The Working Girl Blog #5: Having lunch at the office, or maybe I should just keep my door closed

I spent the morning with my three team leads, talking about user requirements, and the fact that we had some questions that only the client can answer. Actually, a whole lot of questions. I had a short five minute talk about it with the boss. The upshot of it was was that all four of us are on our way to Richfield, Minnesota tomorrow.

Strictly a fly-in-fly-out kind of thing, though, as we would be flying back the following day. So we adjourned for lunch with plans of meeting at four later.

I talked with the department's secretary and she made the arrangements for the tickets, the airport pickup and the car rental. I then talked with the client's VP for purchasing and he set up a meeting for tomorrow.

I was brown-bagging it coz I intended to have lunch in the office, and do a bit more work. The others kept on peeking in, asking if I had plans for lunch, and I told 'em to go on ahead. Thing was, even after lunch, they still were peeking in. Hopefully, after the novelty of the new boss fades, these kinds of interruptions will become less. Must remember to wear longer skirts or slacks next time.

Surprisingly, I didn't step out of the office most of the day. But there were always people peeking in wanting to chat. Most of those who would pass by just wanted to say hi, but there were a lot asking for my signature or asking about some office thing. Truth was, though, I didn't mind the interruptions much - I felt flattered that people were asking my opinions. Although later on, I realized that my telling people what to do was just my job, and it wasn't because I was some sort of genius. That brought my feet crashing down to earth. That little mini-epiphany made me notice that much of what I was being asked were just a lot of office minutiae, not really taking a lot of brains to decide on. Guess this is how it is to be the one in the position to decide on things. Not exactly what I imagined it, and not exactly ego-boosting, either. But it was still new enough for me that it wasn't too irritating. I worked a little more subdued and a lot less peppy after that.

Still, the occasional hot chocolate from the vending machines that the girls brought pepped me up but I started worrying about my weight, what with all this chocolate. I told the girl that brought the third one that I'd better not, and I got a little lesson in people management: though she didn't say anything or do anything, I sensed that I offended her by not accepting. I guess if it's your boss saying no to such a gesture, it means something.

So I had to do a little fence-mending and had a little chit-chat with the girl and her cubicle-neighbors (just inconsequential girl-talk) later on.

Also, I didn't know how to manage some of the other things that someone else in my position would probably easily manage. For example, the table in my little office was one of those glass-topped ones, and I distinctly felt some of the guys were looking at my legs while pretending to read the report they brought in. Must remember to wear slacks, or to put a blotter on my desk. A real girl would probably know how to manage such things. And how does this figure in the total sexual office politics thing?

Anyway, other than these little things, it was a humdrum kind of day, tiring as only a day full of little details can be.

Next time though, I guess I should just keep my door closed. And wear slacks.

Also - will be out for a couple of days 'coz of the business trip, so no blogs for a bit. Better go home, now, and pack for tomorrow. Will talk to you guys later.

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