What a Difference a Week Makes

I had a FANTASTIC week at the new gig.  The training was seriously on point ... no not the specifics of the job I was hired to do but the introduction to the company overall.   A crucial step that so many companies fail to perform.  

There were eight people that went through the training.  Interesting for the simple fact that not many companies are adding any staff at all and they added eight people on the same day.   All eight of us were hired for the same company but in very different roles. 

The week was spent getting a real orientation on the company.   The first day was spent on the big picture ... what we were about -- our reason for being.  Yes, you can learn about products and brand names during the research phase of prepping for your interview, but you will never find out the little details that are only communicated once you're part of the the organization. 

The rest of the week was spent with a representative or two or three from every area of the company.  They gave us a very detailed picture of what they did, some of the steps it took them to get there, and how each of us fit in the picture.  That kind of week-long overview has been rare in my professional life but I think the time they took upfront will really pay off in the long run.   I can't speak for everyone in my group, but I think the consensus was it made us all feel truly a part of the bigger picture.  Regardless of what role we were hired to fill, I think we all felt our positions were valued and important to the company.  There was none of that inflated sense of importance based on a job title.  I liked that.  My philosophy has always been we're in this together.  If the mail room staff doesn't deliver, it impacts everyone in the organization.  Likewise, if the CEO hasn't empowered his/her staff or clarified his/her vision than to the troops then that also impacts everyone.  We spent the whole week in this training and it has been somewhat of an overload but I think it was necessary and I appreciate them taking the time to do this for our new hire group.  

Next week we all report to our somewhat spacious cubes and prepare to jump in.  They haven't left us hanging ... a dedicated trainer has been assigned to everyone at every level.  That person is our  main resource as we begin this phase of our careers. 

I feel energized, excited, and anxious ... I'm ready to "do this".  I hope the rest of my work relationship with this company is as good as the first week has been.