Today, I was engaged in numerous "issues," problems, concerns, and annoyances, along with a reasonable number of happy accidents and pleasant interchanges. I'll tell you about just a few, if you'll permit me.
I interviewed a great candidate to teach courses for one of my client organizations. She was intelligent, fast on her feet, funny, and knowledgeable. I hope we can bring her on board to do several workshops per year for us. I'd like to do the workshops myself, but I do not have the experience, knowledge, or platform skills necessary to do it well. But other than that, I would be excellent.
The temp-to-perm we engaged last week did not show this morning. She had been good so far, beginning the middle of last week. (She replaced a new staffer who didn't have the intellect and constitution to deal with people who did not treat her as a qeen.) The most recent temp seemed sharp, enthusiastic, and willing to jump in a learn. But today, no-show. Half an hour after she should have arrived, I called the agency, and then shortly thereafter went into a series of meetings. When I emerged, she had called and left a voice message, as had the agency. Her story was that she must have been bitten by a bug, because one side of her face was badly swollen. Her call came after 9:30, more than 1.5 hours after the work day started. I called the agency and expressed my skepticism; I try to be understanding, but have been treated as an idiot by employees many times...I am extremely skeptical. After an unpleasant interchange with the agency, I agreed to allow her to return tomorrow. My work day ended many hours late and here I am at 9:00 pm and then some, only to find an email from the agency when I check my messages. This message says she was not bitten, but was really mugged last night and was in bad shape but needs the job and will be in tomorrow. The agency apologizes, but says they assumed she had been telling the truth. I responded, saying this is the only time, THE ONLY TIME, I will tolerate it. And I explain I will have a conversation with the temp tomorrow first thing, expressing my displeasure with being lied to, regardless of the circumstances...and expressing that I have a tolerance of once, period. If EVER it happens again, or anything like it, she is quick history. And in the interim, I will keep my eye peeled for people who don't feel a need to lie to me about the reasons they are not in the office.
I have to cut into my planned vacation next week to have a 3 hour Board meeting via conference call. I made the stupid mistake of scheduling it, then failing to put it on my calendar...and then decided to take off 2 days to drive to St. Louis. But, the first day of the drive, I will have to stop for 3 hours about noon, call into a conference call number, and participate in a call...and take minutes. I should beat myself for an hour to teach myself not to do that again!
I "met" an interesting attorney today, via telephone. He specializes in intellectual property, focusing on trademark law. I am intrigued by trademark, copyright, and other issues related to intellectual property. No knowledgeable, mind you, but interested.
I'm not into this tonight...but interested.
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