Saturday, November 20, 2021

The Saturday Morning Post - If It Were Easy


A boss once told me, "if it were easy I could hire anyone to do it, it isn't, that is why you are here." Work has challenged me recently. A rare Saturday afternoon work session, that I really needed to be a part of, after a troubled night. I have had to deal with some issues of rudeness and incivility.  I take this personally.  It keeps me awake at night. 

At times I have to make decisions that I don't like.  Decisions that don't make everyone happy. At my core, I want to please others, if it were easy I would.  It is not, I can't, and that hurts.  

I am debating a virtual national conference, or an in person conference for a year from now. This is a lose - lose decision.  If I go virtual, those who yearn to meet fact to face will be disappointed. If I go in person, those who are uncomfortable traveling, will be unhappy. Hybrid is the ultimate answer, doing that well is very expensive and requires a lot of talent.  Doing hybrid cheaply, results in neither the in-person audience or the virtual audience having a good experience.  I have a limited budget, a cost sensitive audience, and limited staff resources.  Ultimately I will have to make the hard choice, of who do I disappoint? If it were an easy decision . . . 

Someday we will be able to sit by the river and examine the rocks, in the meantime, there is work to be done, and it isn't easy.  

16 comments:

  1. Uf. I’ll just sit by the river (the sea) and examine the rocks.

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  2. Anonymous11/20/2021

    I see your dilemma. Thinking... You are paid so you must do what is best for your employer, not people. If the two coincide, well and good. If they don't, look hard at your employer and what is good for the organisation and remove personalities and people.

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    Replies
    1. There is the additional dimension of trying to predict what things will be like a year from now.

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  3. Good to remember....You can please some of the people some of the time, but not all the people all of the time.

    Someone is always going to be left disappointed.

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  4. Such a good way of putting those tough decisions into context.

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    1. No matter what we do, I want everyone to know we really thought about it.

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  5. I'm confident you'll make the right decision!

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  6. I'm with Mitchell, about sitting by the river, and Maddie, about not pleasing everyone.

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    1. A couple of years until I will be in a position of working if I want to. Just a couple of years.

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  7. You seem to be too much of an artistically creative human being to do the work you do. It's fascinating. I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. So many facets.

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    1. Deedles, it is so great to hear from you. I was missing you. When I retire, I can write about what do, if I do it now my employer owns the blog, and I don't want them to claim ownership of the content. I am pushing for change that lead some to wonder what creative cloud my head is stuck in. I hope you have been well,

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    2. I'm fine for now, hon. In between funks. Let's see how long it lasts :) By the way, I absolutely love your artistic, creative side.

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  8. I go with the approach if I feel damned if I do and damned if I don't I do what I feel is the right thing.

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