Up to this point, I was mainly meeting with my supervisor to make sure all paperwork was in order and getting tasked with familiarizing myself with the platform and the organization’s website, then reporting back on the next meeting.
This week, however, my supervisor and I met but were joined by another staff member for a quick introduction, because I would be collaborating on a project with them the following week, and on other future projects. After the introduction, my supervisor and I walked over using the backend of the platform with a real-case scenario that I will be assisting with after the client gives us the green light to start building their site.
I then got invited to join the team meeting later that day, where I got to see all the behind-the-scenes of the organization, how they report back and tackle tickets using GitHub, and discuss milestones and next steps. The overall infrastructure of the organization and platform. It was very insightful.
Before starting the meeting, however, I also experienced the culture of the organization. Everyone has been there for years, so it felt like a group of friends having a virtual call, talking about their pets, how their weekends were, what their kids are up to, etc. I did not feel marginalized or anything, however, considering I was very new to the team. They asked me questions to know me better, etc.
Overall, at this first staff meeting, I gained a clear understanding of the organization’s culture, and how the staff interacts in a professional setting while maintaining the social aspect of the workforce. I also gained an insightful overview of the work and how they manage the entire infrastructure of the platform from the backend.
Collaborative work begins next week. See you then.
