Malcolm's blog

I have a colleague at work who is a really nice bloke.

He is one of those people who is both very capable, but also amenable and not prone to cause waves or upset people. As a result he is highly respected.

I am dealing with a customer at the moment who I suspect could be difficult. Nothing untoward has happened yet, but he is - to use the words of my colleague above who also has dealings with him -"prickly".

As I am always looking for ways of dealing with such [difficult] people, I asked my colleague what his approach towards the customer was. His reply quite surprised me: "I ignore him". In other words, he doesn't react to the prickliness.

I thought about this and have decided that it is a strategy that I am going to adopt and give a try.

I called the recruitment agency today about my interview as I hadn't heard anything.

They said that I was still very much under consideration but that the manager who interviewed me needed to interview another internal candidate.

The latter does not usually bode well as I have usually found, in my experience, that internal are often - understandably favoured.

It was good though to hear that I seem to have been positively received. if it doesn't go any further I am going to go back to the company with another, alternative idea.

I had an interview last Friday. I know that everyone largely dislikes them but, as someone with Asperger syndrome, I have always found them particularly challenging.

I am also at the stage of my life/career where I don't feel I need/can't be that motivated to prove myself anymore. I am what I am and I have a track record which is there for people to judge.

I remember a few years back when the company that I was working for opened a new retail unit. It was to replace/upgrade an existing one in the town and the encumbent manager had run the old outfit for many years and was asked to re-apply.

She refused to do so. She argued - and I agreed/concurred with her at the time - that she had nothing to prove as I have stated above.

I had an interesting example this week of a simple misunderstanding which could have escalated into something more serious.

I have been asked to take over a new project at work. Its quite a good opportunity for me as it extends my management responsibilities and is relatively high profile. If I do a good job it could put me in quite a favourable light.

I was briefed by a Head of Department who advised me to call a meeting with two other departmental heads both of who were involved in the project. One of them has a deputy whom I was not told to inform.

The latter thought he should be there and seemed quite agitated when he found out that I hadn't invited him. I don't think that he was annoyed with me personally, it was more the fact that he hadn't been considered.

I the past I may have left this. However, I have learnt from experience that minor little affronts like this can easily escalate.

I haven't blogged for quite a while as I have had a long break over Christmas.

Back to the grindstone now, though work doesn't really begin in earnest for a couple of weeks.

I have plenty to do mind and I am determined not to sit back but be proactive in order to get on top of things. I have learnt that this is the best way to prevent pressure - and stress - building.

I must also finish off the content for the next Asperger Management Newsletter which is overdue.

I have also got to re-visit the problem of the spam that has invaded this site. I managed to get someone to put a stop to new postings but it also makes it harder for new visitors to sign-up.

I am going away at the weekend for nearly three weeks at Christmas. I still have shed loads of work to do and want to get it all finished before I go away.

I am working systematically through it and think I'm making progress. Key is to set to work on one topic and make sure that I focus and continue to work on that until I get it done.

The thing that is hardest is mental stamina. Its quite intense work involving quite a bit of checking. There is a limit to the amount I can do of this type of work each day.

I am trying to plan my week so I do enough each day to clear the backlog and, at the moment, I think that I am doing quite well.

The gremlin of course - which I need to contingency plan for - is if something unexpected turns up!

I was chatting to a colleague yesterday about the type of work I was undertaking.

Basically it is not that challenging and she made the comment that "you are wasted here!"

I don't dislike what I do and I am grateful in this economic climate that I have a job. However, I am also mindful of the fact that I am not working at the level I ought to be and, consequently, not securing appropriate renumeration. To a degree, I feel that I am selling myself short.

Other than the practical difficulties of securing another role, part of the problem is that I feel "comfoortable". Because of my AS I dislike change and if I get into a role that I feel comfortbale in I am reluctant to switch and risk ending up in something that that may not suit and present difficulties.

Against that I have twice in my career not moved on when, looking back, I really should have. This is perhaps another one of those situations.

There was a major flare-up in my office today between a colleague and another member of staff.

It got extraordinarily heated; som much so that it got to the stage whereby I contemplated saying something and stepping in to try and act as a conciliator.

I refrained from doing so. My past experience has taught me that it is best to stay out of things like this: a) because I am, perhaps, not well qualified/trained to deal with such things and; b) because my AS has previously meant that I have become prematurely involved in things because of my inherent sense of right and wrong has meant that I have become involved in things which perhaps were not my business.

There was another colleague in the room with me and also observed things. He mentioned it to me this morning and said that he is never quite sure what to do in situations like this.

A former boss of mine - who has always in effect been my mentor - never used to get involved in any personal matters however fraught.

My boss is all over the place!!!

He's a lovely bloke, but totally disorganised and always fire-fighting.

He is also under quite a bit of pressure and the spotlight at the moment. We have a new, overall CEO and she is his direct line-manager.

Quite a few colleagues are a bit exasperated with him also. They need early notice from him about things so that they can work and plan, but this is simply not forthcoming.

I heard about the job through him [my boss] and he did a lot to get me into the role. I feel obliged, therefore in true Asperger style to demonstrate a high degree of loyalty and provide support for him.

I am going to do all I can. At the same time I know I have to be a bit careful from the political angle.

I have just posted this on the Linkedin Asperger Management and thought that it would also make for a useful Blog entry.

Each week I read a commentator in The Financial Times here in the UK called Luke Johnson.

He is a successful entrepreneur and writes about general issues relating to business and the outside world. I respect his views and always enjoy reading his pieces as they seem to resonate closely with my outlook.

He wrote a piece this week which I think is highly releavnt to having Asperger syndrome, so I thought that I would share its basics. I am also going to expand on the piece on my website and will incoporate it in a future Newsletter.

As always I would also be interested in other people's views and any possible contributions.

The piece is entitled "Shaking Off the Doom and Gloom" and is about what you can do to improve your outlook in the current economic downturn. He lists thirteen suggestions: