Stagnation is worse than change! When my job changes doubt usually leads to new hope and denial to acceptance of a new direction. Then, my mind goes nuts asking two million questions:

–         Will I enjoy working with new people?

–         What happens to my credibility?

–         Do I provide any value?

–         Can I be competent again?

–         Do I know where I am going?

–         Will I make new friends?

–         Will I be able to meet my basic needs?

–         Who will try to prove himself/herself to me?

–         Who is trying to push me?

And this list goes on and on! Simultaneously, I find my job change entertaining so there is always some veiled humor in it for me. I sit back in meetings and watch those who try so hard to prove themselves. For these people, meetings are show grounds as they get their jobs doing political favors.

To my long experience, if there is any person in the crowd who claims “I don’t care what happens, I’m just here to help the product”, s/he is potentially the most ruthless politician and I should be really careful about him/her. If someone is so laid-back, s/he would never even care to make such statement. What I do with this kind of people is that I pretend I’m the dumbest fuck in the crowd and I make them feel I’m following them. I let them feel that way for long-enough time until they have that ah-huh moment when they’re certain I’m not dumb. What happens then, they bring their guards down and invite me to a coffee or lunch! It’s more like Dante’s humor, as he assigned his enemies to various rings in the Inferno. Seldom will you laugh aloud, but you will be smiling at them as you lead these mini bureaucrats feel they’re leading you. Funny shit indeed!

As I begin to make sense of my new job, and my place in it, my comfort and confidence levels increase.