Don't You Know Who I Am?

Admin Gal must give a shout out to a friend in the west.  She is faced with many of the same dilemma's, and handles them with much grace.  In particular, her latest post is a delight with Things You Say That Will Make Me Doubt You.


Her last point in particular struck a nerve, “You don’t understand, you are going to do what I tell you.  Don’t you know who I am?”  


Unfortunately, I could relate to that poorly worded demand.  My response is pretty standard, "Actually, no, I don’t know who you are. I know all the important people by name and sight."  All the while smiling sweetly or having a sweet tone in my voice if the person is on the phone uttering such an unfortunate statement.


My internal meter for lying is pretty accurate.  When someone is pushing the 'Don't you know who I am?' card, it generally means they have absolutely nothing to back themselves up with and are blow hards. 


Now, if said individuals had asked politely for assistance.  Explaining the situation and the urgency to them, allowing for some give and take, nine times out of ten they would find that the aid/information/meetings they were trying to bully themselves into would be given freely or opportunities for other options would be opened up to them.


Instead - they are dead in the water.  Shark bait.

It must be hard for people to be important in the small land of their imagination.

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.

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.