Hazia’s Reflections

Looks like I’ve moved on from talking about guys in my personal life to the ones in my professional life instead. LOL!

Maybe I’ve watched too many episodes of THE SURVIVAL. LOL! Take these 2 ‘participants’ for instance, who tried to strike an ALLIANCE with me in different ways.

Let’s start with Mr Defensive. Easy on the eye, intelligent too, an overseas grad. He climbed the corporate ladder very quickly, making VP at the age of 38 before being offered VSS due to a nation-blasting merger. He has his views on the ways thing are done here and why they need to be changed. Unfortunately, his thinking has given him the ‘I think I’m better than everyone else’ tone. In fact, he reminds me of myself in my previous job. I’ve learned my lesson the hard way, you have to blend in first before you can even achieve anything.

Therefore, luckily, our outstation trip last weekend had given me a head start. It was tiring but I think it was very fruitful. I got to bond with several key people from other departments. I was glad that the boss from the other team insisted that I joined them and our forum speakers for dinner the first night. I was damn tired, having arrived a few hours earlier by car, company’s driver. He said the others were already downstairs which left me with very little time to get ready. What’s more my hair was wet.

As I was getting dressed, Mr Defensive called. He told me he was only going the next day. Too bad, I was looking forward to bonding with with him further. When he gave me a lift to our management meeting on Thursday, I basically managed to understand his gripe. Now I know what he meant when he said the old senior staff were too close like a family, that’s why professionalism is lost. When I saw their boss and team arriving and checking in at the hotel, one thing struck me. They looked like a troop of ‘an uncle and his nephews’ on holiday, nothing like a boss and his staff on a working trip. LOL!

Anyway, dinner that night was great! We all had Nasi Briyani Johor with New Zealand lamb. It was lamb shank actually, with sticking giant bone that looked like something out of The Flindstone. They were surprised that I ate lamb, what more that I finished the whole thing, though I hardly touched the rice. Oh, of the 12 present, I was the only woman. We sat at 3 tables, 4 pax each. Conversation was lively and natural too. I was glad that I dragged myself there. And I think the ‘family’ thing has its advantage, provided that you be part of it.

(to be continued)