Serendipity?

Breaks in my career.

The intervention of four men in my career changed everything for the better.

When my ADM's wife died, I sent him a sympathy card.  That's how I was reared; it felt normal and expected.  Apparently, it was a shocker for him.  His wife was a tad crazy, but whenever we met at an office reception, I always chatted with her when others shunned her.  

"Do you think I am beautiful?" she asked me one evening.  How weird, but of course I said, "Yes, certainly."

When a director's job opened up, this ADM was playing golf with the DM and the former suggested I be appointed.  Did he remember the sympathy card?  I think he probably did.

When that same DM's sister died, I went to the funeral parlour to pay my respects.  He was shocked, but must have remembered because he appointed me to two key positions with the GST Task Force and the Canada/US Free Trade Task Force.  I loved the work!

This elevated me to the senior management category (SM) and when it was collapsed into the EX category, I was made an executive level one (EX 01).  The DM gave me that job too.

As my career petered out near retirement, I was appointed to a manager's job two levels below my pay grade.  Someone in human resources tried to slot me officially into the position, but as the paperwork crossed the desk of a pay clerk, I got a call.

"Nancy, you can't take that job.  You'll lose your EX 01 pay."  Really??!!  No one had told me that, but thank G-d Dale called me because I refused the position and remained in the job, but at my EX 01 salary.

While in that job, I took on the two assignments no one ever wants:  Floor warden and safety and health representative.  Picture me, torch in hand, safety helmet on head, striding around in high heels directing staff to safety down the emergency stairs.

That was me.

As health and safety co-chair of the committee, I was on a par with another ADM around that table.  

When one of my managers (naturally a woman) questioned a $12 expense on a printing job and refused to sign it off, I simply emailed this ADM, telling him my manager would not sign off (c.c.'d her in this chess move), who told me to put it on his expense code.

She looked like the ninny she was.  Refusing a $12 print expense for the health and safety committee?!!  An idiot on a power trip.

I pay tribute to the male superiors I had the good fortune to report to over my long career.  They enabled me to retire on a very good pension.

So a HUGE thank you to my Mother, who taught me about sympathy cards and funeral parlours, and to Dick, Louis, Dale and Guy!  As to the women to whom I reported?  All I can say is, never underestimate envy in the workplace.