Forty Nine

As I near the end of week 48 I am just getting around to writing about week 49.  That ought to be a clue.  I am really, really busy.   I guess I underestimated the work it would take to be part of this new organization, having been in my old position for practically a lifetime.   But it's all good.  At this point in life you pretty much know what is fun and interesting. I realized a long time ago that new challenges are a requirement for me.  Is there such a thing as career ADD?

Last week, (that would be #49) was different  mostly because I was working from home.  Sure, I've "worked from home" before.  (Often on those days that we used to reserve for being home sick.)  These days it is pretty easy to be very effective from home.  But this was the first time that my whole week, and hopefully about 50% of the year, was spent working virtually.

I couldn't have picked a better week if I tried.  Yes, we all expect cold weather in this part of town in the winter but it was a particularly frigid week even by our standards.   There is absolutely nothing wrong with a commute that involves walking in my slippers from the kitchen to the upstairs home office.  It was great.  I'm pretty sure our 10 year old golden retriever was as big a fan of it as I was, not that it was a significant change to his routine.  He doesn't often have someone to settle in near during the day, but I'm pretty sure his 6 hour nap is a standing item on his daily calendar.

This will take some getting used to (but it sure won't be hard to adjust!).  I discovered I need the discipline of getting the same morning start.  I can't see myself working in my pj's.   But overall, the technology makes it pretty seamless   Yeah, I missed the casual interactions, but skype (again, that is a pj free zone), office communicator, and webex meetings are pretty easy to use no matter where your office chair resides.   As people get to know me in the agency, I'm sure my physical location at the moment will be a non-issue.

Oh, and having the whole week home after 2 weeks on the road was simply awesome.  I always thought that in general I had a great appreciation for the comforts of home, not the least of which is the company of my dear wife.  But substitute 2 weeks living from a suitcase, even in a pretty nice hotel room, and it's easy to notice all those little things in life.    So as a public service announcement, whether you are home every night or a frequent traveler, make sure you take a moment to tell those people in your life that you notice that they make the difference between having a house and having a 'home' .   Hmmm, maybe I better call my favorite florist for a home delivery....

Fifty

I've drifted into a 'countdown' theme for my updates.  It is interesting (to me) that when I count down the time remaining for some long anticipated event, like my sons coming home for holiday break, time nearly stands still.  That date just never gets here soon enough.   So why is it that time accelerates when we are counting down the time we have left to accomplish our goals?  Eight actual days spent on my leave and I'm already feeling late!   I may have to change my theme because there isn't enough time to do all I need to accomplish but the weeks are racing by.  I suppose it does keep me focused on accomplishing goals each week.

At the Agency, the frenetic pace continues.  I was able to meet a lot more people, re-connect with some from the December workshops, and train a new group on  the problem-solving techniques we'll be using this year.  Training sounds like I've done all the teaching and they've done all the learning.  Not so much.  The truth is I keep discovering how the skills I learned in one context translate and apply to this new organization and their needs.  We're on this journey together, each bringing different value and perspective. I can already tell that I've grown from their experiences.  I hope the same is true for them.  

The  most memorable part of the week was actually a meeting at my 'regular' job.  I attended an orientation session with my peers that are the other recipients of our company's social service leave program grants.  Five of us in all, from across the company and across the country.  That bring the total to a very fortunate 504 people over the last 42 years to collect our regular paychecks while 100% focused on a volunteer mission.  Time and money. Pretty amazing commitment to giving back for Corporate America.  

Listening to the presentations about what everyone will be doing was interesting.  All noble causes.  Each doing their part to help others. Everyone passionate about what they were doing.  For example, we'll be applying our talents and energy helping our wounded veterans, those struggling to get food, or  people with no access to traditional healthcare.  Topics we read about every day that might seem to big or too remote for us to even begin to help with.  But every person spoke with compassion and emotion about the gift we've been given to be able to help those in our communities, and around the world.  Yes, we were told just how special we were to volunteer for such work.  That is always nice to hear, for sure.  But the sentiment from around the table was much more about how humbled we feel to have this opportunity.

So on those notes of excitement and emotional highs, we left our corporate board room to venture off into our personal projects.  Driving home, I thought more and more about the work to get done, how to focus my time, and what a great responsibility I had to live up to the expectations of 503 people that have taken on similar challenges.  Terrific.  Just when I thought the bar couldn't get higher!  OK, time to get down to the serious work!

Fifty one

Wow. 

Three little letters to pretty much sum up week 1.

Is this organization wildly different from the many others I’ve seen.  Not really.  There are new TLA’s to learn (Three Letter Acronyms), but that wasn’t unexpected.  I can mostly translate this non-profit world into something my decidedly ‘for profit’ brain can understand.   But largely, the struggles are similar, the patterns are familiar, and the people friendly, welcoming, and eager to learn.  Then again, the devil is always in the details and there’s no way I am even close to understanding those yet.

Oh, and the average age dropped by like 20 years.  The answer I give most often  when asked, "how long have you been working" has the basic form of “longer than you’ve been alive”.  But the 'age' thing  is made only more amazing by what these (dare I say it?) youngsters have seen and  done.  They've made real differences in people's lives. Globally. Repeatedly.  Yeah, that and they are wicked smart, too.

But the differences  are a mix of amazing and terrifying.  On the amazing side, I have never felt more welcomed.  Everyone seems to know why I’m here and who I am.  I don’t know what they've heard, but they are very excited to have me join them.  Perhaps I’ll improve my admittedly horrible skills at putting faces and names together. (so far, nothing suggests I will).  The terrifying side of this enthusiasm is the sky high expectations it comes with.  Well, I always liked a challenge, and I have lots of friends, and plenty of scars, to draw on.  Experience hopefully counts for something! Bring it on!

And how about “passionate” to describe just how everyone is about the mission of the organization?  It doesn't matter their individual role. Of course there are lots of opinions on how to accomplish their goals.  But Everyone is clear what the end goals are. That clarity drives them in a wonderfully energetic way.  If not always to the same solutions.  Still I have never in my long (longer than most have been alive) career experienced an all hands business meeting where people were overwhelmed by emotion over the stories of the impact of the agency on the people they serve.  It was humbling.

I do have to get used to a later starting time (not that most reasonable people start as early as I do).  But that doesn’t slow them down and I need the extra time to keep up! I don’t think anyone here knows how to go about their work in any way other than all in and hyperspeed.  Five days have felt like five weeks.  My head is spinning with all the possibilities.  I just wonder how to get it all done.  Where to start.  How to make a difference.  A year has never looked shorter.

And then the little things:

• A group lunch to welcome me and help us get to know each other.  It reminded me of the culture I grew up with. 
• Taking the high speed commuter train rather than the usual (and generally unpleasant commuter flights).  A teensy bit longer, but way more comfortable and half the price.  Add in that I was connected and working comfortably the whole trip and it was better on every level.   I’m pretty sure a family trip by train is in our future.
• An “all hands” meeting that really was intended for and attended by everyone in the agency.  And for the first 30 minutes, everyone new, self included, was introduced and welcomed.
• Did I mention everyone is excited to get started on our continuous improvement journey?  Cool.

It has been an amazing first week.  Only 51 more to go.

Wow.