Official Countdown Starts

On Monday in a meeting with all trainers, our big boss Fran said our managers will be having 1-2-1 sessions with each of us to determine our aspirations and plans for the future as the project (and contracts) begins to draw to a close.

I knew there was no way I'd be staying on in Leicester full time as a trainer (that was if they even wanted me to) but I did toy with the idea of moving over to the Training Design team - those idiots who write the crappy slides and manuals and develop the unstable training systems. At least that way I could work 3 days in London and 2 days in Leicester. It was only an idea and I ran it by the Training Design team manager. She liked the idea but was facing the same problem with work drying out for her team. Infact 2 members were already leaving.

Fine! It was final then. Goodbye Leicester. All I had to do was find SN and have my discussion with him.

I spotted him in the corridor and called him into the room I was in. It felt like I was the one assessing him. "Are you okay to have our chat?" "Sure" he said "When?". I gestured to a seat next to me and said "Now?".

I'm not one for uneccessary small talk so as soon as he sat down and I asked him if there was any possibility of them wanting me to stay on. I was thinking, if the answer was no, then there was no point in continuing the conversation. He said "Yes, we'd like you to stay on". I replied that I was surprised considering the various incidents in the past but he said "Omara, you are a great trainer and your feedback is consistently high". I said "Well, thanks but unfortunately, I will not be able to stay on beyond the 17th of May".

Did I detect his face drop or was it a hidden smile of glee? Anyway, it did not matter.

I said "I'd love to but my family commitments make it impossible, Leicester was an interesting opportunity at the time and it's helped me a great deal in building my confidence and getting me back into work but I've got to go back home now".

He said "I would not have thought you needed any more confidence building but why did you take a job in Leicester in the first place?"

His shoulders relaxed and I could see he had finally asked the question that had been burning in his soul since the first day I started. He must have asked that question to himself and everybody whenever I made a fuss about leaving early on Fridays or my 'special terms and conditions'.

I explained about Benjamin and how I never actually applied for the job but was persuaded to take it (read The Testimony (part two)). I confessed I was not really looking forward to going back job hunting again when he said that he was sure Benjamin would find me something very soon.

He then went on to say "I might be needing Benjamin's number myself".

I realised then that the internal staff (SN, the gay guy, my puppies and a few others) are more scared because they have all been seconded into the higher paying jobs that they have now on the back of this project which is now ending and don't want to go back to their old jobs with huge salary cuts.

I said "No problem SN, whenever you want. Benjamin knows of you by name now anyway" He replied "I can imagine what you've been telling him about me".

We laughed like it was a joke (Not!) and wrapped up the session.

So the official countdown starts. I'm definitely leaving on the 17th of May and with that goal in sight, I can finally relax. Nothing matters here now but that end date.