I'm in JB now. Will be flying from Senai to KL tomorrow for a week, and then back to JB again on Friday.
Boss insisted me to be there for the entire week. There is a reason to it.
I came to know that my team members have been rather demoralised recently and one may even be thinking of leaving. I was told that the colleagues from the other team (i.e. my ex-little boss's team) had been passing some not-so-nice remarks at my team members, and even ex-little boss did it in a few occasions too.
Basically, a few of them from that team are not happy that they are having heavier workload but being paid less. So during the days when my team members were still in the office at 6.30pm (their official office hour is until 6pm), they would pass remarks to my team members such as "wah, today stay so late ah?!"
My team members felt that such comments were really uncalled for. They did spend time at home working sometimes instead of staying late in the office, but the other team members do not know about it and kept thinking that they are very free and being paid higher to do nothing.
For the part on getting higher pay, it is purely because of the market values for the skills. It is something similar to SAP consultants being paid higher than NAV consultants and we do not complain about it because the two markets are simply different. On the same token, the other team works on in-house built system that is based on a technology that is less popular in the market and less in demand, and hence there will definitely be a difference in pay even for the same positions.
Furthermore, they felt that if those people are truely unhappy about this perceived unfairness, whether on the workload or the salary, they should target their disgruntlement at the company or bosses who decide the pay, and not those who receive it.
I have spoken to my team members before and tried to pacify them. I told them that i fully understand their frustration, but i also asked them to put ourselves in the shoes of the other team members and consider how we would feel if we were to be paid less but having so much more workload. I also told them that boss is well aware of our contribution and what others think do not really matter.
Apparently, my words do not matter at all. My team members are still not happy.
Frankly, i do not know how to manage such situation. I can do all the pep talk and sing all the praises to them, but i am not the one who is there everyday facing the unpleasant atmosphere, so i can never understand how annoying that can be. Furthermore, it is extremely sensitive, for i cannot control what the other team thinks or say, especially when that team is managed by ex-little boss, and my boss valued that team and ex-little boss very much.
So on last Thursday, i told boss about this (without naming names) and was hoping that he could help me on this. Yet, what i got was that boss felt the low morale was because i spent too little time with my team members and therefore i should be there for a week to boost the morale. I was thinking to myself, doesn't having the boss around actually makes people even more sian? How would i being there help the situation?
Anyway, i guess i'll just have to talk to my team members individually and do my best to make them feel better. I am really not good in people management, and in fact i hate it too. I always tell people that i am a nerd and a hermit, and to deal with people issue is definitely not my forte.
I am so not cut out to be a project manager, and i don't get any fun out of what i am doing at all. At this stage of my life, with my current state of mind, to enjoy the things i do is the most important thing to make me still feel life is worth living. Yet i am only working for money now and nothing else. This really sucks.
Cogito ergo scribo
Monday, March 29, 2010
Going to KL for people management
| Cogitated @ 4:18 am by PinPin 彬彬 | 
RAther than targetting other cohort, wonder why those people never vent their frustration at their immediate boss instead - the one they should look upon to look after their miseries. Wouldn't It probably have better result to get things improved then? Agree different skill commands different wage (primarily due to market demand too) with some require longer hours and highly analytical (plain example is programmer against manager, or HR officer) , unfairness certainly exists. If they still don't get it, shoot them "you tak suka you keluar" (in fact this quote is applicable in all way of life). Job market right now is picking up, even without sarcasms and unpleasant environment, I'm sure if outside offers higher salary, better benefit and greater career opportunity, there will be exodus.
Being manager is not easy, and not a pleasant job when you need to keep customer happy and at the same time maintaining company resources. I saw how my ex-manager helplessly stopping growing turnover rate in the company and needed to explain the situation to his boss. However, in Singapore, continue being technical in industry will get career nowhere. If money is the goal, why being so difficult and not try to become bad apathetic boss instead. The impression evil boss sitting on comfortable chair ordering people is quite an enviable post indeed. Though I (me just a lowly ranked staff) maintain distance relationship with my boss (maybe I worry my loose tongue would offend him and jeopardizing my appraisal), sometimes I hope my boss treats me like friend and sheds away all the prejudice, and even organizing outings together. At least that boss leaves the image that this man is worthy for respect.
, at 30/3/10 4:54 am
Dear, we are actually facing quite similar circumstances leh!
Very tired and sianzzzz with my job more and more. While being named "F&A Manager", Admin and HR jobs accupied more than 70% of my time.
Foreseeable more staffs going to tender resignation, but their immediate HOD seem like not care at all, to them it was HR issue, HR should settled all this for them, but they din find out what's the root cause of the leaving trend, is it due to low pay, bad working environment, or bad working partner & etc?
Employees are getting demoralised, they are not able to communicate with their immediate superior, they think they are not given platform to express their wishes. Had been being busy to be their "middleman" for years, but their grumble to their HOD is not getting lesser.
Today talk to my boss, hoping to seek her asssitance and green light on certain things, in the end I was told to "force" HOD to hold weekly meeting with their staffs, sit in the meeting with them, and try to pacify them. (bc'os I did "force" the HOD to hold meeting b4, in the end they hold meeting but w/o getting back to management which make their staffs very angry. So I'd to send my staffs to sound them out what had they discuss about during the meeting, and seek the management for approval instead)
sigh~~~ the moral of the story is NEVER EVER go for any post related to Admin, Admin = Bao Ka Liao. Everything people don't want to do is your business. I'm really fed up with all those MANAGERS in the office. And I really don't know how to be a manager, this manager = many kerja only :(
However, friend, we'll survive, and we'll get a better job later. Let's work toward this target. , at 30/3/10 10:01 pm
attended a motivation seminar today organized by HR, maybe you should consider to train your team haka war dance (by all blacks rugby team) to retaliate the other team :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cle20lQg0Qs
Things that perceived negatively will always be negative. Instead of treating as problem, try to take it as "challenge" (positive)! Be dynamic, don't afraid to take risk or give up to adversity and always have the attitude willing to go beyond (not?). Throw fire and passion to the line of work! of course, as a team leader, it's good to learn to own responsible downliner performance, learn and prevent bad things from recurring, and treat scolding and complaints as "feedback" for improvement (high EQ, high EQ). Just like motivational trainer, if a manager/team leader behaves like one that is articulating, good in inspiring and motivating, that will create best of the best team :). Ambitious is good and not necessary evil to your boss coz if you are elevated, he could too move up to higher level :)
Sometimes, learning to be good manager can be also a good lesson to self (personal) management. Like story of drowning in a lake, the struggle and fight determination for gulp of air is similar with struggle in life - always strives and be determined to overcome challenges because if you don't change, you're pretty end up like the dead. Why continue the choice of being miserable and self suffering when you obviously can take charge of your life to make better (and victory) yourself. Why continue being like this down the road when you know you deserve more than this and (highly potential) to be a victor! You're empowered to make choices, and use that power, and never let the devil, weak, and indecisiveness engulf you! , at 13/4/10 2:58 am
Previous Posts
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 @ 4:27 am: Stopped playing games
Monday, March 22, 2010 @ 4:05 am: Blurry vision
Sunday, March 21, 2010 @ 4:54 am: A family reunion
Friday, March 19, 2010 @ 1:11 am: Back in SG
Monday, March 15, 2010 @ 4:35 am: In Bangkok
Sunday, March 14, 2010 @ 4:54 am: Packed again
Friday, March 12, 2010 @ 8:31 pm: Down and frustrated
Tuesday, March 09, 2010 @ 4:40 am: Back in SG
Thursday, March 04, 2010 @ 4:12 pm: The sorrowful and resentful me
Sunday, February 28, 2010 @ 5:30 pm: Cold
