I'm pretty new here, but unfortunately (or fortunately for entertainment's sake) I have lots of stories. One just happened a few days ago. I am the senior editor at a small publishing company, where we publish lifestyle-type magazines for various newspapers and other clients (think gourmet food, travel, interior design type publications). Anyway, I also have a baby due in six weeks, so I will be working half time from home as of January 1st. As a result, we hired a "managing editor" who reports to me, but will work here in the office full time. As senior editor, I work with the clients more, planning editorial, etc. and she will manage the schedules here in the office and write the stories that I don't have time to do, etc.
So managing editor (we'll call her Jane) started last Monday. We had finished our January/February magazines in mid-November, we are now at the point of proofreading them for mistakes before sending them to the printer. The graphic designer brings me a printout of a magazine to proofread. I tell her that she can give it to Jane first so that she gets used to proofing, and then I will look over Jane's edits when she's done. Graphic designer asks me if she should put Jane's name on the masthead (the part of the magazine that lists the contributors - sort of like the credits). I said sure, she is helping to proof it (rather generous on my part I must say since she hadn't worked on it at all, but whatever). Then on second thought, I told the designer to clear that with our boss (the company president) because he was planning to write a letter to our clients to introduce her, and I didn't want to disrupt his timing of that letter in any way. So graphic designer goes to the boss and asks him about it, he tells her to put the following:
Sylvia224, senior editor
Jane Doe, managing editor
Other lady, graphic designer
This is the natural order of things, so not surprising. Again, we really didnt' have to put Jane on the masthead at all, but wanted to make her feel appreciated, etcetera.
So Jane proofreads the document for the graphic designer, and then brings her changes to me, as requested. When she brings them to me though, the cover page, table of contents page and masthead pages are missing. I think nothing of it because it's very common for me to get these pages in stages, rather than all at once. UNTIL the graphic designer brings me the missing pages, marked up by Jane, with her jaw wide open. This woman (Jane) had instructed the graphic designer to cross my name off of the masthead completely. I cannot begin to explain how out of line this is - particularly for someone who had been working here for FOUR DAYS and was working under me! When the graphic designer ignored the request, she tried to get her to switch the order of the names, so that her name (as managing editor) was listed ahead of mine! This woman has done nothing but argue with me and challenge my authority since day one, but this really took the cake.
I hadn't even gotten the chance to speak with her or my boss about the situation (hadn't recovered from my shock) when my boss came into my office, obviously very annoyed with her (I'm assuming the graphic designer must have told him what happened). Anyway, he promptly gave me a raise, "just so everyone's clear on the fact that as senior editor, you are still calling the shots." So I guess her power ploy didn't work out too well, and she only succeeded in getting me a very random, very welcome raise.
Anyway, thanks for letting me share!
