somewhere else)
jfitz
"uh oh"
TlsGrz
„Quick Chat - make therapist appointment for after“
SkidMarc25
"Quick Chat - Jerry its Frank Costanza, George is dead, call me back."
eyemastervideo5
Always have a title. Otherwise it's crappy communication
Fanner50
Laying off sales people
They would set up an appointment with them at the airport, to go over strategy.
Tell them they were being laid off and take their phone and laptop.
johnlifts
My company had a layoff a couple of months ago and everyone who got chosen had a meeting called “Quick chat” pop up on their calendars first thing in the morning. Vague titles with no agenda are inherently bad.
aeomis09
We had a meeting request like that last year and they announced we had a data breach instead. Yay for job security?
RocketKokket
Yeah or "HR touchpoint" is another one I've gotten for a sudden layoff
Snooj
"Give me a call when you have a second."
helljack
I've had this happen both ways at my current job.
Early on, I received a message that my Boss wanted to have a quick chat before my next shift. Spent the entire night sick to my stomach expecting the worst. It was a good chat, though. I told him about how I felt directly in the meeting.
The next time, he sent a message just like this one. "Quick talk - good thing - don't worry"
channelranger
know what phrase I hate? "You're not in trouble" when I am obviously in trouble and you're about to scold me for something. I actually lost my patience with that once when a boss said that after pulling me aside and said "Yes I am, now what is it?" Especially when it comes to being in trouble, the more preamble you babble on about before you get to the point the more time I have to quietly catastrophize about it while I wait.
mieper3
Everything has pros and cons. Just wait until you're accustomed to your boss always appending "good thing" to each calendar invite, and then one day he makes a calendar invite WITHOUT that message O.O
NeverConfusedForNaught
Well, it's a signal then. If you get anxious it's relatable. Always better than guessing 100% if the time
SkidMarc25
Or its a vague enough message to go either way. "Quick Chat - Recent Client Behavior" did I tick off a client and cost us a contract?
Fryfryfryfry
I'd still be concerned when any of my superiors at work would send me a message/appointment like that
Fryfryfryfry
Might just be trauma though
VodkaReindeer
"Quick talk - you'll enjoy it - ;)"
Fryfryfryfry
For me that could only mean that I get a raise with no strings attached or I finally get to ditch the Macbook that has been haunting me ever since I started at the company, both of which would be very unlikely
mieper3
Please help remind me on monday that Im gonna add " - this is not fraud related!" to each and every meeting invitation im gonna send from now on
Ionico
My boss (owner) is like this. He's really aware of how things sound. And I've never had a bad experience with him. But he's also not perfect. He sometimes will publically humiliate my other boss (manager) when said manager also calls him out in public. Tit for tat but they still participate...
NeverConfusedForNaught
If they're both good with this kind of relationship then it's okie
KnifeKnut
The humiliation is deserved if the public call out is undeserved or wrong.
sortofkindamadbutnotreally
My boss/owner is also a gigachad. Started at my company last year and Ive never had a boss or management team so chill and awesome. Its odd actually being friends with and trusting your boss after 10ish odd years of dickheads and selfishness.
youreakitty
My boss does this too, bless him. I'm great at my job but I *always* get a little electric shock from having someone in leadership ask to talk to me unexpectedly. So much PTSD from past toxic workplaces.
JustAnotherVictimOfAmbientMorality
You have an owner?
Gayforbae
Kinky....
Ultin8
We've discovered a dog that uses the internet, apparently
Mafalin
Or maybe OP simply has a cat and good self awareness. :)
ontarioOT
The "good thing" is that the boss is saving a bunch on payroll by firing you, so they'll get a huge bonus this year.
Zetor
Fire you for a better position! https://youtu.be/i73-lpVV-Jo
ontarioOT
Ooh, that's good!
SalmonTheWise
"It's disciplinary so we don't owe you severance"
MichaelGenovese
So weirdly negative on a positive post.
TomBrokaw
People don't think American employment be like that, but it do
Omnimorph2112
It's... It's a joke
dextarrogue