Sunday, October 02, 2005

So tired I can't sleep


I hate that!

I'm happy to report that I FINALLY BEAT CASTLEVANIA: LAMENT OF INNOCENCE!!!!!

Addiction is a terrible thing.

Geeky addiction is even worse.

Can I also admit that I'm leaving work Tuesday morning at 9:30 to go buy Castlevania DS (Tuesday's its release date) -- I am so totally excited. WHADDAGEEKEYEAM. And proud of it.

Work is kicking my behind. Doing my usual job, which is really a job for two, + the course manager job (read last post), means I get to work at 8:30 or so, leave for home at 7:30-7:45, log on and work until midnight from my comfy bed. Except for Wed nights, when I'm madly writing a paper or presentation due Thurs night. And except for Thursdays, when I rush out of work ~4-4:30, feeling like a slacker, and sitting in class until 10pm, going home and usually working for an hour or so.

BUT, I think I finally have a direction for managing the course. This is a HUGE course, by the way, two years running simultaneously, required for all first and second year med students, very intricate, complex and difficult to manage. With LOTS and LOTS of problems related to infrastructure, underperforming staff, and multiple levels of miscommunication. Only one of the years is a major problem, so I'm focusing on that year, and am going to have to retrain the coordinator in things like email management, communication skills, time management, computer skills, etc. I'm also reorganizing (no one can find anything), setting up regular staff and faculty meetings, and questioning everything (I'm hearing a lot of "I assumes," and "that's the way we've always done it," and "I don't know").

Hence, wide awake while exhausted at 2:38 a.m.

One of the phenomena I'm seeing in ALL of the staff in my office (one exempt, one temp, four non-exempt) is a pattern of refusal to follow through. For instance, one of the supposed "stars" in my office (I've changed my mind in the last two months, due to literal whining, refusal to follow through, "I just assumed" in every sentence) will NOT check on details. She just refuses. I try my usually successful Socratic dialogue:
  • "How will we know if the conference room already has a projector and laptop set up?"
  • "The website says it's wired."
  • "What does that mean?"
  • "I'm assuming it means there's a projector and laptop."
  • "What do we do if there isn't?"
  • "They have to have it -- the website says it does."
  • "What does 'wired' mean to you?"
  • "That the room has everything we need."
  • "What is a wire?"
  • Look of utter annoyance and growing anger . . . just remember I'm her boss's boss
  • "Here's what I'd like not to hear anymore: 'I assume.' What I want to hear is how you're going to confirm that there is a laptop and projector already installed and set up for use in that room."
  • "I've already done that."
  • "Actually, 'wired' normally means that a network connection exists, and has nothing to do with equipment."
  • "I'm assuming the conference room coordinator will make sure we have what we need."
  • "How will she know what we need?"
  • "The agenda for the meeting says that powerpoint presentations will be made."
  • "OK, we've spent 15 minutes dickering over this. I want you to either talk with the room coordinator about our needs and confirm that the needed equipment exists. If you can't or won't do that, I want you to walk to the room and look at the equipment and set up. Let me know what you find out by tomorrow evening."

She told me the next day that the equipment existed.

The day before the conference, one of the conference staff reported that only one of the four rooms had the necessary equipment, and this staff member was irate that she had to obtain laptops, and why didn't someone check that earlier?

I nearly went through the roof.

That's it for now. Management is so much fun!

1 comment:

Kris and Rich said...

picture perfect, all i can say!!!