Monday 11 March 2013

Adding Value

My week has been spent focusing on adding value to my work. The idea of doing my job and nothing more has never been how I see this but recently even that has been challenged. I have found with the organisational changes I have lost the time to do the 'extras' for the school that made my life fun, I haven't had the time to add to my other duties as I am still learning them and don't want to make a mess of it. 

My first question was what is added value, to me and my job. Do I make myself be seen to do more for everything  and would burn out be likely  Am I valued for what I do now, and would I be better making sure what I do is seen as valued? Another question is how do I get to be valued for my job, I was watching Undercover Boss USA when Tim White, the chancellor of UC Riverside went undercover and spent part of his time with a student who was working in the library. Great I thought , chance to see how it works, what it does etc. Tim White admitted that cuts had hit the library hard as he had tried to modernise classrooms and not the library, I couldn't wait to see the issues, the real life problems. He followed a lass working a few hours a week to live while studying (didn't we all) She handed him a walkie talkie to keep in contact and gave him a limited time to shelve books, he didn't do it well or even finish in his allotted time. He couldn't work the walkie talkie well, he didn't find where the books went and he talked about how inefficient it was and could a computer system not do it better! My youngest son was hiding behind the sofa by now as I was shouting and ranting at the screen! He didn't meet a 'librarian' he didn't look at how the cuts had affected the library, he didn't even acknowledged that the job she was doing was skilled that he couldn't do it! 
The final result for me from this was while he stepped in a fairy god father to several students and wrote off their debts, and set up grants to increase 'women scientists' he did little beyond an unaccompanied walk round the uni. and with cameras there even that was moot! 
Maybe I need to make sure the management leadership sees what I do. with the Cilip day and other things I am planning, this is becoming easier. I had to speak at a local libraries day, I stood in front of 40+ people, including not only the head of service and the boss above that, but all my own peers, and staff I line manage and talk about adding value. I had a few lines of one or two word cues and other than that I just spoke. I was mindful that some had been quiet and spoke only to one side of the hall, some mumbled and others rushed. I hope I didn't rush, I know I spoke out and to the whole room. I held eye contact and turned to make sure all could hear and were listening. I hope that I came across well, to all I needed to. I just have to see what comes.

World Book Day slipped up to me and mugged me last week, I had so much on my plate I didn't realise until it was on me that Thursday was world book day, I had the books for kids, I had the tokens but no time or plan! I did get all the 1st years and then 3rd years done by end of week but must do 4th and 2nd today with 5/6th finally tomorrow! I had great ideas of a story competition and even have prizes but didn't get it out! will now be an Easter one and out at end of week! watch this space for any success. May be my value problem is lack of time, to get all I want done I need another 3 or 4 hours a day!

Hmm interesting discussion on the merits of discworld in general  or just trying one of the strands  e.g. the witches or the guards  I must confess to having read them all as they came out that I can't really see the series from a step away, they are so part of my growing up and becoming my own person! I wished to be a witch, but would have been pinched by Nany Ogg for being daft or bonked over the head by Granny Weatherwax for being wet. I would have hated The city of smells, and doubt I could cope with the 'primitive' nature or life there. But if I could and it would work then It wouldn't be a dream, that poor Vetinari needs someone to look after him!

This week blog (after missing last weeks completely) is one for the author who wrote Apocalypse Cow! which is very funny and very good read. My first years are enjoying it and a few olders are keeping an eye out for its return! Michael Logan is offering immortality in a place for your name in his next book! I like the idea of combat Yoga, and other silliness!

Time is short has just been brought to my attention again, our 2nd years have a single class a week aimed at the local charities and volunteering, in small groups they choose a local charity, find out as much as they can and then show support, and the best group wins money for their charity over and above any raised! Great idea, some kid shave taken this and are doing great things! some, well they are teens! but time was brought up to a group who are still making their choice properly as they have one class a week and we have 5 weeks of term to the possible new timetable, which marks the end of this for the 2nd years! at one class a week of 55 minutes they have used this weeks so have less than 4 hours to finish! Just 5 week to new timetable!  Who stole this year already? I know I have had lots to do and lots to sort but come on, 5 school weeks to the start of the SQA diet! 

And to finish today we have snow! what a surprise  Not. the cold cruel world at 6 am this morning was minus 7 and I could not get warm, was just glad I had followed my instincts and got dressed! much brighter mornings and loads of people stood round in streets as I drove home. Had a bit of worry about the Train running after this happened yesterday afternoon... 
Which left us sat at the train station this morning as the next train was announced as cancelled but that was the one that hadn't got up the night before! (picture form MFR Facebook page with note thanks to Alexandra Hope) sadly that bit of road is it! and has traffic lights and work on it anyway, and the Railway is right next to the road, what you can't see is the sea is right next to that on the left, and yes that is beach beyond the crane!

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