oh boy, what now?

On Monday evening my department manager messaged my assistant department manager and myself that I was to begin a training program regarding our new Warehouse move at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning. This was very unexpected and I am not even sure I welcome this? This is in addition to the overnight winter storm we were experiencing. Not only would I have to work until 11:45 p.m. I would have to be at the new job site by 9:00 a.m. after digging my car out of the snow and ice!

  I am also concerned that this may generate some animosity amongst my fellow team members: most of which are senior to me, there are several that have child care issues (have you ever heard of a daycare center open until midnight? ), and there are a few that have higher career ambitions than I do.

  Just as I am beginning to fine-tune my new daily routine for 2024, my whole schedule has been upended. All of my VA related medical appointments and other things happen only between 8:30 and 4:30 Monday through Friday. How am I going to do all of these necessary activities? 

   I set my alarm for 6:00 a.m., with the hopes of being out of my apartment by 8:00 a.m. . This would give me enough time to shovel out my car, and stop and pick up a notebook to take notes during this training, and the extra time it would need for the commute in inclement weather, or so I thought.

  I didn't manage to get out of the apartment until about 8:05, it took me quite a while to scrape the ice and snow off of my car before I was able to drive it. I had driven to the local grocery store, but it was very slow growing. I saw little evidence of snow plowing or salting of the roads. Thankfully the grocery store was open that early, I had never had the need to go at this hour before since moving to the town a year ago.

  The drive to work should have taken 15 to 17 minutes according to Google maps, but with the stop at the grocery store and the very slow going it took me more than 50! I punched in at 9:00 a.m. on the dot (it was unclear whether or not the fingerprint scanner would recognize me at the new facility). When I should have been there beforehand and have reported to my trainer before 9:00 a.m.

  My trainer is a major manager at our company, and a very nice guy! The training went well, but it seemed only to be 30 to 90 seconds at a pop as more and more people came in to ask him how to do things in the new system. I don't have the information but I assume that he is one of the few people whom has been fully trained in the new warehouse management system. So everybody needs to come to him. All of the other assistant apartment managers, team leads, and regular employees have only started there at the new facility, with the new system, since last week. It looks like there is a lot of learning to do and bugs to be worked out of the system.

  It took all day, but I managed to only ship out one order! I really do not know how and for how long this training will continue. It is my understanding that I would be trained and  would be tasked to training our whole team. I am concerned that I may not be capable enough to do this great task. I have professionally and personally bitten off more than I can chew before and there is a genuine apprehensiveness based on history. This is in addition to any resentment that my colleagues may have, all of whom I very much like. I wasn't given any choice in the matter, or even much warning.

  I am not looking for any great advancement in position or responsibility, I've turned down opportunities to move up and to move to first shift in the almost two years I have been there.  (Insert your favorite old dog/new tricks joke here). I have asked the Lord for the opportunity to earn more money, so this new situation may be part of that. I am certainly calling on (crying to)God to be with me as I go forward.

   On a lighter note: I took a picture of the company sign flanked by two bare  trees, on a landscape of snow and sent it to our colleagues at our Phoenix, Arizona area facility. They got lots of laughs!

  My sincere prayer is that I do not screw this situation up, which is something I have also done in the past, both professionally and interpersonally.