The power of No!

Last thursday,I was in a meeting with my team lead(TL) and my manager(Apm) and the conversation went something like this.

TL: You have done more than we expected.Very good work indeed.
APM:Yeah
TL:In fact we have had no problems at all
APM: yeah yeah
TL:We know its very difficult without a backup resource.
APM:Yeah yeah
TL:You must train a resource as a backup for you so that he can handle all the work in your absence.This will be your goal for 2010.
Me thinks :My goal for entire 2010 is to train a backup resource?What kind of resource are they giving me???
APM: It will be a partial resource.
Me thinks: Halfbrained??
TL:Yeah
APM:But u cant use him
Me: eh??!!!
TL:Cos client wont agree to using anyone else.
Me thinks:So am getting a halfbrained resource whom I should train for the entire 2010 but not let the guy do any actual work???
Me:How abt a promotion?
TL:We cant say
APM:Yeah
TL:But market is picking up
APM:Yeah
TL:So depending upon company decision.We dont have any news abt it right now
APM:Yeah
Me thinks:Liars!!!

This Thursday,another meeting with the same folks.

TL:You said no to working on saturday
APM:Yeah,yeah.If we ask u have to work.
TL:You told me to tell onsite that u will not stay till 11 tonight as u have been asked to come in at 6 tomorrow morning.Why shud I tell it?
APM:You must do it.
Me:huh?
TL:Tell me .tell me why.I want to know.Tell me.WHY SHUD I TELL THEM?
Me:Well,cos everytime...
TL:TELL ME TELL ME ,MADAM.I WANT TO KNOW
Me:Yes,thats what am saying.The reason....
TL:TELL ME TELL ME TELL ME,I WANT TO KNOW
APM:This is very bad attitude.You are very inflexible and immature
Me :Cos I said No once?
TL:Tell me TELL ME..WHY SHUD I...
APM: ...irrespective of any personal needs,u must work if the project demands it...
Me:But I have always been available .I said No only this one time.
TL:Did we ever ask before?
Me:No.cos u didnt....
TL:TELL ME TELL ME.I WANT TO KNOW .TELL ME MADAM.
Me:......cos I was....
APM:Very bad
Me:... always available.
TL:TELL ME TELL,WHY SHUD I TELL ONSITE,TELL ME
Me:thats what am trying to....
TL:YES YES.TELL ME TELL ME.COME ON,TELL ME.
Me:I am trying to tell you.Please listen for a minute.
TL:We are wasting time going over it again and again.We are very flexible and mature and you shud also be flexible with us.In future we will expect us all to be flexible and mature.
Me:Ok
End of Meeting.

So within a week,from being a great resource I went to being an inflexible,unreliable,immature resource.And all cos I said No???Hmmm....Interesting....Some people cannot handle a No.:D
Moral of the story : People are entitled to their opinions,even stupid opinions.Does not mean that I have to agree with them just cos they are my superiors.But dont tell them you dont agree either.Just listen quietly and then go back to doing what you do.You may get a poor performance rating and no promotion.But frankly,after 5 years in this company,my priorities have changed.I get a decent pay which I intend to enjoy.Not wreck my life trying to earn more and more and more.
And to be honest,I did pop them both into white underwear patterned with red hearts and had to keep resisting an urge to giggle.Chuckle!!!