Earlier this summer I was asked to chair a committee I had been a member of for several years.
The current chair had made a few life changes, one of which was to leave the organization she had been employed by. Thus, she wouldn't be chairing our committee anymore.
Today was my first day sitting in the "big cheese" chair.
I began by meeting by saying "Good Morning Everyone, I've had two cups of coffee this morning. I've already attended one meeting this morning, let's get this show on the road."
And down the road we went.
I will say this. I truly believe in the organization my committee is apart of. I believe in the philosophies it stands for, the support it gives its members and I am passionate about the direction it is heading. In simple terms, I'm totally drinking their Kool-Aide.
My committee has been a bit lack luster in recent years. It's lacked purpose, lacked direction and basically was spinning it's tires.... in a good way. The committee had a few well driven, good eggs. Everything that needed to be done each month was done. We were efficient, effective and task driven. We needed a new challenge.
Our organization provided us with that challenge this year by combining us with another committee. We shared a central purpose, we shared similar goals, we were heading in the same direction.
And so, we combined.
WE HATED EACH OTHER.
It was not going well.
This broke my heart, and thus, when the opportunity became available to fix it. I took it.
Today I kicked some butt, challenged people to step up and move in the right direction. I removed members from the committee that weren't effective and weren't showing up. In all, I dove in with both feet and took it to heart.
I challenged, encouraged and thanked members for their hard work and their continued success.
And every know and then I'd make eye contact with my board liaison and staff liaison. I might be the chair but I needed the nod. You know the "you got it", "you're doing great" nod.
I was later told that I have exceptional leadership skills for someone by age.
I was asked how I got them.
My first response was "oh well, I don't know... just lucky I guess."
My second thought in my head was "My mama, my daddy and an incredible construction pedigree."
I'm representing a third generation in this organization.
The third generation of anything typically has a terrible reputation. I'm not about to have a terrible reputation.
I have a job to do, a reputation to maintain and a focus that remains laser sharp.
No one taught me that. It's just who I am.
50 years from now, I want people to remember me for the good things that I did.
And because I did it with flair and a little bit of style.
I am a woman in the man's world after all.
People should remember that.... it's hard work.
Showing posts with label Family Owned Inc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family Owned Inc. Show all posts
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
The Hard Parts
Being a Human Resources Director certainly has its fair share issues. There's the crazy things like employees who don't understand that you can't hit one another. There's the pathetic things, like when an employees calls off work because their girlfriend's dog died and then calls off the next day because he needs to help plan the funeral. There's the sticky things like handled child support, criminal background checks and random drug testing failures.
And then there's the hard parts.
There are a few types:
Business Related Hard Parts: Like when insurance rates increase or certain coverages are dropped. These are things that directly impact our employees and most often their pockets as well.
Economic Related Hard Parts: For two years we did NOTHING but lay people off. It was devastating. We lost some really good people during that time.
Employee Related Hard Parts: When they get sick, when they die suddenly, when bad things happen to the best of them.
Today I had to deal with an ERHP.
A once strong, muscular and spry employee walked into my office today. He was thin, worn down and tired. His once thick hair was thinning and his face sunken and dull.
He's dying.
He body is full of cancer and the doctors aren't 100% sure where it's coming from and how it got there.
He sat in my guest chair for 20 minutes telling me about his tests, the blood work, the procedures he's survived. All to get the same answer, we still don't know.
Despite his outward appearance, the belt that was pulled to it's tightest point, his eyes sparkled as he told me about his days spent in the airforce and the ailments that robbed him of his parents too early.
Inside, he was still the same man I knew, his shell was just rattled and robbed.
It hurt to watch. It hurt to listen.
But thankfully, I knew I could help ease some of the smallest burdens. I could help him continue his medical benefits, I could help him understand the meaning of FMLA and what it meant to him.
I hope I helped clear some of the cloudiness in his head. I hope I provided him the smallest bit of emotional relief. I hope I listened enough.
It will be hard to get through the rest of my day without thinking of him.
It is the hard parts that remind me of how important Family Owned Inc. is to me. It is the hart parts that remind me of the responsibility I have for the place that I love.
It is the hard parts that push me to make it better, not just for me, but for them.
And then there's the hard parts.
There are a few types:
Business Related Hard Parts: Like when insurance rates increase or certain coverages are dropped. These are things that directly impact our employees and most often their pockets as well.
Economic Related Hard Parts: For two years we did NOTHING but lay people off. It was devastating. We lost some really good people during that time.
Employee Related Hard Parts: When they get sick, when they die suddenly, when bad things happen to the best of them.
Today I had to deal with an ERHP.
A once strong, muscular and spry employee walked into my office today. He was thin, worn down and tired. His once thick hair was thinning and his face sunken and dull.
He's dying.
He body is full of cancer and the doctors aren't 100% sure where it's coming from and how it got there.
He sat in my guest chair for 20 minutes telling me about his tests, the blood work, the procedures he's survived. All to get the same answer, we still don't know.
Despite his outward appearance, the belt that was pulled to it's tightest point, his eyes sparkled as he told me about his days spent in the airforce and the ailments that robbed him of his parents too early.
Inside, he was still the same man I knew, his shell was just rattled and robbed.
It hurt to watch. It hurt to listen.
But thankfully, I knew I could help ease some of the smallest burdens. I could help him continue his medical benefits, I could help him understand the meaning of FMLA and what it meant to him.
I hope I helped clear some of the cloudiness in his head. I hope I provided him the smallest bit of emotional relief. I hope I listened enough.
It will be hard to get through the rest of my day without thinking of him.
It is the hard parts that remind me of how important Family Owned Inc. is to me. It is the hart parts that remind me of the responsibility I have for the place that I love.
It is the hard parts that push me to make it better, not just for me, but for them.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
AJ & Me
Part of my job at Family Owned Inc. is to move around the people. Every day, I get to play human chess.
Sometimes it's fun, most days, not so much.
However, there is a huge bright spot. I get to work closely with our General Construction Superintendent, AJ.
He is the Construction Work Ken to my HR Director Barbie.
He smokes two packs a day and eats a bag of potato chips for lunch.
I take vitamins and have salads and soup for lunch.
We do have a few things in common.
He drinks coffee all day long at work, and Budweiser every night.
I drink Diet Pepsi all day and wine all night.
Caffeine and alcohol... a match made in a heaven.
The problem with working so closely with AJ is that we've gotten a little too close.
He was the on that commented on my crazy hair they day I dropped my hair tie in the toilet.
And speaking of toilets....
On my way to the ladies room today, I ran into AJ. Knowing that he was on his way over to see me, I told him I'd get with him in a minute.
"How long will you be in there?" he asks...
I gave him my signature, Oh no you didn't just say that look.
"You know, are you going to stand up or is this a sit down mission?"
"AJ, I'm a girl, it's always a sit down mission"
Now it was my turn to receive the signature look.
He was waiting for me when I came back out.....
Sometimes it's fun, most days, not so much.
However, there is a huge bright spot. I get to work closely with our General Construction Superintendent, AJ.
He is the Construction Work Ken to my HR Director Barbie.
He smokes two packs a day and eats a bag of potato chips for lunch.
I take vitamins and have salads and soup for lunch.
We do have a few things in common.
He drinks coffee all day long at work, and Budweiser every night.
I drink Diet Pepsi all day and wine all night.
Caffeine and alcohol... a match made in a heaven.
The problem with working so closely with AJ is that we've gotten a little too close.
He was the on that commented on my crazy hair they day I dropped my hair tie in the toilet.
And speaking of toilets....
On my way to the ladies room today, I ran into AJ. Knowing that he was on his way over to see me, I told him I'd get with him in a minute.
"How long will you be in there?" he asks...
I gave him my signature, Oh no you didn't just say that look.
"You know, are you going to stand up or is this a sit down mission?"
"AJ, I'm a girl, it's always a sit down mission"
Now it was my turn to receive the signature look.
He was waiting for me when I came back out.....
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Three Years
I remember exactly where I was when we got the news.
It was a beautiful spring evening. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing. I was living at home at the time. Mom had all the windows in the house open and everything smelled just like it should in the spring, fresh and new.
I had just come home from spinning class and was perched on the edge of my parent's bed having a typicalconversation with my mom. It was 6'oclock in the early evening. Usually, my mom doesn't make a habit of lounging in bed, however, she had just had a biopsy done on her foot and she was resting.
The phone rang, caller ID indicated it was my uncle. We almost didn't pick up the phone, he typically only calls for my Dad anyway.
As soon as my mom answered, I knew something was wrong. I remember her repeating over and over, just "just tell me, He's (my dad) not home yet, he's in a meeting."
The conversation continued and my mom's face grew paler and paler. It wasn't good news.
She hung up with a the words "just keep calling until he picks up, he'll know it's an emergency if you just keep calling."
She looked me square in the eye and said "Big J's had a stroke."
My heart dropped.
From that moment on, life would never be the same.
In the following hours that evening an emergency meeting of my Dad's 5 brothers and sisters was called. My grandpa had had a stroke. He was in Naples, FL at his vacation home. He can been complaining of a headache all day. All afternoon he laid on the bathroom floor, telling his wife it wasn't a big deal.
By the time she called an ambulance, he was unresponsive. He was at Naples Community Hospital, the medical staff were doing everything they could.
It was decided that my step-aunt and my uncle would fly to Naples on the first flight out. The rest would wait until more information could be gathered.
For the next two days we waited for phone calls, for answers, for miracles. We got plenty of the first and second, nothing of the third.
Finally the phone call came that we call knew would come, but hoped would not. Grandpa showed no signs of normal brain activity. He would not recover.
Arrangements were made, I booked flights for my dad, his sister and two brothers. Meanwhile, I stayed at Family Owned Inc, and held down the fort.
We didn't tell the rest of the people at Family Owned Inc, the grim news, we just explained that everyone needed to be there.
For an whole day I sat in the office, trying to muddle through my day as employee after employee walked by to tell me how they were praying for us and that they knew my grandpa would pull through, they told me how they believed he was a fighter.
How could I tell them there was no fight left?
He died later that evening, after everyone had had their chance to say goodbye.
Truth be told, he died several days earlier, on his bathroom floor. Machines, medicine and good doctor's kept the rest going.
On the day of his stroke he had bought a new car and two new pairs of shoes.
My Dad canceled the car deal and later returned the shoes.
They were the first of millions of pieces by Dad had to clean up, and continues to clean up to this very day.
My brother turned 23 that day after my Grandpa's death.
I took my Mom to the doctor to have the mole on her foot removed.
We drove to Williamsport the next day, Mom, Mr. Berg and me, to celebrate my brother's birthday and watch him play baseball.
His team won, our hearts were broken.
He was laid to rest a week later in a his plot next to his first wife, my grandmother. Since his funeral, I've only returned once, to lay my great grand mother to rest, a year and three months later.
Now, three years later, the only feeling I can recognize is that's bitter sweet.
I miss him, I miss him every day. But our relationship wasn't typical. There were no fishing trips or Grandpa, Granddaughter Dances. He wasn't there for most of my birthdays. He probably only came to a handful of my events.
It wasn't until I returned from Virginia that we developed any sort of relationship. Twice, in 24 years, he told me he was proud of me, that he was impressed by me, that I was doing a good job. Both times were within 6 weeks of each other and within 6 months of his death.
He knew being the first born of my generation wouldn't be easy. He saw my struggles, he pushed me to keep fighting and for that, I will be forever grateful.
Even now, when I wonder what to do, or question why I do what I do, I hear his voice, he always tells me to keep fighting. And I do..... I always do.
I'm sad there wasn't more time. I'm sad I didn't have the opportunity to learn everything I wanted to learn from him.
He was amazing. Amazing at business, amazing at investing, amazingly self centered and amazingly void of your typical grandfatherly emotions. But I understood it, he gave all that he could, none of what he couldn't. There was love there somewhere, and respect, so much respect. And in the end, I know he was proud of me and my brother. I know he loved us, I know he wanted to be more to us, but he just didn't know how.
He left quite the legacy, a strong, growing business, a huge family and a lot of accomplishments.
I know he's proud of us.
So much has changed in three years. I wish he could have been there.
And in my heart of hearts, I know he was, in spirit.
I wish I could talk to him on last time. I wish I could ask him the questions I wish I could have asked.
But at the same time, I know he's gone and I'm at peace with that.
Three years, it goes quick.
I miss him, I miss him every day.
It was a beautiful spring evening. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing. I was living at home at the time. Mom had all the windows in the house open and everything smelled just like it should in the spring, fresh and new.
I had just come home from spinning class and was perched on the edge of my parent's bed having a typicalconversation with my mom. It was 6'oclock in the early evening. Usually, my mom doesn't make a habit of lounging in bed, however, she had just had a biopsy done on her foot and she was resting.
The phone rang, caller ID indicated it was my uncle. We almost didn't pick up the phone, he typically only calls for my Dad anyway.
As soon as my mom answered, I knew something was wrong. I remember her repeating over and over, just "just tell me, He's (my dad) not home yet, he's in a meeting."
The conversation continued and my mom's face grew paler and paler. It wasn't good news.
She hung up with a the words "just keep calling until he picks up, he'll know it's an emergency if you just keep calling."
She looked me square in the eye and said "Big J's had a stroke."
My heart dropped.
From that moment on, life would never be the same.
In the following hours that evening an emergency meeting of my Dad's 5 brothers and sisters was called. My grandpa had had a stroke. He was in Naples, FL at his vacation home. He can been complaining of a headache all day. All afternoon he laid on the bathroom floor, telling his wife it wasn't a big deal.
By the time she called an ambulance, he was unresponsive. He was at Naples Community Hospital, the medical staff were doing everything they could.
It was decided that my step-aunt and my uncle would fly to Naples on the first flight out. The rest would wait until more information could be gathered.
For the next two days we waited for phone calls, for answers, for miracles. We got plenty of the first and second, nothing of the third.
Finally the phone call came that we call knew would come, but hoped would not. Grandpa showed no signs of normal brain activity. He would not recover.
Arrangements were made, I booked flights for my dad, his sister and two brothers. Meanwhile, I stayed at Family Owned Inc, and held down the fort.
We didn't tell the rest of the people at Family Owned Inc, the grim news, we just explained that everyone needed to be there.
For an whole day I sat in the office, trying to muddle through my day as employee after employee walked by to tell me how they were praying for us and that they knew my grandpa would pull through, they told me how they believed he was a fighter.
How could I tell them there was no fight left?
He died later that evening, after everyone had had their chance to say goodbye.
Truth be told, he died several days earlier, on his bathroom floor. Machines, medicine and good doctor's kept the rest going.
On the day of his stroke he had bought a new car and two new pairs of shoes.
My Dad canceled the car deal and later returned the shoes.
They were the first of millions of pieces by Dad had to clean up, and continues to clean up to this very day.
My brother turned 23 that day after my Grandpa's death.
I took my Mom to the doctor to have the mole on her foot removed.
We drove to Williamsport the next day, Mom, Mr. Berg and me, to celebrate my brother's birthday and watch him play baseball.
His team won, our hearts were broken.
He was laid to rest a week later in a his plot next to his first wife, my grandmother. Since his funeral, I've only returned once, to lay my great grand mother to rest, a year and three months later.
Now, three years later, the only feeling I can recognize is that's bitter sweet.
I miss him, I miss him every day. But our relationship wasn't typical. There were no fishing trips or Grandpa, Granddaughter Dances. He wasn't there for most of my birthdays. He probably only came to a handful of my events.
It wasn't until I returned from Virginia that we developed any sort of relationship. Twice, in 24 years, he told me he was proud of me, that he was impressed by me, that I was doing a good job. Both times were within 6 weeks of each other and within 6 months of his death.
He knew being the first born of my generation wouldn't be easy. He saw my struggles, he pushed me to keep fighting and for that, I will be forever grateful.
Even now, when I wonder what to do, or question why I do what I do, I hear his voice, he always tells me to keep fighting. And I do..... I always do.
I'm sad there wasn't more time. I'm sad I didn't have the opportunity to learn everything I wanted to learn from him.
He was amazing. Amazing at business, amazing at investing, amazingly self centered and amazingly void of your typical grandfatherly emotions. But I understood it, he gave all that he could, none of what he couldn't. There was love there somewhere, and respect, so much respect. And in the end, I know he was proud of me and my brother. I know he loved us, I know he wanted to be more to us, but he just didn't know how.
He left quite the legacy, a strong, growing business, a huge family and a lot of accomplishments.
I know he's proud of us.
So much has changed in three years. I wish he could have been there.
And in my heart of hearts, I know he was, in spirit.
I wish I could talk to him on last time. I wish I could ask him the questions I wish I could have asked.
But at the same time, I know he's gone and I'm at peace with that.
Three years, it goes quick.
I miss him, I miss him every day.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Worst Day Ever
Today SUCKED!!!
I fought a miserable headache all day long. Thanks to "." not only did I have a miserable headache, but I also had next to zero energy and I did nothing but eat brownies (3 in total) and whine to myself about how miserable I felt. I'm bloated, doughy and oily and nasty.
I had a horrible workout. I had scheduled FE CS2&3. I made it through CS3, never got to CS2.
I'm exhausted, cranky, bitchy and so ready for this stupid "." to be over so I can return to my regularly scheduled life.
Around 4pm I decided to give up on today. Today sucked. No doubt about it, it sucked. But you know what? Tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow is a NEW day. Tomorrow has promise and hope and the promise of smart choices.
Today wasn't my bestest day, that's for sure. It is safe to say, today was probably one of my worst days.
Food and bad body image aside today was a hard day for other reasons too.
I'm learning how to manage the man power at Family Owned Inc.
I'm really, really nervous about it.
So far, it is a task that is outside of my comfort zone. I don't know everyone I'm managing. I don't know their skills sets, their abilities. I don't know who does great at what and who can cross task. In other words, when it comes to managing the peoples, I am dumb!!
To add to that stress. I am learning from the person I admire the most at Family Owned Inc. He is the person I want to please the most and the person I want to learn the most from. (And no, he's not Mr. President). At the end of the day, I want him to feel confident in my abilities and trust me to do a good job.
Deep down, I know he wouldn't have recruited me to help if he felt I didn't know how to do it. In addition to that, he's helping me every step of the way. I just don't want him to be disappointed in me. I want to be the reliable, go to person that everyone can count on.
It's hard to feel that way when you're being pulled in a million different directions and you aren't 100% sure that the decisions you're making are the best. It's hard to see the results when you're in the middle of the fight.
Much like my weight loss journey, my work journey is just as challenging. The results I get aren't always tangible. The hard work I put it isn't always noticeable right away.
I just have to keep reminding myself, that in the long run, I will get there. I just have to hold on to my faith, take stock in my self worth and know that eventually, maybe not today, my hard work will pay off.
And remember, tomorrow is another day to get it right.
I fought a miserable headache all day long. Thanks to "." not only did I have a miserable headache, but I also had next to zero energy and I did nothing but eat brownies (3 in total) and whine to myself about how miserable I felt. I'm bloated, doughy and oily and nasty.
I had a horrible workout. I had scheduled FE CS2&3. I made it through CS3, never got to CS2.
I'm exhausted, cranky, bitchy and so ready for this stupid "." to be over so I can return to my regularly scheduled life.
Around 4pm I decided to give up on today. Today sucked. No doubt about it, it sucked. But you know what? Tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow is a NEW day. Tomorrow has promise and hope and the promise of smart choices.
Today wasn't my bestest day, that's for sure. It is safe to say, today was probably one of my worst days.
Food and bad body image aside today was a hard day for other reasons too.
I'm learning how to manage the man power at Family Owned Inc.
I'm really, really nervous about it.
So far, it is a task that is outside of my comfort zone. I don't know everyone I'm managing. I don't know their skills sets, their abilities. I don't know who does great at what and who can cross task. In other words, when it comes to managing the peoples, I am dumb!!
To add to that stress. I am learning from the person I admire the most at Family Owned Inc. He is the person I want to please the most and the person I want to learn the most from. (And no, he's not Mr. President). At the end of the day, I want him to feel confident in my abilities and trust me to do a good job.
Deep down, I know he wouldn't have recruited me to help if he felt I didn't know how to do it. In addition to that, he's helping me every step of the way. I just don't want him to be disappointed in me. I want to be the reliable, go to person that everyone can count on.
It's hard to feel that way when you're being pulled in a million different directions and you aren't 100% sure that the decisions you're making are the best. It's hard to see the results when you're in the middle of the fight.
Much like my weight loss journey, my work journey is just as challenging. The results I get aren't always tangible. The hard work I put it isn't always noticeable right away.
I just have to keep reminding myself, that in the long run, I will get there. I just have to hold on to my faith, take stock in my self worth and know that eventually, maybe not today, my hard work will pay off.
And remember, tomorrow is another day to get it right.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Calm Before the Storm
The moment we've all been waiting for finally happened at Family Owned, Inc. We got a big job!
We've been waiting on this big job for over a year. For the past two weeks we've unofficially known we got the big job. However, the big important people hadn't officially said to us "Family Owned, Inc. you are hereby officially given the big job."
There was much cheering and celebrating. Mostly, by me, alone in the kitchen, as I read the announcement over email on my new phone. (more on the loss of my beloved blackberry later)
Big Job means we'll have to recall some of our currently laid off employees and hire some new employees specifically for this endeavor. It also means we'll have to hire some new people for other projects where we would have put the employees now working at big job.
Basically, we're going to begin a very delicate juggling act that's going to last for say.... 8-12 months.
Miss In Charge of HR over here is getting a wee-bit nervous.....
I know what's coming, I'm just refusing to admit it today. Instead I'm planing Valentine's Day Menus and ignoring my To-Do list.
Which, by the way, is a heck of a lot smaller today thanks to a million and one things that got done yesterday.
Did I mention we have an HR auditor coming in on Tuesday as well? Have I mentioned how disguisting my office is right now?
Guess who's cleaning tomorrow?
Anyway... my point.......
Today is the calm before the storm. We're relishing in our greatness. Excited, we anxiously run through the hundred and one possible senerios on our heads about what is to come. We secertly hope the use of helicopters to set heavy equipment will be used and be pray for a safe and stable working enviroment for our men.
And mostly, we brace ourselves.
Today is a quiet day. Today we celebrate.
Tomorrow we prepare.
Monday we'll be running around like a bunch of wild animals. Lord help us all.
We've been waiting on this big job for over a year. For the past two weeks we've unofficially known we got the big job. However, the big important people hadn't officially said to us "Family Owned, Inc. you are hereby officially given the big job."
There was much cheering and celebrating. Mostly, by me, alone in the kitchen, as I read the announcement over email on my new phone. (more on the loss of my beloved blackberry later)
Big Job means we'll have to recall some of our currently laid off employees and hire some new employees specifically for this endeavor. It also means we'll have to hire some new people for other projects where we would have put the employees now working at big job.
Basically, we're going to begin a very delicate juggling act that's going to last for say.... 8-12 months.
Miss In Charge of HR over here is getting a wee-bit nervous.....
I know what's coming, I'm just refusing to admit it today. Instead I'm planing Valentine's Day Menus and ignoring my To-Do list.
Which, by the way, is a heck of a lot smaller today thanks to a million and one things that got done yesterday.
Did I mention we have an HR auditor coming in on Tuesday as well? Have I mentioned how disguisting my office is right now?
Guess who's cleaning tomorrow?
Anyway... my point.......
Today is the calm before the storm. We're relishing in our greatness. Excited, we anxiously run through the hundred and one possible senerios on our heads about what is to come. We secertly hope the use of helicopters to set heavy equipment will be used and be pray for a safe and stable working enviroment for our men.
And mostly, we brace ourselves.
Today is a quiet day. Today we celebrate.
Tomorrow we prepare.
Monday we'll be running around like a bunch of wild animals. Lord help us all.
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