Oh, Wow.

This was a week.  I have plunged into a really interesting situation and I haven't figured it out yet, but I like it very much so far.

I work for the head of the company. I don't have a really clearly defined company title. I'm fine with Executive Assistant, but that may have to be revised later, because I suspect I will be dealing with people with Pretentious Paralegal Certifications I had years ago, but didn't bother maintaining after I figured out that it meant sitting through weak continuing ed and paying dues to a national organization to keep their blessing to put those letters after my name.  That and five bucks will get lunch at McD's. I didn't bother keeping up with them; I'd moved on to other things.   But to law firm paralegals, Executive Assistant means non-legal admin type, so I see a few sessions of educating them.

I'm a "paralegal" who has functioned way beyond the traditional paralegal role for many years, but I know the pecking order among paralegals in law firms, and how they think of the client's "assistant" staff.  (This is not an issue when dealing with the lawyers; they know I get what we're doing in one conference call.)

I think I should have a conversation with my boss about how I will deal with outside law firms, to be sure that he's cool with my reaching out to gently slap the people we hire when needed. Because I emailed a paralegal who has been managing our land acquisition contracts and what I got from her as a summary was...non-responsive.  I want to know what land deals we are working, where the contracts are in the process, I want copies of the drafts, I want to know WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON. She said she had a spreadsheet, but her spreadsheet was utter shit.  It wasn't even accurate when compared with one I found on the system from five months ago, when a deal that was apparently fully executed was still on the later version but not indicated as closed.

She has every freaking title available after her name.  I think I might have to have a Come to Jesus with her. I need to talk to my wonderful new boss about this authority issue.

Otherwise, damn, this is fun. I feel useful and needed and I really like the people.  That is almost everything in a small company.   It's small, intense, flexible, close to home. I excused myself to go home to walk the dogs when I knew we'd be working late.  This could be good.  Not easy, not yet. But potentially a good gig.