I'm very lucky
When I came back to work the first day after vacation, I came in to find my desk completely papered in printouts of the photos I'd been posting as we went on Facebook - an entire cubicle of smiling faces and beautiful ocean images. Above my department, there was a 10 foot banner taped to the ceiling with the words "Welcome Back Monique", a foot tall each, with personal messages from everyone, as if it were a giant greeting card, and decorated with drawings done by the interns of all the things I love - Ariel, Doctor Who, Epcot, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, even a unicorn thrown in there (Ariel has to ride SOMETHING I guess...). I was blown away, and of course cried (and was captured on video at the moment, yay).
I just took the banner down because in a way I am almost embarrassed by it at this point - yesterday was senior staff, and I've had several other managers ask "where did you go, to get such a welcome back?" - and when I say "vacation"...I get looks of disbelief, and some slight paranoia is saying to me that being appreciated by my staff is awesome, but can cause some bad feelings elsewhere. "That's the sort of thing they do when you come back from a hospital stay or maternity leave...". One other manager complimented me - "You have the happiest, most dedicated team in this building - I wish I knew how to do that - I'm proud of you."
During senior staff, I had to go through the stats of the new website I launched just before I went on vacation - and got to highlight the immediate improvements we've seen - revenue, conversion, engagement - all doing what I said it would. Then I turned bright red as everyone applauded - and made SURE to thank everyone because honest to god, *I* didn't do it - WE did it. They keep forgetting that, and it's important to remember because that's the only way it works.
I feel very appreciated. I feel valued. I feel cared about, not just here at work, but in so many parts of my life. People I haven't seen or talked to in SO long, checking on me. People so far away being part of my life every day even in the smallest ways. I feel really good, and I just want to share that, and let everyone reaching out to me in these ways know how much it means. <3
Some big drama coming up at work. It's so weird how different I deal with this stuff here compared to the past three jobs I've had. It's much easier to see it coming - the drama is like a big puddle that I can see, and can either walk around, or find boots that keep me mostly out of it - while I watch SO MANY PEOPLE jump into that puddle and roll around in glee, and try to drag everyone else in too (this is a BIG puddle this time, believe me). Just this week, I've seen a side of someone that I have NEVER seen, would NEVER have thought it existed, and it shocked me and disappointed the hell out of me. And then I took a deep breath and was so thankful that since getting here, I've "played the game" carefully, and I'm even more thankful that now I know.
It's like the times I'd watch friends at parties in college (or, to use a more recent example, on the cruise) get wasted, and I wasn't - sometimes it's amusing, sometimes it's horrifying, and EVERY SINGLE TIME I say "Thank GOD that's not me, they're going to hurt so bad soon...".
Not sure how I learned to do this, because I CERTAINLY couldn't do it at past jobs - but my stress level is so much lower, and I really love my job. And my life kinda rocks right now too. Thank you for letting me share it with you - even in this tiny, silly way - it means a lot to know you care enough to want to know. <3 Right back 'atcha! =Dg
I just took the banner down because in a way I am almost embarrassed by it at this point - yesterday was senior staff, and I've had several other managers ask "where did you go, to get such a welcome back?" - and when I say "vacation"...I get looks of disbelief, and some slight paranoia is saying to me that being appreciated by my staff is awesome, but can cause some bad feelings elsewhere. "That's the sort of thing they do when you come back from a hospital stay or maternity leave...". One other manager complimented me - "You have the happiest, most dedicated team in this building - I wish I knew how to do that - I'm proud of you."
During senior staff, I had to go through the stats of the new website I launched just before I went on vacation - and got to highlight the immediate improvements we've seen - revenue, conversion, engagement - all doing what I said it would. Then I turned bright red as everyone applauded - and made SURE to thank everyone because honest to god, *I* didn't do it - WE did it. They keep forgetting that, and it's important to remember because that's the only way it works.
I feel very appreciated. I feel valued. I feel cared about, not just here at work, but in so many parts of my life. People I haven't seen or talked to in SO long, checking on me. People so far away being part of my life every day even in the smallest ways. I feel really good, and I just want to share that, and let everyone reaching out to me in these ways know how much it means. <3
Some big drama coming up at work. It's so weird how different I deal with this stuff here compared to the past three jobs I've had. It's much easier to see it coming - the drama is like a big puddle that I can see, and can either walk around, or find boots that keep me mostly out of it - while I watch SO MANY PEOPLE jump into that puddle and roll around in glee, and try to drag everyone else in too (this is a BIG puddle this time, believe me). Just this week, I've seen a side of someone that I have NEVER seen, would NEVER have thought it existed, and it shocked me and disappointed the hell out of me. And then I took a deep breath and was so thankful that since getting here, I've "played the game" carefully, and I'm even more thankful that now I know.
It's like the times I'd watch friends at parties in college (or, to use a more recent example, on the cruise) get wasted, and I wasn't - sometimes it's amusing, sometimes it's horrifying, and EVERY SINGLE TIME I say "Thank GOD that's not me, they're going to hurt so bad soon...".
Not sure how I learned to do this, because I CERTAINLY couldn't do it at past jobs - but my stress level is so much lower, and I really love my job. And my life kinda rocks right now too. Thank you for letting me share it with you - even in this tiny, silly way - it means a lot to know you care enough to want to know. <3 Right back 'atcha! =Dg