This ball on the bench is prickly like a lot of people.
Say or do something that rubs them the wrong way and you got a sharp aching thorn in your side.
Hence the saying about handling them with “kid gloves” made from fine soft kid leather.
Handle tactfully and with special consideration or else get stung badly and suffer the pain and consequences. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So one of our contractors was moving on to a new position.
It was toward the end of the day, and I saw him getting ready to leave the building.
I went over to him to thank him for his service, tell him how we appreciated his contributions, and wish him well for the future.
Someone nearby overhead me talking with him, and in a lighthearted joking way says, “That’s not what you told me about him by the elevators [one of our typical watercooler chat spots],” and then he gave a big smile.
He is another wonderful person and I understood he meant it in complete fun, but I couldn’t help feeling bad for the other person, and his thinking perhaps that people were talking bad about him somehow.
I know I am a sensitive person, but somehow I could sort of feel the possible sting for the person leaving.
Sensing maybe something gone wrong, the other person came over afterwards and sort of apologized that he didn’t mean anything bad, which I knew of course.
We all like to have a good congenial relationship in the office, but I suppose even well-intentioned joshing around has to be thoughtful and with good timing. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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