Yesterday morning I received word that a close friend here at work was let go. I've known this man for about ten years and he is just like a big teddy bear - really! He is about 2 ft taller than me (ok, maybe 1- 1 and 1/2 ft) and buzzes his hair, has a goatee, is a huge man - literally! He was one of our managers here.
He always liked to embarrass me when he introduced me to any of his people - it was always "this is the only woman who can talk me into donating blood". That comes from when we worked together at my last company I got him to donate to the Blood Mobile, using the words of 'if your child needed a transfusion, would you want someone to step up to give them one? 'Don't you think someone wants you to step up and donate blood for their child?' It worked. He has told me he still donates blood.
But anyway, yesterday I received word that he was let go. I wasn't really surprised. I feel sad he was let go, but I knew it was coming. I have talked with him numerous times about reports that I need for my meetings (which he wouldn't do) or for my VP's meetings (which he didn't do) or my our director's meetings (which he didn't do). He would try to talk and bluff his way through the agenda, but nothing was getting accomplished. I've been in this position for nearly a year and I caught on real quick. I even started going to him early in the month that we would need specific reports and beg him to work on them, giving him a 'heads up' on what was needed. Nothing.
So, yesterday it happened. And I feel sad for him. He has two children and a beautiful wife. I know he has been looking for the past few months for another job - but the offer had not come through yet. I wish he could have stayed until it did - but then, we would continue to have to fight to get reporting. My boss had finally taken over one of his departments because we needed reporting and wasn't getting it. One of his people has been made a supervisor. They won't fill his position for awhile. We really need someone who will want to work.
I really think the entire problem is what I read years ago in a book called The Peter Principle.
The Peter Principle is when someone gets promoted into a position for which they have no skills. They have either bluffed their way in to the position, really believed they could do it, or just thought it didn't matter. Regardless, they get a position for which they are not qualified or know how to complete. They become overwhelmed because they don't know what to do first, they just don't know what to do, period. So they do nothing. They talk big, they do all the visiting of people they need to do, they go to all the meetings, but they don't work.
Eventually it catches up.
It's like here I am as an Admin. If I didn't know how to type letters. Didn't know how to look things up on the internet. Didn't know how to put meeting binders together. All these things and so much more (like making meetings, setting up food, and much much more) - if I didn't know how to do that and didn't seek out how to learn, I sure wouldn't be in this position very long. They need someone in this position who is on top of things. Someone who can prepare agendas, meetings, minutes, greet people, etc. Some people think that being an Admin is an easy job. Trust me, it is not. It is easy to get overwhelmed. I have, for today, 7 sets of minutes I need to get completed as soon as I can (and they won't all get done today) - and as I am typing minutes from previous meetings, I have new meetings to attend and then add their minutes to be typed. Continuous cycle. I always have work to do. But I enjoy it, and I look for new ways to learn how to do things.
What about you? Are you in a position for which you are qualified for? Are you doing it by rote because you don't have anything else you can do? Do you have a dream of being or doing something else but gave up your dream because of circumstances? So are you doing what you are doing because you need a job - or because you find fulfillment in it? Mine is both answers. I enjoy my job, love my boss, and I need a job. :-)
And now it's time for work. Just some reflection for today. I will miss my friend for I don't know if I will ever see him again. But I wish him success in his journey to find another job, and I pray that it will be one that brings him joy and fulfillment.
Blessings!
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