More rain arriving, another bird leaving

My new employer is the largest organisation I've worked for for 26 years. It has 12 offices across the UK and the Oxford one has 30 staff. I'm finding it very interesting comparing the cultures, advantages and frustrations of smaller and larger organisations.

I'm being reminded that larger organisations have to have more rules and more specialisms to be able to function effectively; that means there are more processes for me to learn. Larger organisations can afford to invest more in systems that work better - my last organisation would have loved the client database I was learning to use today - but finding the right person to solve a problem can take longer. Mind you, there is someone to solve most problems, rather than a beleaguered office manager (or me) who suddenly finds that this new problem has been added to the bottom of their already over-long job description. In my last job when I got frustrated at room-booking chaos I taped an A4 piece of paper to each door with a month's calendar on it, without consultation, for people to write up when they wanted the room. It worked. Three weeks into my current job I have not yet been added to the system that allows me to book a room because I didn't realise until yesterday that I needed to ask to be added.

A larger organisation has to think carefully about structures that will enable staff to react fast; a smaller organisation can be nimble, but only as long as staff suddenly work longer hours.

My training today was on one of my non-working days. In my last organisation no-one would have noticed. In this one, my TOIL is recorded and my manager will check my record to make sure I take equivalent time off soon.

Coming from a string of smaller organisations, I've been uncomfortable about the amount of time it's taking me to learn all I have to know but no-one else is bothered - my colleagues are without exception lovely and supportive. Today when I apologised to one for not yet having started a task that is part of my role he replied, 'Don't worry - I'll carry on doing it until you're ready to take over'. But it did feel good when (between training sessions today) I think I did something useful for the first time rather than just absorb information.