Internal Post

Things are progressing at work and it appears pretty certain that I will be moving into my boss' position after he leaves.  I met with him and the Director on Friday and the Director told him the plan to post the position internally for a short period and then move forward with putting me in the position so my own job can be posted.  I would love to know what ran through his mind when he heard that because internal postings are so rare, and are indicative that there is someone already in line for the job.

A few people around campus are aware of the Director's intentions and have spoken with me about their confidence in my ability to do the job.  I can't tell you how much that helps to alleviate my own insecurities, which are diminishing as we begin the process of going over his assigned duties.

One of the more humorous parts of letting people know he is leaving has been their reactions.  I don't think I've mentioned it to anyone who has said "Oh that's too bad," or "We're sure gonna miss him."  The reaction I am hearing borders on gleeful and their voices register excitement rather than sadness.

We will be having a farewell lunch for him and a farewell reception for one of our staff who is retiring at the end of the year.  My boss requested both a farewell lunch with just staff and a reception that would be university-wide, but the Director said no.  Receptions are really for retirees, and he is leaving for another job after less than five years.  However, I must admit to a sadistic little wish to see how many people would actually attend a reception for him, which is just about as petty a thought as a person can have.

All of my ragging on my boss has maybe not allowed me to make clear that he really is not a bad guy.  He is not mean (I have had mean bosses) and he is not a micro-manager (I have had those too) which makes him not the worst boss I have ever had.  I am fortunate in that I have been allowed to do my job and take the initiative to learn other tasks that give me a greater understanding of my own position.  He is lazy, not about getting tasks done but about getting them done correctly, which is not a good thing for a detail-oriented position.  His desire to be rid of all clutter on his desk or in his file cabinets or even on his computer has led him to eliminate any notes or backup that explain his work which will create a challenge when I'm trying to figure out a process, but it will also give me a clean slate to work from.  The processes and the documentation of them will be my own, so I'll be creating a lot from scratch which will allow me to work through the trials and errors in order to understand it even better than I would have had I just been told what to do.  Hmmm......this may be better after all.

But it's Sunday, I have some easy, menial tasks to accomplish, and an unscheduled day ahead in which to do them.  I don't have to think about work for a while and I should take advantage of that.  I'm going to take a shower and get to work, and enjoy my own uncluttered day.