Today we had,what can best be described as the big Accounting Meeting. Present were the Senior and Junior Boss, my former and current Superior, the Junior Accountant and last but not least the Operative Accountant aka myself.
I know that this meeting was going to happen. Has a lot to do with the power struggle between my former and current Superior. My boss made it quite clear who is the new Head of Finance...and that's my new Superior. He also pointed out that the processing of payments will remain with my former Superior. I'm not entirely sure how to feel about that, since my former Superior tries to kill most changes. And he really doesn't like the idea of automated payment processing. This would mean for him to give up quite a substantial part of the control he now has. But both bosses are behind that, so he won't have any choice but to fall in line.
Next on the agenda was how far the prep-work for the automated payment processing is. Since I took that over from my co-worker, I had only set it up in one sub-company and we're pretty much ready for test run. The only thing is that our software company has to apply a software patch to make things run even more automated. But they are already working on that. And both bosses were very happy about the progress.
Next up were a couple of items were the internal procdure isn't quite what it is supposed to be. Pretty much everyone put their thoughts forward. I made my opinion quite clear. My boss always knows where I stand. And that's something he really likes about me. No final decision has been made, but both bosses will think the issue over.
Up next was the topic about the regional sales guys interfering when it comes to payment reminders and handing a case over to the legal department. I know that is a difficult subject, especially if you're still fairly young. It's just something you learn with the years, that you have to stand your ground and ocasionally you have to get into someones face. But the boss pointed out once more that he doesn't appreciate that interference and that this final decision has to be made in the accounting department. And if problems should arise, it will be up to him to handle the issue. I've been applying that approach for several time now. And it does make you some enemies. But now the procedure is quite clear.
And the final subject on the agenda was my co-worker, the junior accountant or as I like to call him "Charly Disaster". The boss took the majority of accounting work away from him. He found a really nice way of expressing that. But if you've working for years and years in an office environment, you know exactly what it means. He took most task away from him and specifically ordered him not to do any accounting recording work. That has to be either done by my Superior or by myself. The only work he left him is the prep-procedures for getting payment reminders out to customers. But I know already from my Superior that he will be only doing that work until the automated payment processing is running. After that my boss will take this task away from my co-worker and it will become and aditional taks for me. Uhhh...lucky me!! But my co-wroker won't be fired, but he will be doing mostly marketing related stuff and "things that his seems to be more suited for".
After the meeting my Sueprior took me aside and told me that she hasn never ever seen me that determined and occasionally go head to head with the boss. I just told her, that this isn't new. And the boss does appreciate it, that I don't keep my mouth shut and tell him what's fact and that he always know where I stand. That's my way of getting him to make a decission how he wants things to be handled. If I wouldn't be doing that, I would make a terrible operacitve accountant.
