So what did I learn? Quite a lot really, in no particular order: Lead time is key. More time up front planning increases the chance of a smooth transition in both directions. Prepare emotionally as well as mentally, and make plans to take care of both of those aspects + physical care. Spend the necessary […]
This was it – the last week of this adventure. Final exams are done, the GTF strike is over, and I go back to my original position on Monday. The campus will be quiet (Winter break is the quietest time of the year) and under normal circumstances I would be planning to clean out my […]
I am finding the preparation to transition back almost as difficult as the transition over. Once again I feel like I am doing two jobs, and even more concerning is that it feels like there are gaps in my knowledge for the position I am returning to. I have started talking to the team and […]
One of the considerations/decisions that should be discussed before embarking on a job swap is where/how things that happen on each of the respective teams will be documented. Each director has their own style and preference, so it is important to figure out what notes need to be moved to a central repository if they are […]
One of the big things this exercise has exposed me to is how broad the campus politics are. Working with so many groups that I don’t usually work with has opened my eyes to how complicated things can get within the relationships when trying to work out solutions. I am not sure if I should […]
This week was consumed by the GTF strike. I knew it would be disruptive, but it has impacted the entire campus in ways that I did not expect, mostly in a negative way. As a member of the IMT team I am also experiencing a hit to my schedule that made getting anything else done […]
This was a short week due to the Thanksgiving holiday, so I am only going to post the summary. (It was a short week and I cannot believe how busy this position is, even with half the campus leaving early!) It seems like I spent the majority of the last three days preparing for difficult […]
This week seems to be focused around self discovery – that is, while I now have a better appreciation of the infrastructure part of IS, my original role is more suited to my skills and personality. I also need to take the time out to take care of myself because it just as important to […]
One of the hardest things has been the difference in technical knowledge between me and the team. While I do have a technical background, it is largely software based which only partially translates to the infrastructure world. This is challenging because the decisions I make and my perspective are different in ways that are difficult […]
This topic keeps coming up, so I am going to write about it again. I ran today for the first time in two weeks. Exercise is just as important to my professional life as my personal one. It cleared my head, calmed me down, and got rid of the neck tension that has been making […]