Summer Shames - Co-worker evaluation time

Tami and Dash make the most of their summer break from regular programming to evaluate each other: the good, the bad, the shameful. Will Tami make it back for season 3? What's really been bugging Tami about working with Dash? You'll find out. 

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Transcript

Speaker 1 0:01

It's Summer Shames, it's Summer Shames, it's Summer Shames.

Speaker 2 0:06

Hmm, he says he's not ashamed.

Speaker 1 0:09

I'm ashamed, you're ashamed, they should be ashamed. We call that repressed shame.

Speaker 2 0:15

Well, she needs to tame the shame and move on.

Speaker 1 0:18

Is it a Jewish thing, maybe?

Speaker 2 0:20

You tell me.

Speaker 1 0:24

I'm Tammy Sussman and in this special series of A Shame to Admit, I'm going to squeeze some of the chewiest shames out of TJI's Executive Director, dr Dashiell Lawrence.

Speaker 2 0:36

While your third cousin overshares her chewiest faux pas.

Speaker 1 0:40

Welcome to your weekly dose of Summer Shames. So Dash, as the person in this podcast duo who actually has like a proper job in an institution with an HR department.

Speaker 2 1:02

I'm not sure I'd call the Jewish Independent an institution.

Speaker 1 1:06

So what is it? A company, a organisation, a press?

Speaker 2 1:11

Well, we've actually just this week been granted charity status, so we're a charity.

Speaker 1 1:16

Is that why you've employed me?

Speaker 2 1:19

That's right.

Speaker 1 1:21

So is there an HR department?

Speaker 2 1:24

I'm the HR department. Okay, tammy, we're coming up to nearly 12 months of your engagement with the Jewish Independent and I think it's high time that we review the fit.

Speaker 1 1:35

So has the past nine months been like a probation period.

Speaker 2 1:39

Didn't you read that in the contract, in the fine print?

Speaker 1 1:43

I'm not very good at reading fine print, evidently.

Speaker 2 1:46

Okay, we always needed to have, you know, a panic button within reach or breaks that we could apply. So this is the mechanism we've got. We've got your nine monthly evaluation to whip through.

Speaker 1 2:01

You would be surprised by how many people have said to me over the years in different contexts that I need a panic button nearby. Some breaks, okay. I am both offended by those comments and also like completely understand.

Speaker 2 2:20

You understand? Hey, to be fair, it's opportunity for you to evaluate me and let me know about the fit. It goes both ways.

Speaker 1 2:28

Yeah, that's true. So Dash and I have both been given a template, a co-worker evaluation form, and we've completed them in our own time, and now we're going to share what we've written. The instructions of the evaluation criteria were to rate the co-workers' performance in each area using the scale below and provide examples or comments where applicable. Could you tell our listeners what the rating scale was?

Speaker 2 2:58

It was a scale of one, two, three. So one needs improvement, two meets expectations, three exceeds expectations.

Speaker 1 3:09

So for team collaboration, dash meaning, do you work well with team members that's me and do you contribute ideas? I gave you a three. You exceeded my expectations.

Speaker 2 3:22

Okay, I gave you a three as well.

Speaker 1 3:23

Fantastic, we're off to a great start. Any comments?

Speaker 2 3:27

Not yet. I've got comments to come.

Speaker 1 3:29

We're working up to that. Yeah, communication skills Does my coworker, dash Lawrence, clearly and effectively communicate in meetings? I said two, you meet expectations and you communicate clearly and effectively. In between mouthfuls of protein balls, I said sometimes the shaking of your protein shakes muffles your sound a bit.

Speaker 2 3:53

I gave you three and my comment was just simply loves a chat.

Speaker 1 4:01

Loves a bit of chit-chat.

Speaker 2 4:03

Yeah.

Speaker 1 4:04

Okay. Good banterability can you be relied upon to meet deadlines? I gave you a two. You meet expectations. I couldn't give you a three because your work is rarely submitted early but it's always on time. So if you were to always beat your deadline I would have given you a three, can't complain.

Speaker 2 4:26

I think that's very generous of you, given that I'm usually late for our recordings. I gave you three out of three for dependability and I said Tammy is always there before me.

Speaker 1 4:40

Both physically, emotionally, there before you. Intellectually I'm a few steps behind, but thank you, that was a very generous score. Okay, problem solving Does my co-worker offer creative solutions to team challenges? I gave you one needs improvement for problem solving.

Speaker 2 5:03

Okay.

Speaker 1 5:04

The example that I gave you. One needs improvement for problem solving. Okay, the example that I gave. Once you left your podcast equipment on the other side of Melbourne and you were going to be late for an interview and you said don't worry, tammy, I'll hop on my bicycle and be there in 15 minutes. And I said Dash, it kind of sounds like an Uber kind of emergency situation to me. And you said yeah, I think you're right. So I think your problem solving skills could be a little bit better, and I think it mostly comes down to the way that you tend to think that most problems can be solved with riding a bicycle somewhere. Do you think that's fair?

Speaker 2 5:46

Absolutely. Look, I probably have some unorthodox methods. I think I'm generally pretty logical and not a bad problem solver, but there are people that would differ to that account. Look, I gave you three. You're coming up chumps with me's not a competition.

Speaker 2 6:03

Dash comes up with great solutions to problems or any hurdles she faces such as oh look, if we've got a guest that's pulled out or we've got to suddenly change the focus of a particular episode, you're always ready to come up with a solution, and you're always kind of ready to solve the problem even before it's become very pressing. So thumbs up.

Speaker 1 6:33

He's giving me a thumbs up and regretting his responses. Okay, With regards to respect and professionalism. I rated you three. You exceed expectations. Dash, you are a mensch. Oh, thank you no doubt about it.

Speaker 2 6:51

That makes me feel really special today. I need it. I give you a two Very respectful, very respectful.

Speaker 1 7:14

However, Tammy could use a refresh of the wardrobe with regard to attire, Firstly tell me what's wrong with my attire?

Speaker 2 7:21

Nothing's wrong with your attire. I didn't say anything was wrong with your attire. I just said that that's an area of potential improvement. It's a growth area.

Speaker 1 7:27

Okay, so you think I could be a bit more business casual?

Speaker 2 7:31

Growth mindset. Tammy, Where's your growth mindset?

Speaker 1 7:35

My growth mindset? No, but I just don't understand it, Like because it's with regards to professionalism.

Speaker 2 7:42

Tammy. We went to a meeting with a big dog last week in Sydney and you turned up with like it was funny, it was quirky, it was very Tammy Sussman.

Speaker 1 7:55

I was wearing a vintage t-shirt from a bagel shop in Chicago that my dead step-grandfather left me.

Speaker 2 8:05

Yep, yep, yep, a baseball cap and you weren't wearing a bra.

Speaker 1 8:12

That was an accident.

Speaker 2 8:15

Well, look, when you've got meetings with big dogs in the high end of town in Sydney, you come with like shoulder pads. You know I'm thinking pixie skates from the 1980s. You know, show a bit of professionalism, get some bling jewellery out, okay, you know. Clean lines, okay, sharp.

Speaker 1 8:34

You know what Think, boss, that is totally fair.

Speaker 2 8:37

Don't think bottom of the vintage barrel, you know.

Speaker 1 8:41

I saw this meme yesterday and it was basically this woman who had screenshot a email exchange between her and her superior at work and she said to her superior I have to cancel this meeting. I'm really sorry for my lack of professionalism in doing so. And her superior wrote back no need to apologize, professionalism was invented by the patriarchy ah, yes, yeah, so true, so true so true, but also wear a bra, especially when the t-shirt's beige.

Speaker 1 9:14

Okay, contribution to team goals. Do you, dash Lawrence, help this duo achieve team targets and offer support? I rated you a three. You exceed my expectations, except that time you told me that I should consider becoming a drama teacher. Because, dash, how the hell are we going to be the next Kyle and Jackie-O if I have a full-time, soul-destroying job elsewhere?

Speaker 2 9:41

I didn't tell you you should become a drama teacher. It was a question have you ever considered drama teaching, which I get granted, is the sort of thing that your concerned mother or grandmother or relative asks. It's not something that your partner in podcasting crime should be asking. So I'm sorry, just looking out for you. It came from a good place. It came from a good place.

Speaker 1 10:08

I did ask you how you think I could make some extra money on the side.

Speaker 2 10:13

You know when you're throwing out OnlyFans and all sorts of other left of field options. I just felt like let's get back to some fundamentals here. You're a great communicator. You're an excellent dramatist. You are able to inject a lot of energy into a room. You'd make a great trauma teacher. Have you ever considered it?

Speaker 1 10:39

What I was hoping you'd say is Tammy, all those skills would be really great as a head of podcasts at the Jewish Independent and here's this role that we've all just created for you Didn't work out that way.

Speaker 2 10:54

Head of podcasts. Okay, I mean, you didn't even ask me. I gave you a three, by the way, and you know the comments are relevant, but you know it was definitely pumping you up, that's for sure. Thanks, Just know that you definitely got a higher score than I got.

Speaker 1 11:09

It's not a competition, what's? With this patriarchal lens of a competition. I'd like to know what you said about me and how I contribute to team goals.

Speaker 2 11:19

Just said doing a great job for the team. That's all. That's all I'm going to say. Not really worth going into the details.

Speaker 1 11:26

I reckon you said more, but now you're ashamed to share it.

Speaker 2 11:30

It's okay, let's move on to the open-ended questions.

Speaker 1 11:32

You didn't write anything at all, did you no?

Speaker 2 11:35

I did, I did.

Speaker 1 11:39

Open-ended questions.

Speaker 2 11:40

You didn't write anything at all, did you? No, I did. I did Open-ended questions. Why don't you go first this time? What are this co-worker's greatest strengths? Tammy is a fun co-worker who has many strengths that cannot be simply distilled into a single strength. Tammy is showing great progress towards her goals as a podcaster at TJI and general content creator, and I look forward to working with Tammy Sussman in 2025.

Speaker 1 12:06

I've been watching you. You're not reading off a sheet of paper, you just made that up on the spot.

Speaker 2 12:11

Not bad huh.

Speaker 1 12:12

You have not done your homework, I have.

Speaker 2 12:15

I did my homework early this morning in between very important meetings.

Speaker 1 12:21

I'm taking a point off for dependability. Can you be relied upon to meet deadlines?

Speaker 2 12:27

Of course I can.

Speaker 1 12:28

You were a two and now you're a one.

Speaker 2 12:33

Not meeting expectations. Okay, this is what I wrote for you Shifty expectations. Dash what I wrote for you Shifty expectations.

Speaker 1 12:37

Dash. These are your greatest strengths. I'm going to provide examples of how you have positively impacted the team. You're inquisitive, you're enthusiastic, you're articulate, you're patient, you're highly intelligent and you remind me to ask the smart questions. You're a person of integrity, and we mustn't forget your cute face.

Speaker 2 13:10

Tammy, now I feel terrible that I didn't put up a proper answer to this. Put more effort into it? Yeah, so you should. I didn't put more effort.

Speaker 1 13:17

Okay, and cute face. My mother and Elise Hurst wanted me to make sure that that was in there.

Speaker 2 13:24

Thank you, louise, and thank you Elise.

Speaker 1 13:26

Okay.

Speaker 2 13:27

It's nice to still be approaching 40, just around the corner, and be told that I have a cute face.

Speaker 1 13:32

There you go, you're approaching 40. I did catch my mother looking at pictures of you on LinkedIn yesterday and I said, mum, what are you doing? And she said, how old's Dash. And I said, mum, this is your workplace. Shouldn't you be doing some invoicing, paying some wages? Louise and I looked over and my dad's sitting they work together and my dad's at his computer and I'm like Dad, are you aware of this? And he just shrugs. So you'll be 40 on the 19th of April.

Speaker 2 14:03

Oh God, yes, Thank you for the reminder. I'll also be in London for the London Marathon and bringing had to slip it in, had to slip it in, and we'll have a special Ashamed to Admit episode coming out at that time. Just a bit of dropping some breadcrumbs for season three.

Speaker 1 14:22

Are you going to London alone or with the family?

Speaker 2 14:25

I'm going alone.

Speaker 1 14:26

So you'll be celebrating your 40th on your own.

Speaker 2 14:30

No, that's not true. I'm actually going the morning after my 40th. Oh okay, the 20th. Yeah, I just don't want to be contacted over that period. In general, please Okay, unless you're sending good wishes to me or donating, because I'm raising money for charity while I'm over it.

Speaker 1 14:48

Oh.

Speaker 2 14:48

More information to come on when we return for season three.

Speaker 1 14:52

Okay, well, I'm also raising money.

Speaker 2 14:55

Oh yeah, what for?

Speaker 1 14:56

For a full-time role at the Jewish Independent. Okay, so are there any areas where this coworker could improve? Have you written anything for me, or do you want me to just say?

Speaker 2 15:09

yours, I think I put technical issues from time to time. That's fair, isn't it?

Speaker 1 15:14

Yeah, that's fair.

Speaker 2 15:16

Hey, you're pretty good for the most part.

Speaker 1 15:18

Yeah, I don't think those technical issues were my fault, to be honest. But you're right, there are some areas where I could improve.

Speaker 2 15:26

They were the microphone's fault for standing in the wrong direction.

Teamwork and Feedback Evaluation

Speaker 1 15:29

That's true, that one was my fault. Yeah, yeah, okay For you. I wrote the areas where you could improve punctuality answering my phone calls when you're on the toilet, because I know you're screening them.

Speaker 2 15:43

I generally answer your phone calls.

Speaker 1 15:50

You do, except there's like a certain time of day where you don't answer them, and I think that must be. He must be pretty regular, and that's when he's doing his poop and scroll and doesn't want to be bothered by me. And when you call me and I'm on the toilet, I answer the phone. So I just think it's fair that it's reciprocated. Another area where you could improve is getting Jess Fox on the show, because you're the one with her email address and you were the one who used to correspond with her in 2016.

Speaker 2 16:17

It would be great to get either of the Fox sisters on. A shame to admit, Naomi did also win gold.

Speaker 1 16:23

That's true, but she wasn't in the book that you edited, People of the Boot.

Speaker 2 16:28

The Triumphs and Tragedy of Australian Jews in Sport, that's right.

Speaker 1 16:31

But Jess was. There was a whole chapter written about her.

Speaker 2 16:35

That's right. Yesitten by Carly Adno.

Speaker 1 16:37

Uh-huh.

Speaker 2 16:38

Yep.

Speaker 1 16:39

And so you were in touch with Jess around this time. Was it 2016?

Speaker 2 16:44

2018,. I think Circa 2017,.

Speaker 1 16:47

You were in touch with Jess Fox. You had her email address.

Speaker 2 16:52

You had yes, tammy, yes, you've made your point. Okay, go on. Okay, yes, tammy, yes, you've made your point.

Speaker 1 16:55

Okay.

Speaker 2 16:55

Go on.

Speaker 1 16:57

Are there areas you could improve? Laughing more audibly at my jokes?

Speaker 2 17:02

I've come some way. I've definitely been a bit more generous in the dolloping of laughs in season two.

Speaker 1 17:12

You've improved.

Speaker 2 17:14

I crack a wry smile pretty frequently and that wry smile breaks out into the occasional Wry smile does not translate well in an audio format. That's true. I just don't like canned laughter, you know.

Speaker 1 17:29

Is that what you're saying? That you have to fake it?

Speaker 2 17:33

Do you fake laugh sometimes when I say something that you don't actually find that funny?

Speaker 1 17:37

Never, I don't know how to fake laugh. Okay, can you please describe a specific instance where I displayed exceptional teamwork?

Speaker 2 17:48

A specific instance. Well, look, you've been, you've been, you're very good at the start with the organisation of our show materials. You got the Google Drive up, you created the folders, you created the scripts, led the charge on that front and continue to, to be honest. So that's a specific demonstration of exceptional teamwork.

Speaker 1 18:18

Thank you.

Speaker 2 18:20

You know there's no I in teamwork. It's all about what the team needs, and what the team needs is a good Google Drive folder structure, and that you have created, tammy Swissman.

Speaker 1 18:34

Thank you.

Speaker 2 18:35

Note to any potential employers out there Tammy's excellent on the Google Drives and will frequently remind me of a Monday morning to put the show up, or of a Thursday afternoon to upload my audio. Those are all specific examples of excellent teamwork.

Speaker 1 18:54

Thank you, and I noticed that you said to all future employers of Tammy is that like? You trying to get moving.

Speaker 2 19:02

This is my subtle way of getting to the crunch of the evaluation. Yeah, no, we're keeping you.

Speaker 1 19:09

So I said that you demonstrate exceptional teamwork when you upload the podcast to all the podcast platforms.

Speaker 2 19:18

Uh-huh.

Speaker 1 19:19

And when you defend me when listeners send in complaints, I think that's great.

Speaker 2 19:25

Ooh, that's nice. I didn't realise. Am I a bit? Do I go into like sort of papa bear mode a bit? Do you think no, oh, okay.

Speaker 1 19:34

No, you're actually very diplomatic. You're like, I hear those concerns. I also shared some of those concerns and here at the Jewish Independent we try to, and I know that what you'd really love to say is yeah, that interview with Alex Rivchin was a bit superficial and yeah, tammy could have really asked some hard hitting questions, but she really just wanted to know how Vicky Rivchen feels about women and gay men objectifying her husband. So I'm sorry that I didn't steer that interview in the right direction.

Speaker 2 20:11

I'll always be there to back you up.

Speaker 1 20:13

That's good to know. How do I handle feedback or conflict?

Speaker 2 20:18

I put here. Very well, I don't think we've had, I don't know. Have we had a fight? Have we had a conflict?

Speaker 1 20:25

No, how does Dr Dashiell Lawrence handle feedback or conflict? I said he turns into a whiny brat and I gave the Bumba snack example when I just suggested when, dash, you might recall.

Speaker 2 20:40

You did come down on me quite harshly.

Speaker 1 20:42

Firstly, let me describe this incident because it never made it to a podcast. Back in November the Jewish Independent brought out a film Pitta with Vegemite, for the Jewish International Film Festival and Dash was telling me how excited he was that the team at the Jewish Independent had created a little snack pack for viewers of the film to receive at the Ritz in Randwick. And he said included in this snack pack are Bumba snacks. And I said to Dash Dash, you can't give people Bumba snacks because it contains peanuts and people will go into anaphylactic shock. And instead of saying, oh, that's a really good point, tammy Dash says well, I wasn't the one who made the snack pack. It wasn't me, sharon. Sharon made the snack pack. Why are you accusing me of trying to murder all the Jews of Sydney and Melbourne? I've rewatched the footage of that and I actually wasn't coming down hard on you at all. I think I was communicating effectively. I think you'd had a bad day.

Speaker 2 21:51

Your impersonation of me is not your best, I have to say it's true.

Speaker 1 21:57

Do you rate my impersonation? One Needs improvement.

Speaker 2 22:01

Yeah, no, no. No, you're a pretty good impersonator when it comes to certain characters, but I didn't like that one of them, not really. Yeah, I take that point. That's fair enough. In the end we got busily. So I did contact Sharon and say I think we need to get busily. She sorted it out.

Speaker 1 22:19

Not after a small panic attack.

Speaker 2 22:21

Hey, at least it wasn't an anaphylactic attack.

Speaker 1 22:26

Could have been worse. Okay. Do I feel that my coworker, dash Lawrence positively influences team morale and I said yes, because sometimes you send me texts that read your interview with insert name was terrific, well done. I really like it when I get those texts from you.

Speaker 2 22:46

Nice. It's nice to have your belly scratched once in a while or get a special little treat or something. This is definitely one of your strengths, Tammy. You definitely keep morale high, except for those days when you don't, and that's fine. You don't always have to be upbeat and fun, but nine times out of 10 you are. So, yeah, you're great for the laughs. That's what I wrote here.

Speaker 1 23:11

Thank you. I like to think that one of my greatest strengths is that, even when I'm having a really bad day, I still like to lift other people. You know, without toxic positivity, like I'll criticize all your life choices, but then I'll say something funny and that'll make you feel better.

Speaker 2 23:32

Yeah, it is a strategy for dealing with all the things that life throws at you, and it's probably a survival strategy that has served you and others in your family well, I reckon, because these things usually go from generation to generation. Right? Was your hot ancestor really into making light of bad situations when he was locked up in jail? What's his name? I've forgotten his name Lakofsky Edward.

Speaker 1 23:58

Every time you say hot ancestor, the ghost of Edward Lukofsky just materializes and freaks the dog out. I don't know if Hot Ancestor Edward Lukofsky had that skill, I'd imagine that he did. I'd like to read the summary. I'm your evaluator, dash, and here are your final comments. You bring journalistic integrity, sensitivity and empathy to the Ashamed to Admit team. You excel in collaboration, professionalism and you demonstrate intelligence and a willingness to support others, particularly through thoughtful encouragement and practical contributions like managing podcast uploads. However, there is room for growth in areas such as punctuality and addressing vital concerns like laughing more audibly at jokes. The end.

Speaker 2 24:54

Very nice, that's a good one.

Speaker 1 24:56

You didn't write a summary. I know it's fine.

Speaker 2 25:00

Well, tammy, once again I am blown away by your generosity and your kind words and the sincerity with which you've taken this exercise. You have absolutely shown me up and I am more than a bit ashamed that I haven't gone to the lengths, that you have to really think about this. All I have for you, tammy, is a simple keep up the good work, and I've done the evaluation and I can tell you now you are exceeding expectations. I don't have a stamp here on my desk, but if I did, I'd pull out this report now, stamp it, and that stamp would read passed.

Speaker 1 25:41

Does that mean I'm coming back for season three?

Speaker 2 25:43

It means you're coming back for 2025. Woo mean I'm coming back for season three. It means you're coming back for 2025. Woo, she's coming back for season three.

Speaker 1 25:51

You've been listening to Summer Shames, the Schvitzisch Fester podcast of a shame to admit.

Speaker 2 25:57

Presented by the Jewish Independent and hosted by me, Dash Lawrence and Tammy Sussman.

Speaker 1 26:02

These episodes are edited by Nick King.

Speaker 2 26:05

If you like what we're doing, it's time to wipe the sunscreen off your hands and leave a review.

Speaker 1 26:11

Or if you're in a different hemisphere, dash, because we forgot that some of our listeners live overseas and it's not summer there. Remove your mittens and give us some stars. We'll take five of them, thanks.

Speaker 2 26:25

As always. Thanks for the support and we look forward to Kitzel your ears next week.

Speaker 1 26:30

You chose Yiddish. That's very racist. What about Kosses in Ladino? Or Dig Dug in Hebrew? Tickle, give your ears a little tickle, or zug, zug.

Speaker 2 26:39

I only know Kitzel. I've got a book about Kitzel.

Speaker 1 26:42

Okay.