Sense and Sensibility-ness-ing-ly

It's official.

I work with at least one web-savvy person who did their research and found my blog. That, and they have a big mouth.  ;)

SO... given that at least 3 people I now work with have fessed up that they've read my blog, I guess that means that my work updates have to cease/go underground for a little while. Which means I must work at being more interesting again and recommence blogging about inane/vaccuous/partially obtuse things.

Where will I find the time? Where will I find the subject matter? Who really cares?!

Me, for one. Don't worry, I'm compiling a list. It's almost time for another "Your Choice" blogging interactive, so be ready.

Having the 2008 Beijing Olympics on television is, for me, like any other program - if I see it, I see it. I won't necessarily go looking for a specific event (although I do enjoy the men's hockey specifically), but I will watch it if it is on. I know Michelle likes the gymnastics and the swimming and some of the athletics - so it'll be on a bit here. If nothing else it at least it makes for a decent screensaver for your big screen TV.

There are some serious issues that need to be highlighted, however, with the coverage that Australia's Channel 7 is offering. I feel it is my duty as both a student of modern popular culture and as a consumer to make you all aware of these concerns so you can also be as equally outraged.

1. Everyone that has anything to do with the telecast has become an instant expert.
You expect commentators to provide expert opinion on the sport they are yapping about. Channel 7, to their credit, have employed some of these people (Liz Chetkovich and Phil Liggett are prime examples of such experts). The rest of the talking heads are just that - clanging gongs that clearly enjoy the sound of their own voice. Additionally, while some have clearly done some research to get to know the events they are responsibile for, the rest are making it up as they go along. The one thing they have in common - they all are filling the silence with as many words as possible, no matter how non-sensical and cliched they may be.

2. There's too much of it.
OK, it's the Olympics. There are lots of events. There are lots of things going on at the same time. We don't need to see all of it. Certainly they've missed the boat by not parallel broadcasting (using the other 3 channels allocated to them!) to show  a number of events in full simultaneously. Surely this would only open additional income streams to cover any extra cost? Couldn't Channel 7 then also save one of their digital channels to maintain some amount of 'normal' non-Olympic programming? How about at the 2012 London Olympics, IOC, perhaps you can rationalise what events are on so that we can have just stuff on for 4 hours a day? It's day 5 and I'm all Olympic-ed out.

3. Technology has allowed the broadcasters to make up footage.
The latest scandal to come to light is that the little girl that sang at the Beijing opening Ceremony didn't only just mime, but that it wasn't her singing - it was some other girl considered to be 'too old' (and presumably not chinese-cute enough) to perform the song for the ceremony. Additionally, a number of the overhead fireworks shots from the opening were digital composites from the rehearsals with smog "added" to reflect the weather conditions of the day. This was because the Olympic stadium was a no-fly zone for the ceremony to stave off a terrorist threat. It does, however, beg the question: so how are we to know if that competitor really won then, given the ability to digitally alter footage in sync with the fact that so few events are broadcast live? Are we as a global community being lied to so that the nationally local heroes are winning just to  keep us all watching? It's all a conspiracy... we're through the looking glass here, people...

4. There is no 4th thing.
Just be happy with that.

5. The tie-in ads are driving us all crazy.
I don't care that Coles feed our Olympians; that Lenovo have laptops that can be used by our swimmers and their coaches by the pool; that Qantas flew our Olympians to China (and with their recent safety record blemishes, our 2008 team could well have been our record smallest). Big deal. As so many people are watching the event the cost for these ads must be killer... at least offer us something interesting and not the same old rubbish about how good a corporate Olympic supporter you are. Be creative, dammit (considering we have to watch the stupid ads to watch the Olympics).

6. Channel 7, you missed the boat releasing TiVo now to the Australian market.
Plain and simple... anyone who was interested in a PVR would have one by now. TiVo doesn't really offer anything new. The ads for it are innane and base, at best. I've had TV my way for a couple of years now, and I don't care for your last minute approach to link the Olympics with your second hand PVR. Let's be fair - it's not like I can tape a specific event with it - I have to tape hours of stuff to hopefully catch the event I want. Silly little alien TV thing.

7. Most importantly - the rest of the televisual viewing schedule is compensating as well - leaving us with nothing to watch.
Michelle and I went through at the start of the two weeks and deleted all our regular schedules that we tape on our PVR because they either aren't on or in repeat. Two weeks of REALLY old shows and ads for the upcoming shows that start (on all the channels, conveniently) after the Olympics are over. I've got to warn you, too - Channel 7 aren't just advertising what's coming - everything is tied in with an Olympic theme or is "look at this cliff hanger we left you with and expect big things when the show is back". Go away and give me some first run movies or something. It's insane that all the channels should give up just because the Olympics are on - they may be surprised with their ratings if they actually tried.

I guess I could always go outside and do something.

Or I could just sit here and blog my whinging about it. Yes... that sounds more satisfying...

Recent pressure from the collective readership of this blog (Brett, Louise & Maureen, just to name a few) has led to what I now offer...

I must admit that my first 8 days at work have been... well... frustrating. Partially because I have high expectations on myself as to how quickly I become 'helpful', and partially because the whole IT department is in such a state of flux with my new boss boss finishing his first 90 days and starting to make his changes and impressions on the department and my immediate boss being away for the past 7 days. So, while my new boss gave me a brain dump before he left at the end of my first day, the goalposts have somewhat changed in his absence.

Work is going well in itself. There's lots to learn, lots to review, and so very little time to do it in. The new boss boss has set a deadline on all his teams to have their areas of influence in place by Dec 31 - this is rumoured to be because the company is planning to start its new acquisition phase come January 2009 thus everything needs to be prepared. One of the difficulties I've had is working with the new boss boss to come up with a new structure and organisational flow for my team (without the input of my new boss). He's an interesting character that I will learn a lot from, however I'm still trying to get a mark on how he operates. That said, I think I am making inroads and starting to get there. I'm having some small wins with my team delivering some stuff that was pretty simple (and that I can't believe they hadn't delivered prior to me coming on board), so that's at least a good step forward.

Reflecting this morning, I've gathered all the bits of info I need over the past 8 days to really move ahead with the team now. I'm planning to meet with my new boss on his return from leave tomorrow and not only bring him up to speed, but also get a marker on what he wants me to achieve. I think this will be good, but also a little frustrating for him given what he spoke to me about before he left and what has happened in his absence. I'm there to help him, so we'll manage to deal with it I'd imagine. I'm not sure my new boss will necessarily be happy with some of the new boss boss's ideas and that may be additional straws for his camel's back - but I hope they won't break said camel's back... just yet...

Very shortly I expect to have my new team structure approved and in place, which will mean an amount of immediate hiring, and an amount of travel to meet the existing team members who are remote (Townsville and Santiago, Chile). I'll probably also have to go to Perth in October to support/work with my team to deliver the integration of a company we acquired 12 months ago but haven't yet brought into the company proper. So there's no shortage of stuff to do... and learn... and change.

I think the thing that has made me most uncomfortable so far has been that I've had to come in and review and prepare changes really quickly after starting - I'd much prefer to settle in and learn the lay of the land over a couple of months - no such chance here. So keep watching the skies and asking me how it's going - it certainly will be an interesting couple of months.

...and having a weekly pay day for the first time in nearly 20 years isn't a bad thing either! I've not been paid weekly since I worked part-time at the local Fruit Shed during high school...

I cut up an apple for the kidlets morning tea. I told Luke he couldn't hop down to play until he'd finished because he insisted he wasn't hungry after one bite, although moments before he was "starving" - for a biscuit. I went to make a coffee.

Suddenly, his apple was all gone.

Hmmm....

Mysteriously, Lily's bowl was very full of sliced apple...

I looked at Luke with that "mother look" and was informed...

"I was sharing!"

I knew going into day 1 of my new job as IT Manager for this engineering services company it would be pretty easy - it was mentioned in the interview that if I started on Friday it was a pretty good way to start, as the company was having its 6 monthly corporate update Friday afternoon. No idea what it meant, but it sounded good. Little did I know...

The recruiter also found out for me that they wanted me to start at 10am, so that my new boss could get a little sorted and tell the team - which he hadn't done yet (so I found out later). So all in all it sounded like an easy start - get in there mid morning, and then have some sort of meeting in the afternoon. Not too bad. When I got in, one of the HR people that interviewed me met me at reception and took me down to the IT area, where I was introduced to a couple of people and eventually handed over to my new boss, Brett. We talked a little, he took me out and introduced me to the whole team (mine and associated others), and then took me on a tour to meet a bunch of people - most of whom I can't remember - and see the place and get a general vibe. All of the people I met pointed out how good a day it was to start with the corporate update on that afternoon... a common trend I was soon to appreciate.

We got back to Brett's office eventually and sat down and started a basic brain dump - all of which is necessary as he is going on leave for 10 days at the end of the day... so whatever he could give me was important. we were called into Brett's boss's (Peter) office for a basic discussion around projects on the go or needing to get started. It's some list. Luckily nothing is expected of me to progress any of these in the next two weeks.

Then it was outside with everyone else and onto buses that took us all to St Lucia Golf Club for the staff update. We were all greeted with wine and beer (BEFORE the update?! Normally the grog comes out after the presentation, doesn't it??) and then inside to our tables. I knew I was seated with Brett, so pretty much shadowed him, being introduced to a lot of people on the way. The wine and beer flowed freely before, during and after the presentation - the joys of working in an engineering company I guess. The presentation was excellent... given by the CEO, COO of the Coal division and the CFO (his presentation on the sub-prime crisis and how it is affecting everything on the share market, including the company's share price, was enjoyable and informative to say the least). Not overly long, and set out the 5 year plan for the company, and WOW... with such a clear vision and very bold and audacious goals, it was a great day to have as your first - I'm in. I want to be a part of a company that is achieving what it is and wants to achieve what the plans are. Just spectacular.

Brett made sure I was introduced to all the 'important' people at the end of the presentation, which was nice - and they were all really nice and happy to speak with me. I also got to spend a little bit of time with a couple of my time, which was very cool. So far, they've taken the news they have a new boss pretty well. Opinions have been formed.

Back on the buses after a yummy lunch during the presentation and then the buses stopped at the Regatta Hotel (just down the road from the office) - and everyone promptly got off: CEO, CFO, everyone. Nice after party. A very casual hang around and have a couple (hundred) more beers or whatever with everyone. It proved for me to be a great time to speak to a couple more of my team, speak with Brett about work a little more, and then have both of us be roasted by my opposite number the Information Systems Manager (Ross) over talking about work at the pub. Ross seems very cool - a volunteer lifeguard at Broadbeach and I've already learnt he plays guitar, so I'm sure we'll have something to talk about next week once we've worked through the work stuff.

At the end of Friday I could actually remember the names of everyone in my team. Now, not a chance. I'll have next week to learn them again as I take the time to meet with them all and listen to them and learn from them. I'm really looking forward to the relationship building there, as I know that is gonna be core to my success (and it is something I do well). The short answer is I have 10 in Brisbane, 1 in Townsville, 1 in Perth and 1 in Santiago, Chile. To add to this I know already I'll have to hire extras for the team to achieve what is being asked for this coming year, and Brett has the money in our budget to do so - so as quickly I'll settle in, I'll be growing the team.

I am really excited about this new job and am really looking forward to how it is gonna play out. I've already been told by Brett that he sees no issue on me becoming permanent after the 3 month contract is up, and he and I see eye to eye on a whole lot of things and have a very dissimilar disposition on things. I think we'll make a good team... bring it on. I can't wait.