Think Tank turned one year old yesterday. What a milestone. I'm not sure it is the blog I envisioned it to be. This is only the 33rd post, and while I think some of it is interesting to other people I don't get many comments. That doesn't really bother me that much. I do see that a few people read it each day, I'm not sure if they are just passing through on a google search or what, but it's nice to see the hit counter creep forward.
I think about blogworthy topics all the time but never find the time to sit down and write. But here's what Think Tank fans can look forward to in the coming weeks. A history of the Hypstrz and a review of their Turf Club show on November 25, a rant about how stores aren't carry my pant size any longer, more observations on squirrels in my neighborhood, and maybe, just maybe a best of 2005 album list.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Monday, November 21, 2005
A glimpse into my future...
The floor and walls of the lodge were a beautiful knotty pine stained a rusty yellow. The patina of the walls showed stability, strength, and the affectations of a bygone era. The lodge served as an executive retreat for an ammunition company that is probably one of the largest employers in the town and has been in existence for over eighty years. The chandeliers were made up to look like oversized shotgun shells. I was there as an invited guest to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the birth of one of the company's executives and former mayor of the county seat (he died in the mid 1980s). I was there to be introduced as the Executive Director at my new organization. Yes, I got the job.
I won't officially start until December 19, but I was invited to this function by one of my new board members and the pressing of flesh started immediately. I was bombarded with the names and associations of a dozen high rollers and influence peddlers. In short, this was not my crowd. But this is going to be a big part of my job as near as I can tell. Meeting people, getting them to like me and my organization and making them feel like they are as important as they want to be.
I'm really nervous about all of this. I could fail in spectacular fashion. I guess we'll see soon enough.
I won't officially start until December 19, but I was invited to this function by one of my new board members and the pressing of flesh started immediately. I was bombarded with the names and associations of a dozen high rollers and influence peddlers. In short, this was not my crowd. But this is going to be a big part of my job as near as I can tell. Meeting people, getting them to like me and my organization and making them feel like they are as important as they want to be.
I'm really nervous about all of this. I could fail in spectacular fashion. I guess we'll see soon enough.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Holding Pattern
I am one of two final candidates for the executive director position. I had my first interview on November 4th with three board members, including the president and vice president, the program manager, and the outgoing director. I thought it went reasonably well and my feelings were confirmed when they called me later in the afternoon for a second interview last Tuesday.
The second interview was with the same group of people and again it seemed to go well. I think my greatest hurdles are convincing them that even though I'm an outsider in their community that I am capable of understanding its history and being a convincing public face for their organization. Oh, and the fact that I developed a cold sore between interview one and two can only hurt my chances. That's what stress can do to me.
My greatest concern was when the vice president asked me how I handle looking "so young" in situations where I have to introduce myself as an authority figure. The more I think about this question the more annoyed I get. I'm the same age as the outgoing director and she was hired over three years ago. I handled the question without letting her know that it seemed more than a little insulting. I told her how I always act maturely in professional situations, and that I do dress in a manner that befits my professional position and that I felt that the title of executive director of a respected institution ought to carry a certain amount of currency from the get go. But apparently my baby face may prove to be too much to overcome, we shall see (sadly, I chose to shave off my beard for the interview. In retrospect it may have helped me look older and disguised my cold sore). I hate to overstate it, but what if she asked me how I handle being so fat, or so Chinese?
One of the board members really seemed to like me, but I think my greatest source of support will come from the program manager. She has confided to a mutual colleague that she really wants them to hire me. She has a lot of influence in the organization as she has been there for something like twenty years and has no reason to stay if she doesn't want to. She's only there twenty hours a week and doesn't need the job. The board would like to keep her happy, and that just may include hiring the director she prefers.
Anyway, the hiring committee wanted to make their recommendation to the board of directors on Thursday evening. My inside source tells me that they debated until midnight and adjourned the meeting without making a decision. Jesus. That sounds really weird. Whoever they hire it appears that they may be walking into a situation where some people on the board really wanted to hire the other person. I should find out in the next day or two.
The second interview was with the same group of people and again it seemed to go well. I think my greatest hurdles are convincing them that even though I'm an outsider in their community that I am capable of understanding its history and being a convincing public face for their organization. Oh, and the fact that I developed a cold sore between interview one and two can only hurt my chances. That's what stress can do to me.
My greatest concern was when the vice president asked me how I handle looking "so young" in situations where I have to introduce myself as an authority figure. The more I think about this question the more annoyed I get. I'm the same age as the outgoing director and she was hired over three years ago. I handled the question without letting her know that it seemed more than a little insulting. I told her how I always act maturely in professional situations, and that I do dress in a manner that befits my professional position and that I felt that the title of executive director of a respected institution ought to carry a certain amount of currency from the get go. But apparently my baby face may prove to be too much to overcome, we shall see (sadly, I chose to shave off my beard for the interview. In retrospect it may have helped me look older and disguised my cold sore). I hate to overstate it, but what if she asked me how I handle being so fat, or so Chinese?
One of the board members really seemed to like me, but I think my greatest source of support will come from the program manager. She has confided to a mutual colleague that she really wants them to hire me. She has a lot of influence in the organization as she has been there for something like twenty years and has no reason to stay if she doesn't want to. She's only there twenty hours a week and doesn't need the job. The board would like to keep her happy, and that just may include hiring the director she prefers.
Anyway, the hiring committee wanted to make their recommendation to the board of directors on Thursday evening. My inside source tells me that they debated until midnight and adjourned the meeting without making a decision. Jesus. That sounds really weird. Whoever they hire it appears that they may be walking into a situation where some people on the board really wanted to hire the other person. I should find out in the next day or two.
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