Homeless - 78

Greetings ya'll,

Hope you are doing well.

During the course of my working life, I've had the privilege of working with, on occasion, a team of individuals that meshed seamlessly in terms of social technique, shared values and an adherence to a goal, whether in IT or the Library system or in gay biker snuff films. In those instances, there was a shared commitment among team members to accomplish a goal where the phrase 'not my job' was never said. If one needed help, someone or someones were always ready to assist.

The Library branch where I'm currently employed is such an environment. The ongoing fiscal unpleasantness in the Dallas municipality has presented my team with challenges such as reduced personnel and reduced hours (less pay). Then there is the element of incompetent leadership who surfs the web most of his shift and a social inept; factor in those elements and you have the recipe for Armageddon.

A good team doesn't need any management; at least, this one doesn't.

Despite these drawbacks, the team I'm working with are more successful than we were since October 2009. A dissident element was transferred to another branch at that time, an element that all agreed upon should have been severed 'with extreme prejudice' from the Library system. Subsequently, productivity increased despite reduced personnel, the atmosphere improved - flowers started blooming, birds started singing, children began frolicking and
the day wasn't cloudy... all day.

Through all that bullshit, the core team pulled through, accomplishing team goals, communicating and coordinating among ourselves, without leadership, ensuring that we provided the highest level of service to our library patrons.

And now, elements of the team are disengaging or seeking to disengage from the environment, seeking and/or securing positions elsewhere. The reasons include poor leadership that is unappreciative of what the team is accomplishing with reduced resources, leadership that refuses to participate when every one else is busting their ass while he surfs the web, and the fiscal environment that promises more cuts...at the bottom of the Library hierarchy, both in personnel and pay. Hey, what can you expect - the Chiefs always get rid of all the Indians before they start tearing into each other.

I'm going to miss working with them. They were intelligent, possessed a superior work ethic, executed an impeccable interpersonal technique and possessed a sense of humor. And they were attractive young women. I met their significant others and had several gatherings with them off site and enjoyed myself immensely.

I will miss them,

David