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dettu
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« on: July 27, 2001, 08:16:14 am » |
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A bunch of people have been having a "team meeting" in our conference room for two days. Yesterday, one of them, who works in another dept. in this building, came over to my cube with a list of people that team members wanted to meet with, the message I was to deliver to these people to get them to meet, and some of their assistants' phone numbers. Some people were at our (3 hours away) other headquarters, some at our (3 hours away) affiliate co. headquarters (in a different part of the city, long drive), some are here in this building, some are at business units in our city. I looked at this for a while and thought, this is insane. So I went back down to the team meeting and tried to get information from J, the person who had asked, and B, the person whose idea this was. I said, "If people from this team are going to these offices to meet with people there, shouldn't I have the team members' calendars so I can coordinate? Shouldn't we try to do the interviews in (far-off city) the same day?"
They insisted that a) there was no one person going to do the meetings (which are individual with each meet-ee, not a group meeting) and b) I didn't need the calendar, all I needed to do was get 1.5 hours with each meet-ee no matter when it was but it had to be within the next two weeks. OK, so I started making these calls. When I could talk to the assistants, everything went fine, but when I got the meet-ees themselves, they had all kinds of questions and ranged from uncooperative to downright hostile. It was a long list. I got all of their a-list people but one and made calls and left voice mails to the b-list people, and then went down to report on it. I had made a calendar and was writing the appointments in. Then B looks at the calendar and says, "I can't do anything that week, I'm going to be in <insert resort area> with my family all that week!" (That week was the second of the two weeks when he had insisted he had to meet with everyone.) Then he took my calendar and started drawing arrows all over, pointing to the days when he *would* be able to meet with so-and-so.
I had to do it--I said, "This is why I asked if I could have your schedule before I made the calls." He just stared at me, completely not comprehending what a PITA this was.
I went back up to my cube and started calling all the assistants again. They all seemed to know this guy, at least by reputation, and they all sympathized and did their best to move the meetings--and these are all high-powered officers of the company, not piddly nobodies, and their schedules are tight. I still have not got all those calls returned. At 4:15 I called J. and said, "Here's the status, I *have* to leave to take my son to karate (our normal quitting time is 4:30), and I'll get back to you in the morning."
What's really annoying: I do not work for J. or B. B is from another business unit in our city and has his own assistant as he is a VP; he could have called or faxed info to her. J's assistant was out at a class all day and had not asked any of us to "cover for" her, which is standard procedure here. The Boss of All's assistant was leaving at 2:30 for a long weekend (which she sorely needs) and I was already "covering for" her, and it was a LOAD of work, plus I had my own work to do, which just got shoved aside. And this morning I will still be expected to pick up this ball and run with it. I wasn't going to refuse to work for J or B, but I didn't appreciate it at all. However, except for gently reminding B. that I had earlier asked questions that would have made the situation simpler, had he answered them accurately, I didn't show the slightest sign of the urge to kill that even now posseses me entirely!
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countrigal
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« Reply #1 on: July 27, 2001, 08:24:03 am » |
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It must be the week for it, since that's basically how I felt with my situation. It'll work out but you knew that already.
You handled it great, especially in that you were able to go to him and when he said week 2 wouldn't work you didn't blast him right then and there but instead explained that it was why you had questioned him to begin with. Guess we're all supposed to be mind readers.
Great Job! I hope it gets resolved quickly and easily for you today.
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Katie G
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« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2001, 08:24:56 am » |
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Whew! Dettu, I have to admit they'd have seen some slightly flared nostrils and red cheeks on me! I had one a few days ago here who wanted to set up a meeting with the university's president and a few of the VPs on less than 24 hrs notice (She is nowhere near VP level herself) and wondered why I couldn't make it happen!
You have to wonder how some of these jokers get into "management" positions.
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vegasadmin
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« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2001, 09:46:46 am » |
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Dettu, I'm impressed with your composure! Did you feel "that look" on your face or did you manage to look composed as well? Like Didface, I've been red-cheeked for sure and my eyebrow might have been climbing into my hairline to boot.
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dettu
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« Reply #4 on: July 27, 2001, 10:06:13 am » |
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I think I pretended pretty well, but who knows. Here's the really great part: the admin who works for J. was asked to take over the rest of this stupid project and I have almost all the messages etc. transferred over to her now. Ha! Not my problem now! I'm going back to the 350-piece mailing, which I'm really behind on now.
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winkiebear
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« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2001, 10:28:41 am » |
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I'm proud of how you handled yourself - nice job!
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whitesatin
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« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2001, 11:22:00 am » |
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Atta Girl, Dettu. You handled the situation like a pro. I know it wasn't easy and those buffoons knew it wasn't easy. That's why they had YOU handling it instead of doing it themselves.
Perhaps you may want to discuss this scenario with your immediate supervisor and enlist his/her support for future requests like these. Tell the bozos that you would LOVE to be of assistance, but they have to clear it with your supervisor first.
Happy Friday!
WS
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radaro
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« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2001, 11:28:37 am » |
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Here is my cyber pat.
Now next time J walks away from your cubicle, look at his head through your thumb and finger and "squish" his little head! (a la "Kids in the Hall").
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dettu
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« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2001, 01:09:24 pm » |
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And that's the thing--my dear bossie was at our other-city HQ yesterday having a Bad Day of his own and couldn't do anything to defend me. I found out this morning that the other admin who would normally (and with less stress) handle this kind of stuff was frantically busy yesterday and is out today--so there really was no other admin to do it. Bossie really couldn't have got me out of this one. He kind of laughed this morning, but mainly because it wasn't his personal work getting shunted off.
Oh well, it's all over (for me) and we're past the midpoint of Friday and I can hardly wait to vegetate! Everybody stand up and cheer: I can hardly WAIT to vegeTATE!
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whitesatin
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« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2001, 01:13:51 pm » |
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I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO VEGETATE! I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO VEGETATE! I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO VEGATATE!
Cool anthem dettu!
WS
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laundryhater
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Cyber pat from me too!
I'm not so sure I would have been able to keep it together after that one. Sounded like a pretty unreasonable request to me.
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