Tim Arriving

March 19, 2012 – Tim Arriving

Our new HR Manager, Tim, like Laura is 33 years old. That’s where the similarities end. Laura is Canadian, female, straight, slim, and type A. Tim is none of those things. Tim is English, male, gay, big-boned, and while very bright, knowledgeable, and very able to make a quick and firm decision, he is equally as able to see the whole range of possibilities floating past. Transitioning from Laura to Tim was not going to be a predictable task.

Given that I enjoyed working with Laura so much I’m sure I also prepared for there to be problems working with the new HR manager. But Tim cut to the chase right away. On our very first day working together he wanted to know how I liked to be managed and when I said that I liked ‘hands off’ managers who were available if I needed them, he affirmed that was his style of management and as long as I got the job done we’d get along quite well. And truth be told, we have.

In fact, Tim is probably more hands off than Laura which is the perfect transition for me as I’ve gone from complete greenhorn to knowledgeable apprentice. Anyone who knows me knows that I like to be around intelligent, clever people. Tim absolutely fits that mode. The biggest issue I had in the transition is Tim’s spontaneous nature while in the office. Where Laura and I could work in silence in adjoining offices for hours, sometimes communicating if we had to with a quick text or email, Tim is far more likely to shout out ‘Dave’ or even, ‘Davey,’ which elicits the corresponding response from me. It has taken some adjustment to realize that I won’t always get the same long blocks of heads down time in the middle of the day, but the resulting high energy and amusement certainly makes the days sail past. Tim is correspondingly far better at balancing work and relaxation, and one to two times a day we get coffee together providing a chance to decompress even before the stress has a chance to build up to any daunting level. We also share an affinity for the Tuscan Grill specialty restaurant onboard ship and we have been able to catch a couple of meals up there already, a great way to relax at the end of the day and learn about each other’s lives and backgrounds. He is English, of course, so he does talk funny . . . but I’m sure he’d say the same about me.

Best yet, he has agree to sponsor Rosie to come on board for the last week of my cruise, a privilege I would not have until I returned for my second contract. His rationale being, of course, that we all must be related somehow and he’s happy to invite his cousin onboard.

Tim is also determined to return to his ideal weight and has stunned me with his precise commitment to a healthy diet and working out. Discipline is also a characteristic that I completely respect and Tim certainly demonstrates that in spades. When he wants to, of course. But given that he has already lost over 5 of the 20 kilos he’s trying to lose and that in only three weeks time, he shows that level of personal motivation that I truly respect.

Sadly Tim doesn’t do Dancing With the Stripes nor drink martinis with me, something that Laura and I made part of our tradition. But he has introduced me to Bocce on the Lawn with the guests, so I’ll just have to find others to accompany me on those other adventures. For Tim brings his own portfolio of talent, skill, experience and fun, which result in new experiences ahead. And, yes . . .

The adventure continues . . .