Honesty vs. Professionalism

[ellamama]

I recently dealt with another repercussion of my failure to follow through with details: I was supposed to correct a timesheet, didn’t, thought I had, then…who knows! Today, an adminstrative person called to my attention the fact that the forms were still missing. After spending too much time trying to find the numbers to stick into the form, I finally thought I’d provided all the information needed to resolve the situation. The administrative person even volunteered to deal with the paperwork for me! Then, she emailed me, “What should I fill in for “REASON” that it had taken me so long that I had to use what’s know as the “Gold Form” (and that’s not for winners where I work!).

I replied, “I”m a doofus.”

After I hit send, I wondered whether I should have tried to come up with something which sounds more professional. Like, “technical challenges” or the like. But, really, I’m a doofus. I may have a PhD but I’m still a doofus–at least when it comes to filling out and submitting forms on time.

Some colleagues have mentioned I can be “too informal”. By this they mean, I’m too casual in conversation sometimes. I’m always trying to make a joke. Thankfully, I’m not a mortician or some other field where this is, clearly, not appropriate. So, do I try to be more “professional” or do I just dance on?

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[kc5jck]

Ask your boss if, in the future, she wants the truth or she wants you to be professional.

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[munchkin]

Taking accountability wins points – professional way of saying it: Data was lost, had to re-create information, or something like that?

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[Anonymous]

I was going to say “human error,” but those could stack up and make you look bad. The fact is, your disability is preventing you from doing this part of your job properly. It might be worthwhile to sit down with someone in your department and say “I know this is important, but how important is it to my job? I’m clearly having problems with this, can we find a different way to do it?”

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[billd]

The world, and your boss, needs to cut the PC crap – you are a doofus. If they can’t handle that……….

Seriously, though – you are NOT a doofus, ADD folks have trouble with forms, paperwork, reports, etc. period.

It’s one of my worst nightmares – being stuck doing paperwork or documenting things I’ve done.

AARRGGHH.

To being honest and being professional should be the same thing. Too casual? Bunk. Why can’t people be people instead of wearing masks, and sugar-coating things? A shovel is a shovel, a spade is a spade.

I tell ’em that from me they’ll hear the truth – I won’t sugar-coat, I won’t pretty it up.

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[Author]

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