Today saw the first meeting with my team and my new boss. I was nervous. Maybe a little more than nervous. Adrian basically applied for, and took the job, because of me. After several conversations, he felt he could make a difference on my team, and bring some much needed innovation. I was all for it, there are some areas which need a major makeover. The other three members however . . .
The two men have been there for over 20 years, and Luminita has been there I think for around 5. They don’t like change, and were all under the impression that Adrian was going to completely overhaul everything. This is not the case. If it’s not broken, he doesn’t want to fix it.
The beginning of the meeting was very uncomfortable. I was worried a lot of the team’s issues would end up being pointed at me, since I am basically responsible for Adrian becoming our new boss. So as Adrian spoke, I stayed quiet, and could see the other three mounting on the defense. Bernie was the first to attack, and he truly seemed to be on guard. Adrian stood up to him, and eventually talked him down into believing that everything he was upset about was not going to happen. Then came the shitshow.
Adrian brought my french training to the table. He has the same opinion on it as me. Cancel the part time, do the full time when it comes, prepare the index so it can be strongly followed through with in my absence to save me from coming back to start all over. I wasn’t sure what kind of ripple effect this was going to have, seeing as how Bernie and Randy were in the past, against me trying to have my part time classes cancelled. Today - not the case. Everyone in the room was unanimous in cancelling my part time training. This wasn’t however, the story that came directly from one of their mouths ten minutes before the meeting. I’m not really sure how to take that. I’m quite open with my colleagues, and thought they were with me as well. Now I’m confused.
The issue continued, and somehow, the table was taken was taken over by Luminita. Adrian had said the situation I entered into at work was disgraceful. That having nothing left for me, no contacts, no information, was unnacceptable, and that building from scratch while taking these classes is not a small or easy task. Luminita went on the defensive saying she had built her index from scratch, that it’s not that hard of a job and there’s no reason I can’t do it. She had a really hard time with Adrian using the word disgraceful. I stopped her and said building the index was not the issue. The issue was balancing the two, and that I am essentially working two jobs every week, and both are suffering, but that I am in fact managing to do it. She countered that she understood that, and what she said was not what she meant. She thought he was discouraging me and making me think I was not capable of doing my job. This is not the case at all. I know I can do my job, but with the french lessons there aren’t enough hours in the day. I’ve even gone as far as to approach Adrian and ask if I can work overtime during my calling periods and bank it to take time off elsewhere. I don’t feel like this is something I should have to do, but I don’t feel like I have a choice. Luminita went on to talk about the job poster, and how it was not a bilingual job in the past. She continued with her opinion of how if they wanted someone bilingual, I was the wrong choice for them to hire.
I understand what she meant. I do. But still . . .
My relationships with my colleagues may need to change.
