New Office. New People.

[mikebird]

Monday

I won't be invisible initially, but if I'm just shy and ignore everyone (by default) I'd be invisible quite soon. I have to do something about it. If I don't treat those people as they would expect, I might well be finished, and dismissed before the day is done.

It's set to last for two weeks. I'd be determined to win some respect, and hope for an extension. It wouldn't be too disappointing to make it last just two weeks.

Can't be sure what they're want from me yet (technically) but I need to ascertain that, requiring a lot of effort from me - meeting - whiteboard sketches. No idea if I'll be told what to do, or if they'll look to me for direction. The metaphor would be a bloke has come to fix the boiler, and ask 'where is it?' or find it himself. Either person has to decide whether to replace it or install a new one... or a workaround

I know what I'm doing, and I've done it for years, but it's the people I have trouble handling. If I put a foot wrong, they won't like it. Too passive OR too aggressive will surely be bad. That's my forte.

If I had a panic attack and curl into a ball and give up - it's never happened before - that could be the end of me - in many ways... Each new opportunity has slowly got worse every time! Maybe by thinking this way is why it happens?

 

[Rembrandt Broam]

I honestly don't know how you're able to do contracts as short as two weeks. I'd still be way too anxious to actually get anything done in that time. It takes me at least a month to settle enough into a new job to the point where I'm what any normal person would describe as comfortable.

 

[mikebird]

I get offers of 3 days repeatedly. I wish I could do what you do for more than a month. The most vast timescales in the last decade have been three months.

It's all down to rejection.

Nobody told me that people skills were no.1 to any career. Therefore I gave up on that side of life, and preferred to be a scientist / engineer, although I like art and music.. wooo!

If only someone had told me about being nice... well, they did, actually, but I ignored that. It seemed stupid. I aimed to be professional, but I may appear as retarded on group hugs and fluffy bunny theory

 

[goldatom]

People-skills are such a nuisance. They did a survey here and found that 70% of required skills are people-skills and 30% are job-skills. It's like having math-phobia and having to take engineering classes.

 

[mikebird]

Yeah!

If I attended a course about people skills, it might drag me out of the dirt, an maybe I could learn some basics about 'how to be nice to people' which I might have ignored it before and though there was no point. I might like it if there were something intriguing complexity about people; I might one day see the light.

My niece just graduated in Psychology with a First, and I'm envious. I've been wondering what all that might involve. The worst stuff I've ever had to deal with has always been recruiters, and second to that comes salespeople. Who achieve want they want by manipulating people to.. buy things they don't want, or ask tough embarrassing questions to show people up.

Now, my niece has a new position to start in September, and this is with a famous recruiter firm, who always annoy me. I never thought I'd have to deal with these people, but it all started when I graduated. I was hoping to just be an engineer. Now people get in my way

 

[Richey]

Yeah the reality of the office environment is that building relationships and presenting yourself is looked at as way more positive then sitting there with your head down and not saying much. The reasons are usually because that communication has to be fairly paramount amongst all the departments so that there aren't catastophic communication breakdowns and also so that you are being thought of by others which helps you the indivindual to gain assistance quickly when required. This is also taken into account with appraisals and reviews as well. Outgoing people usually succeed in business more then quiet people, a sad but true fact. Egotists with a bit of arrogance as well as a nicer outgoing side = success in business. Of course quality of work as well. Ever notice that you egotistical, confident outgoing cousins and friends are probably doing rather well in life?

Also it depends on the office, many are different but many are cliched "office space" type as well. You may adapt better to a certiain environment better than others. Offices that are intense and have a lot of egos are going to be more difficult whislt more welcoming and warm offices are going to be easier to adapt to.

My advice is to try the best you can and eventually weigh up if the office environment suits your personality and perhaps try and work on your communication and conversational skills outside of the workplace to make life easier at work.

A metaphor for the office is that its a lot like being stuck in the wild amazon jungle for 8 hours. emails are in fact actual darts & spears being thrown at you = challenge of tasks and whether you can handle that much work load well or not. The jungle animals are the people that approach you with challenges to help solve and also small talk that tests your ability to react. The communication is very important so that you aren't making assumptions. It's all in your hands.

 

[mikebird]

Richey

That is really helpful. Sometimes it takes a good reminder to wake me up and see the truth. Maybe the 'open office' was an era which I could never put up with, right from day one of my first job. I'm a LOT happier with my own space, as I live alone, as I was put in my own room in hospital, rather than a whole ward of patients...

My view of this: why can't people look after themselves? I don't need a coffee every 5 minutes and I think that's where all the problems start. There is more to life than just mummy-daddy! That's why I'd rather be a farmer, or at sea, with a way to make profit. Going with the flow is not my strength. I ain't a Brittney Spears fan. When I was 16, I grew up. In summary, if people work in an office, they never grew up - it's a playground. People look forward to lunchtime, and it's 1200 because they can't wait any longer! Then go home!! And then Friday!

I'm anti-sheep, but neither a leader. It is clear that success has to be friendliness. Working 'closely' with... Fantastic interpersonal skills! Group hugs. It that really what it has to be? I'm not violent. Not scared of people, but I can't see the logic of having to depend on everyone else... living at home with mummy-daddy for the rest of your life...

I'm gonna have to get into this on Monday. Well... maybe not

Thanks

 

[bigcat1967]

Reminds me - I have been at my same job for 12 years and they will be shutting it down in about six months. Me going on interviews makes me cringe.

However, I know that the more I do it - the better off I'll be.