As a young woman who switched from the corporate world to non-profit academia, I accepted an administrative position working with various departments and dealing with special projects and events. Needless to say, the speed and efficiency that I gained while in a corporate setting allowed me to complete my work three times faster then anyone else in the organization. I was always asking for additional projects to work on and many times, they just didn’t have enough work for me to do. During my six month review there were two areas of improvement that they wanted me to work on: My business-like professionalism was offending some people so I needed to tone it down and I was TOO motivated. Gee, I didn’t know that professionalism and motivation could be treated as negatives on a review! Needless to say I offered my resignation from this position two weeks after the review and now work at a non-profit that views these two characteristics as POSITIVES!
-Lynne, CoastWIT

Have you experienced an off-the-wall workplace situation? Send your true, Pinch Me...or Don't story to Anne Jennings.