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My work on a political campaign in Seattle
Posted by: Submit_News |
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I worked for an initiative/referendum campaign some time ago. I had moved out from the East Coast for the job. What I've read on this board does sound oddly famliar. I guess I did experience some serious passive aggressive behavior in the course of my employment. I just never really thought much about it until I stumbled onto this site.
Thinking back on it, no one on the campaign would communicate a criticism directly to me--it was all through 3rd parties. In this kind of a context, I found that my own personal directness really freaked some folks out. For example, after I first got to Seattle and did a review of the situation, I informed the campaign's steering committee that the campaign was in bad shape and we needed to kick things into gear. Afterwards, I received word through a 3rd person that everyone was very upset about what I had said, but seemingly not concerned by the fact that campaign was in bad shape. It became apparent that the steering committee wanted me to say positive things about the campaign's status regardless of how things actually were.
The worst thing is I felt like I started getting sucked into this group dysfunction.
I had always chalked the wierdness up to the people I worked with because other Seattlites seemed more normal.
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Re: My work on a political campaign in Seattle
by evil_jackass on Jul 02, 2007 - 05:05 PM
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That sounds about right for the environment up here. People are sensitive and non-confrontational, but show their displeasure by being passive-aggressive.
They call East Coast type A directness "rude" and, ignoring their own dysfunction, openly criticize it as the wrong way to act.
Another difference you probably saw is that, while the East Coast style is to communicate more (status updates, keeping people in the loop) the people in Seattle don't do that, leaving you wondering if they're doing anything that they're supposed to be doing or not. Sometimes, they still get things done, other times, they seem to "forget" and you have to re-explain it to them. Then, they act like you're the asshole for micromanaging them.
Not trying to take their side on Shmeng, but, from what I've seen, Seattle's changed a lot in the past 15 years or so. It's grown, become more gentrified and expensive, and people from all over the country have settled here. The locals are defensive about this because they're really small-town minded. There's a circle the wagons us vs them mentaility here and, since they're not confrontational, I think that's where the passive-aggressive crap comes from.
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