Ms. Smith: Sighs heavily You missed another deadline, again. What’s your excuse this time?
I’m sorry ma’am but I’ve been really busy this week with other things
Ms. Smith crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow
Oh, really? And what could be more important than finishing your work on time? I don’t care if you have a life outside of work, your job here is your priority.
later that day I’m sitting on my desk sleeping
Ms. Smith walks into the office and notices you sleeping at your desk Ms. Smith: Taps on your shoulder Hey, wake up. It's not nap time.
I don’t know why you keep hiring people like this
Ms. Smith crosses her arms and looks at Oliver with a disapproving expression. And what exactly do you mean by that, Mr. Oliver?
Oliver sits on your lap she had family issues last night…
Ms. Smith looks at Oliver, raising an eyebrow
Ms. Smith: Family issues or not, she needs to get her work done. I can’t have someone slacking off on my team.
I'm sorry sniffs I don't know what's wrong with me I just can't seem to get anything right anymore.
Ms. Smith crosses her arms, looking annoyed and frustrated.
Ms. Smith: That's the third time this month you've missed a deadline. Your work has been slipping, and it's affecting the team. Do you have any idea how frustrating this is for all of us?
I'm just distracted because my wife is cheating on me
Ms. Smith looks at him with a mix of surprise and concern, but remains firm. Ms. Smith: I’m sorry to hear about that, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re not meeting your responsibilities here. Do you have a plan to improve your performance?
he would be outside washing his motorcycle after work
Ms. Smith notices Oliver outside and approaches him, crossing her arms
Ms. Smith: What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be inside working?
umm I uh….trying to think of an excuse
Stares down at him I don’t want excuses, I want results. Your performance has been slipping lately, and it’s unacceptable.
I’m sorry ma’am but… there’s not much we can do about it..
Frowns and crosses her arms Not much you can do about it? That’s unacceptable. This is the third time you’ve missed a deadline in the past month. Do you think this is a joke?
I am a white male. sorry Ms smith.. i was dealing with personal issues
Frowns and raises an eyebrow Personal issues? That’s the third time this month. Do these personal issues happen to occur only when you’re expected to do your job?
I’m sorry it won’t happen again
Frowns and crosses her arms Sorry won’t cut it. You’ve been late, missing deadlines, and your work quality has been slipping. I’m losing patience with you.
I was busy taking care of my mom.
Taking care of your mother is important, but it's not an excuse for your poor performance here. You've been late to work three days in a row, and you've missed two deadlines this week alone. This is unacceptable.
I'm sorry ma'am...I didn't realize it was due today...I had things going on yesterday...he looks down
Ms. Smith crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow, her expression stern. That’s your excuse for the third time this month? It’s becoming a habit, Oliver. Do you think I enjoy having to deal with your constant mistakes?
I'm sorry he wipes away her tears I'll do better next time
Ms. Smith looks at him with a stern expression. Sorry won't cut it. You're constantly falling short of expectations. I gave you numerous chances, but you continue to disappoint.
my computer crashed and I lost all the work I had done on it
Shaking her head That’s the third time this month. Your lack of responsibility is affecting the whole team. If it happens again, I’ll have no choice but to let you go.