I'm slowly easing into my new job over the course of the summer, and it's been quite the learning experience. A significant portion of my job is concerned with directing a language program, which means that I will be responsible for some important (and many more non-important) decisions.
It's the rhythm of the decision-making process that has surprised me. A mini-crisis will arise. Emails will fly back and forth, widely cc'ed, bringing everyone up to speed. Conference calls will be arranged, or in-person meetings when possible. We will discuss possible strategies, anticipate consequences, organize the order of action and who is responsible for what. Memos are composed, shared, rewritten, and approved. All in about 24 hours. My brain will be on fire.
And then...I wait. Sometimes for weeks! A crucial administrator is taking a well-earned vacation. A long-planned meeting is suddenly canceled because someone else has a bigger emergency, and it can't be rescheduled for ten days. The people I've turned to for advice will follow up with me and ask me about what decision has been made or what end result has been reached. I don't know!
And now I don't know what to expect after the waiting stage. Will the mini-crisis suddenly be resolved, with a decision handed down from on high? Will it require several more days of emails and conference calls, each round likewise separated by weeks? How do I know when it's actually over? And in the meantime, how do I return to concentrating on my other responsibilities? So much to learn...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Gosh, that *is* surprising! I would have never guessed that this would be the rhythm, either. There's so much that we all don't know about a million jobs that aren't our own! Fascinating (and educational) to see this glimpse into your life.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're writing all this down as you start this wild year. Later it'll be so interesting to go back and see your learning process... I'm imagining a follow-up post: "Hurry up and wait: 6 months later" or whatever ;)
heheh! that reminds me so much of my job :D
ReplyDeletebureaucracies are the same everywhere... ;)
actually it's a fun dynamic-- the adrenaline! the excitement! and then enjoying ignoring the issue while doing other stuff!
I like your attitude, Katie! You can teach me how you handle it all...I think I need to take more the approach of, this is an adventure, and no one knows exactly how it'll end, so just take each challenge as it comes! Very hard for me, the total control freak...
Delete