Can I just say, and I'm just being honest...

[Little lunch]

I used to hate tomatos when I was a kid.  My stance on them has softened considerably over the years.  A juicy tomato slice on a burger with all the fixings is just delightful.

As  long as one of those fixings is beetroot. :-)

[Kernel Sohcahtoa]

During my time in graduate school, one of my professors made the following remark during a class lecture (the course was called "great writings in history"; it can accurately be described as a philosophy of history course): "it is better to be a first rate mechanic than a fifth rate geometry professor."

Reflecting upon my time as a supervisor in my organization, I've realized that I've not dedicated enough time to developing my leadership ability and job effectiveness (both at work and outside of work).  To elaborate, most of my spare time outside of work is spent self-studying mathematics; I will bring in a math book to work and will do some reading during my breaks.  However, I could be using my off-time more constructively by reading more job-related literature and brainstorming ways to make my department/store better; I could utilize my break times as an opportunity to analyze financial reports and to learn from people, who are far more knowledgeable than I am, via asking them questions about store operations, higher management, leadership advice, and an evaluation of my performance and tips for improvement.

Having said this, my ability as a mathematics student is fifth rate, and IMO, the amount of time that I've used on math studies could have been better spent on areas that I have more aptitude for,  such as conflict resolution and leadership. Hence, IMO, it seems more constructive/sensible to devote more of my time to developing my skills as a leader/manager, and perhaps, given enough time,  I may become a first-rate leader (ever since high school, this is a goal that I've wanted to achieve).

[The Valkyrie]

I just saw my personalised plate for my car, "Lucif4"

Woot!

[Kernel Sohcahtoa]

CIJS,

In my manager meetings, I've heard a recurring theme: our store needs to acquire more talented sales associates while pushing those sales associates who are not so talented out of the door (revolving door mentality); acquiring more talented sales associates will result in the company meeting its metrics and the store running more efficiently.  However, I can't help but ask the following question: has the store leadership (management) applied this same type of thinking to themselves? Do the leaders who run our store possess the talent and efficiency that they demand from the sales associates working underneath them? Rather than blame the associates, have our store leaders considered that their actions may also have contributed to the store not making its goals?

Since taking on my role as a supervisor in our store, I can say with all honesty that I've made many mistakes and have had my fair share of leadership/command failures, which have probably contributed to the store missing its goals.  That said, if I'm the sole problem leader, then perhaps I need to go out the door, or at the very least, step down. However, if, as a management team, we are all contributing to the store not making its goals, then why not own that and let the sales associates know that we are holding ourselves accountable? If the sales associates see this, then maybe they will own their mistakes and hold themselves accountable? Perhaps making the company's vision of an ideal store a reality begins with collectively owning our mistakes as managers and sales associates alike.

P.S. Thanks for your time and attention.  Live long and prosper AF members and anyone else.

[pocaracas]

Kernel, if the income doesn't match the required talent, the talented people go and you're left with the not so talented.
I think the fact that you're questioning your own management skills makes you one of the talented ones, so try to stick with your path towards improving.
And paper-goals are often unrealistic, anyway!

[Joods]

Struggling with a long time friendship and trying to decide if I should cut ties or not. 34 years is a long time to be friends with a person. She's like a sister to me but lately I've been feeling like I'm always giving and she's always taking and when I tell her I need to think about things, she gets pushy. I really just don't know what to do. She calls with a problem and wants advice but jumps all over me when I give her what she asked for. I'm at a loss here.

[Kernel Sohcahtoa]

CIJS,

Over the weekend, I discovered that there were tiny house mice in a box (three total) that was in one of the rooms in my basement: they were very young and certainly needed a mother to care for them.  I attempted to call the local animal hospital, but they recommended that I call animal control or the humane society. As a result, I tried contacting a local, humane animal control removal service, but I got their messaging machine; I left a message, but they never got back to me. 

After doing some research online, it was recommended that if one encounters a nest of house mice in their home, then they should either call animal control and have the mice humanely extricated; leave the nest alone (as a human is a poor substitute for a mother) and the mother may resume caring for her young ones, and eventually, they could be humanely removed from one's home; or, commit to taking personal care of them: taking care of baby mice requires a lot of time and sleepless nights, so given my full-time job, that was not a doable option.  Thus, I chose to leave the nest alone and allow the mother to take care of her mice.

Well, today, when I got back from work, I discovered that the mice were dead.  As a result, I carefully gathered them up and buried them outside; I disposed of the box that they were in along with the materials in the box. 

Upon reflection, I am definitely bothered by this experience.  It seems that it is all too easy to dismiss other lifeforms, whom humans perceive to be lower level, as life which has value beneath humanity; I would have unquestionably demonstrated more concern and acted with a sense of immediacy if I discovered abandoned human babies. 

That said, supposing there were lifeforms more advanced than humanity who looked upon humans as humans tend to regard other lifeforms that they consider to be beneath them, how would humanity react if these lifeforms did not value human life as much as their own? If these lifeforms are to us as we are to mice, then does their morality/ethical systems supersede our own, which IMO, seems to be how humans approach other life-forms on Earth? Perhaps developing a workable way to value all forms of life with equal diligence is a true hallmark of an enlightened/advanced species?

P.S. I apologize to anyone if my post has upset you or has caused you to be disgusted/disappointed with my performance in this matter.

[Foxaèr]

CIJS,

I miss you so severely.

I say to myself every day that I've moved on, but I was the one who did you wrong.  That is why I shall live with this guilt till the day I die.

I just wish there was a way for me to tell you how sorry I am for having pushed you away the way I did.

[Kernel Sohcahtoa]

I'm leading one of my departmental meetings tomorrow morning.  I just finished outlining my presentation and am feeling motivated about tomorrow.  I definitely want to have our non-sell shoe support team member, who was a former shoe superstar associate, address the team on ways that they can improve their teamwork and help the department achieve its goals.  I also plan on owning up to the mistakes that I've made since taking over the department (especially my contribution to our horrendous return rate; this is a company-wide problem, as the organizational leadership is lax with the returns).  I'm hoping that if I own my mistakes and show that I care, then they may be motivated to do the same and work as a team to own our department and make it more successful.

[Angrboda]

I'm leading one of my departmental meetings tomorrow morning.  I just finished outlining my presentation and am feeling motivated about tomorrow.  I definitely want to have our non-sell shoe support team member, who was a former shoe superstar associate, address the team on ways that they can improve their teamwork and help the department achieve its goals.  I also plan on owning up to the mistakes that I've made since taking over the department (especially my contribution to our horrendous return rate; this is a company-wide problem, as the organizational leadership is lax with the returns).  I'm hoping that if I own my mistakes and show that I care, then they may be motivated to do the same and work as a team to own our department and make it more successful.

Rotsa ruck wit dat.