I'm Guessing Never Easy
It was another boring day in my new position. I spent a good part of the morning cleaning out old files & researching the people in the company. The latter activity was part of a tip I got from NICE GIRLS DON'T GET THE CORNER OFFICE. I figured I may as well spend some quality time in this honeymoon period preparing myself for the politics of my new job, arming myself with information about the people I know and the others I may encounter on my way up the corporate ladder.
After lunch with my co-workers, my assigned "buddy" took me out in the plant to meet more people I'm likely to end up working with while I'm here. Everyone was nice as I used a little bit of southern charm to make them feel at ease. Every area my "buddy" and I went, he told them what he thought my assignments were going to be. Those assignments will finally be decided tomorrow when our group meets for the first time since my interim boss's official last day this past Friday. I couldn't help but remember what I'd heard time & time again in the last couple of months:
My most recent former boss (as of this past Friday): "Frankly, I'm disappointed in the work they were giving you," when I inquired as to what my new assignments would be.
My corporate rep (as of last Tuesday, day two on my new job): "Don't let them dump on you, because you know that's what they're going to do," when I mentioned the results of my last assignment.
My corporate sponser (as I finished my howdy 'round last month): "Carve out ownership in IA. Don't let them dump on you," just after he let me know that he has me in mind for a corporate environmental manager's position in a few years.
The company VP of ES&H (mid-morning during my howdy 'round last month [parenthetically, the company doesn't arrange howdy 'rounds that include a VP unless they really believe in your potential]): "It's a 50/50 job with technical & management as equal parts," referring to the next position I want in my path to her job in 20 years.
While researching what assignments the team has suggested I should have, I realized they're things the lowest environmental engineer (and my only competition in the group) have been doing for the last couple of years. I know they're about to try dumping on me, but I don't know what I should be doing to prepare for this "discussion" tomorrow. Hopefully lunch with one of the higher ups tomorrow will give me an opportunity to gage whether I'm getting the right assignments to fast track me to corporate environmental management. Otherwise, I'm just going to have to fight the tasks and fast track myself.
I'm realizing now that it's one thing to have a corporate sponser and another thing for it to be the right timing. My boss quitting at this time let's me know, because on her way out she suggested the course of action that the rest of the team is taking, that she wasn't too thrilled with me being "anointed" by corporate. I'm in this fight by myself, much as I have been since the day I was born...and I'm left wondering, "When is it ever going to be easy for me?" I'm guessing never. I was born a black female in a white man's world...easy is a four letter word for me here.
After lunch with my co-workers, my assigned "buddy" took me out in the plant to meet more people I'm likely to end up working with while I'm here. Everyone was nice as I used a little bit of southern charm to make them feel at ease. Every area my "buddy" and I went, he told them what he thought my assignments were going to be. Those assignments will finally be decided tomorrow when our group meets for the first time since my interim boss's official last day this past Friday. I couldn't help but remember what I'd heard time & time again in the last couple of months:
My most recent former boss (as of this past Friday): "Frankly, I'm disappointed in the work they were giving you," when I inquired as to what my new assignments would be.
My corporate rep (as of last Tuesday, day two on my new job): "Don't let them dump on you, because you know that's what they're going to do," when I mentioned the results of my last assignment.
My corporate sponser (as I finished my howdy 'round last month): "Carve out ownership in IA. Don't let them dump on you," just after he let me know that he has me in mind for a corporate environmental manager's position in a few years.
The company VP of ES&H (mid-morning during my howdy 'round last month [parenthetically, the company doesn't arrange howdy 'rounds that include a VP unless they really believe in your potential]): "It's a 50/50 job with technical & management as equal parts," referring to the next position I want in my path to her job in 20 years.
While researching what assignments the team has suggested I should have, I realized they're things the lowest environmental engineer (and my only competition in the group) have been doing for the last couple of years. I know they're about to try dumping on me, but I don't know what I should be doing to prepare for this "discussion" tomorrow. Hopefully lunch with one of the higher ups tomorrow will give me an opportunity to gage whether I'm getting the right assignments to fast track me to corporate environmental management. Otherwise, I'm just going to have to fight the tasks and fast track myself.
I'm realizing now that it's one thing to have a corporate sponser and another thing for it to be the right timing. My boss quitting at this time let's me know, because on her way out she suggested the course of action that the rest of the team is taking, that she wasn't too thrilled with me being "anointed" by corporate. I'm in this fight by myself, much as I have been since the day I was born...and I'm left wondering, "When is it ever going to be easy for me?" I'm guessing never. I was born a black female in a white man's world...easy is a four letter word for me here.
posted by N'j at 9:40 PM
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