Flat Bananas

Well, the puppy continues to waltz.

Several hundred tasks spread across eight departments each with it's own file of task lists and each with a several people responsible. All of the files at various stages of development and all needing to be tied together with a bright ribbon. It is not easy an easy thing to turn inside out and get back upright. I’m getting there, though.

Yesterday I finished what I can do, so I think things are on track. I'm feeling a bit more comfortable because I sent what I had accomplished off to the director who's running this, and he gave it a thumbs up. I’ll find out more in a couple of hours when the team that’s driving the effort meets. That’s when I’ll unveil what I’ve done in front of the other directors and the CEO.

Thumbs up or thumbs down won’t really matter because I’ve done the best I can given the direction I was provided. I used my judgement where warranted - kept milestones that don't really belong in this file in the group because we have to keep an eye on them and so on. Nothing major, nothing un-do-able which is key.

More important than anything is that I haven’t missed anything. I checked. Aside from that, if someone does want to go back and look for some reason, the original files are still there, still intact and untouched. Oh, the beauty of copy and paste!

Then it will become a maintenance issue and I can go back to doing my daily work – which involves my database and stuff. That I’m not looking forward to because about a year or so ago I got a bunch of file boxes dumped on me. One office was moving and they decided I’d be a good repository for their stuff, so they sent their stuff to me – boxes of it.

It's a mess. Folders of papers that seem to bear no relation to much else in the folder - like a tangible black hole or something.

"Just toss it in, Mildred! No one'll miss it!"

Apparently no one has because it's still there a year later. But some of these things will expire and I need to know when (hopefully, not yet).

I've gotten the easy things done already. Now it’s down to the nitty-gritty of junk files to weed through.  One paper here, in this pile, six over there in that, is this related to the other thing and trying to decipher when I know that I don’t know. It’s called experience, right?

That’s what I’m heavily relying upon. The experience in this kind of puzzle building. Pick up the piece and turn it around, examine it and decide whether it fits. If not, put it down and pick up the next. Eventually, it will slot into place – it’s just a question of when.

I like puzzles, though. I have a couple of 2000 piece jigsaws at home and when I get in the mood I’ll roll out the felt and get to work. My all time favorite puzzle though was called ‘Flat Banana’. It was solid yellow, except for a label. My brain hurt after I did it and I did it several times. The only landmarks were the label and the manufacturer’s mark along the bottom border.

That's a picture of the box, and the puzzle looks a lot like that, except it has lines, when it's done. The lines are the only thing that's different. There's no picture. It's an object of and exercise in torment and determination.

Well, I'm off to get my day started - a meeting in three hours and a puzzle in five.

Have a lovely day!

Best~
Philippa

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhilippaStories

The Difference Between Stage Fright and Stage Nerves

Yep, today is the first of the five training sessions I'll be putting on over the next two-and-a-half weeks and I'm a bit nervous. Not frightened, as in 'stage fright', just 'stage nervous'.

I've got the material down pat. The run-through with the director went well. There were a few hiccups, all minor. The biggest issue is that I tend to be overly repetitious. Which can, in training, be a good thing, but I tend to overdo it and become irritating. So, this morning, I need to go through it again to find and remove some of the repetition. I also need to add a couple of highlights, points to drive home that I missed. Other than that, I'm confident it will go well.

That's why I'm nervous, not frightened. These people aren't out to find fault. They're not coming to heckle me or throw stuff. They'll be there to hear what I have to say, so I just have to say it in a way that's interesting and engaging.

Of course, there's also the lying awake and second-guessing I just went through. Am I including too much? Do I really have to introduce this and this?

It's hard to know what's important and how much is too much. But, if I don't include enough, points will be missed. That took up a goodly portion of my night - lying awake and thinking.

Along with waiting for the damned hot flashes to pass. I can't wait for January. Open the window to a thirty-degree night and freeze. At least it takes the edge off the heat and, when I need to get up to use the bathroom, if I time it, I'm comfortable.

Today, to deal with the tired feeling, I'm counting on adrenaline. I'm sure that's going to kick in about two minutes before go-time because no matter how often I do it, it's daunting to stand in front of a group of people and talk. Even if you know them really well there are so many questions and doubts if you're going to stand at the head of the room and try to teach them something new.

It's one of the reasons I bob and fidget. I can't help it. I can't just stand still and not sway, heel to toe. I'm sure it's distracting for my audience and, if I could, I'd prefer to stand at the back of the room so their entire focus is on the screen, but I can't. So they'll watch me fidget.

More than that, though, are the questions.

Will they get it? Will they receive it well or badly? Will they, God forbid!, be bored? Will they object? Some here, may, because it's a change from what's been. They may well think that 'hey, it's worked for this long, why change it now?' Which is one of the points I'll try to make. We'll see how well that goes.

I'll know by about three o'clock this afternoon. There's some comfort. Start in eight hours, be done in nine and walk away.

Of course, that's just today. Then there's Thursday's group. That's the big one. Fifteen people have signed up for that. The good news there is that all of them but one will be joining by video conferencing. No rotten tomatoes or eggs.

In addition to the training, there's the questionnaire. It's brief but how will it be received? Will it be along the lines of 'this sucks' or 'this is stupid', or will I get some back that say 'good job'? It was my idea to put the survey together because I need to know if I'm doing this right so I can improve, but the responses will go to the director, first. It will be anonymous so no one has to worry or feel uncomfortable. I just hope I get mostly good responses.

After the next one, on Thursday, when I'm more comfortable with the information and presenting it, I'll find that quiet place to do the voice over version. By then I'll also know if I'm drifting off into the weeds when I don't need to and can refine what I present, if needed.

I did get a couple of points to address after the run-through on Friday's but when it was all over, I was told it was 'good'. Which is encouraging, because this person doesn't throw softballs. If it doesn't work, they'll say. If it doesn't meet expectations, they'll say. The fact that they said it's good - with the few minor changes suggested - tells me it's good.

One key factor is the person to whom I presented this is, I think, more knowledgeable about the material than many of the other people to whom I'll be presenting it. They don't need to be sold quite as much as some of the others might. Even though there were some points, things they questioned, they weren't such that I think I have a lot to fix. And, because I suspect the dichotomy between this person's knowledge and level of buy-in, and some of the others who will sit through this, I'll use my judgement and probably keep more than expected.

On top of this, there's the other project, the one that was supposed to be done Friday but for which I said 'I'll do my best'. Good thing I hedged. I got a lot done, about half of it, but that means I still have half to go. Which I hope to work on this morning.

Happy Monday! Wish me luck and I hope you have a lovely day.

Best~
Philippa

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhilippaStories