You may have noticed that I took the main page of this site offline yesterday and replaced it with this one as part of the Anti-SOPA protest… this post is not related to that action.
Following a conversation yesterday, the social networks, communities and “non-standard” contact channels that I am active in will now see me “going dark” during working hours (NZDST – currently GMT +13).
This means I will be missing many of the conversations I would otherwise have been able to engage in, commentary directed at me will no longer be addressed in a timely manner, and, essentially, I will become a lot quieter on the subjects that I have previously been active on.
It doesn’t mean I’m dead, it doesn’t mean that I no longer care, it doesn’t mean I’ll be dropping the activities that I believe I can make a difference in – it simply means I won’t be ‘available’ from 08:00 – 19:00, Monday – Friday NZ Time and I will no longer be available for assistance or to be involved in conversations during this time period.
The reasons for this action are purely for perception management and to not disadvantage those with whom I work.
Essentially, there are folk in boxes higher up on our corporate HR chart who have set particular measurements by which my team, and I as an individual, are judged. It has been suggested therefore, that I stick solely to areas of work that the group to which our team now reports is responsible for, rather than continue to be involved across the business as I have previously been engaged. While my day to day responsibilities have never suffered through my extra-curricular involvements, I have a moral responsibility to my team. I need to do what I can to ensure that the handful of measures by which we are judged are addressed as effectively as possible, and any perceptions of ‘distraction’ are eliminated.
While I am more than happy to discuss what I do with anyone who believes I’m operating outside of my mandate, I cannot put the team in a position where they may be affected by my wider activities.
Can you help me manage the transition? Absolutely you can, please make sure you tag me in conversations where I’ve previously waded in, or on subjects that you know I have a particular soapbox.
I’m going to do my best to catch-up with the wider world after the kids are in bed and while I’m in transit to and from work – and we’ll review the whole thing at the end of February.
This is NZRob – not over, and not out.