TheBanyanTree: The Office

[Margaret R. Kramer]

I just completed my fourth week with my new job.  I like it.  The culture
better aligns with my values.  People work hard and they’re true to their
hours.  I don’t see people slipping out well before quitting time like in my
old workplace.  And they work long hours, too, as well as doing extensive
travel, with little complaining.  Plus, they don’t have four or five drinks
at lunch and come back to work half looped.

It’s quiet.  My last workplace was churning with conversations.  This place
is like a tomb.  No one makes many personal calls.  I don’t hear cell phones
ringing, except mine.  They don’t talk much to each other during the work
day.  Every once in a while, I can hear laughter, but it’s not as much as it
was in my previous place.

I’m lonely.  My coworkers are friendly enough, but as an introvert, it takes
me a while to warm up to people.  I worked with my former coworkers for 15
years and some of them even longer than that, so I really “knew” people at
my old job and they really “knew” me.  I felt comfortable discussing my
personal stuff with them.  My best work friend and I would go out to lunch
every Friday.  I don’t have anyone like that here.  Yet.  It will happen
eventually.

And I don’t have a lot of work of my own to do.  I’m finally beginning to
understand the system.  Instead of subsystems flying around without any kind
of logic in my head, I’m beginning to put some of them together like pieces
in a jigsaw puzzle, and the picture is gradually coming together.

But I want my own work.  I want to feel on edge.  I love getting projects to
do and getting them done on time.  I love going to meetings and digesting
everything I hear.  But a continual workflow hasn’t happened enough yet.  I
have to be patient, I know, but I miss that stress.  I’m too relaxed!

My company didn’t get a big contract they wanted, so I worry about my place
in the organization.  They were sure they were going to get it and even
began reorganizing the office to prepare for it.  II’ll hear more about that
on Monday at our staff meeting.

The woman who is training me is a type A.  She’s really nice, but takes this
stuff too seriously and blows her top if she’s asked to change or redo
anything.  I think our client called and complained about her to one of the
project managers (I happen to sit outside this project manager’s door and
could hear her on the phone trying to calm down the client).  Since the
announcement came down about not getting this other contract, the type A has
pulled work away from me, almost in an effort to keep it for herself.  I’m
not sure what to do about that.  And she’s my boss’ wife’s cousin.  Office
politics . . .   It’s everywhere.

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at comcast.net

http://www.polarispublications.com
Be a star!

http://www.bpwmn.org
Business and Professional Women of Minnesota

Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be
careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude.
~E.P. Powell