January 23rd, 2008

So it's only been three days since I started at this new job, and my impressions are obviously going to be preliminary at best, but I can at least "decompress" (as a former -er- friend and I used to call it) about the first few hours of the new workplace.

First off, and for the record, the coffee is just fine, thanks. Different dispenser, some time and effort needed to get used to the new controls to make it spew forth into my cup, but the product is quite the right quality and strength for my liking. (Sounds of hammer hitting the readers' heads: "[smack] That was my Coffee Metaphor. [smack] Did you get it? Huh? [smack smack smack]")

But the real defining details are my change in focus: In many previous workplaces I would arrive and ask for infrastructure details (or just get told): "Here is where we store our source code, these are the tools we use, this is the set of documents we deliver, and there is the bathroom." Except for that last one, none of that information could possibly be presented to me at the new job.

In another workplace once, I arrived to find a mess and broken down (virtually non-existent) process. In one job I created one slowly over time and formed it into something that worked well for me from the swirling chaos and primordial soup of the existing document set.

But at this new position, it is my job to institute the process. That is, take what I learned from those other disasters and make one of my own (process, I mean, not another disaster!) I will decide on it, determine the deliverables, create it, maintain it, tutor and guide others through it. I am not just going to be running the show (once there is a show), I'm going to be designing the stage, lighting, and scenery. Now that's very cool, isn't it?

But one thing that has already manifested itself, is that I must break some conditioning in order to be successful at this job: Instead of asking questions like, "Will there be testing resources available for the XYZ deliverable?" I must start saying, "We will need X hours of QA resource Y in order to have the help properly tested." That's a significant change that I must wrap my brain around. I mean, I know I'm smart enough, and they hired me because I'm knowledgeable enough ... so it's simply a matter of my getting my headspace oriented properly.

Aw, heck, no problem. Once I'm comfortable enough in a situation I have no trouble expressing myself, my needs, and my opinions. Just ask my family or wife or friends. :-)

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