The Nest

Back up the Bus and Throw Me Under Again

Posted Thursday, January 24, 2008 3:38 AM

Office buzzwords. We all got 'em. Hystarical jargon that we just can't help but laugh at ourselves when we get caught throwing them around in casual conversation. In my office these include things such as "strategic communication," "billable time," and "top-of-mind awareness." Oh, the wonderful world of marketing!

But I have a new favorite: Throwing one "under the bus." Verb: The act of pointing the finger at someone else in the presence of someone important with the intention of embarrassing them and diverting blame from yourself.

Now, I make it point to NEVER throw anyone under the bus. I can't even count  many times have I been called out on the carpet (holy crap, there's another one!) when I didn't deserve it. I could have very easily just passed the buck to someone else but I just find that so unprofessional. Seriously. If I wanted to be a tattled tale, I'd go back to kindergarten. Such a pet peeve of mine. You got a problem? Come talk to me in private first, don't call me up with the client on speaker. Don't call me into a meeting with a manager and proceed to slam me. That's just not even right!

This is not a daily occurance by any means. And really, I love my job. It's a perfect fit for me, the teamwork in my department is flawless and we produce excellent results. However, the million dollar question is, of course, how many times can you be thrown under the bus by someone who is far your superior until you just get fired? Because obviously you are screwing up. A lot. LOL!

Okay, I'm not going to be fired. I don't think. Yeah, it's fine, right? Right!