Reinventing Mary

Mary danced on the table like there was no tomorrow. This was not like her. She was usually reserved and somewhat awkward. But she knew she had to change to have the kind of future she wanted.

They all stared, then laughed, then clapped their hands and several of them reported her to her boss. He was astounded and confronted her about the office party last Friday. She was taken aback. He sounded disapproving and she was confused.

“But you liked it when Schatzy danced. You did! I saw it in your eyes last year at the Christmas party where everyone was drinking. Well, not everyone, one or two got drunk, but not you. I mean, I mean, maybe not you. No, no, I mean definitely not you.”

Mary floundered in her confusion. This was not good. Her boss, Bob Whitehouse, was staring at her. Oh, shit. Now I’ve done it. I didn’t want him to know.

Bob looked at her and, in a measured tone, said, “It’s not that you were joyful and danced on the table, Mary, but that it’s so out of character for you. What’s going on? What were you thinking?”

Mary looked down at her shoes. “I, well I, well I, uh, I guess I just was having fun?”

Bob slowly answered, “It’s more than that. I’m told that you were on the verge of being out of control. That’s not like you. I hired you because of your calm nature and stability. This is unexpected. Clearly, something has changed in you.”

Mary sighed and looked into Bob’s face. “Yes, I have changed. I’m tired of being the drudge in the department, the one who everyone counts on but doesn’t want to eat lunch with. That one.

“I guess we do need to have a talk about my job. My expectations seem to be greater than yours. I’m not happy here and I think I can do better than being a secretary, even if it is being a secretary to the best damn engineer in the whole company.”

Bob replied, “Well, thank you, I think. It’s sort of a backhanded compliment since I am the best damn engineer in the whole damn company, and that would make you the best damn secretary, but you’re not happy with that. So, something else is wrong. Can we talk in my office?”

Mary sucked in her breath. Oh, crap. Just what I didn’t want to have happen.

She looked at the floor. “Okay.”

Bob picked his words carefully. “Let’s begin with me saying how grateful I am for the exceptional job you’re doing. I have nothing but good things to say about your work. But your frenetic running around during the day, shouting in the halls, laughing loudly at bad jokes, and generally being silly is not like you. Something is going on and, without being rude by asking, I would like to know what it is. That is, if you even know that your behavior has changed. Maybe you know, but don’t know why.”

“Well, I just feel socially unaccepted here even if I have one of the best jobs in the department.”

“THE best job!”

“Yes, the best SECRETARIAL job. But I can do more than this, and since I just finished getting my bachelor’s degree, I want to do more. I want to have my OWN job, not be the best assistant in the whole place by helping the best boss in the whole place do HIS job. I hope you understand.”

“Yes, I do. My son is in a similar situation at his work. I tell him to be patient, but I guess that doesn’t work for a secretarial position, does it? Especially when the managers here are always trying to poach you. Yes, I know about the offers, Mary. In fact, almost all of them told me of their offers themselves. I’m glad you didn’t leave me for another similar position.”

“No, I didn’t want another secretarial job. That’s why I am reinventing myself as a signal analyst in Jim Martin’s department. I’ve already talked with him, and he is willing to hire me as a junior analyst. I will have to work with the ex-Navy guys who don’t want a non-Navy person, especially a female, working with them, but Jim thinks I can handle them. I do, too. I’m confident in my abilities to do the work and I’ll work like hell to prove myself to those stupid Navy guys.

“My problem, Bob, is that I don’t want to leave you or your department. You’re the best and I love working here, but, dammit, I understand more about signals than most of the people who work for you. I’m sure you doubt that, but I’m confident that I do.”

Jim looked at her wringing her hands and leaning forward across the table. She was genuinely upset. He could feel it, and he wanted to help but she was right. He did doubt that she could do the job she had applied for.

“Okay, Mary, give me the transfer paperwork and I will fill it out and sign it. I’m sorry you want to go, but I understand.”

Bob stood up and shook Mary’s hand. She slowly walked out of the office and immediately called Jim. “It’s done. What? No, I didn’t get a timeline.”

About three weeks later, Mary received a call from Jim asking if she had changed her mind. He hadn’t received any paperwork from Bob and needed to hire someone to help with analyzing signals as soon as possible.

Mary hung up and bit her lip. Bob was at lunch, and after thinking about it, Mary went into his office and found her transfer paperwork in his desk drawer … where she was not supposed to be looking. I feel guilty, but damn, this is important for both Jim and me.

When Bob returned from lunch, Mary asked to talk with him. She asked if he had filled out her paperwork yet and he lied and said, “Yes, of course.”

She left his office and immediately called Jim. Jim called the VP of the company who was a personal friend of his, and “magically” Bob finished filling out her transfer paperwork the next day.

Mary soon found out that she had started a firestorm without trying to. Other secretaries in the building held meetings to demand that they be offered more responsibility in their jobs, or new jobs altogether. Mary couldn’t wait to get out of her current department. She was increasingly more uncomfortable there with every passing day. She became more and more convinced that she wanted to work in signal analysis with the Navy guys. Until she did.

When she arrived, they told her only the bare minimum regarding signals they were working with and frequently removed equipment she was using. She told Jim each time this happened, and eventually he had a meeting with all of them and threatened them with bad reviews if Mary reported one more incident. That, of course, made them all hate working with Mary more.

Mary talked with her friend Stacy and said, “I’m hanging in there. I’m not going to let them beat me down. I know more than they think I know, and soon they will recognize my efforts.”

She stayed late every day in order to prove herself to herself, thus building up her confidence in her abilities that the Navy guys were trying to tear down.

One day her opportunity arose to prove something to not only herself but her boss, too. She was surprised at her findings.

“Jim, I found an error in some analysis. The signals they are comparing to each other are not correct. Two of them are not the same type of signals and I can prove it.”

Jim reviewed her work and stated, “Well, Mary, you are correct. I’m impressed with what you found, and I’ll be talking with the guys about this. In the meantime, I want you to write a presentation for the government agency in charge of this project. They’re coming out here in three weeks for another issue, and I want to discuss this with them.”

When the government folks arrived at their meeting, they condescendingly greeted her. They sat on the opposite side of a long conference table and faced the screen.

Mary presented the first page of the signals she had analyzed, which were comprised of pictures and measurements. The second page looked similar. Then, on the third page she had highlighted two signals that didn’t match anything shown previously and it was clear they were not signals from the equipment they were investigating. A chubby government employee on the opposite side of the table was wearing a suit and, upon seeing the differences in the pictures and measurements, lifted his tie and stuck the end of it in his mouth.

Mary glanced at Jim and then down at the table and stifled a laugh. Gotcha!

One of the Navy guys she had been working with stared at the screen and made a choking sound.

The lead government analyst looked at Jim and said, “Send that whole presentation to us. We have some people who need to see this.”

Jim nodded his head. “Well, we’ll take care of it right away.”

Mary looked at her boss. Uh oh. I hope I’m not in trouble for pointing out their mistakes.

Jim then turned to Mary and said, “Of course, my whole team will be happy to help you with anything you need.”

Mary sighed. She had reinvented herself. When her previous boss, Bob Whitehouse, saw her later that day in a company-wide meeting, he made a point of sitting behind her, tapping her on her shoulder, and congratulating her on her burgeoning reputation. “Your real estate in this company has really gone up, Mary.”