Today’s featured image was taken three years ago.  The boys were just about 4 months old, Boo was still the biggest critter in the camp, my renter was a large and bald ex-bouncer, and I was probably mentally ready to head to Canada for a couple of weeks.  Today, Boo is dwarfed by her little brothers, my renter is a relatively petite customer service manager, and I’m still mentally ready to head out anywhere – although that’s not going to happen for quite some time.

Got kind of a punch in the gut last week when I applied for an Onboarding Specialist position that’s opening up at The X Company.  Informed my new boss of my intention to apply, he said fine – he’s been my boss for all of about two weeks, having just been promoted to the L1 lead position.  Did an interview with our talent scout, who is filtering applicants to send to the hiring manager.  I thought it went fairly well.  He asked all the usual questions, including what my boss would say that I did well and what my boss would say that I didn’t do so well.  I explained that I really didn’t know what my *new* boss would say, as I haven’t talked with him; but said that my previous boss, Joe – based solely on the (three) one-on-one meetings that I’ve had with him, since he and I have barely spoken since I started working – would probably say that I do a good job with my clients, consistently meet my metrics, have good communications skills, and generally know my shit.  As for what I need to work on, I really didn’t know and I said that.  Perhaps more consistency with the metrics, but judging on the daily stats that I get combined with his comments – written and verbal – in those three meetings, I really couldn’t think of anything that I needed to drastically improve.  I know I’m doing a good job, and I told the guy that.  Said, fairly bluntly, that I understand that I’m new, but that this is stuff that I was doing close to 30 years ago, that I’m going to get better and better at it, and that I’m going to be bored to death with it within 6 months.  Also mentioned that I’d taken a 50% pay cut when I accepted the job.  Didn’t pull any punches, but was polite, positive, eager to learn new things and be more involved with customer planning, yada yada yada.

Got a fairly terse email the following day informing me that the interviewer had spoken with my bosses and they’d informed him that I really needed to improve, that my metrics were below par but getting better, and that the interview process could not proceed because “we’re only looking for people who meet and exceed expectations.”  I was mildly stunned.  Pulled up the daily stats and graphed them.  My metrics are solid.  At the top, in fact.   So I pulled up the records of my three meetings.  Scored 9/10 in my first one, 10/10 in the next two.  Got a bit pissed off, but decided to be cool.  Sent a nice note back to the interviewer and stated that I disagreed with the take on my performance, but that I understand that I’m new and I try not to take anything personally and it was nice talking with him, thanks, etc.

Two hours later, my new boss (Ben) sits down next to me, says, “Will you have a few minutes to talk today?”  I said I could talk right then.  So we go to a conference room and he begins his remarks by saying, “Joe and I never said anything to Neil about your metrics.  You’re doing fine.  Joe thought you might have an attitude problem because you haven’t been particularly friendly.”

I agreed with him on that point, particularly where Joe is concerned, explaining that I haven’t been overly friendly with Joe because I’ve had the feeling – from day one – that Joe actively dislikes me.  Ben said something along the lines of, “That’s understandable, and you’re not the first one to say it.”  I then explained again that it was all good.  I wasn’t going to worry about it.  If there were issues – perceived or real – then I’d just go back to taking care of my clients, which is what I’m paid to do.  Ben said he’d talk to Neil (the interviewer) and straighten things out, and I assumed that I was back in the running.

The next day, I got another email from Neil that said, “I hope that, after talking with Ben, you have a better understanding of what the problem is.”  So I wrote back and said, “Actually, I’m now more mystified than ever, but – again – I’m not going to worry about it.”

Two days pass, and we arrive at yesterday afternoon.  Joe called me into his office.  I’m like, “Oh crap.  Can we just let this thing go?” but I sit and ask what’s up.  He says that he heard back from Neil and that I said I was still not sure about how I’m underperforming; so I laid out the whole timeline for him (did not mention that I still think he dislikes me), and said for about the 15th time, “It’s okay.  I’m new to the job and the company.  I guess I’m trying to move too fast.  I just have seen no indication that I’m not performing as expected.  If I am, please tell me what I need to do to improve.”

And Joe says, “No, your metrics are great.  Your firms have nothing but good things to say about you.  You obviously are incredibly technically qualified.  Your communication is good – wish the other guys out there would document things like you do.  You pay attention to detail.  You’re doing great.  The thing is, we worry about your teamwork.  Some of the guys on the floor thought you came off as sort of condescending when you started here.”

And I’m like (in my head), “THAT’S what this is all about? Seriously?”  So I laid it out for Joe.  I came to work at The X Company after 17 years of being responsible for nearly every bit of infrastructure – phones, computers, televisions, signage, wall hangings, heaters, fuse boxes, coffee makers, you name it.  While I did work in a business casual atmosphere there, it is also a Fortune 50 company and there is certain level of professionalism that is expected.  Prior to working at BellSouth/AT&T, I was a contractor for three years and worked for some of the most respected companies on the planet.  And when I got to The X Company, I was thrown into the middle of a bunch of kids who spent their days playing ping-pong, talking about online gaming, and shooting rubber bands and nerf guns around the room.  The company took a day off to have a picnic and play kickball.  The dress code includes The X Company t-shirts and shorts.  Not to mention that I was doing my best to 1}Learn the applications that I’m supporting, and 2}Provide my clients with top-notch support.  So, yeah.  I probably did, and perhaps still do, come off as aloof and/or condescending at times.  My focus is and will be on my clients, and if the office that I’m sitting in is one step up from kindergarten, then call me the guy without team spirit.  I’m okay with that.  And oh, by the way, those guys are now coming to me for help with their own clients.

Joe got the message.

He and I then talked about upcoming projects (wherein people like me go to new clients and get them set up) and an opening for a project manager (who manages people like me who are going to new clients to get them set up), and he encouraged me to sign up for some of the former and to apply for the latter.

So after the gut punch, maybe there’s a glimmer of light.  We shall see.  At least Joe, and hopefully Ben – and maybe even Neil – now knows where I’m coming from.  I’ll shoot the nerf guns between 5:30 and 6:00, after I’ve shut off my phone and I’m winding down. The rest of the day, I’m focused on my clients.

In other news, I took a short trip up to the Pisgah National Forest (the Shining Rock Wilderness Area) over the Memorial Day weekend and spend a wonderful, restful, couple of days in the middle of nowhere along the Pigeon River.  Only had to hike in about two miles to get away from the day hikers.  I setup my tent and a tarp, drank some apple-crisp whisky and splashed in the river on Saturday; then slept like a dead man while a massive storm raged during Saturday night.  On the way up to the area, I passed the Davidson Creek campground in the national forest, and thought that it might be an alternative to my Lake Superior campground for later this year.

Looked it up online when I got home.  The 2nd and 3rd weeks in October are almost fully booked, and it’s $40/night!  I’m once again leaning towards going back to Pictured Rocks on Superior.  Yes, it’s a longer drive – but I know that I’ll be fairly alone, and I know that it’s a beautiful spot.   Actually, while talking with Joe about upcoming projects, I learned that there is one in Wisconsin and one in Michigan (I believe North Lake, MI, which would be incredible) coming up in late August.  Am considering trying for one of those with the idea of scheduling my vacation at the end of the on-site week, so that I could just leave and head to the lake, saving the company air fare and getting my lake jones taken care of in one fell swoop.

On the good news front, I spent this morning rolling coins and counting the paper money that I’ve been stuffing into a water jug over the last year.  You know the drill – you get home, you empty your pockets, and you save any money that’s in them.

I’ll be making a deposit of just over $2,700 this morning.

It’s going to be a nice vacation if I can ever get it scheduled.