The Binder

T is my supervisor, as well as the Executive Director of the agency. He has a secret side life as a life coach and goal-planning-motivational-stuff. He's very intense and lives and breaths by The Binder.

"A", "M" and I (the three of us make up the leadership team) have been tormented by The Binder since T's arrival at EFA. Let me tell you what it is. It's a black binder with goal setting sheets, agency and personal assessments, and lots of exercises that people who are set in their ways don't have time for.

For the last six months, T's answer to everything is "Go get your binder". We never did. And let me say, I think we all realized it was just a matter of time before T didn't ask that we work with The Binder...he's been pretty patient with our resistance.

The agency is in, let me say, a transitional period. Due to agency confidentiality and my firm convictions in my obligation to professional ethics (as well and wanting to tease anyone who's nosy), I shall say no more about the transition. So in order to put the agency in as strong position as possible, we're working together to establish goals and objectives for 2007.

Enter The Binder (again). Because all three of us care about the agency, and T has earned our trust and respect, we've become less bratty towards it. We've entrusted our futures to this man who insists The Binder with change our lives. So when he asked that we each come up with 5-10 goals and work through The Binder method for planning to accomplish those goals - I did. And I have to say, I can see where this is going.

As much as I hate worksheets and making actual plans that will hold me accountable (as opposed to coming up with a "mental plan" that in NO way holds me accountable, mostly because I don't let anyone know what those plans are), I see how this type of plan can build a structured approach to accomplishing goals.

I actually hesitate to post this because "A" is going to be FURIOUS when she reads it - mostly because she hates The Binder the most (that statement is true, but may have also been written in case T sees my blog...I just think it's important that he knows I'm not the biggest hater of the binder). :)