I was tucked up in my office this morning when in walked Adrian, retired draftsman now gardening volunteer. Very nice man, with a lovely sense of humour but a habit of asking for help with simple office type things like making a phone call or photocopying. He had to walk past the photocopier to get to my office, where I was neck deep in figures, trying to catch up my bookkeeping. He began telling me a sorry tale about the new lounge he’d purchased, that had been marked down in the catalogue the next day, while waving in front of me the letter he’d written the company.
Eventually I realised he wanted me to make a copy of the letter for him. I was a little annoyed as I’d interrupted my work on previous occasions to help him, I felt an urge to nip it in the bud and make him understand there are other people around – or he could even learn and help himself.
So I pointed out that I was a bit busy, and suggested he ask Victoria the admin assistant. In the end I think he eventually got help from Janelle, the volunteer coordinator.
I immediately felt bad about how I’d handled this. Adrian had come to me because apparently I’d been helpful in the past and he trusted me to help him with a personal favour. It didn’t help I guess that he’d beaten about the bush about what he’d wanted when my mind was on other things, and I’d been earlier interrupted by another volunteer who’d wanted a chat, and THAT had been interrupted by someone else wanting me to do something.
Our organisation is all about people, so I guess I just need to lighten up.