non-violent communication [0] and sales culture [1] both teach us that when someone makes a request, we can either take it at face value, or try to understand t

non-violent communication [0] and sales culture [1] both teach us that when someone makes a request, we can either take it at face value, or try to understand the underlying need. In Rachel's case, the requests kept on being red herrings, because whatever this person's underlying need, it wasn't for the design doc to be in the wiki or whatever. A process of discovery might have been a better track than continually trying to hit a moving target. Then again, when I've been on the other side of a moving target -- when a supervisor kept coming up with things I was doing wrong that never quite jelled together -- it was because a decision about my continued employment had already been made in principle, but no one was acknowledging it head-on for political/legal reasons. In that situation, I don't think there's any way to get off-script except just to quit, which is exactly what your supervisor and HR department are probably hoping for. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21263894 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21263894 [1] https://www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2001/12/03/smallb3.html https://www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2001/12/03/smallb3...