Friday, three years, three months, and seven days after my first day at Traliant, was my last day at Traliant. It’s bittersweet, the way most endings are - the bitter being how I felt being micromanaged for the past 9 months & leaving the amazing team I built. The sweet being an amazing video put together by the marketing to bid me farewell. After the generous helpings of bitter micromanagement, I needed the sweet. The sweet reminded me of the good I’d done before I began to fray and throw my hands in the air, resigned, under the weight of the bitter. Oh right. I’m capable. I did good here.
Days before I left, my supervisor asked if I had any feedback for him - I gave some balanced feedback - the good with the bad, because I know all to well how heavy weight of the bad can be to carry. After I hung up, I had two thoughts:
I didn’t ask if he had feedback for me.
and
I start my job tomorrow - because Andrea and I have planned time off beginning August 9th. So I’ve been preparing for my first day. I haven’t started a new/new in office job in over 7 years. And I’ve been working from home since the start of the pandemic. I think it’s good I’ve accepted a job where I’m forced to put on nice pants, brush the back of my hair, and engage in small talk (which I don’t particularly enjoy but it’s an art I’m less skilled at after remote work).
When I joined Traliant, the position I accepted was a Director level role and they hadn’t had HR before. I was promoted once, then twice, by the prior CEO who gave me feedback - but it was balanced. Accurate. He was someone I would ask for advice.
Tomorrow’s job is the first I’ve begun, been hired as a VP of HR. I’m excited and scared which always reminds me of the song, I Know Things Now, in the musical Into the Woods. It’s sung by the character Little Red Riding Hood.
And though scary is exciting
Nice is different than good
Now I know: Don't be scared
Granny is right, Just be prepared
Isn't it nice to know a lot!
And a little bit not
I Know Things Now
Mother said, "Straight ahead"
Not to delay or be mislead
I should have headed her advice
But he seemed so nice
And he showed me things
Many beautiful things
That I hadn't thought to explore
They were off my path
So I never had dared
I had been so careful
I never had cared
And he made me feel excited
Well, excited and scared
When he said, "Come in!"
With that sickening grin
How could I know what was in store?
Once his teeth were bared
Though, I really got scared
Well, excited and scared
But he drew me close
And he swallowed me down
Down a dark slimy path
Where lie secrets that I never want to know
And when everything familiar
Seemed to disappear forever
At the end of the path
Was Granny once again
So we lay in the dark
'Til you came and set us free
And you brought us to the light
And we're back at the start
And I know things now
Many valuable things
That I hadn't known before
Do not put your faith
In a cape and a hood
They will not protect you
The way that they should
And take extra care with strangers
Even flowers have their dangers
And though scary is exciting
Nice is different than good
Now I know: Don't be scared
Granny is right, Just be prepared
Isn't it nice to know a lot!
And a little bit not
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