Month: November 2005

I get a kick out of the ability of consultants to keep themselves employed.

Before I go much farther, I need to clarify. I work with a consultant on a regular basis. He is with our company for the long haul and is a great deal of help in an area where an outside voice is more easily accepted. And… it is not outside of the realm of possibilities, that he reads this Blog

I am not talking about that type of consultant (I love you man…). I am talking about the “Fly-em-in-for-a-one-day-boot-camp” type. The “Motivational Speaker” type. The kind who gives the company all sorts of valuable tips on how they can change their “strategic focus” or “Purposed visioncast” and then catch the 4:18 flight back to wherever they came from.

I have seen a formula for success with these folks and it goes something like this:

1 – Establish what the biggest fad in the industry currently is
2 – Bash that fad to tiny little bits…
3 – Tell us how it should be
4 – Tell everyone how it should be.
5 – “How it should be” now becomes the biggest fad in the industry.
6 – Come back 4 years later and bash THAT fad.

It really is some great job security.

In fact, I think I am on to something here

I think I need to tell everyone about it.

I think I need to become a consultant.

Today was the last day before a 4 day weekend. It was fairly nice to get some work done in a less that fully populated office. The funny thing happend at 1:15. I was working in one of our studios across the building, then returned to my office.

I should probably first explain that our office area is laid out in 2 “wings”, with a few other offices in between. I work in the South wing.

As I returned to my office, I passed our Sr. Vice President, who had his coat on, and appeared to be heading out the door. I noticed that he had just turned out all the lights in our wing (with the exception of my office). Everyone in my wing had gone home for the weekend, a bit early.

I guess that was the right thing to do. I certainly didn’t need those lights. The light coming in through the offices of those lucky enough to get a window, was more than enough to light my way to my door. And my office was certainly well lit.

It just messed up the rest of my day. As I walked to and from my office, I felt as though I were there after hours. Never mind that I had to pass the receptionist and even said “hi” to her each time; it still felt as though I should be home with my family.

I don’t know that it had an adverse effect (or is it affect) on my work. In fact, I may have even gotten it done quicker. It just messed with my head, and made me want to head out sooner than I should.

I probably would have left early too, had I not realized (about 15 minutes after the “Light Incident”), that my 4 day weekend actually meant 6 days out of the office. I am taking a company trip (to sunny Iowa) on Monday and Tuesday. That meant that Wednesday deadlines were now, virtually, tomorrow. That gave me plenty to do in my last 3 1/2 hours of work. It also showed me many creative ways to multi-task.

That doesn’t mean I got it all done. It just means no one will notice until Thursday…

Perhaps it is self centered of me to think you have any interest in my work day, but hey… this is my blog and I am too cheap to buy a diary.

OK… I believe that Blog Things are tools that can be used for people who are too lazy to write their own content.

I have plenty to write about. For crying out loud, I was at a Clay Aiken Christmas Concert last night, sitting in front of a bunch of 50+ year old women who had been traveling the mid-west following the tour.

You would think I could come up with something good out of that.

But NOOOOOOoooo

I have to post a Blog-thing.

At least I can be proud of this one!

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations – you got 10 out of 10 correct!

To my brother in Alabma, sister in North Carolina and parents and sister in Illinois, winter arrived in Minnesota yesterday.

Has it really been that long since my last post? I will fix that. But now, I have to head out the door.