We’re getting ready to go to a new procedure at work. Without boring you with details, it’s going to mean a change in the way I do things. Though probably not as big of a change as my supervisors would like to think. Because while this change cuts down on the amount of work I have to do in one area, it GREATLY increases the amount of work I’ll have to do in another area.
But none of this is the problem. The problem is that this change means there is something that will now be done by computer that used to be done by a human being (me) and up until today no one saw that there is a potential “catastrophic” flaw in the plan. (Catastrophic—that was Russ’ word, when I told him about this, and I think it sums it up pretty well.)
Who was the one that discovered the potential catastropic flaw? Me. And why had I not discovered it before? Because up until only a day or two ago, I had not been taken into confidence on the nuts and bolts of this new procedure. Now that I know, it didn’t take me too long to figure out that there’s a problem.
Now here are my thoughts: if the powers that be had at any point thought to consult the very person who has to use this new system, perhaps this flaw could have come to light much earlier, rather than only days before we are set to make the change. But why do that? Why in the world consult the person who has to work with the new system? The person who knows the most about how things are done at a nuts and bolts level? I mean, that person couldn’t possibly have any valuable input, could they? I mean…I just work here. Right?
Sigh.
I’m sure I’m not the only peon this has ever happened to. But it just makes you shake your head and wonder.
At any rate, I’m curious to see what happens tomorrow.
