Ya know, just when I thought things were actually going to slow down at my job (because as of this month I am only focusing on two projects instead of four), something has to come and knock the wind out of me again.

Yesterday as I was leaving to grab a sandwich, John (my boss) pulls me into Denny's office (our VP of marketing). Denny starts telling me that I've done a great job over the past year, I've proven myself in my position, and I've driven the sales number for my product line to the successful point it's at now... blah blah blah. I'm thinking, what... am I getting a raise?

No. "BETTER" than that. Because I was so successful on *that* team, they need my help on *another* team.

Apparently, this proposal has been in the works for a few weeks now, but John has been saying no, no, no. He needs me on the projects I'm working on now, or else *they'll* all fall in the shitter. Denny and John went back and forth for two weeks on it, and finally the president had to step in to solve the dispute.

Well, like the wise King Soloman, he has decided that the solution is to SPLIT my time. Basically, until my current projects are completed in October, I will be doing both jobs.

At the same time, a replacement for my current position will be coming in, but he doesn't know marketing. He is someone at the company who has been here for years, wants to move into marketing, and they're letting him because he's so well-liked. Hmmm. That's all fine and good, but guess who gets to *train* this person? Yours Truly.

So let me get this straight. You want me to: 1) keep doing my current job, 2) begin doing a totally different job, 3) train myself on the new surgical procedures, products, and competition for this new job (because I currently have no clue) and 4) train my "replacement" on Marketing 101, and the surgical procedures, products, and competition for my current job (because HE has no clue) --- all at the same time.

No problem.

Yesterday, because this was the first I had even heard about it, I was pretty much in wigging-out mode. It was nothing but one closed-door meeting after another. This is not a move that I want to make, even if it didn't have all the extra responsibility with it. I love my job now, and I LOVE working for John, which wouldn't be the case anymore. (Plus, this is NOT a promotion, just twice the work.)

Today I have settled into an eerie sort of calm about it, because I guess in the end, it really doesn't matter what either of us want. The kicker is, I don't really have a choice in the matter. Oh, I guess I could say "no", but if I want to be seen as a "Team Player" and have any sort of a decent future here (because Denny remembers "His People"), I've basically got to suck it up.

Let this be a lesson to you... do your job well, but don't do it well enough that you will then be asked to go and clean up someone else's mess, because there's no one else qualified to do it.

feeling... I need a beer (or four)
listening to... Rush of Blood to the Head -- Cold Play
miss something?
goodbye my friend - 2005-04-29
out of the loop - 2005-04-09
a quest for clarity - part 1 - 2004-08-30
no plan for a sequel - 2004-08-27
slacker of the month - 2004-08-26