Today was my first for real day at my new job. I showed up this morning not knowing what to expect. What I found was no desk, no access pass, and no email. Needless to say, I didn't get a whole lot done. It was frustrating to say the least. I know that it was not anything malicious and that there was some effort put into my arrival and, in fact, many of the problems I experienced were due to equipment malfunctions, but still, it just seemed like there could have been something more.
Checking into a new command is always tough. You have to not only learn a whole new job and develop a new skill set in a short amount of time, but also get the lay of the social land. You have to test the waters to see how serious or not the leadership will be. You have to see if the other LTs are nice or not. You have to figure out the rhythms of the office. Does everyone show up in civvies and change into uniform? Do people bring their lunch? One misstep in these early days can be devastating. This job is especially interesting because it is a large command, so being an LT is like being the lowest frog in the pond.
Something that I am very grateful for is the family first focus of this command. It's not a given that your boss will allow you to stay home with a sick child or be understanding of doctor's appointments and other such nonsense. Some leaders take the attitude that if you needed a family, the Navy would have issued you one. For my hubs and I, this focus is especially important. There is no one who can easily get off work to stay home. I am very thankful that this command seems more flexible than those in the past.
Here's hoping for a better day two (and a desk)!
No comments:
Post a Comment