Hi! So here's the continuation of my Moving Past 3 post. I'll be focusing more on the growth part here. Please bear with me as I struggle with how to convey these thoughts into meaningful phrases haha! Anyway, I'll be doing this in bullet form to make it easier for me to write down events, thoughts, and everything in between.
The first year was tough since I started around November of 2019, five (5) months before the 👑-virus came to the Philippines. I've always been on edge and constantly adjusting to the situation that our company is going through. I mean, the pandemic shifted everybody's lives at a 360-degree angle. Add the fact that the Taal volcano even erupted a few months before. And to be honest, no day has ended without me crying due to the overwhelming feelings and thoughts that's been with me throughout the day. All that aside, here are some growth points during that period:
"No idea is a bad idea." This is what Tokyo (my boss) would tell me as an encouragement to voice out my ideas as silly as they may sound. It could be something that is doable and could help the team in the long run. She would ask questions that would help me refine the idea that I have and also have a guide in overcoming certain problems that I may encounter. And it's one of those things that pushed me out of my comfort zone.
"Seniority is a title, not a bragging right" The company promotes a non-traditional working environment. Like you can question the choices of your senior and they'll gladly sit down with you to discuss the parts that you don't fully grasp. And if you feel like your senior is using their position as leverage, you can directly report them to the CEO. Haha!
"Teamwork makes the dream work" is what would Tokyo usually says when we need to regroup for something. She's the type of boss that would make sure that everyone can handle their workload efficiently. Tokyo would even shoulder tasks if she knows your hands are full. And this is one of those things that made my standards high for a leader. No one can beat her leadership, for me at least.
If things don't go as planned, try to think outside the box. Since the whole world was affected by the pandemic many of our usual suppliers were also struggling to stay afloat. We did a lot of adjustments and even sourced out new suppliers just so we can keep our facilities up and running. We even had to search far and wide just to purchase face masks and disposable gloves. During that time sanitation supplies were a scarcity, and a lot of people took advantage of them. I had no idea how I got through that stress and burnout, but as Kelly Clarkson sang,
The world does not stop for anyone. Like most companies, The Crew (let's call our company that) had to let go of some of its employees. And during the town hall meeting, Florence (our CEO) had to separate his feelings from his judgment because it was hard for him to choose who to let go. He felt like a failure for not being able to support everyone. And with this, I had to say goodbye to some of my friends at work. But as Florence did, I should not let my emotions affect my productivity. Since now my part is crucial in making our buildings run.
Setting boundaries would either strengthen or burn bridges. Since my counterpart was laid-off, I had to shoulder most of the purchasing of construction materials for the last three (3) projects we were building. I was left by my new boss to answer updates and everything else, I felt lost and alone at that time. I had to set my boundaries to be able to get through the projects, so when Florence check up on me, I told him my frustrations about my new boss and how much it was affecting my productivity and my mental being. A few days after that talk, my new boss resigned because he couldn't handle the pressure that was given on him.
If there's an opportunity for growth, don't hesitate to grab it. A month before my 3rd year work anniversary, Florence offered me a new job position that involves maintaining data and a bit of finance. Meaning, I would now be more involved with how The Crew works. I would now be exposed to data like budget and occupancy rates. Tbh, I had no background in anything related to that position, but he had faith in my skills so that's why he offered it to me. I ended up, taking the offer because it was something I could learn from and probably use to improve my other skills. So, during the first few months, I spent more on backtracking the formulas that were used to come up with the results that were on the google sheet. Though the only formula I knew was sum haha! I might probably make a series of posts about the struggles I encountered with google sheets. Stay tuned!
Work is work. Second quarter of this year (2022) I was promoted to Sr. Operations Officer, my main tasks were still the same they just added "data compiler" to my job description. By now I've somehow mastered all the elements I need to know to maintain a steady work output. But there were times I felt guilty because I think I was not doing my job. An example would be getting out of the office to purchase things for the buildings, to me, it looks like I was slacking off because I was not in front of the computer. Though Tokyo (she's now our Operations Manager, and yes she became my boss again) assured me that it is still considered doing my work even if I'm just buying some cleaning materials.
Always do better than yesterday. Now that I have expanded my knowledge with google sheet formulas, I now know how to use unique queries and easily automate data output. I thought I would stop there but as the days go by, I can't stop improving the reports that I made and I keep on looking for ways to get the result that I wanted which cannot be achieved by just using formulas. So now, I'm slowly considering learning google script. So yeah, always know that there's always room for growth. If you think you can do better, then do it as long as you're not hurting anyone.
Photo break! Say hello to my plant babies 🍂
To summarize this long dump post, I, therefore, say that I've grown so much in those three (3) years. I mean, when I started here, I had no confidence in my knowledge and skills; I was afraid to voice out what bothers me; I had no courage to make my own decisions; I didn't know what it means to be a part of a team; I didn't know how to think outside the box. And now, I was even able to apply what I learned at work to my personal life. I am who I am today because of the challenges I conquered.
So the question now is where do I see myself a year from now? I would probably be making a new work anniversary post with a lame title haha. But seriously, I would probably be seeking more ways to improve myself and aspire to be as good as Tokyo when it comes to leadership. So yeah, that's the end of this post. See you at the next one, peace out!💜
Comment 🍑 if you reach the end of this post and let me know where you see yourself 3 days from now 😬