Vindication?

The meeting with the critical manager went well. In fact I spent most of my time at their office yesterday. I was consulted on a few areas particularly on Logistics and Accounting. I think it is a good sign. I also learned that the proposal I made on a meeting a few months back is being done which is to study the effect of a major program change. I was called a dangerous thinker for making that suggestion. Now it may be the direction, which the headquarters may eventually decide on. The boss man is making a presentation next week and was asking his people to prepare some materials. So maybe I am getting vindication at last.

I started using the journal feature of my email program to note down my meeting notes. It is a good habit to do the meeting minutes via this feature during the meeting. It was great and I am getting more organized. The U project, another one I am doing with my countryman, is going well. In fact my focus and attention on this project caused me to neglect my other work – the S project which caused the anger of the boss man last year. The manager of the U project is one of our best staff and I learned a lot from him. It is actually a fun project and I get to learn about his habits and the way he works.

I attended a seminar on project management last night. The speaker was very good and entertaining from Texas, USA. The key point I learned was projects are decentralized structures and if one attempts to enforce control then the effectiveness is affected and lowers productivity. Applying this lesson to the S project, I should allow the discourse between the developers and Philippe to continue, as he is the functional analyst. I should concentrate more on managing the process. I think this perspective allows me greater freedom and control. It also gives mere a better understanding of my role and allows me to work better from this perspective. Hence, I am working from a different level now than before.

Previously, I wanted to control the flow of information by being the middleman. But I realize that this is the old reaction done by most people in the past because they are unaware of their true role. It is the instinctive reaction to maintain power and control. In fact, trying to control the flow of information is counter productive and will reduce the growth of the staff because it does not allow empowerment. The change of perception to manager and removing the instinct to control is probably the best insight that I have had in years. This insight suddenly allows me to maneuver at a different playing field than in the past.

Job Offer?

During the meeting the boss man made some strange comments that after a few hours after the meeting made me think. It seems that he brought out a job offer on the table for the meeting participants to consider. Or at least that was what it seemed to me when I started to think about these comments. I brought out my views to my friend in that company who is in a senior position. He seems to agree with the ambivalence or vagueness of the comment that it could a job offer as well. But he pointed out that the three other people in the room seem to be qualified for the new job that the boss man is thinking of.


I believe the offer came due to certain circumstance in his company as well as the events happening in my own. It seems like he is throwing a lifeline to my rival and I? Perhaps it is another over imagined situation with my thought playing it’s usual games. But the boss man gave a specific time frame where we need to talk to him, which is next week when he makes his decision. It can also mean an offer for Philippe to jump at the job and move in the world. In this scenario, I will be happy for him if he does because it will be a step up. In case he does not get the job, I think I will express my wish for the job as well only if Philippe declines.

The self-help book I am reading proposes the use of a value tool to try and list down the series of things where I state my values and the other members of the team who work with me. So here goes:


1. Increase the training if my staff by scheduling training for them
2. Empower them and allow them to express their views and initiatives
3. Encourage them to be more expressive and proactive
4. Limit my role and avoid micro-managing
5. Allow contributors like Philippe to shine as well
6. Upgrade my participation as a leader to chart the direction and provide leadership
7. Explain the goals or direction clearly and aligned to company directions


This is an interesting exercise and the first time I have contemplated on how to improve others instead of just myself. I think the challenge is how I can be proactive and manage a team instead of just myself.