(If you missed last night, the elevator is working again! Eight days and 55 flights of stairs later, but so far, it's working. I will admit to driving home last night [after Mom's PT, dinner, and a few groceries] and wondering if it would still work, but it did.)
The Yarn Harlot posted that it's 20 years since she started her blog, and it got me thinking. I started this blog in part from being inspired by reading hers, and a few others. That was in August 2006, which was ... (does math, checks it because that can't be right) ... 17 and a half years ago? How?
Blogger helpfully tells me that when I publish this post, it will be number 4,159. So (opens calculator for this one), that would be an average of 237.66 posts per year, or roughly two-thirds of the year.
Well. It makes a person think.
So, first question: How long have you been reading here, do you remember?
Second, completely unrelated question: Help me brainstorm an answer to this question on the Upward Feedback review of my boss: "What would you like your manager to do more of?"
I don't mind BSing it a bit, it doesn't have to be 100% sincere, but it needs to be convincing. I don't think HR would like a jokey answer (he should be sending me chocolate more often, for instance), and I don't want to get my boss in deep with anything. There's another question, "Does your manager have any areas of improvements that you feel they need support on?" but that one is yes/no, and I'm just going to say no. This one is less easy to opt out of.
We've worked together for nine years now, and I know he's not going to change in terms of things like being perfect at tracking what comes in, noticing emails when they arrive, etc. He is a good manager in some ways: he filters out the shit coming from above us, and embraces the flexibility that's possible with our jobs. He has flaws, but nothing I can think of to work into this answer.
I hate review season.
I also hate Summit Broadband. Midday today, the wifi went out, and it will come back if I unplug the router and plug it back in, but it goes down again 20 minutes later. We have a service call tomorrow, but tonight, watching the Bruins game is choppy. Always something, isn't it?
Yes, it is always something! Usually, it's out of our control and we need to depend on others. (which I hate) I didn't have the kind of job where I got to review my boss/manager. Thus, I have 0 ideas. I'm new here but have a 20-year-old blog. I started it when my older daughter was a junior in high school and now she's the mom of two boys.
ReplyDeleteIt goes by in a blink, doesn't it?
DeleteMade me look: I started mine in Sept '06. Been a surprising while. Re the manager, if an honest response is that you don't see where he could do better because he already does, then, hey. Right?
ReplyDeleteI started my first blog in 2021; it got deleted in September 2023 and I started a new blog at the end of that same month (where I write now). I think I started reading your blog during NaBloPoMo?? I have such a hard time remembering who/when/where with regard to meeting bloggy friends!
ReplyDeleteWoo hoo that the elevator is still working.
I picked up a bunch of new blogs this NaBloPoMo too! I often don't remember when I started reading a specific blog, or how I found it in the first place.
DeleteYes, at least the elevator and the wifi aren't giving trouble at the same time. That would be worse!
I'd vote for saying "do more of..." whatever upper management might be thinking managers don't need to bother with, if you know what nonsensical upper-admin ideas are currently popular, or "do less of..." whatever fiddly stupid micromanaging/latest-fad/etc. nonsense you might have heard rumblings of, if there is anything. Otherwise, "continue to..." [do important thing], perhaps? I.e. continue to reduce burnout/turnover within his group while keeping the quality of work acceptable by negotiating sensible timelines and preventing you from being interrupted.
ReplyDeleteSorry for all the typos and/or non-standard grammar/punctuation, but: brain fog. Good luck!
Thank you, that was very helpful! And timely--I though I had until the end of the week to do it, but it was actually due today.
DeleteI started my blog in 2005. I'm right there with you--it was the high point of blogging around those years.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember how I found you/you found me, but I haven't been reading here long.
Hooray for your elevator being repaired! I know you're very grateful.
So grateful! I wonder how long it will be before I take it for granted? Hopefully I will remember to be grateful!
DeleteSo glad that the elevator is working again! Hip Hip Hooray!
ReplyDeleteI started my blog in April 2006! We are blogiversary twins!
I could list a bunch of things I wish my manager would do -- communicate more clearly, follow through with what he says he will do, be on time, be clear about his expectations, be more proactive rather than reactive...the list goes on. Just let me know if you need more suggestions (also I would obviously couch these a little more nicely if I were giving a review!)
In September, it will also be 20 years for my blog. I do not have as many posts as you, though. Just over 3100 for me. That's still a lot. Imagine how many volumes that would fill up!
ReplyDeleteIt is a lot! I looked into printing out my blog into books once, years ago, but whatever I was looking at wanted to put all the photos together and all the text together, which doesn't work at all for how I blog.
DeleteI think I started in 2009. I know I started reading here before NaBloPoMo, but I'm not sure of anything including my own name these days so I wouldn't want to guess when exactly.
ReplyDeleteI don't have to do reviews and they sound excruciating.
Yay for the elevator working! You don't have to be the Big Bang Theory gang anymore.
The review process feels like the biggest waste of time. At least it's time they pay me for, but I still hate to do it.
DeleteI started my blog in 2011! I just passed 3,000 blog posts, which feels crazy to me.
ReplyDeleteAnnual review season is brutal. I used ChatGPT to help me formulate some of my responses, ha. It was very helpful!
I may resort to that! Usually I go back to my own reviews from previous years and patch them together into a new year. For now I am pretending the whole thing doesn't exist.
Delete