The Social Lens
I've encountered individuals who seemed completely unable to consider any perspective beyond the social aspect. One supervisor, in particular, was highly bothersome. I referred to a memo recently circulated within the department regarding a new policy as "Steve's memo." Steve was our department head and the author of the memo. When he distributed it, he made threats of termination for non-compliance with the policies outlined. I pointed out to my supervisor the memo's excessive grammatical errors, its nonsensical content, incorrect definitions, and the resulting confusion among employees. We were threatened with termination if we didn't adhere to the policy, but no one could understand it. The memo was filled with grammatical mistakes that distorted intended meanings and led to contradictions. Despite my emphasis on the policy problems, my boss fixated solely on the name mentioned in the memo. Steve. She completely dismissed my concerns and solely focused on discussing Steve, asserting that conversing with him would be fruitless as "he is the way he is" and doing his best. This behavior pattern was not new.
In our debt collection department, we processed credit card and ACH debit transactions using bank account and debit/credit card numbers. These bank account numbers and card numbers were listed on the consumer’s loans with us. We used them to run past due payments. When an ACH transaction was returned as "no account found" and rejected by the bank, we would remove the account number to prevent its reprocessing. One day, I noticed that some of the rejected numbers were actually partial card numbers, not checking account numbers. I discovered that card numbers were being copied and pasted into a field too small to accommodate all 16 digits, plus an additional 4 digits for the expiration date. Consequently, the excess digits overflowed onto the next line. Subsequently, when the collector submitted the transaction for processing, they failed to recognize it as a card number and expiration date, instead using the partial card number as a checking account number for the ACH debit.
Realizing this issue, I promptly informed my boss, hoping to notify the rest of the department and prevent further incorrect ACH transactions. By making the department aware, we could avoid rejected bank transactions, ultimately saving thousands of dollars. However, rather than ensuring department-wide awareness and taking steps to save money, I received a lengthy lecture from my boss, outlining responsibilities and stating that it was the responsibility of the person inputting the account number to do so correctly, and the transaction processor's responsibility to ensure the correct number was used. There was absolutely no attempt to fulfill our department's primary role of ensuring effective collections. Instead, a focus on people and their responsibilities.
Sometimes, if a consumer called in repeatedly with an unsolved issue, I would have to explain the situation to my boss. I might start the conversation by stating that the consumer had contacted an agent who was unable to resolve the problem and had been transferred to another department, etc. However, my boss would immediately interrupt and ask about the agent's identity. This pattern continued, and I would either continue speaking or sometimes say that the agent's identity was irrelevant. However, she always insisted on knowing.
Neurotypicals are highly conscious of the social world, and understandably so. People can be dangerous, and they often try to elevate themselves by bringing others down. Even if they don't do it consciously, it benefits them to do so. I eventually realized that if I wanted to accomplish tasks in my department, I needed to avoid anything social. Instead of saying "Steve's memo," I would simply refer to it as "the memo." Their brains immediately focus on the name or any social element, placing it at the forefront of their thoughts. When I mentioned "Steve's memo," my boss's immediate reaction was to defend Steve.
