I Fought The Lawn

So I have this new job, and I must tell you about it.

I am a Facilities Director at one of the largest companies in the world [I'm avoiding names for a reason], and the HQ is my domain. All maintenance, porter and cleaning personnel are mine, and I’m in charge organizing and rolling out the national contracts that contractors have with the regional offices from coast to coast. It’s not a huge deal by any means, but it’s a central one… and today is the first day I’ve really enjoyed it.

This is Barry. He’s a buddy from the little inner circle of cool kids who works there, and paid me a nice compliment today by telling me I’m doing well in my job. I hope that’s the general perception. I’m really trying to please the client representative by responding quickly and efficiently to her requests, and I think I’m starting to do that. In fact, I’m more worried right now about getting all the scope of work from the Sodexho front done than I am about managing the client stuff. And baby, there is a LOT of work. My hours are long, which is fine right now, but sometimes the sheer scope of it is almost overwhelming. I felt it all click a little bit today, though, so who knows, right?

To be honest, I’m afraid to like it. I’m always very pensive starting new things, and I really want to succeed here, and somehow I’m afraid that if I start to dig it a lot I’m going to jinx myself and be told to get the hell out of their very cool building. It’s been a rough start, too, because no one really knows the procedure facilities uses [the last FMA left before I started], and there’s the pressure of a lot of client management of the department, and there’s problems with staff from top to bottom with unnecessary overtime, personality conflicts and turnover. I’m trusting I’ll get by, but there’s a lot of work in this little office of mine… though I don’t suppose you get to have your name on the door of one if you’re not here to work. [Incidentally, I like my little office: while it's not huge, it's still big enough for pals to drop in and see you. That's my buddy Kevin there, who works at Rogers and golfs with me a lot].

Anyhow, it’s an experience. Good people [Ben, Mark, Gord, Dave, Jen... I'll tell you about them later], good client [Barby seems tough but fair at the same time], a near-invisible employer [Sodexho's not omnipresent]… and it’s sink or swim time. And I’ve got a family to think about, so I better start treading water.
- BC