Just got back from my brief visit to DC. Found this wonderful piece sitting in my in-box thanks to an agent of the vast Diplomad underground which exists at State. This, folks, is real. This is not some satire or faked-up notice. This is a real unclassified State Department memo.
And so it has come to this . . .
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| Office of Origin: | MED/EX |
| Announcement Number: | 2014_11_048 |
| Date of Announcement: | November 6, 2014 |
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Workplace Bullying Supervisor’s Support Group
The Office of Medical Services
Employee Consultation Services Presents
WHEN: 1st group January 6, 2015
(1st Tuesday of the month thereafter)
WHERE: HST Ralph Bunche Library, 3rd Floor Conference Rm 3239
The purpose of this self-help group is to offer support to supervisor’s who believe they have been bullied in their work environment. The focus of this group is to provide resources and information sharing in a confidential setting. Please join us in sharing experiences, ideas, support and resource information; or just listening.
Benefits of a support group:
· realizing that you are not alone and others may be experiencing the same issues
· members support each other and may suggest new ways of dealing with a particular problem
· feeling less lonely or isolated
· problem solving support
The group will be facilitated by Ms. Jacqueline Pouncy-Smith, LCSW Clinical Social Worker– MED/ECS/EAP.
These sessions are open to all federal employees at the Department of State. Registration is not necessary; however, space is limited to 15.
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Are they given swaddle blankets? Sounds like they need them.
ReplyDeleteDo you have to have a snooty hyphen name to work at State?
ReplyDeleteFinally a group for Wilbur Milquetoast, Casper Pussyfoot, Seymour Pansy-Candyass to get together, if they can bring themselves to make the decision to attend.
Maybe Putin will die of laughter.
ReplyDeleteDid the big bad manager hurt your widdle feelings? Tell us all about it. What a bunch of losers.
ReplyDeleteOnly 15! After Lavrov, Putin, Xing, the Mullahs, and (why not if I'm going to be snarky) Belgium gets finished with them they'll need Yankee Stadium. This reminds me so much of the old Newhart group session that had Mr. Heard, a door to door salesman, deathly afraid of strangers.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine being #16 and told there was no room for your sniveling problems? That would cause even a die-hard wimp to curl up in the fetal position for convulsions- until 1:00pm. Then it's back to work at State for another month.
DeleteI'd like to have the Kleenex™ concession.
Yeah, it'd be pretty tough not making the cut to get on the "loser team".
DeleteJames the Lesser
Oh, forgot to add to the above, Robin Raphel would probably be found in the first class.
ReplyDeleteJames the Lesser
Two Words.
DeleteNeville Chamberlain
On Crack..saying, "if that was my kid"
Makes me vomit.
leaperman
Perhaps the President should attend.
ReplyDeleteFor protection from ValJar or Moochelle?
DeleteHow do you bully someone in sign language? I must have missed that one on the schoolyard.
ReplyDeleteOooooohhhhh! That finger.
Duh.
But what if each of the fifteen need an interpreter? And what if the interpreters need wheelchair access to the 3rd floor? And what if the caterer serves crow? Will Moochele approve of the lunch?
Maybe someone from The White House could stop by and give these poor testosterone challenged public servants a pep talk. Loud enough to make them whimper, but not quite cry.
Rahm would be good at it. Valerie?
Notice that they couldn't even pluralize 'supervisors' correctly. (In the body of the memo, not the title).
ReplyDeleteThe country is in the very best of hands.
Wait, was that bullying? I think I might have just bullied them. I'm going to invest in fainting couches, it seems to be a booming market.
Jesus! State is a menace today. an honest to god destroyer.
ReplyDeleteleaperman
" The purpose of this self-help group is to offer support to supervisor’s who believe they have been bullied in their work environment."
ReplyDeleteBullied by their staff?
Davod
"Pouncy-Smith?" Really? Must....resist....
ReplyDeleteMaybe they have some contracts with Prof. Karl Gruber of the Institute of Going a Bit Red in the Face in Helsinki?
My God, it's right out of Python. You can't make it up.
I prefer to picture a Bond Girl.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete"My God, it's right out of Python."
DeleteOr Austin Powers. Ditto on the Bond Girl image.
"Leave Pouncy-Smith alone!" http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110616173825/youtubepoop/images/c/cb/Leave-britney-alone.jpg
DeleteAt State, everyone is just oh so sensitive?
ReplyDeletePrecious. Even with the misused apostrophe.
ReplyDeleteWho knew a case of the 'vapors' was psychosomaticly contagious? I believe the only known cure for the vapors is a six week stint at Parris Island, followed by weekly range time until the patient is potty trained.
ReplyDelete~M
.... don't forget to bring your pajamas and hot chocolate....
ReplyDelete- reader #1482
If hashtag diplomacy doesn't work, then call a meeting.
ReplyDelete-Blake
At the State Dept. everything is a party. Look, they even have pity-parties!
ReplyDeleteGood God what horseshit. No wonder our adversaries are laughing ..
ReplyDeleteGreat merciful,Zeus!!! Is Pajama Boy going to be there..visually, he would fit right in
ReplyDeleteWell, don't be too hard on state. This silly crap has begun to pervade all of our institutions. The marines, the army. Thank God for the 18 yr old American farm boy. Maybe State should recruit more from Kansas.
ReplyDeleteDan Sullivan, assistant sec of state under GWB, now senator from alaska... goon? good guy? (Not that I believe anybody in such a high level position can get there without extreme voter stupidity, like obama's case, or a whole lot of dirt under the rug.)
ReplyDelete- reader #1482
I have to wonder ... is Ms. Jacqueline Pouncy-Smith, LCSW Clinical Social Worker– MED/ECS/EAP under any obligation or oath of confidentiality? Or will she report to The People Who Matter who the troublemakers and potential whistleblowers are?
ReplyDeleteDiplomad, it may not be clear to readers "outside the beltway" - or who haven't studied for the Foreign Service exam - that negotiating through workplace issues is part of the expected experience at the State Dept., a kind of on-the-job training. After all, kids who graduate from college with straight A's in International Relations are scarcely fit for the kind of, ah, maneuvering expected of diplomats.
ReplyDeleteA memo like this defeats the training, which will leave U.S. diplomats quivering and helpless when their foreign interlocutors subject them to prevarications and backstabbings - they will look around expecting to be able to appeal such conduct, but no such court will be available.
Solomon2, thanks for the clarification. I thought it was just normal government BS until I read your comment.
ReplyDeleteDid you see this?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/21/us/politics/eavesdropping-on-pakistani-official-led-to-inquiry-of-former-us-diplomat.html?_r=1