Budgets and Booze . . . . .

I keep telling myself, i am not gonna drink, i am not gonna drink - budget time at the OSA. Not only is it the biggest budget i have ever dealt with, it is the first time as a manager in charge of setting that budget - $800,000 worth of staff, education, training, committees, expenses . . . . .

When i first looked at my GL, I couldnt figure out why some accounts were low and some so high, so me being the slight anal retentive person that i am, had to do a 'forensic audit' - for two days i sat hunched over 58 pages of items and made sure i journal entried them into the right accounts. When the accountant didnt have time to do them all before budget was due, i manually did them all on a spreadsheet - yes i know, I am anal - no comments needed! Well after that 3 day process the budget started to make a little more sense to me.

So off i start, take the $800,000 from last year, reduce some costs - increase some programming and find $10,000 for a new Female Initiative Program (can you tell a woman is now in charge!). We were at a deficit and I had to make some big changes - and i had no clue on what my restrictions were, what i was allowed to cut, what i could - so i just winged it! Not that i could not have asked, but my boss is so busy right now with 5 or 6 other projects that i just do my thing day to day - he hasnt come in and fired me yet, so i guess i am doing ok!

So last night at 9pm i get an email on my blackberry for the guy that is 'second in command' - "we need to talk about your budget" Well dang it, i should not have read that at 9pm cos then i was up til 2am thinking about where i had screwed up! So today we meet, we go over the budget, doesnt seem too bad i think - he is not telling me i am total retard yet! At the end of the day, after i have sat sweating and waiting he comes into me and says "How long have you been here now?", i look at him "three months tomorrow" and hold my breath - here it comes . . . . "well, for someone that has only been here 3 months, you gave me the most concise, detailed and on track budget, you really seem to know what you are doing - well done" PHEW!!!

So the moral of the day is . . . Anal Retentive is a good thing sometimes . . . . go with your gut!