Comments on: Editor’s Message http://swo-btlines.com/editors-message/ Chapter Newsletter for STC-SWO Sun, 04 May 2008 22:58:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: editor http://swo-btlines.com/editors-message/comment-page-1/#comment-828 editor Sun, 04 May 2008 22:58:00 +0000 http://swo-btlines.com/editors-message/#comment-828 <p>Like Mindy, I was recently informed by a client that my long-term contract was ending in June. I received more notice than Mindy did, but it's still a shock to the system. My story, however, is not about my reaction in the face of stress, but about a comment made by one of my co-workers during a global teleconference last week.</p> <p>The meeting had been long (as usual), but an unusual number of questions and requests had come my way--more than the typical perfunctory 'any problems with the docs?' query). Judy, How will we communicate this change? Judy, do we need to update this procedure? Judy, what are the regulatory requirements for documenting these installation steps?</p> <p>As I was fielding the questions, a Regional Manager IM'd me with this comment: "Judy, I just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate what you do. Thanks for helping us out in so many ways." Made my day. But, of course, I'm still facing the end of a long-term contract. Wonder if I can pay my high-speed Internet bill with appreciation-based currency? Nah. Probably not :-)</p> Like Mindy, I was recently informed by a client that my long-term contract was ending in June. I received more notice than Mindy did, but it’s still a shock to the system. My story, however, is not about my reaction in the face of stress, but about a comment made by one of my co-workers during a global teleconference last week.

The meeting had been long (as usual), but an unusual number of questions and requests had come my way–more than the typical perfunctory ‘any problems with the docs?’ query). Judy, How will we communicate this change? Judy, do we need to update this procedure? Judy, what are the regulatory requirements for documenting these installation steps?

As I was fielding the questions, a Regional Manager IM’d me with this comment: "Judy, I just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate what you do. Thanks for helping us out in so many ways." Made my day. But, of course, I’m still facing the end of a long-term contract. Wonder if I can pay my high-speed Internet bill with appreciation-based currency? Nah. Probably not :-)

]]> By: Mindy http://swo-btlines.com/editors-message/comment-page-1/#comment-826 Mindy Sun, 04 May 2008 03:49:47 +0000 http://swo-btlines.com/editors-message/#comment-826 I recently improved the life of my client by remaining professional in the face of stress. Recently, I was laid off from my mortage company client, just like so many others in the months before me, since that industry is struggling right now. My boss, in from Dallas just to give me my walking papers, told me they'd terminated my contract, and instead of getting the standard two weeks, they now no longer had that luxury, so I had about as long as it would take to pack my boxes. So I took a couple slow, deep breaths, consciously pulled my shoulders down out of my ears, and started typing up a detailed list of where all my files were, complete with hyperlinks to network directories, as well as the status for each of the projects I'd been working on. It wasn't an easy situation for either of us, nor for my co-workers who watched with worried faces, but I think the document I left behind helped to make the situation easier for everyone; it gave me something to focus on beyond the end of a 2.5 year era in my life, and it gave them direction and a fast ticket to be able to step in and take over where I left off. I recently improved the life of my client by remaining professional in the face of stress. Recently, I was laid off from my mortage company client, just like so many others in the months before me, since that industry is struggling right now. My boss, in from Dallas just to give me my walking papers, told me they’d terminated my contract, and instead of getting the standard two weeks, they now no longer had that luxury, so I had about as long as it would take to pack my boxes. So I took a couple slow, deep breaths, consciously pulled my shoulders down out of my ears, and started typing up a detailed list of where all my files were, complete with hyperlinks to network directories, as well as the status for each of the projects I’d been working on. It wasn’t an easy situation for either of us, nor for my co-workers who watched with worried faces, but I think the document I left behind helped to make the situation easier for everyone; it gave me something to focus on beyond the end of a 2.5 year era in my life, and it gave them direction and a fast ticket to be able to step in and take over where I left off.

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