Reality Check

A frustrating week continued this week as far as supervision of staff and communication. I continue to be amazed that you can take the time to make yourself available to someone, offer them guidance based on experience, be very specific about what they should do, and they don't do it! Even though they say "Thanks Boss!" and give you every indication that they are going to follow the supervision offered. Then they don't! Go figure!

Peter Drucker wrote that the golden rule of being an employee is "Do what you say you are going to do." There are a lot of people that I work with who have obviously never heard of Peter Drucker.

So in the midst of mounting frustration (which is pretty evident in the above two paragraphs)yesterday ended with several reality checks. The first was when my Board Chairman showed up early for a meeting as is his custom and we sat in my office and talked for about an hour. We covered a range of topics from fund raising initiatives to employee performance. He mostly sat and listened offering his own experience of "been there, done that." Sometimes you just need someone to talk things through with to remain grounded.

The second reality check was the Finance Committee meeting which followed. The Committee had been asking for changes in the reporting format of the P&L statements and the finance team finally delivered. While the report was reviewed, they asked questions about anything outside of normal activity, offering suggestions based on their wealth of experience. During the meeting, it was obvious to see the tremendous amount of progress that the finance team has made and the Committee could see it too. The meeting lasted a bit more than an hour. They've been going much longer and I was pleased at reaching this milestone.

Most important, I stopped by the Chatham County Health Department because Dr. Diane Weems, the County Medical Director, was celebrating her birthday. She is also undergoing treatment for breast cancer. When I arrived, I was greeted with hugs and Diane and I stood in a corner talking about H1N1, homeless shelters, her treatment and the fact that the next time I see her she will have a new "do". Instead of shaving her head, she's getting a buzz cut. Typical Diane, adding her own spin to things! As we talked, she smiled and laughed a lot and I could not help but admire her all over again. This is one strong and classy woman that I am proud that she is my friend.

All of these things help to put things in perspective. When times are difficult, you need a friend to talk to. You need the opportunity to see that some things are getting better. And you need to be reminded that whatever you are challenged with, there are others who have challenges that are far greater.