Accomplishment?

So I did get promoted at work. I was informed last Friday and it was made official Sunday (start of the new pay period). Management isn't new to me by any stretch, but this is different than anything I've done.

One of the best things about our project is there's quite a bit of team work. We pitch in to help each other out, though since I've still got training wheels, I feel like a burden more than anything else. I understand there's a learning curve, but I'm enough of a perfectionist to be annoyed by not knowing how to do everything. That's on me.

I'm confident in my people skills; I've definitely mellowed since my first stint in management... holy shit... 7 years ago? It's all about measuring where people are and helping them succeed by giving them the tools they need to do their job. That might sound like corporate bullshit, but that's something I've managed to figure out on my own. With any job I've had, if I've had everything I've needed to do the job, I've been successful. That isn't meant to be boastful, it's just proof that if you give a person the chance to succeed, most of the time, they will.

Management isn't about bitching at people or ordering them around. In the position I'm in now, I need to be an advocate for my team and help them succeed. Yes, there is a shit-ton of procedure, but chances are, if those are followed, they'll have an easier time with their jobs. Most of the time.

As for respect, it's earned. You don't deserve it because you have a title. The bosses I've respected are the ones who could do my job and anyone else's job. They aren't afraid to work and they lead by example. They know it's OK to say "I don't know" -- and then they find you an answer. There is no sense of entitlement. Entitlement. Yeah. That's another topic for another time.

Anyway, there was a part of me that didn't think I should be proud or excited about my current work situation. It's not what I went to school for, it's not even close to my earning potential. But it's a job, and it (mostly) pays the bills. More importantly, I've met some really cool people, people I want to stay in touch with. And no one has quit yet since they seem to be having fun -- even after a day like today when we were hammered from the start.

Those are the accomplishments I'm most proud of.

That, and the fact we kicked the living shit out of the queue today.