Week 7: Independent

Due to the organization structure and small size, most people work independently. Each person in the office is responsible for one area, such as Safety or Membership. Marketing and Communications is the exception — there are 5 people on that team, including me. But, the two managers who head the department focus on one or the other (marketing or communications). The NWRA’s divided mindset complements our company culture and working environment. As far as I can tell, there are few interactions among departments except during large events like WasteExpo. The office space welcomes this independent responsibility, because each office is tucked away with a door, and the only place to commingle is in the meeting room. I believe it would be better to have some transparency about what each person is working on, because other people could chime in with brainstorming ideas and a project could expand its depth. I would love to attend the next all-staff meeting so I have a good understanding of what the organization as a whole has on its agenda.

The highlight of my week was when I called numerous members to encourage them to apply for our Recycling Awards. It sounds like a mundane task, perhaps, but I enjoy interacting with others and promoting an event that benefits both the NWRA and the applicants. I connected with the members and felt I was accomplishing a project of great substance, as the deadline to apply is approaching and the meeting about it was the following day. My supervisor was very appreciative and impressed that I finished all the calls that day.