wigglewhiz | Tired Worker Is... Tired. ZZZzzzzzzzz.... (Reply)

So that was the week that was. Huh. Is it Saturday? I think it might be Saturday. Is daytime? Do I have to get out of bed? Whuh?

I started work on Monday. I was very nervous - this is my first proper, "official" managerial role instead of being the unofficial manager and general "go to" guy who does all the work with none of the big bikkies. I has a team of staff! Who do work like ensuring the hospital has enough doctors to, you know, TREAT PEOPLE and deal with EMERGENCIES and other important stuff! Yay!

O_O

It's been rilly, rilly interesting. The people have been SUPER nice, and I've had people (general staff, doctors, hospital management) popping by the office all week to say hi and welcome me aboard. Which is all very nice. They were also very organised (which I am not used to), and had a WORKING IT LOG ON and an EMAIL ADDRESS (omg!) and even a Security IT Card all ready for me on day one! WTH?!

I've had a few minor stoushes (sidenote, fact fans: this is annoyinly pronounced stowsh [singular] here in Noo Zillund, but stoosh back home) for me to deal with - and some weird stuff where one of my staff members has escalated something fairly minor to me, but when a majorly important problem happene she went straight to a Clinical Director without involving me at all. I think she just didn't want to deal with the Doctor in Minor Stoush Number 1, and kind of forgot that I was ever THERE for Major Stoush Number 2. I'm thinking this is kind of OK at the moment, given that it's my first week and she's been having to deal with these issues on her own with no managerial support for the last two months, but... yeah. Something for me to keep an eye on for future.

Also, she's Scottish. Which is hugely entertaining to all. We're thinking of erecting a Saltire and stocking the fridge with Irn Bru. I think we're probably going to make each other's accents worse and start speaking like totally hyperfastandnobodywillunderstandanythingwesay,knowwhatImean?

The Scottish Girl seems very knowledgable, has a good relationship with all the doctors, and seems VERY hardworking. This is all great stuff. She *might* have a little bit of a short fuse, though - so I'll need to keep an eye on that and be ready to step in and just calm things down a little bit. Diplomacy! Tact! OMG THEY HAVE THE WRONG PERSON FOR THAT!!1! ;o)

I've already done a few little things in my first week - flagging up an inaccurate article about our DHB on the internet, and having it taken down. I'm figuring it'll show that not only am I keeping an eye out for the organisation, but I also have a good handle on the main problems we have - retaining staff, keeping good relationship with the union, etc. Good, yes? I also have a few processes in my sights for some minor tweaks and improvements, and some thoughts on how we can do a little better already (mainly just things to focus on, I don't have real solutions yet). My first meeting with my boss is on Feb 4, so I should be able to meet her with a few proposals even in these early days, so... good? Bad? BOLSHY? Dunno.

The main thing is, CHRIST I AM SO TIRED. Even though I spent last week getting up at 7 am to get myself into more of a routine (and tire myself out more so that I wasn't up all night as usual), it's still be a real shock to the system. Part of that is just getting back into that routine of early nights and mornings again, and BEING ORGANISED about getting lunches organised the night before, blah blah blah. The other part of it is just that mental energy it takes you to stay focussed and anticipate things in a new job - trying to remember names and roles and faces and processes and and and... GAH!

All in all, it's been a good first week. I'm a bit nervous of the four weeks to come, when Scottish Girl is off on holiday FOR FOUR WEEKS to go back home (WTH?), and Other Girl who I haven't yet met arrives. Hm. BUT, the people are nice, the work seems challenging in a good (and interesting and meaningful) way, and I'm feeling pretty upbeat about everything.

I MAY be getting paid on Monday, which would be SUPER AWESOME. If not, I'll get paid two weeks on Monday, which is also totaly doable. I've already been spending in anticipation, buying in some nice things for the Guest Room which will first be utlided by

suzycat (yay!) and then later in the year by Whizmum and Roo. I've also bought loads of WORK CLOTHES, which is exciting - although not nearly as exciting and frustration-free as when I'm not looking like A FUCKING BLIMP, OMG. O_O I bought New Rules Of Lifting For Women after reading some of

evil_spice 's journals, but it has not yet turned up in the fabled NZ Post. *sigh*.

I am also currently eating Peanut Butter ice cream, which is not really so conducive to non-blimpishness. But it's my L'Oreal ice cream - it's been a long week, and I'M WORTH IT. So there.

ETA: I have also had two pear ciders and half a bottle of wine, so I may be slightly tipsy. o_O I am totally giving you the drunken squint eye of HEYYYYYYYY BABYYYYYY right naow. Also, it's my excuse for typos and why I am not correcting them SO THERE AGAIN. BOOYAH!