My first task is to convince people to do something they don�t want to do. That�ll be fun. We�ll go through all the moves and we�ll talk it through. God knows, they�ve been doing that for a year now. But, by the end of the day, they�ll be doing it. If not, there�ll be consequences.

I don�t understand how people can get away with refusing to do an assignment. I mean, I know that this place has a culture all it�s own but the chickens are running the farm around here. I know, I know�I saw Chicken Run too, but it just won�t do.

Back when I was a heavy in another life, I had the miserable task of finding ways to assist people into another career�out of the company. It helped that we were downsizing and we could give away severance packages and the like but it was brutal.

We had one person who was a particular problem. She was an award-winning journalist with the finest credentials. However, she was an organizational nightmare � extremely high maintenance. She needed to have absolutely everything done for her and it was simply draining on the whole operation.

It got to the point that no one would work with her (when she showed up, that is) and she lost the premium program slot to a less prestigious show until, finally, she was relegated to weekends.

She became my problem. We had nowhere to put her. She was in her fifties and I had to cut her position. When I finally tracked her down and then finally had a meeting with her, I announced to her that she was being let go. She broke down in tears in my office. We sat in silence - well, she was still sobbing � for an hour or so. I wanted to hug her, but it wouldn�t have been the professional thing to do. I didn�t want to be nailed for harassment.

It�s not that she particularly loved the job. I think she really hated it, at that point. It was the loss of her identity, her reason for being. And I was taking it away from her.

That was a tough day but I�ve had many of those. She was just one of dozens.

Anyway, I left that game in 1998 and I�m jumping back into it on Monday.

Wish me luck

Arc