In the midst of a global pandemic, where so many people are losing their jobs, what’s it like for me starting a new job at Atlassian? I can honestly say, it’s unlike any first week I’ve been a part of in the past. A link on the homepage goes to atlassian.com/remote, where you’ll find the quote above.
The two most common words I heard this week were empathy and understand. Now, more than ever, we need to be empathetic to others and understand that these are not ideal working conditions. Some of us have kids, pets, or partners at home. We’ve all been stuck in our homes for the last few weeks. Frankly, I think we’re all a little nervous we’ll be the next statistic, and get this virus. We’re doing the best we can, given the circumstances. And given all that, we have jobs to do.
This week, I was 1 of over 100 new Atlassians added to its ranks. Being Atlassian is a software company, my initial objectives are to help drive revenue, define and evangelize solutions, and help us become one team. I’m going to be called a Solutions Engineer. If Disney can call its people Imagineers, I’d love to be called an Solutioneer, but Solutions Engineer is fitting.
At the weekly Global Town Hall, Mike Cannon-Brookes (one of the company founders) welcomed us, then called out work anniversaries, and then continued on with his town hall. The informality was a welcomed departure from what I have been used to. If this is the norm, then the company has a very open culture. Working with Atlassian takes the right products, practices, and people, all connected by mutual trust and shared understanding. Welcome to the new normal.
Some of the new Atlassians starting this week