Small Things

1. I leave for a CCR conference in London, Ontario tomorrow. It is a small thing, but an irritating one, that it is cheaper to fly (direct mind you) from Calgary to London, UK, than to London, ON. On the return, I was barely able to dodge I kid you not 4 flight changes to get back.

2. I had a kind of nasty day today. I love my staff, I am so lucky to have such superb people working with me, but once in a while I have to intervene and do things, small things, that piss them off. Boy did a few of them get pissed off today, it's a good thing I'm going out of town so that they can calm down a little before they give me shit on Monday. If any of you are reading this, lay it on me Monday morning, go ahead. Incidentally, going over the Christmas bonus list, I note that I have exactly 50 staff. And that I am short four just for the basic TOE, and really need to over-staff right about now. Help!

3. I get to spend all morning tomorrow doing job interviews, just before I fly out. Of all the management tasks I hate the most, it is hiring people. It is tiring and time consuming and with a very low effort to effect ratio, a small thing. Basically, I get a great whack of my time spent talking to people I won't hire, and having guessing games about the one I will, when I know, know I tell you, that really I don't have a freaking clue about how they will work out in the long run. It is such a crapshoot, requiring a major investment of time, when if you bet wrong, it can be so very painful, and you have so little information to bet on. Firing people pales in comparison-- like most, I always dreaded that part of managerial responsibility before I had it, but in the event, it has proven suprisingly easy.

4. I am beginning to worry a little about Christmas. I do a lot of public speaking, but every mid December, I have to give a biggie, because they give me a ton of toys, and I am beginning to worry about it a little. Well, its a small thing, even if I screw up they will give me toys. But I am fretting because I don't have a freaking clue as to what to say that I haven't said two or three times before.