New Year, Same Problems… but things are still looking up

One would think that with the holidays being over, yearly trends would repeat themselves – namely, high rates of employee absenteeism would come to an end.

… oh, no. No, no.

What I’m seeing

Last time I worked, depending on the unit, time and professional denomination, there were up to (and sometimes even more than) fifty percent of staff working who were from outside, 3rd-party staffing agencies. While fully qualified and bondable, these staff are not employees of the organization itself – by definition, they work where they are posted, and in whichever organization they are instructed.

Just give us warm bodies

Don’t get me wrong; having a two-feet-and-a-heart-beat beats having nobody – but sometimes not by much. This is no slight against those non-employees, either; genuinely, the vast majority are hard-working, agreeable and well-intended, displaying ample discretionary efforts. But if you aren’t familiar with how an organization runs, where things are, how things work and the individual characters and preferences of the very residents themselves, you’re working with one hand tied behind your back. Naturally, they have questions which fall to the employees working – slowing them down; anyone who has had to provide orientation to any new staff will understand that, in this case, 1+1 does not equal 2.

Persistence prevails when all else fails

On the bright side, I’m glad to report that time and persistence are paying off. I have been approached to feature on a podcast and to provide a lecture at one of my alma maters (in front of 200-300 people, no less! Gulp.). Moreover, I’m booking more at local Indigo locations as well as exploring how to adapt The Wrinkly Ranch onto the screen. More on that to come.

So, there you have it. A new year… kind of the same as the old year. Nevertheless, I remain cautiously optimistic and am renewing my efforts in order to set myself up for success. I hope you’re all doing the same.

Best wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous 2023.

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