Final CREDO note

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

There were two other things that arose from my CREDO experience/process that didn't quite rise to the level of being a goal but I felt needed to be addressed.

There were several comments about how I didn't answer some communications in a timely manner. That took me by surprise. In talking with my friends that week we talked about e-mail and how I had to check several accounts. "How many?" they asked. Well, there are four work accounts and three home accounts.

Stunned silence.

Followed by very clear input that I needed to fix that. So I'm weeding out two accounts at work and one at home. The work accounts will be for direct communication with me and one for newsletters, documents, and forms. I've already seen a vast improvement in my efficiency simply because it's all distilled into a couple places. I also realized that I was checking my e-mail several times an hour. This broke up my work into small scattered pieces, a system I've never liked. The program there is for me to check them when I arrive, at lunch time and an hour before I take off for the day. If I'm expecting something I can check more often. That has also given me much longer runs at tasks. I think I'm responding much more quickly AND getting more and better work done. Good stuff.

But if that one took me by surprise this one just about killed me. I got a note from someone who said some of our youth perceived me as playing favorites and believing that some of them could "never do anything right".

It was like a dagger in the heart. Are there some kids I've come to know much better than others? Yes. Am I closer with them? Yes. But I've tried to my limits never to play favorites. And I can not think of any young person that I had no hope for at all. I had two choices. To discard the comment as being a personal attack or to take it on board. The folks I'd asked to fill out these comments were people I knew and liked and trusted and respected. And one of them felt strongly enough to put that comment down in black and white.

So I've taken it on board. I apologized to Youth Commission for any such offense I might have committed against them and apologize here to any young person that feels I've slighted them. Creating such a feeling in you is a failure on my part and it's a failure I regret to my very core. I will be working very hard to make sure it never happens again. If you see me doing it please call me on it so that I can fix it.

So that's it. Well at least the high (and low) spots of it. CREDO has presented me with a great challenge as I move forward. I'm excited and a little scared. I hope you'll keep me in your prayers as I move forward with this new adventure.

Peace