I’m having one of those days… the kind where you are stretched to the breaking point, blinking back tears of frustration. Despite all your planning, hard work and determination – there are obstacles that you can’t manage around. Were I a man, I would be growling and either heading out to battle or heading back into my cave to hibernate until the storm passed – as a woman, I am riding the crest of near-tears, waiting for the final straw that will leave me in a puddle.

I’m in the middle of the perfect storm…one that began building before I left on my R&R.

1. First was the change in director, not a bad thing in and of itself, but still there are the inevitable challenges inherit in a change in leadership (thinking / strategy / processing) as well as their learning curve. Everything from what they may or may not know about your particular part of the program down to reporting formats – nothing can be taken for granted and you cannot know what the next change / challenge will be.

2. Handing your program over to another manager for two weeks (and to no one for a third, unanticipated week)  – change is inevitable, but catching up takes time!

3. Getting stuck in transit for an extra week when you have only 7 more weeks to implement your program

4. More projects started than your staff can keep up with – many of them include cleaning out side ditches in town. While the progress is good and the projects are great….with Eid (a HUGE holiday ala Christmas) starting in a day or two, the municipality wants the debris out of town….NOW!

5. Add to all of this some difficulties in accessing funds to pay laborers and vendors…

…and, voilà! The perfect storm.

While that may be the context…there are some wins!

Municipal front loader helping to remove debris from worksites.

The good news is that we’re pulling out all the stops to get cash into town – we’re also collaborating with the Municipality to remove the debris – and it looks as though it will be done this afternoon.

My team is pulling together to pull the projects off – they’re working evenings and weekends, and what makes that even more remarkable is that they are doing this all while still fasting for Ramadan. Their commitment to this job and to the work that we’re doing is something I don’t think I have ever encountered before. They are amazing!

Okay – it is one of those days, and though I feel a million miles away from home and am still blinking back tears of frustration – I am comforted knowing that I am surrounded by an incredible group of people, my team!

Municipal front loader dumps debris into a waiting tractor trailer.

Laborers pose during a lull in the work.