Juggling, I'm a Pro

Balls, chainsaws and knives are flying through the air in an attempt to get through the day.

Some days, everything stays in the air...

and some days not so much.

Gears of the Workplace

Merriam-Webster.com defines Collaboration as:

to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor

In the work space, collaboration is essential to making deadlines, managing projects or people, and sailing through the politics of the office.  When done correctly, everyone is an essential gear in a well-oiled machine.

 Each gear and cog has a place and purpose.  Sometimes the gears can be changed around, creating a different manner to reach the same conclusion.

HOWEVER, there are times when a person or two refuse to cooperate in the achievement of a common goal.  The reasons vary.  Sometimes, people do not have the skills to work in a team.  The right team will help them understand a collaborative environment.

Other times, individuals feel that holding on to the information they know will make them more valuable.  More often than not, it just frustrates people.

In today's work environment, no person is an island.  Our jobs are interconnected.

Being the stuck or uncooperative gear will only cause dissension.  When push comes to shove, the stuck gear gets replaced.

Are YOU Prepared?

Everyone is prepared for fire, since grade school we learned the basics of orderly evacuation and how to stay with our classes.  In the corporate world, fire drills are much the same.

However,  NO ONE on the east coast is prepared for earthquakes (unless you grew up on the west coast, then that's another story).

Today, Richmond, VA experienced an earthquake.  The epicenter was 40 miles away, but the shocks were worrisome.  The building I work in is only 2 years old, so it is structurally equipped to withstand an earthquake.  The employees?  That's another story.

No alarm sounded, no lights flashed just my boss saying 'We're evacuating! Tell everyone on the floor.'

I ran the floor, using my best parade grounds voice, saying 'Everyone to the emergency exits.  THIS IS NOT A DRILL!'

Fast forward to after the building was deemed safe and we were all back at our desks.  The following email was sent:

As you may have noticed, our region experienced a 5.8 earthquake earlier today.  The epicenter appeared to be in Louisa County, about 40 miles northwest of Richmond.  This building was designed to manage seismic activity typical for this region.  Aftershocks following an earthquake of this magnitude are not uncommon, so don’t be unduly alarmed should we experience them.  

In the event an evacuation is necessary, an announcement will be made over the building intercom system and alarms will be sounded.  If that should happen, use the stairwells (not the elevators) and proceed to your designated waiting area across from our 5th Street entrance.

My question is to the powers that be, are we now going to have earthquake drills?

Ch-ch-ch-changes

The organization I work for has been stable for several years.  What I mean by stable is major initiatives started and completed and no major change in leadership.

All this lulled me into a false sense of security.  Yes, I know that I've broken the cardinal rule of employment.  I had grown comfortable in the status quo.

Not to fear, the familiar feeling of being unbalanced and striving to keep all things in sync has once more begun to consume my life.

I am unamused with the person who cursed me with "May you live in interesting times."  When I find them?  I'll never tell.

Transformation

Admin Gal has an observation:

Transformation for the sake of transforming is never as productive as actual constructive change. (circular thinking at its best)

What brings Admin Gal to this startling conclusion?  Yet another round of change in the work place.  There is nothing wrong with change, it's what keeps things moving along.  Yes, stagnation is bad.

HOWEVER, a purpose and obvious goal would be nice for us poor minions.

Mandatory....

Singing?

Admin Gal is in a bit of a pickle.  She mentioned that she had musical experience of the choral kind, only to be pegged by the Senior Management to lead the company choir.

Music isn't an issue, Admin Gal loves music.  The quintessential problem that arises, is this is a time drain of epic proportions.  In addition to her work load (which is expanding), now she has to wrangle people are reluctant to attend rehearsals because it interferes with their work schedule and their life.

ADMIN GAL IS NOT BEING PAID FOR THIS EITHER!

Ohmmmmmm!  Seeking inner harmony.

Office Supplies

School is getting ready to start and the office supplies are dwindling fast. A co-opt here for the summer was observed filling up her purse with supplies from the cabinet.  At least the regular employees are more discreet.

The co-opt will be dealt with by her manager.  It makes me VERY, VERY ANNOYED, to have to be the big, bad when it comes to office supplies. I'm going to have to lock the cabinets until school starts.

Word to the wise, taking office supplies from your place of business is considered stealing.
Are pens, pencils and notebooks worth losing your job?

The Reviews are In!

Admin Gal survived her Mid-Year Review and is ready to take on the next part of the year.  

The preparation that goes into the process is nerve racking. The goal is to put your best foot forward without being so cocky the review is ruined. 

THEN, there is the carefully chosen evaluation software.  It's processes are absolutely Byzantine!  Here is where Admin Gal looses her mind and patience.  The good thing is, her boss feels the same way.

Good luck with everyone and their mid-year reviews.

Dear Tech Support

Admin Gal has had a series of technical support calls that have sent her over the edge.  Complete with the insinuation that the problem was 'user error' with out allowing her to fully explain the issue.

The wrath of Admin Gal shall not be dissuaded!

Here are a few simple rules that can make the support arena more functional:

1. Let the CUSTOMER explain the problem and what they have done to resolve it, BEFORE cutting them off with an off the cuff comment.
2. DON'T MAKE THEM REPEAT PROCEDURES THEY'VE ALREADY DONE! More often than not, the person placing the call has done all the obvious things to fix the problem.
3. As a tech person, if you DO NOT know the answer - PLEASE, find someone who does.  
4. NO, the caller DOES NOT have all the time in the world to listen to the tech support person hem and haw so they don't have to answer the next call.

What are some of your pet peeves when it comes to technical support?