Performance Reviews and other nonsense.

My performance review went well. I got a little raise, which is good. I didn't ask for anything more, because....well I'm a bit of a pansy when it comes to sticking up for myself.
Dozens of positive comments were made. 2 areas of improvement were offerred.

Of course, being me, I'm focusing on the negative.

1. Should make more of an effort to be proactive (going after projects/workstreams etc.). Fair enough. I've been really hands-off and reactionary to lately because I've felt overloaded with the tasks I have. In the past, I used to offer my talents on a few projects. And after being shot down a few times, I stopped caring. I used to push my superiors to include me, where appropriate, in communications planning and execution for our little group. Promises were made, then promptly forgotten. But, I didn't really pursue it beyond that. So, this is somewhere I will accept the criticism and work at.

2. Someone mentioned that my professionalism could be improved. Ok, here is where I'm getting worked up. Our whole group is rather casual, but I'm the least so of them all. I try to be personable, but really have very few interactions with people.

I've studied corporate social behavior, and when this glossed-over criticism is given, it can often be code for several things. Such as, being young, someone doesn't like the way you dress, they want to say something negative, but don't really want to say anything condemning, something negative needs to be written so if they feel like firing you later on, you can't sue (under the pretense that if I was so awful, why was my performance review so positive?). Or any number of random things.

So, in an effort to be more "professional" I will cancel out the personable portion of my behavior. "Cold and distant" will replace my former warmth. I will no longer chat with my coworkers on the rare occassions they deem it necessary to speak with me. I will be curt and to the point without any niceties like, "Thank you."

Could it be I'm just a little pissy and overreacting? Well, duh. If you've read this for longer than say, 9 sentences, you'd know that.

Happy Friday, I feel the plague coming on, and there's a couch with my name on it.