PLSO The Oregon Surveyor July/August 2021

2 The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 44, No. 4 From the PLSO Chair MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR Significant Others N ormally, the message from the chair is about issues that are fac- ing PLSO and/or the professional land surveyor and their associates. How- ever, I don’t believe enough attention has been given to the people that contribute a large amount of time and effort in making our duties easier. Those people are our significant others, more commonly known as spouses, partners, and even our parents. The business world is stressful and diffi - cult. There’s a new challenge every day, which can be both exciting and frustrat- ing. One of the best feelings is knowing you have someone to stick with you through restless nights of work, as well as someone who understands that the life of a land surveyor requires a high level of dedication. We spend a great deal of time either out in the field, in the office, or at the kitchen table working on land surveying prob- lems. At the same time, someone needs to work on the books, personnel issues, and your morale. More times than not it’s not you who does those things—it’s your significant other. Some of you who work in firms that are large enough to have office managers to handle those business details—do you really know just how many details they are juggling for you? If you are a small operation you might think that among all the survey work you are handling, you are also handling all that business stuff that always gets in the way, but do you really believe this? Working long hours can lead to exhaus- tion and frustration, and when you come home you just want to unwind. Maybe you don’t really want to talk about anything. However, without a clear channel of communication, you could have bigger problems on the horizon. It’s crucial to keep your significant other included in your decision making and thought pro- cesses. I always thought that if I kept the work problems separate from the family life, that would help the family in general. However, I’ve learned that if they don’t know what stress and problems you are going through, they won’t understand why your attitude is the way it is. I’m not suggesting that you need to share every conversation or situation you have every day, but finding a few minutes (maybe even at the dinner table... remember what that is?) and sharing your day could help everyone and at the same time let you decompress. During this past 16 months we’ve expe- rienced many new and challenging work and family issues. Hopefully, we are near that place that will allow us to “get back to normal.” But, don’t forget to show and tell those who helped you through these times howmuch you appreciate their be- ing there for you. We’ve learnedmany new ways to get our work completed and how to communicate with people without be- ing there. Don’t forget to communicate with your significant other and let them know how much they made it possible for you to get through all of this. Having a partner you can communicate with and confide in can make all the difference. Show you’re willing to make some com- promises and include your significant other in your big decisions. You’ll be tak- ing good steps to make sure they know you have confidence in them. Surprise them by saying, “Thank You.” You won’t regret it. x Don’t forget to communicate with your significant other and let them know how much they made it possible for you to get through all of this. Tim Fassbender, PLS PLSO Board Chair