so a whole week has passed since i began the new job and i thought it would be interesting to jot down a few of my initial observations on what i've seen and experienced in that time.
first off, i'm on a whole new playing field. being a part of such a large organization (over 50,000 employees, operations in almost 20 states, revenues in excess of $9 billion) means that my whole frame of reference needs to change. when decisions need to made or actions need to be taken there are more people, in more places, with a variety of ways of operating that need to be taken into account. the funny thing is just in the building i work in, the population is more than 20 fold of the previous office building in which my department was housed. just like the rockies you can see from my boss's window, the sheer magnitude of the place can be somewhat breathtaking.
the next observation is i'm working from a surer foundation. this organization is not perfect (no enterprise that involves people ever will be) but there is at least an orientation and intention to try to do things as well and right as possible. my previous place of employment was the result of a merger just as my current employer was. one was a case study in how to go about the process in the right way. one was a prime example of how not to do it. and each organization is reaping the benefits or suffering the consequences, as the case may be, of that initial foundational work. coupling this with the fact that i'm working for a boss who i know and trust implicitly, let me just say that i feel far more secure now than i did from whence i came.
another observation is people are people wherever you go, but in some cases, location can make a difference. even in just one week here i see some of the relational dynamics are the same. people can be territorial. there is concern about how change will impact them personally. there exist opportunities for misunderstandings do to miscommunication (or even intentional messaging). still, with that there is something about the spirit of this place that is different. i know there are a variety of factors that have contributed to the development of this work culture -- the foundational roots of the predecessor organizations in a service/ministerial orientation being chief among them. i can't help but wonder if the physical location isn't a part of it. there is just something about this physical location that just emanates serenity. it's like no other place i've ever lived. i just literally step or look outside and i just get this sense of calm. maybe that will change. i sure hope not.
still another observation is i am not alone. the last time i worked in this particular sector, there were not many visible members of the lgbt community evident. in taking this job, i wondered what the situation would be like some 15 or so years later. how would the organization respond to me as an openly and proudly gay man? well, over the course of the last week, i've learned that times have changed, and there are at least a few others at my peer level who are family (and at least a few more throughout the ranks). now a few may sound like a pittance, but believe me, it's more than i would have ever expected and i'm delighted to discover that this is the case.
finally, my last observation, for now, is that i'm really one fortunate son of a gun. there are so many times in my past that i wondered where i was going and what was happening in my life, particularly as it pertains to my career. i'm not sure that i imagined the road would lead here but, at least professionally, i am grateful that it did.
more to come in the days, weeks, months, and years (hopefully many) ahead.
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