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?

You'd Better Ask Permission

The old adage ‘better to say you’re sorry than to ask permission’ is getting really old where I work.  On the food chain of reality, the people who are trying to get away with this are not high enough on the food chain to even merit a pass at this.

A manager –  maybe, a director – okay, a vice president – if they must, the president of the business unit – no choice, he can do anything he wants.  Anyone else, absolutely not.  If you don’t book enough time for your meeting.  That’s not my fault.  It’s yours.

I’m really getting tired of having to kick people out of conference rooms because they think they are important enough to need a door.  Just sitting in a room for 45 minutes after your meeting is done because you think the room is free is not correct behavior.  Nor is it acceptable.

My last nerve it getting stretched beyond polite.

Oh, the Humanity!

There are some day you just can’t when in the game of calendaring.  Seriously.  If it isn’t vacation for one person, it’s an anniversary for another, OR maybe it’s that obscure hop-scotch pebble throwing day only celebrated every 4th year on a full moon when there is a Chinese-American President in Office.

Really?  When an admin is trying to wrangle 20+ people together for an executive that isn’t even one I regularly support and all I get is grief.  Well, the gloves come off!

Here are the rules of the road!

1. Take what you get! If meeting making were as easy as they thought they would have done it themselves.
2. Meeting times only change if the meeting presenters actually haven’t kept their calendars up to date.  Then that is a whole other conversation.
3. Food?  You want to be feed?  You let me know 15 minutes before the meeting your want food?  That falls under the category of miracles and really, really good bribes.
4. If said meeting people make the admin mad, the admin will stop managing the calendar and their world will collapse in a chaotic sea of, well you get the picture.

I’m not saying I’m unwilling to help.  But, usually there is a reason that the meeting got put in the initial time-slot or moved to the next.

Just be grateful it’s actually on your calendar at all!

A PSA on Behalf of the Admins...

When trying to get the attention of any given Administrative Assistant, you need to only ring the telephone or instant message or email them. Not in any particular order.

NOT ALL AT ONCE!

Really people.  Is it necessary to demonstrate your attention deficit issues by by using every single method of communication you have at your disposal to get our attention?  We know you exist.  Unless you are the person who signs our paycheck, you will have to get in line and wait your turn with the others.

Waiting 30 seconds is not an acceptable wait time.  Try 30 minutes.  If its not bleeding or an ambulance doesn't need to be called, it can generally wait.

Thus concludes our Administrative Public Service Announcement.

Have a Nice Day.