…and it will be sparse and stay sparse while I am in this “of course you can trust me to telework for two months before I move!” stage, as I will be trying very hard to create trust and impress someone who really doesn’t like teleworking. Plus–well:
Tuesday was great. Fabulous! Except for the horrific splitting headache that set in around 10 am and which even codeine could not dispell, and which I tried hard to hide but probably people could tell what with one hand pressed permanently to my temple. Other than that, it was wonderful. I met everyone–all ten of ’em–and they seem like a great group of friendly, easy-going, helpful smarty-pants. The Boss likes to take breaks in his office upstairs to practice the fiddle, and he’s got a music stand and bunches of sheet music to facilitate this. There is a shower in one of the upstairs bathrooms so you can either ride your bike in, or if you’d like take a mid-day break to go for a run or a round of tennis. The office is in a restored heritage building with high tin ceilings and big windows and large shared rooms for offices, which I didn’t think I would like but I do, since the desks are arranged to give everyone some measure of privacy on their monitors but there’s a sociable hum in the background. And no one singing hymns, which actually one person did at the old workplace.
Hymns in the freaking office. I kid you not. She also left religious tracts in the kitchenette.
The talk is all the right kind of talk, about hiring people who are creative and smart and trustworthy and just letting them do their thing without too much interference. Talk doesn’t necessarily mesh with action so I am taking my time in deciding to what extent I should buy the talk, but I like the talk. You need to have the talk to have the action.
I am getting a pile of projects soon too, and it’s a bit dizzying (HOLY CRAP I HAVE RESPONSIBILITY!) but I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to having a new challenge to wrap my brain around. And a good one. It’s a private-sector for-profit job where I get to do some good in the world in an environment that promises a lot of autonomy and flexibility and I am psyched.
I also get to be in charge of the corporate style guide, as un-corporate as it is (real entry from the company business policy: “Dress code – business casual, no jeans, ties permitted and cuff links permitted … Casual Fridays every week – jeans allowed, so are ties”), and the Boss seems to place a great premium on good writing and a clear style, so hurray! I will be able to do writing for a job that DOESN’T SUCK.
We went out for lunch on my first day and a sub-group of musician-colleagues discussed putting on a company death-metal concert in the office after hours. It’s just that kind of place.
And my computer time is going to be highly restricted over the next little while as I try to learn everything about my new field in a couple of days so I can start working on projects sometime tomorrow. It’s not going to be perfect because nothing is ever perfect but I think it is going to be good.
Big grin at how exciting this sounds!
You sound so happy. I’m glad of that!
It sounds fabulous! I am so pleased for you.