"Where are all your papers?" - the past week at work

Monday

As I expected, there was a terrible mess on my desk when I got to the office.  I took all the papers and just put them in a pile so they at least looked neat.  The rest of the day, off and on, I tried to get them into order.

Annoyed that of the five things I had given office junior Leo to do he had only done one.  I made him do the others immediately.  My deputy Meryl was subdued; the Information Team (six people) were working flat out; PR Officer Josie was exuberant.

An odd meeting with my boss Communications Director Tom D and some consultants.  We talked about a projected Membership Scheme for the NGO.  I suspect it will be another fiasco.

Later I talked to Tom D alone and he continued to behave oddly, as if he were suspicious of me.  I asked about the Senior Management meeting last week and he said: "we talked at some length about you as your contract is due for renewal" (I am on a six-month fixed contract).  Although previously I thought I didn't care whether my contract was renewed or not, at that moment I couldn't help wanting to be kept on.  I suppose my ego wanted to be wanted.  I asked him what the result was, and he said: "As you know, the NGO is cutting budget's across the board and it looked as if we could not justify your post.  But Ryan found the money from his budget" (Ryan M is the Operations Director, and has recently started an affair with Josie in my department). 

He paused and looked at me, as if expecting me to say something.  I said nothing.  The meeting came to an end.

Lunchtime and two trainers, who are to deliver a training course for the NGO's management team, bought me lunch at a local motel.  Smoked salmon sandwiches and strong cold lager.  When I went out into the sun again the heat was oppressive so that I felt giddy (or perhaps it was the drink).

Boring afternoon.

Tuesday

Unhurried drive to a Midlands city for a conference on European legislation.  The speakers were all dry as dust except for one young lawyer who had some interesting things to say.  Awful MEP droning on and on.

Wednesday

Although it is only May the weather is like high summer.  Cabbage pickers in the field as I went out to my car.  Listened to Radio 1 on the drive to work (I am not keen on Evan Davis on Radio 4).

Arriving at the NGO I parked in Tom D's place as he was away for the day.  The heap of paper on my desk is becoming intimidating.  During the morning I felt as if I were losing control of things (people coming up to me to ask things, telephone calls being put through, e-mails pinging onto my screen).

Ryan D telephoned and I went up to his little office (which he shares with several of his team, wanting to be "democratic").  It was the first proper conversation we had had since he started the "affair" with Josie S.  He seemed very bashful, more like a boy than a man of thirty.

I looked at his clear desk and the sight niggled me.  "Where are all your papers?" I asked him, "...where are all your files?"  It didn't seem fair that I was drowning in paper whereas he seemed free.

We talked about a national award he had asked me to promote (and which I privately think is a ridiculous exercise in self-aggrandisement - celebrity host, a dinner, speeches of mutual praise etc).  The campaign we did to encourage entries had been lacklustre, but he was full of thanks and praise and encouragement.  So much so that I could not take him seriously.

When I got down to the ground floor again I found that my deputy Meryl had been arguing again with PR Officer Josie.  Mindful of following the correct procedures, I talked to each of them separately and told them to behave, writing everything down.  Meryl was evasive about what they had been arguing about, Josie just said "she thinks she can order me about" (which strictly speaking is correct).

A meeting with a civil servant in the first part of the afternoon.

A meeting with a different civil servant in the second part of the afternoon.

At the end of the working day I talked to Felix S who runs the Research section (within the Marketing department - he is equal grade to myself).  He discussed plans to recruit a Research Officer, and told me that the funding for the post was now in doubt as it was certain my contract was going to be renewed.  This would explain Tom D's odd attitude on Monday - he had wanted my salary to fund the new Research post.

Thursday

Things seemed more manageable today. 

In the morning a meeting with a rep from a commercial radio network, and afterwards I took the script up to Ryan M for him to approve (this was for the national award scheme). 

The national directory being produced by the Marketing department is going extremely well.  The project had been opposed by several managers in the NGO and I had been struggling to get it done without much support (apart from the Information Team who have worked excellently).  I know the directory is now regarded as a potential success as Tom D has started trying to steal the credit for it, writing a Foreward which is to be illustrated with his photo.

Lunchtime a meeting with Tom D and Felix S to discuss the recruitment of the Research Officer (which still doesn't have any funding).  We had ham rolls, cake and pots of fruit yoghurt.  I wondered how the food had been paid for.

Late afternoon Ryan M came to sit opposite, talking about the national award.  Unbidden, Josie came to join us, sitting next to him.  Ryan talked a great deal, and at one stage yawned while talking ("I'm even making myself bored"). 

At the end of the impromptu meeting Ryan and Josie left together, presumably to go up to his office.

When they had left Meryl said archly: "I see Ryan has acquired a little helper".

"She's his lover" said office junior Leo.

"She's his mistress" said Margaret in the Information Team.

"She's his tart" said Meryl.

Friday

When I got to my desk this morning I found a small note from Ryan approving the radio campaign.  The note had been written on the back of a disco ticket for the local football club he plays for.  I threw it into the bin, but had to retrieve it when later in the day he asked if I was going (I quickly invented an excuse why not).

"Stake-holder" and Baptist Minister Caleb arrived unexpectedly, making his usual amount of noise.  Information Assistant Gerry went off to one of the NGO's outstations, scooping up a couple of box files that had been open on his desk.  After he had gone Caleb began panicking that he couldn't find his car keys, and said that Gerry must have taken them accidentally with the box files (which Caleb had been rudely looking through).  Information Assistant Margaret went off in pursuit of Gerry to get them back.  Caleb fussed about, talking loudly and completely disrupting the department so that I wanted to throw him out.  Then he found his keys in his jacket pocket and sheepishly left.

Three meetings in the afternoon, one of them with a PSB broadcaster that wants to make a documentary about the NGO (twelve progammes).

On the way home I stopped to go into a supermarket.  Unexpected torrential shower of rain so that I had to run for my car when I came out of the store.  Then the rain stopped and the heat resumed.