The end of the year is always a busy time for many, and this was the case for me every year without fail. On this particular year, not only was it busy but the company I was working for at the time, seemed to have so many strategies it wanted to implement. One of my strengths that helps me with the pressures of work is when I'm reading about new changes, I will have my moment to moan internally as I read about it, then I'll just get on with it.
Thankfully the changes have never compromised with my values. The downside is they are usually mandatory, so it is a good thing I have the spirit to just get on with things. Some of my team also had this response to change, while others needed to understand the "why of the why" which I think is also important. Sometimes getting the team to carry out the change is not easy, and this is where "changing pains" can occur.
As I am dealing with the pressures of having to make these changes, get the team on board, and carry on with my regular responsibilities, the team are also dealing with their own personal pressures in life and when we don't understand each other’s pressures, tension can arise. Thankfully for me, I've had some team members who felt comfi enough to pull me aside into "my office" (I didn't have one, but whenever I needed to have a word with a team member, I would use those words and if they needed to see me, they'd say the same) and express their concerns.
I really like this approach because I strongly believe it is important to have conversations when we have something on our chest, so we can work on resolving it. I would try and encourage my team that there was nothing we couldn't resolve through conversation. One of my colleagues asked to speak to me as she wasn't happy with how I was conducting things. She also expressed how she had a lot of personal things going on at home. I was not aware of how I was showing up for her. We were able to work things out and we continued with our duties.
One day, I decided to go to work earlier to try and get ahead with some things. I found two of my colleagues already at work. I was not surprised. They would do this many times when we were busy and didn't demand any overtime. This was a Godsend because the company was very tight on overtime and any overtime had to be approved before it was carried out. Well on this day, I would find out why the company was tight on overtime.
Soon after I arrived at work, our area manager was at the door. He would usually come early but on this day, he came really early. I didn't think anything of it. After morning salutations, he tells me he has an announcement, and I should get the other ladies to gather around. He read this speech from a written letter. In my head I was like "does this man know I have things to do". I didn't sacrifice my sleep to come early and stand around. At the end of his speech, he summarises that the branch was being sold by the company.
I'll be honest and say, in my head, I had a conversation with the colleague who had pulled me aside, and said, "You see! this is why I was saying, we have a lot to do " (in her defence she wasnt refuting it, she just wasnt happy with my approach). I didnt know the sale was in the pipeline but from the changes, it just seemed the company was trying to go somewhere. Apparently not with us. I was shocked!
I also didn't quite know after that speech, what it really meant. We asked our area manager questions and questions. The summary was we were being sold to another company. None of us could stay with the old company because basically it’s like selling a house. You have to sell it with all its contents. I still remember the analogy I used in my head "oh so you can't sell the house without the toilet".
I don't know why that came to my head. We also couldn't stay with the company because there had to be a vacancy in the other branch. Not only that, but some branches were also being sold or closed down. So, praise God! ours wasn't one of those. The reason ours wasn't being closed was because it was still a "profitable business". Again, in my head I was like "oh! and that's why you're selling us!". By this time, I had worked in the branch for 8 years so if I was in my feelings, I had a right to. The thing is these things are not personal but when you don't know how it will affect you, it is personal.
Our area manager left me to then tell the other members of the team who either hadn't arrived or didn't have shifts that day. I remember calling them and asking them to pop in when they had a chance to. Everyone was surprised, didn't know how to take it and didn't know what to do. There was a lot of uncertainty, and this is always a big thing for humans, understandably. Me I did what I know. I prayed about it. I researched and spoke to ACAS to understand the situation better and more importantly understand my rights and options. I prayed about it and prayed about it and prayed about it.
At that time, I was just two months away from finishing my MBA and was doing my dissertation. Work also had to continue. There were things like stock counts and a whole bunch of things to get the branch ready for the transfer. There was a rival company directly opposite to us. I don't know if their area manager knew what was happening. He used to work for the company years ago so maybe he had heard. He came into the branch, and we talked a little bit. He then gave us his business card. I don't know how my area manager found out (not that I wouldn’t want him to find out) about this and didn't seem amused with the rival area manager. In my head I was like "ya, you want to make sure the toilet is sold with the house, mmmhmm".
I love music and would usually listen to my usual music mix of R&B, Kenyan, South African, afro beats on my way to and from work. During this time of uncertainty those weren't working for me at all. I needed encouragement because I didn't know what was going to happen. Though ACAS had settled my concerns I still didn’t know where all this was going. One of my friends, Cheryl, had introduced me to Travis Greene months ago. Nothing is ever random! God knew that one of the songs she sent to me, would be the one that would give me that encouragement in song, that I needed. To this day it is still my go to song.
"Be still and know that I AM God...I AM in control, I AM still God". I listened to this song and some others in rotation every morning of my 50-minute drive and every evening of my 40-minute drive. "Be still" was the one I listened to mostly to the point in my sleep, I would be singing it somehow or the lyrics would play in my head.
When I say God is a Good, Great, God (one of the other songs I would listen to was Great God by Jennifer Mekel) He really is. In fact, on my tombstone, I need to have this written because God is good all the time. The transfer to the company went well. The new company was supportive through the transition. Actually, both were. The new company was smaller than the previous one, so the support was different in a good way. They didn't have the many things we had to do with the other company. They just let us get on with our work and we continued to do well as a branch.
The laws of the land made sure any benefits we had with the previous company were maintained. Under the T.U.P.E regulations, the new company also couldn't make certain changes for a given time. My contract was never changed, so salary and benefit wise it was like I was working for the old company but physically I was working with the new company. Custom wise, we didn't lose customers when sometimes in these situations you can. In fact, for years! our customers despite the new name on the door! didn't even know we were operating under a new name or company. The only major thing that changed was when I left the new company, just under 5 years later. Look at God!
God took care of everything beyond my wildest imagination. He never let me down just as His word says. He will never leave nor forsake me. He heard and answered my prayers. When I was researching to see if this new company had any financial "issues" to see if it was going to go bust soon (this is the worrier and overthinker in me), God was looking at me like, you are not going to lose your job or be made redundant. If anything, it is you who is going to choose to leave years later, because I will be taking you further in to your purpose.
When I was worried about how the new owners would be, what they would want us to do, whether they they would be like the other company with initiatives from here to Timbuktu, God was like, I knew you would be worried so when this sale began, I was behind the scenes making sure that the company that would show interest in the branch, would be one that allowed you to work with more autonomy. Me with my "toilet" analogy, God reminded me the situation could have been worse and again when the P&L was being looked at etc, He made sure that the option of closing the branch like the others, was NOT even on the table!
Where we had been told to expect our figures to go down initially, our customers were like "we don't care what name is on the door, so long as you are all here". The figures supported this, despite our rival being directly opposite to us. Our rivals premises was more spacious and had AC in the summer and a nice heating system in the winter (you learn the importance of these during these seasons and the customers noticed this too). Despite these conditions (which were like this even with the old company), our customers remained loyal.
Things didn't go well for my former company and later that year, my area manager with so many others, lost their jobs. He continued to work with the local committee which supported local branches including ours and we continued our professional relationship with harmony. I love this and God for sure was behind this because there are some supernatural things God does so well, because ...I know me.Thank you Jesus!
On top of all the many good things that happened some of which I may not have realised or have forgotten, I was able to continue with my MBA studies during this big change, successfully. In one module, Financial Management, I had emailed the lecturer at the beginning of the course, basically saying I didn't see myself doing well in it and had asked for her help (She never replied). I have always been a science-y student so when it came to doing this business studies kind of subjects, accounting, balancing books etc, I was seeing stars, neutrons, and protons. But God! made sure I sat that exam during this period of uncertainty, passed with flying colours and got an overall grade of 80% in this module. I will remember that forever.
When I say God is Good All the Time, I know what I'm talking about. I have lived in his goodness and greatness from conception and will do so forever, because of His Grace and Love that gives me the option of eternal life and the enjoyment of the mansion Jesus has phenomenally prepared for me. A place where there will be no more uncertainty, no more work stress, no more branch transfers, no more work tension, no more studying, no more busy periods, no more end of the year rush, no more winter, no more juggling studying with full time work. And even here in the land of the living, He will continue to bless me amazingly.
Most of all in that eternal life, I will get to hang out with God and enjoy all His Goodness face to face! What a day of rejoicing that will be! Because if this is how it is without seeing his face, In the words of Jesus, “Truly, Truly”, it will be phenomenally spectacular! You will understand why it is an option I must take, not just to enjoy the benefits but to say Thank You to this wonderful God, who was there for me at a crucial time and continued to be patient with me and my worry worry and overthinking self. I will say it again, And All the Time God is Phenomenally Great and Good! Why? The Lord was my helper; though I feared,; in the end what could man do to me?” In the words of my humanly flesh "not a damn thing".
May The Good Lord Bless you and Keep you.
Related verses:
Hebrews 13:61, John 5:14, Psalm 46:10, 1 Corinthians 15:10, Ephesians 3:20, Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 57:2, Psalms 116:1-9, Psalm 23:4, Deuteronomy 31:8, Hebrews 13:5, Joshua 1:9, Matthew 28:20, Genesis 28:15, Deuteronomy 4:31, Psalm 55:22, John 14:18
#MyOffice #Conversation #Empathy #Overtime #Shock #Profitable #InMyFeelings #ACAS #Change #MBA #TUPE #Customers #TravisGreene #Toilet
Next post: 6/11/2022
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God is good, all the time. #Thankful
A million little miracles.