Who's The Boss?

Our new HOD (Head of Dept) talked to me this morning about my future with the Company. Alas, my time has come to play musical-chairs once again since the latest reorg is being set up for October. Finally, he has asked me to step-up to the role of Head of Intelligent Network (IN) Operations.

The role has actually been running away from my sights since I first reached these shores 2.5 years ago. The reason for my prying is that I was initially hired for THAT ROLE but then I ended up doing something else. It's like Michael Jordan being sent to Mogadishu thinking that he'll train the national basketball team but instead is given an AK-47 and is told to start shooting at them American-varmints (pardon my simile). It may have been due to departmental-politics or insecurity, I assume, but nevertheless I made good use of my time here. I've developed my skills in non-IN systems, mostly to the admiration of my peers and my boss, but hey, you always have to be alert for the reorg that often happens once (or even twice) a year.

The decision was quite easy. It's either I stay with my current role (part of a team managing mobile-data systems) or move back to the IN-group where my expertise is PLUS I can begin my career-shift to a more managerial position. Of course, I chose the latter. I've been doing the role of "systems-engineer" for far too long (10 years in fact) that I need a change by handling a more complex component of the Company: people.

That, I think, is where the challenge will be. The current group of IN-engrs and I treat each other as friends, lunch-buddies, badminton-buddies, mp3-sharing-buddies, what-color-do-you-recommend-for-my-house-buddies, I-saw-you-pushing-the-grocery-cart-last-weekend-buddies, your-boss-sucks-and-I-have-the-email-proof-buddies, etc. I may have to tell them that I'll expect a little more when I'll be heading them, and I think they'll be kind enough to give something back. I've learned a lot with my current boss (however absurd his views are, according to most of the people he's met that I've met) and I hope to implement his useful ideas to this new group.

The only hindrance that I could think of if he (my current boss) will have violent-reactions to my new role which meant moving out of his group. But of course you have to follow your boss' orders and his boss' orders are for me to report directly to his boss. That means I'll be in the same-level as my current boss, which was supposed to be in the first place (whew! ang daming boss! hehe).