Tuesday. I had spent all morning at a morning at a training session about equal employment opportunities and bullying. It was a very informative session, however they naturally put your workload on hold and it can feel a bit like the to do pile keeps rising to the size of a skyscraper. With my supervisor on three weeks leave and me being in the role in my second month only, I was learning at an accelerated speed.
When I came back to my desk my “neighbour” told me that the director had requested I come and see him when I get back to my desk. I had organised to meet my friend for lunch and considered whether it might be a better option to see him when I return from my break. In my hope that it wouldn’t take long he gave me an urgent task required for a meeting in the afternoon. The task ended up stretching out with changing requirements and as it got so late I never ended up seeing my friend that day.
My active mind likes to reflect so I thought about what I could have done differently. I am not sure why it never crossed my mind to honestly mentioned my lunch date and ask whether I could tackle the task after my break. I very likely also would have done a much better job. I suppose it comes down to having your priorities straight and knowing the things that matter to you most. It is so important to have boundaries, know them and communicate them in an assertive way. I certainly stuffed up that day and can’t possibly put into words how bad I felt. They key is to find the lesson and find a way to do better next time that lines up with your values.
Nicole Reichert 