Work drama can actually be good?!

So, some of you know I was promoted at work a couple months ago. It's been a great opportunity in a new department and it's been a nice change of pace. But for those who read my work-venting post once upon a blog ago the pace had been too slow for my liking, and while getting paid to play online Settlers all day has been not too shabby mostly it's the environment and lack of personality of those I work with that has spurred my job disatisfaction.

From the time I left my last position (this is all within the same company BTW) my old manager has said that I've got my job back when I want it, and has periodically asked me to come back over the last couple months. I've also had pressure to come back from the members of my old team, and several people in my old department. One of the members of my old team is leaving in December and so I decided to wait to decide until December to see if this job sucks and if I would like to go back. It's been really nice to have the option to consider actually. That would give me five months (since I started in August), which is more than enough time to make an educated comparison of my old job and this one I have now.

Well, within the last couple days my old manager has layed on the pressure pretty thick. Well I find out that he has been talking to people on my old team that he has been trying to get me back on the team and getting their opinions and then drawing my sister into it asking her opinion and if she thinks I will and asking her what I have been thinking about it. He could have just asked me :). The best part of this is he sits next to my new manager, so of course she's going to hear the whole thing! So, of course she's going to say "What's this?" and she joins the conversation, and the little group of my old manager, my current manager, my sister and a member of my old team all sit and talk about my future, and different options for me such as moving my desk away from said annoying coworker.

I had no idea that this little Bre's Job Meeting went down, and all of a sudden there are two emails sent out that had me a little curious. One is a job posting for my old position, and the second email is a job posting for my current position. Then as I'm musing on the irony of both jobs suddenly opening I get a third email that is from my current manager, and saying that if I was considering applying for my old job then she thinks I should do what I think is best for me, and she would support whatever decision I may or may not be considering.

So, not knowing she knows I have been thinking about going back to my old job this is all I see. My old job being posted, my current manager suggests I take it while my current position is posted as well. So, I was thinking that she was trying to get rid of me. In a panic I email my sister and tell her my theory and she writes back "Funny story about that." Which of course I was dying to hear. After she unfolds the story of their little conversation I go into a panic because now my current manager knows I'm thinking of skipping out on them which I wasn't ready for her or my supervisor to know yet because I wanted to approach the subject delicately so as not to burn bridges, and not coming off like "thanks for the opportunity-but PEACE OUT!" And I wasn't sure whether I was leaving or not, so why get them worked up if I wasn't even going to? And of course I was still worried that she had sent that email suggesting that I take it because she saw an opportunity to get rid of me gracefully.

So, I was thinking this was the worst possible situation. So, I send an email back to my manager telling her very honestly my reasons for wanting to leave (and turns out she isn't fond of this personality challenged coworker) and my pros and cons for staying or going. So, I felt much better after coming clean and explaining my frustration with my job.

So, feeling a little better I go about my day, and then she comes and talks to me. We thankfully go away from prying ears and she says she completely understands and supports me, and offers me a better job should I stay on her team. So, she sweetened the deal which was great because it almost washed away the feeling that she was glad to be rid of me. And I was relived for her blessing because I didn't want to burn any bridges or come off as ungrateful for this job.

So, I send an email to my old manager saying that I was very seriously considering taking him up on his offer, and he replies that he had already talked to our HR guy and got him to agree that if I were to come back then I would be able to keep my same pay since my old job didn't pay as well. So he had sweetened the deal as well.

So, when this drama all cracked out I was two deep breaths away from a panic attack and worried that I had potentially burned bridges for two jobs, but it turned out to be awesome because I was dreading the conversation with my current supervisor and manager andwas extremely stressed about it, and their reaction and how that would end. But, instead she came to me first with her understanding and support, which was a large weight off my shoulders. And better yet, whether I stay or go I'm in a better situation than if I had just tried to handle this myself.

This is a really long post, sorry about that, but I couldn't just come out and tell you that I'm changing jobs without an explanation. So yeah- I'm going to go back to my old job and I feel really good about it. My main concern is that I hope I didn't close any doors on any advancement opportunities in the future. But I still feel pretty good. With my current job I come in, sit in my cublicle with huge walls surrounding me and stare at a wall for eight hours. Me and my coworkers clash a little, there isn't enough work to keep my busy and I quite possibly am losing my mind. My old (new) job is a lot more relaxed, the people on my team are awesome and great to be around (they actually have personality) and while the job itself sucks a little tinsy bit more, it's basically the same one that I have been doing now. And you can't put a price on a better work environment, actually that price is the exact same one as the crappy work environment since my pay will remain the same.

So I hope this won't come back to bite me in the butt, but I said that about accepting the job I have now and look what it got me. I think this will be good and I am so so excited to go back and work at my old job with awesome people.

P.S. After posting, this is a lot longer than I thought it was. If you read this entire thing, then you are as cool as twin pops in my book. And I really love twin pops!