#it tends to piss people off when you not only resort to theft but have the nerve to deny and claim you’re the real victim

[itsclydebitches]

Funny you bring up James being open to working with Robyn. Based on what's presented I thought he was more hesitant towards her. And to be fair, for good reason. She has her heart in the right place like him but she tends to go to extremes too. Spying on the Amity Project, being extremely aggressive when angry (like Yang), talking over people on big issues (the scene with Marrow), resorting to theft just after losing the election, her lie-detector power. If I were I James I'd be wary of her too.

To my recollection the most we really hear about his thoughts is that comment that it takes both parties cooperating if you want to work together... which, fair. RWBYJNR really lays into Ironwood about not being on Team Robyn, but he’s right to point out that it’s not his sole responsibility to make things work. She has to put some trust in him too. Which frankly, she doesn’t. As you point out, throughout the volume Robyn proves herself to be a very hot-headed, untrustworthy person: 

She’s spying on the project and only approaches Clover and the others when she doesn’t succeed in figuring things out on her own. It implies that she’s more interested in just getting that information rather than actually working with Ironwood. If she’d been able to undermine him solo, she would have 

The ‘defender of Mantle’ moniker is a huge part of her identity, to the point where Robyn talks over an actual Faunus in regards to issues of discrimination. She’s really intent on being the leader of victims---a victim herself---rather than acknowledging her own privilege

She resorts to theft and violence in order to get what she wants. As noble as her goal is, the fact remains that Robyn straight up doesn’t know what those supplies are for and doesn’t care about any consequences attached to her taking them 

She hears from two teens what the project actually is and just... runs with that. Again, she doesn’t seem particularly interested in working with Ironwood. Robyn just wants information and doesn’t care where it comes from. Yang and Blake spill the beans? Great. I have what I want. No reason to approach Ironwood about this, or think through issues of loyalty if his subordinates are going behind his back regarding such significant, classified information

Then, despite knowing about Amity, she joins a dinner wherein she is supported by and in turn supports Jacques Schnee. To be blunt, Robyn is written as incredibly stupid at times. She just lost to Jacques and is supposedly furious about it. Everyone has suspicions that the election was rigged. Yes she’s going to demand that Ironwood let her use her semblance on him in front of their biggest political enemy? Again, Robyn just wants information and she wants it now. Like Yang out in the snow---is demanding Ozpin’s secrets in front of a complete stranger really the best course of action?---Robyn’s anger and aggression blinds her to all potential repercussions. She’s impatient, entitled, and that combination makes her very dangerous

Proceeds to betray Ironwood the second he does something she doesn’t like. As I mentioned in my recap, no one but Clover goes, “Hey. Don’t you think that if Ironwood is suddenly declaring martial law and calling for arrests that something really significant must have gone down? Don’t you have any trust that he does these things for a reason?” Nope. Her being proven wrong about Amity---oh wow, you weren’t doing something nefarious---didn’t matter. Ironwood trusting her, the council, and then the people of Mantle didn't matter. Him letting her use her semblance on him didn’t matter. Trusting her to help take down Tyrian didn’t matter. Ironwood keeps demonstrating trust and then the second Robyn is asked to do the same she breaks from him, proving that Ironwood was right to be wary. She never wanted to work with him in the first place, just wanted him to act as a lackey to her. That scene in the airship was the perfect culmination of everything dangerous about Robyn: I’m going to jump to conclusions, it’s going to make me pissed, I’m going to listen to the serial killer we have tied up, and I’m going to start a fight despite the fact that I’m not the one under arrest. She heard three sentences from a teen over her comm and that was enough to break her “loyalty,” to the extent that she actively caused a serial killer’s escape and the subsequent crash

Like so many characters in RWBY nowadays, Robyn looks like one thing on the surface when she’s actually another. She looks like the classic Robin Hood we should all be supporting, but she’s been chucked into a far more complicated situation than “Super rich people stealing from the poor is bad” and thus her actions do far more harm than good. Ironwood isn’t a greedy sheriff out to fill his own pocket; he’s using those resources to try and save the whole world, Mantle included. Robyn isn’t just stealing goods, she’s trying to steal information in front of their enemies and is outright shooting allies when she doesn’t get her way. So... yeah. If Ironwood got even a smidge of an inkling of what she’s really like, I wouldn’t have put any trust in her either. Especially when we see her doing very little to earn trust from him. She’s like RWBYJNR that way. All the characters in Volume 7 demand more and more trust from Ironwood, despite the fact that he’s the only character across those 13 episodes who is taking action that proves his own trust in others. No one (except the Ace Ops and Winter) is willing to meet him halfway. Not unless meeting comes with the caveat of, “You’re going to do precisely what I want, right?” Ruby and Oscar will only spill the beans about Salem when Ironwood agrees to their plans. Robyn will only support him up until she hears a totally-out-of-context order she doesn’t like. The extreme differences in trust are really apparent throughout this volume. Ironwood has done a lot to demonstrate why he’s trustworthy to everyone, but it’s never enough. In contrast, Ruby has made some reeeaally bad decisions lately, but the group is still willing to keep quiet when she starts to pull an Ozpin. That trust in the form of “I don’t agree with this but I’ll hold off on reacting until I get more information because I know you always have reasons for the things you do” is never extended to Ironwood by RWBYJNR or Robyn. 

[ncmagroup]

By AllBusiness Editors

It’s Not Them, It’s You

You’ve had your share of lousy bosses, and you swore that if you were ever in charge, you’d do things differently. Now that day has come — you’re the boss.

And your good intentions? They’re buried under a pile of meetings, emails, phone calls, griping clients, and decisions that need to be made yesterday.

You don’t have the time or the energy to worry about being a good boss — not when the fate of your small business and the jobs of all your employees are hanging in the balance. You’ve got more important things to do. And so do those lazy, bellyaching employees you’re always threatening to fire.

If that’s really what you’re thinking right now, congratulations: You just might be a horrible boss. You just might have turned into that person you always vowed you would never become.

If you want to be sure, though, read on for 10 more warning signs that you’ve landed a starring role in your employees’ worst nightmares.

— Sam Barry and Kathi Kamen Goldmark

Warning Sign #1: You’re Scaring People (Even the UPS Guy!)

Have you noticed that no one ever comes to you with a problem anymore? Or for that matter, no one ever comes to with creative ideas or initiatives, either? Does it seem like everyone stops talking when you enter the room? Come on, you see this in movies all the time: employees who agree with everything you say and laugh really hard (a little too hard) at all your jokes.

Yep, you’ve become that kind of boss!

People in positions of authority sometimes forget that there’s a difference between commanding respect and scaring people spitless. And if being a scary boss sounds like fun, you might want to consider a career in organized crime.

Warning Sign #2: Your Employees Work Around You

Does everyone who works for you seem to panic over even the tiniest problem? Do you get the feeling that huge decisions are being made without your having a clue what’s going on?

Perhaps it’s not that your employees hate you. They just think you’re incompetent.

Once upon a time, you might have been great at your job. If you started a business around it, you must have had something going for you. But as your company grew and your responsibilities multiplied, it got harder and harder to learn how to play a very different role: boss (to use the technical term). There’s a surprisingly steep learning curve here, and you’re sliding right along it — in the wrong direction.

Here’s the good news: It’s not too late for a little management training. Or at least you’d better hope it isn’t.

Warning Sign #3: You Think You’re Surrounded by Dummies

Why is everyone who works for you so ignorant and powerless? Why do you have to do everything yourself? Sure, you might like your inner circle — the ones you talk to all day, every day — but you can’t trust them to get anything done unless you keep a close eye on every last thing they do. And everybody else in the company falls into two categories: worthless and worse than worthless.

Here’s the thing: The problem isn’t with them. It’s with you. This kind of attitude officially marks you as a control freak, and your employees see you as an insecure basket case.

If you’re not careful, you really will end up dealing with people who truly can’t be trusted to sharpen your pencils — because there’s no way a sane, competent employee would stick around to put up with your antics.

Warning Sign #4: You’re an Elitist Pig

Sigh. If only everyone who worked for you were as competent and productive as Bob and Sue. If only you could clone Bob and Sue, graduates of your alma mater, people who worked their way up in the same manner you did — you know, people just like you! Then you could get rid of all those other losers. The constant infighting, the mistrust, the gossip, the desperate sucking up that characterize your company — that’s what comes from having people who just don’t fit in. No wonder you can’t build a good team around here.

Elitists come in all shapes and sizes. They don’t have to come from the best schools. They just have to think their way is the only way. Are you that kind of boss?

Warning Sign #5: Your Glass Is Always Half Empty

It’s no surprise, really, the way things are going. On top of all your other problems, your employees are taking sick days like the Black Death just rolled into town. They’re coming in late, leaving early, looking miserable, and blowing deadlines left and right. You just caught your most trusted associate surfing the jobs section on Craigslist, and it seems that every time you get a good crew together, someone bails for a new job.

And eventually, your competitors end up with all the great people you’ve trained. But hey, that’s just the way it is. It’s a dog-eat-dog world, and you’re wearing Milk-Bone underpants. Poor, poor, pitiful you!

The thing is, if you expect the worst, you’ll probably end up getting it. You’re the boss, and if you can’t set a more confident, optimistic tone for your team, nobody else is going to do it for you.

Warning Sign #6: You’re Always Clowning Around

You’ve worked hard to get where you are, and if there’s one thing you’ve learned, it’s that “all work and no play make Jack a dull boy.”

So you take every opportunity to lighten up the office environment with relaxing activities and harmless practical jokes. Things were going fine until that afternoon when there was no one around to answer the phones because you declared “Pajama Day” and took the whole staff, dressed in robes and slippers, to a karaoke bar. You ended up losing a key account as a result, and one of your managers — who had a long-nurtured relationship with this client — was royally pissed and blamed you! This didn’t really seem fair, given his heartfelt, martini-fueled rendition of “My Way.”

The killjoys who just want to come in and get their work done are becoming a little hard to take, aren’t they? Why doesn’t anyone else around here know how to have fun?

Maybe it’s because they need to do their jobs, and you, the boss, are not letting them make adult decisions about their responsibilities. That’s no fun at all.

Warning Sign #7: Your Mood Swings Are Terrifying

Why are all your employees so confused, jumpy, and insecure? Most of them are doing a pretty good job, and your door is always open. Yet everyone walks on tiptoes around you, and they all seem to be whispering behind your back.

Have you considered the possibility that you might be the cause of the confusion? Are you Mr. Sunshine on Monday, a volcanic eruption on Tuesday, Ms. Empathy on Wednesday, Mr. What’s the Point? on Thursday, and Sir Meatloaf Surprise on Friday? Or maybe you’re all of the above at various times on any given day.

If the boss’s mood is so unpredictable that the office feels dangerous, then the company can’t help but suffer. Having a seemingly bipolar boss is like having an alcoholic parent — your employees will find a way to cope, but it won’t be healthy.

Warning Sign #8: You Can’t Keep Your Hands to Yourself

Do the cute young assistants roll their eyes when you share one of you hilarious off-color jokes? Have you noticed that they tend to enter your office in twos and threes, never alone, and — even though they must resort to public transportation and you have a comfy late-model Porsche — always decline when you offer a ride home?

You are powerful, attractive, affluent, and charismatic, yet whenever you try to get some action with the support staff, you are rebuffed. Maybe that’s because everyone thinks you’re a lech. In fact, maybe you are a lech.

What may seem like harmless flirtation to you might be considered sexual harassment by others — including the criminal justice system. That’s especially true when you’re in a position of power.

Perhaps country music legend Hank Williams said it best: “I don’t fool around at work, even if I’d rather / I don’t get my meat where I get my bread and butter.” And neither should you.

Warning Sign #9: You Can’t Make Up Your Mind

Your employees are always coming up with suggestions, then bugging you for answers. They yammer on about looming deadlines and lost opportunities. Why can’t they understand that you need time to weigh the pros and cons, do some research, find out more? It’s all too much pressure.

Unfortunately for your company, once you finally do make your decision, the opportunity has evaporated and everyone has had to move on.

It’s fine to take a little time to think things over, but if you waffle too long and too often, it’s just as bad as not making a decision at all. People will stop coming to you with great ideas, and they might just take them to more responsive competitors.

Don’t be a waffler. Sometimes any decision — even the wrong decision — is better than no decision at all.

Warning Sign #10: You’re Goofing Off Instead of Doing Your Job

Your assistant tries her best to keep you insulated from petty concerns and interruptions so you can focus on killing people, blowing up cars, stealing cars, selling cars, and making tons of money. Of course, we are talking here about your primary daily focus: playing Grand Theft Auto.

But every so often, a colleague bursts through your layers of protections with a really tough question about products or staffing or P&Ls. It’s so frustrating. How are you ever going to finish the mission with all these interruptions?

Perhaps you are focused on the wrong mission, dude. You are the boss, and that means — pay attention, now — you have a greater responsibility than the other people who work there. That’s why you have the fancy title, the luxe office, the dedicated assistant, and the big salary. People are depending on you. It’s time to do your job and act like a boss, at least when you’re on duty. Play games and goof off on your own time.

Are you well liked in the office?

You may be the smartest person at your company, but if you can’t get along with colleagues, you won’t get far.

There are several things you can do to strengthen your social skills and become a team player. These 10 actions will not only help you make better connections at work, they’ll improve how others perceive you.

  Go to our website:   www.ncmalliance.com

  10 Signs You May Be a Horrible Boss: Updated! By AllBusiness Editors It’s Not Them, It’s You You’ve had your share of lousy bosses, and you swore that if you were ever in charge, you’d do things differently.