22 September 2006
Beginning of Something New
This past week kind of officially transitioned my work partner and I from one role to another. Funny, we really did not now it while we were doing it. I suppose that is generally how life is. You only realize the milestones of you life after you pass them.
As you know for the past 2 years I have been working on the application side of bringing my companies new product line to market. It has been filled with ups and downs. I have been quire proud when we were able to deliver for the company and for the customer and have felt quite down when people expect us to be able to work miracles simply because it is the new stuff.
After nearly a year of the product line being commercialized it was time to start spreading the wealth and letting all of the rest of the company to quote, engineer, and commission the new stuff. So this week we brought in a representative from each discipline from three of the regional offices. Adam and I spent the week trying to educate them with all of the things that we have learned about quoting, engineering and commissioning with the line. Needless to say they were at the same time both eager and enthusiastic and dismayed and nervous.
It was quite a different thing to spend the whole week training people to do things instead of doing them. Sure it really made the work week go by fast but it is not really my cup of tea. I have no problem trying to teach people the things that I know but I do not like having to run the room all day. There is this feeling like they not only need to be taught but also entertained.
At the end of the week our manager let us know that pretty much for the remainder of the year we are going to be in training mode. We already have another week of this scheduled for the week of 16 Oct.
Also, we are going to be asked to pick up the application engineering ball for the revision of the product line that is scheduled to have a demo site install early next year. That would mean some commissioning but there should not be much between now and then. I only have 1 week scheduled at this point and possibly a couple of trips to kick off our installation teams. ¶ 17:03
As you know for the past 2 years I have been working on the application side of bringing my companies new product line to market. It has been filled with ups and downs. I have been quire proud when we were able to deliver for the company and for the customer and have felt quite down when people expect us to be able to work miracles simply because it is the new stuff.
After nearly a year of the product line being commercialized it was time to start spreading the wealth and letting all of the rest of the company to quote, engineer, and commission the new stuff. So this week we brought in a representative from each discipline from three of the regional offices. Adam and I spent the week trying to educate them with all of the things that we have learned about quoting, engineering and commissioning with the line. Needless to say they were at the same time both eager and enthusiastic and dismayed and nervous.
It was quite a different thing to spend the whole week training people to do things instead of doing them. Sure it really made the work week go by fast but it is not really my cup of tea. I have no problem trying to teach people the things that I know but I do not like having to run the room all day. There is this feeling like they not only need to be taught but also entertained.
At the end of the week our manager let us know that pretty much for the remainder of the year we are going to be in training mode. We already have another week of this scheduled for the week of 16 Oct.
Also, we are going to be asked to pick up the application engineering ball for the revision of the product line that is scheduled to have a demo site install early next year. That would mean some commissioning but there should not be much between now and then. I only have 1 week scheduled at this point and possibly a couple of trips to kick off our installation teams. ¶ 17:03
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Hmmm...you don't like to run the room. I think that might be a bit like teaching. It takes alot out of you and I'm glad you've expereinced something that might help us relate when I talk about the grind of work.
I was going to say the same thing. I *love* to run the room, and the entertainer aspect of it is one of my favorite parts. (Though as I recall, doing it all day is a bit much even for me.) But in shorter stints I find it energizing rather than draining.
That's a really interesting shift to full-on training mode. Seems like a rather fundamental change in your job description. Hope it isn't too bad and/or you come to like it over time.
That's a really interesting shift to full-on training mode. Seems like a rather fundamental change in your job description. Hope it isn't too bad and/or you come to like it over time.
Good luck with the full-on training. Personally I enjoy it but after a full day of it I find it draining. Not really sure how those teacher people do it all day five days a week. My voice would fail me...
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