Lately, I feel a bit like a high school vice principal

I look out over the sales floor in the morning.
The sound of keyboards, voices on the phone, brief exchanges.
Even the second-year members who transferred here,
are working away properly amidst it all.

At least, from the outside looking in.

Today is the sixth day.
Still only six days.
So for now, it's fine to just start by getting used to things.

I know that in my head.

But, somehow.

Lately, I feel a bit like a high school vice principal.

I'm not in a position like a homeroom teacher,
who can watch just one person the whole time.
But I'm also not like a principal,
who only needs to look at the overall policy.

I watch the overall flow.
I worry about the atmosphere on the floor.
And I have to hold it all together,
without just connecting things haphazardly.

Perhaps my current sense of unease is close to that.

Second-year members have come to the sales department.
New graduates are joining too.
There are mid-career members as well.

It's a time when the number of new people increases all at once.

At times like this, it's surprisingly difficult to decide who to watch and how.

Should I leave the second-years
to their department supervisors and seniors?
Should I focus more on the first-years?
Or should I watch both the second-years and the new graduates
without distinction?
No, should I even include the mid-career hires
and view them all as "newly joined people"?

If I want to think about it, I can think about it forever.
Every way of organizing it has its own logic.

But being able to organize it in my head
is different from having my mind at ease.

Maybe I'm uneasy because I haven't talked to them yet.

I can see them.
They are doing their work.
It's not like any major problems are occurring.

But seeing something
is different from understanding it.
Moving
is different from settling in.

This is what's tough.

On the floor, everyone looks like they are
moving properly.
But from the perspective of someone in charge of the whole,
I can't judge based solely on how they "look".

Are you pushing yourself too hard?
Is there anything you're holding back on asking?
Even if things seem to be running smoothly on the surface,
aren't small frustrations
piling up inside?

Moreover, I can't just look at the front lines.

In a company,
there are intentions behind transfers and hiring.
There are intentions behind placements.
There are expectations for development.
Management has a vision of
how they want people to grow and function.

I want to understand those intentions.
No, I must understand them.

But what is actually happening on the ground every day
cannot be explained by policy alone.

The tension of a second-year member on their sixth day in a new department.
The anxiety unique to a new graduate.
The cautious approach of a mid-career hire.
The busyness of those receiving them.
The lack of breathing room for those teaching them.

Things like that
spill over a little
the moment you try to put them into clean words.

Management has its own perspective.
The front lines have their own temperature.

Standing between them, I cannot treat either side carelessly.

That is why I am conflicted.

Who should I talk to, when, and how much?
Should I leave it to them for now?
Or should I make a small connection while I still can?

Maybe I'm worrying too much.
Since it's only been six days,
I think it's also necessary to watch over them.
Trying to pick up on everything from the start
might hinder their independence.
It also feels wrong to overstep
and bypass the supervisors and seniors on the front lines.

But on the other hand,
there is definitely a sense of unease
that comes from things left unsaid.

The reason I'm anxious
isn't because a problem has occurred.
I think it's because I haven't been able to confirm
the unease that hasn't surfaced yet through conversation.

It's not so much a lack of reassurance,
but a lack of back-and-forth communication.

This is probably where the vice principal feeling comes from.

I understand the intentions from above.
I can see the circumstances from below.
And I know that both sides
have their own validity.

That's why I can't just settle things with the logic of one side.

The difficulty of middle management
is often called being "caught in the middle."
I think that's true, too.

But personally, I don't think that's all there is to it.

It's not just that I'm caught in the middle and it's painful.
I'm hesitant because I'm trying to bridge the gap.

Perhaps that's close to the truth.

The position of connecting the front lines with management requires more than just making decisions; it requires sensing things.
The atmosphere that doesn't show up in numbers.
The sense of unease before it becomes words.
The confusion that the person themselves hasn't even sorted out yet.

Not overlooking those kinds of things.

And that isn't something that can be achieved
just through formal interviews or systems.

I think what's needed first
is something much smaller.

Instead of heavy check-ins,
creating an entry point where we can talk just a little bit.

Not asking broadly, "How are things?" but, for example,
"It's only about the sixth day, so you're probably feeling more reserved than comfortable, right?"

or,

"For now, just tell me the things that are difficult to do."

or something like that.

Maybe that level of lightness is fine.

I'll leave it to you because it's your second year.
I'll watch over you because you're a new graduate.
I'll have you work independently because you're a mid-career hire.

I think that kind of categorization is necessary.
But in the end, if I don't look at the temperature at which that person is
currently existing there, I can't truly connect with them.

The reason I feel like a vice principal lately
is surely because of that.

I'm looking at the whole picture.
I'm concerned about the front lines.
I can't ignore the intentions of management.

But the answer doesn't always
fall neatly into the middle.
In fact, it's often the case that we spend more time
wavering without a clear answer.

Even so, I don't want to think of this uncertainty
as something bad.

There is probably,
a desire to notice before someone stumbles.

There is also a conscious effort to avoid connecting the front lines and management in a sloppy way,as well.

A period when many new people join at once
is a time of positive change for an organization.
But at the same time, it is also a period when invisible tension increases.

So, what is needed right now is
not to provide a perfect answer.
I think it is about checking the temperature on the ground
through small conversations.

Start with one person.
Try talking to them a little bit, in a way that doesn't feel heavy.

That might be the
smallest and
most proper step
I can take right now.

Thank you
for reading until the end.
If you are feeling a bit uneasy during this time, shortly after the new school year has begun,
I would be happy if this provides some kind of insight for you.