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For Good: Part 3

Sunday, February 24th, 2008

Today, I will wrap up the recounting of this story and theme.

1) Because God has blessed me with the ability to move on from situations in life that are detrimental to growth, health and productivity.

2) Because there are lots of other things I want to share with you via these blog submissions in the future.

Now, I know I really didn’t elaborate well enough during the last two submissions to scratch the surface on how negative and unwholesome this working situation really and ultimately was to me.

And you know what? I really don’t think I need to.

Simply know that I chose not to accept the permanent employment offer that I closed with in Part 2.

For some reason this incensed the managerialship (good ol’ “D.R.” and “C.H.”).

They in turn began dispensing a noticeable yet subtle amount of mistreatment and misuse my way (similar to that received by their permanent staff members who still suffer the same today), and yet, I successfully managed the program to the point of substantially exceeding the fundraising goal established.

The upper echelon of the organization was elated, received and accepted accolades and awards and smiled a lot.

The day I started this series, “C.H.” told me, “Your part here is over. You may return to your activity on Monday.”

“D.R.” sweetly told me to have a nice weekend as if I would be back in her area of authority that following Monday.

All in all, as the title says, this was essentially “For Good.”

It was good that I got to work with many wonderful people as we raised money to help others.

It was good that I was able to get involved with numerous charities and participate in the great work many charitable organzations do.

It was good that I had the opportunity to experience what it was like managing a program of such magnitude and importance.

It was good that I was given the privilege to see the “big picture” regarding what a long-term, senior/subordinate working relationship with less than honorable individuals in leadership positions would be like.

And it was very good that I had a choice in the matter of accepting or declining the offer of working for such idenified individuals on a permanent basis.

Yes, accepting the offer would have meant an employment promotion, and consequently, earning more money than I’m currently earning. But the “big picture” revealed to me the misery and mistreatment that would’ve been part of the package. Neither of which would have been necessary, needed or worth the monetary or status increase.

The all-time, best-selling, non-fiction Book (authored by the Author of creation and existence, Himself), holds a brief yet powerful note of encouraging truth and wisdom in direct relation to this story. Like all of the encouragement, truth and wisdom I find in that book, I take it personally for my benefit.

This particular passage tells me that I’ve got to know assuredly that all things, i.e situations, experiences and circumstances — be they good or bad, positive or negative; work in concert for my “good” because of my love for God and because He has specifically assigned me a purpose for Him (Romans 8:28 - personal paraphrase, mine).

So to make a long story short (that probably truly was long)…all of that 9-month experience was “For Good.”

Please be sure to read the impressive, insightful and inimitable writings of my mentor, J.D. Pendry.

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For Good: Part 2

Saturday, February 16th, 2008

Okay.

Allow me to endeavor to continue my relating of the temporary (almost 9 months) assignment I began sharing with you during my last submission. It is my hope that I’ll be able to transition from that submission and segway into the one you’re now reading as seemlessly and smoothly as a suspense novelist would flow from one chapter to another even though this story is not fictional by any stretch of the imagination.

(Take a breath, take a breath, take a breath)

I normally don’t talk like this, but when I do, it’s a lot of fun and having fun can often be for good.

Anyway, the ultimate goal and purpose of my assignment (as addressed previously) was to be responsible for raising a substantial amount of money for a nationally-known, charitable consortium.

“How substantial?” or “How much?” I believe you may be asking.

Close to $3 million dollars.

Some of you wonderful readers may have your eyes open very wide right about now and others may be yawning, but I can assure that for me, undergoing a root canal while simultaneously having a rectal examination was less painful and invasive as this significant money-raisning undertaking turned out to be.

(Okay, I admit the rectal exam is nowhere near a fair comparison, so strike that one…)

I had to oversee and work with roughly 50 related agencies (all subordinate, so-to-speak, to “D.R.”), their representatives, staff and personnel to accomplish this collectively and we had 12 weeks to make this happen…16 weeks with a pre-programmed time extension if it was considered necessary.

I eventually learned that in previous years, the time extension was always necessary and always implemented.

Now you must remember that my assignment and overall task was ultimately to benefit charity, and that is always (believably and hopefully) for good.

First, during the preparation stage prior to the initial 12-week window of operations which would begin in October, I had to find out the personnel strength and position occupancy of the almost 50 participating activities for use in determining how much these groups would be assigned and expected to contribute in order to achieve the collective goal. Fortunately, there was some historical giving information had been collected and maintained by a higher department which aided me greatly.

“D.R.” called this portion of my task a “data call.” She had an accountant-type background and appeared to see everything in relation to numerical figures.

I have an American Army Infantryman’s background. I tend to see most things like one who observes and surveys battlefields — I look for targets of opportunity and ways to defend people and their freedoms.

I began receiving the information I requested from the activities. However, most of it came in very slowly within the specified time necessary to move forward. Some of the almost 50 were very late, some challenged the request’s purpose and necessity, others stated they never got the request and some simply did not report at all.

“D.R.” began to show signs of impatience and impertinence during this undertaking. She began to speak to me in a manner that I viewed as condescending, overbearing and insensitive.

Then, she assigned her “XO,” “C.H.” to ensure that Paul would make things happen in this assigment in a more expeditious and efficient manner.

Now, bear in mind that by the time this charitable-based giving program officially began in October 2007, “D.R.” and “C.H.” were firmly entrenched in their new digs. Their power-bases had been established and their lives within the structure were good.

The permanent staff I introduced you to in the previous submission began to become accustomed to receiving weekly (and sometimes, daily) verbal doses of belittlement, degradation and incompetency implications from “C.H.,” especially during what she called her weekly “staff meetings.”

“What do I need you for if I have to do what you’re supposed to be doing?” she would berate them with. “You people better learn how to do your jobs if you want to stay here.”

“M.J.B.” appeared to be targeted specifically as an under-performer and would cry several times a week as a result of this treatment. “L.B.,” the consumate gentleman having and demonstrating an admirable quality of grace, would thank “C.H.” for her (”beat-down style”) rhetoric, and “T.R.” would quietly suffer it.

After all, remarks of this type were supposed to be for their good.

Shortly thereafter, these two delightful ladies asked me via a messgae relayed through “C.H.,” if I would like to work in my temporary capacity on a permanent basis.

For some strange reason, I wasn’t sure I wanted to…

TO BE CONTINUED

(I’ve always wanted to say that…)

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For Good: Part 1

Saturday, February 9th, 2008

I got out today!

“What’s he talking about?” you may be asking yourself.

“Out of what?” “Debt?” “A hospital?” “Prison?”

No, my much-appreciated reader — nothing quite that dramatic or intense.

What I got out of today was an unfavorable working situation. Not a job…a working situation.

Let me explain. In April of 2007, I was asked by a senior executive-level gentleman to serve as the program manager of a program within his purview that was expected to raise a significant amount of money annually for a nationally-known charitable consortium.

This gentleman believed in me, believed I would do a good job for him and intended favorable things to happen for me in the realm of advancement in the wonderful world of employment, before all was said and done.

In other words, he wanted the program and my conducting it to be a win-win for all and he meant this for my good.

Sooooooo, I was temporarily re-assigned from my position as a security specialist (see the “Security Plan” submission) to his staff the following month and began working the program.

This gentleman had a very capable, efficient and knowledgeable staff.

They welcomed me, we bonded quickly and they assisted and worked with me for our collective good.

Then (dum de dum dum), all of a sudden there was a re-organization within the higher echelons of this organization and the programs this gentleman had previously been responsible for, to include the staff that had served him, was given to a newly-promoted senior executive whom I shall identify (sort of) shortly.

The new senior executive that inherited the programs and staff swiftly set about establishing her agenda (which was her right) about doing things.

She began by replacing her inherited staff’s chief of staff with an individual of her choosing. She did this while that fellow was convalescing from a medical procedure… and didn’t bother to infom him of her actions.Of course, he found out when he returned to work and found out he no longer served in the capacity he’d served in prior to going to the hospital. (Has this story begun to sound weird to you or is it just me?)

Anyway, the ne