It's not really big news, as signing the contract means only a few administrative changes and little difference in the office. Same job, more accountability. And - as I've been gently reminded - no pay increase during a time of economic crisis.
The only significant change is a shuffle in hierarchy, which puts me directly responsible for four people - two in France, two in Germany. I also have a new boss, and we belong to a new department - Engineering Processes and Efficiency.
When the organization chart was first presented last month during a big engineering meeting, I braced myself for the reaction of the colleagues who would see their names written beneath mine. After the meeting I returned to my desk and kept my eyes firmly on my computer screen, waiting for the oldest, and - not surprisingly - grumpiest member of the team to return.
Finally he sauntered up and, tossing his notebook on his desk, asked me "Did you see the new organization chart?"
"Yes..." I answered meekly. Please don't kill me. Never mind that I am 15 years your junior, female, and speak miserable French...how about we just agree to never talk and you do what you want?
"Did you see that Alfredo is no longer our boss?" he asked with an irritated grunt.
"Yes." This was not something I expected him to be upset about. Alfredo's group had been split into two parts and our new boss was quite effective.
"Well!?" he continued angrily. "Who's going to sign our vacation requests?"
Vacation requests? Our entire group had been shifted to a new manager and director, he now reports to an American, and he wants to know who signed his vacation request?
"Well, I guess that would be me." I answered.
He sat down in a huff and pulled something from his desk. He scratched something onto it, then reached across his desk to hand it to me. It was a vacation request - Alfredo's printed name had a line through it, and mine had been written in ink above.
I sat up straight in my chair, did my best to act like I sign these kinds of mundane papers all the time, scrawled my name, and handed it back. And that was the last time we discussed the hierarchy.
* * *
A week later, I was summoned to Germany to meet the team there. My boss called a meeting with everyone in his group and proceeded to present the organization chart. I closely watched the two Germans - who speak even less English than my French colleague - to gauge their reaction to the news. They barely flinched. Maybe they had been tipped off. Then finally the older of the two broke in to ask a question.
"Ah," my boss translated for me, "he wants to know who will sign his vacation request."
By the end of the day, I had signed two more.
"Ah," my boss translated for me, "he wants to know who will sign his vacation request."
By the end of the day, I had signed two more.
wa- oh we get kudos? basking ......
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