Friday - Bogged Down by Detail

It was Kate's last day in the team. She was clearing her desk ready for the move across to Yez when I noticed the post-it note on her monitor which she'd scrawled the word - 'Bum!'

'It's just so I don't forget my diet,' she explained. 'The vending machine is far too close,'

Gareth arrived in the pod. 'Alright, Butt,' he said to Dan.

'Alright but what?' was Dan's response.

'No not alright but - Alright, Butt.' Gareth explained slowly.

'Yes. But Alright but what?'

'Alright, Butt. Not but. Butt' He said in a thick Welsh valleys accent that draped his vowels over his tongue like a German's beach towel on a sun lounger.

'But what? What follows but?' exclaimed Dan in frustration.

It went on like that for the rest of the day. I think it might be a Welsh thing. Maybe I'll ask Gareth about it when I'm not so sober and he is. If anyone wants to email to explain then please do so and put me out of my misery.

Every day I plan my to do list, recording the number of Quality Checks I'll carry out, factor in some time for queries, and that is pretty much my day covered. Today as always, the total number of QC's performed by the end of play was nil.

The first distraction, AS wanted some information on a complaint that had been escalated to her.

Then midway through collating that Gary called another of his favoured impromptu meetings to discuss call figures.

AS then asked for input on sickness records, even though I hadn't finished the first piece of work that she'd added to my 'to do list' and I found myself wasting another hour in a meeting instead of doing my day job.

When I'd got out Jez had emailed me to ask that I clear Kate's backlogs prior to her move into his team.

I was so proud of myself. Using my finely tuned time management skills, I responded to Jez and managed his expectations by explaining that I did not have the time available to do that right now as I had work to complete for Anne. All I got in reply was a curt email back explaining why I had to do this and why I should drop everything else in order to complete it. Everyone within the three levels above me was copied in.

To top it off, at the end of the day AS escaped from her cave.

'Can you tell me how many QC's you've carried out today?' She blurted out across the room before she'd even got to my desk.

I feebly tried to explain to her how the other work that she'd offloaded on me had had a negative impact upon my core duty efficiency.

'Don't give me excuses. How many have you done,' She said bluntly.

I told her.

She looked displeased. 'You know what you need,' She said. 'I'm going to arrange a time management course for you,'