I’ve been working my ever so delightful arse off for the last week or so: but I’m not going to complain (much), it’s just my reason for not blogging. Actually, I have been blogging: let me explain.
Some time ago, I was put in charge of the business e-communications and marketing. This is a typical horticultural phenomenon. You think I grow plants? Oh dearie me no. I’m a good grower of plants, mind, but someone has to do marketing, HR, etc, so I’ve got supervisors who grow the plants and chase the labour around while I focus on what I know least about.
Occasionally we get in a consultant, and then I end up writing policy, Key Performance Area based job descriptions (Hate, hate, hate) and suchlike until the cows come home, and sometimes for some time after the cows have gone to sleep.
I’m the ace writer at work. Even my boss gets confused between ‘Kudus’ (large antelopes) and ‘Kudos’ (credit) – so I get all the writing jobs: magazine articles, letters to clients and e-marketing and my boss occasionally gives me large antelope (But no extra money - my overtime is 'voluntary') in return.
We market wholesale country wide, and some months ago our ‘sample van’ which is supposed to travel the country showing people our plants, got pinched. That was when I started up the blog. All we have to do is mail out the link and then the sales people follow up with calls.
My boss found out that getting pics taken, editing them, posting them and so on can take as much as six hours and forbade me to spend much time on it. Then the web stats came back, and the blog gets more hits than the website. Need I say more?
Last week was a humdinger: I had three articles to write, the blog to work on, the strategic plan (hate) and a whole bunch of KPA Job Descriptions (hate, hate, hate) that I’ve been putting off for yonks as well as all the things I was initially hired to do.
I’m sure my underlings like it. I’m far too busy to dream up jobs for them to do, and I’m so thankful to them for keeping their ends up (in horticulture, this is a literal statement – there’s a lot of bending work) that there’s going to be a Coke fest (the drink, not the powder) on Monday at my expense. Oh the extravagance of it!
Anyway, on Friday while I was working late yet again, the boss came to tell me that my colleague, who never puts in a minute more than she has to, deserves an increase for ‘all her effort’.
Oh well, I might get some antelope in the future - that has to be worth something!
Today's pic: work stuff.
MM the first thing that came to mind when I reached the end of the post is that, maybe, your 'colleague' is doing just a little more towards stroking the boss's ego [MM not sure if that if correct use of'?] Anway, it does seem that being so accomplished has its drawbacks for you.
ReplyDeleteI look foward to seeing you back here regularly. Always said I like your style.
I knew we would get a mystery novel started amongst the flowers! Who stole the van, huh? and was it a genetic manipulation of roses that they were really after? or maybe the boxes and boxes of bone marrow weren't really that at all? was the death of your favorite customer an accident, just one of those coinsidences in life? and about the new blog! Why did your boss choose now to preoccupy with an extra work load? Is all this happenstance? I think not!
ReplyDeletea coke fest? what an interesting way to celebrate holding up one's own end. happy guzzling of fizzy beverages!
ReplyDeleteHaha, isn't business the best?
ReplyDeleteWhat??? Maybe you should tell the boss to take that antelope and stuff it where the sun don't shine.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I can think of is that your work is consistently great and taken for granted--your colleague, on the other hand, is noticed when and if she lifts a finger.
Agh folks, folks, folks. Thankyou for saying all the nasty things about my colleague and my boss that I think, but don't express for fear of ranting! I feel MUCH better now.
ReplyDeleteStonepost: The plot thickens!
sherlin: It's the best after a day in the sun.
Paul: Yup! The 'new' guys are always more exciting.