Right now, I feel like a lame duck. I don't get dragged into projects like I used to and they pretty much leave me alone I guess because they assume I have lost interest. The same applies to my management. It feels a bit strange to me.
Before I retired in 2009, I appreciated any empty time that developed at work. I used the time to try to ensure a smooth transition of my duties from me to the next person.
I went through 20,000 e-mails and culled them down to those few hundred worth transferring to my successor. I no longer needed those I kept for CYA, and being cautious in a tough environment, that represented quite a few.
I went through all my paper files and shredded whatever was no longer needed (such as interim progress reports on projects that were finished, and so on).
I had any of our technical reports that had become available online in PDF, and any duplicates, shredded. I organized the rest by topic since my job was being divided up between three people and this way each could take the relevant reports.
I organized papers and journal articles on topics that my successor(s) would need, into boxes by topic and clearly labeled each.
I personally took classified/confidential materials to my supervisor and made sure the transfer was done correctly.
I even went through my office supplies and gave away all that I didn't need immediately to co-workers, for government use only.
I gave Holli my little stress-reliever alligator that she had asked for.
There was a LOT of work of the types I have mentioned. It took a huge amount of time. Also, I was invited to those meetings where they needed an extra bright smiling face representing my unit, but didn't really need any thought or input. This allowed others in my unit to skip the meeting and actually do work.
I spent several hours each week training one of my successors on the most politically touchy part of my job. I actually even wrote a 100 page manual on how I did that job, in case she had questions after I left. I printed two and gave a copy to our supervisor.
By my retirement day, my drawers and file cabinets and closet were empty. My remaining office supplies were neatly arranged on top of one counter, and several neatly labeled boxes of government owned books and other technical material were neatly arranged on the other counter. I knew that I had left my job in good hands, and that my successors would not need to contact me because they had all the information I could give to them.
This is a GOOD feeling - - I felt I had wrapped things up neatly and tied with a bow, figuratively speaking.
