Calendaring Conundrums

A certain madness is evident when maintaining a calendar for an executive.  When that duty mushrooms into multiple dynamic calendars, well, insanity is the next level of mental acuity.

I only state this obvious, need for a flexible state of mind because of the host of reschedules that happen on any of the given calendars we manage.  If we the admin lose track of the delicate thread that binds all the calendars together, it is even easier for those whose calendars we manage to become unraveled.

For example, I moved a meeting that affected the leadership team.  This meeting was not of pressing urgency as it was a month out on the schedules.  Every last one of the leadership team called me to verify that the meeting would indeed not be taking place tomorrow.

Honestly, the reschedule date is in the subject line. Sigh.

What's In A Name

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Politics at Work

Politics & Religion should always be discussed with great sensitivity and tolerance.  There is nothing that is a bigger hot button topic.

But I have a bit of a pet peeve.  It's one thing when the company you work for encourages you to 'do your civic duty and get out there to vote'. It's another when they direct you specifically to do certain actions regarding bills in process. Up to and including form letters and scripts to Congress people and Senators.  These letters do not offer a choice of opinion, but a specific view point that supports the political views of the company.

I get it.  I can make a difference.  The point is 'I' can make the difference.  I have the backing of the Constitution & the Bill of Rights to vote my conscience.  Not be a political lackey for the company I work for.


For a minimum of 2,080 hours out of a year, thats 8,760 hours, I give my employer my full attention.  Often it is much more than that.  That time does not give them the right to influence my political view point.


I'm willing to have a civil discussion about politics and religion with people I trust to respond in kind.  But I won't allow my self to be used to further the political agenda of a corporation.

Just Another Cog On The Gear

I’ve been pondering the replacebility of the average employee in the workplace. We’d all like to think that we are irreplaceable. The sad truth is that in the eyes of corporate America, we are all replaceable. Especially in today’s market.

One of the few truths in life is someone will always be better or worse than you. Your job will rarely reflect that particular fact.

Instead, today’s employment landscape tends to be a savannah of averages. Who can provide the most at the least cost and potential negative impact on the company.
Where are the standouts? The people who excel?

While my duties might seem simple on paper: answer phones, maintain calendars, arrange meetings, file. Those simple actions are not the sum of my work life. I do so much more.

I am an expeditor of schedules, a wrangler of people, a soother of egos. I diffuse difficult situations before they get to management attention. I manage information, then condense it into useful packets. I manage costs and budgets. All of this is difficult to quantify and are outside of my job description.

Yet, I am seldom rewarded for my reaching outside of my parameters. So, what motivates me?

I do. I’m motivated to make my environment better.  I take pride in making my job fulfilling.  It gets me a reputation for being exceptional at my job.

I'm more than a cog on a gear.

Am I Risk Adverse?

I’m currently blessed to be employed.  Due to the circumstances of my employment I am surrounded by people who are in the process of losing their jobs due to a decision to off-shore their jobs.  Needless to say the environment is a little hostile.

This is proving to be a fascinating study in human nature.  Some people sit and moan about the tragedy about to befall them.  They wander the halls weeping and wailing, mourning their loss. 

Some are confused with the situation.  They know that opportunities are out there, but have no idea how to take advantage of them.

Then there are those who are taking the opportunity to reinvent themselves.  Stepping outside of their comfort zone.  Looking at jobs that the little voice in their head would normally be saying no to.  Taking that risk. 

I’ve learned that without risk, there is no reward. 

So, to answer my own question am I risk adverse? No.

Unique Patterns

The work environment is an ever changing kaleidoscope with shards of glittering glass mixed in with ordinary objects to create one-of-a-kind experiences.  Each twist of the prism brings a different vision, a different perspective.

Sometimes, this creates a rich, robust atmosphere where people can truly offer the best of themselves. Sometimes, it creates growth opportunities.  Sometimes, this creates a clear vision of the changes that must happen to make the organization stronger.
Then there is the daily routine which grinds all that amazing sparkling fabulous stuff into dust. Where your best can be looked as threatening to the over all good, because you are standing out from the over all mediocrity.

I'm tired of being forced to live to the standards of mediocrity that are posing as perfection.  I stand against the forces that force people to conform.

I propose a revolutionary idea.  The idea is simple.  Take a journey of discovery.  Own your talents and utilize them to the utmost.  Don't be afraid of what makes you a spectacular person.

Own the shards and pieces that create the amazing kaleidescope of your personal and professional life.  If you can't create the pattern that makes you unique where you are, then perhaps you aren't in the right place.

Rules at Work

Rules are a guideline by which behavior is governed in any given situation.  In a work environment it can be a boon and a curse all rolled into one.
You see, rules form a framework by which we can set our expectations of how we can conduct our selves in the workplace, do our jobs, expect compensation, etc.  Rules can also stymie the work environment.  Keep people from growing into their potential.

People who step beyond the boundaries set by the rules will be either lauded or vilified.
I frequently step outside the boundaries of my rules.  You could say, I run with scissors.

If something isn't working, I find a way to make it work.  I go over, under or around that which impedes me to get the job done. That often means rules get broken.

I don't advocate landing in jail.  Those rules shouldn't be broken.  But when an organization has become so hide bound by its own rules, sometimes a rule-breaker is just what the organization needs to find its path again.  Organizations that have no flexibility in them are the ones that fail.  Especially in today's climate.

Not all rule breakers survive in a rigid organization.  Organizations exist that appreciate the unique talents of these individuals.

Timeliness is Next to...

If a contractor says they are going to be doing work at 1:30 pm, knowing full well that the people they need to see are leaving at 2 pm.

DO NOT Show up 15 minutes past the deadline thinking that all will be well. It won't be.  You will have a very cranky, non-cooperative  individual on your hands.  Whose time has been wasted.

Just because as a corporation we choose to pay extreme amounts of money to be told how to manage ourselves, a little courtesy goes a long way.  Makes the sting of cutting those very large checks less painful.  So, respecting the various calendars, appointments and just the individuals time is a sign of respect.  When a consultant stops extending those common courtesies, well contracts can be broken.

If you set a time, stick to it.  It makes a better impression and the world a brighter place.

Won't You Be My Frienemy?

The old adage ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer’ seems to have become an unfortunate by product of today’s work environment. 

The workplace is always wild mix of personalities.  The quiet to the quixotic, the domineering to the domestic, no two people are the same.   Yet management models do their darnedest to smush us all into identifiable geneses for easy judgment.

So we cozy up with people that we frankly don’t care about to further our careers, sometimes leaving the important people behind.  How can that be healthy?

A healthy work environment would allow people to get the job done; judgment would be based on performance and merit.  I really don’t enjoy working with people that I don’t trust, I can’t feel free to collaborate with, or want to spend time with.

So, no, I’m going to be honest.  Maybe start a quiet revolution.

I won’t be your frienemy.