Birthday Girl

Sunday, May 26, 2024

I wasn’t expecting anything special on my birthday which was yesterday, so I didn’t mind having to work, although my scheduled hours were kind of crummy, from 5-9 p.m. Here’s what’s about my birthdays: I keep them quiet and don’t let them become big deals. This year, some sort of weirdness altered my attitude and perspective. I became involved in planning for my birthday. I wished for myself the gifts of thinking positively and playing creatively.

A couple of days ago, my friend Susie invited me to dinner on my birthday and also understood my reluctance to ditch work in these days of scarce workers. We agreed to wait for a time when I’m not working (and it’s this evening).

Susie is totally a “people person.” She texted me to have fun at work and be sure to tell everybody there that “It’s my birthday.” A sweet note, but I would ignore her suggestion and keep my birthday a private affair.

Somehow, this year is unlike other years. Before I was long in the store and to my surprise, I told nearby coworkers about my birthday. Before long, suddenly and surprisingly, over our radios came a message from Lisa, our store’s manager. She announced to everybody that it was my birthday and wished me a happy one. What a tickle! By golly, and yet again, Susie was on target (she’s usually right).

Now about me and working, I can be a pest. I do my job and enjoy it, but am an old-school employee who sometimes complains to the managers. Our store has a great management team (not something said lightly because I understand good management skills). Our store’s managers are experienced, know retail inside and out, openly encourage and care for everybody, and, most importantly, they are trustworthy.

I understand training and development and contribute to the store’s efforts by giving feedback to our managers. They usually nod and maybe also ignore my comments. I work hard at keeping potential comments to myself. Sometimes I do feel that I’ve been heard.

That’s a preamble to last evening’s biggest surprise. Lisa came to my station to share a piece she’d published days before on the company website:

See what I’m saying? Reading that blew me away. Finally, I am working in a dream environment. Here, it’s okay to speak up with opinions and ideas; here, the managers are viable members of their whole team; and here, long after finishing my professional career and for the first time, I am reporting to dream managers.

Change keeps happening and that’s so here and now. Lisa is moving on soon to start managing a larger Colorado store. We in the Bend store are unhappy that she’s leaving and also wishing her well. We will buckle down and adjust to whoever shows up to try filling Lisa’s big shoes.

Here’s what’s most important: Whether the store’s leadership change proves smooth or rocky, our managers who have reported to Lisa will still be present and make the “right things” happen. We in the ranks have confidence in their judgment and technical capabilities.

Dear Friends: Why is it that only now am I learning that birthdays can be great? Diana