I'm fretting today.
I don't blog much about work because, well, we all know the perils of that. Plus, for the most part, my work is pretty non-blog-worthy. But things have been pretty stressful around one particular project for the past couple of weeks. There are things I didn't handle well, things the other people involved didn't handle well, and in my attempts to get things right, it all imploded. Gar. Before I head out for my weekend at the beach, I have two meetings about the project that promise to be uncomfortable, but will hopefully be productive.
Wow, is blogging about work boring or what? But it's taking up a lot of my brain to understand what role I played in things taking a major wrong turn and what I can do to get it all back on course. Working with a whole lot of really smart, talented people is, for the most part, a major plus of my job. But it can make things challenging to be toiling in an environment where everything has to be intellectualized and nothing is too small for debate. Not to mention that all parties involved are skilled debaters. It can be exhausting.
When writing is involved, the egos and stakes tend to be even higher than normal. Talking about writing can so quickly feel personal, and authors (myself included) tend to harbor emotional ties to their text even when they know they need to be—or at least try to be—impartial. I enjoy working collaboratively on writing projects when everyone can be respectful, but so far on this project, that hasn't always been the case.
Two hours 'til the beach. And hopefully two hours of worthwhile work on this project. And really hopefully no more boring work-related bloggin, ugh.
Moi
- Snickollet
- I'm a mother and a widow, and a whole lot of other things. Here, though, I tend to write about parenting, grief, and their intersection.
Subscribe To
Posts
Comments
13 comments:
Ugh. Sorry about the implosion and the meetings and egos. Hope things get straightened out! And I'm very glad you have the beach to look forward to. Have fun!!!
I'm also in higher ed, though not writing. It sounds like your situation is quite similar to one my team is dealing with. Yes, it's exhausting.
Sorry.
Enjoy the beach.
Are you able to turn off work brain? I find that my frustrations spill over.
That sounds really frustrating! It's hard enough to get things done without adding politics and personalities in ever heavier layers. The beach sounds great!
Have a nice time with the kids. I might be shipping mine to grandma and grandpas with my husband so I can work. I agree it can be boring to bitch about work so I try not to on my blog but it's hard not to complain when I spend 90% of my day working! [At least lately.] I agree with Sadi that my frustrations spill over. I try really, really hard not to be upset with my husband but usually I get set off about how "messy" the house is - a sure sign of work stress.
The beach! I trust you are on your way by now. I sometimes blog about work, but am careful to be fair and respectful - if I wouldn't say it to any of my colleagues, I probably shouldn't be writing it. Hopefully things have gotten resolved OK.
"toiling in an environment where everything has to be intellectualized and nothing is too small for debate. Not to mention that all parties involved are skilled debaters. It can be exhausting."
This sums up perfectly, why the corporate office was so stressful for me.
Sorry to hear about the work stress, Snick. I had a similar tangle this week and can relate. Here's hoping you'll be able to leave it behind and enjoy yourself and your gorgeous children at the beach!
I really identified with this post and the issues of work. It never is an unending rainbow of happiness and fulfillment. In truth I am human and make mistakes in content, judgment, have ego reactions and demonstrate my prejudices in inappropriate ways. I have been lucky that most people at work were very forgiving and I was able to continue to have a successful career but there were times when I worried that I had burned my bridges and times when I moved on rather than try to work things out. Now I am not saying I was always the cause of these issues as there were other players in any drama but I have learned that if I could forgive myself for my mistakes, other people could also. There are many scurmages (sp) in any battle but often a truce will win the war. Good luck dealing with the politics of academic life and the personalities and egos of your colleagues. You have handled much harder situations and you can do this. Thinking of you and wishing you the best
"toiling in an environment where everything has to be intellectualized and nothing is too small for debate. Not to mention that all parties involved are skilled debaters. It can be exhausting."
This brings back memories of an office I worked in. That was over 10 years ago and I still recall the experiences and rejoice in being free of the shackles. Oh, add nitpicking and micromanagement to the list.
Hope the gentle breezes, warm sun and sounds of the waves clear your mind sufficiently. Enjoy close your eyes and breathe deeply in and out.
Watch the tide and pretend like it's your problem at work. Let it wash it away. Whoosh, whoosh...Now I want to go to the beach. I think I'm gonna go suggest a trip to Long beach. It's so pretty out.
I don't think it boring at all when people blog about work, especially difficult issues.
It's just something that is rarely talked about and it's comforting to know that other people struggle from time to time as well.
Having handled things in not the best way at work can feel very lonely. So, thank you for sharing and I'm confident things will work out.
"toiling in an environment where everything has to be intellectualized and nothing is too small for debate. Not to mention that all parties involved are skilled debaters. It can be exhausting."
Is it nasty for me to ask why smart and talented people so often contribute to such an environment, whether in the corporate or academic world? At the end of the day, is what we do really that significant and does it need to be this hard?
Welcome to the world of Academia, where egos reign supreme! And if the writing project has anything to do with getting published, then the stakes are even higher.
Although, being around inspired thinking on a daily basis can be addicting for your brainsoul.
The change from corporate to academia was difficult and I personally prefer corporate from a personnel perspective, but working at an university proved to be my most rewarding and challenging job. I learned more there than I did before and have since.
Good luck!
Post a Comment