I had my mid-year review yesterday. The title of the post is something my supervisor said. It pisses me off because I believe it's a reflection of a need, in corporate America, to appear always busy. If I am on Hubski, I am wasting precious company's time.

I talked to a former professor about it. She opined that in corporate America, you're going to hear this unless you continually bitch about how slammed you are. She may be right but that ain't my style.

I plan on discussing this with my boss in the near future and saying, politely, that if I am indeed putting out the high-quality work that she insisted I was, but don't seem to be trying very hard, perhaps we should consider giving me a promotion to a level where I will have to try hard.

It is not my fault the work is easy to me. It is my obligation to do it well. I think it's bullshit to look at someone and tell them "I completely trust that you can do any work we have upcoming, including new work that's never been done before and complex work that would be difficult for others, and I trust that you will do it well and accurately - I just don't think you're trying hard enough. "

What bullshit do you encounter in every day life, Hubski? What ridiculous double-standards do your friends, co-workers, family, etc, perpetuate on you without being aware of their hypocrisy?

Or, what are your corporate bitch-tales?

Short Example B: I have a weird uncle. He doesn't want me to get my MBA because I'm a writer, and "that's not me." Later in the same conversation he told me I should seriously consider switching to fiction/prose writing because "that's where the money is." He didn't consider the potential that fiction/prose writing maybe "just isn't me."

Side note: There is, of course, more to this mid-year review than is described. I have a few different plans and ideas for the next six months which may help my boss arrive at a different conclusion. I am not looking for work advice right now - because I am really irritable and hate everything this morning and any advice, while assuredly good, will probably rub me the wrong way despite its potential to help and the undoubted good intentions that come with it. I would prefer this not become a work-advice thread for ref if you guys don't mind. Misery loves company. Give me yours.