Let's lay this out right and proper. (RWHN drops tha beat!)

[AFK]

Well, it was a fine kettle of fish until I got thrown into the big steamy pile of rancid dog shit.  A.K.A. workplace politics.  Look, I was brought here because I do shit and I do it well.  I signed up to come here and fix some shit that is pretty fucking broken.  But I didn't sign up to be thrust in the middle of turf wars.  I didn't see anything in the job description about having to be tender with bruised egos or throw myself down before the mercy of long-standing and unquestioned tradition.

It isn't my fault you guys have been screwing shit up for over 20 years.  It isn't my deal that you thought you could just kind of skirt the regulations.  If you wanted it to remain hidden, you shouldn't have fuckin hired me.  If shit is wrong, I'm going to fix it.  If you are putting out a sub-standard product, I'm going to fuckin make it better.  That's what I do.  I strive for excellence.  I'm not going to pander to and protect your status quo.

Yeah, I know, people have told you for years you are the shit.  You aren't used to having someone around who's a little younger, has some fresher ideas, and, actually gets shit done.  You don't like having a little peon like me around who knows where you are falling down and falling down mightily.  Well, you need to deal.  I'm not going anywhere.  I was picked to do this job and I'm going to do the fuck out of it. 

But don't worry, soon the money will be gone and I will move on to the next job.  And then you get to have your happy shiny world of bullshit back.  You get to go back to pretending that you, and only you, are saving the world.  You can go ahead and undo and re-break all the shit I fixed.  You can throw the new programs away.  you can torch the new policies.  And then you'll be validated again, as you get to once again be the person "needed" to solve all of these issues.  You can reclaim your sham pedestal built upon your overinflated sense of knowledge and authority. 

Too bad that pedestal is going to be surrounded by a moat of burnt lives and rancid and soiled teenage dreams.

Have a nice fucking day!

[LMNO]

I feel ya.

I've been elevated from keeping my head down and doing my work to a position where I have to pay attention to other people's work, and solve their problems.

And I've only now noticed how terrible some of these people are at doing their jobs.  I mean, I'm on PD eight hours a day, but at least I get my work done without any drama.  Some of these people are old enough to be my mom, and they're acting like petty highschoolers!

This is what happens when the Spider gets a hold of you.  Your work becomes more important than your life -- you turn work into your life. It's pretty sad.

[Richter]

Had this same chat with one of my SCA buddies recently.  He's hired to do job site safety, report things that are potentially hazardous / note up to regs., and put stuff in place to fix them.  This got the old timers who run the sites hot under the collar.  
Like you, he was doing his job.  He saw a problem, or an issue with what was going down, and moved to fix it, offending others in the process.  Nasty trick of cognitive bias, I get the sense you both are about keeping your workplaces in fine trim because (regardless of job LIKE or job DISLIKE), it's kind of in your best interests to keep having a job.  Sad that some other folks see it as something to take personal offense to.  

[AFK]

I'm in a pretty bullshit position right now.  The number 2 on our Board is also the substance abuse coordinator at one of the school systems I work in.  Except, she calls herself a substance abuse counselor.  Except, she isn't actually licensed to be called one of those.  But, she's been there forever and the school actually treats her like she is one.  Meanwhile, my grant has actually hired two licensed counselors, one of which is in her school system.  

So, part of my job is to make sure these counselors can do their job.  That means addressing barriers that keep kids from getting referred to them and being aware of them.  Well, this person has become a barrier.  Because the school still thinks of her as a counselor and because she is clearly feeling intimidated that there are some people on her turf.  

But, she is the #2 on my agency's BOD.  So I have to deal with this politics bullshit.  And she's been a fuckin thorn in my side for the better part of the past year.  And it seems to be getting worst.  I just want to do my fuckin job and get kids help.  I don't need this turf crap.  

[Captain Utopia]

While I certainly don't mean to belittle your situation, isn't throwing a golden apple into office politics/bureaucracy, one thing we have some experience with?  If she's getting in the way of kids receiving help, isn't a little deviousness justified?  I'm not talking about getting her fired or whatever.. maybe it could be something as simple as finding some mandatory requirement/exercise that all counselors have to complete that she would be reluctant to do, and well, some invented term - auxiliary counselors would be exempt from?

[Suu]

Had this same chat with one of my SCA buddies recently.  He's hired to do job site safety, report things that are potentially hazardous / note up to regs., and put stuff in place to fix them.  This got the old timers who run the sites hot under the collar.  
Like you, he was doing his job.  He saw a problem, or an issue with what was going down, and moved to fix it, offending others in the process.  Nasty trick of cognitive bias, I get the sense you both are about keeping your workplaces in fine trim because (regardless of job LIKE or job DISLIKE), it's kind of in your best interests to keep having a job.  Sad that some other folks see it as something to take personal offense to.  

The baron?

[Luna]

Please tell me she isn't trying to actually give counseling without the proper training.

If she is, more than a little deviousness is called for.

(This falls under "fuck up your own life all you want, do NOT inflict fuckup on unsuspecting children.")

[LMNO]

If RWHN was a disinterested observer, causing disorder might be the best funniest thing.

However, RWHN is looking for a specific result, one which not only serves his current needs, but would also benefit his future needs.

So instead of apple throwing, I would suggest embracing the monkey politics, and getting all Vetinari on their asses.  Accept the monkey territorialsim, and do social hacks until you get the desired result.  Adapt yourself to be exactly the right fit for the other person, and make them do what you want.

In other words, this is a time to play the game, not smash the board.

[AFK]

Please tell me she isn't trying to actually give counseling without the proper training.

If she is, more than a little deviousness is called for.

(This falls under "fuck up your own life all you want, do NOT inflict fuckup on unsuspecting children.")

Well, that's the tricky part is no one really has a clear picture on what she is doing or not doing.  But from what I can tell, there is a blockage somewhere that is keeping referrals from getting to our actual counselor in the school system.  There is some anecdotal evidence from a couple of different sources that seems to suggest she may not be referring kids because she is determining they don't need that level of help. 

I think part of this is turf.  She was the only game in town before I and the counselor arrived.  But HER school applied and received this grant funding.  Her school system invited me to do the work I'm doing.  If they thought she could handle everything, they shouldn't have agreed to this being part of the work of the grant.  If they didn't want these stones turned over, they shouldn't have brought someone on board who was charged with turning over stones. 

It's like they were saying there was a problem, but now, there really isn't THAT much of a problem.  It's nuts.

But, I have to be careful.  She is high up on the board of the agency that cuts my paycheck. 

[AFK]

If RWHN was a disinterested observer, causing disorder might be the best funniest thing.

However, RWHN is looking for a specific result, one which not only serves his current needs, but would also benefit his future needs.

So instead of apple throwing, I would suggest embracing the monkey politics, and getting all Vetinari on their asses.  Accept the monkey territorialsim, and do social hacks until you get the desired result.  Adapt yourself to be exactly the right fit for the other person, and make them do what you want.

In other words, this is a time to play the game, not smash the board.

Yeah.  We are having a meeting next week to discuss this stuff.  It already looks like it is going to be a little tense given who will be around the table.  A golden apple will only make it worse.  I need to lay on the RWHN diplomacy charm nice and thick, but, try to give gentle nudges to the discussion so we are pointing in the direction I know we need to be pointing in. 

We'll see how it goes.  But I really do fear that when my time here is done, that it's all just going to go back to the way it was.  Some days this job really feels like an exercise in futility, at least, this specific portion of the work. 

[Luna]

Please tell me she isn't trying to actually give counseling without the proper training.

If she is, more than a little deviousness is called for.

(This falls under "fuck up your own life all you want, do NOT inflict fuckup on unsuspecting children.")

Well, that's the tricky part is no one really has a clear picture on what she is doing or not doing.  But from what I can tell, there is a blockage somewhere that is keeping referrals from getting to our actual counselor in the school system.  There is some anecdotal evidence from a couple of different sources that seems to suggest she may not be referring kids because she is determining they don't need that level of help. 

I think part of this is turf.  She was the only game in town before I and the counselor arrived.  But HER school applied and received this grant funding.  Her school system invited me to do the work I'm doing.  If they thought she could handle everything, they shouldn't have agreed to this being part of the work of the grant.  If they didn't want these stones turned over, they shouldn't have brought someone on board who was charged with turning over stones. 

It's like they were saying there was a problem, but now, there really isn't THAT much of a problem.  It's nuts.

But, I have to be careful.  She is high up on the board of the agency that cuts my paycheck. 

Hrm...  Okay, then.

What's needed it a more reliable way (read NOT through her hands) of getting the appointments made.  I'd say the method there needs to be looked at...  Rather than the requests (student initiated?  Teachers sending the kids in?) going across her desk, can you get a secretary in (to take some of the workload off, you're SO busy, and this is just scheduling stuff, it'll free you up for the IMPORTANT work you do) to take care of it?

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

RWHN, I'm sure you've thought of this, but just in case I'm throwin it out there....

Can you find a way to make her look good yet nudge her out of your way? 

One of those, "Oh you have done such a wonderful job at such and such school, now that we have Counselor Jones there, I'm wondering if that can free up your schedule enough so you could oversee...... >insert random busy work job here< .....because I don't think I'll be able to get >insert something actually important< ...done without your help.....

[AFK]

That was pretty much how it was sold from the beginning.  Having someone who can do treatment means she gets to do more prevention. 

The problem is the blurry line that exists in the field between prevention and treatment.  Well, I don't think it is very blurry but you know how people are with their clumsy perceptions and interpretations. 

[Luna]

That was pretty much how it was sold from the beginning.  Having someone who can do treatment means she gets to do more prevention. 

The problem is the blurry line that exists in the field between prevention and treatment.  Well, I don't think it is very blurry but you know how people are with their clumsy perceptions and interpretations. 

Nice and solid, actually.  "Prevention" means you deal with an auditorium full of the kids.  Treatment means you deal with them one-on-one.

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

Sounds like then your goal at this meeting is to make that a very discernable and no wiggle room line that everyone understands.  Nicely of course....