2003-02-11 - 9:47 p.m.

Business Meeting

Oh, my gosh, what hectic couple of days.  Monday was rush, rush, rush.  Today was the same.  Every time I tried to stop for a few minutes I realized I was behind and had to start up again.  Yeah, and also, my new boss had an emotional confrontation with us at a meeting.  While I was on the phone I noticed everyone was gone from my office and my new boss kept coming in and walking around.  I put my client on hold and asked what was up.  He told me we were having a meeting right now.  I got off the phone and went into the conference room.

My new boss was sort of pale and really angry.  He explained to us that he had been a nice guy but that was not working.  He told us we needed to make up our minds if we wanted to be lead like adults or managed like children.  I guess the night before, after we all left, he had been stuck in the office working late and noticed that several things he had dropped hints about had not been done.

I found our later that he and my office mate Kevin had a confrontation.  Kevin told him he got the same speech he gets every time we get a new manager.  How we never have enough inventory on hand, how we are reactionary, how no one has been cross trained in other tasks.  Kevin told him it is always like this and I guess they sort of yelled at each other.

That explained the emotional meeting.  The funny thing is we all sat there pretty calmly.  I felt strangely unaffected by it.  I knew why he was doing it.  He had to get his point across and this was the only way to do it.  My new boss has been there only four weeks and is already overworked.  The president of the company has kept him on edge making him feel as though he has not done enough (that is his way).

None of us said a thing during the meeting.  Afterwards I just left everyone alone.  I asked Kevin about it, but did not have time to get the details until later in the afternoon.  I tried to diffuse some of the tension. I talked to Kevin and tried to put the whole thing in perspective.  He was really ok with it by then anyway.  I talked to my boss and let him know we were all fine with it.  He lightened up by the end of the day.

I am just monitoring it.  At one time in my life this would have upset me, but not now.  I can see it for what it is, grown men overworked and under pressure.  It's too bad. If only my company would hire about three more people we would be fine.  We could all get our work done and live reasonable lives.   But no.  It's just easier to command us to work smarter.  That is a great business strategy.

I hope it works out for my company.

Jimmy
 
 

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