You're an Embarrassment

The day after I sent my reply to the senior executive things took a turn for the worse. The director responsible for our team was a temporary thing. This director was just watching over us until our own director was hired. This director did not work in our building but came to our building on that day and quickly holed up in a conference room. Shortly after my manager came to my desk and escorted me to the conference room. My manager then left, leaving me and the director alone in the conference room.

This director proceeds to tell me the email I sent was unprofessional and that I am an embarrassment. This director explains that I said the other team did not want to help. This director tells me this other team is very distraught by my accusation. This director talks about how I am a terrible employee. This director tells me I am a terrible burden to them. This director informs me that the relationship between the two teams has been destroyed and at this time there is no functional relationship between the two teams.

I was floored! My heart was racing as my stomach sank. I tried to explain that there was a misunderstanding. I tried to explain that I wasn’t accusing anyone of anything, instead I was just quoting their own words. Stating facts. This director was not having it, they were out for blood. We had never really seen eye to eye and that had apparently reached the apex at this time.

This director told me I was being written up for speaking unprofessionally. I was also informed that I would have to write a formal letter of apology to this team. I continue to try and argue by saying this punishment seems excessive for the issue at hand and that I still don’t agree that I have done anything wrong. This director responds by saying that if I do not sign the write up and send the other team a formal letter of apology that I will be terminated immediately.

I am beyond stressed at this point. Deep down I know I did nothing wrong and that I should not sign this write up with this director screaming at me. But I feel pot committed to this job. Like I have put too much time an effort into it to just be fired. I worry about finding another job. I am a people pleaser and just want this situation to go away. So I fold and sign the write up and say I will write the letter.

Out of nowhere this director cracks a huge smile. They inform me that due to being written up I am no longer eligible for promotion. This director tells me they look forward to seeing my formal letter of apology, gets up and leaves the conference room. I sat there thinking that was a very odd way to end this meeting and wondered why it was brought up.