Dealing with fustrations at work...

Well I haven't written much about work in this blog... so let me do a quick once over. I'm working in a matrix system - function is Compensation & Benefits and project is HR branding.

Both roles require a certain amount of patience - one is with people, the other is with bureaucracy.

Comp & Ben, I'm dealing with people everyday... making presentations about new policies and answering silly questions. What if this, what if that... why do I need a receipt to get reimbursed? Dah! Anyways, I'm thankful every day that I was in AIESEC for at least the last five years. I've learnt how to be very patient with people...all types of people. Executive directors to clerical staff.

With my project, understanding my boss's boss who is very fluffy and strategic is not easy... and if I hadn't had experience in visualising big strategies and breaking it down into implemention, I really wouldn't know where to begin - she dreams, I put into process. She helps me learn the company side of things too - dealing with bureaucracy. Something people tend to miss when trying to complete a project is involvement of people, as many people as humanly (maybe humanely too) as possible.

At the end of the day, the more people you involve, the more likely it will succeed because they will know what you're doing and help to support you. Ownership. People in the Know feel more ownership. They will sign off/approve what you're doing if they know even a little bit of what's going on.

Work-Life Balance?

At work we’ve been discussing the topic of work-life a lot.

It’s true there are many aspects of work and life which go together. Sometimes the people here work so hard... and it seems they don’t have lives outside working, shopping, eating and... and eating some more.

So how do Singaporeans see work? I believe it may be something like my parents... they see work as life. Working is living because it’s something that you do that keeps you active, keeps your brain alive. So they may work in the weekends too. Most recently, Mum wanted to keep working because she felt so bored sitting at home. She had no other hobbies, work was her hobby. On the other hand, a Japanese man recently dropped dead after doing 100-hour weeks...

It could be a bit like when you enjoy working in AIESEC, it doesn’t feel like work at all because it just becomes a part of who you are and you want to excel at it. It’s no longer work. But sometimes we are made to feel guilty for working too much or for not working enough.

However, when the question of work-life balance comes up in surveys despite people feeling fulfilled with their work, they may still put a low score because “balance” implies 50/50 – they might be working 60/40 still happy but cannot rate that as “balanced”.

What is work-life balance to you? Does work-life effectiveness sound like a better description? Should you be able to determine what percentage of time you spend is most fulfilling to you. Is work the enemy? Are work and life different things? Do they have to be separated? Like chalk and cheese?

Is it wrong to enjoy being at work? OMG so many questions ?_?

Living or Reflecting

Over the last few days I've been thinking about my blog and its non-existent updates.

Well I do have some excuses...I've just moved apartments so I've been trying to pack and clean up the new place. Also painted it! and meeting someone special too.

Anyway, I've received some requests for postage activity in the last week through facebook and it got me thinking... I try to keep myself busy, to do more, see more of Singapore and spend time with new people, attend AIESEC events, live the life of a good intern every week but this means I have little time left to blog (answering emails and facebook messages takes time too!)

But one of the 5 principles is self-reflection and meta-cognition, right? Perhaps I'm doing plenty of learning by practice but not enough reflecting on my learning and writing it down so I will remember it later... and help others to learn too.

Now that I have a desk to sit at (next to my new housemate!) I will try my best to write more :)

Antoine, are you reading this? =P