01 November 2008

On the downslide

The funny thing about when stress levels rise because of increase tension due to extremely important events that top level officials want to go well...they eventually come down.

This week has been one thing after another for me. My stress level has been high, but on the good side of it the intensity of things has kept me upright. I haven't fallen over from the chaos. So I've got that going for me, which is nice.

Today things started to slide downward. My briefings this morning went well, though with a few glitches and then longwinded presenters kept me from allowing my attendees the 10 minute break I wanted to give them. I really need to revamp that schedule. The funny thing is every time I revamp it someone different decides to talk and talk which screws everything up.

But slowly I could the tension in my shoulders ebb away. It's a good thing too because when hyper-tense lady in the building notices that I've had a stressful week (meaning I've been showing my tenseness on my face) and asks if I'm taking any time off this week, yeah...it's time for things to get cleaned up.

Today was insane - Our morning meeting, another one that now is added each month (I need to talk to Boss1 about this one), my 3-hour briefing (hahaha!), a 45 minute break during which I had a dozen people in my office who had been looking for me all morning so I missed lunch (other than the quick thing I bought at the snack bar - yuck), then another meeting, followed by another 20 mintues where people were asking me things, then another hour long meeting, followed by another 30 minutes where Boss1 actually relied on me for somethings.

This last part was pretty distinctive to me. I came back from my last meeting and Boss1 came into my office. "Do you have anything pressing right now?" Duh...for you sir, I wipe my slate clean...but I said, "No, sir, for the next 45 minutes I can do whatever you need." We had a ceremony in 45 minutes that both he and i needed to be at.

He had to run home to get his suit and asked me to get some info on the guy we were honoring at the ceremony - some tidbits, time he's been in that position, etc. "You bet, sir. I'll get that for you."

He takes off, 2 people hound me for some info and I get on the phone. I get what I need, type up the info and print off the program when my phone rings. "Hello, sir." I say. I can hear him smile as he says, "Hello, ma'am." hahaha "I have the info you requested." I hear him hesitate so I say quickly, "I'm printing it right now and I'll bring it to the ceremony."

"Perfect," Boss1 says, "but I have another problem. I can't find my tie, which I think is in my locker." I immediately start thinking I'll get Jim to go in and get it when he says, "But I have a fix. Jim has a clip on in his office closet...can you bring that over too?" "You bet sir. I'll be there."

So I grab my paperwork, the clip on - shaking my head that grown men are wearing clip on ties, but whatever, and head to the ceremony location.

I have never felt more like an assistant until that moment. He walked in with his suit in hand (he still needed to change) and I handed him his tie as people were giving him grief for not being dressed yet. I'm hanging out and Man-I-Admire comes up and starts asking me how the program is going to go and are is there going to be a procession of the important folks and blah blah blah. I said I wasn't in charge, I was just waiting to give Boss1 the sheet of notes when he laughs and says, "But you're always in charge of things."

Okay, so that didn't make me feel like an assistant but it did make me feel good - and yet at the same time a little off. But that's another story.

Anyway, Boss1 comes out, all dressed and ready and I could see him seeking me out in the crowd so I head over. I hand him the notes and quickly go over them with him.

And at that moment...I really felt like I was doing an assistant's job to a Boss1. I felt needed, utilized, and important to what Boss1's need was at the time. I felt respected because I got him what he needed and was able to deliver.

It was really amazing. I don't know why that moment was a trigger in my head, but when I sat down during the ceremony, it hit me just how that moment affected me.

It's not that Boss1 doesn't appreciate me. I know he does, but he also keeps his own schedule so I feel really out of the loop when people call me requesting time with him because I have to put them on hold and double check what he's actually doing a certain day so I can call them back. Not that this is bad. We've been doing it this way almost 2 years, but at the same time, it's like I'm not really there when I don't even know what he's doing.

But today, at those moments, I really felt like he ... needed me isn't the word I want to use, but that's all I can think of at this moment. Pretty amazing.

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