So I've been trained on everything from risk management to financial project management to how to make a cappucino with the office cappucino machine - tho' I probably need to do a revision tutorial on the cappucino thing as I think I've blown the froth creator pipe (it made the most unusual sound much like a constipated elephant as I finished with it). I'm trained to the max - so much information at my workplace - every slideshow leads to another slideshow and there seems to be no end to it - I'm even scared to click on anything now as it opens up a huge new can of worms. The knowledge managers here sure are doing their work. Every question you have is referred to some portal which has the material for you to read - no "human" actually answers your questions - you either find it in the appropriate portal or the eSupport system or the helpdesk. Woe betide you if you still want to ask a human - they do not exist here - get over it-move on.
So tech is the mantra by which my company lives by - which again brings me back to the irony of my life. I have at every stage in my life resisted tech - I dont like it, I dont trust it yet I end up specializing in information tech law and now working in the mothership for tech based working conditions where everything is on my laptop or burned on a cd (not in my brain sadly) - hard copies are not encouraged even faxes are scanned by reception and sent to you via email. I WANT SOME PAPER PEOPLE!!!!
General point though with all this info available at the click of a tikus-are the info tech generation better informed? No bloody chance - if anything they are the most uninformed bunch of philistines - correction - tech savvy uninformed philistines. They have access to all this information but they have the attention spans of gnats and even before they finish reading one paragraph they are itching to click on another link - why? - because they can. We need to regroup and refocus - is it the mode that is important or the substance - a generation from now the question will be "what substance?" - "why is substance relevant? look at the canggih way we can access the info with version 100.2 and this new tool - surely that is the point" - errrr wrong that is not the point.
You can have the most amazing tools that turn water into wine but if your main aim isnt accessing the actual information then we have completely lost the plot. Every time I see people still in bookshops and buying books I feel exhilarated. The battle is not lost, books still have their place- information still gets tranmitted without "technology", there is hope !
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Work Wallahs
So here's what I've discovered about the difference between working for a local entity and a multi national type organization - bloody a lot thats what. The international set up is soooo systems orientated and even if you want to sneeze you have to fill in some on-line request and have it circulated worldwide for approval prior to to said sneeze. Whereas at the local shindig you can pretty much sign off on multi-million dollar deals with your own pathetic little know-how and say-so and everyone will accept it. So its a learning curve for sure - am hoping it'll soon be second nature for me.
On the upside its all very organised and you've got orientations, buddy systems and mentor systems and hand-holding and how to use everything from the coffee machine to your lap top but you're expected to digest it all on the first go - and CONCENTRATE or else - they're not repeating themselves. Whereas at most local outfits you can be still prancing around 3 years later claiming you dont know how to use the photocopying machine and some poor clerk will do it for you with a smile.
Further its all work talk only at these multinationals - all very earnest people walking about looking very clever and they dont bother with you or to ask if you're new - its heads down and beavering away and talking exclusively about work work work. So no conversations about Brad and Angie's kids or Tom Cruise's control over Katie here then. They'd probably faint if I asked them if they know whether Julia Roberts has delivered yet.
On the other hand they are very helpful in terms of work - and its a real team effort - no hogging knowledge just to look good in front of the boss. No politics and sucking up to boss etc. - its all work - if you know what you're doing you're fine - if you dont you'd better find out or else you're out - no matter how much you lick the boss. Local companies? - you know the score - the bigger a licker you are the better your chances of promotion.
There's this really cool quote on the one of the walls at my new place of work "The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common" - Thoreau. This is why children are so wise - common things to them are amazing and therein lies their genius and by looking at the world through their eyes we can perhaps also get a little bit of that wisdom.
On the upside its all very organised and you've got orientations, buddy systems and mentor systems and hand-holding and how to use everything from the coffee machine to your lap top but you're expected to digest it all on the first go - and CONCENTRATE or else - they're not repeating themselves. Whereas at most local outfits you can be still prancing around 3 years later claiming you dont know how to use the photocopying machine and some poor clerk will do it for you with a smile.
Further its all work talk only at these multinationals - all very earnest people walking about looking very clever and they dont bother with you or to ask if you're new - its heads down and beavering away and talking exclusively about work work work. So no conversations about Brad and Angie's kids or Tom Cruise's control over Katie here then. They'd probably faint if I asked them if they know whether Julia Roberts has delivered yet.
On the other hand they are very helpful in terms of work - and its a real team effort - no hogging knowledge just to look good in front of the boss. No politics and sucking up to boss etc. - its all work - if you know what you're doing you're fine - if you dont you'd better find out or else you're out - no matter how much you lick the boss. Local companies? - you know the score - the bigger a licker you are the better your chances of promotion.
There's this really cool quote on the one of the walls at my new place of work "The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common" - Thoreau. This is why children are so wise - common things to them are amazing and therein lies their genius and by looking at the world through their eyes we can perhaps also get a little bit of that wisdom.
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