When initiative is *not* appreciated....
I just got an email that made me grit my teeth
and go,
"OH! It would be SUCH a shame if we reorganized
to the point where ANYONE
(including you, Only Full Time Paid Employee)
knew what was going on,
and actually COMMUNICATED
as if we were a COMMUNITY-BASED
MEDIA and COMMUNICATION NETWORK,
WOULDN'T IT?!"
And then fire shot out my nose,
and my toes,
and my clothes,...
all oily bombast
exploding
slick across
the impassive screen.
A story:
Once upon a time
in a beige-and-taupe office building
not-so-far away,
I worked in payment processing
for a major national DME
(durable medical equipment)
company.
In the morning, I would open and sort the mail.
Insurance Payments.
Private Payments.
Information Requests.
It was a 5am job
with the first 3 hours sorting/running/batching checks
alone.
8am, the Data Processors got in,
and I, along with about 5 of us
spent the whole day
keying in payments
and balancing payment batches.
Every other Saturday was mandatory overtime.
It was a pretty good job,
free coffee,
soft seat,
plug into my music
or audiobooks
and spend all day
day dreaming
while carpal tunnel
crept up and into my life.
There are absolutely worse jobs.
My friend worked at the same company,
collections.
Trying to collect
on NECESSARY MEDICAL EQUIPMENT.
Not. Good.
Very. Bad.
Anyways, I hated those mandatory Saturdays.
I would do ANYTHING
to get rid of mandatory Saturdays.
I like money,
but I don't LIVE for it.
I got SHIT TO DO, suckas!
My weekends
are MINE!
So, I came up with a plan.
I was trained in the morning,
to sort/batch mail
according ONLY to insurance vs private pay.
I suggested to my boss,
"What if, I spent a LITTLE extra time
sorting among the insurance payments.
Batching like-with-like."
As a keyer, everyone wanted the SMOOTH batches.
A whole batch, from a single provider.
Those batches went fast.
They were comfortable.
Easy to read.
Harder to make mistakes on.
Most batches
were messy.
Mismatched.
Disorganized.
Each page was different,
different font,
different layout,
different organization,
different keywords,
different style,
different kinds of payments.
The messier the batch,
the easier it is to make a mistake
and the longer it takes
to fix a mistake.
$30,000 built of small $7.41 and $21.21, and $74.34 payments,
all had to balance
to the penny,
and you don't know if it balances,
until you're done.
Finding mistakes can take HOURS
on a batch that took hours to input.
We processed millions each day.
So I was like,
"Boss lady! I think if we spend an extra 30 minutes sorting mail
in the morning,
we can process MUCH faster!
Fewer mistakes!
Easier batches!
Maybe even... no overtime."
She was critical, but gave me the freedom to try it.
It took a little while
to get a new sorting system down.
Sorting thousands of pieces of mail
into hundreds of company groups
based on size and likeness of the paperwork/checks
inside the envelop isn't the easiest job,
but I was familiar with all the company's paperwork by then.
Turns out, I needed an extra HOUR in the morning
to get it done.
The keyers complained there was no work when they came in.
I pointed to the batches left unfinished from yesterday.
They groaned.
They preferred the habit of sorting in the morning,
BEFORE jumping into processing.
But they did it, and grumbled about it.
They were very good multi-taskers!
I recruited another girl to come in early with me.
So their mail was on their desks when they arrived,
like they preferred.
OK.
Batches came out nicer.
Cleaner.
Neater.
Easier to sort.
Faster to batch.
Faster to process.
In fact, it brought mistakes down to almost ZERO.
In fact, within two weeks, we no longer HAD leftover batches in the morning,
from the day before.
We were processing 15% MORE
each day.
Enough, so mandatory Saturday was cancelled.
Then, batches got so fast,
we were done BEFORE the end of day.
45 minutes
to a half an hour before the end of the day
we were RUNNING OUT of work!
More was being processed,
it was more effective,
efficient,
easy,
and reliable.
The ladies groaned.
"What do we do NOW!?"
My boss calls me in,
"They're groaning.
We're running out of work.
I like your system... but what do we do??"
I point to our Customer Service Agents
who process insurance claims.
And how THEY also have mandatory Saturdays
where all they do is FILE.
We could.. file.
We could help OTHER groups
handle THEIR overload.
Also, our group
always complained about their group
because they were always behind on filing,
and if we needed to research something
we had to rely on their filing,
and if they were behind on filing,
we got behind on our research.
(When a payment was changed,
updated, or revoked,
we had to do the research on it
and find the original payment for our batches,
copy, and attach the related payments
and a bunch of other bureaucratic back-work)
My boss talks to their boss.
Offers filing help.
Other boss is ECSTATIC.
"Yes! PLEASE!! O MY GOD!!! THANK YOU!!!!"
Some of our group
does a work slow-down
to avoid filing.
They don't like it.
They like chairs.
They like cubicles.
They don't like the research room.
I, personally like it.
It means I have several jobs each day,
it gives a nice 'flow' to the day.
Relaxes my hands/eyes after hours of non-stop typing
and screen-glare.
Lets me walk around,
after hours of sitting.
We're still finishing all batches
almost every single day
with time to spare.
Another Mandatory Saturday is called off.
We have almost zero errors.
We are processing more this month
than we have in ages, AND without Saturdays.
For ONCE there isn't a huge rush at the end of the month
to close out that month's payments on time.
I get called into my boss' office.
"I really like your idea,
but we just can't make it work.
We're going back to the old way."
Of course, I ask why.
"The team just isn't happy with it.
They don't like filing,
they miss the overtime pay,
they like the clean batches,
but they don't like losing one of their people
for 2 hours to early morning sorting with you."
I chuckle to myself.
I thank her for 'trying it out'
and 'taking a chance' on an idea.
We go back to the Old Way.
I come in early alone,
I sort and batch mail willy-nilly.
It's MUCH easier this way,
at least... for THIS part of the job.
Processing is slowed down
because its messy,
and the mail opener clogs with all the different sizes,
just like it used to.
The check scanner hates all the mish-mash,
and jams, too.
O yes, I REMEMBER.
I had almost forgot,
but NOW I REMEMBER.
I don't need help in the morning anymore,
and batches are left over at the end of the day most days.
The boss sees the overage batches pile up on Thursday,
it's only been 4 days since crushing the new system,
and the pile is tall enough
she calls for a Mandatory Saturday.
I groan with real feeling.
Half the other ladies
are apparently only pretend-grumbling.
They LIKE the overtime.
Who needs SATURDAYS anyways??
I'm not mad,
it's just the way it is.
I appreciated the boss tried out my system,
and appreciated she was responsive to everyone elses'
comfort,
even if it was SILLY.
I never heard if Corporate ever learned of our experiment.
I'm sure they would have really appreciated it,
but, my co-workers certainly didn't.
This is how I learned
what "office politics"
REALLY means.
Flash Forward:
I've been a volunteer programmer at our community radio station
for 11 years.
I spent the summer setting up a chain of subcommittees
with a small group of committed volunteers
to organize communication,
events, outreach, and volunteer coordination.
As a group, we began taking all the unfilled
heavy-lifting coordination jobs
and started DOING them.
Together.
As a group.
The Board and Board Chair encouraged us,
said the organization could REALLY use it.
They agreed there is a communication problem
and coordination needs performed on a mass scale
to help open up our system for more
community input and guidance.
It's something I've wanted to do for YEARS.
Been ACHING to do it, honestly.
Today I got the email that says from my boss,
(whose only boss IS the Board... by the way)
Stop.
No.
This is not what we need.
No one wants this.
You are overstepping.
This is a problem.
You don't understand **ANYTHING**.
I am *The Boss*.
But thanks anyways.
He did not send this to the Board,
who has been a part of the whole conversation
until now.
He says this to ME.
Huff.
Puff.
He's willing to blow my house down
with a cold front.
Do you see the difference
between the two stories?
I get lost when people try to push me,
try to tell me what to do without explanation,
try to convince me they care
even as they are refusing to listen.
My Sailor donated $500 to the radio station last year.
One of his benefits is a month of messages to be aired.
My Boss emailed him to let him know his month was coming.
"[Sailor]
You are the Tower Guardian for the Month of September.
What do you want it to say?
[Boss]
Donate today at [url.org]"
He only has to send out 12 of these messages a year.
This is how he communicates.
*facepalm*
I had to write out some feelers
before I respond to his "No. Full Stop." email.
How many people SHOULD I CC on it??
Hmmmmm.....??
He's here to remind me
why I stopped
doing extra volunteer work
all those years ago
in the first place.
I STOPPED organizing fundraisers.
I STOPPED organizing concerts.
I STOPPED organizing parties.
I STOPPED soliciting donations or volunteering from friends.
But, there was a window opened by the Board Chair
who said, 'No.... we need this breath of fresh air'
and 'I like what you're saying.. come on in...'
and I climbed in
but all I see right now
is the curt glower
of my Station Manager
going, "How the fuck did you get in here?!?"
and go,
"OH! It would be SUCH a shame if we reorganized
to the point where ANYONE
(including you, Only Full Time Paid Employee)
knew what was going on,
and actually COMMUNICATED
as if we were a COMMUNITY-BASED
MEDIA and COMMUNICATION NETWORK,
WOULDN'T IT?!"
And then fire shot out my nose,
and my toes,
and my clothes,...
all oily bombast
exploding
slick across
the impassive screen.
A story:
Once upon a time
in a beige-and-taupe office building
not-so-far away,
I worked in payment processing
for a major national DME
(durable medical equipment)
company.
In the morning, I would open and sort the mail.
Insurance Payments.
Private Payments.
Information Requests.
It was a 5am job
with the first 3 hours sorting/running/batching checks
alone.
8am, the Data Processors got in,
and I, along with about 5 of us
spent the whole day
keying in payments
and balancing payment batches.
Every other Saturday was mandatory overtime.
It was a pretty good job,
free coffee,
soft seat,
plug into my music
or audiobooks
and spend all day
day dreaming
while carpal tunnel
crept up and into my life.
There are absolutely worse jobs.
My friend worked at the same company,
collections.
Trying to collect
on NECESSARY MEDICAL EQUIPMENT.
Not. Good.
Very. Bad.
Anyways, I hated those mandatory Saturdays.
I would do ANYTHING
to get rid of mandatory Saturdays.
I like money,
but I don't LIVE for it.
I got SHIT TO DO, suckas!
My weekends
are MINE!
So, I came up with a plan.
I was trained in the morning,
to sort/batch mail
according ONLY to insurance vs private pay.
I suggested to my boss,
"What if, I spent a LITTLE extra time
sorting among the insurance payments.
Batching like-with-like."
As a keyer, everyone wanted the SMOOTH batches.
A whole batch, from a single provider.
Those batches went fast.
They were comfortable.
Easy to read.
Harder to make mistakes on.
Most batches
were messy.
Mismatched.
Disorganized.
Each page was different,
different font,
different layout,
different organization,
different keywords,
different style,
different kinds of payments.
The messier the batch,
the easier it is to make a mistake
and the longer it takes
to fix a mistake.
$30,000 built of small $7.41 and $21.21, and $74.34 payments,
all had to balance
to the penny,
and you don't know if it balances,
until you're done.
Finding mistakes can take HOURS
on a batch that took hours to input.
We processed millions each day.
So I was like,
"Boss lady! I think if we spend an extra 30 minutes sorting mail
in the morning,
we can process MUCH faster!
Fewer mistakes!
Easier batches!
Maybe even... no overtime."
She was critical, but gave me the freedom to try it.
It took a little while
to get a new sorting system down.
Sorting thousands of pieces of mail
into hundreds of company groups
based on size and likeness of the paperwork/checks
inside the envelop isn't the easiest job,
but I was familiar with all the company's paperwork by then.
Turns out, I needed an extra HOUR in the morning
to get it done.
The keyers complained there was no work when they came in.
I pointed to the batches left unfinished from yesterday.
They groaned.
They preferred the habit of sorting in the morning,
BEFORE jumping into processing.
But they did it, and grumbled about it.
They were very good multi-taskers!
I recruited another girl to come in early with me.
So their mail was on their desks when they arrived,
like they preferred.
OK.
Batches came out nicer.
Cleaner.
Neater.
Easier to sort.
Faster to batch.
Faster to process.
In fact, it brought mistakes down to almost ZERO.
In fact, within two weeks, we no longer HAD leftover batches in the morning,
from the day before.
We were processing 15% MORE
each day.
Enough, so mandatory Saturday was cancelled.
Then, batches got so fast,
we were done BEFORE the end of day.
45 minutes
to a half an hour before the end of the day
we were RUNNING OUT of work!
More was being processed,
it was more effective,
efficient,
easy,
and reliable.
The ladies groaned.
"What do we do NOW!?"
My boss calls me in,
"They're groaning.
We're running out of work.
I like your system... but what do we do??"
I point to our Customer Service Agents
who process insurance claims.
And how THEY also have mandatory Saturdays
where all they do is FILE.
We could.. file.
We could help OTHER groups
handle THEIR overload.
Also, our group
always complained about their group
because they were always behind on filing,
and if we needed to research something
we had to rely on their filing,
and if they were behind on filing,
we got behind on our research.
(When a payment was changed,
updated, or revoked,
we had to do the research on it
and find the original payment for our batches,
copy, and attach the related payments
and a bunch of other bureaucratic back-work)
My boss talks to their boss.
Offers filing help.
Other boss is ECSTATIC.
"Yes! PLEASE!! O MY GOD!!! THANK YOU!!!!"
Some of our group
does a work slow-down
to avoid filing.
They don't like it.
They like chairs.
They like cubicles.
They don't like the research room.
I, personally like it.
It means I have several jobs each day,
it gives a nice 'flow' to the day.
Relaxes my hands/eyes after hours of non-stop typing
and screen-glare.
Lets me walk around,
after hours of sitting.
We're still finishing all batches
almost every single day
with time to spare.
Another Mandatory Saturday is called off.
We have almost zero errors.
We are processing more this month
than we have in ages, AND without Saturdays.
For ONCE there isn't a huge rush at the end of the month
to close out that month's payments on time.
I get called into my boss' office.
"I really like your idea,
but we just can't make it work.
We're going back to the old way."
Of course, I ask why.
"The team just isn't happy with it.
They don't like filing,
they miss the overtime pay,
they like the clean batches,
but they don't like losing one of their people
for 2 hours to early morning sorting with you."
I chuckle to myself.
I thank her for 'trying it out'
and 'taking a chance' on an idea.
We go back to the Old Way.
I come in early alone,
I sort and batch mail willy-nilly.
It's MUCH easier this way,
at least... for THIS part of the job.
Processing is slowed down
because its messy,
and the mail opener clogs with all the different sizes,
just like it used to.
The check scanner hates all the mish-mash,
and jams, too.
O yes, I REMEMBER.
I had almost forgot,
but NOW I REMEMBER.
I don't need help in the morning anymore,
and batches are left over at the end of the day most days.
The boss sees the overage batches pile up on Thursday,
it's only been 4 days since crushing the new system,
and the pile is tall enough
she calls for a Mandatory Saturday.
I groan with real feeling.
Half the other ladies
are apparently only pretend-grumbling.
They LIKE the overtime.
Who needs SATURDAYS anyways??
I'm not mad,
it's just the way it is.
I appreciated the boss tried out my system,
and appreciated she was responsive to everyone elses'
comfort,
even if it was SILLY.
I never heard if Corporate ever learned of our experiment.
I'm sure they would have really appreciated it,
but, my co-workers certainly didn't.
This is how I learned
what "office politics"
REALLY means.
Flash Forward:
I've been a volunteer programmer at our community radio station
for 11 years.
I spent the summer setting up a chain of subcommittees
with a small group of committed volunteers
to organize communication,
events, outreach, and volunteer coordination.
As a group, we began taking all the unfilled
heavy-lifting coordination jobs
and started DOING them.
Together.
As a group.
The Board and Board Chair encouraged us,
said the organization could REALLY use it.
They agreed there is a communication problem
and coordination needs performed on a mass scale
to help open up our system for more
community input and guidance.
It's something I've wanted to do for YEARS.
Been ACHING to do it, honestly.
Today I got the email that says from my boss,
(whose only boss IS the Board... by the way)
Stop.
No.
This is not what we need.
No one wants this.
You are overstepping.
This is a problem.
You don't understand **ANYTHING**.
I am *The Boss*.
But thanks anyways.
He did not send this to the Board,
who has been a part of the whole conversation
until now.
He says this to ME.
Huff.
Puff.
He's willing to blow my house down
with a cold front.
Do you see the difference
between the two stories?
I get lost when people try to push me,
try to tell me what to do without explanation,
try to convince me they care
even as they are refusing to listen.
My Sailor donated $500 to the radio station last year.
One of his benefits is a month of messages to be aired.
My Boss emailed him to let him know his month was coming.
"[Sailor]
You are the Tower Guardian for the Month of September.
What do you want it to say?
[Boss]
Donate today at [url.org]"
He only has to send out 12 of these messages a year.
This is how he communicates.
*facepalm*
I had to write out some feelers
before I respond to his "No. Full Stop." email.
How many people SHOULD I CC on it??
Hmmmmm.....??
He's here to remind me
why I stopped
doing extra volunteer work
all those years ago
in the first place.
I STOPPED organizing fundraisers.
I STOPPED organizing concerts.
I STOPPED organizing parties.
I STOPPED soliciting donations or volunteering from friends.
But, there was a window opened by the Board Chair
who said, 'No.... we need this breath of fresh air'
and 'I like what you're saying.. come on in...'
and I climbed in
but all I see right now
is the curt glower
of my Station Manager
going, "How the fuck did you get in here?!?"