One of my favourite past times is people watching. Not in a freaky, bunny boiling stalker kind of way you understand. Just in a friendly, busybody kind of way.
So, being in a new job with completely new people has been fascinating. The honeymoon period is drawing to a close now I think because the winning smiles are slipping off faces like butter off a warm spud.
It would appear that people can only sustain an image of themselves for a limited time. The duration depends perhaps on the energy and focus of the individual. I come to this conclusion having considered the actions and comments of others around me.
Take Mrs Alabama for instance. She calls herself Mrs although she has never been married. She wishes to be known as Agnes although her real name is Myrtle. She refused categorically to give her National Insurance number to the admin officer because it was 'wholly private'.
Mrs Alabama has hair like an afghan hound but lacks the associated grace of movement. This, she has decided, should be remedied by a personal trainer based at a former army barracks - complete with an authentic army assault course. Thus, every Wednesday she takes her wafting hair and chubby body over the bridge and far away to be shouted at by an ex squaddie with issues. I'm not sure how her hair copes with assault course trauma but the rest of her has had three sprains and a broken bone since she decided to 'get fit'. All this at the tender age of 64 and three quarters - nat ins details notwithstanding.
In addition to her daytime job, Agnes has a nice little sideline going. On evenings other than Wednesday she runs a website for clan related merchandise. She confided to a colleague that she aims to corner the US market in tartan kitch because 'Americans will buy anything with a clan name on it'. Amid a profusion of tea towels, fridge magnets and assorted other teuchter tat she plots world domination in tartan bibs and rompers. [ Ye gods ]
Mrs Alabama isn't alone in her eccentricity however. Mrs Louisiana, who is genuinely married, spends her day rooting through boxes searching for treasure such as fake fur stoles and straw hats. These she wears during tea breaks. Don't ask me why. She's retiring soon and that's probably for the best.
I could fill the entire blogger website with further details but I'll stop for now and return to this shortly. It's a rich seam to mine...
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Stress busting
Sorry for the hiatus but I'm back firing on all cylinders - witter wise anyway.
This post is on the topic of stress and how it is managed. Or not. Different types of stress trigger different reactions in me. Good stress is usually work related and involves deadlines and challenge. Bad stress always involves family or money issues.
Recently though, I've had occasion to witness the effects stress has on others.
As a new manager, it's been fascinating and frankly bewildering to see the staff freaking out as deadlines approach. When I was in their position I managed my time, knowing that these deadlines lay ahead. Work had to be prioritised and completed accordingly. These people don't seem to work that way.
Ohhhhhhhhhhh no.
Their preferred technique appears to be: leave everything to the last minute and then spin feverishly on the spot, creating a maelstrom of A4 paperwork in the process. I've honestly never seen anything like it.
Part of me thinks - what's wrong with these people? and the other part thinks - what have the previous managers been doing all year? Or rather not doing!
For the past three weeks people have been sprinting past me, panic stricken and sweaty [I'll come back to the sweaty bit later in the blog]as they hurtle towards heart attacks or some well hidden alcohol. I've tried to help the most beleaguered ones who really are so young they don't know any better but the more 'experienced' staff should know better.
Having asked if there are problems at home adding to the stress, I'm assured not. Why then has everything been left till now? These deadlines are annual and should come as a surprise to no-one. The newbies should be warned of them as part of their induction and the older hands should be familiar with the whole process. It's really NOT rocket science.
Anyway, the deadline has passed and I'll be in tomorrow to see if anything has changed i.e. if the wild eyed terror has gone and the blood pressure has dropped back to normal.
Speaking of blood pressure, one member of staff told me her doc wants her to have an ecg etc because her BP is so high. She thinks it is entirely due to her workload but I suspect her sumo sized body mass on a 5'5" skeleton might have something to do with it. And here, dear reader, we return to the sweaty reference made earlier.
My line manager wanted me to tackle this member of staff about body odour. The room she occupies has its own distinctive scent which would benefit from a Glade plug in or ten. Apparently my boss took exception to the odour when the staff member left a vapour trail behind her in the boss's office. In the nicest possible way I told my boss that her interpersonal skills far outweighed mine and that she should tackle that sensitive issue in her own impeccable way. Exit me, chuckling.
The boss took it well and I'm hoping that she doesn't deal with her stress by giving me all the literally stinky jobs she hates. If so, I may visit my doc and asked to be signed off - due to stress. :0)
This post is on the topic of stress and how it is managed. Or not. Different types of stress trigger different reactions in me. Good stress is usually work related and involves deadlines and challenge. Bad stress always involves family or money issues.
Recently though, I've had occasion to witness the effects stress has on others.
As a new manager, it's been fascinating and frankly bewildering to see the staff freaking out as deadlines approach. When I was in their position I managed my time, knowing that these deadlines lay ahead. Work had to be prioritised and completed accordingly. These people don't seem to work that way.
Ohhhhhhhhhhh no.
Their preferred technique appears to be: leave everything to the last minute and then spin feverishly on the spot, creating a maelstrom of A4 paperwork in the process. I've honestly never seen anything like it.
Part of me thinks - what's wrong with these people? and the other part thinks - what have the previous managers been doing all year? Or rather not doing!
For the past three weeks people have been sprinting past me, panic stricken and sweaty [I'll come back to the sweaty bit later in the blog]as they hurtle towards heart attacks or some well hidden alcohol. I've tried to help the most beleaguered ones who really are so young they don't know any better but the more 'experienced' staff should know better.
Having asked if there are problems at home adding to the stress, I'm assured not. Why then has everything been left till now? These deadlines are annual and should come as a surprise to no-one. The newbies should be warned of them as part of their induction and the older hands should be familiar with the whole process. It's really NOT rocket science.
Anyway, the deadline has passed and I'll be in tomorrow to see if anything has changed i.e. if the wild eyed terror has gone and the blood pressure has dropped back to normal.
Speaking of blood pressure, one member of staff told me her doc wants her to have an ecg etc because her BP is so high. She thinks it is entirely due to her workload but I suspect her sumo sized body mass on a 5'5" skeleton might have something to do with it. And here, dear reader, we return to the sweaty reference made earlier.
My line manager wanted me to tackle this member of staff about body odour. The room she occupies has its own distinctive scent which would benefit from a Glade plug in or ten. Apparently my boss took exception to the odour when the staff member left a vapour trail behind her in the boss's office. In the nicest possible way I told my boss that her interpersonal skills far outweighed mine and that she should tackle that sensitive issue in her own impeccable way. Exit me, chuckling.
The boss took it well and I'm hoping that she doesn't deal with her stress by giving me all the literally stinky jobs she hates. If so, I may visit my doc and asked to be signed off - due to stress. :0)
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