Every day I come into work, it seems that the world has changed a little more, and I must revise the report I am preparing for the 2008 IT Outlook. Due to the nature of my project, the subject of my research is in constant flux. I feel like I am living on the cutting edge of the technological world as I continue to research the newest developments in the ICT industry and attempt to frame them in a way that will make sense, and will be valuable, to the many policy makers who will be reading my piece once it is published. Although I often wish I were more at the heart of things, doing substantial work rather than simply reporting on what others have done, there is something refreshing about working for an organization like the OECD, and knowing that what I do helps the reality of the world percolate up to those who are currently in a position to recognize trends and embrace change.
The past few weeks have been a bit trying--when I first started at OECD, I had two bosses, both of whom were very friendly, but which made me feel a bit uncertain about who to report to, and how to prioritize the tasks I was given. Since then, one of them has gone on paternity leave(congrats on your baby, Sacha!), and the other, a few weeks later, on vacation. Since last Monday, I have been totally unsupervised, as not only my bosses, but at least half of the OECD staff has gone on a month long break that occurs virtually everywhere in Paris during the month of August. Finding my own direction and continuing to produce my paper without the support of those far more knowledgable than me has been an interesting experience, but so far I feel confident that I'm on the right path towards completing my project. For all the long hours and constant revisions, it's nice to reflect and realize that I'm getting something done.
For those of you who prefer visual stimulus to mere words, here's a picture of La Défense(where the OECD offices are) as seen off in the distance, from my apartment. At the end of a long day, it seems somehow fitting that all I see when I look out my window is the place I work.
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