Wednesday, March 15, 2006

A new goal

So my new goal is to start dressing more professionally here at work. We are very much a blue jeans and t-shirt group out here. No dress code and sometimes I think there should be when I walk around the buildings here. Seriously, as it stands now I think I (in my jeans and top) dress more professionally than many.

My manager nearly two weeks back told me that she sees my long term career goal in project and task management and told me that there were many compliments to me about my client interactions at our reviews. The negative side was that I need to take more initiative and speak up when something needs to be said. Soo... I put two and two together and here we are today. All this past week I have taken more initiative on a couple things, first my funded project that was tasked under a lab fellow and I was dolled out $120K to manage a task.

Second area has been in my happy project and my PM being unavailable a few days this week. I plowed forward, jumped in and answered questions for the client. Then they started calling me for help and advice. (Yes, I am working this around to why I need to buy new clothes...) My PM leaves tomorrow for a 2 week trip to Mexico (*jealous*) and he changed his normal delegations on the project. CW1, who is usually the pessimistic pita delegate sceintist 5, was given the teleconference duties. Set it up, gather presentations and distribute and then moderate. *I* was given delegation on all client interactions! (Smiles!) I really think that it was my stepping up to the plate this last week and taking control instead of waiting for the pessimistic, pita scientist 5 to tackle it. I am also feeling a little nervous and intimidated being selected out of the entire team where I am the most junior (save for Miss Pinkthing Danceonthehoodofwhitesnakescar post doc).

So I need new clothes. I just FEEL more professional sitting here in my crappy office dressed in my black pants and button down shirt. I FEEL more confident and like I should be listened to. They are right, dress the part you want to play. (And go buy new clothes to do it.)

So the crappy office thing... still a crappy office even though I now have a new tall bookshelf and table instead of an ancient desk. One of the lead admins came by a few minutes ago and was appallingly disappointed at what the "furnishings specialist" came up with as a solution to my lack of space to work. She is so cool. She sat down and decided that if I had one of those new round tables in my office it would give me lots of room to spread out and work, then maybe next year I can get a new desk. I have a huge (I shouldn't say that too loud)... I have a decent open area in the middle of my floor, why not put in a round conference table? Yay, I like her.

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So Friday we are taking off and driving to Seattle. AB got the neighbor boy to come over and take care of Win-girl. He cracks me up. He follows AB into the house and AB shows him the back door, keep it locked when he isn't here, takes him and shows him the food and water bowls, where the food is, etc. We talk about that he should come by on Friday afternoon, Saturday morning and afternoon and then Sunday morning. He seems excited about the money... err I mean the responsibility. I gave him a key and told him I would leave a list on the table to remind him just in case he needed it. He left.

About five minutes later the doorbell rings. It's the kid. "Umm," he says, "I forgot when you said you wanted me to do this and my mom told me to come and find out."

LOL! I wrote it all down on a piece of paper and sent him on his way. He leaves and AB says I told him at least 5 times this Friday thru Sunday! Yeah, yeah, he is a 10 year old boy. Like they listen.

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Leif has been Mr. Grumpypants lately. His teacher thinks he has another tooth coming in. Yay. His other teacher, not the main one, is convinced he is sick and needs to go to the doctor because he has green snot. (rolling my eyes) I thought green snot just went hand in hand with toddlerdom. His main teacher and the other young one have been arguing about this, and I got to hear all about it from his main teacher this morning. *sigh* The politics of daycare teachers. Oh well, the young one is new. And Leif has a total crush on her. He stops by her picture and tries to take it off the wall and home with us every night on the way out.

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And the latest is that my little sister has entered the 1990's! She and her husband bought a new computer and she is learning how to use it. My anti-technology sibling is being broken down and brought up to speed. Kind of. Friends set her and her husband's band up with a myspace.com site.

Of course then what do I do? I have a slow point in my day yesterday and went to check it out. GACK! I should have REALLY, REALLY known better. Do not check out things from my sister at work. Curious? Go to myspace.com and search bands for The Taints. There you have it.

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