The juggling act

"When you ask someone to take on too many tasks while expecting a quality product, it is like handing a juggler too many balls, expecting him or her to keep them all aloft."

As with the overloaded juggler, too many tasks can make it difficult, if not impossible, to stay focused on each task adequately enough to produce the quality outcome expected.  As with the balls, some of the tasks will be dropped and fall from view.  While this results in some being left without action, it allows for more attention to be paid to those still in play.

Unfortunately, too frequently, it is chance, not choice, that decides which balls (tasks) will be left on the floor.  The blame for this should not fall on  the person doing the tasks, but, rather, on whomever assigned the overwhelming workload.

I feel that our PUD, in attempt to keep down costs, until they have a better handle of the finances, may have handed too few staff too many balls (assignments) to keep in the air.  Not providing  staff needed for management and customer services, such as conservation and programs for our less fortunate neighbors is, in the long run, loosing more than it gains.

I have recently heard statistics quoted that indicate that the PUD should have a staff of 57.  The source quoted was the Brown & Kysar Consultants report, prepared for the PUD, dated June 2010.  In reviewing the document, the only reference to suggested staff is on page 15, "Proposed Organizational Chart", and, after counting up all the suggested staff positions, I can only come up with 43, 46 if you count the Commissioners.

Along with an operational long and short range plan, a projects matrix should be developed, with completion dates and detailed responsibilities defined.  Once all of the required, and nice to have, tasks are listed, then, and only then, can a responsible assessment of staffing levels be performed.

Contracting out routine tasks, such as implementation of our PUD's conservation program does not work, as we have seen.  The dollars spent on out of town hired guns leaves the community, never to return.  When you hire staff and keep them local, a stronger loyalty develops along with ownership and pride in completing the assigned tasks.  As a bonus, the dollars spent locally on wages helps grow our economy.

The ballots will be mailed our soon.  I hope that this blog helps allow you to get to know me.  Watch for ads to appear soon in the Leader.  They will be small, but with my budget, the best I can do.

 As with so many of my fellow citizens, we have to prioritize where our limited funds will be spent.  The opportunity to serve you as a PUD Commissioner is important to me, but paying our bills comes first.  The "curse" of being financially responsible.

Enjoy the sunshine and please, conserve water where and when you can..
Tony