Now here's something for the fresh graduates out there or if you're joining a new company or even, 'veterans' like me who have earned the wisdom of hindsight.
Who we learn or 'hang out' with from the start of our career has a big influence on what type of employee and team member you become at your work place.
People learn and do things in different ways. In college, we saw our friends who were nocturnal, ones who seemed to be studying all the time, ones who preferred group studies, ones who never seemed to study but always had good grades (aliens!) and ones who we call the 'last minute muggers' (yeah, yours truly included…..)
I have realized the way we handled assignments as students does not have quite as big an influence to the way we are at work, not as much as our first 'mentors'
'Mentors', it's a big word and associated most of the time with some formal appointment of a career coach. Well, it is possible that mentors are really who we choose them to be..who we can decide we want to learn from..observe and even, copy.
I have had the privilege of knowing someone in the earliest days of my career who was resourceful, never giving up when faced with a challenge, always believing there is a solution, rational and diligent in her work. I would like to believe that 'first step' pretty much 'moulded' the way I approach projects and goals at work.
Looking back, if I had hung out with ones that were always complaining (am sure you're thinking of someone you know now…), never wanting to go the extra mile and insisted of staying within 'my job scope'…it would be most likely I would have become the same..
And along the way, I've met a few more great people (and not so cool ones!) but I'll talk about those experiences next time!
So, remember this and be conscious of your 'first step'. And to my mentor, my sister, MJ…love you long time lah!
p/s: Happy Lunar New Year to those celebrating!
Friday, 31 January 2014
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Diamonds are a girl's best friend...not
not saying i wouldn't mind diamonds for our next anniversary, honey...but this is a tribute to my bestie who...as she has clearly and loudly pointed out in my previous post, kept me sane this whole time I was growing up, really growing up.. i.e. from being just concerned for yourself to having responsibilities like a family and career
and my other best friends..
in childhood it was unacceptable to have more than one best friend. i'm sure we all remember that phase. 'chop, she is my friend' and any slightest form of betrayal would warrant war.
looking back, I have made many friends along the way..school, college, work place you name it. i think i'm friendly but i get close to only a few. so now, i have best friends from each part of my life and also best friends for different 'references' i need in my life, like the group where I can ask about the best doas and ovulation cycle issues ;)
a bunch of best friends from work so I can..'you know what' about work at times (yes, I have my days...) now, here's an ivory tower perspective. when climbing the corporate ladder and you begin to get ahead of your friends and peers, use that positively. stay you, do not change, be aware and respectful of when they're friends, when they're colleagues and when they're part of the team that makes the company. you will find this much more rewarding as an important part of leadership is to also understand the pulse of the organisation and it's people. get real. you can't lead with just listening to the good things that some make it a profession to do, the moment it would interest them..
and then a bunch of best friends from all other places whom over time have overlapped as colleagues, neighbours, PIBG moms and etc. you know who you are.
and my other best friends..
in childhood it was unacceptable to have more than one best friend. i'm sure we all remember that phase. 'chop, she is my friend' and any slightest form of betrayal would warrant war.
looking back, I have made many friends along the way..school, college, work place you name it. i think i'm friendly but i get close to only a few. so now, i have best friends from each part of my life and also best friends for different 'references' i need in my life, like the group where I can ask about the best doas and ovulation cycle issues ;)
a bunch of best friends from work so I can..'you know what' about work at times (yes, I have my days...) now, here's an ivory tower perspective. when climbing the corporate ladder and you begin to get ahead of your friends and peers, use that positively. stay you, do not change, be aware and respectful of when they're friends, when they're colleagues and when they're part of the team that makes the company. you will find this much more rewarding as an important part of leadership is to also understand the pulse of the organisation and it's people. get real. you can't lead with just listening to the good things that some make it a profession to do, the moment it would interest them..
and then a bunch of best friends from all other places whom over time have overlapped as colleagues, neighbours, PIBG moms and etc. you know who you are.
From the Ivory Towers...
the pressure of writing your first post in your first blog..
as like I always make a point to do, when getting into things, I prepare. so for this, it was pages and pages of 'blogging for dummies', 'blogging 101' and etc.
the first question you get asked, "What niche are you blogging about?"
hmm.. niche? i'm a woman..i multitask. how can i be niche?
after some thought and prioritising over life *read sweat* and a few ideas from friends (more like critics I must say..but I love them), here's what my niche will be.
this blog will be about sharing my experience, of climbing the ivory towers of corporate malaysia as a woman, a mom, wife and only daughter to my parents (see the point of how difficult it is to be niche with all these roles!..)
i am a good 10 (oh well, maybe 5 now) years younger than the average age of my peers in the board rooms I sit, and most often than not, the only woman. i'd love to see more of my womankind there and this blog is in the hope that my perspective 'from the ivory towers' will help others who are in other board rooms feeling like me or aspiring to be one some day.
and yes...you'll also find my occasional craziness for food, travels, bags and shoes. they keep me sane.
stay tuned!
as like I always make a point to do, when getting into things, I prepare. so for this, it was pages and pages of 'blogging for dummies', 'blogging 101' and etc.
the first question you get asked, "What niche are you blogging about?"
hmm.. niche? i'm a woman..i multitask. how can i be niche?
after some thought and prioritising over life *read sweat* and a few ideas from friends (more like critics I must say..but I love them), here's what my niche will be.
this blog will be about sharing my experience, of climbing the ivory towers of corporate malaysia as a woman, a mom, wife and only daughter to my parents (see the point of how difficult it is to be niche with all these roles!..)
i am a good 10 (oh well, maybe 5 now) years younger than the average age of my peers in the board rooms I sit, and most often than not, the only woman. i'd love to see more of my womankind there and this blog is in the hope that my perspective 'from the ivory towers' will help others who are in other board rooms feeling like me or aspiring to be one some day.
and yes...you'll also find my occasional craziness for food, travels, bags and shoes. they keep me sane.
stay tuned!
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