A day of unexpected delights
I gave up on trying to reach a consensus in meetings today - the way I'd been told the New Symantec was supposed to be. Instead, I tried being my old autocratic self, and told each of them what I'd like to receive from them as input, and in turn what I would give them as output. I shouldn't be surprised at how well it went, but apparently it is officially now okay for me to order around our public relations team, pricing, product managers, engineers, and global campaigns managers.
Apparently its also okay for me to tell the analyst relations people how to do their jobs. It is very hard for me to learn object lessons about humility and keeping to my limited job duties when other people let me run their lives.
I also had an ex-IBM boss reach out via IM and chat, which was lovely. He's in the middle of some adventures in business process mapping with a new acquisition, and feeling the pain. But he said he missed me - it was just the sort of problem he would have thrown me into the middle of so that he could work a normal hour count. And that he loves following me on FB, as I'm apparently the most eclectic person he knows. Well, that was a given!
Then one of the more troublesome Product Managers from the old department IM'd and said "Wow, totally miss you. You were the best." Really? Cool, cause you fought with us all the time. Still, it's nice to get the nod from the old nemesis. Apparently no one else is worthy of the name.
Then my ex-Symantec second line IM'd and...wow. Said some of the nicest things about me I'd not expected to hear. Apparently he wanted to start me at an even higher rate and title (than now, let alone then) last January; basically he had to fight to get me hired on FTE when instead they wanted to cut the position by calling me a 'cannot lose this person' asset. He's standing by to give rave reviews for when I leave big yellow. Not that I'm thinking of it any time soon, but it was still a warm fuzzy feeling to have someone rave about my brilliance at a totally new field I'd only been doing less than a year.
Plus I've got a new schmooze. The guy from the coffee shop that gave me his business card - well, irony has it that he's just starting divorce proceedings and has a bunch of kids. But it's nice to be liked, and timing-wise I could really use this schmoozing distraction.
So end to end it was the universe being kind and flattering to me today, and I wanted to say THANKS universe! I had a very nice day, and I appreciate your efforts. I am more cheered.
Apparently its also okay for me to tell the analyst relations people how to do their jobs. It is very hard for me to learn object lessons about humility and keeping to my limited job duties when other people let me run their lives.
I also had an ex-IBM boss reach out via IM and chat, which was lovely. He's in the middle of some adventures in business process mapping with a new acquisition, and feeling the pain. But he said he missed me - it was just the sort of problem he would have thrown me into the middle of so that he could work a normal hour count. And that he loves following me on FB, as I'm apparently the most eclectic person he knows. Well, that was a given!
Then one of the more troublesome Product Managers from the old department IM'd and said "Wow, totally miss you. You were the best." Really? Cool, cause you fought with us all the time. Still, it's nice to get the nod from the old nemesis. Apparently no one else is worthy of the name.
Then my ex-Symantec second line IM'd and...wow. Said some of the nicest things about me I'd not expected to hear. Apparently he wanted to start me at an even higher rate and title (than now, let alone then) last January; basically he had to fight to get me hired on FTE when instead they wanted to cut the position by calling me a 'cannot lose this person' asset. He's standing by to give rave reviews for when I leave big yellow. Not that I'm thinking of it any time soon, but it was still a warm fuzzy feeling to have someone rave about my brilliance at a totally new field I'd only been doing less than a year.
Plus I've got a new schmooze. The guy from the coffee shop that gave me his business card - well, irony has it that he's just starting divorce proceedings and has a bunch of kids. But it's nice to be liked, and timing-wise I could really use this schmoozing distraction.
So end to end it was the universe being kind and flattering to me today, and I wanted to say THANKS universe! I had a very nice day, and I appreciate your efforts. I am more cheered.