You Know You Are Old When

[goeduck]

But covering too many Rears is how you end up buried…

Back in my college days a lot of emphasis was on Thinking Outside the Box and Empowering employees to solve problems.

It seems that much of corporate is about being politically correct and cya…

My strong suit is performance as in getting it done…

Not once has a surgery ever been cancelled on my watch due to a problem with the facility.

During the merger all accounts payable was transferred to corp but corp dropped the ball on ATT Voice and Internet and Waste Management.

In other words these vendors not paid and past due notices sent to corp so clueless here.

Everyone coming to me so I dig deep and find the Hospital is 17k in arrears with ATT and service suspended…

No one in corp could help… it had to go through channels…

Hell with that, I put it on my own personal credit card because the emergency Admin Corp Card has a 10k transaction limit and was declined…

Waste Management similar but was not affecting internal operations as no ATT…

When I was in corporate, I always acted outside of the box as if it was my own company. I insisted that I have my own P&L, office and staff. I got push back from time to time and when I did, I pushed back on them... they always backed off when push came to shove. The big boys and gals would look at my P&L and call off their dogs.

 

[ultrarunner]

When I was in corporate, I always acted outside of the box as if it was my own company. I insisted that I have my own P&L, office and staff. I got push back from time to time and when I did, I pushed back on them... they always backed off when push came to shove. The big boys and gals would look at my P&L and call off their dogs.

I've learned you can do anything once... just be clear and concise.

Part of it comes from being a big fish in the fish bowl transitioning to a minnow in the ocean... but still knowing what needs to be done.

Last count organization is 65,000 employees...

Just saw a memo enterprise wide about vendor change for hospital linen and my facility isn't on the list...

Wouldn't be the first time Corp forgot about us... which isn't always a bad thing!

Administrator asked if I had time for lunch yesterday... we went over a lot of the changes coming and she asked if I would commit to one more year...

 

[airbiscuit]

Well, you are the smartest man in the room ...

 

[ultrarunner]

Well, you are the smartest man in the room ...

No... far from it but when Corp decided to outsource everything it left me as the last one standing.

When things come up I can enlighten why something was done a certain way... does not mean it was the best way but knowing why can be valuable.

Outsourcing is a sure way to loose institutional knowledge which I think is often overlooked and undervalued.

A few engineer friends from PGE and ATT took the offered early retirements too good to pass up...

Several lured back as consultants because when the knowledge left with early retirement companies were left hurting...

Having Institutional knowledge means you know you are old.

 

[ultrarunner]

Medical is the last place I would have ever thought I would find myself but a hospital has a lot of things required to be done...

 

[MoKelly]

Medical is the last place I would have ever thought I would find myself but a hospital has a lot of things required to be done...

Plus - it’s a growth industry.

 

[MossRoad]

Plus - it’s a growth industry.

Growth, skin tag, mole, wart...

 

[California]

Several lured back as consultants because when the knowledge left with early retirement companies were left hurting...

I think the same thing is happening at Tesla presently. I read that Musk simply closed the Supercharger (EV charger) division, laid everyone off.

But this ended the banking of the revenue earned at the chargers, for lack of an accounting staff. And halted payment to contractors presently building or installing new facilities, or doing ordinary maintenance, because there were no internal project managers to approve their invoices.

Then the external companies that were planning to market their cars compatible with the Supercharger network - GM, Ford, etc, found they had no contacts inside Tesla to issue Tesla charger credit cards for their own customers so that whole plan evaporated. More revenue loss to Tesla.

Last I read, some of the former employees were hired back.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I'll be 72 this year. Curious what others experience about this: I can do a lot of things, but I spend most of my time looking for glasses, a part, tools. Then taking something apart no problem...but putting it back together is tough, trying to remember the order. Then I need something, walk into another part of garage wondering what it was. Hopefully that's not the first sign of dementia!

 

[Eagle1]

Looking for tools I just had and figuring out how to get back out and up after crawling under something....
My kid can't figure out why I'll spend time to rig something to lift it rather than just do it down low.

 

[JasperFrank]

You could watch the gas being metered.

 

[WinterDeere]

You could watch the gas being metered.
View attachment 875026

Okay, what's that silver doo-dad on the second hose?

 

[WinterDeere]

Then I need something, walk into another part of garage wondering what it was. Hopefully that's not the first sign of dementia!

I've been doing that since my 30's... maybe even my 20's. Working on project in the house, I need a tool. Walk out to the shop (150 feet from house), then stand in shop looking at all the tools, trying to remember why I'm out there. Head back into house, remember what I forgot, and head back out to the shop to repeat.

When the iPhone came out, I started making lists in the notepad, and trip count between house and shop went way down.

 

[chiefcook]

I'll be 72 this year. Curious what others experience about this: I can do a lot of things, but I spend most of my time looking for glasses, a part, tools. Then taking something apart no problem...but putting it back together is tough, trying to remember the order. Then I need something, walk into another part of garage wondering what it was. Hopefully that's not the first sign of dementia!

That's one good thing about smart phones. I try to take plenty of photos when taking something apart. It's especially good if it's awhile before reassembling it. I also use zip lock bags and Harbor Freight magnetic parts holders. Still, I usually end up losing something or having to redo something I messed up.

 

[Oaktree]

I've been doing that since my 30's... maybe even my 20's. Working on project in the house, I need a tool. Walk out to the shop (150 feet from house), then stand in shop looking at all the tools, trying to remember why I'm out there. Head back into house, remember what I forgot, and head back out to the shop to repeat.

What he said. Minus the I-phone part.

Biggest difference as I've gotten older is dealing with small screws in general and/or fasteners in tight quarters. Large hands to begin with, and reduced dexterity with older age.

 

[John0829]

Okay, what's that silver doo-dad on the second hose?

That was suppose to be a filter from what I was told back then but I never saw one changed or being changed so...

 

[Alan46]

I'll be 72 this year. Curious what others experience about this: I can do a lot of things, but I spend most of my time looking for glasses, a part, tools. Then taking something apart no problem...but putting it back together is tough, trying to remember the order. Then I need something, walk into another part of garage wondering what it was. Hopefully that's not the first sign of dementia!

Welcome to the club bro!
I’m 78 and have been doing that for years. The one good thing is it hasn’t gotten worse!

 

[newbury]

I'll be 72 this year. Curious what others experience about this: I can do a lot of things, but I spend most of my time looking for glasses, a part, tools. Then taking something apart no problem...but putting it back together is tough, trying to remember the order. Then I need something, walk into another part of garage wondering what it was. Hopefully that's not the first sign of dementia!

I got in a possibly bad habit years ago. Think up a project, then start wandering around looking for what resources I have on hand to accomplish my end goal.

This wasn't to bad decades ago when my workshop was limited to a 20'x20' section of my basement in Virginia and my "new" knowledge base was limited to friends at work, neighbors, the library, a few magazines etc.

Then along came the internet, knowledge base expanded, more time needed usually to research ways to "do it right".

Then we bought the future "retirement" house with ~5,000sq foot of workshops, which I've filled with "stuff".

Now it may take me months to do a project "right". I've got that dreaded disease
"paralysis of analysis".

Example - needed a small 3.5 kw dual fuel generator for house use if power goes out, either here (Va.) or at my daughters ~30 miles away. So something we could relatively easily transport and I could lift by myself.
Want to run it on only propane. And a Champion duel fuel popped up on Amazon for ~$300 (now ~ $530), bought in Dec. 2023..
Then research showed (and I may be wrong) I should buy or build a small outdoor enclosure, like the size for 2 trashcans. Thus it would be presentable in my suburb 1/4 acre environment.
Further research showed sound insulation needed, piping, etc. needed.
Looked around basement, bought some insulation, had the wood for the framing.
Still waiting for a decent shed to go on sale.
So meanwhile I've got the generator, LP gas etc., a canopy to put over it if need be. But to do it right it may take a while.

 

[not2old]

You are old when ...
"One for the road" means peeing before you leave the house.

I guess I've been old for awhile now.

 

[masseyrider]

Everything was better when I was a kid.
Not really.
Just me. I was still young and stupid and didn't see all the failings of that time.