Working for the weekend

The last two weeks have been, and this is no exaggeration pure hell on earth.  This past April, I returned to work at the nursing home that I had worked at before I had my daughter.  When I left I was the Assistant department head, when I returned, I returned a dishwasher.  This was a was a little embarrassing for me, luckily the few people that I had worked with and had worked under my leadership that had remained, were glad of my return.  Upon my return, I found the dietary department in shambles, a shell of what I had left.  The former department head for whom I had worked, had suffered a massive stroke, and the department had been left in the hands of the most incompetent person imaginable.  Formerly happy, hardworking employees were surly and unwilling to exert any effort beyond the absolute minimal to maintain the façade of completing their assigned duties.   Upon my return, they naturally gravitated toward me to resolve issues of concern, but I had to redirect them to the appropriate channels.  Within a month, the administrator called me into her office and asked if I would take over the management of the dietary.  Having seen the sad state of the meals being prepared and the residents’ discontent with said meals; I agreed to take the position, but the restriction was placed upon me, that the current dietary manager remains as my assistant.  All this being said, with a lot of hard work by my staff and myself, we have turned the back in the right direction.  Our residents rave about the difference in the meals presented to them, and make sure to tell us often how much they appreciate the changes we have made to ensure the quality of their lifestyle.  Everyone is ecstatic, everyone that is except the person I replaced.  She resents the fact that I have accomplished so much in the short time since I have taken charge, and seems to go out of her way to create difficulties for myself, and the rest of my staff.  She continues to harass the other staff, including the cook supervisors; her direct supervisors.  Over the course of the past two weeks, it seems that she is actively seeking conflict within my support staff.  Today after two days of bickering and quarreling among my staff, I took my frustrations to my supervisor, the administrator, and after  our conversation it was decided that she was not an asset to my management of the department, and I have been freed of my obligation to retain her as my assistant.  This enables me to replace her with someone who can, and will help me to keep the department running smoothly, and without conflict.  This has been the root of my bad weeks, and I hope this solution will help absolve some of my problems amongst my staff.  My mantra this week has been “I’m just working for the weekend” and I felt it was an appropriate title for this contribution.  Here is to a better weekend than I have had week, and a better workweek to come.