11.03.2005

Change for the Sake of Change

(warning: The following is a bit of a rant. Pay it no mind.)

Sometimes it's the little things that make me crazy. I'm all for change. I'm all for improving the world and improving my job and doing things better. What bothers me is change for the sake of change. It's that whole "if something's not broke, don't fix it" mentality. Right now it's a struggle for me because I feel like there's a lot of 'stuff' being changed or being discussed as being changed because one person thinks it is a good idea. It's frustrating to me because, like it or not, some things actually WORK the way they WORK now. We don't have to change everything just because you're the new guy. I love when people make their jobs easier and, in doing so, make other people's jobs more difficult. that is perhaps my favorite thing in the world. I understand being new and feeling like you have something to prove, but c'mon! Let good enough be good enough for awhile. I'm sorry the system we uses causes 30 seconds more work for you, but changing it for me caused me about half an hour. And it's only half an hour, but it's my half an hour and you don't get to tell me what to do with it.

My favorite discussion recently is one that concerns my job almost 100% that I was brought into after the fact. Seems that there is discussion about maybe changing the database we use at work (okay, I use at work). Part of my job is to manage, update, and keep the database. What is annoying is not that there is talk of a switch, but that I heard someone talking to the rep from the 'new' company and saying "we're almost 100% sure we're going to change, there are just other people we have to get on board." So the decision to change has been made without asking me what it is going to do to my job. Change for the sake of change. The issue is not the database, but the fact that people don't use the database we have now, so what makes anyone think anyone will use the new one? Honestly it just makes me want to say no, it won't work, just to spite them in some way. I won't do that, but they need to understand that no decision is 100% there without Charlie and I agreeing to do it. It's what we DO. It's our job. And, looking at what the company has to offer, our system will do all the same things --IF PEOPLE WILL USE IT. Which they don't. Not my fault. And not worth the headache for me to change.

That's just one of a little things that have made my job a little more tedious lately. But it's fine.

This too shall pass, right?

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:39 AM

    are you guys using shelby or membership plus or what? what do they want to switch to?

    my whole job when i worked at southeast was membership database. weird, huh?

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  2. Anonymous11:37 AM

    right now we use ACS Technologies (used to be automated church systems. they're looking at something called "Fellowship One." It's online and basically a lot like ACS...i wasn't too impressed with the presentation at all. Wow, your whole job? If we switch databases, it will be my whole job, as well. :) Or at least feel like it. When did you work at Southeast? Were you there when Jason Lanham was interning?

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  3. Anonymous9:37 AM

    Hey I recognize those program names! I've been researching church management software a lot lately hoping to choose just the right thing. I guess I didn't make the connection that this is something you probably know lots about! Any suggestions?

    love meagan

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