Monday, May 29, 2006
Dropping like flies
One of my teammates, the ESB lead, has submitted his resignation. I found out about it from someone outside of the team before it was officially announced. Now the team is down two positions. I still don't have a backup and I plan to be out of province at the end of June (gotta get out east before lobster season ends).
I've been checking the Notes directory at work and noticed that the HR lady that recruited me is gone. One of the friendlier guys on the Service Desk isn't there anymore. Even my former teammate in Regina has commented on the turnover problem, but no one at the company ever says anything about it.
On the other hand, there are a lot of long-term employees there. What's wrong with this picture? Actually, I think CLA was the same.We would chew 'em up (new hires) and spit 'em out. Either you get with program (company culture), or you don't.
D.
I've been checking the Notes directory at work and noticed that the HR lady that recruited me is gone. One of the friendlier guys on the Service Desk isn't there anymore. Even my former teammate in Regina has commented on the turnover problem, but no one at the company ever says anything about it.
On the other hand, there are a lot of long-term employees there. What's wrong with this picture? Actually, I think CLA was the same.We would chew 'em up (new hires) and spit 'em out. Either you get with program (company culture), or you don't.
D.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Commuting challenges
I was booting it up Weston Road to the bus the previous Monday morning (late as usual) when I saw a company van pulled over on the other side of the road. It had damage to the front driver corner. He had set up his hazard signs behind. About fifty feet farther up the road, I see the cause of his damage - a dead deer on my side of the road. I think I'll be taking a bit slower from now on.
I catch the bus OK. When we get to the base of the 400 (the basketweave at the 401), it is chaos. They've closed the crossover to the express lanes, and six lanes of traffic have to merge into one. It takes the bus twice as long as usual to get into Yorkdale. They were working on this same stretch of highway when I started work in October with the same result. I heard that this round of construction will last a year!
That afternoon and the next day it was raining. Combined with the construction, I spent over four hours commuting both days. I must be insane!
D.
P.S. Today (Monday), the TTC pulled a wildcat strike with absolutely no notice. If my husband hadn't mentioned it, I would driven to the bus and been very disappointed when I got to Yorkdale.
I catch the bus OK. When we get to the base of the 400 (the basketweave at the 401), it is chaos. They've closed the crossover to the express lanes, and six lanes of traffic have to merge into one. It takes the bus twice as long as usual to get into Yorkdale. They were working on this same stretch of highway when I started work in October with the same result. I heard that this round of construction will last a year!
That afternoon and the next day it was raining. Combined with the construction, I spent over four hours commuting both days. I must be insane!
D.
P.S. Today (Monday), the TTC pulled a wildcat strike with absolutely no notice. If my husband hadn't mentioned it, I would driven to the bus and been very disappointed when I got to Yorkdale.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Let the games begins
They announced the hiring of a new CIO for the department mid week. She (yes, she) starts the first week of June. She comes from the biomedical industry.
I asked the contract PM behind/beside me if we should start a pool as to when the first reorg happens. She laughed (and she has a very hearty laugh). We decided that we wouldn't include her first week on the job in the pool.
I've been through this before so let me put some predictions "on paper", and we'll see how close I am to being right. There will be a reorganization/restructuring, and there will be firings or demotions (the new broom sweeps clean) and hirings (the new broom brings in her own people). I would expect the first changes to be at the VP level. My VP is new so he might have a very short career with the company. Something will happen at the six week mark if she is really worth her salt; otherwise, we're looking at three months.
In the meantime, Gartner (and Mercer?) have been brought in to do some consulting. The specifics have not been communicated.
D.
I asked the contract PM behind/beside me if we should start a pool as to when the first reorg happens. She laughed (and she has a very hearty laugh). We decided that we wouldn't include her first week on the job in the pool.
I've been through this before so let me put some predictions "on paper", and we'll see how close I am to being right. There will be a reorganization/restructuring, and there will be firings or demotions (the new broom sweeps clean) and hirings (the new broom brings in her own people). I would expect the first changes to be at the VP level. My VP is new so he might have a very short career with the company. Something will happen at the six week mark if she is really worth her salt; otherwise, we're looking at three months.
In the meantime, Gartner (and Mercer?) have been brought in to do some consulting. The specifics have not been communicated.
D.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Dog gone
We had to put down my old dog last night. Bashful was Blue Healer/Lab cross. He was named for his demeanour when I brought him home. Later, we shortened it to Bash which also suited his behaviour. We never were able to build a pen or a kitchen door barrier that could keep him in (Houdini dog).
He'd been kinda off his feed for the last week or so and seriously the last couple of days. I thought maybe he had an infection or a sore tooth. I hadn't noticed, but he was jaundiced. The vet turned over his ear, and the inside was completely yellow. There was nothing he could do. Bash was fifteen years old.
D.
He'd been kinda off his feed for the last week or so and seriously the last couple of days. I thought maybe he had an infection or a sore tooth. I hadn't noticed, but he was jaundiced. The vet turned over his ear, and the inside was completely yellow. There was nothing he could do. Bash was fifteen years old.
D.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Another one bites the dust
One of the old CLAers was let go yesterday. He was in charge of a team that did something with Business Objects (same as at CLA). According to my manager, his business client wouldn't work with him anymore. I thought that he had changed, but not enough I guess.
I worked with him on an Intranet application implementation back in 2000. It was based on old technology (Netscape, CICS/6000, DCE and depreciated hardware), but was a step from the paper-based system that was being used . I had problems getting CICS Universal Client to work in place of CICS/6000, and he was always on my case about meeting his project schedule. The app wasn't ready either so the point was moot. We went live about three or four months late. His creation out-lived him as he lost his job in one of the perennial downsizings a few years later. I used him as an example of a difficult client when I was interviewing.
D.
P.S. It looks like his job was posted on Workopolis the same day.
I worked with him on an Intranet application implementation back in 2000. It was based on old technology (Netscape, CICS/6000, DCE and depreciated hardware), but was a step from the paper-based system that was being used . I had problems getting CICS Universal Client to work in place of CICS/6000, and he was always on my case about meeting his project schedule. The app wasn't ready either so the point was moot. We went live about three or four months late. His creation out-lived him as he lost his job in one of the perennial downsizings a few years later. I used him as an example of a difficult client when I was interviewing.
D.
P.S. It looks like his job was posted on Workopolis the same day.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Town Hall crying
Last Thursday, the department had another of its Town Hall sessions. It was pretty good. A former CLAer (newly joined architect) was the MC. I wish I was having as much fun as the senior execs appear to be.
At the end, they always have a Q&A for the these guys. There was the usual whining and blaming about the sorry state of the department (these people just don't get it). One of the "good" questions was about the previous two failed transformations. The CIO claimed not to know anything about these, the unsuccessful transformations that is. The AVP now in charge of the Transformation program was in the room, actually the guilty party here, but couldn't get a word in edgewise, which was probably a good thing.
The other "good" question was about former CLAers circumventing the posting process and bringing in their cronies. I'm wondering if I have a target on my back. I know my big boss is in trouble with the Transformation program right now. He has a couple of outstanding deliverables (project plans), and the knives are out. If he goes, me and my boss probably won't be far behind.
D.
At the end, they always have a Q&A for the these guys. There was the usual whining and blaming about the sorry state of the department (these people just don't get it). One of the "good" questions was about the previous two failed transformations. The CIO claimed not to know anything about these, the unsuccessful transformations that is. The AVP now in charge of the Transformation program was in the room, actually the guilty party here, but couldn't get a word in edgewise, which was probably a good thing.
The other "good" question was about former CLAers circumventing the posting process and bringing in their cronies. I'm wondering if I have a target on my back. I know my big boss is in trouble with the Transformation program right now. He has a couple of outstanding deliverables (project plans), and the knives are out. If he goes, me and my boss probably won't be far behind.
D.
