If the world were merely seductive,
that would be easy.
If it were merely challenging,
that would be no problem.
But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world,
And a desire to enjoy it.
That makes it hard to plan the day.
-- E.B. White
Friday, March 30, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
a ramble about communication
One of the most common problems in the workplace is "lack of communication." I don't know how many times I've heard that, how many classes I've gone to, how many articles I've read about that subject. But what I want is the article that says: Communication is an act between two people. If only one person is really participating, it's just verbal masturbation. With witnesses.
Put in that light, I have to wonder if there is a Kama Sutra out there for how to communicate effectively. What a thought...
It seems that in order to communicate more, people are going for quantity versus quality. The number of meetings being had, the amount of email traffic, the presentations, the retreats, the training... My goal is to try for quality instead of quantity. The trick is - and I don't know the answer yet - is _how_. Still, it's a goal we should all strive for. I mean, do you _really_ want to keep witnessing the very embarassing moments between a person and their mouth? :-)
Put in that light, I have to wonder if there is a Kama Sutra out there for how to communicate effectively. What a thought...
It seems that in order to communicate more, people are going for quantity versus quality. The number of meetings being had, the amount of email traffic, the presentations, the retreats, the training... My goal is to try for quality instead of quantity. The trick is - and I don't know the answer yet - is _how_. Still, it's a goal we should all strive for. I mean, do you _really_ want to keep witnessing the very embarassing moments between a person and their mouth? :-)
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Day 1, still tired from the move
Once upon a time, moving across a continent was unheard of. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology (you know, the wheel) it's not so unheard of any more. Which is why I'm out here in California after years in North Carolina.
I am continually asked "So, is it different? how are you settling in?" That's from folks who haven't done the Big Move. From folks who have, it's more like "Yeah, it's pretty different. Don't worry, it'll only take a year or so for you to settle in." A year?! Yowza. A year of feeling like "wow, this place is cool, it's neat, but dang it it's not home"? Oh well. This is what I signed up for, after all.
But let's assume you reading this are one of the people who hasn't moved to a completely different area of the country. Yes, it's different, and yes, it takes bloody forever to feel settled. The trees are different, the terrain is different, the housing style is different... Heck, thanks to the eucalyptus trees out here, even the air smells different! If you have any observational skills whatsoever, you'll know, at all times, that you aren't in Kansas (or North Carolina, in my case) any more. It's interesting, but I sure wouldn't call it restful.
The job itself - the reason I moved out here - is probably the best thing about the whole transition. I recently explained to a friend of mine that you spend at least a third of your day as an adult (assuming no massive wealth or retirement) working. By golly you had better enjoy it! For the last 5 years, I increasingly didn't enjoy that third of my day. And that, of course, affected the other 2/3 of my day. No fun. So, I took a risk at a job somewhere else one more step up the ladder, and what a wonderful thing! I'm 7 weeks in to my new job and I'm still happy every single day about being here. It's sick! It's un-american! I mean, we all read Dilbert! (Well, I don't - it stopped being funny after too many episodes that were horribly accurate.) People are not supposed to _enjoy_ work. Suffering is cool, complaining is better. What a really sick society.
So, maybe I'm not quite comfortable yet. And maybe it will take a year to get used to eucalyptus instead of loblolly pine and big oak trees. But to enjoy every day? To have a chance to explore new things and take on new hobbies? To watch a whole new group of people be amazed by my cats? I wouldn't take back this move for the world. :-)
I am continually asked "So, is it different? how are you settling in?" That's from folks who haven't done the Big Move. From folks who have, it's more like "Yeah, it's pretty different. Don't worry, it'll only take a year or so for you to settle in." A year?! Yowza. A year of feeling like "wow, this place is cool, it's neat, but dang it it's not home"? Oh well. This is what I signed up for, after all.
But let's assume you reading this are one of the people who hasn't moved to a completely different area of the country. Yes, it's different, and yes, it takes bloody forever to feel settled. The trees are different, the terrain is different, the housing style is different... Heck, thanks to the eucalyptus trees out here, even the air smells different! If you have any observational skills whatsoever, you'll know, at all times, that you aren't in Kansas (or North Carolina, in my case) any more. It's interesting, but I sure wouldn't call it restful.
The job itself - the reason I moved out here - is probably the best thing about the whole transition. I recently explained to a friend of mine that you spend at least a third of your day as an adult (assuming no massive wealth or retirement) working. By golly you had better enjoy it! For the last 5 years, I increasingly didn't enjoy that third of my day. And that, of course, affected the other 2/3 of my day. No fun. So, I took a risk at a job somewhere else one more step up the ladder, and what a wonderful thing! I'm 7 weeks in to my new job and I'm still happy every single day about being here. It's sick! It's un-american! I mean, we all read Dilbert! (Well, I don't - it stopped being funny after too many episodes that were horribly accurate.) People are not supposed to _enjoy_ work. Suffering is cool, complaining is better. What a really sick society.
So, maybe I'm not quite comfortable yet. And maybe it will take a year to get used to eucalyptus instead of loblolly pine and big oak trees. But to enjoy every day? To have a chance to explore new things and take on new hobbies? To watch a whole new group of people be amazed by my cats? I wouldn't take back this move for the world. :-)
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