This week was supposed to be an exciting week. One filled with new experiences and challenges. One that I had been so excited to start.
Finally after a lot of preparation I was going to have my own little branch. Everything under one roof, express freight and road freight all under one roof and all under my control. But like every fairy tale there is an evil force called Murphy's Law that just won’t allow a happy ending without interference and catastrophe and unforeseen difficulties.
Until it actually starts no amount of preparation can foresee the hidden hiccups and procedural mishaps
Bright and early on Monday 5.30am! Yes 5.30 am Bernadette and I were at work. All good intentions as they say. Now the weekend past had been wonderful as we had had Sarah and Dom for a visit and we had a wonderful time. It was no time to knuckle down and face the challenges.
We had prepared as best we could. Drivers prepped, scalpel in hand (our pens) sensible shoes for the long walks across the warehouse floor, jeans and T-Shirt and hair most definitely not done and the lack of make up must have made me look like death warmed up. But at that time of the morning I would have to wake up at 4.00 to do my hair to leave for work on time.
Keep in mind that Bernadette and I get up every hour on the hour for Jinx. So the hair and beauty sessions had to wait until I had mastered this new challenge or die trying.
Realize that this whole venture is new for me as I am used to handling the sales side of Express Freight and although I do have knowledge of the operational side of things this is very much a new learning experience for me.
However even I know that I a not a total blithering idiot and I do have a concept of what is required and how important cost saving is and how important service levels are in our industry. I have not been selling this service for 18 years without learning something. I was not prepared for internal politics though and Some e-mails need to be sent with a warning:
Something like this… “Beware – do not open without a fire extinguisher present and a strong tranquilizer and for your own sanity a sledge hammer to smash the damn computer to bits and pieces!”
The contents of the mail are not important as this not a forum to air my grievances.
I walked away from my computer and attacked Bernadette with questions and statements without explaining what I was on about in a very loud and accusing voice.
Poor Bern stood there and realized that this is not one of those times she is actually supposed to respond. I stood on the loading bay doing the walk of the very angry and very frustrated and was pontificating and using choice language and venting to such an extent that I think I nearly lost my self control. Why is it when people are angry they talk up to the ceiling or the sky?
Parents do this a lot when they are shouting orders to their children about dishes not being done or some chore that needs doing or a threat of imminent death if they continued with their squabbling. It is almost as if we believe our voices will carry further when in fact I think it’s a natural instinct, almost a prayer we send up to the universe hoping for some divine intervention. Have you ever watched someone having this type of conversation with their children.
Finally after a lot of preparation I was going to have my own little branch. Everything under one roof, express freight and road freight all under one roof and all under my control. But like every fairy tale there is an evil force called Murphy's Law that just won’t allow a happy ending without interference and catastrophe and unforeseen difficulties.
Until it actually starts no amount of preparation can foresee the hidden hiccups and procedural mishaps
Bright and early on Monday 5.30am! Yes 5.30 am Bernadette and I were at work. All good intentions as they say. Now the weekend past had been wonderful as we had had Sarah and Dom for a visit and we had a wonderful time. It was no time to knuckle down and face the challenges.
We had prepared as best we could. Drivers prepped, scalpel in hand (our pens) sensible shoes for the long walks across the warehouse floor, jeans and T-Shirt and hair most definitely not done and the lack of make up must have made me look like death warmed up. But at that time of the morning I would have to wake up at 4.00 to do my hair to leave for work on time.
Keep in mind that Bernadette and I get up every hour on the hour for Jinx. So the hair and beauty sessions had to wait until I had mastered this new challenge or die trying.
Realize that this whole venture is new for me as I am used to handling the sales side of Express Freight and although I do have knowledge of the operational side of things this is very much a new learning experience for me.
However even I know that I a not a total blithering idiot and I do have a concept of what is required and how important cost saving is and how important service levels are in our industry. I have not been selling this service for 18 years without learning something. I was not prepared for internal politics though and Some e-mails need to be sent with a warning:
Something like this… “Beware – do not open without a fire extinguisher present and a strong tranquilizer and for your own sanity a sledge hammer to smash the damn computer to bits and pieces!”
The contents of the mail are not important as this not a forum to air my grievances.
I walked away from my computer and attacked Bernadette with questions and statements without explaining what I was on about in a very loud and accusing voice.
Poor Bern stood there and realized that this is not one of those times she is actually supposed to respond. I stood on the loading bay doing the walk of the very angry and very frustrated and was pontificating and using choice language and venting to such an extent that I think I nearly lost my self control. Why is it when people are angry they talk up to the ceiling or the sky?
Parents do this a lot when they are shouting orders to their children about dishes not being done or some chore that needs doing or a threat of imminent death if they continued with their squabbling. It is almost as if we believe our voices will carry further when in fact I think it’s a natural instinct, almost a prayer we send up to the universe hoping for some divine intervention. Have you ever watched someone having this type of conversation with their children.
They pace up and down and gesticulate and wave their hands arund as if they are directing air traffic. Come Plane Come Plane, and they raise their voices as they ask the questions Like " What do you expect
me to do
" When I asked you to fetch your brother for me - I did not mean Yell for him... I could have done that Myself!"
" When I asked you to fetch your brother for me - I did not mean Yell for him... I could have done that Myself!"
Their body language is one of a leaping Hynea as they pace up and down, sometimes pounding their fit on a counter of hitting themselves on the head in exasperation. In truth they look like they are having a fit and unless you have experiened this frustration FIRST HAND, YOU WOULD BE DIALING 911.
I paced up and down on the loading bay, dodging pallets on the floor, and boxes and drivers on the fork lift. I was so involved in my discussion with myself if truth be told that I nearly walk right off the loading bay and would have landed on the tarred parking area if Bern had not pulled me back. This would have been realy bad as I left my fairy wings at home and my body padding would not have helped me one bit. Tar and flesh.... that is one fight the flesh never wins. In fact it is no contest at all.
I usually control my temper quite well and deal with office politics by ignoring it but after being sleep deprived and the need to make a success of this Durban branch I was at my worst. My emotions just got the better of me. So I ranted and raved and when Bern did not answer my questions I growled at her in frustration. She looked at me quite helpless as she knew nothing she would say would help me so she just said.
“Give it time and things will clam down, you know you can handle this, you have handled a lot worse."
I stood there and my insanity slipped away and I watched My Bern trying to make sense of my war dance and I had to smile because to an onlooker we must have looked like we were doing the dance of the bull and the matador. Me being the matador.
In actual fact I think Bern was just trying to stay clear of my waiving hands and also was trying to stop me from killing myself by flying off the loading bay in absolute confusion.
So I went to my office and put the music up very loudly on my computer and jammed in my office.
I totally forgot that I had a big glass window which looks out onto the warehouse floor. I was doing the air guitar dance and the twist and shake and my version of the booty dance like Byonce. More like a pygmy who has stood on a nest of Matabele ants! Quite frankly I was so lost in my need to work off my frustrations I was not aware that I had attracted quite an audience - window lickers as Bern refers to people who stare.
When I finally noticed, I just bowed and accepted the looks of confusion on the drivers and their assistants’ faces and sat down to hide my head in my hands.
I was now prepared and now knew exactly what to expect. Being pre warned is being pre-armed and I may not know the office politics and the art of ware fare, however I do know the art of driving people crazy with my calm responses and my absolute refusal to take the bait.
Something I have learnt through years of being with difficult people, bosses, ex’s, even my children at times. One thing which is totally true, it takes two people to fight and if I simply refuse to take the bait.
The pointers and even the criticism are helpful and welcomed and I learn and implement what works for me in any difficult situation I am faced with. I very seldom will have a stand up fight unless my family is being threatened - then the gloves come off...
My mom would have been proud of me as she was ever the diplomat and peace maker and would take a situation and turn it into a better one with one goal in mind.. Keep peace in the home or work place.
Lets hope this week brings less tears and more joy!
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