Swimming uptide

Some days you start out with good intentions but life works against you and you end up struggling to perform the basics rather than do great deeds.

Today was one of those.

I had fully intended to implement some new measures in the workplace. I had listed various changes I needed to make and the people I wanted to speak to as a group and as individuals to introduce these changes. Changes that would hopefully reaffirm my managerial position and my control over the workforce.

I manage, or try to manage, a workforce of five. Two full-time, one mornings only and two-part timers.

Today, one full timer called in sick, one part timer was away in Portugal and one was working in our other branch, which left only myself, the mornings only housekeeper and the one full-time sales assistant, who already thinks he gets victimized.

So, no group to talk to, no one to take over while I talk to the only individual in and no chance however remote of making any changes. Added to the blend today were an unusually high number customer calls,deliveries and complaints and the need for the one full timer sales assistant to make some customer visits.

So, after a weekend making plans to change the world, I in fact spent most of the day just keeping up with the demand, swimming upstream and against the tide.

Like I said, some days are like that but they won’t let me shut my eyes or go back to bed until it’s all over.

Tomorrow, as the line goes, is another day.