Application

"Hi, will you please come to the conference room? I would like to have a word with you," said my team leader T with a strange smile on his face. I knew something was up, but I could not figure out what. Conference room discussions are never good, that has been my experience. When there is a discussion in the conference room with team leader, it is mostly about escalation. I think to myself what the fresh nightamre is going to be now.

"Sure, give me 10 minutes I'll be there," I said in an assertive tone.

" Will you make that faster?" said T impatiently. I was annoyed, I was working on a deliverable. It was more important than the pointless discussion. In my opinion, team leader should have known that.

" I am working on today's a delivery. Let me finish this else there will be some challenges towards timeline, " I said as professionally as possible.

"Okay. Take your time and be there once you are done," T left me alone with my work and thoughts. I continued to work while thinking about the possibilities of the discussion.

I finished the ongoing task and went into the meeting room. T was already sitting therr waiting for me. T smiled again and it made me anxious.

" Do you know why I have called you here today?" T was building the suspense.

"Is there any escalation?" I jumped straight into the topic. I did not want to play the game of guess who and guess what.

"No. Absolutely not. You are our top performer. If there is an escalation against you then there will be 10 fold escalations against everyone else. I wanted to discuss something else with you," said T with a forced playful tone.

" We are expecting a new project. It is going to be a short temperature for a proximately 6 to 8 months. The point of contact would be Clarissa. She already knows you very well. It will be good if you support that project" T further explained.

" What exactly do you mean by support? I need clarity towards it. Last time I was asked to support I was working on this project and the other project both at the same time. I was spending almost 16 hours everyday in the office. I also had to work on weekends to fulfill the project responsibilities. It took a toll on my health. So I need to understand what exactly you mean by support," I had told him clearly. Without appropriate clarity I was not going to say yes to this project. I know that management shows dreamy pictures of project but in reality it is a nightmare. They do not care how much we are suffering to finish off the deliberables.

"No don't worry about that. You will work exclusively on that project. You will not work on this project till the time your work is going on. That is where we want your time, attention, and skills. We have already proposed your name to Clarissa and she has approved it to" T said with that forced grin again.

" You have already given my name for the project. Everything has been decided. What is the point of this discussion then?" I asked T in a straight forward manner.

" Don't get so defensive. Whatever is happening is in your favour. We are there to support you," now T was a back to his arrogant self. This is how he had always been, never friendly.

" Well I have to speak for myself because nobody else will. You all want me to overwork and suffer. I do not want to do that. If you wanted in written I would to so. Let me know whom should I address it to but I am not willing to work on that project. Feel free to choose someone else. Project change is as per employee's decision and not as per the leaders", I said from me and I left the conference room.

I felt a strange sense of pride after that discussion. I have stood for myself, my health, and my time. I was tired of saying yes to everything and inter getting tired and frustrated. Same no was only in my favorite and that is why I had done that.