Heart Space #17: Are you saying 'Yes' into the mirror?

Recently I stumbled upon and got so inspired by an old transcript by Steve Jobs at a Stanford Uni graduation ceremony in 2005. One of the thing he said was this, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" If you have been saying "no" for the most days in a row, there's something that you need to change.

Of course, a lot of us would say "No", because of our family commitments. Many of us would rather stay at home, and spend the remaining minutes with our loved ones. I guess he meant it in the work context. I admit, I am a work addict, as work is an integral part of me. I can't imagine a life without work. My colleague Kumar was shocked of my response to his hypothetical question; 'If everything is provided for, will anyone still work?'.

I must say, I am blessed in the course of my work life for I have enjoyed the most bits. However, on hindsight, was I the one who made it bearable (except for friends and colleagues)? I meant, did my mentality help me survive the ordeals of those tough times? Did I manage to convince myself that satisfaction from getting the job done is greater than the amount they give you monthly? Even up to now, I still firmly believe that no doubt you should be rewarded for your work well done, but prove that you can contribute at that level first, before making any senseless complains.

I have seen both sides of the corporate worlds, and I wonder how many sides are there, really. I have come from a place, where the general workforce is motivated, and yet so motivated that politics become de facto. Another traits of this side, is that some of them are blindly motivated, and the end result, is over motivated, and lose sight on what's really important in life. I nearly (maybe I did) fell into this trap.

The other side of the world, the general workforce is not motivated by work, but by the salary, or the bonus payout. They made fast comparisons without first comparing the amount of contribution they have given. They request to be rewarded upfront, before taking on a new task or role. Being on the job, means doing as little, avoiding responsibilities and never stepping out of their comfort zone. How could one expect to have huge increment then?

I have been saying 'Yes' to that mirror, because I know I love my job, the pay's alright, I have wonderful colleagues, great boss. Recently, the recent events are leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. My colleagues' scenarios are making me see that the staffs are just but a face they put to a project without thinking if it's a good fit. To make matter worse, they are forgotten once they are placed in the project, and not managed. In our line of business, how could one forget that staffs are our best and only asset?

I don't know how long I would say 'Yes', but I leave you with a quote from our Charter... have a think about it.

"People generally don't leave their job, they leave their supervisors."


Transcript available at : http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

Heart Space #16: This is My Story #3

In my chapter 3, You will get to see a few major events. Firstly the hand/feet imprint for a plaque, the traditional hair cut and how can one forget the 1st month celebration.

Without further ado, here it is.