i think i've been here before

it's the end of week two on the new job. i'm closing down the day and getting ready to head first to see a potential new domicile for me. after that, my boss has invited me over to visit with her and some of her family and friends, which will be a nice social activity. i'm also reflecting on the events of the past week, and while i am still over the moon to be here, it does seem like i'm trodding on some familiar territory. in this instance, i'm referring to some elements of the work environment. i'm not sure if it's the profession or the industry or a combination of the two, but everywhere i've worked, there seems to be some struggle with providing good service in an effective and efficient manner.

over the past weeks, i've encountered various glitches and out and out problems with the quality of service rendered by our area to the organization. now, part of my role will be to assist my boss with figuring out how we can improve in how we function (and as i've stated in a previous entry, it just demonstrates the need for my role that such issues exist). the issues actually are occurring in an area that does not report directly to me, but certainly, by virtue of my role, i will have some degree of influence on how that area operates.

the biggest challenge for me is being patient with people. i seem to quickly go to, "if the people were able to perform at the level they need to be then these problems wouldn't be happening." now, i realize that many things can impact performance, and the competency level of the individuals involved is only one of those factors. that fact still doesn't prevent me from going pretty quickly to questioning if changes in personnel might be in order if the situation is going to get better.

i'm reading this great book titled, "change your questions, change your life" by marilee adams, phd, that stresses the importance of moving from "judger" mode to "learner" mode. the key to doing this is to change the questions we ask. the goal is to move to the perspective of inquiry rather than judgement. by doing so, we are more like to come up with the right solutions that will have a positive impact on the situation in question. we all experience judger, but we don't have to stay there. i've a feeling that i'm going to get plenty of opportunities to practice how to make that transition from one mode to the other in the weeks and months ahead.

well, as the saying goes, "if we don't grow, we die," and i have a whole lot more living i want to do. let's hope i do it in the right frame of mind.

the "joy" of relocating

so it's the end of day eight at the new job and two weeks in the area and with that i find myself recognizing why many people choose to stay put rather than galivant from place to place as seems to have been my habit. as i type this, i have the specs for about 10-12 condo/townhomes/apartments to go through -- some sent by a local realtor and the rest unearthed by your's truly doing a quick internet search.  i have a new role, colleagues, and work environment with which to become acclimated.  i have various financial matters to close out from whence i came and new ones to initiate at this current destination. and, as trivial as it may seem, i am also in sore need of a haircut and so need to find someplace to have that done (along with so many other basic services for which i need to establish a place to have them carried out).

my life is filled with choices and decisions that need to be made and all of them seem to be imperative. one thing i am learning is that three years (the duration of my last relocation) is about the right amount of time  for forgetting what a hassle all of this is because the way i feel at this particular moment, i can't imagine having to go through all of this again for at least a decade. and faced with the prospect of leaving any sooner, i would have to think long and hard about it. then again, this is how i see it now. come back and see me again in three years and it may be a whole different story (but i truly hope that it won't be, moreso in terms of the need to relocate as opposed to the desire to do so).

lest i sound as if i'm ungrateful, i should make this one note. i walked into work today still wondering when i was going to wake up from this dream. i had a similar experience sitting in a meeting with my boss later in the day. to be happy again with where i work, with whom i work and (even with all of the decisions to be made) where i live is a moment in time i do not take lightly. my one hope and prayer is that such a feeling will not only last for a good long while but that my life here will be the most fulfilling time that i have known (fulfilling and settled). 

initial observations

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.