Promotions, insanity and hiding from my wife on Christmas Eve

Define insanity

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result each time - Albert Einstein

This quote sums up many aspects of my life, including my career despite how far my career has taken me over the years.

I often wonder if I am in some manner mentally damaged or perhaps just lazy. I’ll often make a mistake, and then go about doing the same thing again, leading to the same mistake all over again.

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I’m fully aware that if I do the thing slightly differently, or if I use a different tool for the job, that the outcome is more likely to go in my favour, and yet I choose the wrong way, or the lazy way to do the thing. So of course the outcome isn’t what I wanted.

But you’re responsible for managing people again... pull your shit together

Absolutely mystery voice, with this promotion I am now responsible for managing a team once again. And a budget. And an entire region of this fine country.

I can’t afford to be lazy, or repeat the same mistake over and over again. There are serious consequences for failure in my line of work.

And I have some big decisions to make in my first month in the role. I need to be prepared when I return to work in the new year. I have to know exactly what I intend to do in my first month.

And how will you prepare?

Well the first thing to do is write a panicked post on Steemit to explain why I am feeling stressed and panicked about the first couple of months in my new role. And also to hopefully convince myself that I am not a damaged human who repeats the same mistakes over and over again.

Unfortunately I greatly doubt that I can convince myself that I am not damaged so, in light of this, I can at least come up with a plan to prepare for my return to work.

A plan, you say.

Yes, a plan. If there is one thing that I am good at it is developing strategy and considering all possible outcomes.

I’ll pull together a spreadsheet listing all of the tasks that MUST be completed over the next 24 months, with an estimated due date against each task and the role within my team that is responsible for completing each task.

This spreadsheet will serve multiple purposes:

• It will clearly define the departments workload over the coming 24 months
• It will allow me to delegate work well ahead of each project’s due date
• It will provide me a document that can assist in informing hiring decisions, especially given that my first job in the new year is to recruit for my old role
• It will provide a document that can be provided to the leadership team should I need to justify the number of personnel employed in my department or should I need to demonstrate that my department is fully utilised.

So you’ll create a spreadsheet and all your problems will be solved?

Well no, annoying mystery voice. But the spreadsheet will make it very clear what needs to be done over the coming months and will make it easier for me to plan, prepare and delegate.

It’s a starting point. And beyond that is more detailed project planning and execution.

What I need to do right now is make sure I have everything that needs to be done clear in my mind and confidence in my ability to make it all happen.

Putting things into a list/spreadsheet will greatly help me clarify my workload and understand how everything needs to play out.

Now shut up, mystery voice. I need to make this damned spreadsheet on Christmas Eve without my wife noticing that I am working on my day off.

Fine, have a great Christmas then, damaged human.