Sometimes it’s hard enough to do your own job, but imagine being tasked with doing someone else’s. That is exactly what happened to someone I know well during his tenure in a large, unnamed public agency.
This involved two very large unnamed public agencies in a very large unnamed state which had several very large-scale and highly visible projects going on during my good friend’s time there. He was part of them both.
Both projects involved the implementation of brand new, state-of-the-art online reporting systems and my good friend was a trainer for both projects – training end-users how to report their data online using the new systems. My good friend loved his job and was very good at it. But he was tasked with doing someone else’s job too.
Before I get into details I would like to stress something very important regarding this particular large unnamed public agency in the large unnamed state: completed staff work.
Completed staff work is what my very good friend accomplished every day and he was very good at it.
This is what completed staff work looks like from a training perspective: a trainer creates training modules, which may include workbooks or computer-based-training modules. Because trainers are hired on the basis that they are experts in their craft, their supervisors knowing this, sign off on their work. It is not a supervisor’s job to create training or even decide what type of training should take place. That’s why they hire trainers, who are experts.
That however was not my good friend’s experience.
My good friend knew his place and that was to follow the instructions of those appointed over him – even when their instructions were not entirely clear.
But sometimes those instructions involved doing someone else’s job too.
One of the large unnamed public agencies that my good friend worked for hosted an annual educational event where their clients could meet with representatives from the large, unnamed agency, receive training, and otherwise be kept apprised of current trends and other information.
My good friend was tasked with coming up with a 45-minute presentation explaining all the finer points of the brand new, state-of-the-art online reporting system. May I also add that many hundreds of millions of dollars was spent on this brand new, state-of-the-art online reporting system – lots of zeros in that dollar amount.
An casual observer or tax-payer who was aware of the dollar amount spent and the scope of this project would automatically think: shouldn’t the senior management of this large, unnamed public agency decide what they want to say about their brand new, state-of-the-art online reporting system in their annual educational event? Common sense does say this.
But common sense was largely absent. Senior management didn’t seem to know their job.
Neither did middle management.
Low level management missed out on their opportunity to shine by stating emphatically that the task they were tasked with doing was well above their paygrade.
The only person who seemed to know what was going on was my good friend, but of course he couldn’t decline the task since his job description involved that catch-all phrase at the very bottom: “and all duties assigned.”
Thus my good friend did what he always did: he created an amazing 45-minute presentation and knocked the audience’s socks off as he presented, receiving rave reviews.
Unfortunately my very good friend tired of doing someone else’s job. Eventually he showed himself the door and took his talents with him.
And unfortunately the next opportunity presented itself in much the same manner.
