I remember working for a company and I called my boss Miranda Priscley, from the movie "Devil Wears Prada." I began calling her that because of one-day, she asked me to complete a task, and it was where I had to send a document through an approval process. It had to go through a chain of individuals for review before senior management signed-off on it. It had to be reviewed by the legal and finance teams, and that was processed, then it had to go through the process on the executive level to get to senior management. When she handed me the document, before I got a chance to ask her where do I start, she said you're a smart girl you can figure it out.
To make a long story short, I did. I returned the signed document to her and I felt like Andrea or Andy Sachs did when she got those manuscripts for Miranda's twins in the movie.
There were so many examples like this. I don't like to seem haughty, but one day she came to me with a hand full of business cards and asked me to add them all to her contact list and I wanted to respond, "ma'am, I did not spend $50,000 on a degree to make sure you feel important with your loaded list of contacts that you'll never use." With that most of her emails, I drafted and sent, from her chicken scratch handwriting on a piece of paper from a legal pad.
I learned so much from that experience. For example, I learned to be patient with myself. I am so hard on myself and success is so important to me, like obtaining my goals. She taught me that along the way you're going have to deal with many different personalities and you cannot allow that to detour your plans. You have to get what you are supposed to get out of the experience so that you can go to your next level. As long as there is no disrespect or abuse, stick it out and be excellent you'll win in the end.
I also learned how to value time with my family more. I remember we were working on a project that required a contract being drafted and she was the one preparing it and there were multiple version floating between our office and the legal department. Her boss called in a panic at the end of the day one day requesting it. I told her that my boss was away but had been working on it and we'll send it as soon as she returns from the meeting she was attending, 30 minutes later she called back demanding the document, so I sent her the last one of the five in the folder indicating that it was the final one worked on but is still pending review, she thanked me. I came in the next morning with my boss beating me there which was unusual because emails were going back and forth all night because her boss sent this undone contract out to a client and it was written poorly.
of course, I was blamed and initially felt bad because it represented all of us. It was resolved, but all day Miranda, I mean my boss, could not let it go. On the elevator leaving for the day and she was discussing it among others definitely not in our department. I politely turned to her and said, I'm over it, it was resolved I am going home to spend the few hours I get out of the day with my son and I refuse to take him baggage from work, he doesn't deserve that and neither does your daughter. She did not respond.
So, they challenge you and test your patience but it builds your character. Allow the experience, even if you want to work for yourself, you cannot build your character without relationships. When I decided to leave, she even reached in to give me a hug, and she was never that type of person, so that let me know that in someway I had an impact on her too. I did not hug her though. I maneuvered out, lol. I
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