Moving Along
Its Friday already and the end of my first full week back in Indonesia. Its been an interesting week of ups and downs at the office. When I returned to the office my folks had obviously done a lot of things right. However, as circumstances changed/evolved they had not adapted as well as I would have desired. Thus, they were sort of on the right track but falling behind. My key challenge was to get them back on track, meet the company expectations / deadlines, and continue to coach, counsel, mentor them to improve their performance.
One particular challenge is instilling in my folks the sense of ownership over EVERY number they produce, report, coordinate. While it is impossible to truly own every number and to know everything about it …. there should always be an overarching desire to “get it right”. Unfortunately, I found substantial errors in their work and the work that they were coordinating (getting data from others). It was only my continual challenging of the the numbers, reviewing the guidelines, seeking additional input that we ferreted out the errors and resolved the issues. The fact that I could so easily find so many errors is evidence that my team still has much to learn and cannot function without my guidance. Sadly, though, many of the issues aren’t so much a matter of “business knowledge” which comes over time and with experience but with “work habits” …. which sometimes come naturally, but more often are taught and practiced. When I took this assignment, I hadn’t anticipated spending so much time teaching work habits.
On a somewhat related topic, our Planning, Land and Commercial Supervisor has been out of the office for several weeks (I think I previously mentioned this) due to optional (timewise) surgery. The surgery was unexpected (at least for me and the company) and came at an awkward time. Initially, the individual was supposed to be out of the office for 2-3 days. It has now turned out to be 3 weeks. Reportedly, he may be back today …. but … that is unclear, and his absence could stretch into several more weeks. This is an interesting situation to say the least due to the uncertainty of his return.
*** I understand that Dolly and Danny are going to have an “open house” this Sunday and folks are going to be able to see and pray for Georgie. It is right in the middle of the day and supposedlygoing to last 1-2 hours. As much as I would like to go, that will be a challenge as it pretty much destroys my ability to get my “home work” done on the electronics, income taxes, etc.. Plus, I don’t usually have a driver on Sundays. Neverthelesss, I understand he is doing well although emotionally a bit sensitive with strangers. Decy says he now has two front (lower teeth). Georgie is not yet on true solids due to still having a sensitive digestive system. Please continue to pray for Georgie when you can. I will try to get a current picture of him and distribut it.
Also, need prayers for Decy’s business. It is progressing and she’s building a good clientele … however, she is not getting the growth she needs for a step change in operations / finances. Some of this has to do with the time of year (families paying school tuition, holidays, rainy season, etc). Also, there are a couple of new salons in the area which seem to be giving Decy’s a bit of competition. This is an interesting challenge for Decy …. and she is quickly sharpening her “competitive” skills.
Well, I better close this blog – I have much to do.
Ciao ciao. GBU.
