Otherwise, it's been work as usual, more or less. I'm developing a feel for what constitutes a normal workload, and I'm pursuing as much information as my brain can absorb to prepare for working on a project site. I've started developing a list I call Things I Need to Know Before Going Out. No, it's not the most creative of list titles, but given all the information I'm attempting to collate, I'm trying to keep things simple. As I think of things, I add them to the list, whether or not I think I know the answers. For example, this week I added what to do in a medical emergency. I shouldn't be surprised that there's a department dedicated to responding to major emergencies; I found their website, instructions, and phone numbers. This would be key information to have readily available, which of course I hope I never need to use.
Considering all the information we're expected to know is quite intimidating, but management continues (at least the appearance of) its patience. For a while, I admit I was starting to whine to myself, if not to the poor people around me, as I attempted to make sense of the big picture. Maybe it's a natural phase in a new job, and I've lived a fairly sheltered life as I've had only a very few jobs and have changed jobs very infrequently. But I recently decided the whining was pointless, and I'll simply plow ahead. In an odd coincidence - I hope it was a coincidence - a coworker copied me on a Foreign Service form (link to the full form) he suggested would have a great impact on promotion potential.
I haven't looked up all the regulation references yet, such as the Foreign Affairs Manual, but who has time to look up every reference in these forms?
(This post written while listening to Robbie Robertson Somewhere Down the Crazy River)
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