What the "H" means...

So, I finally took a big step forward in "earning my 'h' "... I figured out what it stands for! Still haven't earned it, but at least I know what I'm looking for, right? This great advancement came about through the recent painful process of trying to figure out what exactly went wrong at the last job. It's been a couple weeks now and we've had ample opprtunity to pray about it, discuss it, roll it around & examine it & we finally came to a 3-part conclusion as to what happened & what we can learn from it. Basically, it was "them", "us" and "everyone". 1. Them: The job as it was posted and explained and represent to us (especially Jeff) was NOT what it actually turned out to be. What the owner really wanted was an "implementer" to enthusiastically move ahead with every hair-brained idea that the owner came up with. This isn't necessarily wrong, but when you don't know that ahead of time, it causes issues down the road. 2. Us: Looking back, we feel that perhaps we were a little too proud of our home state of Montana. No one wants to keep hearing others talk about how things are better somewhere else. We're certain that the phrase "In Montana..." or "Back home..." got really old to them. 3. Everyone: The culture in CO is different than here, especially in the workplace - especially with the recent legalization of pot. We feel that we were probably "cramping their style" as we don't smoke (pot or otherwise), we drink very little and we don't swear. It was becoming quite obvious that they felt either judged or just uncomfortable with us around. They used the "F" word as if they'd never learned any other adjective or adverb, even in the office. They used it a LOT and b/c they knew we didn't they were always apologizing. They had weekly drinking parties. And, they all admitted that they really enjoyed going home after work & having a joint. And when I say "all", I mean all... even the GM apparently partook as she spent a lot of time w/ the rest of the crew at those parties. So, upon reflection, we really DIDN'T fit in there and it truly was a personality issue that led to some of the issues. You might be asking yourself how this all relates to my "h". Well, mostly item #2 was the eye-opener. I believe that one of my biggest issues is "humility" or "humbleness". I need to work on how I express my admiration for my home state; how I try to put my experience & knowledge to work for others without coming off as arrogant or bossy; and generally how I relate to others. I don't seem to run into issues w/ people I don't work with, but I can come across as all of those things to fellow employees. So, moving forward, I will continue to try and be aware of my attitude and how I express it, and to continue to pray for a humble and loving heart.

Endings....

As most of you know, today was our last day here at Smith Fork Ranch. We were terminated this a.m., as nicely as possible, although it came after a very vindictive and antagonistic meeting Jeff had last week with the owner. Hired as Ranch Manager (as well as Horse Operations Director, Facilities Manager, Ranch Foreman etc) the owner had indicated directly to us, during the interview process, that there were some very severe issues with those areas and he needed someone w/ the knowledge to make changes. He also, at that time, hired back a previous Dining Manager as the new General Manager. The two Managers (Jeff & Courtney) were to work in tandem to make necessary changes to the ranch & improve overall ranch performance. We arrived in November, Courtney started in January. The owner was gone for all of mid Dec thru March 30, with the exception of several weeks in late Jan / early Feb. During that time, Jeff & Courtney worked together to hire staff, implement proposed changes and make plans for summer. Upon his return 10 days ago, the owner called a meeting with the whole staff as a "brainstorming" meeting for the summer. At that meeting, it quickly became clear that he didn't really mean "brainstorming", he meant "listen to my ideas and say they're great". Any attempt on Jeff's & my part to suggest anything was quickly met with derision, impatience or hostility. A few days later, another meeting was called to discuss projects. At that meeting, Jeff was blamed for everything the owner didn't like, even if he hadn't been involved. He was told: - "Why didn't you move ahead on this? (Jeff - "B/c I was waiting for your approval") - "Why did you move ahead on this? (Jeff - "B/c a decision needed made and you weren't responding") - "Why isn't this project done?" (Jeff - "b/c it can't be done until the snow is gone and it just went off this week) and so on... At the end of that meeting, after everyone else had left, the owner really jumped all over Jeff for the people he hired (even though they were ALL far more qualified Courtney, or himself (the owner), even though he was told to do the hiring etc. Jeff HAD discussed every single hire, repeatedly with Courtney but she told the owner that he had done it all w/out consulting her. And, she also told him that Jeff was intimidating and a liar and didn't communicate with her, and that he had "an agenda" and always had to have his own way. Now, anyone who knows Jeff knows the falsehood of all of that. The owner was unhappy w/ me as well b/c I wasn't quiet enough (probably true), and said that I also wanted to control everyone. (Not true, but I know I can come off as bossy). So, this a.m., we had another meeting with the owner at which time we came to an agreement on severance. We have 2 weeks to move out. We are not heart-broken as we weren't sure how we would be able to stay on knowing the GM was not trustworthy, and that lies were being told about us.We are trusting that God has a new plan in place for us, and that we were here for a purpose also. We hope to find ranch work, but obviously will need to be open to all options. As of right now, unless a job offer comes by mid-next week, we'll probably head back to Big Sky. I think that's the update for now. Not sure what we're doing about mail yet but will keep you all posted. Thank-you everyone for your prayers, advice and support. We'll be seeing some of you soon!