Virtual Sunshine And Showers

15 Mar 2013 2 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Sunshine And ShowersIt is Friday, meaning that we have made it through another working week, with the emphasis strongly on the working bit. With the sword of Damocles still hanging over my head, it is a bit of a challenge to remain focussed, even though people keep telling me ‘You’ll be fine’. Sadly it’s not their decision, and the wait continues.

So it was a really nice surprise, when we had a visitor to the Ringwood office, a new guy who has been brought in to head up our ecommerce business unit, and it turned out that he’s only got one head, has worked for the likes of Amazon and Love Film, is very passionate about building the business and listens when people talk to him.

I really can see a positive light falling on the IT team. It felt like everyone has embraced the new energy and are buzzing with the enthusiasm our new leader has instilled. It remains to be seen where the line between the companies legacy ends, being established in 1856, and the adoption of new technologies begins. Philatelists are a funny bunch, in the nicest possible way, and it’s a fine line to be trodden.

The excitement is palpable and the way forward, for the team at least, is becoming clearer. The minor fly in the ointment, from my side of things, is that by this time next week, I may not be part of the team.

This is where my Buddhism kicks in, and in more ways than I had expected. My initial feeling is one of joy and excitement for the team. With second thoughts I see that their future may not be mine, but with that split comes a series of possibilities. I could see it as a potential crisis, but I am weighing up the balance between the danger and the opportunities and I see that the opportunities are winning hands down.

The way forward is to keep chanting, stay positive and wait to see what happens.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Uncomfortably Numb

28 Feb 2013 3 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Uncomfortably NumbHaving assimilated the situation that arose yesterday, I have spent the day in a rather quiet office, ploughing on regardless and trying to piece together my thoughts on the past, the present and the future.

Having been offered the chance to apply for a new, but not dissimilar role, still in Ringwood, I put in my application yesterday afternoon. Now I have to deal with the conflicting emotions of hope, fear and bewilderment, whilst trying to plan for all eventualities.

People in the office have been very nice. They were aware of the upheaval caused by yesterday’s departures. I’ve been through this type of situation a couple of times, and it is as unsettling for those who remain, as those who leave.

Folks seemed genuinely pleased to see me this morning, though few have been brave enough to ask after the details of the underlying changes, maybe for fear that they might be affected too. After the initial greetings, things settle back into the usual routine.

But I am now in a quandary, trying to soldier on despite having a possible leaving date, trying not to get too optimistic about securing a role for which I am only one candidate in a very competitive job market. To paraphrase Pink Floyd, I have become uncomfortably numb.

Don’t Say It

12 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Needle In A HaystackIt’s been one of those Mondays again. Indications appeared over the weekend, warning texts being delivered at all times of day and night, harbingers of IT doom. Not that any of the sites were really down in the technical sense, but they were dragging their little feet when trying to load.

So today, Dan and Andy have been digging through log files and reams of code, trying to identify the piece, or pieces of software that are guilty of causing the malaise, while I have been emailing and talking to clients about why they can’t purchase their latest catalogue, new pair of tweezers, or much sought after stamp.

If truth be told, the whole project of cleaning up the background processes is rather overdue. But as with many things in life, it has never seemed the right time to do it. Sadly, again as with so many things in life, the longer you put off the inevitable, the worse the task becomes when you finally bite the bullet.

Now, after all this effort, it would be nice to think that we have fixed the issues, learned from our mistakes, and that we can create a new smoother build that will rid us of these problems, but I fear that might be an over optimistic view to take.