Organizational Control

This morning I was thinking about our new CEO and his efforts to control our organization as well as a conversation I had with our seasoned (32 yrs at my workplace) maintenance man.  I like what they represent-future and past. The names and faces of my work family have changed so much during the past 5 years that it's left me feeling sad, insecure, and vulnerable. So I asked the "old timer" how he deals with all the change-for surely if I've been dealing with the effects of change in my short time at work, he has lived through much more significant changes to his workplace environment.  His answer was short and simple- I just control what I can control. I do what I can do-I enjoy doing what I do- and I don't get caught up in all the turmoil.  I appreciated the reminder for this simple, yet powerful strategy.

My definition of "control"  has expanded this week to include the concept of "order".  Usually I pride myself in being a gal who thrives in chaos.  I'm an artist-I rationalize. I'm not an "anal" compulsive gal-my messes serve the greater good of creativity. I like blowing things apart to see the separate elements so I can synthesize basic building blocks to create something original. However, this week, I've seen the value of trying to be artistic through order, especially as I have used that past to create the future.

This week 4 tasks helped increase my sense of control. Each task was done as a personal favor and motivated by desire to help.  Doing something for someone else seems to have more motivating power due to accountability as well as my love for that person.

First ordering task was reworking the existing group therapy matrix.  I'm not a puzzle person (AT ALL) but I did it!  It made me feel good when my clinical director printed it out and gave it to all the therapists to start using it next week. One of the best parts about the new schedule was plugging our art teacher/art therapist into the matrix.  Not only does it benefit our students, but it helps his career and helps him utilize his credentials and expertise how HE wants. It made me feel good that I could help him out just by making a stupid color chart of scheduled group times.

2nd order task was revisiting my past to write a letter to a overwhelmed friend of a co-worker struggling with her circumstances and "no contact" order with her boyfriend.  I looked through my old legal briefings and emotional rationale for my decision of cutting off contact with x-husband.  I realized that I really should update my writings-since all sorts of stuff has happened in the past 4 years, but that task was too daunting. Still, I wanted to try to help this gal out by relating some of my past experiences. So I just used my original "emotional rationale" letter and wrote a brief introductory paragraph mentioning some of my significant paradigm shifts during the past 4 years.  It made me feel good to use my past to try to help someone in the present.

3rd task was compiling ideas for one of my favorite therapists who is leaving and starting a new job. It was helpful and cathartic to review my past 4 years of challenge adventure outings, school field trips, and incentive activities as well as including resources and theory regarding experiential activities.  This exercise helped clarify and organize my own thinking and provide more direction in my current and future work duties.

The final order task was cleaning out my hard-drive at work. This was motivated by my daughter and her request for idea resources as she starts her new job as a 4-6 grade Montessori teacher.  It was a journey through my past work life-what I did, what I thought, and what I thought was important in terms of research and programming. I deleted about 3/4 of what I had and what was left was neatly placed in digital organizational folders.  Just this simple act of organizing my past drive gives me direction for what I want to utilize and emphasize in my present and future work.

Through basic organization tasks, I've found joy in creating and helping others.  When I think about organizing, I am dealing with remnants of the past.  Even if it's just a bunch of old papers I have strewn across my desk, or putting things (clothes, dishes, books, trash, etc) away at home.  The past can be utilized to empower the present.  I did not think it was a coincidence this morning as I read Dieter's Uchdorf's words from a pioneer celebration who stated, " It is wise to prepare for the future by looking to the past.  Lessons from the past can help us better mange the present and prepare for the future." That's what I'm trying to do- manage.  Managers are usually good organizers.  They have power and control.  I want power and control, especially in uncertain times.  I do want to control what I can control. So as I approach the "big organizational control meeting" later this morning with the CEO, I find myself feeling different than I did just a couple of days ago just because of some personal efforts to increase control through organization- a different spin on "organizational control."