No mention of it at the Community Center

[IcemanSK]

I had (what I thought) was an odd thing happen today at the monthly staff meeting of the Community Center where I teach my program. I feel kind of strange about it.

All of the "powers that be" know that I tested & passed my 3rd Dan test 2 weeks ago. Heck, they paid for the Conference where the test was! They make a big deal out of every accomplishment of the staff. (The guy who coached a boxer to a Golden Gloves win last week won Employee of the Month, tonight.) No one even mentioned that I went to Florida, let alone tested for a higher rank. Even a big deal was made of a boss that came back from a 2 week vacation. I don't know what I expected: beyond acknowledgement that I tested.

I'm not looking for anything special. And you all have been more than kind in your words to me about this. Am I asking too much from the folks who allow me to run a program at their facility? It's also where I work the rest of the day: so I'm not an "outside program." Am I being too sensitive? Do non-MA folks not get the importance of this?

 

[arnisador]

Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by incompetence. Assume an oversight or lack of understanding.

 

[Lisa]

Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by incompetence. Assume an oversight or lack of understanding.

I can't think of anything else to add to this. Arni's words are so true.

Important thing is that you are happy with your accomplishment and proud of everything you have done.

 

[Laurentkd]

Do non-MA folks not get the importance of this?

I am sure this is the case. I have found the exact same thing from friends and even family (who have seen me doing this for 19 years!!).

Still sucks though.....

You should tell a student to tell a higher-up about it or something, you definitely deserve the recognition!! Give me the address and I'll write them a letter telling them all about it myself!!!

 

[tkd_jen]

I agree with Arnisador, what a downer though. PM me their email or website and I'll let em know (politely of course!) what an outstanding achievement it is.

 

[Laurentkd]

Actually, if they were smart, they would write something up about it in the local paper. Would make you and the community center look good. Maybe write it yourself or talk to the PR person about it. Definitely something to take advantage of I think.

 

[IcemanSK]

Actually, if they were smart, they would write something up about it in the local paper. Would make you and the community center look good. Maybe write it yourself or talk to the PR person about it. Definitely something to take advantage of I think.

Part of the problem with that is that I have 2 bosses at the Center. One is over the sports programs (& therefore over ME, 4 hours a week). The other is my boss the rest of the day. Sadly, she thinks my time that I spent away from her programs is a waste of time. (Not because of what it is: but because it takes my undivided attention from her programs.) I will send an email to the Sports guy to let him know about that (& that our school was named to the Dean List in our organization [meaning we're doing very good stuff] in our 1st year of operation.) Apparently, that's not a normal event. We'll see what happens.

Thanks for your support.

 

[Carol]

Sadly, she thinks my time that I spent away from her programs is a waste of time.

Sounds like you nailed most of the issue right there.

 

[Laurentkd]

I will send an email to the Sports guy to let him know about that (& that our school was named to the Dean List in our organization [meaning we're doing very good stuff] in our 1st year of operation.) Apparently, that's not a normal event. We'll see what happens.

Thanks for your support.

Well congrats on that achievement as well!

 

[jdinca]

Am I being too sensitive? Do non-MA folks not get the importance of this?

Bingo.

Sadly, she thinks my time that I spent away from her programs is a waste of time.

Clueless and self centered.

 

[exile]

Ice, in your position I'd be pissed off as hell. Malice or incompetence, what this shows is a kind of lack of interest in the particular gifts and benefits that you bring to their program, a kind of taking-you-for-granted that they wouldn't dare extend to someone they wanted to cozy up to for whatever reason.

After witnessing more than thirty years of this sort of thing in the academic world, the only thing I can say is that a lot of times it's the hacks who wind up lording it over colleagues who give their departments what academic credibility it has. I'm fortunate that this isn't the case in my department, but I see it all the time in other departments and in central admin. It comes with the turf, and seems to me to be endemic to educational institutions in particular—and in an important sense, you're part of such an institution. So in a way, infuriating as it is, it's not surprising. Even so, in your situation I'd be tempted to go tear a strip off someone.

 

[jks9199]

I think that some folks are looking for either incompetence or malice, when what's at fault may be simple ignorance.

Most non-martial artists don't really understand martial arts ranking. Especially advanced black belt rankings. It's very likely that from the community center's viewpoint, they sent you to a conference related to the class you teach. You came back having successfully completed some training or having a new certificate... Kind of like when the basketball coach goes somewhere and gets a certificate in the new rules for the year, or someone goes to a "rec program development conference."

 

[wade]

Yo Ice, you want something official for them, let me know and we'll see what we can whip up.

 

[Adept]

Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by incompetence.

Quoted for truth.

Personally, I don't think it would upset me. Once upon a time, getting a new rank was a big deal for me. If someone didn't acknowledge it, I would have been quite upset.

These days, I think of it like any other qualification. It looks good on your resume, but is irrelevant in 'real life'. I vastly prefer training with friends without rank, in someones garage.

 

[Shaderon]

I think that some folks are looking for either incompetence or malice, when what's at fault may be simple ignorance.

Most non-martial artists don't really understand martial arts ranking. Especially advanced black belt rankings. It's very likely that from the community center's viewpoint, they sent you to a conference related to the class you teach. You came back having successfully completed some training or having a new certificate... Kind of like when the basketball coach goes somewhere and gets a certificate in the new rules for the year, or someone goes to a "rec program development conference."

I agree with this, I'd put it down to ignorance Ice, I know before I started MA I thought a BB was the end of it, that above that it was only administration type promotions, like in a company, once you've done all the training then after that it's just experience. Perhaps explaining what it is and what it means might help? And yes I agree, get the local paper to cover it, it would be a big publicity for your classes at the centre.

 

[Adept]

Having thought about it some more, I'd be pissed off that, even though they knew I had been away to recieve further accreditation, no one bothered to mention it. It's just rude, given how they noted that other people had done similar things, and one of them had just returned from holidays which also recieved notice.

 

[IcemanSK]

I appreciate everyone's thoughts on this. I'll tell you what I did. I sent an email to the sports coordinator & copied the rest of the senior staff on it. (Including the person who used to run the Center & now oversees that & many more programs). The sports coordinator & the head of the entire program are new, so they don't know the history of how things got to be.

I told them that, in addition to my receiving my 3rd Dan, our school was listed on the organization's Dean's List in it's 1st year of operation (a rare thing). Then I thanked them for all of their help & support & recounted how I came to teach my program at the Center in the 1st place.....It was all their idea. I started by agreeing to help the gentlemen who ran the karate program (he said he needed someone who could teach his kids how to kick). I did this on my days off. When the then head of the Center heard about this, she insisted that it become part of my regular work at the Center. I became the liasion between that program (that was off-site from the Center) & the Center itself. Within a few months, the powers that be asked me to run a program of my own. I researched & found that GM Sell was willing to take me on as a student as I ran my program. When the original Karate instructor decided to step down 5 days before he was supposed to receive a new group of beginning students, I squeezed 2 months of prep time to open my school into those 5 days & I was ready to go.

My goal was to not only recount how we got to be this far, but to thank them & remind them that it's all been at their urging & support. Yes, I've done an awful lot of hard work to get to the place where we are. But I figured that letting them know how smart they are for backing me was the best way to get their attention.

As many of you have said, ignorance, rather than malice, is probably the issue. I agree in restrospect. That's why my new goal is to make sure they are no longer in the dark. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Shaderon]

Good on you Ice! It sounds like you've done the right thing amd I'm sure someone will be a bit red faced and realise they've not congratulated you properly.

Please yes let us know what happens...

 

[shesulsa]

Iceman, you took undoubtedly the best route. Even if they are uncaring, you have provided them with an account of the relationship and your achievements and you did so in a gentlemanly way.

Kudos again! :asian:

 

[Laurentkd]

My goal was to not only recount how we got to be this far, but to thank them & remind them that it's all been at their urging & support. Yes, I've done an awful lot of hard work to get to the place where we are. But I figured that letting them know how smart they are for backing me was the best way to get their attention.

sounds like you took a perfect approach to this!!

As many of you have said, ignorance, rather than malice, is probably the issue. I agree in restrospect. That's why my new goal is to make sure they are no longer in the dark. I'll keep you posted.

Good plan! Now that you have been shafted once, you have figured out what needs to be done to not allow it to happen in the future. And, is these people are good at their jobs, they won't WANT to be left in the dark. All around.. sounds like you handled it all very well!!