The Contemporary Heroine Surviving the Workplace

by Libby Malin, guest blogger

In my novel, FIRE ME, the heroine Anne Wyatt embarks on a crazy adventure-trying to earn her boss' negative attention so that he'll choose her for the employee lay-off he has scheduled by the end of the day. Although she'd planned to hand in her resignation anyway, she decides the severance package attached to the lay-off is just too sweet to resist.  In a day devoted to outrageous stunts, she learns a lot about herself, her choices in life and in love.

Survival for Anne during this loony day means just the opposite - getting kicked off the team. So she has to turn every good-girl instinct on its head, and ask herself: what is the opposite of what I'd normally do?

If she'd normally think twice about using the boss' expense account for pricey treats for the staff, she now has to let herself go on a spending spree with his money.

If she'd normally be careful what information she let get out to eager reporters, she now has to abandon her scruples and reveal company "secrets" (that aren't even real!).

If she'd normally take time and effort meticulously preparing the employee newsletter, she now has to allow herself to let embarrassing mistakes slip in that poke fun at the boss.

Oh, and if she'd normally sit still like a schoolgirl in her cubicle, she now has to shed her inhibitions and dance and sing up a storm!

The list goes on and on as she looks for more creative-and more attention-grabbing-activities to pull her boss' negative vibes her way.

As I wrote Anne's antics, I had a heckuva good time imagining what I would do (if I'd ever have the courage, that is) to bollix up work assignments so badly I'd know my boss would want to let me go. I think Anne's story taps into fantasies we've all had at one time or another when stuck in a job we don't care for or working for a boss who's less than...kind.

On a more serious note, though, if I were really doling out survival advice to women in the workplace, I'd have to say beware of office romance!  Anne doesn't manage to skate past this one, but she does have mixed results, seizing one opportunity she should have let pass and nearly missing another she should have snatched up.

Although Anne's adventures have her deliberately acting a bit on the zany side, most contemporary heroines and real-life professionals would also want to maintain a business-like posture in the office, not resorting to silly pranks. I think this is especially important for women who, unfortunately, still struggle to be valued equally in some workplaces. Sad but true.

So if I were giving real-life advice to women in the workplace, it would be: take yourself seriously and expect others to do the same. Even Anne takes her job of trying to get fired seriously, applying all her skills, talents, and resources to the task!

For more about FIRE ME and my other books, check out my website at www.LibbysBooks.com

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Tagged as: anne wyatt, choices in life, company secrets, crazy adventure, cubicle, employee newsletter, expense account, good girl, inhibitions, Libby Malin, negative attention, negative vibes, office romance, outrageous stunts, scruples, severance package, spending spree, survival advice, women in the workplace, work assignments

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