2:07 a.m. - 2004-05-29
Tired
As I was writing last night the mamma cats were busy. My youngest came into the room just after I had posted and asked if I noticed anything different. Well yes it was quiet. Right. The kittens were now all safely removed and ensconced under my bed right where I usually lay. I guess that's the safest place in the house.
Before going in to work this morning one of my team leaders and I stopped into the high school we were hoping could be used as a replacement for two of the schools we lost - it has two big gyms you see. Met with the Vice Principal in charge of that sort of thing. He had us all set up within five minutes with the proviso that the local YMCA that uses their facility not object to loss of access for the day. He gave us a 95% guarantee. Good enough.
Got to the office and started carrying in another load of supplies. My Assistant arrived and asked for a few minutes discussion in my office. He handed in his resignation and said he didn't feel I was nice enough to him. I said I was sorry he felt that way but that I didn't think asking someone who was one's assistant to do their job was inappropriate. What's that saying: When Men do it they are assertive, when Women do the same thing they are just bitchy. Although it was sad that he felt hard done by it was also a relief for me. I can't carry out my duties if I have to carry someone else's on top of that. Over the period of the day several of the staff came by to say that they were relieved that he had chosen to quit. It had been undermining their efforts too. One of the women works with the elderly and the handicapped in her other life and made some fairly astute observations about the effects of the surgery he'd had and the drugs that he wwas receiving in affecting his behaviour and perceptions of reality. Just sad.
Another elector came in to vote and this time I could even provide him with a ballot - yes! The computers are finally functional. The balance of the day was a blur with the constant demand for guidance from the staff around their tasks. Our first major outreach efforts begin on Sunday and there are jitters all around. Got one group focussing on the mobile poll registration of voters. Mobile polls are when voting is brought directly to the residences of seniors, the sick and the handicapped. Appointments were set up at six such institutions since they are the first priority for registration/enumeration. Next up was the training schedule. My trainer has worked for me before and is great. The different team leads were negotiating for her time with their staff - each feeling a lot of pressure to have their people ready to run by Monday. I just kept reminding them that they didn't have to have it all done next week - smaller steps are probably more efficient in the long run anyway.
Hiring the 500 or so people for polling day is a bit more touchy. No one is offered a position at this stage because sometimes a weeding out now is better than dealing with a lot of problems on The Big Day. My staff just want to make certain everything is done and I appreciate that, but I have had people in the past that will not be allowed to work again ever for things like threatening to stage a group walkout by smokers who wanted to smoke in the school they were assigned to despite the legislation that forbids it and the condition upon hiring that they abstain for the entire work day. Or the fellow who just couldn't keep his hands off his work partner for the day. Uh huh. An ounce of prevention - don't you know. Popped across the street at lunch to the "Coffee Stop". Not only really good coffee but authentic Vietnamese food made as you wait. Yum - my favorite shrimp rolls.
My printer came by early in the afternoon. He has now received five conflicting sets of instructions in the last 5 days from Ottawa with respect to one of the printing jobs he has to do - could I enlighten him. I know enough about producing camera readies and the specs for a job to understand the dilemma but not enough to make an informed decision. Called Ottawa. They put me on hold after they allowed that they didn't really know how to proceed either. While we were waiting I asked my printer what he planned to do when he retired after this job. He said he was a dowser and wanted to concentrate on that skill. That led to a very interesting discussion on water, conservation, geography and geology. We agreed that when the event was over we would continue that conversation. Way cool.
We got another very large shipment of supplies from Ottawa mid afternoon. The Preliminary List of Electors included - now we can really move forward. It's nice tohave the tools one needs to do one's job, isn't it? A smaller shipment arrived later with more key documents so my managers spent a lot of the late afternoon looking for what they needed most while inventorying as they went. More new workers brought in and trained or signed up for the office. I only bring people on as they become necessary. It's my tax dollar too don't you know.
I appointed one of my supervisors as my new Assistant toward the end of the day. I had two people in mind when this all came to a head. One woman had done the job for me bbefore and is very good but she can only commit part time, the other was this supervisor who has also worked for me before. I called them both into my office and explained the reason for my decision. I know the lady was a little upset but I need to have help when I need it not when it is convenient. That being said it wasn't an easy choice. Now all I have to do is replace my new Assistant in his old job. The person I want to do it is in first thing tomorrow so I hope that works and then I can move one of the other people I've had my eye on into her position. Inadvertant cross training - but I think that is a bonus.
The regional rep for Elections Canada showed up at about 7 pm, bearing a box of real maple cookies, just to see how things were going. I whined and moaned about all the glitches but really we are not only on track but ahead of schedule in most ares. That's what you get when you hire keeners and perfectionists. Give them their head and they'll get the job done well in no time.
The one task I absolutely had to get done today was still waiting for me to start it at about 8 pm tonight. It's the one area we are behind in - the production of the camera readies. Staff kept popping their heads in as I was struggling to make at least some headway. The problem is that the degree of detailed observation necessary is high and I didn't have enough time in a block to just concentrate on what I needed to get done. I finally decided I couldn't function at a high enough level of accuracy to do it well and we packed it in at 9 pm. Came home had a nap, then started the "at home work". Done now dear diary. Good night.
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