February 24, 2011
My Second Full Week of Work: Part II
Thursday
Last Thursday was a big day for me. It was my first big in-house event that I planned for Vy.
Now, I've done a few meetings before -- the hunting down of the perfect conference room, the careful choosing of the menus, the nightmare of the speakerphones -- but I always had Alpha to help me. And, if I'm 100% honest, I always had her to blame if it didn't go exactly smoothly.
But this time, it was all me, baby. I had to design the room set-up, which had to accommodate:
a) a speaker
b) break-out groups
c) buffet lunch
d) a short DVD presentation
e) special, fancy dessert
I had to... nod authoritatively and say, "Looks good," when the meeting planner showed me the proposed menu. (Yeah, we have people at work whose sole purpose in life is to make our travel and meetings easier. It is HEAVEN. So much so that I gave one of them a Supergirl Barbie. Yeah, she's that good.)
I had to put linen tablecloths on tables.
I had to hunt down, within the building:
a) an extra tablecloth
b) seven flip charts
c) 20 flip chart markers (yes, they require special markers)
d) three easels
I had to decide on three different cakes from a gourmet bakery... okay, that part wasn't so hard.
Anyhoo, excruciatingly-long story slightly-less-long, I passed my meeting audition. It went off without a hitch, and I learned that Vy basically wants to give me a task and then not hear about it again until I'm done with it. Which is fine by me because it just gives me more opportunities to make decisions and prove that I am worthy of the Blue Fairy making me into a real employee!
Friday
My predecessor used to be a kindergarten teacher, which may explain her need to explain everything to me very, very slowly, and in story form, beginning with a detailed history of anything I may ask her about. Bless her little heart, she is giving me adult-onset A.D.H.D.
I, on the other hand, am quick. I make decisions quickly. I learn quickly. I work quickly (when properly motivated). I can look at a task and instantly see what it will take to complete it. Yeah, I'm bragging a little, but I'm not graceful and I'm not beautiful, so let me just have this one thing, will ya?
Twice on Friday, I made Vy do the hard blink of surprise (she's not very emotive, so I have to watch for smaller clues). Twice she gave me some small task two do. Twice she came back to tell me that it wasn't that important and not to spend too much time on it.
And twice I got to say, "I didn't; it's already on your desk."
And if that weren't enough to send me into fits of smugness, I also edited and formatted a huge, important, secret, 120-page document for her, and got it done by quittin' time. (I also added page breaks after the different sections, about which she commented, "Oh, good -- that was driving me crazy." Have I found a sister in O.C.D.?!)
At the end of it all, when the document had to sent to the various secret agents with clearance to read it, I heard Vy say to Lord God King of the Company, "We have this done because of Wenchie."
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww, yyyeeeaaahhh.
Comments
Yeah!!!! Sounds like a good fit for you AND the big boss. Hopefully something good will come of this.
BTW, I used to be a meeting planner. I'd be the person you talked to about reserving rooms, av, menus and I would be the one finding you easels, markers and flip charts :)
Posted by: Hope at February 24, 2011 09:16 AM
Everything suddenly makes sense when you find out she is a former kindergarten teacher. It doesn't mean I like her any better though because she is still condescending and annoying.
Posted by: JB at February 24, 2011 12:01 PM
LMAO! My favorite part? "Bless her little heart, she is giving me adult-onset A.D.H.D."
Thanks for the laughs. :)
Posted by: Kari at February 24, 2011 07:44 PM
Thanks for laughing!
Posted by: Wenchie at February 25, 2011 06:11 AM
Well Done! Glad to hear you are in a position that allows you to shine! ...tho honestly, no surprises to me.
Posted by: Herc at March 1, 2011 12:55 AM