New Journey Begins

This is a trip that wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't going to be necessary. Before recessionary forces engulfed the global economy, my family and I had plans to move to Jakarta the first week of January. That all changed when copper fell from $4/lb to $1.20/lb. That tremendous drop in value resulted in a reorganization and reduction in force - and a delay to our plans.

Luckily for me, the plans for my future did not change, they only delayed. The delay, however, means that for the second year in a row, I will not be spending Valentine's Day (or, Singles Awareness Day, depending on your situation) with my wife. The bright side is I should be able to help set things up initially for my family's big move while I am there.

More than any other prior trip, I'm excited for this visit. It is the start of my new journey - one that I anticipate will be life-altering... in a positive way. When I entered college over a decade ago, it was with the intention of doing something in international business. It took me nearly 13 years, but I'm finally doing it.

My plans for this trip are extensive:

1) Transition management responsibilities from the existing team manager to myself.
2) Finalize my family's housing arrangements
3) Introduce my vision for the team
4) Introduce myself as a manager, outline my expectations, and explain my management style
5) Familiarize myself with everyone on the team, every application we support, every project underway, and the formal and informal hierarchies established within the team.
6) Kickoff a few new projects and initiatives.

I have three weeks to accomplish it all. It's that kind of rapid pace, intense focus that I have always loved about working - especially in the IT industry. I hope I can live up to my own expectations.