Change

In my job, I work with various departments to help them switch over from our old legacy software to a new software that’s going to be used throughout the company. The group I’m working with currently is Customer Service. I’m looking for gaps between the old system and new system, documenting new processes and designing a training program and website for the department. It’s “challenging”.

They like their old software and want the new program to work exactly the same. Well it’s not going to. I’m starting to think that they believe if they are difficult and demanding enough that we will customize the hell out of the new software or better yet, just give up on installing it at all. Some people are even planning on retiring to avoid learning a new program!

I do empathize, I understand how hard it can be to learn something new. I understand wanting to stick with the old, tried and true. Boy! Do I understand these things! So I’m trying to be patient and reassuring. I keep telling them, you’ll get used to the new software and eventually the new becomes the old. You start to see the advantages. It’s even kind of exciting sometimes! You are smarter than you think and you’ll figure this all out and become more and more confident as you go along.

So far, my pep talks are not hitting home, at least not with my software users, and I feel sorry for them. But it’s a good lesson for me to see how short-sighted their viewpoint is. To see how unpleasant they are to be around, all stuck in the muck and whiny like that. How hard they make things not just for me but for themselves by putting all their energy into fighting against a change that’s going to happen, that is happening, no matter what they think, want, or feel.

It’s tough feeling like you have no control or say in your future. The thing is that they do. But they have to expend some positive energy into building something better than what they had. Of thinking outside the box and not just try to develop a system to copy the one that they had.

The old system is being replaced because it had reached it’s limits and can no longer meet our needs. There might be better ways of operating and accomplishing their goals if they just look at it with fresh eyes. They could be having some fun with this. They could be excited about the chance to really make this thing work, and work well.

It’s so much easier to adjust to a software change than a huge life change. So while I understand, I also want to scream, “Get over it you bunch of wimps!”

Horse Keeping Update

We had a cold snap the past week and this is what I’ve been dealing with.

Ice, and there’s that load of manure that will need to be moved from it’s spot behind the barn to the manure pile out in the pasture.

My biggest problem is that we had some warm weather before the cold snap and when the puddles and mud froze, it froze into ruts and mounds that are making it difficult to open and close the sliding barn door.

I hate to lose the snow and move into mud season but I am looking forward to this week’s thaw and the chance to dig out under the door once the ground thaws some. Right now, it’s too rock hard.

Java Update

Java and I went skijoring this morning. She ran really hard for the first downhill part of the course and then dragged the rest of the way around. She seems to have more energy when we go in the afternoon or when she has a skier in front of her that she wants to catch.

She does a lot of this when we are skijoring. She’s running and suddenly notices a leaf and puts on the brakes.