Tales of the BossLady: Ancient Work-Related Journals from Beyond the Dawn of Time, which is to say back when Michael Jackson was roaming freely, the iPhone was still just a gleam in Steve Jobs’ eye, and Lindsay Lohan — well, actually, she was pretty screwed up, even back then.
(As a follow-up of sorts to the Passing The Torch story, I’d like to point out that since I took over the creation of our flyers (and started creating them in Microsoft Publisher rather than Word), we have gotten numerous compliments from associates and clients on their improved quality. BossLady, to her credit, conceded: “I guess you didn’t ruin it!” I love my job.)
BossMan and BossLady have two employees: me and my seldom-seen co-worker. My co-worker stuffs envelopes with our flyers and drops them off at the mailroom (that’s the thumbnail version of her job description, at any rate).
BossMan, BossLady, my co-worker, and I make up a “team” of four. Collectively, we’re known around the office as “The [BossMan] and [BossLady] Team.”
Today, a picture in the newspaper of another local real estate team inspired a priceless comment. See, this other team consists of seven people, but they’re doing miserable business when compared to ours. This other team, with a staff of seven, only has four current property listings — total value, about a million bucks. Whereas we, with a paltry four team members, have over forty listings totaling over $4 million in value.
BossLady gloated to the room at large that we’re doing four times better than a team twice as big, and opined that it’s because “we have technology.”
Yep, we sure do. Too bad all the technology is in your living room, covered with coffee-cup rings, instead of in a nice comfortable office with actual furniture.
Also on the theme of patting oneself on the back, BossMan received two complimentary emails today (and before you start thinking ill of me, let me point out that using BossMan’s email is explicitly part of my job, so I wasn’t “snooping”). One was from a lady who receives our junk mail:
“Just wanted to thank you for the flyer you send. It is very interesting and well prepared. I love the color photos.”
Later in the day, we received a response from a woman who has done business with us in the past, and with whom we were trying to cultivate more business. She declined to list her property with us, but closed her email with the following:
“You’re really great to keep in touch — and I love your website.”
As I’ve mentioned before, the flyers and the site are both my purview these days. Once upon a time, BossMan and/or BossLady would have made a point of telling me when people compliment my work, but alas, that is no longer the way. I get the impression, from certain sort-of-kidding-but-not-really remarks that BossLady has made, that she thinks if they praise me too much I’ll “get a big head.” I also get the impression, from other I’m-not-bitter-no-really-I’m-not-except-I-totally-am remarks from BossLady, that BossLady is a little bitter that I’m getting more praise for these things than she ever did when she was in charge of them.