Of Singapore Flyer

Of Been Awhile

Been awhile since i posted anything.. well, there simply wasn't anything interesting enjoy for me to log in and get my fingers going..

time passes quickly and i'm already 4 months into my this week.. its the middle of 2009 and in around 2 months, my son, our little miracle, will see this world and his parents for this first time.. if you havent heard about my kid or haven't seen the blog, its time to find the link on the right column of this page, while you're at it, drop a message on the tagboard yeah

on the home front, i'm hoping for an early handover of keys so that we can begin building and working for a home that belongs to me, wifey and my kid (and he may be joined by a sibling in the future)..

on the job front.. i'm still a learner and i feel that i'm not running on top gear though the load has been ever increased on me.. i guess its hard to move forward quickly when one is laden with mundane and adminstrative task.. my lack of thinking and creatively has also surprised me.. following what was formulated seem the best way to clear the task, creating better solutions just mean more work, less time to do other things and let's not even mention about the lack of appreciation from people who you are trying to help improve their processes, their performance..

had a tea session with the companies' Chief Operating Officer and SVP Human Resource this afternoon.. it seems like people are just not used to the fact that Executives don't all start their working life with a degree.. yes, i have worked in 4 companies in as many years, on first glance, its fair that you judge me as a job-hopper.. but i took a route less travelled than those privileged enough to get their education sponsored by either the government, their parents or relatives.. i funded by own part-time degree programme and i might not have made in within the time frame if not for the support of my wife.. and for that, i'm thankful of what i have achieved now and grateful for having found someone to share my life, my burdens, my future fruits of labour..

as it is.. i have worked 4 companies now.. the previous 3 were jobs i got with my diploma, jobs which i was certain i made an impact no matter how short or long i stayed.. the civil service was a smooth transition after NS, my direct approach and lack of political guile meant that perhaps the only people who had appreciate my "talents" were my direct boss, her boss, and the NS guys who worked with me.. my 2nd workplace was the worst ever.. my desire to seek private sector experience in the marketing field lead me to this place and here, i experience the worst office politics, worsened by a lazy admin assistant and an egolistic "designer" that works with outsourced design companies.. oh well.. curse those who deserve it, but i made a few friends there too and we still keep in touch, though we could all do better..

my 3rd job lead me to my 4th.. and more importantly, it gave me a glimpse into another segment of the singaporean working adult.. here.. standards were high and majority had a grand education and had equal speaking ability and language power to drown you out.. but just like a coin, there are always two sides and my ability to take the good with the bad, the bad with the good, shows again.. i might not agree with the work we are doing, but i appreciate those who work hard to create real value.. these people were literally living the high life.. spending like i have hardly seen, enjoying life and thus perhaps enjoying work.. daughter of CEO, son of whoever, son of whatever.. they had a good start to life. still, there was a batch of good lads and ladies that i had interacted with, some nicer than others.. friendships were forged and it meant something to me that people appreciate what i was doing and for that moment, i got a sneak preview of what kind of life people on that higher end of society were living.. at times, this same privilege becomes a blindess to the suffering of others, the plight of the less fortunate.. i don't expect them to understand.. its just different when you are not living it..

so now, back to my tea session.. working in a place that is under a bigger company that deals more in properties definitely means that much has to be learnt.. the tea session started as sort of a clear-the-air session as the bosses' standard questions like "first job?" "how many places have you worked before joining us?" were the order of the day..

as the session grew and you heard someone earning potentially 10times your pay speak about strategic directions and company policies.. it all seem to make sense how one differentiaties investment properties, asset enhancement, amongst others..

this post is getting awfully long and i'm deeply surprise you have kept your attention.. just to end this off, i quote my COO:

"here, we run our business not by luck, but by skill"

now to work towards my Confirmation in august and work my ass off hoping for a good June 2010 bonus!

Of Impressive Stuff

Star Wars Old Republic E3 2009 Cinematic Trailer

Of Burnout?

The Four Stages of Burnout

Hey, before throwing up your hands, remember...burnout is not for wimps. A lot of other folks would have jumped ship much earlier. Many of you reach the farther stages of burnout because of your tenacity and dedication. You have a strong sense of responsibility and don't like being deterred from reaching your goals. All noble qualities...unless compelled by rigid perfectionism and "there's only one right way" thinking. Then, pursuing your goals takes a back seat to proving others wrong and overcoming humiliation. You are chasing (maybe, also, being chased by) ego-driven egoals. Especially in times of overload, uncertainty and major change, "driven and rigid responsibility" can quickly transform a performance benefit into a personal and professional liability.

Also, these folks are usually not just responsible, they often are quite responsive to others. People lean on them for support. Are you a pillar of strength for those around you? If so, will those dependent upon you be quick to notice when you are feeling shaky? That you may need a shoulder? Often not, as their sense of security is contingent on your always being strong and available. Are you buying into this "superperson" role or hiding behind a heroic mask? Maybe you always had to help mom with (sometimes raise) the other kids. Or you're the emotional sponge in the office, frequently absorbing your colleagues' complaints. Can you hear that screeching, scratching sound? That's the stress knot twisting and turning tighter and tighter about your neck.

Are you burnout?