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between wardog's "something has come up" and toe sized swells in
peter's trailer- this is one of the funniest strings i've read in a
long time. i even read the star wars dude's entire article...what a
depressing ending, but then peter's pooter post had me laughin hard
again...sorry wardog, i have to agree that the car keys should go to
the "bad case of wind".
i usually say i have to watch my boyfriend's child who is home
sick...or I call in sick - if its for sure gonna blow i can't usually
swing half days in my position, so mental health dictates a full day of
wind therapy for me! i also have to coordinate with a VP at my facility
who also sails, to make sure we both aren't out on the same days alot!
my boss loves me cause i really produce when i am there, i think thats
the real secret to being able to gain the flexibility you need for your
wind worship.
good luck JSLCM - just make sure and get out there when it does blow!
Adrienne
Peter Berkey wrote:
> Got one that I'm pretty sure nobody has thought of.... toilet at
home has a
> "plug".
>
> See, when first got into this mobile home, the foundation wasn't
exactly the
> greatest... so when the east winds blew, home would rock & roll and
cause
> this mast high swell in my toilet. That's how I could gauge the
strength of
> the wind.... toilet is mast high = 50+ winds.
>
> Unfortunately, i've now fixed the foundation... so I only get toe
sized
> swell in the toilet (although I don't know fer sure cuz I don't stick
my toe
> in the freakin' toilet !!).
>
> -- Wind Mountain Pete
>
>
> "Mike F" wrote in message
> news:KASFd.5054$jB.3332@fe04.lga...
> >
> > Try these special measures to get off work for an hour or a day
when it
> > blows. I call them Windsday Sailing. Sorry, ain't got time to
shorten this
> > just for your specific, narrower question. This was cut and paste
from my
> > own archives.
> >
> > Five obstacles to Windsday Sailing are meetings, deadlines, the
boss's
> > attitude, knowing when to implement your plan, and getting vacation
> > approval
> > on short notice. All have partial solutions:
> >
> > MEETINGS:
> > . Keep subordinates prepared to stand in. It develops their careers
and
> > your
> > professional and personal flexibility. My subordinates were
encouraged to
> > handle every meeting and briefing they could, wind or no wind, for
the
> > benefit of them, me, and the future health of the organization.
> > . Schedule meetings for days you can't go sailing anyway -- such as
days
> > already committed to truly mandatory meetings.
> > . Hold meetings early in the day, then split. The boss will be
impressed
> > with your eagerness and devotion, everyone will be fresher -- and
they
> > don't
> > need to know the wind holds off 'til afternoon anyway. (An
alternative:
> > the
> > Delta often blows best in the morning, then tapers off by midday.
Go to
> > work
> > with helmet hair. )
> > . Ask the participants of a small inescapable Windsday meeting if
another
> > day would suit them. Most people don't care when a meeting is held.
> > . Admit it -- you are NOT indispensable at every meeting.
> > . Manage meetings more efficiently. I conducted my division staff
meetings
> > in 15 minutes, rather than the 2 hours my predecessor took to
handle the
> > same issues, and attendees said I did a better job. Meeting
efficiency can
> > be vastly improved, even if you're just part of the audience, by
helping
> > the
> > group stay focused.
> >
> > DEADLINES:
> > Stay ahead of them, for many reasons. One firm rule enabled me to
meet
> > hundreds of deadlines and catch most Windsdays: Do First What's Due
First.
> > Screw prioritization, screw estimates of how long tasks may take,
screw
> > most
> > fancy schemes: just stack them in the order they're due and try to
stay
> > one
> > day ahead of the nearest alligator. Determine how much time and
effort the
> > next item deserves, whip it out, and grab the following one. Even
though
> > some take minutes and some take hours (if they take days, they
should be
> > subdivided into smaller subtasks), I found that I met every
worthwhile
> > deadline for many years. Good for the performance evaluation AND
for
> > Windsday sessions.
> >
> > Corollary to "Do First What's Due First": "Waste Not". Forget the
old saw
> > that lies, "Any job worth doing is worth doing right". That
presumes that
> > all tasks are of equal importance, which isn't realistic. You're
paid to
> > allocate your time intelligently, not rotely. If I did every task
as well
> > as
> > possible, I should be fired for wasting company manpower and not
doing my
> > JOB, which includes allocating my time efficiently. Let certain
> > superflous,
> > well-chosen deadlines slide, whether it's to catch some wind or
just to
> > save
> > corporate manpower. As chief of a large division, I was once tasked
by our
> > administration office with spending hours per month verifying the
validity
> > of long distance phone charges worth $20-30. I told them they'd get
about
> > two minutes of effort on the biggest two calls to fill their square
(our
> > annual budget ran into 8 figures).
> >
> > If all that still leaves a deadline interfering with a Windsday,
ask the
> > person expecting the product if a day's delay will hold him up.
Usually it
> > won't, because he's swamped too.
> >
> > BOSS'S ATTITUDE:
> > Explain how special and how mind-refreshing a day of high-wind
sailing is
> > (don't tell her how thoroughly it trashes your body). Explain how
your
> > time
> > management plan was conceived and how effective it has been in
organizing
> > your work, meeting deadlines, and developing subordinates. And
offer to
> > stand on for the boss on her perfect golf days, encouraging her to
take
> > those best days off because she's earned her vacation time. Hint
.... hint!
> >
> > WHEN TO ACT:
> > Learn to predict Windsdays well in advance so you can put in an
extra
> > burst
> > of advance speed and planning. Learn to recognize when a Windsday
worth
> > taking has actually arrived. Computers and pagers are indispensable
in
> > this.
> >
> > QUICK LEAVE APPROVAL:
> > Check with the boss the day before a Windsday, and let your
subordinates
> > know you may be gone tomorrow. Prep your stand-in, and submit
tomorrow's
> > products today or arrange to delay them if possible. Leave your
filled-in
> > vacation application with someone in case you phone in tomorrow
morning to
> > say, "Surf's up; I'm outta here".
> >
> > Other scenarios:
> > A doctor/lawyer whose career involves working with inescapable
> > patients/clients might schedule patients/clients only between 8:AM
and
> > 1:PM
> > M-F, or from 8-8 on MWF, saving afternoons or T & Th for solo work
or for
> > sailing. Ya gotta do the paperwork SOMETIME, and a block of time
sans
> > patients/clients is an efficient way to do paperwork -- or shred.
Salaried
> > workers might arrange to bank overtime in exchange for Windsday
comp time.
> > General Electric was GLAD to find a supply clerk who WANTED to work
the
> > graveyard shift, and Kim gets overtime wages for much of his 40
hours
> > because it is graveyard.
> >
> > If the obstacle is a spouse, get him/her into the sport and that
problem's
> > solved. If you chose a significant other who isn't interested in
sports --
> > Jeez, What were you THINKING ... with?
> >
> > Put in your 40 hours in four ten-hour days if possible. If you
regularly
> > work more than 40 hours a week -- that's your choice. I chose not
to. Sure
> > it hurt my career a little ... so what? That's a whole 'nuther
magazine
> > article
> >
> > If you own the company -- problem solved. Take your Windsdays, let
your
> > people take their golf and hang-gliding days, and everybody's
happy.
> > That's
> > what YOUR vacation time or comp time is FOR. Give them slack when
> > possible,
> > and they'll bust their butts for you when necessary.
> >
> > This isn't just theory, I wrote the article after being assigned to
manage
> > 150 people spending $40,000,000 annually on Star Wars research, and
these
> > ideas worked well for me.
> >
> > Mike \m/
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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