Yesterday I didn't get a chance to write so today will try to cpature both. I would rate both days as about a6.5 physically, but more like an 8.5 on the mental side. First, I got my new china cabinet delivered. Though I have never really collected anything, I found myself really attached to the china. There's something calming, perhaps the serenity of its elegance, about having it in order and in place. Its like me, delicate, but it can take more wear than you'd expect. I spent the night after class putting together the display. Its a relief since its been packed away for like 8 months.
The big news from yesterday was that I had my first class. I'm going to Northeastern University here in Boston. This class is part of the MS Leadership program. I am thinking about completing the degree in the Nonprofit Management program. It felt good to be a part of something social with likeminded people. Not that I don't like the old people at dialysis, but... The class is about Leading Teams. Part of the class grading revolves around processing and journaling and encorproating it in a reflective paper- I am all about that since that is primarily what I am doing with the blog.
So- reflection on effective teams:
1. Effective teams really only develop when the corporate atmosphere is supportive of the work the team is doing. A team can be a team in name only if the upper management empowers the team to work and make decisions. A team is doomed if they are demeaned and disenfranchised: successful teams feel that they are making a contribution. As I draw to mind my personal team experiences, of course I am citing all the negative aspects in TriCity, and all though Girls and Boys Town had an effective service and operation, they have issues too. Management team felt like we were constantly defending our work. Like we weren't given the opportunity to create opportunity for ourselves, those we supervised and ultimately the families we served. In order to create change, there had to be "proof in the pudding," with numbers and criterion. While I understand the rationale in this approach, sometimes I think that if something, a system, a piece of the adminsitrative puzzle, is askew, it deserves discussion about how it could be improved. TriCity was almost the opposite: you could meet and come up with plans, revisions, etc. But in the end, the process required multilevel layers of approval. Often the work plans for teams were created by people who had not idea of what day-to-day operations looked like. But because they were in the roles of organizational leaders, they made the choices, whether informed or not. I think the worst part of TriCity was the toxic environment: no one ever praised or gave recognition that, wow, your team did a great job. IF anything I would say that in the team process, the group built cohesion based on the fact that everyone felt the same: overworked, carrying the burden of unrealistic expectations, as we trotted to unproductive meetings and then bitched about it. That's a good reflection. I have to say though, I still love to get gossip from Jamie about the goings on. We both laugh at the shear madness of budget cuts, staff issues (usually demotions there), and the hoops one has to jump through. That company, my friend, is one sinking ship.
Today was ok too. I had dialysis at 6am and while I was hoping to get some sleep there- that was not the case. I am trying to get my sleep cycle back to normal ( I will be trying April and Rebecca's tips) so I avoided an afternoon nap, although the rainy day made for the perfect nap scenario. Instead, I finished a project I was working on for months. Its a gift for Mandy and I put a lot of effort in to getting it just right for her. My mom was nice enough to visit and deliver a freshly dry cleaned dress.
Scooter Pie, Carrie's toy poodle, ate my ATM card. The bastard( shameful Puppa pictured above) got up on the couch, fished it out of my purse and proceeded to chew it up. It'll be 7 days before I get a new card. I think he must miss Carrie because although, he likes to chew and does bark at night- he was howling ALL NIGHT. At least there were no cat mishaps today.
Until tomorrow...