Oh my flaming fingers, is that the time?
A whole week since my last post.
I seem to have spent the entire week up against deadlines of one sort or another. Documents needing to be submitted by a certain date, work needing to be completed by the end of the day or the end of the week, or even (rarely) the end of the month.
The auditors have announced that they wish to visit next month, to discuss our recent submission in depth. They have chosen the one date I desperately wanted to have as a day off, but that's just typical. I shall simply have to take three days of the following week instead of two, as a meeting day with them is always fairly intense and I'm exhausted already as the short deadlines continue.
Meantime, I have 1,200 words of reviews to get through this morning, plus a load of washing if I want to have anything clean to wear next week for work. The review requests have been coming thick and fast this week and it has been a good week to launch the blog, as there is a lot of new work on there now.
On another positive note, bragging rights this week include the fact that a former boss has been knighted in the Queen's birthday honours list. The University department where I used to work now boasts no less than three Professor Sirs on its current and emeritus academic list (1991, 2010 and 2015). Some places just have intelligence in the air. That was one such location.
I'll be back later to read and comment.
Image Credit » http://pixabay.com/en/alarm-clock-clock-time-wake-up-155187/ by OpenClipartVectors
Comments
MegL wrote on June 14, 2015, 3:51 AM
I'm exhausted just reading about that!
Lovebeingmummy wrote on June 14, 2015, 6:34 AM
You've been very busy
PineMartens wrote on June 14, 2015, 6:57 AM
Trying to find something positive in all that work and at least we don't have to handwash clothes lol. I just usually forget I put the washing on. Sounds like you're very busy but sounds like all the work is worth it!
DWDavisRSL wrote on June 14, 2015, 8:07 AM
Your week sounds a lot like my last two weeks what with all the paperwork needing to be done. I still have a bit to take care of but will be off for the summer come Thursday.
WordChazer wrote on June 14, 2015, 10:55 AM
I would like one month without a single deadline from the auditors, if possible. That's a lot easier to say than to achieve, as they are quite rigorous in their approach and sometimes verge on the ruthless telling us what we need to show evidence for as well. Naturally my bosses have other plans for my time, but when the auditors don't agree, I'm stuck piggy in the middle trying to keep everyone happy and squeezing the rest of my life into the remaining space. Weekends are non-existent round here at the moment because there's always something else going on when I'm not at work.
WordChazer wrote on June 14, 2015, 10:56 AM
Sure have...
WordChazer wrote on June 14, 2015, 11:01 AM
At least I've been so tired every night that I have slept well. And yes, at least we don't have to hand wash clothes! My washer takes 75 minutes which means if I load it the night before, my husband puts it on when he gets home and it's just about finishing by the time I get in, so the contents can go on the airer in the conservatory to dry.
Some of the work feels like it will be worth it. Other bits, not so much. That's the way it goes, I guess. The auditors will always have to come first because adhering to their rules is part of my job role. Failure to meet their requirements could result in reputational damage to self and organisation. Not a good move!
WordChazer wrote on June 14, 2015, 11:03 AM
I'm glad I'm not alone with the paperwork. Clearing up the feedback forms after the Study Day is most what I'd like to be doing right now, but the audit deadlines are short, sharp and ongoing so there's little choice but to go with their requests right now and leave the Study Day work for a quieter time.
MegL wrote on June 14, 2015, 1:51 PM
Your bosses should make pleasing the auditors your top priority. If you don't manage that, THEY are going to be in trouble.
WordChazer wrote on June 14, 2015, 2:15 PM
Yes, my bosses are certainly making pleasing the auditors the top priority. The auditors can cause us a LOT of hassle if we fail an audit! The idea was that everything I did would feed into the audit anyway, but what we didn't foresee before embarking upon this was the sheer amount of information they would require. Digging that out takes much more time than envisaged. My bosses have other plans they'd rather I was working on, which would inform the audit too, if I had time to fit them in. They want us to undertake surveys, for instance. Among several other recent surveys, last Saturday we gave the Study Day delegates a feedback form. I have barely scratched the surface of what they have said though because two days later, on the Monday, the auditors confirmed their visit date and sent over a lengthy list of documents they wished to see during their visit next month. Guess what I've been doing since? Tracking them down, updating them, sending them for approval if needed and so on. Detailed stuff (which I love, don't get me wrong) but riddled with short, punchy deadlines just designed to raise everyone's blood pressure a few notches.