Would You Like Fries With That?

We’ve all heard it before… “Would you like to SUPERSIZE it?” It sounds so wonderful…much more for hardly anything. Supersize has a positive connotation as it relates to the dollar, though admittedly not health wise.

Downsizing on the other hand…not so much. You probably will never hear the person at the drive-thru offer to remove some of your fries or give you half a coke for less and say: “Would you like to DOWNSIZE that?” Downsizing seems to have a less positive meaning.

We have an “efficiency expert” visiting our office right now and she made it back to my little space yesterday afternoon. I knew in a heartbeat upon her arrival to me at 3:30 that I would be ‘working’ late. I clocked-out at 6:30 p.m. She will be making the downsizing recommendations…among other things.

I was very honest with her about my own desires and how they didn’t seem to match up with this position any longer. I gave her recommendations about this position’s future either with me…or without. She seemed surprised that I thought I would already be gone.

Frankly she also seemed a bit disorganized and somewhat abrupt so I waited for her leading on questions prior to giving extraneous information. In my own experience these efficiency experts are a bit ‘black and white’ and she was no exception. She was also taking calls from her ‘regular’ office and that didn’t help with the timeliness.

I think these types of positions are interesting. I also find it very interesting a manager wouldn’t come to the employees, who are more likely the experts about their own work and how to perform it. Not only does it show respect for the people in these positions, but it also gives a better idea of the level of commitment to the employer. The many employees I visit with have some wonderful suggestions for work flow improvement and improving the ‘bottom line’. Sadly most of these ‘suggestions’ will never make it beyond my door.

I’m not saying there isn’t room for an outsider to come and make suggestions, but it isn’t typically received well (by the employees and often the management as well) and often the recommendations don’t make ‘sense’ once implemented, or are just never implemented. This particular ‘expert’ is actually recommending she come in and ‘manage’ the office once a week…or so. I almost laughed out loud as I listened to her phone calls.

So now we’ve spent more money and still have no solutions…hmmm…doesn’t really make sense to me. Additionally, I’m sure her salary for part-time management would probably exceed the salaries of those employees that have been ‘downsized’

It also reminded me the many reasons I stepped OUT of management. I am no longer the person who wants to carry her ‘work’ with her every waking moment. My life is so much bigger than any job could hold and to stuff life full of 8-5 issues seems to be in direct opposition to why God created me.

It will be interesting to see what this person recommends and how it is received from the top down. It will be interesting to see how much the ‘lighter fries’ and ‘half-coke’ cost.

Just observations from the edge of this side of the world! Have a SUPERSIZED Thursday!