Day 222 - being professional

 Today is the 5th day of the 32nd week, the 10th day of the 8th month, the 222nd day of 2023, and:

• Agent Orange Awareness Day
• Independence Day - Quito from Spain in 1809 [but not confirmed until a battle in May 1822]
• International Biodiesel Day
• International Vlogging Day
• National Connecticut Day
• National Duran Duran Appreciation Day
• National Lazy Day
• National S'mores Day
• National Shapewear Day
• National Spoil Your Dog Day
• Paul Bunyan Day
• Skyscraper Appreciation Day
• Smithsonian Day
• World Lion Day

Quote of the day:

"In our personal and professional lives, we are constantly hit with one adversity after the other, most of which we have no control over. But the four things we have total control over is how we react, how we adapt, how we breathe, and how we take action."

~ Diamond Dallas Page, American actor, yoga instructor, and retired professional wrestler

I am in the office today.  Technically, bossman had given me permission from home, but I have chosen not to avail myself of what I know I want and need.  Why?  Because I cannot make my problems my manager's or my coworkers problem.  

It's called "being professional" and yesterday I was not.  I forgot the basics that I teach to every direct report - when you are in a support function, you do not have coworkers, you have customers.  

If you go into Starbucks to pick up a venti skin chai no water no foam extra hot, you don't care if the barista is having a bad day or is troubled.  You want your drink and a pleasant interaction and then to go your way.  Being in support is the same thing.  If you are stressed, troubled, anxious, etc, while you might expect your coworkers to understand and by sympathetic, you do not expect that from your customers.  Who are your customers when you are in support?  Management, the sales force, even other support departments [eg Accounting].   Yesterday?  My "failure to communicate" boiled down to me unrealistically expecting bossman and my coworkers - my customers - to know, understand, and sympathize with my very real angst and to respond supportively.  That they did none of those things does not reflect on them, but it does mean my expectations were unreasonable in the context of the workplace.

Took a very sleepless night to hammer this out and get my mindset in the correct mode, but I did it.