From the Tomb into the Fire
I'm not bored at work anymore. I'm not even slightly unhappy with my job. How about that? How many people get to write those words and mean it? This is my one lifelong bonus, that I never have to stay bored in a job for long. Someone always figures out that I should be doing better things with my time and their money. When I was hiring people, I was the kind of person that made my day. The one that we'd call "a live one." Being a live one means that you never have to worry about being employed, and never have to be bored to death for more than six months in any job. It also means that sometimes, you get promoted into a job where you have to not only hit the ground running, but keep running and running and running. This is one of those jobs.
I was never a Contracts Manager before this, but it suits me. I started college as a pre-law major before shifting to something different at my father's suggestion. Back then, I wanted to be a criminal defence attorney. This, is nice. No one's life hangs in the balance, but millions of dollars do. So, there's enough pressure to keep me on my toes, but not enough to make me break out in psoriasis from scalp to ankles.
It suits my personality as well. For the most part, I get to be nice and cooperative and helpful. I consider my clients to be the programme managers who ask me what our contractual obligations are, and who rely on me to smooth the path for distribution of our product around the world. That's 85% of the work, really, just making sure all the "i's" are dotted and "t's" crossed, so that nothing is slowed down. The other 15% suits me as well. That's when I get to be a bitch, and no one would even consider putting me down for it. When I am advocating a position for the company, I am absolutely cold hearted. It's the letter of the contract, not the spirit. If I think that we're right, I will never give up. If I think that the other party is trying to screw us, I will become a junkyard dog. I love the taste of blood first thing in the morning!
What's been fun for me, is to see just the slightest change in attitude around the place. Instead of feeling like we're battling to stay even, I see a sense that we as a group, might be feeling like we're kicking ass. The other day, one of the programme managers came to my desk to have me check something and when I was done, he declared that he wasn't going to back down when it came to protesting some invoices that he doesn't think we should have to pay. I swear six weeks ago, he never would have done this. I said, "The taste of blood is a little addictive, ain't it, Bubba?" He just grinned at me. Who'd have ever thought that a middle-aged woman would be empowering managerial males?
Just before he left the company, one of the beanies that I really liked said, "Don't let them get you down...don't lose your smile." I said, "That'll never happen, Dude. I don't stop smiling, others start. I drive the bus, and everyone else gets on board."
Pretty soon I expect to have them all dancing in the fire, along with me.
I was never a Contracts Manager before this, but it suits me. I started college as a pre-law major before shifting to something different at my father's suggestion. Back then, I wanted to be a criminal defence attorney. This, is nice. No one's life hangs in the balance, but millions of dollars do. So, there's enough pressure to keep me on my toes, but not enough to make me break out in psoriasis from scalp to ankles.
It suits my personality as well. For the most part, I get to be nice and cooperative and helpful. I consider my clients to be the programme managers who ask me what our contractual obligations are, and who rely on me to smooth the path for distribution of our product around the world. That's 85% of the work, really, just making sure all the "i's" are dotted and "t's" crossed, so that nothing is slowed down. The other 15% suits me as well. That's when I get to be a bitch, and no one would even consider putting me down for it. When I am advocating a position for the company, I am absolutely cold hearted. It's the letter of the contract, not the spirit. If I think that we're right, I will never give up. If I think that the other party is trying to screw us, I will become a junkyard dog. I love the taste of blood first thing in the morning!
What's been fun for me, is to see just the slightest change in attitude around the place. Instead of feeling like we're battling to stay even, I see a sense that we as a group, might be feeling like we're kicking ass. The other day, one of the programme managers came to my desk to have me check something and when I was done, he declared that he wasn't going to back down when it came to protesting some invoices that he doesn't think we should have to pay. I swear six weeks ago, he never would have done this. I said, "The taste of blood is a little addictive, ain't it, Bubba?" He just grinned at me. Who'd have ever thought that a middle-aged woman would be empowering managerial males?
Just before he left the company, one of the beanies that I really liked said, "Don't let them get you down...don't lose your smile." I said, "That'll never happen, Dude. I don't stop smiling, others start. I drive the bus, and everyone else gets on board."
Pretty soon I expect to have them all dancing in the fire, along with me.
posted by Tarla @ 12:38 pm
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