Glory!Glory!

Sometimes I am really amazed at how terer people are at office politics..

A Phone conversation with a Senior Manager (SM)

SM: Kat mana?

Me: Kat office.. naper?

SM: Eh ko ada contact ngan org RTM kan?

Me: Naper?

SM: NUMERO UNO CALLED ME..he said that he went for the rehearsal of (function which I cannot mention here) and RTM was there.. so he wants the footage of him receiving the (award which I cannot mention here)..can you get from RTM?

Me: I'll try lah.. gotta check first...

SM: Ok..nanti ko bgtau aku la..

Me: Ok..nanti aku bgtau..

After making a few calls and getting all the info..I texted SM.

"Checked with RTM..footage boley dapat..tapi kena write in to Pengarah Hal Ehwal Semasa.. do u want me to proceed?If yes, I will discuss with Numero Uno's PA"

The reply:

"Pls proceed"

A Phone Conversation with the PA

Me: Akak, tadi SM called me and told me that Numero Uno wants footage of the function tomorrow..

PA: Ha-ah.. eh jap..jap..takpe2..u habis citer u dulu

Me: Yeah.. so I checked and we can get it but kena write in.. I'll draft the letter and forward to you later.. so, what's your story?

PA:ACTUALLY YESTERDAY I CALLED SM..coz I was not sure to ask from who (about the footage).. then he immediately said that he has got contacts with RTM..I asked him again sure ke.. if not I'll ask Corp Comm or whoever else to help.. then he said no..no..nevermind..let me do it..I ADA CONTACT KAT RTM..

So in the end who gets the glory for settling the matter? Who ends up doing the letter and following up?

I've also many many times get caught in a situation or more specifically a discussion whereby the other party (in an attempt to show how important they are/close they are to the top mgmt) will end each and every sentence with "tu yang aku discuss ngan Numero Uno" or "Numero Uno ni slalu pakai idea aku" or "aku selalu balas2 sms ngan Numero Uno"..

Frankly, I’m not much of a political player at work. Never knew how to be one. Even if I try I would fail miserably and it would just be detrimental to my carreer and reputation. But I’m cool with that–at least I can do my work efficiently (to me) minus all the craziness, go back at 5.30pm and sleep better at night. I assume that the 'politicians' also sleep well…but they would not be singing the theme song from Thomas The Train before they go to sleep..instead they would be busy planning their next strategy to get noticed or maybe praying hard that there would be a call/SMS from Numero Uno so that the next day they can say .. " Ish..malam tadi aku dah nak tido tapi Numero Uno call/SMS aku"..

For as long as I can remember, my strategies..no..make that ingredients to succeed would be to stay authentic and indispensable (for all the right reasons) i.e the followings:

1. Stay outta politics. I have enough things to worry about - susu anak cukup ke tak.. minggu ni Huggies diapers ada discount tak kat Tesco..langsir rumah bila nak pasang..staff kat office merajuk macam mana nak pujuk.. missed deadlines sape nak jawab... etc So to be the Barack Obama in the office will not contribute to my overall productivity and efficiency.

2. Be a chameleon, Be a Julia Roberts - I don't pretend. I strive to be me at all times but if there are certain situations that require me to change/act/adapt then I'll do it to fit in better. I see no harm in this.

3. I'm not Ms Rigid, I can flex and bend - Rigidity to me is just a shield that people use against others to hide their weaknesses. I don’t assume I’m the smartest person in the room especially when I've a Chief Clerk who has been with the Bank for 30 years...an officer who probably knows 70% of the staff in the Bank.. generally I take the opinions of others at face value. Evaluate em' and make my points heard as well.

4. My work speaks for itself - Granted that my work, as in not all of em' are great. But good enough to make myself and my team indispensable.

5. Love - I think my staff loves me!! ehehehee.. takdela.. but yeah I do think that the most important is the support that I get from my staff.. who the hell am I without em, right? And yes, I love what I do. I love the field that I'm in. If the day comes that I feel like I want to be pregnant and take MC for 2 months rather than go to work, then that's the time to pack my stuff and move on to a greener field.

Okay wait..Before I go on and on giving examples of how I use my so-called ingredients to get ahead, I do ask myself these questions as well:

1. Do bosses like people who stay all night to get work done?
2. Do people who put together great presentations usually get ahead?
3. Who are the heroes and the scapegoats?

Yes, I know.. I know.. I think too much sometimes. But hmm... what's my point for this entry again?

Well, in general, I think office politics is no longer relevant. In the short-run, yes you'll be heard. Be very visible. But in the long-run, you could end up looking stupid.

Why want to pretend got contacts when you don't have contacts? Name-dropping for what?

So to me, personal branding is the way to go. I don't strategise that much. I maneuver. I identify what my strengths are and elevate these strengths into personal branding nirvana... chewah.. That's how I'll get the satisfaction to work and the passion to continue producing good stuff. When Numero Uno says that my team has done a good job, that's worth more than 20 of his smses/calls!

Glory?Glory? For what? Sebab tulah Barca menang...

teehehe..lari topik lak..

Have a good weekend peeps! Am taking leave next week to spend time with the kiddies!