Last Updated on September 18, 2017
Suppose that you start a brand new job in a new city. I’ve got some questions all relating to that theme and I’m curious to see how you’d answer them.
- First to play last week: Riknata of A Ninja’s Diary. Congratulations!
(According to the rules, “First to Play” requires you to be the first to include the link to the specific entry in which you answered the questions, not just the general link to your blog.)
Here are this week’s “Saturday Six” questions. Either answer the questions in a comment here, or put the answers in an entry on your journal…but either way, leave a link to your journal so that everyone else can visit! Permission is not granted to copy the questions to message boards for the purpose of having members answer and play along there. Enjoy!
1. When moving to a new place to start a new job…are you more likely to look for friends at work or outside of work first?
2. You notice that their way of doing things seems inefficient based on your own experience with a much better procedure. Assuming your way wouldn’t represent any major expense for the company, how quickly would you suggest it?
3. A co-worker invites you have a beer after work: if it’s someone you’ll have to work with closely, but you’re not one who likes bars, how likely are you to accept the invitation?
4. Suppose you decide to accept, and the co-worker spends much of the evening complaining about problems you’ve already noticed. Are you more likely to add your two cents’ worth on the problems, express your take on what’s right with what you’ve seen so far, or just let him vent and take mental notes?
5. The same co-worker invites you to a cocktail party that will mostly be attended by other colleagues, all of whom feel the same way he does. If you suspect that the atmosphere might be negative, but that you’re likely to find out some secrets that could potentially give you some leverage against some people who have wasted no time in making you miserable in the new job, how likely are you to attend?
6. Take the quiz: The Cocktail Test
If you have a Reader’s Choice question you’d like to see asked (and answered), send me an email! I’d love to be able to include it in a future edition of the Saturday Six.
My answers are are posted here…
http://dianacorner.blogspot.com/2010/06/saturday-six-episode-321.html
I will be down in your neck of the woods for a wedding next weekend in Asheville. So I’ll miss next weekend Saturday Six
Have a safe trip, Diana, and don’t worry: next week’s edition will still be waiting for you when you get back home! 🙂
1. When moving to a new place to start a new job…are you more likely to look for friends at work or outside of work first?
At work, I guess.
2. You notice that their way of doing things seems inefficient based on your own experience with a much better procedure. Assuming your way wouldn’t represent any major expense for the company, how quickly would you suggest it?
Depends on how long I could tolerate their ineptitude.
3. A co-worker invites you have a beer after work: if it’s someone you’ll have to work with closely, but you’re not one who likes bars, how likely are you to accept the invitation?
I don’t care for bars, but I suppose I’d make an exception.
4. Suppose you decide to accept, and the co-worker spends much of the evening complaining about problems you’ve already noticed. Are you more likely to add your two cents’ worth on the problems, express your take on what’s right with what you’ve seen so far, or just let him vent and take mental notes?
Maybe I’ll just sit quietly and let the tape recorder in my pocket run.
5. The same co-worker invites you to a cocktail party that will mostly be attended by other colleagues, all of whom feel the same way he does. If you suspect that the atmosphere might be negative, but that you’re likely to find out some secrets that could potentially give you some leverage against some people who have wasted no time in making you miserable in the new job, how likely are you to attend?
Despite my flip replies to previous questions (just in that kind of mood today), I really dislike interoffice politics and the rumour mill that runs much of it. There was a time in my life when I might have been more inclined to participate in these kinds of games, but it’s just not me anymore. It has been my experience that even if there are secrets to be learned that could allow me to step on other people’s necks, the only way to actually step on their necks is by lowering myself to the same level with them. There is an extremely fine line between a group of colleagues bitching and venting for the purpose of camaraderie and sharing frustrations, and creating a negative and unproductive work atmosphere. One bad apple can ruin a basket of perfectly good ones; I’ve seen it happen.
6. You Are Sophisticated
It’s actually 1:22am SUNDAY, so spelling, punctuation, and grammar are all on a fend-fer-yerself basis. 😉
http://goingcerebral.blogspot.com/2010/06/saturday-six-relocation.html