Everything seems to be coming at me today! Not had one like this in a while…
Usually I cope with stuff like this and it doesn’t bother me, but today I can feel the stress levels building.
One of my usually placid and obliging staff members is sulking with me because he doesn’t like the decision I’ve made regarding a new product he’s working on. That’s OK, he can sulk away! But just after that another member of my team comes into my office, very tearful because she thinks I’m being too tough and I’m not telling her what’s going on. We’re in the process of changing her job and giving her a bit of a promotion and I can’t do without approval from the MD, who is on holiday until next week. But she thinks I’m just holding back and being unfair…
Once I’d explained all the situation and calmed it down a bit (she still isn’t too happy!) I get told that the commissioning work I have set up for next Thursday with the engineer coming all the way from Tewkesbury may not go ahead because the manufacturing plant is too busy!
Then I hear a further muttering about quality standards and that my staff aren’t up to the job of implementing quality assurance! Grrr.
So after all that, I make a cuppa and look at my emails to calm me down.
The first one I look at is one I sent out on behalf of the society, as I’ve had queries about a picture not meeting the rules for our annual exhibition. So obviously, I had to politely ask the person in question a couple of questions to find out if there was indeed a rule breach. SO a reply came back, ranting at me, saying how insulted she feels and will probably withdraw all her work and maybe leave the society. OMG.
I type a conciliatory reply and wait.
Then there is the issue of the disabled members who think they can’t get access to the exhibition, having been told by some complete stranger that there’s no access. They’ve been told the wrong gallery, but the damage is now done – furious messages are flying backwards and forwards. they don’t like the way we organise things and blah, blah. Does anyone remember that I work full time and just do all this organising in my own free time as a volunteer? Seemingly not.
Well, that should be enough considering it’s still only 10.30am. But, then I get a phone call from home, where it seems the joiner hasn’t turned up yet again and I now need to track him down.
And to top it all it’s pissing down and I am going to London tomorrow to do a cycle ride. and I have’t packed, or even ironed any clothes and I need to finish a drawing of a dog that I am supposed to be giving to the person I’m staying with as a thank you.
And I didn’t pack any lunch and I have no money with me. Mind you, will do me good not to eat, as I seem to be getting bigger every day!
Now I’m writing this in an attempt to chill and it’s working – already feel better than I did when I started writing it!
thank you blog 🙂
Barbara Murray Art 