Labyrinth 13

Passed Over

labyrinth13 — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 11:53:42 +0000

So, I haven’t written in awhile. I have been traveling. I got back from a business trip on Thursday and had a message that the president of the company needed to see me right away. He sat me down and told me that my boss, the head of quality, was leaving and his position would need to be filled. I listened carefully and believed that my moment had come. Afterall, I had been the one that he had come to time and time again to execute his many mission impossibles.

As you have probably guessed from this post’s title, I didn’t get the job. In fact, they made my counterpart Vice-President. Being a glutton for punishment, I asked what strengths he brought to the role that I didn’t. Do I have challenge areas that made me unsuitable? He is what I was told.

“No, you were my choice. You could easily handle the position. However, the management team felt that they knew HIM better. They felt more comfortable with HIM. I just can’t fight that battle now.”

So, what the hell I am supposed to do with that? Granted, I got a promotion too. My responsibilities and workload will triple as I become “his right hand”.

I apologize for the anger, but I haven’t gone to therapy yet and have now gone from SHOCK to SADNESS to being really, most incredibly ANGRY.

Thanks for listening.

Leadership

labyrinth13 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:00:14 +0000

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a “community organizer,” except that you have actual responsibilities.

These words from Sarah Palin’s speech really bother me. I consider myself a student of leadership and organization. I define leadership as maximizing the potential of a group of people in pursuit of a common goal. There is one observation that I can make from my 12 years of trying to perfect leading groups:

It is far easier to lead a group of people when you have the ability to hire and fire them. If a person reports to you, they know that they can only push back so much before they risk their livelihoods. In fact, a litmus test I use to identify people who may be able to lead others is to watch how they interact with those around them. Do they take the initiative to try and make things better? Can they convince their fellow employees to follow their plans not because they have to organizationally, but because it will make things better despite the effort and work it might take? Can you get people to follow you without a title?

Everything that I have read so far suggests that Sarah Palin uses authority to lead and not words that inspire a team to follow because she has their best interests in mind. Doesn’t that sound like the traits of a V.P. we already have?

A Little Political Humor

labyrinth13 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:23:20 +0000

Michelle shared this with me and I thought it was so funny that I had to share. Enjoy!

Learning to Research – Strike One

labyrinth13 — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:53:08 +0000

I am not particularly good at research. Oh, I can Google with the best of them, but stepping into a library has always left me feeling a little overwhelmed. It’s just not something I do in my everyday job. However, in my spare time, I am working on a book that is set in the mountains of North Carolina so a little research is exactly what is required.

So, off we went to ECU’s Joyner Library. Michelle needed to get some work done while I did my research. I started by using the electronic catalog to generate a list of potential books that would provide a survey of my area of interest. Unfortunately, the library was apparently running tests on the system and my list was obliterated several times before I could save, print or email it.

As an aside, Michelle would take this opportunity to point out only I could continually be this unlucky

During a general walkabout, I discovered that ECU has an entire special collection dedicated to North Carolina. Now, this was more like it. My joy was short-lived though. The section was enormous. It filled an entire room with more books than I could read in ten lifetimes. I was completely overwhelmed.

Don’t get me wrong. I am incredibly happy about the collection. I know somewhere within those endless shelves is all the information I need and more. I just have to find it.

Finally, it occurs to me that many readers of this blog are research experts. Please don’t judge me to harshly. I shall overcome.

Has it been almost 3 years?

labyrinth13 — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:52:29 +0000

It’s hard to believe it has been three years since Katrina. Yet here we sit; eyes glued to the television watching a large red circle named Gustav slowly approach the people and places that we hold dear. Michelle has been on the phone this morning with her parents and friends that are evacuating to dryer ground. The question, though, remains the same. Will the levees hold?

Let’s Start with a Title.

labyrinth13 — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:10:14 +0000

I am continually inspired by the blogs that Will, Shelby and Julia maintain. So, I have decided to create one myself. As with most blogs, the topics will vary according to what’s on my mind at the time.

You may wonder where the title comes from. Labyrinth is the title of a Kate Mosse novel that I highly recommend.

Kate Mosse's Labyrinth

Thirteen is simply my favorite number. That’s all for now.