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NQR laugh for the day


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OK this is more a vent from my day job. We are planning a huge event, 250 - 300 people for the 27th of this month. To date I have nothing for the event. No registrations, no estimated costs, no purchase order to the company hosting the event, no list of wants/needs for the event. I know that it will start at 8 am end 8 pm, includes breakfast, lunch & dinner plus a poster showcase, 4 technical sessions and some high level attendees. My boss tells me I sound frustrated when I'm asking questions about the event. You think? I will be gone for MQX next week and the event is the week after. Can you imagine anybody "planning" an event like this waiting until the last minute for everything? I sure hope the magic event fairy shows up for them because I'm not bringing my fairy wand with me to the event! If I don't laugh about this I would cry.

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Maybe you could come down with a nasty "illness" for the next week after you get home, in hopes that your boss has his poor planning put back on HIM!? :)

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I take it you are keeping the records and not planning the event! So sit back enjoy MQX and when you start back home make sure that the car, train, plane or bus doesn't start and have another week of fun! One note when the vechile doesn't start, be sure you are right where you want to be. Plan well! LOL Other words, DON'T worry and have fun!

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You know girls I'm not really "worried" about it but annoyed. These guys notoriously give things to us at the last minute but NEVER have we been 3 weeks out and we have nothing. The one we had last year was exhausting and we had all kinds of "unexpected" things going on and I fixed them all. This year I will not do that. I will send them to the boss and the assistant boss. I will not expect my asssistant to work all kinds of over-time and I will not go to them anymore asking for info. When they finally come I will tell them we will complete what we can and they will have to do the rest. What annoys me the most is the condescending remarks by my boss in our staff meeting. Well they want no questions they will get no questions and they will also get no extra help. I'll do my job because I get paid to do it but I will not go the extra miles that will be required. My administrative assistant will not be expected to either.

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Ever think that you are just too darn dependable??? I think everyone relies on you because they know you will take care of everything all the time. I think when MQX gets over you should "accidently" get on the wrong plane and go to the Bahamas for the next week!!

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Originally posted by Shar Schmutz

Heidi, did they even send out the invitations? Sounds plenty crazy! best od luck!!!

LOL They were going to do it yesterday after our 2:30 meeting. They have been telling me for 2 months that they were going to send them out. Last week on Thursday we got a link to the test site around 2 in the afternoon and asked to go register and provide feedback and oh yeah they wanted to go live that day! Yup that is planning for you. Mind you that you had to register for one of the tecnical sessions there was no option for not attending, same for breakfast and lunch. So what exactly do they think forcing them to register for one or the other is going to give them? I say it is going to give them one BIG MESS!

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Originally posted by hmerrill

.....So what exactly do they think forcing them to register for one or the other is going to give them? I say it is going to give them one BIG MESS!

Heidi, just let it all pan out and happen the way it happens... even if things turn into a BIG MESS as you stated. Don't worry about it. Let it be what it is. I know you are amazing, but girl... You can't fix everything! :D

I guess what I am trying to say is sometimes bad things happen for good reasons. Let the bad things happen and next year your bosses will realize they need to plan and prepare in advance. Sometimes lessons are learned the hard way.

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Originally posted by quiltmonkey

Originally posted by hmerrill

.....So what exactly do they think forcing them to register for one or the other is going to give them? I say it is going to give them one BIG MESS!

I guess what I am trying to say is sometimes bad things happen for good reasons. Let the bad things happen and next year your bosses will realize they need to plan and prepare in advance. Sometimes lessons are learned the hard way.

LOL really hard because you would think that. There were plenty of things that we did wrong last year and they were what I thought last minute decisions. We're 3 weeks behind that schedule now and we ran our butts off trying to make it appear to all of our guests that we had our act together. When I say "we" I mean my admin. assistant and myself. I don't think they will ever learn but I can tell you that I will not run around like a crazy woman this year. When there is a problem I will call in the big boys to handle it. I'm just going to stand there and smile. These are a few of the questions I asked yesterday that got me in trouble in front of the whole staff and I was told that I was not being constructive and sounded frustrated:

Q: What is the cut off for registration? A - none

Q: Will we still have booths? A - Yes

Q: How many will fit in the space? A - Don't know yet

Q: How many posters will we have and how many fit? A- Not sure how many fit but we guess 45 - 50. No submissions have been received to date.

Q: How will we control the free codes (these will be sent out to different people they will pay either full price, half price or free)? A - Nobody. Furthermore it is encouraged for each person to also send out their own invitations but nobody will be tracking to whom or how many will be sent.

Q: Postor presenters are limited to 2 attendees. Who will control getting the presenters their codes? A - The faculty will take care of this and give out the free codes to whomever they feel should have them. It is the same free code for everybody!

Q: Well who will check to see they only allow 2 students? A - Nobody

That was when I got told off. I will not ask one more question. When they want something done that can't be done in our normal work day I will tell them they can take care of it. When we get to the event and there aren't tables for displays, easels for posters, name tags for non-registered guests I will sent them all to the big boys.

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Bravo. What you did in the questioning is expose their ineptitude so they had to attack you rather than own their inadequacies. I'm glad you vented and hopefully it will give you the support you need to NOT bail them out. Like Shana said - let the cards be dealt and fall as they may.

Enjoy MQX!

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Originally posted by Robin

Ever think that you are just too darn dependable??? I think everyone relies on you because they know you will take care of everything all the time. I think when MQX gets over you should "accidently" get on the wrong plane and go to the Bahamas for the next week!!

THIS IS THE BEST IDEA OF ALL!!!!!

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Heidi, I had a boss like this for 12 years. Another lady and I made sure every tiny item was covered and we made him look good. He never gave us any credit. In fact, he said we were creating problems for him. At one point he hired a new janitor and the janitor was just sitting around as the building got more and more dirty. He told us he had no idea as to what to say to the janitor! Susan and I made a detailed checklist from Monday-Friday for the janitor. Again, we made him look good! He gave us no credit and took all the good comments for himself. At some poing we said "well screw it" and we stopped. In 2004 he died of a self inflicted gunshot. I did not cry.

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Originally posted by delld

Originally posted by Robin

Ever think that you are just too darn dependable??? I think everyone relies on you because they know you will take care of everything all the time. I think when MQX gets over you should "accidently" get on the wrong plane and go to the Bahamas for the next week!!

THIS IS THE BEST IDEA OF ALL!!!!!

I concur!

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Guest Linda S

Heidi - I looked all over this morning, but couldn't find you. I swear you must work in the Economics department at the University of Oregon (my department). ACK! I feel your pain. You know, when you travel in a plane, train, or automobile, you get cooped up with other peoples' germs. I'm sure you're going to have a bad bout of the flu when you get back.

Linda

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