Tales from a botched reorg

[kcowan]

We have people here in my government workplace that attend meetins all day, every day. I avoid all meetings. If they want me to come to a meeting I want to be driving the train or making decisions.

When I got my first bureaucratic job, my calendar was fully booked with meetings. I asked my secretary to immediately clear it and advise all organizers that I will not attend any meeting unless the objectives are received in advance.

Eventually I relented. I would send one of my directs and I would show up for the last 15 minutes and ask for the results. I would find that the business admin people were objecting to marketing stuff, etc. So I would say: "Do you have any objections to the bus admin aspects of thsi proposal?" When the answer was NO I would move on. We pushed our way through the red tape at record speed.

If the bus admin person persisted, I would say to take that up with the marketing guy before the meeting. If they wanted to escalate, I said fine but it has to be your boss talking to my boss. Never had an escalation.

After a year I got sick of the conflict and moved on. But we accomplished a lot of stuff in that year.

 

[brewer12345]

The fun continues. The two HR departments between where I am coming from and where I am transferring to cannot agree on how to do the hand-off and I am caught in the midddle. I just got asked if I could shorten the time between when I go and when I show up. No, you morons, I will be driving across the country with kids, dogs, cat, luggage, etc. I cannot get there by magic carpet.

 

[Patrick]

The fun continues. The two HR departments between where I am coming from and where I am transferring to cannot agree on how to do the hand-off and I am caught in the midddle. I just got asked if I could shorten the time between when I go and when I show up. No, you morons, I will be driving across the country with kids, dogs, cat, luggage, etc. I cannot get there by magic carpet.

Tell them that if they'll pay for a professional moving company to pack up and move your stuff that you will fly up there to start sooner, thereby solving their problem.

 

[brewer12345]

Tell them that if they'll pay for a professional moving company to pack up and move your stuff that you will fly up there to start sooner, thereby solving their problem.

The movers are packing crap up and moving it on the company dime. But I still have to drive 2 cars 1800 miles and transport dogs and a cat plus the camper. And I need some time to get sorted out when I arrive and not show up to what will be a very busy first few months feeling like I just did a triathlon.

 

[MichaelB]

I think you should start writing this stuff down. This would make an excellent book. Might even be worth movie rights.

 

[growing_older]

Got any vacation time coming? Maybe move your "last day" of work out a week or so, during which time you will be "on vacation" driving around with your dogs and cat so your official end date is closer to when you are actually on site at the new place. Or work from the other end, if you start by working one day remotely then take some "time off" while you transit. Usually we discourage that sort of thing, but if you can claim it was a previously arranged "vacation" then often people will accommodate.

 

[Nords]

The fun continues. The two HR departments between where I am coming from and where I am transferring to cannot agree on how to do the hand-off and I am caught in the midddle. I just got asked if I could shorten the time between when I go and when I show up. No, you morons, I will be driving across the country with kids, dogs, cat, luggage, etc. I cannot get there by magic carpet.

Sounds like a great opportunity for your new boss to show you a little support. Or else award you a couple weeks' meritorious time off...

 

[brewer12345]

Sounds like a great opportunity for your new boss to show you a little support. Or else award you a couple weeks' meritorious time off...

They sorted it out, with a little pressure from my new boss. Amazing stupidity.

 

[Nords]

They sorted it out, with a little pressure from my new boss. Amazing stupidity.

I'm not surprised by the stupidity, let alone that your new boss had to get involved, but it's gratifying to see that your new boss didn't hesitate to get involved...

 

[brewer12345]

I'm not surprised by the stupidity, let alone that your new boss had to get involved, but it's gratifying to see that your new boss didn't hesitate to get involved...

Actually, he appears to have called in some VP-level firepower to get the job done.

I am a little frightened, though. My buddy here was working with someone in the area I am going to and she asked if he knew me. He admitted as much and she went on to say that apparently word is spreading that the place I am heading stole me from the place I am coming to and it is a big coup because I know everything, can do everything, and will be making an entire career there. It is nice to be thought well of, but that is a lot to live up to. The key to happiness is low expectations...

 

[MichaelB]

Actually, he appears to have called in some VP-level firepower to get the job done.

I am a little frightened, though. My buddy here was working with someone in the area I am going to and she asked if he knew me. He admitted as much and she went on to say that apparently word is spreading that the place I am heading stole me from the place I am coming to and it is a big coup because I know everything, can do everything, and will be making an entire career there. It is nice to be thought well of, but that is a lot to live up to. The key to happiness is low expectations...

Low expectations are easy to meet and exceed, but high expectations combined with a top notch reputation are good leverage and can be used to help further your own goals.

 

[growing_older]

Within reason, high expectations are a powerful tool.

When a team with low expectations runs into problems, the higher-up say, we knew they might mess up and they promptly pull the plug.

When a team with high expectations runs into problems, the higher-up say, this must be a harder problem than expected, what do we need to give them to succeed.

 

[Nords]

Actually, he appears to have called in some VP-level firepower to get the job done.

He called in an air strike?!? Better & better.

It is nice to be thought well of, but that is a lot to live up to. The key to happiness is low expectations...

True.

Another way to look at it is that you're coming into such a screwed-up position that anything you do will make you look like a [-]one-eyed man in the valley of the blind[/-] god among mortals.

I once took over a job for a guy who'd started coughing up blood and who unexpectedly turned himself in to the medics for a psych evaluation. He hadn't been very effective in his administration, let alone as a custodian of nuclear missiles, and the command had been a tad unhappy with his performance. Let's just say that the turnover checklist had a lot of blank spots on it. But from the day I showed up I could do no wrong.

Maybe they're also encouraged by the fact that you have family connections to the area. That implies the possibility that you're not just bungee-jumping the career ladder.

 

[freebird5825]

Yo, Brewer...

1. Relax
2. Be yourself
3. Good Luck

 

[Meadbh]

Yo, Brewer...

1. Relax
2. Be yourself
3. Good Luck

What she said.

 

[brewer12345]

Thursday I met the grand poohbah at a reception after an assembly intended to propound the "benefits" of this massive shtshow. Breathtaking cluelessness was displayed about how to manage and motivate people. I am tempted (heavily) to send an email to the grand poohbah with a few suggestions as I exit, but not sure if the risk is worth it.

Meanwhile, friends I would have labelled as "lifers" here are looking at the grass on the other side of the fence commenting on its appealing shade.

 

[73ss454]

I'd keep quiet at this point and "go west young man"

If they don't get it by now they never will.

 

[donheff]

I'd keep quiet at this point and "go west young man"

If they don't get it by now they never will.

+1 You could safely talk about some of this stuff if the poobah asked your opinion but piping up on your own you could be taken wrong.

 

[Texas Proud]

+1 You could safely talk about some of this stuff if the poobah asked your opinion but piping up on your own you could be taken wrong.

+2 on the post.... at the age he is at... and at the position he is at... he probably thinks he knows more than you anyhow...


OR, he has heard it all before and just ignores it...


Some people are just the way they are... you can not change them.... so why try...

 

[Nords]

I am tempted (heavily) to send an email to the grand poohbah with a few suggestions as I exit, but not sure if the risk is worth it.

You're absolutely right about the risk. Not worth it.

10 years from now this will all seem at least as stupid as it seems now, and you'll take comfort in knowing that you exited on the high road.

 

[Gotadimple]

Thursday I met the grand poohbah at a reception after an assembly intended to propound the "benefits" of this massive shtshow. Breathtaking cluelessness was displayed about how to manage and motivate people. I am tempted (heavily) to send an email to the grand poohbah with a few suggestions as I exit, but not sure if the risk is worth it.

Meanwhile, friends I would have labelled as "lifers" here are looking at the grass on the other side of the fence commenting on its appealing shade.

Send the email . . . but

Write in Word ... remember emails NEVER go away
Print the document
DO NOT save the document


You'll feel better.

Good Luck on your new position!

Rita

 

[Brat]

Do not write or say what you are thinking. Just smile. Your departure will speak for itself. If someone asks you about the group turn the question back to them.

He is clueless or would not be able to implement necessary changes even if he understood the problems. It is sad, I feel for those who are hired to back-fill the departures.

Spend all your energy on you, not them. Enjoy Denver and don't look back.

 

[Leonidas]

Do not write or say what you are thinking. Just smile. Your departure will speak for itself. If someone asks you about the group turn the question back to them.

He is clueless or would not be able to implement necessary changes even if he understood the problems. It is sad, I feel for those who are hired to back-fill the departures.

Spend all your energy on you, not them. Enjoy Denver and don't look back.

Agree completely. You can't enlighten those that are brain dead, but you can piss off the vindictive. Feel sad for the good ones left behind, forget those not worth remembering, and walk out the door with a big smile.

 

[deserat]

Agree completely. You can't enlighten those that are brain dead, but you can piss off the vindictive. Feel sad for the good ones left behind, forget those not worth remembering, and walk out the door with a big smile.

Oh, yeah - watch out for the vindictive - and many times they aren't who you thought they were. Passive Aggressiveness tends to permeate their approach - ouch!

Good luck on the trip west and the new job - Denver sure isn't New York ;-) Enjoy - the west is wide open. Lots of space. I Love it.

 

[FreeAtLast]

Don't risk it. Just look forward to the new job. The fact that you are leaving is a pretty big statement.

Best of Luck!