Work is strange. It always has been. This is a peculiar place to work in a great sort of way. At a field district, it's pleasantly casual in terms of dress and speech, but ultimately very serious in terms of getting the job done that needs to be done. People tell a lot of jokes, have a good time, but we all know what we need to do and will work as long as necessary to get it done.
I should never pretend that I have a lot of work to do. Well, I do, but its spread out. Work is tied to when clients want our work. So hours and phone calls are erratic. It's not like I'm still in the field, but I'm still responsible for what happens in the field. So I sleep in my own bed nearly every night (no more pick-ups for me) but the phone has a tendency to ring. Sometimes the questions are good, sometimes not so good.
That is one of the things I have been trying to push. It's something I've discussed at our last two meetings. I like to think I make myself accessible to those around me and can help them with their questions and problems. However, don't come to me with a problem you haven't tried to solve. Come to me with a solution. Or at least show a demonstrable effort that you tried to solve the problem. The joys, the frustrations of people.
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Here are some management practices you can steal. (I guess it is hard to steal something that I learned from someone before me.) At any rate, adopt these as you wish --
1) Ask everyone to always come to you with a recommendation. If they fail to do so, ask for one -- every time. Your diligence is important.
2) Everyone knows I am a good resource, so I apply the "30-Second Rule". If you are pretty sure after 30 seconds of hard thinking that you have never encountered this issue before, ask.
3) If you are pretty sure you have heard of this issue before and have forgotten the answer, apply the "2-Minute Rule", then ask.
These two rules have just enough of a funny name that they get people to thinking, which is the point.
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