Office Vignettes 3

I finally made the move from our QC office to the Shaw one. To be honest about it, I really wasn't  looking forward to the change. It meant being stuck in a permanent day shift. I know some people prefer that. I actually don't. I'm a nocturnal creature by habit, and like any good or bad habits, it's hard to get it out of my system. Besides, we're not even talking about the morning and evening traffic rush, nor the fact that it's goodbye to night differential, and that...

Gawd, I'm such a whiner, am I not?

I really have to remind myself: be grateful you have a job.

-----

"Hi, my name is Deputy Training Manager! I'm sorry, but I didn't quite catch your name."

I joined one of our account operation managers smoking outside the Shaw office. He was with a woman who I haven't really seen during the infrequent times I was there. I took her hand and shook it with a brisk but firm grip.

"I'm Ternie."

"Ternie is from the QC site," Operations Manager added to the introduction.

"Oh, you're THE Ternie I've been hearing about. Boss Lady and Department Head told me really good things about you!"

I smiled a sheepish grin.

"Nah, the news is over-rated. I'm just a regular joe."

"Wait, don't you have a shift later?"

"No, I'm on vacation leave for the next week and a half."

She gave me a surprised look.

"In that case, what are you doing here then? Shouldn't you be enjoying your leave?"

"Ah, I was just here to find out the details of our move. The QC people don't have any idea with what's going to happen. My team lead has no clue, and my operations manager is vague about it. I don't thinks he knows, either."

She looked at the other operations manager and gave a knowing nod.

"I like that you're pro-active. I'm impressed!"

"Well, let's just put it this way: if no one's doing anything about it, then I will."

She gave me a big smile, and said, "Good, good. I'm looking forward to seeing you on the floor!"

-----

Two days before we finally left QC, our own operations manager met with our team for the last time. Among the things that were discussed, he briefly mentioned that there would be a new operations manager in the line-of-business that we were going to be moved to.

When we showed up at Shaw for first day of transition training, I wasn't really surprised that Deputy Training Manager turned out to be the new operations manager. She gave her welcoming remarks, and in her brief speech, she pointed out the people she already knew in our group. She mentioned two of the old-timers in the account.

And then she also mentioned me.

As I nodded and smiled back at her, I made another mental note to myself.

"I guess it does pay to put your best foot forward when meeting the powers-that-be for the first time, does it not?"