Ug, there is a point of contact at another office that I interface with somewhat regularly. She's pretty snippy via email and her last few emails to me have been just plain rude. My team leader noticed and told me that I didn't do anything to provoke her, she's just like that. But I'm worried my boss will start to think I've done something to offend this woman. So I replied to the last email apologizing for having offended her and that I would XYZ differently going forward as she requested.
I'll be seeing her at a meeting later today and part of me wants to address this directly, but it probably would be better to just deal with it indirectly by roll modeling the kind of professional behavior I wish she'd exhibit. I'm leaning towards indirect, but ug, I kinda dread having to deal with this again and again in the future. We're supposed to be collaborative offices, working hand in hand, and I don't see how that's supposed to happen when the POC is so rude to our staff.
Re: Rudeness: to address directly?
I would try to shrug it off. I had a person in another office much the same way. She was very rude and condescending in e-mails, and a little in person too. Everyone knew it though, so I just had to take a deep breath when opening an e-mail or talking with her, and let it out. Don't apologize unless you did something wrong to provoke it, or gave her a dose of her own medicine.
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Our adoption journey: Talkin' 'Bout the Next Generation