A Year In
It’s getting better all the time — Lennon-McCartney
It’s been a year, now, since I was asked to come into my current position. It was an honor to be asked — it seemed to be way ahead of schedule for my career progression. I was told, and I had witnessed, that people usually spend at least a few years at the level I had been at, before they are moved into one of these positions. I had only been in that position for five months, and had had a rocky start under the new boss I’d had, there.
So, it wasn’t for any great accomplishment I had achieved in that position. They asked me to do this because they trusted me, and they needed someone who could look at the picture objectively, make some hard choices as necessary, and basically do what it took to turn this organization around. If they liked how I handled the challenge, they’d let me stay here. I’m still here, and a month ago, they told me I’d be staying.
A Year in, it’s still a work in progress. I’m just finishing my 7th trip to the office in Minneapolis, where close to 60% of my workforce operate from, in this past year. If I could have gotten out here every month, I would have, but that was just not doable. My predecessor hadn’t come out here at all for a couple of years, nor had her deputy.
This time, I brought my new deputy. It was his first time in Minneapolis, ever. It was a very revealing day we spent in the office, here, yesterday. We spoke to the management team as a group, then with two different groups of the employees in the office, without any supervisors in the room, just to hear how things are going for them.
My vision for this organization is to make it a top-notch customer service organization, and to make it a desired place to work, for the workers. Both are essential for the continued success of the office. When I got here a year ago, I heard horror stories from most of my colleagues in DC about the quality of the customer service (or lack thereof). I could see, then, how far we had to go in terms of making it a desired place to work. People were leaving on a regular basis, just to get out of the chaotic environment and to go somewhere that trained, and treated, them better.
I knew we weren’t all the way there yet. While I hear more success stories than horror stories now, from my colleagues in DC, they’re still cautiously optimistic, as am I. Things have just begun to show signs of improvement, and we’re in a slow period right now, while we await a new administration to take over at the Department level, but the progress is clearly there.
I know that not nearly as many people are leaving these days, and those that are, are leaving for the right reasons — either retirement or a promotion. Their exit interviews reflect that they liked working here.
However, after my meetings with all of the employees in the office, at every level, yesterday, I can clearly see that now is no time to rest on our laurels and pat ourselves on the back for a job well done. We’ve only just begun to make it better. We did good for the first year — made significant changes for the better, got rid of some dead wood that needed to go, infused the place with new energy, added resources to the battle, and witness a whole different attitude when I come out here.
But, it’s kind of like when an organization’s finances are so poorly managed, they’re not even auditable. It takes a huge lift to get such an organization to the point where they can even be auditable. Once they are auditable, which is a huge victory to get them to that point, the good news is, here come the auditors. The bad news is, here come the auditors. Now, you start to find out all the things that still need to be fixed.
In terms of the business and the people, all I’ve done this first year is make them auditable. I can look closer now, and see what all else still needs to be done. It’s a lot. It looks impossible. But, then, a year ago, the whole thing looked impossible. Yet, look how far we’ve come.
Luckily, I love challenges. And, I love difficult conversations. Yesterday’s were all difficult. Tomorrow’s, when I get back to DC, will be even more difficult.
I love my job!
