Today, was looking like a pretty bad day. Recently at work, I was faced with the situation where my boss and further up the ladder, saw only the numbers of children and dollar signs at the site, and saw no further into the situation of what it might actually be...
in short, i was told earlier this week that I had to get rid of a person, on my four person two room 65 children childcare center...
.......this... was horrifying... and I started researching to do everything I could to get more kids signed up and so on.
A new woman, Susan, introduced herself to me today at the branch. Not knowing susan, but knowing that she was another supervisor, immediately put me on edge, feeling as if this was yet another person here to tell me, that I have to lose one of my precious and wonderful teammates. To my suprise, she listened and tried to console me... I, was telling her how I want to try to get numbers up, so no one has to go, her, convinced of what the other supervisies hath said, was convinced that John going to anderson was more importante. Feeling like I had no choice but to accept the "compromise" that I originally saw as a step in an "ok" direction, this meeting with her flew over my head as pointless. I couldn't have been more wrong.
You see, my supervisor, was originally going to let me CHOOSE someone to go to anderson. basically, choose someones job to ruin. Though I appreciated the time given to discuss this with my team, I was desperately searching for a solution. Lined up with my ammo of information supporting my case, I called my sup today. After spilling my guts more than twice, and quite shaky... it's hard to really lay down how you dislike something, to someone, who
could make sure the next check is your last. anyway... she then told me that it was her job to now choose for me. I continued pleading with her, informing her of all the inevitable problems we were about to face, and that I wanted another week to show that we could get enough kids, and that her solution was no solution at all. She "compromised".. saying John would be sent to Anderson, starting monday, and when my numbers go up... he could come back. A promise that was quite reminiscent of a similar situation last year, at this time, when we lost a staff member in a similar manner... but permanently. It was like chopping off a leg of a patient, drugging them up and telling them the leg was still there, eventually everyone would know it was gone. I was very nervous, but felt trapped. that this so called solution, was better than the alternative, which would have been losing john with little to no chance of his return.
Back to Susan! The blessed susan that hath come to save the current state of the organization from continuing down it's wretched path. She promised me that she would be visiting my site soon, that i was the last on the list of visits. See, she's new, and wanted to see all the sites she is now partially controlling. Susan arrived just after snack, and to my suprise, took the time to speak to each member of our team, on the same level. Many times, we experience the feeling of interogation, or being quizzed for errors... so that we can be corrected. Susan was none of these things. She had an aura of immediate comfort, and everyone seemed to feel comfortable telling her how they actually felt. Most importantly, John had this opportunity. Rather than a faceless decision from someone above me to someone right next to me, with me as the middle man, Susan got to talk to john face to face. His words, not mine. My approach up to this point had really been with the numbers, the money, and the importance of the staff team. Though number aren't usually my concern, i felt if I was going to fight this... that numbers would be the only thing that would sway them my way.
But I didn't know Susan. Susan talked to Kerry for a little bit, then Kristen for a while, then me about the situation and others we are facing, and then John. John and her talked for an hour at least. They really seemed to make progress... and just when I thought Susan was laying down the law.. John comes in to tell me that she left, and they had a really good talk. He told her everything, and she said she would see what she can do. Initially, we all feared that this was a delay tactic that would lead to the phone call delegating John to be removed from Lietz.
The phone rang, it was Susan. She told me that she was really glad to be able to come out to the center today. She loved the place, and she loved us. She said we are an amazing team, very strong. She said the place is very nice, and she loves what we are doing for this community. She then said she spoke to michelle, and they agreed that it is more important to keep John at Lietz, and to make sacrifices in other areas. My heart sank, I felt so relieved! She said we are going to have to cut back on hours where we can, go home early when there is not a lot of kids, until our numbers go up. She said maybe sub at other centers when they need it. These small sacrifices are far better than the sacrifice of one whole person. working with only 3 of us would have been terrible! No room for flexibility... no stability. ....
I was (am) so happy that Susan came to work here, and that she really took the time to see it from our point of view. I really appreciate that. and I really appreciate the people I work with, the thought of losing anyone was...unthinkable. I was really worried, everything is so perfect in this group, and the place functions so smoothly. Like a well oiled machine of some sort. To lose John especially, he's been there almost as long as Kerry and I, and is the spine of the Big Kids portable. He means a lot to them, and they to he. Kristen, who's newer, is fast growing into their hearts, and there was threat of losing her as well. They both work in BKP, and make a very good team.
all in all, was started out a bad day..... turned out to be pretty bad ass... :)
