First Anniversary at Victor Pres

Monday was the first anniversary of my part-time job as administrative assistant at Victor Presbyterian. The timing coincides with me being about 1/3 of the way through another term at school, and one class is conflict and communication. Oftentimes the lessons ask about the way a conflict at work is handled and I haven't been able to come up with a single contribution in that area. The volunteers and staff are awesome to work with. The job itself is a perfect mix of challenge and routine, of autonomy and supervision, and community and isolation.

I've done a couple projects -- updated the church database and compiled a directory. But the biggest accomplishment, a team effort, began about halfway through my law office management class. One of the projects was to design a law office and I scored 100%. That got me thinking . . . the space where the volunteers and I work needed some rearranging. Volunteers couldn't use the paper cutter without banging into my desk, couldn't open a file cabinet drawer without the drawer bumping against the desk, and couldn't sit at a table to help the treasurer count money. The volunteer who collates the newsletter had to carry copies and supplies down the hall to find space to work. If I was making copies and the phone rang, I had to go around the desk to answer the phone -- and usually didn't run fast enough.

So I e-mailed the treasurer, and after several chats back and forth to analyze all the activities that occur in the space, I drew up a rough-draft floorplan, which she adapted a bit. Pastor Colin helped me haul out the L-shaped desk, too big and cumbersome to be effective. Over the next three days (partly because the space was so cramped things had to be moved a couple times to make room -- like backing a car out of a too-tight parking space), furniture, supplies and equipment was manipulated into the new design.

The new design works well. The tellers can count money without getting a backache from leaning over a desk. The newsletter volunteer can work at the table now sitting next to the copier. The office area is separated from the work area, so volunteers don't feel like they're in the way. The church runs on volunteers; the last thing we need is for them to feel like they're in the way.

I just finished another edition of the church directory. With room to work efficiently, the project was minimal effort.