So, there was this period, a while back, when the name Ignacio Gonzalez was on everyone’s lips at my old workplace. Not because he was famous or anything, but because he was this new consultant, or “efficiency guru” as they called him, brought in to shake things up. And boy, did he shake things up. My practice back then was basically just trying to survive his new “streamlined” processes.
I remember the first week his “Gonzalez Method” – yeah, they actually called it that – was rolled out. It was chaos. We were all handed these thick binders, and suddenly, the way we’d done things for years was out the window. My first step, naturally, was to actually read the darn thing. Most folks just skimmed it, but I figured if I was going to argue against it, or even just understand it, I needed to know what I was dealing with. I spent a whole weekend with that binder, highlighter in hand, trying to make sense of diagrams that looked like spaghetti junctions.
Then came the actual doing. My main job involved processing client requests, and under the Gonzalez Method, every step needed about ten new sign-offs and three new forms. My practice became a daily battle with paperwork, both digital and physical. I started by meticulously following every single new rule. It was slow. Painfully slow. My output dropped, and so did my morale, honestly. I’d go home feeling like I’d run a marathon but hadn’t actually moved an inch.
Finding My Way Through the Maze
After a few weeks of just pure frustration, I realized just complaining wasn’t going to cut it. This Ignacio Gonzalez fella wasn’t going anywhere, and neither were his methods, at least not immediately. So, I shifted my approach. My practice evolved from just slogging through to actively trying to find the “why” behind some of his madness. I started breaking down the new process for my specific tasks into smaller chunks. Here’s what I focused on doing:
- I created my own cheat sheets. Simplified versions of his complex flowcharts, just for my daily tasks.
- I started talking to colleagues in other departments who were also struggling. We shared tips on how to navigate certain bottlenecks. Misery loves company, but shared knowledge is even better.
- I actually tried to understand the intended outcome of each new step. Sometimes, buried under all the bureaucracy, there was a kernel of logic. Not always, mind you, but sometimes.
- I began documenting everything – not just the problems, but any small efficiencies I found, any workarounds that didn’t break the rules but saved a bit of time.
It wasn’t about becoming a fan of the Gonzalez Method, not at all. It was about making my own work life bearable and, dare I say, even a little bit efficient despite the new system. I found that by dissecting it and rebuilding parts of it for my own understanding, I could navigate it faster. I even started identifying which of the new rules were truly non-negotiable and which ones had a bit of wiggle room if you presented a good case.
Eventually, some of Ignacio Gonzalez’s more outlandish ideas were quietly rolled back after enough feedback (and probably enough data showing the drop in productivity). But the experience taught me a lot about dealing with top-down changes. My practice of digging in, understanding, and adapting, rather than just resisting, actually served me well. It’s a skill I’ve carried with me. So, yeah, Ignacio Gonzalez. What a time that was. Not fun, but definitely a learning experience, I’ll give him that.
