As I drank my nice hot Sumatra blend coffee here this afternoon I stared out the window and just sort of took it all in.... I'm on the 20th floor of a high rise in down town Atlanta. I just sort of was taken aback by how amazing it is. A feeling of contentment came over me with my occupation and decision to take this job. Not because of the high rise or stature of the job, but from having prayed for so long for something and having kind of be given and exceeding my expectations. I mean I was not expecting Sumatra coffee that's for sure. More has been given, and in turn more is definitely expected. Not only from my new company but also from myself.
I think at my past job… well I know… that I had sort of been regarded as a goof off. I tried to synthesize my hard worker ideals with my goof off nature to be that guy who not only got things done, but did it in a way that was fun. But unfortunately I'd say the latter part of my personality was all people saw. I am naturally a happy go lucky guy and generally left that unrestrained at my old job.
With this new job I'm trying to hold back my "Happy Go Lucky" side a bit and let my hard worker personality do most of the talking. Maybe this is me maturing, or maybe I am just running out of material.
One thing that was enjoyable today: I got a number keypad USB thing. Petty and small I know. But Laptops don't have the number pads like a traditional keyboard does and when you work with spread sheets and such a numpad just makes things go so much faster. So I went to the tech department, asked for one, and got one… easy as pie.
Whereas at my old job, I was given a calculator to use for my work. Well the calculator I was given was a piece of junk. The add button never worked, most of the number pads had to be punched with your fist to work, and eventually it broke (the screen went all black). I went and asked for a new one but specified that I wanted a certain type… a type most of my other experienced co-workers had. I was told that particular brand was no longer available because it was too expensive and that I would get one just like I had. I kind of complained and said the brand didn't make calculators that worked (no one who had that brand was happy with it), but I was sort of told, "too bad."
That sort of inability or lack of desire to give employees the tools for the job was so frustrating. Imagine going to work for McDonalds to flip burgers and instead of a spatula they give you tiny little baby spoon.
From the coffee (my old company didn't provide coffee either) to the numpad, it’s the small things in life and at work that kind of make it more enjoyable. I try never to take the small things for granted, because the small things add up.
Posted by holtonian at January 4, 2007 04:23 PM | TrackBack