Friday, October 06, 2006

Countdown to being a domestic executive: 50 weeks to go

Well there goes another week. This week seemed to pass even faster than last; I'm wondering whether it’s the gale force winds.

I've been getting close up to the machinery of NZ Government this week weaving my way between ministerial office politics and heightened anxieties from within the organisation. Talk about making a drama out of a non crisis. Still, after all that bobbing and weaving I think that we have a solution to the issues that arose at the beginning of this week but suspect that the whole excitement will be ratcheted up a notch at the start of next week. All I can say it’s a good job I am getting more patient as I mature in years.

Getting to know your colleagues is an exhausting process but nevertheless good practice for my listening skills. I've got a talented bunch of staff that in the main are happy bunnies but there are also some characters that will require some careful coaching to point them in the same direction everyone else. No tears this week, which is a relief, although the true extent of my teary friend’s misery from last week is starting to become apparent - seems that not many people think that that person is any good at their job. Only another 15 1:1s to have and then I'll have completed my listening exercise. Then it's down to business.

I know that at least one reader will be interested to know what happen to the twerp on his perch. He's still eating cuttle fish like a good budgie should. So on the grounds of good behaviour I'm reserving my energy to attack another personality. You know the sort - chairs a meeting and makes it a monologue: on and on he goes until someone reminds him there are 20 other people on this steering committee who are waiting to say their piece.

The Board are going to have an exciting meeting next week - two communications items appearing to give strategic direction to. Approval of the internal branding for the green initiative (yes they are only now thinking recycling paper might be a good idea) and, wait for it, to approve the copy for the first issue of a newsletter. I literally choked on my tea when reading the papers - how the heck did this get on the agenda. I'm pleased to say it wasn't my team that put it up for consideration. Good to know that the important matters of the day are getting the attention of NZ's state sector's finest minds.

In days gone by I might have turned purple with frustration – not now. Future domestic executives need to keep their eye on their end goals. So this weekend it’s cake making for afternoon tea on Monday. Well, got to make my mark somewhere. I’ve decided to move the usual morning tea festivities, which are too close to breakfast for my liking, to a time of day when you need a sugar boost to keep you going and bring in a more English tradition.

Two weeks down and only 50 to go (minus 5 weeks holiday and 9 days public holidays). Oh bliss!

2 comments:

Ron Hill's Alter Ego said...

I've just realised something. It's only since you started baking cakes that your employment opportunities have become temporary.

Is there some connection between the two?

Anonymous said...

I just have to respond. The gramatical inaccuracy of '1 comments' is becoming too much for me - even with my poor command of the english language.

From a recognised corporate employee it is good to see the same nonsense is alive and well the other end of the line.

Recycled paper eh........we have wheelie bins in our office (instead of the usual desk bins) and we have to pre-sort our own office waste.......now that is progress. I have also to become an expert on bio-degradable plastics for mailing purposes....

...but corporate life still has its pleasures, I am still loving the irony of lauching our new 5yr strategic plan to all staff at the local Comedy Club.

Now where is the spell check..............

Corporate Slave