Week One

I am eating lunch and thinking.  This is the start of the second week.  I am…encouraged. 



I think I may have found a manager that approaches things the same way I do.  Little things like actually giving people feedback in their reviews. Or making them come up with a development plan. Or acknowledging people’s successes.  Having some commonality in the way you manage people is kind of important.  It seems like he is actually not stupid or evil. Plus he is kind of a goof ball.  We had this summer team barbeque thing on Friday and he brought his karaoke machine.  All he did was stand in the corner in his shorts and sing old Kiss and Rush songs all afternoon.  Did I mention he looks exactly like Rasputin?





So that is all good.  On the other hand I can tell that some of the people my new team do not want me here.  I sent an email out last week stating that I wanted people to discuss vacations and overtime with me in advance, like before they buy airline tickets.  Apparently some individuals who have worked here for 35 years don’t like to ask for time off, they just take it.  These are the people who have about 2 years until they retire and they just want to do nothing for the next two years and coast.  This should be fun.  Early retirement anyone?


I have people in Everett, Bellevue, Renton, and Tukwila.  I am going to be spending a lot of time in my new car.  Love the new car by the way.



Speaking of my car, I have come to the Eastside before, usually taking that floating bridge thing over and then just going forward until I got to Eastern Washington.  I had no idea that people actually lived over here and that they had their own freeways to go up and down the eastside of the lake.  Seriously, you can actually take a freeway from Bellevue to Renton!  Who knew?  I have to question the ROI on an investment like that here in the wilderness, but apparently there is a need as this freeway does seem to have cars using it.


Not having my teams near me is going to be challenging.  I think face time as a manager is important.  Just swinging through and saying hi and asking people how things are going sort of implies you actually care about them.  I struggled before just doing that with people two floors above me.  I guess I will just have to be diligent about one on ones and using the phone.



Wow.  I am really energized and excited about all this.  Have I been replaced by some kind of orange pod clove head?  I thought my schtick was to be all bitter about everything. Amazing what a promotion and raise can do for ones attitude.



I have yet to see wildlife over here -- save for the zombie on the first day.  No more zombie sightings either.



My salad is consumed.  Back to work.




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