- I have to learn to delegate my work. This involves trusting others to perform up to my standards, and also to be less rigid if things are not done exactly the way I would do it.
- To get things done, I have to give just the right amount of coaching and direction, without going overboard and micromanaging. See item 1.
- If people are not as self-starting or take enough initiative, I have to deal with it and not wait for that person to receive his/her comeuppance. See item 2.
- If I don't agree with how things are done, deal with it constructively. Don't GRUMBLE in front of everyone but the person-in-charge! See item 1, but this is in relation to bosses!!
Thursday, 17 August 2006
Reflections on Self Development
Things I need to work on:
Monday, 14 August 2006
It's SHOWTIME!!!
Having missed the first season, I was looking forward to catch the Puteri Gunung Ledang musical in its second run at the Istana Budaya. Since Hubby is only coming back after the run finishes on 20th Aug, I bought tickets to watch the matinee on Saturday with my sister instead. My mum and two other sisters caught an earlier show, and reviews were encouraging, especially AC Mizal’s portrayal of Gusti Adipati, the Majapahit ruler.
So did I enjoy the show? Let me just say that despite all the reviews (on par with West End & Broadway productions, according to some newspapers) I decided beforehand not to put my hopes up too high, lest I end up being sorely disappointed. And I’m glad I didn’t.
By Malaysian standards, it was a very ambitious production, and again by Malaysian standards it succeeded on certain levels. The set was pretty impressive, the score was good, albeit a bit too contemporary for me. I was hoping for something more like the M. Nasir-Siti Nurhaliza duet ‘Bagaikan Sakti’ that was the movie’s theme song, but the music was all new. I did enjoy Sultan Mahmud of Melaka’s jazzy number though, which was unexpected (jazz tunes in 15th century Malaya?) but somehow it portrayed the character to a tee. You could see a lot of heart and soul went into the show, but unfortunately, and especially for the title character, the passion could not quite make up for the lack of natural talent.
Oh yes, she did win Best Actress at the Malaysian and Asia Pacific film festivals, and she did spend weeks in a Javanese keraton learning the ropes of a Majapahit princess (method acting you!!) but this is after all a musical, where more than half of the dialogue is in song. With all due respect Datin Seri, you’re a brilliant thespian and dancer (probably better than anyone else on stage in these two departments) but you ain’t no Lea Salonga. It was especially jarring whenever she launched her mediocre vocals into a duet with the formally trained Stephen Rahman-Hughes, and there was one cringe-worthy bit where she seemed to have lost her note. I was almost wishing that I had bought tickets for the show with the alternate cast instead. As it turned out, AC Mizal wasn’t playing Adipati that day, and the understudy, though physically impressive, did not quite have the booming voice that would strike fear into you.
But at least I’ve watched it, and although for me it’s not exactly at par with Miss Saigon, we’re getting there.
So did I enjoy the show? Let me just say that despite all the reviews (on par with West End & Broadway productions, according to some newspapers) I decided beforehand not to put my hopes up too high, lest I end up being sorely disappointed. And I’m glad I didn’t.
By Malaysian standards, it was a very ambitious production, and again by Malaysian standards it succeeded on certain levels. The set was pretty impressive, the score was good, albeit a bit too contemporary for me. I was hoping for something more like the M. Nasir-Siti Nurhaliza duet ‘Bagaikan Sakti’ that was the movie’s theme song, but the music was all new. I did enjoy Sultan Mahmud of Melaka’s jazzy number though, which was unexpected (jazz tunes in 15th century Malaya?) but somehow it portrayed the character to a tee. You could see a lot of heart and soul went into the show, but unfortunately, and especially for the title character, the passion could not quite make up for the lack of natural talent.
Oh yes, she did win Best Actress at the Malaysian and Asia Pacific film festivals, and she did spend weeks in a Javanese keraton learning the ropes of a Majapahit princess (method acting you!!) but this is after all a musical, where more than half of the dialogue is in song. With all due respect Datin Seri, you’re a brilliant thespian and dancer (probably better than anyone else on stage in these two departments) but you ain’t no Lea Salonga. It was especially jarring whenever she launched her mediocre vocals into a duet with the formally trained Stephen Rahman-Hughes, and there was one cringe-worthy bit where she seemed to have lost her note. I was almost wishing that I had bought tickets for the show with the alternate cast instead. As it turned out, AC Mizal wasn’t playing Adipati that day, and the understudy, though physically impressive, did not quite have the booming voice that would strike fear into you.
But at least I’ve watched it, and although for me it’s not exactly at par with Miss Saigon, we’re getting there.
Friday, 11 August 2006
A little dash of nostalgia
Due to the transformation the company is undergoing, we've been requested to relocate to different premises to make way for a sister unit. Today the company organised a Spring Cleaning exercise to facilitate a'lean and mean' relocation. Apparently we're only allowed one box of personal items per person in the new office. I don't foresee myself moving into the new office anyway - probably shipped off to Kerteh or wherever directly from this project - but I still had to sort out the junk from the useful stuff. Thirty minutes and I should be able to get rid of all the junk
Problem is, while they may look like junk to everyone else, all those files and folders are important to me. Two hours on and my old desk looked no different from when I started. I found myself on a sentimental journey, flipping through pages and remembering the sweat and tears I put in for this job or that, the long hours and nightmares I endured to come up with a project ITB that earned me two lines of praise from the client. This is all of my working life, this is all of the experiences and lessons of six years as a dedicated employee of this company. It was difficult for me to let things go, if only for the memories that they evoked.
Even more heart-wrenching was all those business improvement initiatives that I partook in. A friend jokingly called me the Company mascot after I participated in a company Branding workshop. And there was the Growth Strategy Study, when I spent half a day after my wedding finalising the presentation materials. Back then I was swept up in the dreams and visions of greatness, but that has all disappeared in a puff of smoke. All for nothing.
Yes, yes, I know I should be looking at the bigger picture, and I know that most of us are still secured of a job in the new set-up, but I still can't help feeling like the sacrificial lamb.
Problem is, while they may look like junk to everyone else, all those files and folders are important to me. Two hours on and my old desk looked no different from when I started. I found myself on a sentimental journey, flipping through pages and remembering the sweat and tears I put in for this job or that, the long hours and nightmares I endured to come up with a project ITB that earned me two lines of praise from the client. This is all of my working life, this is all of the experiences and lessons of six years as a dedicated employee of this company. It was difficult for me to let things go, if only for the memories that they evoked.
Even more heart-wrenching was all those business improvement initiatives that I partook in. A friend jokingly called me the Company mascot after I participated in a company Branding workshop. And there was the Growth Strategy Study, when I spent half a day after my wedding finalising the presentation materials. Back then I was swept up in the dreams and visions of greatness, but that has all disappeared in a puff of smoke. All for nothing.
Yes, yes, I know I should be looking at the bigger picture, and I know that most of us are still secured of a job in the new set-up, but I still can't help feeling like the sacrificial lamb.
