Monday
As soon as I arrived at the office I found myself in a meeting with Campaign Manager Callum Smith discussing a marketing plan for an initiative he has got funding for. The meeting was rather inconclusive and I felt Callum Smith was not a very decisive person. He seems incapable of taking a decision.
From that meeting I went into an analysis meeting to discuss the exhibition last week. As we had already analysed the exhibition on Friday this was a very repetitive and circular discussion. I emerged from it with a profound sense of deja vu.
Forty minutes for lunch.
Then into a very long meeting to discuss the new website(s). This meeting had no real coherence but just consisted of the Institute's Director Vijay Singh firing out questions at random and constructing hypothetical (and improbable) scenarios. I long to have complete control of this project, as I feel the collective decision-making is not working.
At 4 o'clock I was back at my desk having spent virtually the whole day in meetings. Before I forgot everything I wrote up from my notes all the tasks I have been given. New requests are arriving almost faster than I can record them, and I feel as if I am being swamped.
Tuesday
I wish I could clear the formless heap of paper that squats on my desk reproaching me when I arrive each morning.
Vijay Singh complaining to me about mistakes in a mailshot that was going out. When I pointed out that the admin team did not report to me and I had no control over them he became tetchy, saying I must have seen what was going wrong. By the end of the day enough progress with the mailshot had been achieved for the criticism to be abated.
Late morning the ghastly Anne Boswell-Urquat (Media Relations at Head Office) arrived to review our PR strategy. The usual bluster and bluff as we tried to make ourselves sound interesting. Horrid little sandwich lunch in Vijay Singh's office.
In the afternoon I liaised with Marcia Walsh (Deputy Director) about an official complaint we are to make to Alec Nussbaum about Head Office interfering in the new website(s).
Wednesday
The mailshot in full swing, which made my corner of the open-plan office look busy. Office manager Gladys Y told me it was ridiculous that we do mailshots in-house rather than using a mailing company (actually we do it in-house because the information is so sensitive). John Johnson (IT) came to talk to the admin team about his forthcoming wedding, but Gladys Y chased him away saying that he was "distracting the girls".
All of today I worked on the Powerpoint presentation for the Institute's AGM in April. Vijay Singh is beginning to panic about this presentation, and fussed over every slide so that I wanted to tell him to do the thing himself. I worked until 6.30 and was very late getting home.
Thursday
Another meeting with Marcia Walsh to discuss the new website(s). Vijay Singh wants them ready to launch at the AGM on 14th April. "It will be a trial in more ways than one" I said.
St Valentine's day, and one of the staff was complaining of being stood-up for lunch. On impulse I asked that person to have lunch with me. And to my surprise that person said yes.
Friday
I caught the 8.17 train to London for a meeting at Head Office with David L to discuss the exhibitions programme. It took quite a while to go through everything, so many details need to be addressed. We went down to the basement to look at Head Office's exhibition paraphernalia.
David L very gossipy and I asked him innocently why so many people are leaving (knowing the answer - that they can't get on with Alec Nussbaum).
Leaving Head Office I went eastwards, and via the Docklands Light Railway arrived at Canary Wharf. Brief lunch in Pret a Manger. Then a confidential meeting high up in the tower, stupendous views in all directions.
After this meeting I was free to go home, arriving back at 4pm.
As soon as I arrived at the office I found myself in a meeting with Campaign Manager Callum Smith discussing a marketing plan for an initiative he has got funding for. The meeting was rather inconclusive and I felt Callum Smith was not a very decisive person. He seems incapable of taking a decision.
From that meeting I went into an analysis meeting to discuss the exhibition last week. As we had already analysed the exhibition on Friday this was a very repetitive and circular discussion. I emerged from it with a profound sense of deja vu.
Forty minutes for lunch.
Then into a very long meeting to discuss the new website(s). This meeting had no real coherence but just consisted of the Institute's Director Vijay Singh firing out questions at random and constructing hypothetical (and improbable) scenarios. I long to have complete control of this project, as I feel the collective decision-making is not working.
At 4 o'clock I was back at my desk having spent virtually the whole day in meetings. Before I forgot everything I wrote up from my notes all the tasks I have been given. New requests are arriving almost faster than I can record them, and I feel as if I am being swamped.
Tuesday
I wish I could clear the formless heap of paper that squats on my desk reproaching me when I arrive each morning.
Vijay Singh complaining to me about mistakes in a mailshot that was going out. When I pointed out that the admin team did not report to me and I had no control over them he became tetchy, saying I must have seen what was going wrong. By the end of the day enough progress with the mailshot had been achieved for the criticism to be abated.
Late morning the ghastly Anne Boswell-Urquat (Media Relations at Head Office) arrived to review our PR strategy. The usual bluster and bluff as we tried to make ourselves sound interesting. Horrid little sandwich lunch in Vijay Singh's office.
In the afternoon I liaised with Marcia Walsh (Deputy Director) about an official complaint we are to make to Alec Nussbaum about Head Office interfering in the new website(s).
Wednesday
The mailshot in full swing, which made my corner of the open-plan office look busy. Office manager Gladys Y told me it was ridiculous that we do mailshots in-house rather than using a mailing company (actually we do it in-house because the information is so sensitive). John Johnson (IT) came to talk to the admin team about his forthcoming wedding, but Gladys Y chased him away saying that he was "distracting the girls".
All of today I worked on the Powerpoint presentation for the Institute's AGM in April. Vijay Singh is beginning to panic about this presentation, and fussed over every slide so that I wanted to tell him to do the thing himself. I worked until 6.30 and was very late getting home.
Thursday
Another meeting with Marcia Walsh to discuss the new website(s). Vijay Singh wants them ready to launch at the AGM on 14th April. "It will be a trial in more ways than one" I said.
St Valentine's day, and one of the staff was complaining of being stood-up for lunch. On impulse I asked that person to have lunch with me. And to my surprise that person said yes.
Friday
I caught the 8.17 train to London for a meeting at Head Office with David L to discuss the exhibitions programme. It took quite a while to go through everything, so many details need to be addressed. We went down to the basement to look at Head Office's exhibition paraphernalia.
David L very gossipy and I asked him innocently why so many people are leaving (knowing the answer - that they can't get on with Alec Nussbaum).
Leaving Head Office I went eastwards, and via the Docklands Light Railway arrived at Canary Wharf. Brief lunch in Pret a Manger. Then a confidential meeting high up in the tower, stupendous views in all directions.
After this meeting I was free to go home, arriving back at 4pm.
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