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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by fallsfall on March 28, 2004, at 8:23:29
I work at the local library. It is a very small library. One of my jobs (well, one of the tasks that I took upon myself to do) is inventory. We've had some University students come to volunteer for us recently. Initially they said they would send 30 at a time (for 3 hours on a Saturday afternoon). So I figured I could use them to do the inventory.
I figured out the process (I print lists of the books that should be on the shelf, someone goes to the shelf, makes sure the books are in the right order and checks them off on the list. There are special things to do in special circumstances. There was also a bit of work done to make the library ready (any new books that were being "processed" - going in the computer, getting due date slips, covers, etc. needed to be finished and shelved. handle books on display, etc).
Yesterday was the day. I wasn't sure how many students were coming (but it wasn't going to be 30 for sure, I heard 5...) I called some of the regular library volunteers and even a couple of the patrons asking if they could help. I had 7 students, 3 volunteers, my boss and myself.
I had taken a fairly hard section to see how long it would take. I did 9 minutes a page. Since that section was hard, I figured that on average I could assume that we could do 6 pages in an hour.
I had the library divided up into sections (Kids fiction, Kids nonfiction, adult fiction, adult nonfiction). Kids fiction was the biggest, but we should have been pretty much able to do it. So we started.
A couple of people had to leave a little early. They seemed to be pretty much understanding the work and it went reasonably smoothly. We fed them cookies and juice 2/3 of the way through. But when the end time came, noone was done with their section. They did about 10 pages in 3 hours.
Now I have about 10 packets that aren't finished. A total of 60 pages. We are closed today and tomorrow (we are never open Sunday and Monday). I need to get these sections done before we open at 10 on Tuesday.
I called my boss (who was one of the people who left early...) and told him I could call a bunch of people and probably cobble together a crew to finish over Sunday and Monday. He favored using only people who were really familiar with the library (me, him, he said I could call the other two paid employees and ask them to help, a couple of the members of the Friend's of the Library). He said that he will come in on Monday at 12. I have therapy at 11 on Monday. I said I would come in at 2, but that is really optimistic. I usually can't think after therapy.
Being "wrong" is a big problem for me. I blew this project big time. I am incredibly exhausted. My first inclination is to go there now and work 10 hours today. Then my boss and I could finish tomorrow. But this is how I've always fixed things. By doing more than I can do and by doing it myself so that it will be done right and I don't make other people suffer for my failures.
Boss wants to deal with it on Monday. I woke up this morning crying feeling like I should go there now and work until it is done. He doesn't want me to rally my friends, so that makes me feel like I have to do it myself.
There are a limited number of hours that I can work. According to the laws, I CANNOT volunteer any time. I work 10 hours a week. Last week I put in 3 1/2 extra hours for the inventory - I can push them into next week, so I can work 6 1/2 hours this week (I can do a couple extra, but the library doesn't have a big budget for overtime, and if I work too many hours I'll mess up my SSDI, plus I've already worked too many hours and this is why I'm in such a panic. I need a break, but I have to get this done.)
I want to call my therapist, we have been working on "right" and "wrong" and how I can't handle being "wrong". But it is Sunday morning at 9:00.
He has a beeper. He would call me back right away. I don't want to bother him, but this is exactly what we have been talking about.
What should I do?????
Posted by Raindancer on March 28, 2004, at 10:31:04
In reply to How do I get out of this mess?, posted by fallsfall on March 28, 2004, at 8:23:29
Hello Falls. I may be too late. Not sure what time it is there now as i am in UK. I would call your T - you have been working on this issue and he will want to help. Also no way go in for 10 hours, even if you could. I do so understand your feelings about being "wrong" but you have spoken to your boss and told him of the situation and he doesn't seem that fazed about it. Also you weren't "wrong" at all, just didn't have as much help as you expected and needed. These things happen.You could go in for just a few hours if it would make you feel better, but only if it helps you. I really admire you for taking responsibility but you can't always carry all the burden yourself. Take lots of deep breaths and try not to see it as a major disaster. Give yourself a break. No-one will think the less of you for this and you mustn't give yourself a hard time either. We think you're great and I bet everyone at your library thinks so too. I only wish I could be there with you and help with your inventory. Sorry I couldn't be much help, but I'm thinking of you. Please let me know how you are.
(((((Fallsfall))))) Raindancer
Posted by QuietHeart on March 28, 2004, at 11:05:55
In reply to Re: How do I get out of this mess? » fallsfall, posted by Raindancer on March 28, 2004, at 10:31:04
Falls, I think you should call (I may be late als). He has a beeper for a reason and this is the reason. So don't fee; shy or ashamed. This sounds like a serious issue for you. If I were there, I would come in and do the inventory with you! I am sorry I couldn't be of more help. Remember that things like this always have a way of working out...I am sure it will get completed and everything will be ok. You sound like a very dilligent and hardworking person...keep us posted!
Posted by octopusprime on March 28, 2004, at 11:52:50
In reply to How do I get out of this mess?, posted by fallsfall on March 28, 2004, at 8:23:29
fallsfall - why does the section have to be done by tuesday?
could you not just call your boss, tell him/her that you didn't have enough people, therefore the inventory won't be done on time?
i don't think you blew it. you just didn't have enough people. i think if you call the other library people (i saw 5 or 6 that could help), and tell them you didn't have enough people on saturday, they could help you get the job done.
see, the thing about being wrong is that you don't have to look for ways to be wrong. i would say that the inventory did not go well, or that it wasn't finished, but that doesn't mean fallsfall is wrong. see the difference?
Posted by DaisyM on March 28, 2004, at 13:17:03
In reply to Re: How do I get out of this mess?, posted by octopusprime on March 28, 2004, at 11:52:50
Sorry I'm late too...
You are not wrong. Things didn't go as planned but your planning was NOT wrong. Factors beyond your control are in play.
I think you should call your Therapist and tell him what you are feeling and the panic. He will be able to help you calm down. He won't be upset at all. It is why he has a pager.
And I agree the if your Boss isn't fazed, you shouldn't be. No one said you had to "save" the library inventory. He obviously doesn't think this is a huge crisis. Take a cue from him. No one is going to be harmed by this. They might be inconvienced.
I hope you are doing OK. I'll check in later when I get back.
(((FallsFall)))
Daisy
Posted by fallsfall on March 28, 2004, at 19:59:49
In reply to Re: How do I get out of this mess?, posted by DaisyM on March 28, 2004, at 13:17:03
After Dinah and Karen_Kay got me to stop panicking, I napped for 2 hours. Then I called the Children's Librarian and she said she could come in and help. I worked 4 hours, she was there for 2 - and we got about half of the backlog done! So I feel better. I couldn't quite see not doing anything today and being overwhelmed tomorrow. I also cleaned things up a little, so it isn't quite such a mess.
My boss will come in Monday at 12, and I'll show up when I can (2?). We should be able to finish without a problem, and I think the Children's librarian will come in a little, too.
The people I work with aren't mad at me. Everyone is telling me that I shouldn't feel badly, but I do because I did the time estimates and they were way way off. So I think that I should have done better and we could have avoided this whole thing.
(To answer some questions - if you start one section of the inventory, but don't finish it, when you do it later (next week, or in a month) you have to start it all over again. So if we didn't finish what we started on Saturday before we opened again (Tuesday), then it would be throwing away the work that we DID do. I'll have to remember to do things like this on Saturday afternoon again because we do have 2 whole days when we are closed, and so there is time to recover from disasters.)
This will certainly be a topic of discussion tomorrow in therapy. I will ask him if I should have called. I was really undecided about that. I think I *was* upset enough, and it *was* about the exact topic that we've been discussing the last two sessions. But it was Sunday morning, I don't have a feeling for what he does on the weekends. I guess I'll have to ask.
Thank goodness for Babble! I would have been in real trouble if I had no where to ask for help! (My real live support people are not too available right now, one is in the hospital, another is in Australia for 4 months).
Posted by gardenergirl on March 29, 2004, at 0:16:12
In reply to Re: Looking a little better, posted by fallsfall on March 28, 2004, at 19:59:49
You know, I seem to remember having the same problem once doing inventory in a retail store. I vastly underestimated the time it would take to create the map and lay all the sheets. Everyone was showing up ready to work and I was still preparing. It was not pretty.
I'm glad you feel better about it. I think the steps you took seem reasonable especially if it will help you feel better overnight and tomorrow.
Inventory is a pain in the ___.
gg
Posted by Dinah on March 29, 2004, at 19:32:06
In reply to Re: Looking a little better, posted by fallsfall on March 28, 2004, at 19:59:49
Happy it helped. :) Just returning one of many favors.
Posted by fallsfall on March 29, 2004, at 19:46:31
In reply to Re: Looking a little better, posted by gardenergirl on March 29, 2004, at 0:16:12
Well, at least the kids' fiction is done.
My boss called this morning at 10AM to ask if we really had to do it today, or if it could wait. I told him we had to do it today. He came in for a couple of hours, and the children's librarian came in for a couple of hours. And I put in 3 1/2 hours and was able to complete the stuff that had to be done today. Yeah! There is still a ton of paperwork, but at least we can open with reasonable assurance that we pretty much know what we have and what we don't have. That makes me feel better.
I'm exhausted. I've worked 21 hours in the last 5 days. Usually I work 10 hours in 7 days - and sometimes that feels like a lot.
I saw my therapist today (before I went to work - I took a nap in between). He stated the obvious - "your reaction is way out of proportion to the situation". He asked if I thought that I unconsciously sabatoged the project. I don't think so. I think that next time I'll ask him if he really thinks I did, or if that is a standard question so he can see how I react to it. I can't imagine that I would even unconsciously put the library and my fellow librarians through that just to prove that I'm incompetent.
I asked him if I should have called him on Sunday. He said that it seemed like I had friends who were very able and willing to help me, so he didn't see why he would need to get involved. It was one of those "if you can handle things with your support structure, then you don't need to bother your therapist", or rather, "it is Better to get support from the real world, than from your therpist." He didn't say that I *couldn't* have called him, just that it seemed that I found a way to deal with the issue. I do think that he went kind of easy on me today because he knew that I still had to go to work to finish up.
I see him again tomorrow. I'm hoping he'll have something more enlightening to say tomorrow. We really didn't talk about how to make this less likely to happen in the future.
So thankyou, my Babble friends. You are beginning to win him over!
Posted by octopusprime on March 29, 2004, at 23:03:59
In reply to Inventory is done!, posted by fallsfall on March 29, 2004, at 19:46:31
Posted by Raindancer on March 30, 2004, at 12:06:29
In reply to Inventory is done!, posted by fallsfall on March 29, 2004, at 19:46:31
You did really well handling a difficult situation and I am so glad that it has turned out well. Congratulate yourself and get as much rest as you can - and some chocolate too!! All the very best. R
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