The Outsider Boss

There is a reason why the boss is the boss. It doesn't matter whether he came from another industry or a seasoned professional in his field of expertise. His job is more on strategic planning and that includes hiring the right people to do the work for him. Simple, isn't it? In a perfect world, it is.

Let's say the boss is an "outsider", meaning he has zero knowledge about the business. The smart-alecky people in the office would undermine his capabilities one way or the other. These group of know-it-all think that they are a lot better than the boss technically-speaking. But, the boss does not need to know the nitty gritty of the everyone else's job. He is there to lead, to manage and to leverage on other people's skills to be able to carry on his role as the boss.

Now, why am I saying this? I've had bosses who were literally outsiders and were able to deliver. I also had the same breed of bosses who messed up the entire organization.

Moral of the story: Adapt. Change your perspective. Put yourself in the boss's shoes.

If things don't work out, better leave the company and save your sanity.

Who Wants Change?

When you need to institute changes in the company, prepare to become unpopular.

As they say time and again, only change is constant. It's true. But sometimes, people don't like change especially if they've become comfortable with the status quo. Now, what do you do when faced with this dilemma? Management wants you to reposition your team and you know for a fact that this group of people have gone through a lot of changes in the past to the point of being called guinea pigs of the company.

Rumor has it that people were demoralized as a result of the frequent restructuring of the organization. The fact of the matter is, the company is trying to find the right formula to make things more efficient. Apparently, despite the changes, it seems that it is not working. Was the team to blame? Or perhaps, the company was too ambitious with their goals given their current resources?

I discovered that people, not all of them though, do not want changes at this point in time. In fact, when I offered a supposed "potential" a new assignment to lead a project, he showed disinterest. He even cried because he didn't want to leave the team. And after a heated debate the following day with his team leader, they (as a unit) did not like the idea citing camaraderie, low morale, etc.

The bottom line is, these people have reached complacency and any move to rock the status quo will only result to resistance from those who were involved in the changes in the past.

So what do I do?

I will continue to be open to suggestions and if they have a good case, I'll support them. However, this is a business and the owners decide on what's best for the company as a whole.

Maybe it was a futile exercise talking to them in the first place. But had I not opened the floor for discussion, I wouldn't have known. So I guess, it was a good exchange of thoughts after all.

Is Seniority Directly Proportional To Competency?

When people think that you are too young to be in the position you are in, what do you do?

1. Assert yourself that you possess the qualities which is the primary reason why you are hired for the position.

2. Act like professional. Dress like a professional. Speak like a professional. It doesn't matter which industry you belong to. The most important thing is that they regard you as someone who is an authority on the subject (read: you know what you are doing).

3. Since you're the new guy / gal in town, you don't have to be chummy to everyone. It's true that you have to establish rapport with your team but remember this, do not overdo it. You don't have to befriend your staff.

4. When people try to impress you with their seniority, accept it as face value and shut up. It's pointless riding their game of one upmanship. Prove to them (through your actions) that you are worth it. You are knowledgeable about your work.

5. You don't have to be a tyrant to prove to the seniors that you are far better than them, you know yourself and you know you can deliver the goods. Stick to that.

How Does Your Company Respond To Natural Disasters?

On September 26, it rained like never before. The evening prior, it was already raining non-stop. Still, I went on with my usual routine and went to work. That night, it was one of those fateful days when I would rather curl up in bed and sleep the whole night through. I clocked in half past my schedule. I was late for work.

The night was cool and breezy. The rain continued. The double espresso caramel macchiato didn't help me much. I don't usually buy Starbucks coffee but Friday night was an emergency - I was groggy with sleep.

By the time my shift ended, the skies were darker and the rain came to a heavy downpour. I skipped my regular Saturday fanfare at the Salcedo market because I have to run some errands and I didn't want to be stuck in traffic.

I took my son to his Kumon classes despite the bad weather. I thought the rains would stop but unfortunately it didn't. When his class was over, the streets were already flooded. We had to walk past the murky, icky and disgusting flood just to get a ride home.

Homebound, more floods. And at home, the flood is already knee-deep. People started to evacuate their things to higher places. The water continued to rise and by 11 p.m., the power went out.

I got calls from the office and my boss checking if I was okay. Because we didn't have electricity, I had no way of knowing what was going on in other areas. Plus, my landphone and cellphone went dead the following morning. It was only today that I have read all the updates about the lost lives, destroyed properties and stranded people on the streets.

Photo c/o The Associated Press

The office will extend help to those employees who were affected by the typhoon and being one of the lucky ones who didn't suffer as much, I'd like to help out as well. I commend my company for touching base with the employees in the midst of the calamity. It's greatly appreciated.