pint =point
Am 12.12.2021 um 11:50 schrieb Lothar Flatz:
Hi Kellyn,
I realize a lot of your social contact is virtual. I remember meeting Martin (Bach), Ludovico , Piet and Johannes at DOAG virtually via gathertown.
I was more fun then I expected. I got a cold, otherwise I would have stayed longer.
However the real thing is better still.
Not sure what I what my pint is really. ...😅
Thanks
Lothar
Am 10.12.2021 um 19:21 schrieb Kellyn Pot'Vin-Gorman:
Hi Lothar,
As I do a lot of mentoring and sponsorship, this is a priority topic for me so often with folks. I feel like I'm offering a lot of support to those I'm working with, but recognizing that if I don't take care of myself first, I won't be able to be there for others, (this of the airline example of putting on your oxygen mask first, then putting on the mask for your child or individual you are caring for.) I'm taking numerous paths to finding self-care. At the same time, just as you've reached out here, I've found myself reaching out to my own network. The Microsoft community is really, really connected and very open about feeling vulnerabilities. Just my opinion, but I think the Oracle community is more into presenting themselves as resilient, so it may not be as easy to present the issues they're facing. There are a number of support groups at Microsoft to support us during the pandemic and then in the Data Community, (formerly PASS) we have a couple times per week that there are "happy hours" that are really support to keep us connected, offer support to each other and just step back from our daily work demands. The one that I'm part of is Friday afternoon, (yay, it's Friday!!) and we have people in that invite who show up from all over the globe, so it's Saturday morning for our Aussie folks.)
For those I am mentoring, I meet with some of them as they need support and others on a weekly or monthly basis, but it's gone from sponsorship to more of a support basis. For the women, it's a loss of opportunity to speak publicly, less opportunity for promotion and the pressures of home/work with children homeschooling, etc. For the guys, it's some of the same, but less support, as diversity and inclusion is part of everything the Microsoft community does, they have all these new initiatives leading up with support of women and people of color, but honestly, we all need support right now and those I mentor who are white males just seem to have less likely to get priority. Just as I do for the women I know, I am connecting the men who are dealing with similar challenges to ensure they have someone who understands where they're coming from. Challenges with mental health, job loss, pressures to family connections with quarantine/working from home, etc. is all adding to crushing pressure on folks.
Many are taking breaks from social media, choosing to connect online using other methods, zoom/teams overload, causing them to break off and log off, (I am known for going to "my island" to escape, i.e. Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing.) Some days, I just sit on the phone with those I'm connected with and just try to be there. Technology, especially the cloud is exploding in its growth, how we work is changing and life in general has changed with the pandemic. Those that need more in-person contact are going to feel the most pressure, but we all need support during this unprecedented time. I'm not surprised about those in IT really having difficulties though, even those that are introverts and used to working remote are now inundated by emails and zoom overload where before we could just be left in peace... :(
Lots of thoughts on this topic, but hopefully this rambling offered some helpful content.
*Kellyn Gorman*
DBAKevlar Blog <http://dbakevlar.com>
about.me/dbakevlar <http://about.me/dbakevlar>
On Fri, Dec 10, 2021 at 9:21 AM Lothar Flatz <l.flatz@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi Guys
I mean to teach my collogues that they do a straining job (as
DBAs in
Managed Service). They have to understand to take care of themselves.
By tradition we define a tough job as physically challenging. I
think we
underestimate mental work.
In some way I got the effect measured in 2011. I used to play chess
tournaments since I was 16.
In 2011 I played one tournament at Monday and one on Friday.
On Monday I scored 1st Rank with an ELO performance
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elo_rating_system) of >= 2200 and on
Friday I had an Elo performance of roughly 1800. (Elo performance
means
that just one tournament is measured.)
Thus I effectively lost 3 levels due exhaustion by work . I stopped
playing tournaments. It is no fun to be reduced to expert when
you can
play on national master level.
If you would please share your thoughts on how though IT Jobs are
and
how you deal with it? Maybe you can also point me to some good
articles.
Thanks
Lothar
