Just filling in time

Monday

My cold has mostly gone, but I have been left with a hacking cough.  This cough goes away for a while, but then comes back again.  Especially when the wind blows - which has been frequently this week.

I arrived in the office about 8am, at the same time as my deputy Meryl P (who is moving to another department).  She made coffee for both us and we spent the next hour chatting.  She shares my view that the entire Communications department is going to be dismembered in the next round of economies.

Operations director Ryan M came in and paused to talk to us.  Not for the first time I thought what an inadequate little man he is.  How he has got to a senior position in the NGO is a mystery.

It was an odd sort of day.  I couldn't seem to settle to anything.  Ron J, Marketing Officer (who is disabled) does not do anything unless I specifically ask him to do it.

PR Officer Josie S, who recently received a warning about her work, has become frantic in her production of press releases, showing an inventiveness that is very impressive.  However this late flurry of work is unlikely to save her.  I fear she is marked (not by me) for dismissal.

Tuesday

Although my work has been scaled down (I am leaving at the end of the year) I am still involved in planning the Conference for society "leaders".  This morning I was in a meeting in the Board Room with several partners of the NGO who are helping to fund and organise the event.  I left at noon to go into the tea room to watch the Chancellor's Autumn Statement.

More evidence of unprofessional conduct by Josie S.  She was responsible for editing a guide to the NGO's Operations department, and although this was an entirely functional booklet she had put a full-page casual portrait of Ryan M, her former lover, on the inside front cover.  The portrait makes him look like a pop star.  Ryan M was furious about this as almost everyone who saw it started laughing at him.  A complaint was made by Ryan M to the NGO's CEO Alec Pressberg.  He complained to Communications Director Tom D (my boss). 

Tom D called me into his office and blamed me for not proof-reading the document (I had no idea it had gone to the printers otherwise I would have stopped it).  Josie S was called into the meeting, but instead of referring to the booklet Tom D talked to her like a father, asking about how she was getting on, and how her life was outside of work.  This sounded very ominous - I am extremely wary of Tom D when he is in this avuncular mood, and I wondered whether Josie was about to be sacked. 

Ryan M appeared at the internal glass window to the office and motioned to Tom D that he wanted to talk to him.  Tom D went out and I saw the two of them muttering.  Then Tom D came back into the meeting and Ryan M went off after loudly and unnecessarily shouting "See yer Andrew" through the window.

Tom D ended the meeting without anything actually being resolved.  It occurred to me that they don't know what to do with Josie S.  Perhaps they are afraid she is going to do something "stupid" while still employed by the NGO.

Wednesday

Day of the public sector strike.  Although the NGO's employees are not directly employed by the government there is enough of an overlap for some of the staff not to come in today.  No-one seemed to notice their absence.

A meeting in the morning to plan the launch of an NGO initiative.  CEO Alec Pressberg was there and seemed very hostile towards me.  Not for the first time, I felt glad I was leaving.

Another meeting in the afternoon.

Thursday

As I am still using up my holiday, I only went into work this morning.  I discussed Ron J's training schedule with HR Manager Yasmin S.  Then a meeting with Preston from the Innovation department.

In the afternoon more golf with Felix S and Ryan M.  First some putting practice then round the course, stopping when it got too dark.  I declined to go for a drink in the clubhouse.

Friday

Slow sluggish sort of day.  I have the feeling I am just filling in time until I leave.  Also the unsettling thought that I have not achieved anything of value in my time at the NGO.

The NGO was being "inspected" today, which added a serious atmosphere to the day.