It's really strange, going to work and feeling good about it. I realized on the way home that I was smiling to myself at the end of the day. How long has it been since I felt this relaxed? Too long, no doubt. I still have stress about my job, mostly worries I'll screw something up in this new position. I occasionally find myself looking over my shoulder, waiting for the hammer to fall, but I don't wake up in the morning and feel like I have to prepare for a nuclear fall out.
I have a lot of responsibility at this new place, but that doesn't bother me. My days are full usually, and when they aren't, there is always something to do. It is very weird for me to go to work and just do my job--not a bunch of last minute, unexpected crap or disasters. There are other people who take care of that stuff.
Occasionally I miss my old job, but that's only because I was confident in my knowledge there. I miss the people too--most of them. But I don't miss the stupidity of our corporate office, or even that of our branch office. During many of my recollections, I often wonder how that place even manages to function.
Then I'm glad I'm not there anymore.
That place is broken.
I don't want to be a part of something broken. I don't want to be a part of a business that couldn't care two shakes of a rat’s ass about me. I don't want to be a part of a business that buys its upper management unnecessary company vehicles, then lays off good employees or cuts corners on necessary equipment to run the business. That's not management; that's just greed.
Where I'm at now, the company president comes to visit me with a cup of coffee in her hand. She always has a sincere smile and words of encouragement. In fact, if it weren’t for her championing me, I wouldn't have ever made the move into my new role. It was her idea. Her office isn't any nicer than the rest of ours (but I think she deserves the best)! I can say the same thing about the vice president too. Neither of them are too good to mingle with their employees.
Case in point, a regional manager came to visit my old place of work a few months ago. He came into the office and didn't even look at me. He didn't stop to introduce himself, he didn't shake my hand. He just blustered in, without so much as a glance, then complained because there was no place to hook up his laptop to the network. He ushered my boss out of the office, bought a $50.00 wireless router we only used that one time, and never said more than maybe five words to me the entire day he was there. I got the message loud and clear. "I was unimportant."
That's how my old job works. I knew my boss and my other co-workers valued me, but that doesn't amount to much when you have an entire office of people like Mr. Regional manager calling the shots.
I am happy to say I'm not upset I was layed off from that place. My talents and my worth as an employee are better suited by those who appreciate my hard work and effort.
So, TGCL, you can kiss my ass.