It's been one of those days...

[lioness70]

where everyhing was on my admin shoulders.



I was supposed to do a certified mailing for one person, then when I got in today, another one left a BIG certified mailing on my desk, telling me it HAD to be out TODAY, no exceptions.  The first person was upset that their mailing (which was supposed to go out today) was pushed aside by this other mailing, which I knew nothing about until I got in.  (X should have told ME, I had something important to go out too, now the project will be held up...all admins have heard this before.)  It's not my fault if they didn't communicate with each other...I'm staying out of that one...it's none of my business!



I am lucky to have a great officemate who helped me with the mailing.  If she wasn't able to help me (all the other admins had 3 pm rush projects), it wouldn't have gone out in full, and I would have been blamed.  Never mind that I was short on time (I only work 5 hours, not  AND resources to finish it.



I'm glad that's over...I was so frustrated!

[ozbound]

...around here is, "Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part!"  

Glad your day is going better now. It's kind of a zoo for me around here since we lost our admin. assistant last week--so once again, we are short staffed and everyone has to fill in the gaps here & there.  My "good deed" for today was going to Costco--that was kinda fun except that it's raining cats'n'dogs out! It was a challenge to keep everything from being soaked through!  

[chikky]

Hey, Lioness,



Kudos, from me.  You DID IT.  You got the job done.  That is what it is all about.  Thank your co-worker cofee, luunch, a candy  bar, whatever!!.  She helped you!  

[chikky]

you do not get an "atta" girl much at work, but you got one from me (and , a I am sure the rest of the site).Go Girl!!

[Katie G]

"Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part!"  A-MEN! Yes, emergencies come up, but I get very suspicious when they tend to cluster at 4:30.  I can't help but wonder how long it sat in their "in" box while they ignored it for a week.  We have someone here like that--dilly-dallies around all week until Friday and then the mayhem starts.  (Honestly, some of these characters have a hell of a nerve calling themselves "management"!)  Fortunately, I'm taking Friday off this week, so I'll miss this week's "rumble".  

[lioness70]

I LOVE that saying!  I think I should put it up on my bulletin board!  :LOL



The real reason I was freaked out is I like to be prepared ahead of time (put labels on green cards/labels on envelopes/stuff envelopes/write the names in the mailing book/etc.).  Anyone who's ever done a certified mailing knows how time-consuming and complicated it is.  For it to be dumped on my desk last-minute, no warning, telling me it MUST go out, and by not telling me, having me completely unprepared, was indeed poor planning.  (I'm wondering too how long it sat on their desk before someone told them it had to go out!)  The other person had the courtesy of telling me a day ahead of time, only to have their work pushed aside.  (The department director is on vacation this week...hmmmmm!)  Like I said, they have to work out the lack of communicating problem between themselves.  That is not my problem.



Here we go again...when will people learn that a lack of communication causes most problems in offices?  (A lesson I learned well a couple of weeks ago!)

[lioness70]

Oops!  I meant to type  !

[whitesatin]

Lioness,



Why did you have to push aside the person that gave you a days notice? Was the other person higher ranking? I would think that you should have done the one you were notified about first and explained to the other person, "I'll be happy to do that for you, but I must do this first".



WS

[lioness70]

I work for the Environmental department, and the certified mailings are notifications that the firm may be doing wetlands testing on the person's property.  Those who get this notification are within a 200 mile radius of the planned site area.  The thing is, there are people above the environmental group who tell them "this project notification must go out today" or whatever.  So with person 1, someone above them told them, you have to get this out TODAY.  (There are people in this office who want everything done yesterday, don't care how it gets done, and don't want to hear any excuses, however valid they are.)  Whoever authorized person 1's mailing to go out did not ask if there were any other mailings going out.  So, it had nothing to do with rank (actually, person 2 is above person 1), it was someone in the senior ranks who also might have put it off too long!  Who knows?  So, I guess person 2 might have told the senior engineer on their project what happened and was told to hold off.  I hope I didn't confuse you too much!    

[yankeestarbuck]

I love the saying.  We had it different.  "Your emergency is not my priority."  Same feelings, tho!

[lioness70]

Person 1 just came in and thanked me for getting them out on such short notice, and of course I told them about how my officemate helped.     They are going to try and get these things to me sooner so this doesn't happen again...and I was right, someone else decided at the last minute that it had to go out, no exceptions, no excuses.  I understand how difficult it is for the Environmental group to get these letters out in the first place, because they have to coordinate the letters with a LOT of people...who don't always cooperate or communicate!  In fact, there are certifieds that can sit in our office for as long as a YEAR because other people halt the project.  (By that, I mean the labels are prepared, printed, and ready to go.  I did a 200-label project that's been sitting here since December!  We only print labels, because in the past, the secretaries have done the whole involved shebang, only to get the project put off for good!)