Has anyone ever gone through this programme, designed to increase productivity/manage time more effectively through more effective use of Outlook and hand held PDA devices?  Senior management and some secretarial staff (including me) are being sent on it.  Any feedback would be appreciated.

Although I hope to gain some benefit from it, I think that it might actually prove intimidating to some staff here.  When I mentioned the fact that my then boss and I worked from a shared electronic diary, the reaction from one long-standing member of staff was horrified - he'd never work like that, people would be able to see what he was doing!  I shall be observing with interest .....

Indeed, you do remember rightly!  And your comment about lack of focus is quite accurate.  

I don't actually work for a "company" per se, but for a religious institution with a conference facility attached (the bit that Alan is now in charge of).  A lot of the senior staff have never been out in the big bad world of the private sector, and don't quite understand How Things Work Outside.  One ex-member of staff (who has been out in the world) described them as being a bunch of amateurs trying to run a company.

As for Alan's attitude himself - well, as far as he's concerned he runs a commercial operation, and he seems to have forgotten about the religious/philanthropic connection!.  Our head officer is quite spineless, and doesn't seem to want to act on the complaints that he's had about Alan and his cohorts.  That's one thing ex-bossie would have done - stamped on Alan's delusions of grandeur very quickly indeed.

I do think it's time for a change, although the job has done great things for me over the time I've been there.  But at the moment I feel like I'm just treading water, and that's not good for me.  When bossie does deign to delegate something to me, I really cannot be motivated to do it, I'm in such a rut of not doing.  I've already spoken to some staffing agencies, so please cross your fingers for me.

To summarise:

Late last year, my boss (with whom I’d worked for four years, and thought I had a good relationship) was effectively fired for conduct unbefitting his post.  I was in no way involved in this; it came as a horrible shock to a lot of people, and left a very sour taste behind.

A successor will be recruited in due course, but the nature of business here is such that it may take months.

Before ex-bossie’s departure, moves were afoot to move me from my current office base “elsewhere” (against ex-bossie’s wishes).  Effectively I’m “squatting” in someone else’s building, and they want me out.  It doesn’t help that this someone, a relatively new manager (let’s call him Alan), has very little regard for my area of work which impacts somewhat on his, but is part of the rationale of what we, as an organisation, do.  (Personally I think he needs a lesson in manners and a good slapping, but that’s just me!)  He’s managing to shed all of the staff who have been there for some time (and hence have expertise), and bring in new ones.  I am reliant on Alan’s staff to help me through a major project coming up, but a crop of total newbies just won’t have the knowledge.  I know he views my project as a pain in the nether regions, as it’s more philanthropic in nature (in keeping with the organisation), whereas he just wants to make $$$.

There are still mutterings about my move, but no clear idea of where or when .  A suggestion was put forward from on high, which was totally unworkable, and now appears to have been forgotten about.  And my work seems to have ground to a halt …. Someone else (Steve) is covering ex’s workload, but getting answers out of them on things I need to move forward NOW is like pulling teeth.  I find it particularly frustrating as I’m now the organisation’s expert on one particular project – I know what needs to be done, when, but cannot do certain things without the say-so of someone on high.  And it’s that say-so which isn’t forthcoming from Steve, despite pleading and protestation on my part.  We only got through a similar project at the end of last year by the seat of our pants; whilst I can do miracles, I’d rather not be forced into a position where I need to.

So, my thoughts/feelings are:

I was bought in as PA to satisfy ex-bossie – now he’s gone, Steve has no idea what to do with me, or what I can do.  I’ve tried to be proactive with regard to major projects, and get brushed to one side.

I’m a pain in the backside to Alan as I’m taking up space in his building.  I will also be using his facility for a project which doesn’t make megabucks.  Despite the fact that this project is part of the rationale of the organisation that employs us both, the fact that it doesn’t make megabucks automatically renders it less valuable in his eyes.   His attitude towards me is clear evidence of the regard in which he doesn’t hold me!

There’s talk of moving me, but no idea of where.  Unsettling, to say the least.

Am I being a hysterical, reactive, whining ninny, or is it time for me to go find something that will use my brain a bit more creatively?

I don’t know if anyone has come across this situation in their own working life – it’s quite frankly very odd, and I wondered how anyone else dealt with it.

In recent months we’ve had a new Personnel Manager appointed, owing to her predecessor’s resignation owing to ill health.  And I’m hearing some very strange stories about allegations she’s made about staff.

One dept has Senior Manager, Deputy and various Underbunnies.  Personnel approached Senior – apparently she had in turn been approached by Underbunny, who claimed that Deputy was “victimising” her.  Senior was, understandably, concerned – and upset that Underbunny hadn’t felt able to approach him in the first instance.  So he spoke to Underbunny who was, to say the least, slightly confused.  She’d had no such conversation with Personnel, and had made no such allegation.

She’s also claimed that Deputy and another member of staff confided in her about “partner problems”, when neither of them have.  

This information was volunteered to me on a visit to that department (by Deputy and Underbunny), and wasn’t elicited as a result of a request for gossip. It did cross my mind that it could be a set-up – but it seems too bizarre a scenario.  

Both Bossie and I have had one-to-ones with Personnel Manager; him in his role as a senior manager, me in mine as  PA to a senior manager who doesn’t fall neatly into the general HQ scheme of things.  Both of us felt she lacked “personal warmth” – with no disrespect to those on DD who work in Personnel/Human Resources, I felt she did indeed view me as a “resource” rather than a member of staff.  I also felt that she was querying the whole rationale of what my section does. Well, that’s what Bossie and I do; it’s what our department was set up to do, and if she wants things changed, then she’ll have an awful lot of hurdles to jump, including a Bossie-shaped one which is liable to snarl and bite.

There’s also an element of concern for Bossie’s health here.  We have a good working relationship, but I can see it being jeopardized – or at least tested - by Personnel Manager with her own wacky agenda.  However, he’s not a well man, on lots of meds, and the normal everyday stresses of working life can really get him distressed if he’s caught on a bad day.  I hate to think what something like that could do to him.

I don’t feel that there is a great deal I can do at the moment, as all that I know is anecdotal.  But if anyone has any thoughts on how I could deal with this, or at least CMA in the event of fall-out, I’d be grateful.

Thanks all.  I  can quite happily keep "hands off" now as the project that I was involved in is concluded.  We've already had the finger-pointing and blame-shifting which didn't work with the powers that be.  I've now been copied in on an e-mail where she admits to having overlooked one payment she should have taken, blaming stress and overwork.  She is, supposedly, going to talk to her line manager about her role when LM returns from hols.  Whilst I can sympathise with the stress thing (we've all been there), the cynic in me wonders whether it's just another stalling tactic.

So, to return to my original query ... who out there has had humdinger excuses for things not being done as they should?

Regrettably I'm not in a position to do that, but the powers that be (a step or two up from her in her chain of line management) are fully aware of the problem.  What amazes me is that nothing has been done about it before.  Her accounting (for services rendered by her department both externally and internally) goes back to our central Accounts office, and it seems that glitches have been noticed and no-one's done much about it.  Now a relatively new (albeit senior) member of the Accounting team is tearing their hair out about it.

I'm really just venting, having bored my boss, the Accounts staff and my SO witless!

What are the excuses other posters have encountered for things not being done on time/at all?

I only ask this because a member of staff is under close scrutiny here.  She's responsible for issuing accounts, and it has come to light that a lot of accounts are erroneous, or where a credit card was proferred in payment, she's taken details but never done anything about it (NB: I don't think we're talking fraud here - at least, I hope not).  

She's being prodded (subtly) on a daily basis for information on her accounting, but is so far evading capture!  I'm just wondering how far fetched it's going to get .... "I took the accounts home to work on and my dog ate them".

Luckily I've got enough e-mails, etc, to back me up and prove that I did what I was supposed to, not to mention the backing of my boss (not in her line of management).  However, we've already had the "I don't know anything about (insert name of client here)" - well, how come I have an e-mail here from me to you asking you to deduct against their credit card?  Which you actually forwarded back to me when you put a reply on it?

It's so frustrating!  There are several people working on this (including a couple of senior staff, whose time is infinitely more expensive than the culprit's), and it all boils down to one person who can't be bothered to do their job properly.  It's not just this one project either - there are numerous other glitches.  I've only got dragged into it because of my involvement with the one project in recent months.

........... sigh ..................

I work for a religious institution, not a company, but there is definitely a "culture" there!  Many of the staff have been there for many years, and are very resistant to change/new ideas.  I'm constantly amazed by the number of staff who have no idea of the power of their PCs - preferring to do layouts literally by cutting and pasting, not using Outlook to arrange meetings but preferring to make twenty phonecalls only to have to start over again ..... For someone from the private sector like me, where time saved is money saved, these all come as second nature.

Fortuantely bossie is much of the same mindset as me - I don't think I could cope with one who kept his diary as close to his chest as other staff I could mention!

I can well relate to "cliques" - there are a fair few of those, particularly in the main building.  Luckily I'm in my own office some way away from the main building, so I can get on with life in my own sweet way, and bossie is supportive of that.  In our old office (sole inhabitants of one building) we did refer to ourselves as "The People's Republic"!

Thanks for your input Raindance.  I have in fact subsequently met with BC, and it looks like the situation is "on ice" for the time being.  

The business of me and Bossie moving has been dropped for the time being - Bossie has made it quite clear he doesn't want to move and, as he's not governed by BC, BC cannot easily force him to do so.  It is feasible that I could be asked to move and Bossie stay put, but that would defy logic.  

The inspection of my office with a view to reconfiguring for different use: this is a general exercise, and being carried out all across the organisation.  It was just very badly timed.  It was some consolation when the colleague doing the inspection commented reconfiguring my office for alternative use would cost a fortune, and be a complete waste of the money spent on doing it up in the first place!

BC himself was annoyed about the suggestion that I would be working for the new person.  The individual that asked if this was the case is another clerical worker, and has no influence over my workload, so I have no idea what she was playing at.  

BTW, I don't work in what you would call a classic company set up!  Bossie's position is not dependent on profits or performance; he would only lose it through severe misdemeanour.  As my role keeps expanding, little by little, I view that as making my role just that bit more secure also.  

Regrettably I don't think I would be able to change the group dynamic in the main office. The mind-set there is deeply ingrained and a tad old-fashioned.  I wouldn't be working with a group of people, but in an office on my own and probably one tucked away in a corner somewhere where I wouldn't be a nuisance with my bizarre ideas like using Outlook Calendar to manage Bossie's diary ..... get the picture?

I am staying cool and detached! - it's all I can do really.  That, and keep doing my job well, and keep Bossie on my side.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

If anyone else has a take on this (has been in the same or a similar situation), I would appreciate hearing your thoughts.  And apologies for the long post!

The organisation I work for has one main office, and a number of smaller satellite offices in the immediate vicinity.  Bossie and I share one of the satellite buildings; there were others in here, but owing to moves and cutbacks it’s now just us.

A few months ago, Bossie was somewhat aggrieved to hear the Big Cheese (BC) announce at a meeting “As I’ve told you all already, Tuxcat and Tuxcat’s Bossie will be moving to the main office, freeing up their office for something else”.  Bossie had not been told this, and made his feelings quite clear.  BC backed down.  At this point, I should add that there’s a mindset in the main office which the boss detests, and I’m none too keen on.  We like our set-up, and we get our work done.  

Bossie is quite aware that there is a lot of wasted space in our building, and there was talk of a couple of others moving in (forming a new department, which is not yet off the ground).  He, and I, would both be fine with this.

A few days back, I had cause to see BC’s secretary; while I was there, BC called me in for a chat.  Apparently there were thoughts about redeploying the building, and he’d decided it would be a good idea to move me and Bossie back to the main office.

I spoke to Bossie to find out why the decision had been changed, and Bossie exploded.  He rang the BC and asked what on earth was going on.  BC bluffed – apparently he was just concerned that I was lonely in my office, and thought I would prefer the company to be had in the main office (I would have my own office, but share the building facilities – here we have our own kitchen, bathroom, copier, etc).  Hmmmm ….. if that was the case, why was the term “redeploying” used?  Anyhow, Bossie got an apology for both him and me from BC (but BC hasn’t spoken to me since).  Bossie also spoke to his line manager TD (NB: the organisation is such that Bossie doesn’t trace line management back to BC) to find out what was going on.  TD knew nothing, and was decidedly unimpressed with the way things were panning out.  Ultimately, if TD were to tell Bossie that we were to up sticks and move, Bossie would not be happy, but would do it.  It’s a different matter with BC though.

There have been a couple of other incidents since …. Another member of staff coming to check over the building and look at possible options for conversion to another use/reconfiguration.  Bossie fired off a slightly peeved e-mail to BC, and, some hours after this had been read, was told that it was a routine exercise which had been instigated some while ago, and nothing to get my panties in a bunch about (not the phraseology used BTW!)  Sounds like he needed the time to get an excuse together!

And the most recent – being stopped by another member of staff and being told they understood I would be working for New Postholder (vacancy currently being recruited to).  Apparently they had enquired of Personnel whether NP  would be needing clerical help, and were told “Tux  will be working for them”.  Neither I nor my boss knew anything about this, and BC is denying all knowledge of such a decision.  It is just feasible that for once he might be being100% honest, but I’m not holding my breath.

Bossie is being fab and ranting on my behalf, but this is getting old now.  One of the things in the main office mindset is a “doublespeak” – saying one thing, then claiming that you meant something entirely different – and that’s one of the things Bossie hates so much.  I am contemplating a code phrase for me and Bossie which means “What the hell is going on now – something else has happened that I’m not happy about and I’m quite sure has been decided without your consent.”  Whilst I have no doubts about Bossie’s loyalty to me, I feel very guilty about venting to him – I’m trying my darndest not to sound like a spoiled brat, but sometimes I feel like I am!  I guess it’s the way things are being done that riles me so much.  If Bossie were to come to me and say “Sorry Tux, but it’s been decided that you and I are going to the main office – let’s do it and make the best of a bad job” I would do it, no questions asked.  It’s the sneaky way things are being announced that sticks in my craw (and his!)

There’s a major meeting soon at which Bossie, TD and BC will be present.  Bossie is inclined to give BC something of a roasting about the way things are happening, and I know that he will report back.  

Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy my job, and love working for Bossie, who’s a great guy.  I’ve had a few extra duties imposed upon me as a result of the aforementioned cutbacks, which is fine – the work needs to be done.  But if stuff starts being imposed on me without consultation with Bossie, I think that’s just plain rude – after all, he is my line manager first and foremost.

Once again, sorry to vent for so long …. But if anyone has been in this situation I’d be glad to hear your experiences.  Thank you for sticking with me – I think getting it all down on screen has helped!