Strategic Plans and PowerPoint Presentations

I spent the day with strategic plans and PowerPoint presentations and you know what? I was happy as a pig in slop because there's nothing I love more than a good challenge.

Work has been interesting lately. We have a new "big" boss and his way of doing things is practically completely different than the ways of the old boss. I can't blame Mr. New really...he doesn't know any of us. I anticipate great things happening in our organization, but right now just about everybody is feeling a little uncomfortable. The people who aren't feeling a little uncomfortable are NOT paying attention, and I expect they're going to muck something up good before long.

The main issue is communication. We have a lot of new processes and protocols and it takes a lot longer than it used to get an answer or to provide someone WITH an answer. I'm no dummy (contrary to popular belief) and have always been smart enough to know when to NOT answer a question or give advice. In other words, I'm pretty savvy about knowing what I DON'T know, but when I make an error, I'm the first to step up and accept the consequences. Furthermore, I'm a "company girl"....nobody is or ever will be more loyal. That's the southern belle way!

Again, I realize that Mr. New doesn't know us and the only thing I can suppose is that there are some trust issues. Some of our clients are getting frustrated that we aren't providing the same level of service that we used to. Everybody is thankful to have a job...there is no question about it. For heaven's sake, I don't know anybody who's going around saying, "gosh darn it...I'm really sorry that I didn't get displaced...why oh WHY can't I be UNemployed??!!!!!" It's just that change can be tough...even if the outcomes are good, the act of change itself is often one conflict after another. You have to respect the process but you don't have to like it.

I try, or at least I TRY to try, to keep spirits up around the office. My assistant, Miss Yvette, and I like people to be happy. Happy people are productive people. Frustrated people start to nitpick and snip at their colleagues. That is NOT the southern belle way and southern belles do NOT appreciate that kind of behavior. I'm continuing with my "relax" and "keep calm and carry on" mantra and most days it works, although one day last week, I felt like the wooden "keep calm" sign was mocking me and I wanted to WHACK it against something until it broke into teeny tiny pieces. The important thing to note is that I did NOT whack the sign until it broke into teeny tiny pieces.

But tonight...tonight, all is well. I'm going to dream of sweet strategic plans and pleasing PowerPoint presentations. Nighty night!!