Reflections on Friday

I still won't talk about my work on my blog, maybe in a couple of years, but I will talk about working.

I have mentioned that my boss for the past 13+ years is retiring the end of January and I am filling the spot. A nice little promotion. Not a huge amount more money.

The transition has been awkward. I really respect him, I have enjoyed working with him, there is an honorable legacy, and he is the last of the founding generation of the program I work in, he has been here 37 years. I sense a sadness at leaving work he has found very meaningful.

I have been reluctant to start making plans for what needs to be done, when I start the directors role in February. I don't want my boss to feel that we are pushing him aside, or out. I would actually be happy if he worked a couple more years, until I will reach the point of working because I want to, not because I need to.

We are reaching the point that I need to start making plans for projects we can do in February and March, if we are going to do anything besides tread water in February and March. And it is uncomfortable doing so. One day recently he and I were on a call with his boss, who will be my immediate boss starting in February. She asked about a particular project she would like us to do, and my boss has been reluctant to do. He finally said, "David and his colleagues can decide what they want to do there." Ah, permission to make a plan for something to happen after his retirement.

Moving into an official supervisory role, there are some additional trainings I will need to complete, and I will need approval access to some accounting platforms. Without mentioning it to my boss, I had reached out and asked, "what can I start getting done before I need it." It is not bad, 4 or 5 short training modules. I felt strange asking. I have been very loyal. I have never told him, in 13 years I have only applied for two other jobs, one outside the organization that I was interviewed for, and an internal promotion that I was not. I felt I was being disloyal doing that. I felt bad about asking about getting ready for February, but if we plan ahead, the actual transition can be more seamless.

I don't have plans for radical changes, but I do have some of my own ideas. And I need to spend time with my colleagues hearing their ideas.

We are trying to hire a replacement for me. With my changing jobs more of my time will be devoted to administration, and we have projects coming up to speed that are going to be more hours than we will have staff in February. Three weeks, and one qualified candidate. The first quarter could be a nightmare.

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