The New Guys
Well, my replacement has been here for a few days and I've almost totally got him spun up on how to do my job, but that doesn't mean that I'll be leaving any sooner though. There's a date in the near future that someone picked from a calendar as the magic day when I pass off my cell phone to the new guy and put him in charge and until that day comes it doesn't matter how competent he is, I'm the one who get's poked in the eye if something goes wrong.
It's interesting to talk with him and listen to how he thinks things should be run. I remember when I first landed here and talked with the guy I was replacing. I listened to all the things he complained about and worked up solutions to his problems in a matter of seconds. "Wow, this place is messed up! I'm going to turn this place around! I'm going to fix everything!" I said to myself back then. Now as I hear him saying things much the same as I did I realize that it's more of a relay race than a contest of who can do better. The guys before me started from zero and handed me the baton at 50 meters which I percieved to be zero. Now that I've moved it forward another 50 meters, the new guy thinks that he's starting at zero again just like I did.
I guess it's a good thing though. If he landed here, looked around and said to himself, "Ok, I just gotta go through the motions for a year and go home," then nothing would improve. One day, about a year from now, he'll look back and think something simliar to what I'm thinking now as he's getting his replacement ready.
The countdown to home continues.
It's interesting to talk with him and listen to how he thinks things should be run. I remember when I first landed here and talked with the guy I was replacing. I listened to all the things he complained about and worked up solutions to his problems in a matter of seconds. "Wow, this place is messed up! I'm going to turn this place around! I'm going to fix everything!" I said to myself back then. Now as I hear him saying things much the same as I did I realize that it's more of a relay race than a contest of who can do better. The guys before me started from zero and handed me the baton at 50 meters which I percieved to be zero. Now that I've moved it forward another 50 meters, the new guy thinks that he's starting at zero again just like I did.
I guess it's a good thing though. If he landed here, looked around and said to himself, "Ok, I just gotta go through the motions for a year and go home," then nothing would improve. One day, about a year from now, he'll look back and think something simliar to what I'm thinking now as he's getting his replacement ready.
The countdown to home continues.
posted by MarksMomma at 17:44
BANDIT.THREE.SIX
THE LIZ
THE WIZ
8 Comments:
I will miss your posts, both for their candor and sense of humor. Best of luck in all your future endevours. If you are ever in the Naples FL area, I would be honored to buy you a beer or a Cuban coffee (no grounds, more like an espresso).
One question though, Have you manged to arrange for any PCS orders for the Liz?
Soon the place will be up and running like any other frustrating bureaucracy with automatic operators telling Iraqi's to press 1 for this or press 2 for that.
I've enjoyed your posts. Best of luck in the future and all the best to your family.
Thanks for a job well done and have a safe trip home.
Bandit, it has been great to read your blog. Thanks for your insight, your perspective, and your sense of humor. I hope the Wiz is also going home. The Liz I know must stay and keep fighting for the freedom of lizards his country. The lizurgents must be defeated. Thanks again, and we will be looking forward to your heading home post.
The great thing about that approach is that your replacement does care about doing a good job. You'd be disappointed if it was any other way!
First snow in the mountains here in Oregon!!
z[Hi Bandit,
I haven't commented here before, but have read your posts. I don't know if you have ever read Alaa over at the Mesopotamian, but thought you would find his recent interesting.
Just keep your head down until that day comes! Thanks for the great work! Godspeed!
Rotations are all the sam, I think.
In 1982, we rotated into Al Jubail in Saudi arabia. It was 60 day rotations. I was in a small radar unit. Everyone came in with the idea of re-inventing the wheel. By the end of our rotation out and the new unit came in, they wanted to do it their way.
I'll miss your dispatches from the front, for sure.
VW
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