Priorities and Commitment...

This is how I feel today. Calm, content, peaceful.

Today's blog is supposed to be about wine but it's about my wine job. I've had lots of jobs in my 43 years and have worked on both sides of the fence, management and worker bee, so I know about good and bad training experiences.

This job has been my worst training experience. Because of the these economic times the staff is skeletal and my managers expected way more then this SuperMom could deliver. I left everyday feeling inadequate and incompetent. I kept telling myself it would get easier as I learned all the aspects of the job but yesterday I had had enough.

I got pulled into the office to discuss my conversion numbers and when they asked me what I thought the problem was I started laughing. In my head I was thinking WTF, you're kidding right?! I calmly answered that my priority was to get the customer checked out correctly since I have had little cashier training.

Remember this is my second week and I am supposed to be in the wine department doing the receiving, the merchandizing, the ordering, up-selling wine, and re-stocking. Not checking out customers, answering the phones, helping sell furniture, and getting price checks on a sales floor I don't even know yet.

I voiced my concerns and opinions of the job and job training and was assured since inventory was over things would get better. At the end of the 9 hour day I was exhausted, frazzled and pissed off. I was trying to get out at 6 to get my girls and once again I was stuck helping a customer after my shift ended. The prior day management kept me 30 minutes later then my shift to show me something.

I clocked out, grabbed everything out of my locker, and headed home. Soon as I got in my car I cried and then I got angry. Angry that I created such a stressful situation for myself. It's been years since I created such a work environment. By the time I got home I knew I was going to call and quit. I have never quit a job without 2 weeks notice but for my own internal peace that's what I was going to do.

I called and quit and then walked Sophia to the park. When I got back there was a message from the big boss asking me to call her at home. I did and a whole turn of events happened that I was NOT expecting!

She took responsibility for the training issues and then I took responsibility for my part which is this...since Sophia is going to start school in the fall I began looking for a part-time job that I would enjoy but most importantly one that would not take over my writing time. (As I have blogged I have done little to no writing the past two weeks.) I took this job out of sheer excited to be in the wine department even tho it was for 30 hours a week. I told her I realized this job is not the best fit for me and my family.

Then...when I thought that would be the end of it she asked if I would like to take a lesser position as the Wine back-up who works only 15 hours per week and only in the wine department.( The person in this position is leaving)

I was floored...and immediately I realized that's EXACTLY what I wanted. I am done with supervisory positions. My commitment is to be a published writer and anything else is secondary. I said YES to the new position and we are working out the schedule changes after I work the wine tasting event today.

WTF! Once again I got what I REALLY wanted, albeit in a nonlinear way, but I'm okay with that! As for the pay cut, I'm sure things will work themselves out...time is my reward.