Terrible Horrible Awful Very Bad No Good Day
I exaggerate a bit, perhaps.
But today was like one of those bad work dreams, only it was real.
When I got up this morning, I assumed that I had to arrive at the client's offices at 10 am for a 10 am meeting. I arrived just on time. The folks from my firm, with whom I was supposed to meet, weren't there. Maybe I was early? I signed in with the client's reception.
It became clear that I wasn't early, and that none of the people -- client side or our side-- with whom I was supposed to meet were around. I tried calling the one guy on my team for whom I had a cell phone number. Busy. I left a message.
I wondered what I should do. I stuck around. No one came. I decided to seek out an internet connection to check my email. I find a T-mobile store. I buy the all day pass.
There's a message in my in box sent Saturday afternoon advising that we'd be meeting at some coffee shop in Palo Alto. Great. See, I have this whole work-life balance thing, where I don't check my work e-mail on weekends...
Bad news: I check my calendar, seems the original meeting invite did specify that the location was "TBD". Crap. So it's arguable I should have been looking for the e-mail on Saturday.
In the e-mail is the cell number for the person who's set up the meeting (our team). I call. Can't hear most of the conversation. I'm advised to try to meet up with some of our other folks. I call them. No point, meeting is done. I sit in my car trying to figure out what to do. I get a call. It's my "manager". He was at the meeting I missed, with the project lead who clearly just chewed him out.
Back at work, I'm asked why I didn't call
"Didn't have anyone's number. Called the one I had"
Why didn't I call the corp HQ to get their cell numbers.
"Didn't have the corp number on me"
Why didn't I use the directory stored in some obscure outlook file on my laptop that lists cell numbers?
"Didn't know it existed"
Why isn't my cell number in the obscure outlook file?
"See prior answer"
Then I get this long thing about how I'm being expected to really shine on this project, blah blah. Then I get this thing about how my work on the last project wasn't up to standards.
This is news to me. Everyone at every one of my check in meetings during the project was pleased and refreshed with my novel approach. I ask for details.
Later on today, the project manager from the last project comes up to me, shocked and stunned:
"What's this about your performance on the last project not being good?"
Seems this was news to him, too.
This all terribly ironic, since last week the firm was a twitter trying to stem my dissatisfaction and keep me from leaving, after they lost their only other MBA. Last week I needed to be retained at all costs. This week, my work sucks.
Whatever. My plan stands to get through 2005, and find new work in 2006. I took this job to tide me over in tough times. Graduate, finish getting divorced. Next year, find a new job. I can only handle so much life change in one year.
I think I'll head back to marketing strategy.
Anyway, today sucked.
But today was like one of those bad work dreams, only it was real.
When I got up this morning, I assumed that I had to arrive at the client's offices at 10 am for a 10 am meeting. I arrived just on time. The folks from my firm, with whom I was supposed to meet, weren't there. Maybe I was early? I signed in with the client's reception.
It became clear that I wasn't early, and that none of the people -- client side or our side-- with whom I was supposed to meet were around. I tried calling the one guy on my team for whom I had a cell phone number. Busy. I left a message.
I wondered what I should do. I stuck around. No one came. I decided to seek out an internet connection to check my email. I find a T-mobile store. I buy the all day pass.
There's a message in my in box sent Saturday afternoon advising that we'd be meeting at some coffee shop in Palo Alto. Great. See, I have this whole work-life balance thing, where I don't check my work e-mail on weekends...
Bad news: I check my calendar, seems the original meeting invite did specify that the location was "TBD". Crap. So it's arguable I should have been looking for the e-mail on Saturday.
In the e-mail is the cell number for the person who's set up the meeting (our team). I call. Can't hear most of the conversation. I'm advised to try to meet up with some of our other folks. I call them. No point, meeting is done. I sit in my car trying to figure out what to do. I get a call. It's my "manager". He was at the meeting I missed, with the project lead who clearly just chewed him out.
Back at work, I'm asked why I didn't call
"Didn't have anyone's number. Called the one I had"
Why didn't I call the corp HQ to get their cell numbers.
"Didn't have the corp number on me"
Why didn't I use the directory stored in some obscure outlook file on my laptop that lists cell numbers?
"Didn't know it existed"
Why isn't my cell number in the obscure outlook file?
"See prior answer"
Then I get this long thing about how I'm being expected to really shine on this project, blah blah. Then I get this thing about how my work on the last project wasn't up to standards.
This is news to me. Everyone at every one of my check in meetings during the project was pleased and refreshed with my novel approach. I ask for details.
Later on today, the project manager from the last project comes up to me, shocked and stunned:
"What's this about your performance on the last project not being good?"
Seems this was news to him, too.
This all terribly ironic, since last week the firm was a twitter trying to stem my dissatisfaction and keep me from leaving, after they lost their only other MBA. Last week I needed to be retained at all costs. This week, my work sucks.
Whatever. My plan stands to get through 2005, and find new work in 2006. I took this job to tide me over in tough times. Graduate, finish getting divorced. Next year, find a new job. I can only handle so much life change in one year.
I think I'll head back to marketing strategy.
Anyway, today sucked.
posted by Kenneth at 5:25 PM
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