Recently I was promoted to Business Manager of my schol newspaper. Doesn't sound like a huge deal at first but with great pay-raise comes great responsibility.
Not only am I expected to now deal with endless forms, and paperwork but I also find myself a bit daunted by the tasks of hiring people, being considered someone's boss and all that comes along with that and the endless list of responsibilities that comes in tow.
Having said this, I also have to say how much I love it. I'm getting the best work experience I could ever ask for and given my personality (highly organized, work best under pressure), I feel like I was born for management.
Entering this new stage in my life I figured it'd be a good idea to chronicle my different struggles and keep track of my journey. One day near the end of all this, I'll be able to look-back on this blog (hopefully) and read through my progress.
Now, onto the meat and bones of this all.
The first thing that changes is the office dynamics. People you were once friends with and could take lunch breaks with, curse around and talk about all manner of gross topics with, now become your employees. I find myself having to distance myself from them in order to create respect and better define my superiority (title-wise, not as a person).
I can't curse in the office anymore, I have to dress more professionally, and I have to make sure my time in the office is as efficient as possible. Although its my second home, I have to make sure and project that work comes first because as employees, they will (consciously or not) follow my lead as their manager. I have to do as I want them to do and then some more. But at the same time I have to be empathetic and take a humane intrest in their lives. It's a tough balance, no doubt. One that I find myself struggling with but hopefully improving over time.
Organization is a godsend at this moment. My near-OCD tendencies to write-down assignments in my agenda and keep track of everything I have to do has never come in handy as much as now. I have to constantly hold meetings with different department heads and school officials, as well as fellow co-workers in the editorial side. Punctuality becomes a MUST. Where before it was something preferred, it's now necessary that you show up not just on time, but 15 minutes early.
I went to a speech that Marc Ecko gave yesterday on campus and one of the things he said is that everyone should buy a nice watch. Something just on the brink of being too expensive for you, so that you will strive to live-up to those expectations. This is something that I plan on doing as soon as possible because now entering the professional world (and even more so as a woman), I can fully appreciate the importance of this. As human beings we are visual creatures, and we judge based on appearance. This doesn't mean we're racist or narrow-minded, its simply in our genes. If you dress frumpy, then you are expected to behave in a frumpy manner and produce frumpy work. And believe me, it subconsciously creeps onto you and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If on the other hand, you're dressed professionally and look like you take care of your appearance, you come off as someone who's very put-together, confident, and in-charge. How others perceive you is just as important if not more than what you actually do.
En fin, I'm probably the happiest I've ever been right now. I feel productive and completely myself again. Great time in my life right now and I can't wait to see where the road takes me next :)
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