Mediation

Email from Personnel this morning. The mediation session between myself and Line Manager is not, now, going ahead this week as I had been led to believe. I delete this email without responding.

It's not that I am unable to work with Line Manager - not at all. We are already liaising about work matters (albeit in New Boss's presence) and within the main office environment are both endeavouring to behave as normally as possible. Only yesterday he brought over some papers which I had sent to the printer! He has also twice emailed me a thank you for matters I have attended to!! (I would not normally think the latter worth mentioning; except for the fact that thanking his staff is not Line Manager's strong point, and indeed I can't think of many occasions in the last twelve years when I have received such acknowledgements from him).

Line Manager is clearly making an effort. It's all "too little, too late" - but I nonetheless appreciate his gestures and am happy to reciprocate in return.

So today I actually smile at Line Manager as he enters a meeting (late) which I have organised; ask him to present on a certain item, and thank him for contributing helpfully at one point. I consider all these things to be appropriate, polite and professional responses - and that is all the organisation requires from me.

But at the end of the meeting, Line Manager does his "hovering" thing. He did this yesterday in the main office, picking up an envelope addressed to a former colleague Jamelia which was lying next to me (aaaaargh, I hate it when he fiddles with things on my desk) and trying to talk to me about our shared memories of her. I replied monosyllabically, because what I actually wanted to start screaming is "you're not my friend! What part of this statement do you not understand?? YOU ARE NOT MY FRIEND".

So when he starts "hovering" today, I instantly gravitate to others in the room. This is not difficult, because - joy of joys! - the room today is full of fabulous women. My glamorous pal Lynn is there, not giving away by look or gesture the fact that she knows all about my problems with Line Manager. A female police officer has just joined our team - a straight talking kind of woman one knows one can do business with. There is a lively women who has come along to talk about an event, the CEO of a local charity - oh, even unceremoniously retired Senior Female Colleague is there (albeit in another voluntary capacity). I am spoilt for choice ! Everywhere I turn, I am falling over intelligent, capable, inspiring, lovely women.

Line Manager eventually has to admit defeat, particularly when I twig that he is intending to help me carry meeting items back to my office and cunningly rope in two other attendees to assist me with this task. Line Manager heads for the door. I am not entirely heartless so as he passes I politely thank him for coming. I then turn back to continue my conversation with people I am actually fond of.

Mediation? Yes, I have agreed to it but only because it is going to cost the organisation a LOT of money. And this particular debt isn't one I feel like waiving.