Employee Issues.

I am just tasked out today. That means that I just haven't stopped since I have gotten up this morning. One thing after another, and it seems not to stop. This makes the day go by faster but it is tiring.

Most of the time has been just dealing with Employee and employee issues. Starting at 0530 I had to meet with the Bus Drivers and give them their briefing. Review of Safety and also of any imporotant issues they should know about that are coming up. For instance today, we spoke of the Superbowl Party and Game that is upcoming. Here it will start at 0410 in the morning Monday. They are all invited so I will adjust the schedules accordingly. We are also haveiing a Safety Audit of the camp so we reviewed som of the basics with them. Anything that may be important to them, their lives and how they do their jobs we try to cover.

The at 0600 I meat with my Truck Drivers and at 0630 the Equipment Operators. These two groups got the same information as the Bus Drivers but for them some additions. They recieved group Verbal Counseling. No this is not a therapy session, it is an opportunbity for me to set expectations for them and have them signof that they understand the expecations. In this case it was wearing their Hard hats and safety vests on the job sites. The Couseling allows me to follow up with them in a formal manner if we catch them not complying.

Then I have a 0730 metting for the Operation and Maintenace (O&M)of the Camp followed by the meeting at 0800 to discuss Letter of Technical Direction (LOTD). This I am not to involved in but occasionally they need my departments support and I need to be prepared. So At around 0830 I should be able to sit down for a bit and get something done. Nope.

A few questions from some other Departments and then I am off to look at a critical mission of moving 100 Texas Walls (TWalls) that are 18 feet tall each and weigh 21, 000 pounds each. they are used for force protection and they are in a area that is now slated to become a Jet Way for the new flight line. Back to the office and now the fun starts, employee issue.

I have a man who I saw on three occasions this morning that apperently has trouble following tyhe instructions of his Supervisor. He again was off mission and doing something that he was not supposed to be doing. See he has a habit of descideing what is better for the Department on his own and therefore performing tasks that he thought he should do besides what he was told. He was not where he was supposed to be and I had to find him.

This is the stuff that for me is the biggest test of my patience. I will say up front that I remianed composed, and have on all the occasions in the past regarding this individual. I am experienced enough to know how to dot my I's and cross my T's with these types until they self destruct. I only then can produce all of the facts that are required to assist them in doing so. You see to me, I think I have said it before, I manage to expectations. I dont get personal, I dont need to. Employees are asked to perform a certain way, given the tools and information they need, asked if they need anything else and when they deviate from that then I can help them adjust. If this happens over and over again, I help them find something more suitable for themselves.

So after finding the individuals, a long discussion occurred regarding the expectations and why there was deviation from them. Each area of gray that I came across, I clear up with straight forward yes or no questions. If it gets greyer (if that is a word) my questions become more direct. The idea here is not to form an opinion only to gather the facts and when directions weren't followed the facts are hard to come by. So you see what may have filled fortry five minutes of my time. Teadious to say the least.

A brief stop to see Lt. Col. Manning and back to the office right back into another person looking for me. This issue not so hard but still taking a few minutes to work out and get a direction set for the individuals involved. Finaly I am sitting at my desk, it is now 11:45 and I am thinking, what should I write about. The days events are always my fall back.

But here is the thing that kept running through my mind. I wonder if God feels this way about us? Does He just shake His head and say I could be so much more productive for, well everything that I have created, if I didn't have to deal with all these little issues. Why can't these people just perform to the expectations I have set for them? I have spelled it all out, given them verbal counseling, I have given them written couseling. I have even given them discipline whe they just have gone too far and they still won't just do their jobs. I will give them everythintg they ask for, even more, anything they ask for if they just listened to me.

Do you think God says that? Do you think He wonders when people are going to get it and just do they are supposed to do, as Christians, as human beings?

Lord, Help me continue to have patience with these men. Help me be the Leader that you call me to be, a Servant in your name. Forgive me any tresspass and those who tresspass against me. None of us are perfect but we can place in our hearts the will to live to you expectations. We can do that by declaring Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and following Him as our example.
Amen.