Staff Appraisal Time

The equinox has passed, the nights are drawing in and the leaves are turning gold. That means that Instanta staff appraisal time is here again. Last year we were so busy developing our new products that we took a year off from appraisals. But with most of the new equipment starting to pay its way in the market we are now starting to find time for this masochistic HR ritual.

As I am fast approaching retirement age(although knowing my luck I'll be like that bloke who still works for for his family DIY store at 106)(Actually which is better? Working at 106 or being er dead), I am taking a back seat this year and limiting my interviews to those lucky few who got a golden ticket a la Willy Wonka in last week's pay packet. They will have the opportunity to drag me away from my comfort zone of eBay, Betfair and excel spreadsheets and give me the chance to try and explain why all the categories have 100 points but nobody ever gets less than about 85. And what is the difference between a 92 and a 93? Your guess is as good as mine.

Today has seen me tearing my hair out with the annual accounts. Somehow I managed to press a wrong button on the computer when helping with the end of month and I ended up with all the figures posted in the wrong month and hundreds of journal entries to put it all right. Fortunately our computer expert (who lives in Australia but operates through Skype) managed to resolve the positon for us by logging on remotely. Thanks Claude and sorry to Marion for messing things up.

Have spent almost no time on eBay lately so I have no sales running. On Betfair I am still just short of getting to my target of £1,000 in the kitty. It's a bit like snakes and ladders. I keep getting tantalisingly close and then slipping back but I am sure that it will happen soon. I thought I had lost on the Newcastle manager market but with all the upheaval at the club at the moment I am now in profit (not a lot) whoever gets the job. I think that this one will run an run.