Another Point-of-View

I know that I'm not suppose to rant (bitch, more like it) about work and what I do for a living in this blog but I'm going to make an exception in this latest post. I work in a company that is so famous all across Malaysia for all the wrong reasons. We've been in business for the past 5 years of so. I'm not going to lie or sugar coat but after nearly 3 years in this industry, I can say without any ego that this is really a bitch of a business to run, especially if you're in the "punching-bag" division of the company – The Customer Service Division.

I love my job and it is due to this actuality that I have shed sweat and blood for this company. Over the past 3 years, I have lost count of the long hours I've put into this profession and the numerous arguments I'd with my significant other at home. Close friends often told me that I spend too much time and sacrifice a lot on this post but it never really bothered me. This goes without saying as well but my significant other often describe my workplace as my second wife. Both point of views I'd taken in with an open mind and always held firm that "if a job is worth doing, it's worth doing it well". So far I think I got what I deserve – got myself promoted and a small, yet significant figure was put into my payslip at the end of each passing month. Nothing could be better, right? Wrong.

Here's the thing, I've lately felt that everything I do is pointless and there's this huge gap of void that is limiting my capability to excel. I'm not saying, by a long-shot, that I'm good or anything over the rest but I've made a lot of differences to the operations of the establishment in this office. I've taken pride in how I've been able to train my senior staff members into becoming more pro-active, confrontational and detailed in their work. I'm please with their "situation-awareness" and how well they've developed into good communicators in English. I would also like to think that the shift of the mentality of the general population from what they were before, have more or less with something I did along the way. However, is there really a point in doing all this? Does it really matter how much time, sweat and sacrifice I've put in the eyes of the powers that be? Does sleeping well at night after a hard-fought day at the office really makes sense, in the grand scheme of thing? The truth is I'm beginning to wonder and think. I've been doing this a lot lately.

I've a great boss. She's always supported me and trusted me with a lot of things over these past years. I believe in her and I know that she's capable of accomplishing enormous feats. However, being in a company that does little to care for its most important assets, her authority is limited. I've seen her fought immensely over a lot of issues and ideas but was somehow rejected by her bosses. She's been persistent, but I know rejection is something that we all humans don't really like to face on a continuous term. Who could blame her? After all, we're not working in a multi-national company that really emphasis on empowering its employees to move and shake things around. It's really a single-minded company that I sometimes feel don't even trust its employees.

Here's where I think lies the fundamental problem to the whole situation. Forget about the politics that's involved because politics will always be dirty and politicians will always have their own opinions of things. Let's just focus on how well management treats its people. A little bit of trust goes a long way and there's not a better time than now to be giving us some. Times are desperate and when you're operating on a "budget", you really need to keep the best people for the job to ensure smooth running. You'll be losing the battle if your best people jump ship to another position in another company. And as good people are hard to find nowadays, you'll end up filling their vacancies with the second best. You need to treat you best people well and give them the room and space to, for once, make up their own decisions without fearing its repercussions. Mistakes and error in judgements will ensure but these are part and parcel for the inevitable shift in paradigm. After all, it's how well we learn from our mistakes that makes us more mature and experience.