A frustrating week, but at least a good quote
It's been a frustrating week, mostly because I have accomplished little this week, except for just dealing with the same old issues that have been going on for a couple years now.

It's not because I did not intend not to accomplish much, I just have had several things come up this week, most of which I should have ignored, derail me and take me away from the strategic things I should have been focusing on.

I have learned a few valuable lessons, however. Actually I have not learned them but re-learned them and experienced several things both personally and professionally that have reinforced those lessons, instruction and training.

On Monday I attended Customer Service Training with several other associates. This was a really good refresher on lessons and training I have had over the years. This training and also some team dynamics training the mangers has a few weeks ago have helped me to remember the basic management, interpersonal and communications skills that I have learned and re-learned and had reinforced over the past 15 years or so. My goal is to focus on, remember and apply these principles.

My favorite part of the Customer Service Training was when Audry said that the best way to stir things up and create problems in the workplace it to talk around problems, rather than deal with them directly with the person or persons that are causing the problem. This is usually refereed to as gossip or backbiting and is a common occurrence in the workplace. Interpersonal Skills Building 101 lesson #1 and the crux and fundamental of good interpersonal skills is this; if you have a problem with someone deal with it directly with that person, don't go around them or discuss the problem without that person present. Also, if you observe problems, attack it in a constructive way, I.E. if you have ideas, be part of the solution, not the person stirring the pot, so to speak. Use your energy to help solve that problem and not make matters worse. This lesson was reinforced through an experience My wife Julie had on Monday and a few experiences I had this week professionally.

The other lesson I re-learned this week, it to not be reactive and to think through situations, especially those situations that involve employees, their morale and their job performance. I apologize to those on my staff this week that I reacted to prematurely before thinking things through.

The good news is that tomorrow IS a new day and next week IS a new week. Hopefully I can do better and think things through more clearly

And the quote that Julie shared with me today that has brightened my day: "If a man does his best, what else is there?" Author Unknown
11:45:24 AM     comment []