Lessons From a Wanderer (Part I)

Have you seen the movie A Very Special Love?

In the first half of the film, Miggy (portrayed by John Lloyd Cruz) for me, is the epitome of a very notorious boss. I am blessed because I have not encountered a boss like Miggy. I occasionally experienced some mood swings though but they are all good people, worthy to be adored by people in the rank and file positions nonetheless.

At my age, I have already experienced working with different bosses and here’s what I can share with you. I am not a professional per se but the suggestions below were based on personal experiences. Triggered by past mistakes. :p

Always have a pen and a notepad with you. I am a forgetful person. Though I believe I am far from acquiring Alzheimer’s disease, I sometimes have the tendency to forget what has just been said. In my case, a pen and a notepad are always on top of my table. But even if you are totally my opposite, when you have a mountain of work load to do, writing down notes is highly recommended. I read in a broadsheet that Efficiency in an employee is being always ready. A habit of taking down notes will help you to act systematically. It will gear you up for the real battle. Thus, it may also lead you to become very efficient. We all know that there is no harm in writing so try to make it a habit.

Always be punctual. I have no big problem with this. But there are circumstances that are beyond our control. Suppose you leave your house before sunrise but you arrive a minute after your boss laid his things on his table. He will ask you: “Why are you late?” “There is a road accident near my place that causes the heavy traffic,” you reply. Do you think your boss will believe you? You’re lucky if he woke up in the right side of the bed. It’s ok to be late once in a while but pray hard that you won’t be behind the schedule when your boss is sure to come early.

Learn how to speak. Whatever career path you choose, you have to learn how to mingle with others. You need to develop your introvert character. If you can’t be friends with everybody at least try to talk to the people around you once in a while. I am not suggesting a major character transformation if you are comfortable with yourself and you like yourself that way. But adjustments have to be made. I am sure that you don’t want to be unaccompanied all the time. You will never know if you are being surrounded with beautiful people or it is best to quit your job soon when your eyes are too focused on your job alone.

Communicate with your boss. Above all things make sure that you report to your boss on a daily basis whether he just appeared in his office to sip a cup of coffee or he decides not to become visible at all. His absence is not an excuse not to discuss with him the situation of the business. Communication is also very crucial specially when a problem occurs. It doesn’t matter too much if you have solved a problem on your own. There are bosses who appreciate employee’s initiative but some interprets it as “by-passing the authority.” Most of the time, a good intention doesn’t count. It is understandable that it is quite intimidating to talk to a person above your level but the thing is He is your boss. He has to know every single problem.

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I have a confession to make. One of the primary reasons why I blog is for me to be mindful of the lessons I have learned and matters which I still have to internalize. I decided to make a post about this topic not just with an objective to help the newly grads endure the reality of life after college but to serve as a personal reminder - that in the corporate world I can’t expect everything to happen the way I envision it. Like a former boss once told me:

“Iba-iba ang brainwaves ng tao.”

P.S. If there is anything that you would like to add, you may proceed to comments. Let’ help each other survive in the corporate world. :)