An Inception & An End

I
...open my eyes and see that the buildings and shophouses have been replaced with wooden huts erected sporadically on wide open padi fields, narrow winding roads have taken the place of wide freeways. I know I'm close. Arriving minutes later at a tucked-away little serene retreat, I summarily consume the welcome drink and took the hot towel out of gratitude for the show of hospitality. I have other concerns; my whole body is tingling with nervousness and excitement as I scan the vicinity from the reception area. And there in the distance, against clear blue skies, sitting on the balcony as if reflecting, was she; the subject of my restlessness the past few weeks and the sole purpose of this surprise trip. I call her mobile and ask "A penny for your thoughts?" She is perplexed… then turns till I come into her direct line of sight. I wave, smiling my widest grin… I hope she’s happy to see me…

We
... soaked up all the sights and sounds the next 3 days - the temples, pagodas, a brief look into life under the old regime, interacting with the local kids and that one bicycle trip in the drizzle to town at night. I learnt that one of the worst feelings is that of missing someone when the person is just next to you. While I knew deep down that I was never over the love we shared despite the year apart, I never thought the reaction at seeing her again and indulging in a common passion for discovery could be so overwhelming for me. Mostly because we were both happy and excited on this new adventure… and I remembered that we had been this way before. We both had a substantial part to play in our own demise, much larger than what both had chosen to remember. Yes, I see twice as much looking back now...


And I promise myself that I'll never look back again. What was I thinking then. Our demise, for most part, was your doing.

Managing Upwards

Working where I do, you get a lot of smart-assed "chiefs" with bright ideas. I've somehow learnt to play my cards right and personally I feel managing your bosses should be a required skill set for every coolie in the corporate world; you make the head honcho happy, you get the desired results (for yourself as well!), and you will be slated as first in line for that possible promotion. If there is one.

I DON'T suck up, I manage upwards. Taken from Mr. Jones' Rules for the Mordern Man (thanks Shiqah for the book... 2007 was it?), I'm sharing some excerpts with you readers:

1. Find out how your boss likes to do everything and then make sure things happen that way. It's not underhanded, nor expedient, just good business practice.
2. Some bosses hate it when staff come into thier office for a meeting/ chat/ whatever and don't bring a pen and notepad. What, are you so gifted you're going to remember everything the boss asks you to do?
3. Never outshine the master... even if the master is making an ass of themselves. Never contradict your boss in public or show them up in front of people. Do it in private.
4. Bosses want solutions, not problems. This doesn't mean that you should keep problems from the boss, but ideally you should also go armed with a solution or two (or three).
5. Never hide things from the boss, If there's a problem, let them know (unless you're clever enough to get rid of said problem without the boss knowing).
6. If you screw up, admit it immediately. Your boss will think more of you for doing so.
7. Never let your boss make a mistake. If they need more facts in order to make a decision, do the legwork for them i.e. if their presentation is weak, beef it up. Good bosses train you to take their place so that when they get promoted, you can progress.
8. Don't sulk and be surly, You boss will so not respect you.
9. Don't dwell on things, be it mistakes or past glories. Your boss is moving on to the next problem, and expects you to be there with them, on the front line, anticipating solutions with them.
10. Check your boss' schedule so that when you walk into thier office and launch into a tirade about something, they are not about to receive 10 representatives from a Chinese trade delegation. You won't get your boss' full attention (or any of it), and they'll be irritated that you've broken their concentration.
11. If a project or deal involves your boss' immediate boss, be aware that your boss will be taking extra care with it and that they will expect to be updated as to its progress at every step of the way.
12. Get back to bosses immediately too. If you asked someone to do something, the last thing you'd want is to ask said person how it's going. You'd want them to fill you in before you've had a chance to wonder why they didn't get back to you.
13. Don't bring up too many issues at one time. Bosses tend to focus on one thing at a time, and will not take kindly to you trying to solve half a dozen problems in one go.
14. Don't be a dittohead. If your boss thinks you'll say yes to anything, they won't trust you to make decisions. But the most important phrase you'll ever master is 'You're right'. It shows you've thought about it.
15. Never take credit for something you didn't do, as the boss will find out and wonder why you are obviously so insecure.
16. Don't make you bosses wait for you (don't make ANYONE wait for you for that matter).
17. Make sure you try out solutions before suggesting them. Your boss may just ask you 'Have you checked with the client?'
18. Ideally, when your boss suggests something might be a good idea, you need to be able to turn around and say 'I've already done it.' The boss won't think you're a smart-ass, he'll think you're smart, full stop.
19. When sending bosses email, don't turn it into an essay. Give them short and concise pieces of information, preferably the sort that need short answers.
20. Lastly, if you can't manage upwards, then I would think it's probably YOUR fault, not the fault of your boss (who, incidentally, hasn't complained about you).

If your boss is an ass, do what I do and tell their boss. And if that doesn't work out, leave. Also, making your boss contented with your work has a good effect on the team - when you're on leave and uncontactable, the boss won't have to bug your other teammates on an outstanding item you left out in your leave notes. Well, here's to making work relationships function as smoothly as possible. Remember, at the end of the day, it's about getting work done.