Day 75

[schadenfreude]

Absolute Chaos

Lord, what a day!

1. At 8am, my entire team receives an invitation to a conference call beginning in fifteen minutes. On the call, our supervisor announces that she has accepted a position in the Emergency Department on the main campus, working with the physicians and other providers, to help them learn professional billing. Her last day is Friday, 03/24.
   
2. Immediately after the call, I receive multiple instant messages and emails urging me to apply for the soon to be vacant supervisor position, once it is posted. I'm flattered beyond measure but I do not want the job.
   
3. At 10am, my entire team receives an invitation to a conference call beginning in fifteen minutes. On the call, our manager announces that the supervisor position will not be posted. In an effort to conserve costs, and practice good stewardship, Human Resources suggested that a supervisor from another team transition to our department. Her current team's workload was significantly decreased, and some of the coworkers were moved to different positions, making her redundant. She'll start next week, working with our current supervisor, to learn the workflow and her new duties.
   
4. Immediately after the call, I receive multiple instant messages and emails asking if I know this new person, is she nice, will she work well with our team, is she going to fire people, am I upset, am I going to leave, etc.
   
5. The teammates who actually work in my office were stressed to the max. One lady couldn't stop talking. She wasn't even talking to us, or anyone else, for that matter. Instead, she was reading aloud what was on her computer monitor, then talking herself through the steps needed to complete the task she was working on.
   
6. The woman who sits across the aisle from me... sigh I watched her put four sticks of gum in her mouth at once, chew them down to "gum stage" with her mouth open, slurping, and smacking. Once that was complete, she proceeded to blow bubbles, pop them, then suck the gum back into her mouth.
   
7. The woman who sits in front of me had a small, hard plastic box clutched in her hand, and she'd open and shut the lid, almost in sync with the lady chewing gum.
   
8. The ladies I break with, my office buddies, were so overwhelmed that they immediately requested tomorrow and next week off as vacation time. I will be there all alone to deal with the new supervisor and the team's anxiety, with no safety valve. I may explode into space!

If you think about it, send me some relaxed and groovy vibes...