Back in the beginning of 2009, my SSA (Supervisory Special Agent) came to me and asked me about joining the FLRP (Front-line Leadership Readiness Program). It is a program basically designed to help people advance into and through management. I agreed half heartedly because management wasn't what I was interested in doing right away but someday but for right now I loved being just a Special Agent and working my own cases. But I agreed and went to the conference. The conference was actually very good and I really enjoyed myself. I still wasn't completely sold on the idea of management, but decided to keep my options open. Sometime in June, while I was on maternity leave they decided to switch up the offices. In St. Louis there are two offices, one is downtown, were I have worked since February 2005 and the other is in Chesterfield which is where I started when I came to St. Louis in 2001. I along with another agent and the manager of the downtown group where all going to be sent to the Chesterfield office. I was excited. Not that the downtown office is bad, but I hated the commute. There also wasn't a lot around the office and parking was a pain (though it was free.) Downtown did have its good points it is close the the US Attorney's office and the cubicles are bigger (but no windows.)
Anyway I digress. Along with this switch up the old manager of the Chesterfield office took another position which left and opening for a new SSA. They asked another agent and myself to step into the position for 60 days each to cover until they could advertise the position and hire someone. This would also give me the opportunity to try out the management job and put in my required acting time for when I did decide to apply for a supervisory position. They also asked me to apply for the position when it came open, but I explained I wasn't real interested in an SSA position in St. Louis and with the potential for Dave getting into a PhD program somewhere we would be moving and I didn't think that would be fair to the IRS, I also wanted to try the position first to see if it was really something I would want to do. So they announced the job, and no one applied, no one across the whole United States wanted to come to St. Louis. This caused a problem as they only have 120 days covered. So they extended the two acting assignments from 60 days to 120 days each.
This allowed me to go back to work as an SA after I came back from maternity leave in early July. So I worked on my cases and tried to get back in the groove and come late August I moved back downtown and took up residency in the SSA's office. It was an amazing and eye opening 120 days.
I was amazed at how grown adults could act like such children. I was amazed at personal issued that were brought to my attention that should have just been handled by the employee personally. I was frustrated that the support staff didn't support the agents and everything asked of them had to be so delicately phrased as not to "disrespect" them it was ridiculous. Or they were so busy talking on the phone they didn't have time to do their jobs and when approached about the personal phone calls they act as if they have no idea what you are talking about.
I was amazed at my own knowledge and how I was able to direct the SA's in the group sometimes regarding issues I didn't think I knew anything about. I was amazed at how much I learned about being a better agent and what my manager really goes through on a daily basis for the agents. And I was amazed at how much I both loved and hated the position.
The position was announced again in December and one person applied. She got the job. The downtown group has lots of issues, and I wasn't the one to step in and fix them. I wish the new manager luck, she is a better people person than I am and I think she will handle the support staff much better than I did. I wish her luck and I hope the group will give her a fair chance (though I know at least one won't because his self esteem is to low and he can't get over his perceived injustices and he has personal issues with the new manager).
So all in all I was grateful for the experience. I wish I had been able to be the Acting SSA in a group I had not working in as an SA, but you do with what you have right. I did apply for the SSA position in Salt Lake City, UT when it came open. I didn't get the position and I'm okay with that. When the time is right the right position will become available. But for now I am glad to just be a Special Agent again and to worry only about myself and my cases.
My office as an SSA.
They even made me a name placard.
The up side of the position is there was a window (though it looked at the freeway and a train yard) and there was a door. Man will I miss that door.
On my last day a couple of the Special Agents took me out to lunch at Crown Candy. Love their BLT's.
Two of the SA's I'll miss the most. Cheryl and Shawn, they got sent to the downtown office when I got moved to the Chesterfield office. Good thing the offices aren't too far apart and we can still meet for lunch.
Oh cubicle, sweet cubicle. My cubicle in Chesterfield.
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