Dead Duck

Things are moving fast at the office. I am often relegated to the sidelines. But I have no urge to control events. In fact, I allow events to proceed and empower the staff to do their work. I am glad that they have a lot of initiative and I just manage the major policy initiatives. Unfortunately this has resulted in my being perceived as not adding any value. In the company’s retrenchment exercise, I seem to end right smack in the candidate list to be retrenched. I cannot focus as well on my other projects as I am stretched too thin with so many things to do. Really the role is more of a coordinator than anything else is and to strive to be more will just bring resentment and diminish the initiatives of the staff.

Somehow I am glad this exercise has occurred. I think it something that needs to be done every 5 years or so to keep things fresh in the organization. Otherwise work can be pretty stagnant and stale with lack of innovation. The employees just need to stay relevant and avoid being stuck in a rut. Even if we do get retrenched, it is a further challenge to look for another job and keep one more attuned to the market. Of course it is a painful process but the only way to keep young I guess.

I cannot wallow in self-pity just waiting for the ax to fall. It is depressing to think like that and I cannot help but feel like that. I guess it must be the same for some people in the office to face one’s demons and endure. But one should not just lie down and die but move forward and try to contribute to events. These things always result in people thinking about emigrating, to search for more greener pastures or perhaps a more stable life. In fact, this is the second country that I have worked in at a long period of time. Perhaps now is the time to plan to immigrate to another country. Perhaps it will be some place with less change. But no one really can escape change.