This week, I went on my first ever business trip, and I loved it! I didn't love the destination (Albany, NY--not nearly as cool as Mozambique, which is where I almost got to go this time last year until the client decided they couldn't afford plane tickets for anyone other than the Principal in charge of the project) or the travel (six hours in the car with coworkers over a 24-hour period) or the dress code (this was the first time since high school mock trial competitions that I've worn a full suit, which was bought expressly for my didn't-happen Mozambique trip), but I loved getting to know my coworkers more personally and meeting clients face-to-face.
About 4:00 on Thursday afternoon, four of us climbed into my boss's hybrid: my boss, a Senior Associate, me, and a Research Analyst who has been at IEc longer than I have. All four of us are quiet people, and we haven't been working together long. I was a little worried about the impending awkwardness of three hours stuck in a car together. But it turns out, outside of the office, my coworkers are surprisingly open and have lots to say.
I know that it's important to have work-life balance and keep your private life out of your professional life, but this trip really humanized my coworkers for me. I think dinner with your project teams should be a requirement for every new hire. It makes me wonder what I could learn from my other supervisors, beyond the work-related lessons I've picked up over the last three years.
And then, meeting my clients was great. They were friendly and stayed engaged, asking relevant questions and making helpful suggestions, throughout our entire three-hour, 60-slide presentation that began at 9:00 am on Friday. That was impressive! I've only met a couple clients in person before (and always at the IEc office), so this was a pretty new experience. It was helpful to put faces to names and voices--conference calls are stressful when you can't tell who's talking or if they're angry or just naturally gruff.
This trip also felt like an important milestone in the young adult journey of "finding yourself." There has been so much attention to the introvert/extravert divide in the popular press recently that I find myself wondering about my role in the office. I mean, there's no doubt that I like things quiet and get stressed about making small talk--but at the same time, I really, really love working with people. I have always loved teaching, mentoring, collaborating on group projects, and building relationships with new friends. So... ? I guess it just felt like a huge relief to realize that I actually do enjoy working with people, and I do it well. I am not a misanthrope. I don't know why that was an important revelation, but it felt like one. A little boost to my introverted self-confidence, maybe?
Anyway, I feel much more like a real adult now that I've checked off a couple young professional checkboxes:
Traveled for work: Check
Wore suit: Check
Impressed clients in person: Check
Spent not-awkward six hours in car with coworkers: Check
And I have another trip to Albany planned for mid-May, so I'll get the chance to do it all again with a different group of coworkers and a different group of clients. (Same client organization; different project.) I'm still disappointed about getting left out of that trip to Mozambique, though. Two trips to Albany isn't going to right that wrong.
About 4:00 on Thursday afternoon, four of us climbed into my boss's hybrid: my boss, a Senior Associate, me, and a Research Analyst who has been at IEc longer than I have. All four of us are quiet people, and we haven't been working together long. I was a little worried about the impending awkwardness of three hours stuck in a car together. But it turns out, outside of the office, my coworkers are surprisingly open and have lots to say.
I know that it's important to have work-life balance and keep your private life out of your professional life, but this trip really humanized my coworkers for me. I think dinner with your project teams should be a requirement for every new hire. It makes me wonder what I could learn from my other supervisors, beyond the work-related lessons I've picked up over the last three years.
And then, meeting my clients was great. They were friendly and stayed engaged, asking relevant questions and making helpful suggestions, throughout our entire three-hour, 60-slide presentation that began at 9:00 am on Friday. That was impressive! I've only met a couple clients in person before (and always at the IEc office), so this was a pretty new experience. It was helpful to put faces to names and voices--conference calls are stressful when you can't tell who's talking or if they're angry or just naturally gruff.
This trip also felt like an important milestone in the young adult journey of "finding yourself." There has been so much attention to the introvert/extravert divide in the popular press recently that I find myself wondering about my role in the office. I mean, there's no doubt that I like things quiet and get stressed about making small talk--but at the same time, I really, really love working with people. I have always loved teaching, mentoring, collaborating on group projects, and building relationships with new friends. So... ? I guess it just felt like a huge relief to realize that I actually do enjoy working with people, and I do it well. I am not a misanthrope. I don't know why that was an important revelation, but it felt like one. A little boost to my introverted self-confidence, maybe?
Anyway, I feel much more like a real adult now that I've checked off a couple young professional checkboxes:
Traveled for work: Check
Wore suit: Check
Impressed clients in person: Check
Spent not-awkward six hours in car with coworkers: Check
And I have another trip to Albany planned for mid-May, so I'll get the chance to do it all again with a different group of coworkers and a different group of clients. (Same client organization; different project.) I'm still disappointed about getting left out of that trip to Mozambique, though. Two trips to Albany isn't going to right that wrong.
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