Senior Leadership Style

A couple of months ago, I attended a course on Senior Leadership Style. This is the helicopter that our team built in 10 minutes time. It was build using old newspapers, so this outcome is considered "passed". Hehehe...

The Helicopter is a transportation to represent the senior leadership style. People who transported in the helicopter will be able to see things clearly as they are above all the things. This is so called the bird's-eyes view. A successful leader must be a good observer who can see things from all perspectives. He/she should be able to listen to subordinates' feedback upon making good decisions. This is the factor to differentiate between a leader and a manager. So, not all managers are leaders.

I'm blessed to have a manager who is also a good leader. I admire her because of her knowledge, , experients and capability. She has the intellectual power, but at the same time she listens to us and protects us. At times when we were wrong, she points it out and holds discussions with us in order to understand the whole scenario. I have subordinates too and I'm on my way picking up the skills from her. Still long way to go.

Things Go Wrong

I'm not feeling well these few days. I have running nose, sore throat, and stomachache. I purposely applied one day off to rest at home yesterday. I took my time to sleep.

With the current increase of work load, my time is fully occupied at work. I take up 2 additional products under my belt. Which means, I eat up my other colleague's portion. I extended my job responsibility. I have the bigger cake now. I know this will secure my job at this moment. This is the result from the re-organization.

Also, I'm not so satisfied with my new hair style. I've made up my mind to get another style. Sigh...why everything is become haywire? Why everything comes in one shot?

Hectic Working Life Begins

While most of the manufacturing plants facing business downturn , all the people in our factory are fully occupied in audit trainings, new quality system certification and a few products transfer. It's a good beginning for our company. In fact, the VSS exercise (read here) just retrenched a very small amount of people. One of my previous colleague was forced to leave, and currently I take over his product. So now, I have 8 products under my belt. Not to forget, another 2 R&D products going to pilot run, so I'll be super busy!

Although I'm busy, I feel more secure now. I'm grateful that I still have a job, and my boss guaranteed few of us that we will continue to hold important positions. All our customers will find how many of us under this designation when they look at the organization chart, cuz we are their communication window. :)

Only drawback is that now there's a guy who's just reporting to me really create a lot of problem. I don't really feel like delegating some of the routine jobs to him. I have no confidence in him. I plan to train up my other technician to take over his job, and transfer him to other department. I don't even feel like want to talk to him. His answers always cause me to vomit blood. Blek!! A guy who works in this company for more than 10 years, but know very little things and not willing to take up additional responsibility. He finds lots of excuses when I assign a simple task to him. Every time, he will tell you "I don't know". Argh...........geramnya............

30% Pay Cut

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Yes, you hear me right. 30% pay cut. That is the latest news I heard from hubby's friend. This happens in one of the local company, which is involved in value added manufacturing for electronic products. Their CEO just announced the bad news. Effective from January '09, everyone's pay will be reduced by 30%. Sigh…what a surprise to them. Such a shocking news to the employees on the first day of work in year 2009. No doubt, their business is pretty bad even before this economic downturn. The CEO is taking some actions to save the company. Is this against labour law? Anybody have any input?

Just imagine, if one's salary is RM5500, after the pay cut, he earns RM4000 only. How many things he can do with RM1500? Quite a lot, right? What if one's pay just merely RM3000? His salary scale will immediately drop to lower or equal to a fresh graduate. Oh no!

School Re-open Headache

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Tomorrow is the first day of school for the year 2009. There are 2 schools located at the main road outside our residential area. Every year on this day, the traffic condition will turn horribly bad. Tomorrow, I plan to go to work before the clock reach 7 am. I know this is the only way to escape the traffic jam.

Reach the office early is better than late, especially during this period. Got to behave at work. You know what I mean?

Busy Friday

Last Friday was really a busy day for me. Once I reached the office, my lady boss approached me immediately. I was late for 15 minutes, hehe she must be in a hurry looking for me. Know what? She instructed me that I don't need to do any single job on that day, from 8.00am to 5pm. Hah? What happened?! Phew...luckily it was not a bad news to me. I was told to learn other products from the other Senior Engineer. His name was in the VSS list, but he didn't submit his application form even though he was called to HR Director's office. So, my boss need to back up a contingency plan in case he'll be asked to leave the company on 22nd Dec, which is tomorrow.

My boss already told me before this on her re-org plan. Basically I know I'll need to take up additional 2 to 3 products after this VSS. This is pre-planned, to make my time fully occupied. I guess it's not only me, but the whole company will be restructured in order to continue the operations.

Learning to compile the weekly and monthly reports itself already took me few hours. Then I started to practice on the data retrieval. There are roughly 8 reports required to send to customers. I have not learnt the manufacturing process yet, so I just jot down the queries in the Access database and get myself familiar on the data compilation process. If not hands on, very soon, I'll forget all the steps. :(

I foresee tomorrow will be another sad day. We'll be seeing a lots of colleagues leaving the company. Some of them hold heavy commitments. After the retrenchment, they will have even bigger burden to bear. I just hope they will able to go through the difficulties, and be strong.

The VSS Updates

Photo adapted from www.allposters.com

Over the week the VSS is open for all. Today 5pm is the deadline. VSS is supposed to be Voluntary Separation Scheme. However, the fact is always the other way round. Department heads already got their respective name list upon the announcement. Yes, sounds cruel indeed, but this is the actual practice especially during this recession period. The management is forced to sacrifice some of the head counts in order to save the company. Otherwise the whole organization will be in ruin. So, in other words, VSS means retrenchment.

To be honest, the VSS response is pretty bad. All the employees are concerned over the compensation rate and also the future work opportunity. Looking at the condition, management started taking actions since last Friday. Those shortlisted were called to their Director's office for discussion. They are "encouraged" to apply for the VSS. Ok, I use "encourage" so that it sounds respectful rather than "forced". Of course, some are extremely sad, They have been contributing for this company over the 10 years, but this is the result they get. Sigh… :(

How do I feel after observing all these? I'm very sad indeed. I've been having migrain for these 2 days thinking all about this. I got to lie down and relax for about 30 minutes once I reach home before I can do anything. Although I'm safe this round, but who knows few months down the road, there'll be another VSS? Factory working life is very dangerous at this moment. Thank God! We'll still get our contractual bonus on 18th Dec. This is the only good news to us!

No Mood

This morning I got a very nice email from my lady boss, praising me in front of Director. The mail mentioned that I did a very good job on yesterday's third party audit. So, oklah, I was happily went off to join the team on a US conference call. So sweet, I felt so happy as boss appreciate my hard work. Normal, right? But now, my mood shrunk after the GM's announcement on VSS. My mood swings like a roller coaster. Ups and downs just in few hours time.

Most of us have the same question in our mind. "Will it be me?" All of us start calculating the amount. Not really an attractive figure. :( Formula is fixed. We really can't do much. Whatever will come, it will still happen.

I believe "if there's a will, there's always a way". So, I won't die in hunger as long as I'm willing to work. If I can't work here anymore, I'll need to work elsewhere. Perhaps, it's a good time for me to explore a new path for myself. Who knows?

The Killing Process

Moomookun and I have been chatting through IM over the past 2 weeks. We shared whatever info we got regarding the future of the company. Also, we have been watching full-length drama from the management. The story is damn slow and boring.

Just imagine, 2 persons in a same company but different division have been so free for few weeks without any important task to do. I'm sure the rest are also quite free for the time being. Everybody has been under very low morale to work. We have been waiting for the announcement. The fastest the better. Dragging will not solve the problem. It'll just wasting time and money. Whatever decision it will be, I'm going to take it.

The waiting process is killing me. Sigh...

No Outside Food Is Allowed!

"Please be informed that all employees are NOT ALLOWED to bring their own prepared food and off-site pre-packed food into the cafeteria effective from 1st Dec 2008 ( Mon ) .

This is to re-enforce the earlier mail that we have sent out earlier. We are very concern about the previous packed food from outside that caused food poisoning to our employees. Our cafeteria committee members will work closely with the in-house caterer to provide a great variety of "Halal" food to meet the employees’ needs.

The company shall take stern action against employee(s) who violates the above rule."

Eventually, my practice to have breakfast at home & lunch at my mom's place save me from getting into troubles! Since primary school, I used to have light breakfast on weekdays. Before going to work, I'll have either Milo/Coffee with bread/biscuits or oat/Nestum in milk or cereals in milk. That's it. Simple and easy. For my lunch, I dine in at my parents place since I started to work at Bayan Lepas FTZ. Mom's home-cooked food is always the best choice.

But for those who used to bring their own prepared food or "ta pao" food, they will be affected. Just recently, our canteen food is catered by a nasi kandar cafe. You can imagine the canteen serve curries with coconut milk and those deep-fried fish, chicken and squid. All the food are heatty and high cholesterol which is bad for health. I'm thinking should the company subsidize blood screening test to all the employees?

Next, if all the exempt staffs go out for lunch, will the company draft another new rules that everybody shall stay in the factory for lunch? Oh no! That will be too bad!

A Slow Working Week

This work week has been crawling terribly slow. It's a long working week. Everything seems so quiet. Bad news have not been announced. Most of the directors, including our MD are away. Some went for vacation. I doubt if vacation is just an excuse to prevent any "hoo hoo haa haa" among the employees?

Coincidently, my major customers in US are enjoying their Thanks Giving holiday for one week. So, I receive very less email each day that required my action. Time is passing too slow, and I'm here keep on yawning. Oh, this kind of feeling is going to kill me. Low motivation, no job and so bored and so sleepy. :(

I keep on surfing net, visiting other's blogs, and now I'm writing my post. I know I'm not suppose to do so. Company pay me to do my work. I know all this! But I really don't have much job mah. Sigh...

What To Do?

Working in private sector is very unsecured, especially for those couple who work in the same sector. Or even worst, both husband and wife who work in the same company!

Everybody got to be prepared during this recession period. 10 years back, I was still a student, no worries. But now? I started to feel the pain. What if this going to be a prolonged recession, and follow by depression? My biggest fear is the possibility of losing my current job. I don't mind if company change their strategy to operate 4 days/week or planned shut down. At least this is much more better than retrenchment, isn't it?

I will lose my income if I become unemployed. Of course I believe hubby will still able to support me passing through the difficulties, but how long can I survive happily as a dependent? Can I sleep peacefully at night? What to do? And what can I do? How long will I take to get a new job? Huh?? :(

Hubby and I pulled back our spending in order to boost our emergency fund. We've stopped unnecessary spending on gaming, dine out and entertainment. We even gathered all our unused PS2, PSP, Nintendo game boy, laptop, desktop computer for sale. Surprisingly, tons of responses were received, and all were sold within a day. :)

Best still, we are fortunate for not holding any house loan debt. The only thing we must follow strictly is to control ourselves not eating out in expensive restaurants as frequent like we previously did. I'm trying my best to cook even over the weekends. Bear in mind, cheap and fresh food can be very nutritious if cooked in a proper way. Understanding the 7 essential nutrients which is required by our body and learn up of each benefit we gain through our daily food intake is a kind of useful knowledge. That's what I'm picking up now. :)

Woke Up Late

This morning I woke up late. I suppose to wake up at 6.10 am on weekdays as I start work on 7.30 am. Who knows, again, I'm so "dai tau har" (forgetful). I used to set the alarm to 7.30 am over the weekend, but somehow I forgot to shift it back to 6.10 am. :(

In our body, all the cells are going through metabolism, except brain cells, heart cells and nerve cells. That's why brain, heart and nerve function will degenerate when we grow older. So, is my forgetfulness a phenomenon of aging? Sob sob :(

Back To Work

I'm back to work today. Hurrah! I really like this kind of feeling. Feeling like the first day reporting to a new job. I realised how much I missed my working life when I stepped into the factory. I missed my colleagues, my job, the office, and everything...I know my colleagues are missing me too...hehe :P "Welcome back!" was the greetings I got from them.

Anyway, my desk was a bit dusty. I cleaned it up and rearranged my things. I got more than one thousand emails to catch up. Wow! Must be a lot of things that I need to follow up. I guess I will be as busy as a bee soon.

I got a present from my lady boss. Oh, so sweet. She made me feel how important I am to the organization. One of my junior will be leaving this coming Friday. My boss wants me to pick up her job and take up part of her responsibilities while she is looking for the replacement. Ok, I shouldn't have much problem. It's good for me to treat it as challenges.

I think I have to speed up momentum after 2 months laziness. I believe I can!

Work From Home

Although I'm on 2 months medical leave, I'm still working. I work from home. I communicate with my boss through phone and email. I'm still helping her on some stuffs like data analysing and report compiling.

I communicate with some colleagues through MSN messanger in order to get latest updates on the company status. There will be some new projects transfering to our plant for this one whole year. Good news!

But, I'm sad to hear that quite a number of friends are leaving the organization. Engineers, Managers, and even a Director. Maybe this is the turning point for the company. It needs to take in new bloods to lead the new projects to success.