Sooooo, the new work schedule really happened. None of the physicists have to cover multiple locations, and I am based at the main clinic full time. And so far, I have been slammed with work. I was the second one in today (out of four clinical physicists) and the last one to leave. There was no blog browsing leisure time, oh no. No checking of headlines or RSS feeds. I barely had time to glance at my email. I forced a break for lunch. I have a feeling it is going to be like that a lot of days. The main location is the best place for me professionally. I have a lot to learn and experience in this field before I take the remainder of my board exams. Main campus has the most toys and is usually first with the new technologies. Plus there are just more senior physicists from which to gain knowledge.
The feel of the place is different, with the personnel reassignments. It will take a while to settle out into a new normal. Plus we have a new hire coming soon, further changing the dynamic. I'm not entirely satisfied with the task assignments (I believe I am more capable than they seem to think I am, and that is frustrating - feeling left out of some of the more challenging duties, or being passed over for someone who already has a lot of the cooler stuff as their "territory"). Not sure how I will handle this if it continues. Direct confrontation is not my thing. I might be able to work my way into things by taking initiative and working directly with physicians on some researchy stuff. Gotta think about it some more, and finding the time for the extra work might be tough. I don't think I am imagining things, because someone else who has worked at this location had nearly identical complaints. There has to be a solution; I just have to find it.
Meanwhile, if I am reading or commenting on your blogs less frequently, please understand why.
11 comments:
It may be a little early to start challenging and confronting. I always like to thoroughly suss out the situation before trying to make changes. Also, things change as you do. At least you're in one place instead of running between different locations. And if it's true what you say about opportunities to learn from others, well baby, take advantage of it! Get what you can out of the place. I understand what you say about be careful what you wish for - I may be in for that if one of the jobs that I'm up for comes through. But one thing I have learned is that snap first impressions often don't hold up.
I'm trying to balance cautiousness and patience with the very real possibility of the new order getting set into stone in a configuration that is not optimum. I don't want a bad pattern to get started.
Just put your nose to the grindstone for about two weeks. Then take a look around and see if everything is as you feel it is now.
Maybe they're just waiting on you to get more seniority before they let you in on the more challenging stuff.
Funny how that goes sometimes. A couple of weeks ago we were going over bills, and I told my wife money was getting tight and we were going to have to look at places to cut back. Then three of the guys at work got sick, and they've been piling the overtime on me ever since...
There is a pattern that is obvious, and it does not correlate to seniority, unfortunately. That is all I will say about it at the moment. I do not think it is a conscious thing that the bosses are doing, at least I hope not. Time will tell. And who knows what the new guy will be like. It might get better (or worse, possibly).
I would like to think that over time people notice what time we come in and what time we leave, and how much work is going on in between. I'll leave it at that. :-)
"Meanwhile, if I am reading or commenting on your blogs less frequently, please understand why."
Ok... just for you, I'll stop updating semi-monthly. ;)
Don't change for me, LL. ;-)
Oh dear, and I just tagged you. Sorry!
There is a pattern that is obvious, and it does not correlate to seniority, unfortunately.
This is making me irritated for you. Do I have to come up to Atlanta and kick some booty?
Hang in there.
Don't take this the wrong way; but, it strikes me as odd that a bunch of Ph.D's, in physics no less, aren't working well together.
If you can do the work, why shouldn't you be allowed to do it? Is the place overstaffed and the plum assignments are all full up?
Feel free to ignore me; it just seems that "lab politics" should not occur at the level you occupy. I'm probably missing something.
tiff - I read your tag, but will have to go back and read it again when I have NOT had two generous servings of red wine! Will work on it over the weekend.
magnetbabe - I think you get what is going on. I don't think it is a conscious thing, but it happens none the less. Incredibly frustrating, because I see the quality of work other people do as well as what I do. There is a difference.
dave - I don't understand it either. But it is NOT a lack of plum assignments. There are plenty to go around, if they would spread things more evenly. No, what I did not say is that I appear to be, shall we say, lacking some "personal biological equipment" (that has no bearing on ability to do this job). Because the pattern is quite clear. I do not think it is intentional, but for whatever reason (comfort level? familiarity?) it happens. I'd like to find some non-confrontational way around it. For now, I have tried volunteering for whatever I can, and I do my best at whatever they give me. It is sometimes difficult not to feel angry and hurt by it.
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