Moving the goal posts

Following further conversations with the headhunter & recruiting Director I'm feeling less inclined towards option 3 (see 'There must be easier ways to earn a living' below). The role has changed since I first started talking to them and they've now mentioned the rationale for the trip to Kuwait and Abu Dhabi is to meet their key stakeholders but also to assist with adding more granularity to the role.... I'm somewhat unimpressed as in my book that looks like they don't know what they want, and I'm doing a bit of free consultancy to help them define it. So I take two days of precious leave AND lose a weekend to attend 2 days of full-on meetings where I get put through the wringer...

Starting to feel they're taking the proverbial...

New Pony

same old scene...

This years Nag is 'Bugsy'.

The pair coming a respectable 2nd overall and winning 'best turned out'.

Clever clogs

D-day found me banished to the car waiting on tenterhooks until Miss Sensible spared my misery and informed me she'd achieved 5 A* and 6 A's...to add to the 2 A*s and 1 A she got last year! So she's out-performed us all to date! In the words of her sister's congratulations card:

"Can you stop being so brilliant please, you're showing the rest of us up"

No pressure on Minor Meyhem then ;o)

There must be easier ways to earn a living...

This job is burning me out. The last fortnight has been hell on wheels as we're doing business as usual in terms of recruitment and mobilisation of new projects but with a team that's now 1/3rd smaller, and I'm also managing a redundancy programme with staff who know very little about the process or legalities, as well as covering for my boss. I like a challenge but this is quite frankly ridiculous and, after yet another 15 hours day, I see no sign of it letting up. I've not really managed to actually start looking for something else but am in the fortunate position of having been approached about a few things:

1. a local-ish role with nerdy scientists & engineers and I've seen it, done it, so could get boring
2. a deputy HR Director role with a competitor based in Dubai
3. a Head of Resourcing role with a large organisation based in the UK but expanding into the Middle East. Been asked if I will go to meet their management in Kuwait and Dubai for a couple of days next month so I can see if I'm interested.

So I need to have a think about stuff and at least knock them on the head so that they stop flying round it my brain with all the other rubbish that's keeping me awake at the moment.

"Courgette? In Cake!?!??!"

"Seriously? How in gods name can you manage to pull of courgette in a cake? Hot Damn..." said my son on receiving a doggy bag of goodies from the wonderful Lou-la-belle
"Did you eat it before your Mum told you? Did you like?" she asked
"Sehr Gut!!! :D - I was totally surprised though...By the way, can you make a cake for my Birthday please?! :o) " he enthusiastically asked, usurping me from my position as Chief Cake Baker
"I would love to make a cake for you! You'll have to let me know what flavour or do you want another surprise? ;o) ", she replied.
"As long as it isn't... (*shudders*) healthy... ;o) ", came the response.
I've discovered an alternative method of getting them to consume their 5 a day it seems....

Rendezvous

Time: 1630hrs

Date: Sunday 14th August 2011.

Location: Tibshelf Services

Mission: Interview a chap named after a renowned actor.

Unfortunately I am reliably informed he looks nothing like said film star. He has stated he will be wearing a tan sports jacket which somewhat suggests he is not the sort of chap I am likely to want to pull. I am however informed he's a dab hand at repatriation of bodies, bereavement counselling, and medical evacuation, as well as preparation of reports for the coroners office which is probably exactly what I'm looking for in a man at this particular moment in time...oh how my 'wish list' has changed ;o) and probably more worryingly I am now meeting strange men at obscure locations, over my weekend in order to fill vacancies.

Train spotting

Thorough review of timetables, and routings required over the next fortnight as the trains are suspended on the Cotswold bit of the line due to engineering works.

Planning ahead I looked at the replacement bus service timetable and completely fried my brain...If I used that I'd more or less need to turn around and go back as soon as I got into the office so that was a non-starter.

Working from home wasn't an option either due to acting as HR Director...needed to be in the office to crack the whip (metaphorically speaking of course).

One of the guys in my team kindly offered to put me up then take me into work with him on his whopping great BMW bike...gulp!!! Much as it meant I'd get to put my arms around a hunky Paratrooper, I opted to drive up to Birmingham International and go in via Euston. All went according to plan until the rioters disrupted the Tube resulting in me getting home at 9.40pm.

A queue outside the office door

when you get in should give a sense of foreboding for the rest of the day...

Three people needing to speak to me about various issues, plus a letter relating to an employment tribunal claim on the grounds of Unfair Dismissal and Sexual Discrimination, on top of the resignation of one of the HR specialists...all before 10.30am!!!

The rest of the day went like this; meeting with Gurkha Major re. staff issues; telecom re. staffing for a major event; discussion with a psychologist about mental health evaluation tools; disciplinary meeting which resulted in written warning, a chat with our lawyer re. the potential employment tribunal case and a summons from the MD to provide a sit rep on the redundancy programme.....

"The first cut is the deepest"

as the song goes...but apparently it wasn't enough.

Back from leave and straight into redundancy round II !!!

So with 1/3rd less in my team we're now trying to juggle work as usual with managing the exit of 15 people in the midst of the holiday period. It's been an absolutely 'pants' day spent telling people they're about to lose their jobs.