Your Name Is Your Integrity, And Your Attitude Is Annoying

One of my biggest annoyances is when people pick and moan about minor oversights or mistakes, especially when it doesn’t matter or is so trivial that it doesn’t even need to be mentioned.

[Employee] doesn’t see things my way. Even with something like a comma instead of a full stop, he practically inflates with self-satisfaction at pointing it out. I avoid sending anything to [Employee] and stick to verbal communication only.

Unfortunately, I have to give a report, and [Employee] is one of the people who have to sign it off. It takes me a few extra days to check and double-check my report — time wasted, in my book — but I am not going to be publicly humiliated over a stupid inconsequential spelling.

I have already gathered all the material, done some investigation, and compiled it all. I double- and triple-check everything and send it over email.

It takes a few days, but the various signatures start to come in and everyone seems to be okay with it. But I hear nothing from [Employee]. In the end, I have to chase him, again over email.

Me: “Have you managed to look over the report? It is now pending your signature.”

Employee: “Well, I have to check it, after the mistake in [report months ago]!”

Me: “We do have a deadline. Can you get this back before the end of the week?”

The week ends, and halfway through the next week, [Employee] emails everyone on the list.

Employee: “Sorry, I am unable to sign the report because of the number of mistakes! Page thirteen, line seven lists the factor as 7. But it should be 7.1! On page twenty-three, line two, the extract has the wrong number…”

And so on.

Senior Engineer: “[Employee], I gave [My Name] that information and he simply compiled that section. There is no value in making any of those changes. Please sign if they are your only concerns.”

Employee: “Sorry, but no, I cannot. My name is my integrity.”

Senior Engineer: “[Employee], the data was from your reports. The mistakes are yours. If you wish to cling to these issues, please sign and make the second amendment yourself.”

[Employee] signed the document that day!