A little over 18 months ago I started a new job. 2 months into the role the entire team I had joined had quit; I tried not to take it personally. It took 6 weeks to get anyone to speak to me in the office; I did take that pretty personally (but found a combination of playing secret baker and cornering people while they made coffee eventually got people being a bit more vocal). It’s been a bit of a tough one, but yesterday was my last day.
I bought breakfast for the team:
I packed up my (rather ‘lived in’) desk into a crate:
And I was given beautiful flowers:
On Tuesday I start a new role. It’s a bigger sort of a job and I’m already waking up throughout the night convinced that the new team will realise in a matter of days that they have made a mistake hiring me. My tongue and mouth are covered in ulcers (which always happens at the far end of ‘stressed’). And I have a half day to go shopping for big girl clothes so I at least attempt to look like I am ready for the role (an activity that uaually reduces me to a petulant 5 year old).
The good news is that I’ll be in an office I’ve worked in before, so I know I wont have to spend six weeks in silence. Please could you just keep my fingers crossed that the team I’m joining don’t decide to leave en masse before the summer? :o)
the pog blog 
Fingers & toes crossed! May you not just retain your team but also lead them most impressively! All the best! Loved the frankness in the post!
Thank you, that’s very kind of you! :o)
Good luck
Thank you, lucyannluna :o)
Good luck Pog! Any team would be lucky to have you, never mind to be led by you. I speak as a former colleague, even though it’s been a while. 16 years, in fact. :)
Ooohhhh, help me out here…..I need more than just a first name and year! But thank you very much!
(Just to be clear though, I am not running a team, just being part of one- I obviously didn’t write that very clearly. I have enough trouble managing myself, I couldn’t manage anyone else! :o) )
I just worked out who you are….you confused me with the nAme you used! Do you remember at our group interview all those years ago when I accidentally threw the lid of the coffee pot over my shoulder? Well, things haven’t improved much since then! :o/
Sorry about that!
I remember it like it was yesterday! And that was a moment of comedy gold.
I don’t know why they hired me either! :o)