better than coffee... for some values of better

[kitanzi]

#349 of the series: Ways to Wake Up Which I Would Rather Not Repeat.

In short, walking in to work to be asked "Have you heard the news?"

Our company was sold as of about 2 am last night. Buzz is high, facts are scarce, a massive conference call is scheduled for later this morning.

I sure am awake now.

Comments

[hawklady.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

*hugs*

Kicking off my own job-hunt next week after getting the teeth taken care of ...

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Best luck on your hunt, and on the teeth! *hug*

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Yow...and no warning?

THAT'S got to make you feel better about the day :/

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Nope, not even a hint. Insider trading laws, ya know? Our stock apparently went up by over $14 a share once the news hit the market.

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Kind of a surprised...when I've worked for places that were accquired, we knew about it well in advance (with a warning NOT to tell anyone)

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

I can't swear that no one knew about it - obviously someone did, but I don't know how far down the knowledge spread - but I didn't and no one I've talked to did. This also went pretty quickly, apparently, 30 days from the initial offer to the announcement. For two very large companies, that seems pretty quick to me.

[katyhh.livejournal.com]

Eeeep! Best of luck!

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

thank you! :)

[sdelmonte]

Who buys a company at 2 am?

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

A company in a different time zone?

[tarkrai.livejournal.com]

In 1998, Worldcom bought my company, ANS Communications, from AOL. The deal was complex, and completed at 4am. (It involved Worldcom purchasing CompuServ, then giving CompuServ's business and data to AOL in exchange for AOL's physical network- us.)

We all know how THAT turned out...

[tarkrai.livejournal.com]

OTOH, to be fair, I was very well employed by the new company from 1998 through January 2004. So, I guess for me it wasn't *all* bad...

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

A british/dutch company? It could be they were taking advantage of the time in Europe, I dunno. It's not the kind of thing they discuss with the rank and file, and generally not our biggest concern. I figured it might tie in with one of the several non-US stock markets they apparently are listed on.

[aiela.livejournal.com]

Good luck! I hope everything transitions smoothly!

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Thanks, me too! The big thing they kept repeating today was that any changes will take months, with the subtext of Don't Panic. I'm surprised no one thought to hand out tiny little towels. :)

[madfilkentist]

Best of luck.

You're right; "Have you heard the news?" can be one of the scariest sentences in the English language.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

I think it's surpassed slightly by "We need to talk."

I've come to dread my bosse's understated version of that: "Have you got a minute?" It never ends well.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. There are others as bad (We need to talk sets off enormous red flags for me), but that's a nervous making one at best.

[bedlamhouse]

There have certainly been worse "have you heard the news" situations so far this year, but that one's not fun either.

Keeping fingers crossed and sending positive buyout karma your way...

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Very true, and important to remember. Thanks! They've been stressing the positive at us, but it mostly boils down to wait and see.

[hrrunka]

Ugh. Good Luck.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll take all I can get!

[joecoustic.livejournal.com]

Hope it works out okay for you!!

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm optimistic, at this point.

[anaisdjuna.livejournal.com]

Right up there with cat vomit in your slippers no doubt :-)

But ya nevuh know... Could be a blessing in disguise. Sure is nerve-wracking 'til the smoke clears though...

Be sure and eat enough chocolate to compensate :-)

Hugs!
Adj.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Heh... as a matter of fact, I was eating a ridiculous amount of chocolate today. Might have been the weather, but I was exhausted all day, so I sugar loaded. Not the best idea, but... and I'm cautiously optimistic about the final outcome.

[billroper]

Good luck! I've been through two of these so far and they're never good for the digestion. But sometimes they turn out to be a good thing, so I'll keep my fingers crossed!

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they keep stressing the positive at us, so we'll see. I am cautiously optimistic, and it sounds like any serious changes will take months to show up anyhow.

[joyeuse13.livejournal.com]

Boy, that sure sounds familiar. Good luck.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm hopeful!

[jerusha.livejournal.com]

Squeak!

Adrenaline, Mother Nature's pick-me-up!

Hope this turns out to be a positive change, or at least not negative, once everything settles.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Yeah, nothing beats adrenaline for a quick and vicious wakeup call - NOTHING. I am optimistic about it, thanks!

[wheezinggirl.livejournal.com]

Holy wow. I just called our branch office (the one that placed you there) to find out if they knew - which they did. Keep me updated!

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Sure will! Do you guys have many temps there just now? I have no idea how this will affect them, or when. They kept stressing that the changes coming will take months, and just what changes there will be is undertermined.

[gingicat]

Good luck!

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I can always use that! (Is there a shelf life for luck? Can I save some for later?)

[tarkrai.livejournal.com]

Good luck, and all my wishes for you and your group to successfully ride the change storm that's coming. *HUG!*

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

*bearhug* thank you! I think it will work out more or less okay - my department isn't one they can eliminate entirely, and it's not that big to begin with. We'll just have to see.

[tarkrai.livejournal.com]

Always difficult. Maintain normality, while you wait. *HUGGA*

Here's hoping it works for you!