work

In the Seattle tech industry (and beyond) Microsoft is sometimes referred to as the "Evil Empire." This comes from their overwhelming majority in the software market, as well as their relentless drive. The Seattle Times once referred to Microsoft as the "Velvet Sweatshop" because of their plush conditions and high energy level. In my first week back, after 11 years away, I find that much of the culture has remained, although it seems to be mellowing a bit with age.

While the intensity is still higher than other companies I've worked for, it doesn't have the same frenetic feeling as I recall. I must temper this observation since I know that each product group is so isolated from the others that they each develop variations on this theme. The group I am associated with, the Health Solutions Group, has balanced intensity and ingenuity with work-life balance. It may take me a while to understand the correct balance to be a success here.

The first week on a new job is usually fraught with wasted time – hours of boredom, punctuated with moments of panic – such as being introduced to 12 team members  and wondering if you’ll ever remember their names. This becomes even more exciting when your team includes an internationally diverse family, many whose names are unfamiliar.

My first week back at Microsoft was different from other companies. The Orientation courses were only one and a half days long. The rest of the week I spent most of my time working in a structured “on boarding” plan that included filling-out on-line forms and completing on-line classes. I did manage to attend one meeting, and reached out to my team members with lots of chocolate.

I know that I’ll run the gamut of emotions over the next three or four months as I evaluate the new job. There’s always the panic, excitement, despair, and finally joy that comes from being in a new environment, with new opportunities, and making new friends – and maybe reconnect with some old friends too.  I’m excited to have this job and I am looking forward to playing a role in our products.
 

Some of my friends have asked if I really did work in radio. They agree that I have the face for it(!), but question the voice. So, I thought I'd give a little peek at what I was doing at KOZE in Lewiston, Idaho. I have other damaging evidence of my career in broadcasting, although there are stations missing from my small stack of airchecks. In fact, I have some on audio cassette that are stuck there - I'm not sure how I'll get them onto the computer. I worked at a series of smaller stations that had really big hearts and loved their communities: KIQS in Willows, CA, KORT in Grangeville, ID, KOZE in Lewiston, ID, and KRKO in Everett, WA. Then there were my seven years in armed forces radio, including the USS Midway and The Far East Network (FEN) in Misawa, Japan. The link (above) will play a three minute aircheck from KOZE where I was the overnight guy - it was a great gig!

Today I learned that my position, and those of some friends, at the Starbucks Support Center in Seattle had been eliminated. I'm disappointed that I won't be getting up in the morning to join with my Starbucks "Partners" in the pursuit of customer satisfaction. I worked with some really great folks - passionate, creative, supportive, tireless. Perhaps our trails will cross again in the future. In the meantime, I'll get Jessica off to college, support my wife in her job search, and see if I can find someone who needs a real geek.

Work has been particularly challenging lately. We have many exciting projects underway with very tight timelines. Unfortunately, this means when an existing system has challenges, much of the team is derailed. As a manager, I often find myself trying to find the best outcomes possible while trying to keep the train on the tracks. Over the past week we’ve wrestled with an existing system that is not running well; the team has really done a great job of dealing with the unexpected.

Karen, the high school culinary arts instructor, invited me back to class today to share coffee lore with her students. I believe this may be the sixth time I have visited her classes to share my Coffee Master experience with her students. We talked about the history of coffee, how to brew coffee, and how to store coffee. We also brewed two press-pots of contrasting coffees, enjoying them with chocolate covered caramels. Although Jessica is graduating this year, Karen has asked that I consider continuing my visits in the years to come!