Cogito ergo scribo

Not that i'm the expert in the corporate world, but having worked in so many different companies before, i noticed an important fact all around, that is: it never helps to just work hard in silence. It's the same everywhere.

We've all watched tv dramas before showing an employee working hard into the night and the boss suddenly appeared and said to the employee, "wow, you are still working so late ah". Then the boss was very appreciative of the employee's commitment and rewarded him/her.

You know what, this is just bullshit. In the real world, it doesn't work this way. Don't be fooled by it.

Imagine if you are the big boss, with two equally capable employees, or maybe not equally capable but at least produce equally good results. It's only human nature for you to pay more attention the the one who knows how to stand out more, who voices out more, who always keeps the boss in the know of how hard he/she has worked.

Of course, we can stand on the high ground and say, "if i were the boss, i'd never do that". But really, when time really comes, it may be an entirely different story. I'm not saying that it's definitely impossible, but it's very rare.

That's why sometimes it's inevitable to do some gimmicks in making sure the boss takes notice of our effort. We send out emails late in the night when we are still working; we keep them cc on emails that may not really concerned them; while chatting with them, we casually mention about working at odd hours or during off days. All these little things we do is just making sure that the effort we've put in do not go unnoticed.

I'm not saying that doing these things alone is enough. One still has to work his/her best, but working hard alone is never enough. That's why we always see people who have worked very hard for decades but still remain in the same position, while others who haven't worked as long with the company can fly high in the corporate world. We often discount the latter as "boot licking" or kissing the boss's ass to get to his/her position, and some indeed are, but many more are actually really capable and just so happened to know how to present themselves more.

Frankly, i don't see anything wrong with that. Office politics, though can be hateful, is a form of survival skill. I still suck at it, but understand how it's needed sometimes in this dog-eats-dog world. I always maintained that as long as we are not hurting others, it's not wrong in benefiting ourselves.

Of course, we can always say something like this to ourselves, "as long as i do my best, i don't care if the boss takes notice or not. I just wanna be answerable to my own principles, and don't wanna be like those people who always play office politics." Well, as long as we really meant what we say, then fine, and we won't be unhappy at all.

But the truth is, everyone in this world, save a few noble ones, desire recognition. We don't do things with absolutely no expectation of getting something back in return, whether that something is in material form or spiritual form. IMHO, even for many people who serve God, they are also expecting a return, i.e. to gain salvation. So it's never to give without taking. (For those believe in God, please don't flame me for saying the last part. It's just my opinion.)

Oops, so my old habit kicked in and i wrote a long-winded mail again huh. I guess the "blogger" side suddenly got the better of me.

Anyway, for whoever's struggling in the workplace, good luck. This is my last week with this company. I'm counting down the days. Yay!

Labels: opinion, work