When I arrive at the office, apart from greeting and going to the workstation, the first thing that always comes first is the news.
Changes at work
I have to say that when I joined in 1997 very few people had a PC and an email account, so at first it was something the previous shift would tell you about orally or in writing, but with pencil (or pen) and paper.
Things change and younger people will see it as archaic or even quaint, but there was a “log” book where you could review what happened of relevance. Today all those relics of the past have been replaced by email.
Also, having a laptop for everyone was unimaginable at the time, I started in Operations and back then almost everything was about connecting to the net.
This was solved with workstations or terminals connected directly to the central stations. Since remote accesses were via ad-hoc accesses from each manufacturer and it was rare if you were not in the same buildings as the central stations working in a control room (or in a car moving from base station to base station).
That’s why a lot of jobs were filled in shifts 24×7 or morning and afternoon at best.
Most of the work at the beginning was to grow the network due to the brutal growth of those years with technical plans that doubled the number of customers and exchanges from one year to the next!
Everything has changed a lot today, we connect to our mail on our mobile or laptop, but the background is the same, to check those news.
My tasks
Then look at the day’s agenda. See what meetings are pending, if new appointments have arrived that could change the plan.
I like to have a coffee before starting meetings with a colleague, be it from the current department, from other departments with which I have a relationship or from “past lives”. Although sometimes we end up talking about work, it is good to talk about other topics and it helps to relax the mind.
When meetings start, it is ideal to have some time until the next one, which allows you to take minutes if you have to or prepare for the next one.
It is clear to all of us that the ideal world is far from our day-to-day lives and often that is a luxury that is difficult to achieve.
As is the case when it comes to being able to take a mid-morning break and disconnect, most of the time, until lunchtime.
Online meetings
With the spread of non face-to-face meetings, I take the opportunity to be connected with my mobile phone walking around the building or the District gardens while they are taking place (weather and ambient noise permitting). This helps me to be in a more relaxed environment and have my body more active and loose, anyone with back problems knows what I am talking about.
After lunch there are two possibilities not to have meetings so it is ideal for sending meeting minutes, documenting and doing that work that does not require meetings. The other option is to have more meetings so it’s business as usual in the morning.
The end of my day
Finally, after leaving work, the most important thing is to disconnect and release stress. In my case, sport is that switch, after which I have a third time with friends or family.
