200204 A well earned thank you.

SOMETIMES WE FORGET - SO SORRY.

RICK - JUST FOR YOU ELECTRIC, THERE I MENTIONED IT!

We owe all you hardwoking guys and gals a sincere thankyou, inspite of my and other's protests. We rolled through what could perhaps have been a terrible nightmare without even a 'bump in the road'. in fact it was more like an expansion joint in a concrete highway.

Thanks to you all - even you FactFinder - as much as I have protested - Thanks again to all.

xBob

http://www.kcstar.com/item/pages/business.pat,business/37743407.202,.html

DIANE STAFFORD: Heroes are sometimes unheralded  Send e-mail to DIANE STAFFORD

By DIANE STAFFORD - Columnist Date: 02/02/00 22:15

In mid-January, information technology workers who spent last year preventing computer-related meltdowns began forwarding an e-mail.

The punch line:

"We did our jobs so damned well that the only question remaining was whether there had been any need to do the job at all."

The e-mail is titled "The Heroes of Y2K" and credited to Judy Backhouse. A publisher in South Africa has a copyright on the piece and I haven't been able to reach Backhouse personally, so I won't reprint her full lament here.

The gist of it is that all the computer code checking, rewriting, upgrading and testing, along with a crush of form writing, was done well and on time.

What happened?

"The clocks ticked over to the year 2000 with nothing more than minor hitches.

"And were they grateful? Did the world thank us and laud us as the heroes we quite clearly were?

"No!

"They turned around and called it `all hype.' They questioned the money spent."

"The Heroes of Y2K" is much longer than what's quoted here, but the drift is clear. Legions of IT workers feel unheralded for their work.

Sure, some companies threw Y2K parties at midnight on New Year's Eve. Some IT people earned bonuses in recognition of their missed vacations and late nights on the job. Some in-house newsletters published kudos for those who kept operations running seamlessly.

Still, the tale of IT workers who feel unappreciated provides lessons for the workplace as whole.

Lesson one: Pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Thanking yourself may be the only reward you get. It's still worthwhile. Allow yourself permission to luxuriate, "I did it!"

Lesson two: Understand there is curious danger in doing your job so easily or so well that others have a diminished perception of how hard you work. Workers who can "handle it" often do, day in and day out, to little acclaim, simply because it's expected of them. Believe it or not, that's a compliment. Take it as such.

Lesson three: Public opinion about your profession or your work can be misinformed. Derogatory labels pinned on whole batches of workers -- postal employees, lawyers, government employees, journalists, to name a few that quickly come to mind -- may be faulty stereotypes that don't apply to you. Brush them off.

Lesson four: Sometimes you do have to walk in the other guy's shoes to understand what he or she does. The co-worker who constantly flutters about in a panic may be a poor time manager, not a vital, overworked cog in the corporate machine; conversely, the one who appears to be idly staring at a computer screen may be keeping the company afloat. Don't judge others' contributions without the facts.

Lesson five: Congratulations can come from anyone. When you see someone save the day -- or the hour -- say thanks. Let others know you notice and appreciate them. Don't wait for the boss's praise. Share it with one another. It has a nice effect.

Just ask the IT folk who tacked "The Heroes of Y2K" on their bulletin boards.

Diane Stafford's workplace column appears on Thursdays. To reach her, write the business desk at 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108; send e-mail to stafford@kcstar.com; or call (816) 234-4359

All content ) 2000 The Kansas City Star

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2000

Answers

Bob, you are welcome. I felt that you were one of the more pessimistic folks who regularly posted on this board, so your thanks means a little bit more to me.

Regarding the article, I find it a bit curious that some Y2k workers would feel so unappreciated. I am reminded of one of Dr. Laura's sayings..."Integrity has its own reward." (Note that I am not endorsing all of her viewpoints...interestingly, I sat in front of her and her husband on a plane during my Y2k travels). If those workers really did work hard to get rid of the y2k bug, and they were paid a reasonable rate for their work, the satisfaction of seeing little Y2k problems should be enough.

Unlike others who went to the public forums with mis-information about Y2k and the power industry, (IMHO, two examples are Jim Lord and Robert Cook), those of us in the industry can be glad that we provided accurate data on the issues.

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2000

xBob, You know, each of us has our own personality and traits, I for one am glad that we aren't all the smae with the same thoughts and views. You and I have had a number of discussions, and I have enjoyed meeting you here, and also at TB2000 I believe, it's really been a bit fun at times, don't ya think?

And don't you just know that somewhere, sometime, we will again be on opposite ends of a controversial issue, lol...

If so, I suggest we remain friends :)

-- Anonymous, February 09, 2000