November 20, 1990
Dear Everyone:
Our new manager finally has a name:
“Ken”. They told us
months ago that a “new” group would be formed comprised of Forms and
Records Management and that it would have a manager reporting directly
to “Robin Parson” who reports to the Comptroller who reports to the
Chief Financial Officer who reports to the Board of Directors who
reports (quarterly) to the stockholders who are us.
Neat how that comes around full circle, huh?
Anyway, for months we’ve been waiting to find out
who this new manager would turn out to be and now we know.
He’s “Ken Crow”, late of
“Administrative Nonsense”.
We met him, informally, this morning, although he doesn’t
officially become the manager until December 1.
We’re not sure when, exactly, we will cease to be
Records Management and become Forms and Records Management.
It could be December 1 or it could wait until the first of the
year. Not that it matters a
great deal. The work will
continue just as before, at least for a while, until “Ken” gets the feel
for his new job.
Nevertheless, Certain People in this group are Very
Unhappy about this joining up with “those people” in Forms Analysis.
I hasten to point out that I am not one of the Unhappy Ones.
I have nothing against the people in Forms and I see the
enlargement of our group as a wonderful opportunity for letting in some
“fresh air”, not to mention bigger and better potluck lunches.
However, I appear to be in the minority in this
regard. Even “Ken White”
(who, being fairly new to the group, knows virtually nothing about
Records Management) is spouting the party line:
“I don’t see the connection between Forms and Records
Management.”
Right.
And I don’t see the connection between eating and digestion.
Seriously, what is a record?
It’s (usually) a piece of paper with writing of some sort on it
(technically, you know, it could
be a rock with pictures, or a clay tablet with chicken scratches – also
known as cuneiform). What’s
a form? It’s a record with
the repetitive stuff already written for you.
It’s just supposed to save people time in creating
records.
If there’s “no connection” between the two, then there’s “no
connection” between your heartbeat and your blood.
Frankly, I never saw the connection between Records
Management and our last group:
Household Moving and Travel Administration.
Looks like lively times ahead.
We also found out that we’re going to be moving, probably after
the first of the year.
(There’s a very good reason
for waiting until after the first of the year:
That way you don’t have to move all the Christmas decorations,
too.) Once PM&S (Putter,
Mutter and Stutter, also known as Pillsbury, Madison and Sutro) moves
out of their offices on the 4th Floor at “225 Beelzebub”
Street, we’ll probably be moving in there, if not somewhere else nearby.
Again, Some People are Unhappy about this.
One complained that he didn’t want to give up his view.
We have a stunning view of the rooftop of the building on the
other side of the alley.
Another is afraid that we’ll be “herded” into a big room with only
cubicles to separate work areas.
Of course, if I spent 90% of my time standing around complaining,
I might be a little concerned about other people (such as the manager)
noticing it myself. Since I
spend 90% of my time working (and 10% avoiding the complainer), I don’t
have a problem.
As I said, lively times ahead.
I’m going to be spending Thanksgiving alone this
year, but don’t anybody dare feel sorry for me.
I’m looking forward to 4 days of serious couch potato-ing.
I’ve got the whole Civil War to watch.
I’ve been saving it for a special occasion.
And I’ll be having the traditional dinner with all
the trimmings, except that, instead of a whole turkey, I’m going to eat
a Cornish Hen.
Love, as always,
Pete
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