Busy Lately!

Well... this has been quite the week!  Where to start.....

Brian had applied on line to a local home improvement store.  They called him back, set up an interview.  He arrived, told them why he was there, and they said "You don't have an interview here."  *blink*blink* after some discussion, it was discovered that it was supposed to be at a different location across town -- but on the same street.  lol  But my son has always had terrific luck, they spoke with him, he said he wanted to work at the store, but they only had one opening -- the same one he'd applied for at the other store.  Lucky him, they interviewed him right there on the spot. When asked why he wanted to work there, he replied "I heard it was a good company, and I like to make stuff."  "You know about tools??"  "Ohhh yeah....."  So who knows what will be in Bri's future!  He filled out papers and took his drug test today. We're just waiting on a start date now......   YAY!  *dances a happy jig*

As for his other saga .....  she called today and said she's been put on bed rest due to a placental abruption -- not usually a good thing if the bleeding doesn't stop.  But even from her bed rest, she continues to harp about how little she imagines Bri to care about what happens.   Always something from the drama queen..... *sigh*

Speaking of drama queens:  After my post the other day about the football game incident, I dropped an email to my daughter, told her I was pretty upset about the whole deal, and how sad I thought the situation was becoming.  I also told her that since I am the one who usually insists that Bri spend holidays down there, PLUS pays the bus fare and back, that I'm done.  If TheEx wants to see his son, he'll have to make the effort.  All of a sudden, he's calling every day, asking about Bri's job prospects, and telling him he'll come up this weekend to take him out.  Maybe a little bug in his ear from his daughter .... well, knowing my daughter it was more like a rant than a bug!  hahahah

My Dad started his second chemo treatment on Weds.  He was in pretty good spirits when I called him to share the news about Bri, but he also sounded tired and weak.  Mom has a new cast, one that's not so tight, her arm kept swelling up.  I keep wishing I was there.  Permanently, not just on vacation. 

And last, my back seems to be back to mostly normal.  Not sure what I did some time last Monday, whether it was stepping wrong, turning a foot wrong, or reaching while bending at the same time -- I pulled a muscle either in my hip or lower back.  (inflamed muscle, irritated nerve is my best guess)  Just taking steps was painful.  I wore a back brace just to hobble the dog around the block last weekend, but spent the rest of it flat on my back, on a heating pad.  Monday was a better day at work, I made sure I was careful and always wore my back brace when lifting or moving things.  After work, I stopped into the gym and did some mild stretches, rolled on the foamy roller, and got some cardio in on the elliptical.  I did that every day this week, and also started back with some light weights on Weds and today -- I'm not in tip-top shape, but its nice to be able to move without gritting my teeth!

Happy Weekend to you!

Why We Lead

For the past few days I haven't been feeling very positive about my job.  My yearly evaluation wasn't as I expected -- I had higher than average expectations, I guess!  It's not that I have reason to complain, it just seems harder to know what management expectations are any longer.   I am assuming that's what comes from an all new management team - and by new, I mean not only are they new to my BigBox Store, they're also new to our retail environment, most coming straight out of college, or from other competitors. My  "Solid performer"rating was fair, and for the most part I accept it.  (It gets rather difficult if I start comparing my rating to someone else who was rated the same -- and I work circles around him.)


There was a clear "A-ha" moment today when I checked my daily inspiration quote.  "Everyone wants to be recognized for a job well done.  But as most of us find out at some point, fame and attention does not come all the time.  If you find yourself upset by the lack of attention or recognition you're getting for your leadership, maybe you should reevaluate why you are a leader in the first place.  True leaders help their 'team', not for fame and attention.  Recognition is always nice, but its not often granted.  It helps to remember you are there to lead the group in front of you, not the ones watching behind you. Those watching will soon forget what you have done, but those you are leading will remember, long after you're gone."

Sometimes its easy to get all caught up in the moment, thinking the wrong things, assuming your job performance is poor because your efforts go unrecognized.  But its true, its the ones you are leading who are the reason for what we do.  Take my long time friend, Emily.  She and I started at the same BigBox store I was at in Ohio.  We worked so very well together.  She was young enough to be my daughter.  But I worked with her, taught her everything I know, and she went on to be a member of the management team -- and I couldn't have been more proud!  Yes, she put forth the effort to learn, but I did as well, teaching as much as I knew.  We're still good friends to this day, even with the distance between us. 

But that just proves the inspiration's point:  Its the ones we lead who will remember us. 
And that's why we're leaders.

Why a Librarian?

Classes have started, and both of my classes are librarian related: one is on the technology that keeps libraries (and their media centers) efficient and popular. The other is more about what it means to be a librarian in the ever-changing techno world. Both classes are going to be interesting for sure! Our first assignment: "Why a Librarian?" [Describe your experiences as related to libraries]

I have always had a love for boooks, and reading; and can't ever remember NOT having a library card. I was 8 when my family moved, and delighted in finding out the Bookmobile parked across the street from our house every other Monday. I loved Mondays! It didn't take me long to learn that I could get more of the books I liked by telling the nice librarians on the bookmobile.

Our high school library depended on the students enrolled in the "business education" section to help them. Back then, business education was really typing and office skills, which meant once a week we had class in the library, typing up card catalogs, shelving books, and once a year we helped with the inventory process. Nothing was computerized, there were no scannable bar codes, and checking out a book meant removing the 3x5 card from the special envelope inside the front cover, signing your name and dating it, and giving that card to the librarian!

What puzzles me most is why did it take me this long to come full circle and realize this is my passion? I stumbled across MCC's computer ad accidentally, clicked on it, and here I am. Life sure does take some unexpected turns along that way. I'm glad it did.

HUGS to everyone from "the stacks!"

Productivity vs Killing Time

How much time during our work day do we kill time? 10%? 20%? more?
Some days more than others? Today was a slow day in the claims office ... because we had everything caught up on Friday? because its relative to the number of shoppers in the store? (being the last week of the month, it is typical to have fewer shoppers in the store, waiting on their check on the first of the month.)

What do we base our job productivity on? There are some who don't care much about that, and go to their job with one thing in mind: to collect a paycheck. (And while I'm not against that .. I mean, I like work, but I wouldn't do it for free!) Then there are some who care a great deal about what they do, and why.

I'm sure there are productivity "markers" based on the job you're doing. If you're stock brokering, is a good day the day you "bag the elephant" [as they say in the movie Wall Street] ? If you're a used car salesman, is it the high profit sale you make to a businessman? or the lower profit sale you make to the single mom who desperately needs the car to get back and forth to work? If you're a stay at home mom (who, by the way, work the hardest, 24/7, in my opinion!) what is a good day for you? laundry finished, house clean, errands ran, kids tucked in bed? What part of your job is the "personal feel-goods" ??

I've been lucky in the jobs I've held over the years. I've done a lot of different things, and have an innate ability to break down tasks into workable portions and base my productivity and "personal feel-goods" into daily accomplishments and making sure my TO DO list is smaller when I leave than when I arrived.

But ... what triggers that sense within each of us? How and when do we learn about a job well done? Is it a part of our upbringing? And has this sense gone by the wayside?
Are we so caught up in the bottom line rewards that we forget about the people we're dealing with in the first place? No matter which job you're in, in the long run, it is always geared towards a customer. Be it service or sales of some product, the end of the line is the customer, or consumer.

So the next time you're wasting time at work ,,,... find something that will be a "personal feel-goods" at the end of the day.. and do it! You'll probably go home with a big smile on your face :) I know I do. (And it makes everyone else wonder what I've been up to.... )

HUGS to everyone!

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Another new position....

Since arriving at my job here Feb 21, I have held two different departments, and am about ready to move to another one. And maybe I'm the only one who finds that surprising. In 6+ years with the company prior to this, I held only three positions, total. (I was very much at home in Fabrics & Crafts!!) I was interviewed Friday afternoon for this new position, and the Store Manager congratulated me first thing this morning. It was nice to hear "no matter how many times we looked at the list of names, we kept coming back to yours". Guess I'm doing a few things right, huh ? It's a lateral move, different responsibilities. More paperwork (which I'm good at) and a need to be organized, on top of things, and able to jump into several different hoops, if it's called for. (None of that has ever been a problem for me in the past ... but I'm not in my 20's any longer!! haha) I'm supposed to begin training right away, as the gal I'm replacing leaves in 3 weeks, I believe. Ought to be interesting, considering I have a full plate as it is with my pharmacy department. (Maybe that's why it works well for me... I'm the kind who takes ownership?)

Most of my day was spent answering questions about a new computerized back room program we've just begun (I went gung-ho and started a week earlier than the rest of the departments! lol) , so I've been helping my peers with a lot of that. And, spent a half hour training a co-manager from another store on some of the working details of this new system, as well. It was nice to be singled out for that :)

Which brings me to the second half, the reason for this post: Why is it that when we do good things, we don't hear about it as often as we'd like to ? For example: When my kids were growing up, my ex and I would take the kids places .... a train trip into SF, an outing to a park, a zoo, a museum, things like that. But because we were there, the kids didn't have to expound every detail joyfully (like kids do!) to us, but would talk about how wonderful it was to their grandparents. We adults got to hear second hand how excited the kids were after such a trip. And I'm thinking its kind of that way with our jobs, as well. We're busy doing what we do. And continually wonder: "Am I doing a good job? Is this the way I'm supposed to do something?" Why do we assume the worst case scenario? and not the best? Is it possible to live by the adage "No news is good news" ??? I say YES! While it's always nice to hear good things about ourselves, in reality, if we're doing a good job ... isn't that what we're paid to do ?? If you were doing a bad job, don't you think they'd tell you by now? So, the next time you get to wondering about your job performance... keep that in mind: No news is good news!

HUGS to everyone!

Career Preference

Here's another new and interesting twist in the "career preference" category. Since I started working as a walmartian , I worked for six+ years and held three positions. And now, since my transfer to Arizona in February, I've already held two, and am considering another.

Today, I was asked by the store manager if I had an interest in the Claims Supervisor position, as Jessie is leaving, after nineteen years with the company. Frankly, since I've only been in my pharmacy dept since May, I honestly wasn't considering a change. But, if management is asking... I should be considering. So, I said "of course" and went and filled out my Career Preference options on the in house computer system.

This would be a position that deals with defective items returned, recalled items, stolen goods. There is a modicum of responsibility, quite different from that on the sales floor. More interaction with management and office associates. Other than that, I need to read up on and get more info for this position. But... an exciting turn of events, all in all. Knowledge is power, maybe some day I'll run my own store ... *ponders* ... Nope, that isn't gonna happen. lol Retail is good, but not THAT good. At my age.

And KUDOS to my sisters in Eaton Ohio. They got hit with part of Ike, and were without power for a long time. The store shut down for 24 hours, thereabouts, and they lost all the frozen/deli/cold goods ... to the tune of $223,000. They've worked long hard hours taking care of the problem, and getting the store restocked all over again. Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on all the fun ... but I think they can have this one all to themselves!!! Miss you guys!!! xoxox

HUGS to everyone!!