So are you sure all your staff and volunteers were happy?
What I wrote was, "I did my very, very best to ensure they knew exactly how special they were, and how wonderful was their creation."
That means that I did my best -- and our division heads did their best -- and so on. When someone worked for me directly, I tried very hard to make them feel special. And I did my level best to make sure the entire committee -- at *all* levels (and you damned betcha that meant at-con volunteers) -- got what praise I could give and some of my time if they wanted it.
Does that means I didn't have to smack people and take names? No. *sigh* One of the problems with being in a management position in convention running is that we have to do that. We have to say, to someone we like...frequently a friend..."You've screwed up." Sometimes, we need to say, "You're fired."
That sucks. I don't every want to be in that position again.
But the praising part -- that I liked. :-)
The person whose inconsiderate act led me to resign my volunteer post at ConJose was also a staff member at your Worldcon (I see from its website), and so was the person to whom I said "I quit." (I'd never met either of them before; they're not the friend who said "May I help you?" If you want to know who they are, ask Kevin: I'm not posting their names.)
Heh. I did, and he did, and my (generic, unidentifiable) comments: "resignation causer" is not a good manager, but will do some effective work if aimed at the right kind of problem (and is better behaved now, btw). However, aiming and good directions are needed there.
I don't know who you resigned *to*, but "impersonal communicator" has mmm...health-related issues that cause some of the behavior you observed, especially in high-fatigue situations. (If it makes you feel better, or at least less alone, I get *exactly* the same behavior from "impersonal communicator," who I have known, and very well, for 16 years. So does impersonal communicator's *spouse* when convention fatigue is involved.)
Through all of this, I think it's important to note that: (1) the fannish community is not known as one where interpersonal communication skills are highly honed; (2) we don't have nearly enough good management or supervisory talent; and (3) we can only hope that, in the heat of a Worldcon, we all behave *courteously* -- we may not always be able to manage "warmly."
I understand your comments about how you felt you were treated -- but let's not make this a "conrunner" thing. It's the same way in all structures which are, by necessity, hierarchical. Some people at levels up in the hierarchy will understand nobless oblige...others will only see exploitable serfs below them -- people who don't count. We need to smack those latter.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2006-04-24 07:32 pm (UTC)What I wrote was, "I did my very, very best to ensure they knew exactly how special they were, and how wonderful was their creation."
That means that I did my best -- and our division heads did their best -- and so on. When someone worked for me directly, I tried very hard to make them feel special. And I did my level best to make sure the entire committee -- at *all* levels (and you damned betcha that meant at-con volunteers) -- got what praise I could give and some of my time if they wanted it.
Does that means I didn't have to smack people and take names? No. *sigh* One of the problems with being in a management position in convention running is that we have to do that. We have to say, to someone we like...frequently a friend..."You've screwed up." Sometimes, we need to say, "You're fired."
That sucks. I don't every want to be in that position again.
But the praising part -- that I liked. :-)
The person whose inconsiderate act led me to resign my volunteer post at ConJose was also a staff member at your Worldcon (I see from its website), and so was the person to whom I said "I quit." (I'd never met either of them before; they're not the friend who said "May I help you?" If you want to know who they are, ask Kevin: I'm not posting their names.)
Heh. I did, and he did, and my (generic, unidentifiable) comments: "resignation causer" is not a good manager, but will do some effective work if aimed at the right kind of problem (and is better behaved now, btw). However, aiming and good directions are needed there.
I don't know who you resigned *to*, but "impersonal communicator" has mmm...health-related issues that cause some of the behavior you observed, especially in high-fatigue situations. (If it makes you feel better, or at least less alone, I get *exactly* the same behavior from "impersonal communicator," who I have known, and very well, for 16 years. So does impersonal communicator's *spouse* when convention fatigue is involved.)
Through all of this, I think it's important to note that: (1) the fannish community is not known as one where interpersonal communication skills are highly honed; (2) we don't have nearly enough good management or supervisory talent; and (3) we can only hope that, in the heat of a Worldcon, we all behave *courteously* -- we may not always be able to manage "warmly."
I understand your comments about how you felt you were treated -- but let's not make this a "conrunner" thing. It's the same way in all structures which are, by necessity, hierarchical. Some people at levels up in the hierarchy will understand nobless oblige...others will only see exploitable serfs below them -- people who don't count. We need to smack those latter.