Good Things

May 7, 2009 – Day 127

I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to take a picture of the bonus cheque I received today; after deductions, my $4,000.00 was $2,588.80, or of the new flash I bought with the money left over after buying my new camera (even though I’ll have to pitch in $92.69 in addition to my bonus cheque to cover the cost of my camera and flash) - or of my PREA assessment.

Considering the negative, disheartening experience I’ve recently gone through at work because of my February 5th Project 365 photo, I decided to focus my journalling on my PREA because it was so uplifting and encouraging.

I don’t remember exactly what the acronym stands for but it’s a performance review. Once a year we (assistants) have a PREA meeting with the lawyers we work for. I had my PREA meeting today and it was absolutely positive and made my day extra special. The highest rating you can get is a “4” and that’s the score I was given.

There was also other news at work today. Remember Angela, the Acting Director I’ve mentioned previously in my journalling? Well she is not(!) going to be our Director. “Frank” was appointed to the position, effective May 25th. That was great news to me. I worked for Frank for about two years when I started working at Justice – before he started climbing the ranks of management; and in my estimation, he’s perfect for the job. He’s not a micromanager, doesn’t waver on his decisions, he has a great sense of humor and he’s an all-around good person.

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All three lawyers I work for had input into the written assessment (which I was given a copy of) and this is what they had to say about my performance over the past year [I removed the lawyers’ surnames]:

Julie Jorgenson – Narrative Assessment PREA 2008-09

The nature of the work with which Julie has been involved over the past fiscal year is described in her work summary (a copy of which is attached).Julie worked as legal assistant for Holly, Shaun and James with the ALS Advisory Team. All of the lawyers have had the opportunity to provide comments on Julie’s work.

Over the years Julie has become known for producing consistent and high quality work. This year’s performance was once again very good. She has many outstanding qualities and it is becoming more difficult to accurately describe the breadth and variety of the contributions she makes. This year, we wish to specifically highlight a few of those qualities that make Julie such a valued member of the Advisory Team.

First, despite her heavy workload as a legal assistant assigned to three counsel, including as administrative assistant, to the Team Leader, she is always willing to help – whether that is assisting other counsel or legal assistants as needed. Julie is able to provide such assistance and still complete her own work within the timeframes assigned - this is truly noteworthy because Julie works part time. There is no doubt that Julie maintains effective systems for managing her workload and prioritizes very well. Julie also consistently exhibits considerable initiative and routinely identifies what needs to be done and simply does it.

Second, Julie works extremely well under pressure, pays attention to details and is highly conscientious about the quality of her work product. Julie is routinely asked to take on the tedious but important task of reviewing the draft documents (agreements, correspondence, memorandum) for errors and often under fairly tight timeframes. She possesses the ability to quickly and accurately identify areas which may have been overlooked and is meticulous in completing this task in a very timely manner.

Third, Julie’s very pleasant demeanor translates into an ability to work effectively with her colleagues. She willingly answers questions and provides assistance to other legal assistants and new employees. It is a testament to her warm personality that she makes them quickly feel like a welcomed member of our office. Julie is also instrumental in initiating and organizing team functions (such as team lunches) that assist with team building and increasing the overall team morale.

Overall, Julie is very respected, a pleasure to work with, and a valuable asset to our office. Simply stated, Julie has had another terrific year with the Advisory Team. She consistently exceeds the requirements of her position and the objectives set for her.