Fast & Furious

If you want me to slow down and do one thing at a time, I won't be able to. Not only the circumstances doesn't allow it, I am just somehow not associated with the term "slow and steady". I have been taught to be "fast and furious", and that's what I have been doing lately. Being fast....and very furious.

I have these messages laid on my desk for the past week. It was the same caller, who left messages each day to my staff when he couldn't reach me, reminding me to return his call. It's not that I was avoiding him or that the messages slipped my mind. Each time I looked at the messages, I just couldn't get the chance nor the time to ring him back. Guilty.

Like a race car drifting down from a hill, I have been "drifting" in and out from one agenda to the next. Discussion with the programmer to improve the existing system. Meeting with boss to set the prices of a new service. Meeting with a vendor to renew a contract. Meeting with a service provider on a fee settlement issue. Meeting with the consultants on the ISO project. Initiating and coordinating a new team in conjuction with the same ISO project. Providing counselling to problematic staffs. Draft the terms of another new agreement. Complete the annual staff appraisals. Research on some tax issues which was raised by the boss. Tighten up the controls on certain areas and to re-educate the relevant staffs. Solving the issues of the other departments. And the list goes on....

Finally, when no one was knocking on my door and that all emails have been addressed, there came the call from the banker for some urgent information. Or the call from the lawyer for some updates. Or the call from the insurance agent. Or the call from the next department asking for some references. Or the calls from ex-colleagues for technical advices.

While I was "zoom"-ing in and out to get things done, there are people who doesn't move on the same pace that I am, which could be very very very frustrating. Reports required not submitted to me on time. Previous agreements could not be found. Appointments not arranged. Policies were not read. Relevant approvals not obtained. Instructions not conveyed to junior levels. Letters passed to me at the very last minute.

Just like on the hill, while I'm "drifting" downhill with high speed, there are these balls laying around, stagnant, blocking the way. I've got to kick them in the right direction so that they'll roll out of the way and move on. And not just one kick, I've got to kick them numerous times to keep them up to my pace. When the kicking doesn't work, I've got to start throwing out my temper and raising my voice. Then only they start to move a little. OMG! Really OMG!