[Musings] The Distributed Life, FIN
After 4 months The Distributed Life (!tm) is over. I thank my employer (who I have now left) for allowing me to work from a virtual office, it helped us both get through a transition period. I really did expect to do this long term, but over the four months it slowly become more and more strained. When I was in Rochester my personal life was good (wife), but my professional life was bad (not in the office keeping up on gossip, goings-on, etc.). When I was in the Twin Cities my professional life was good, but my personal life was bad. Upon the sucessful search and acquisition of a job with all things *nix in Rochester, it meant that I could end the Distributed Life. It is so nice to live in one place again.
4 comments:
Former Co-Worker here again.
It isn't your fault that the professional work was bad when you were remote. Blame that on an individual who abused the work-from-home priviledge when they were their. Also, let's face it, the environment changed a LOT in the months since February 2004's Black Tuesday. In short, you suffered because of other people's actions, not yours.
Of course, with that in mind, one could argue that a well-run workplace wouldn't allow that sort of pettiness to take over now, would it?
It worked out for the best. I have achieved with my new employer a few of my goals in regards to my work life:
1) Work for a company (preferably a non-profit) that contributes to society. - check on both accounts (most companies are at best useless, at worst evil and detracting from society)
2) Walk to work - I can now walk to work, or if the weather is bad, I am a mere half-block from the city bus line and my new employer pays for employee bus passes, so they are free for us
3) Feel like I am contributing to the betterment of mankind - see #1
I miss my old team, but not my old job.
Cool beans!
By contrast I moved to a company that offers high-interest credit cards to high-risk customers. Add in a poisonous political climate, a back-biting remote team, and ill-defined yet demanding duties, and yeah, I miss my old job.
Of course, to be totally fair, when faced with my current job I miss root canals, so take that for what it's worth.
The strange thing for me is having to learn to relax. My team is actually nice people who are not out to screw me. The company cares about me as a person, because as an employee, my skills and talents are what allows them to do what they have to do. Every company calls their employees assets, but at the old job I felt like an asset as in copy machine/piece of physical property/etc. rather than a valued member who generates revenue.
I do miss the old team, it was a unique mix of people.
Post a Comment