First Month Report Card

With one month under my belt at the new gig, it's time for my first self-imposed performance evaluation.  I am considering grades in the following categories: 

Orienting to new office, colleagues and internal politics: B

Communicating with my new boss: B+

Performing well in crucial situations: A

Handling the traffic to/from the office: C*

Making good use of the mega coffee machine in the office kitchen: A

Overall, I feel great about my new position. That's not to say there haven't been bumps in the road as I get used to the new team, issues and practices. A missed conference call here, IT problem there... I think those challenges are to be expected, though, and I'm doing my best to go easy on myself in terms of self-criticism. It can be daunting to completely change your daily schedule and work focus, which is what I've done with this move. Breaking out of routine is hard. Creating a new routine is even harder. However, I cannot advocate making the shift enough: my life is happier, calmer and more satisfying than it has been in years. 

Taking a small step reaps giant rewards.

   *I was so spoiled working from home.

Wasting Time at Work

The following hits a little too close to home: "Top Work Related Distractions: Fixing other people's work (54%)."
Guilty as charged.

This awesome graphic came from Tempo: www.tempoplugin.com

Vacay

Now that I work for a bigger organization, I am pumped (Hanz and Franz style) about my new benefits package. I now have access to better health care options, several pre-tax savings plans, matching retirement contributions, and on and on. However, there is one big caveat to my amazing benefits plan: I am back to only two weeks of paid vacation a year. TWO. WEEKS.

You're probably wondering what I'm whining about. Don't most people get two weeks of vacation a year? What is the big deal? Well, the big deal is that I had built up four weeks of paid vacation a year with my last employer, which was pretty amazing. I took Fridays off for long-weekends. I never thought twice about the week between Christmas and New Year's. And I still had enough time left over to plan a two-week vacation to Europe last year. In other words, I was spoiled rotten.

My new reality means scrimping and saving throughout the year and planning trips far more in advance that I'm used to. The good news is that every year I stay with this new organization, I'll receive a few more days in the annual vacation bank. While I have no regrets from my transition (indeed, fewer vacation days is a small price to pay for sanity), it got me thinking about paid vacation and why there never seems to be enough to go around. Business Insider has a great infographic about paid vacation around the world which really brings this point home: Americans do not receive any mandatory paid vacation days off. All of a sudden, "Kazakhstan" (24 days) has a different ring to it, don't you think?



www.businessinsider.com/countries-that-require-vacation-2013-5



Choose Your Own Adventure - Office Edition

So what can we, worker bees of the world, do to create a successful and productive environment at the office?  We can't give each other raises. We can't move into a Google-like campus. We probably can't even lobby for a cappuccino machine or yoga break room.  But there are a few characteristics we have control over and can promote from within. 

Fast Company highlighted a new book recently titled Passion Capital: The World's Most Powerful Asset promoting 8 simple "rules" for creating a great work culture that, in turn, leads to lifelong career success. 

1. Surround yourself with passionate people.

2. Communicate regularly and transparently.

3. Weed out the whiners who pull everyone down.

4. Work hard, play hard.
5. Be ambitious! Be extraordinary!

6. Respect diversity in all of its forms.

7. Promote dynamic interaction with bosses, coworkers, other departments, even interns!

8. Keep your eye on the prize. Not all success is short term.  Be focused on long-terms goals everyday.

As the new kid on the block in my office, I've paid a lot of attention to Numbers 2 and 7, making sure I get to know everyone one-on-one, understand their role on the team and figure out how my own activities can help and enhance their projects. I could probably give a little more effort toward #5. I hope that as I grow more comfortable with everyday responsibilities, I can shift into the extraordinary by connecting the dots among programs, anticipating solutions to problems and identifying opportunities to take my contribution to the next level.  

For more detail and examples on these rules and others, check out Fast Company's recent blog on Creating Passionate Work Cultures!  

Culture Shock

As I transition to a new job, I've been thinking a lot about work culture. It is amazing how adaptable we are as employees: sliding into and out of habits based on interaction with bosses, colleagues and the internal structures around us.

It's not always seamless, though.  

My new work environment is 180 degrees different in tone than that of my old one. There is a dramatic lack of emergency: e-mails aren't red-flagged, no competition for attention, accolades or funding; no late-night calls; programmatic timelines are realistic and respected; budgets adhered to. For the last two weeks, I've floated from task to task in a state of genuine culture shock. I keep waiting for a desperate freak out or a deadline to pop up like whack-a-mole. In addition, I notice a real shift from individual accomplishment to teamwork, from go-it-alone to accomplishing things together. 

I don't believe that this is a product of good versus bad or old versus new. Instead, I think it's more about the culture surrounding everything we do. We can't control everything around us in the work place, but in a transition, there are ways to bring the best with us and leave the rest behind. That's what I'll be writing about this week: those qualities that bring out the best in me that I want to cultivate (and those that I hope to leave in the dust).

It's Not You, It's Me

I broke up with my boss.

It was a tough decision. One that was months, even years, in the making. Truth be told, we were no longer a good pair. I needed freedom; he was overly-dependent. I was dissatisfied; he couldn't get enough. I was ready for a new challenge; he got anxious and sweaty just thinking about trying anything new.

So, I did what every Selfish Half of a relationship must do when faced with a similar situation: face the facts and break it off. It didn't go well, I must say. I should have been better prepared for the negativity that followed. Weeping and gnashing of teeth. Lots of blame, guilt and finger pointing. 

But now, a few days removed from D-Day, I am feeling light, energetic and ready for what comes next. In case you were wondering, I already have a new boyfriend boss lined up. He is eager and driven and ready to work together as a team.  

The transition won't be easy. There is a lot that goes into evolving from one relationship to the next and I am a sucker for loyalty and commitment. The hard part is over, however, and I know I can handle whatever tasks come with making the switch!

Life in Graphs

Want some great lessons on interviewing life? Check out this amazing website, created by Liz Fosslein. She has a unique knack for boiling down big, complex things (emotions, cities, news, economics, etc.) into simple, easy-to-understand infographics. At a glance, you can learn about crime statistics in Chicago or get relationship advice thanks to her clever use of pie charts, line graphs and dots.

Why is this relevant to work-life balance, you may ask? Well, check out her take on how to get hired. It includes excellent tips on making the best impression possible to a potential employer, but with funny twists along the way. A few examples...

The Suit

http://fosslien.com

Describe A Time You Had Difficulty With A Coworker

http://fosslien.com

What Was Your Biggest Mistake?

http://fosslien.com

Why Do You Want This Job?

http://fosslien.com

I know an inspirational someone whose motto is "Show up." That's a big part of what I get out of these interview infographics: be thoughtful, show up, be yourself and success will come.  Good advice for interviews and life.