Whirlpool

Why Japan’s Tsunami Triggered an Enormous Whirlpool I may not know, what I do know is how to get out of an traumatizing whirlpool of emotions work can sometimes generate.

The ebbing of a temblor with SV’s project began about 3 weeks ago, when the PR agency we’d hired boomed at me for their payments not coming through. I calmed them and blamed it on the ecosystem of developing countries (I come up with creative BS when pushed into a corner). Then, the detonator of the bomb was dropped – the project may get canned.

When I read the words on the screen, my fingers grew numb, and my mind froze. That was 3 months of work down the drain. And the worst part, there are some dignitaries and a dozen millionaires involved. My career is doomed, since I have been communicating with them. I’m getting deported.

The following weeks, I worked like a zombie. Yes, I still worked on the project, since there was a bleak ray that things may turn around, and then we’d be in a tearing hurry as the wheels had stopped being in motion.

Last Friday, I had to call with the organizing company to collect some contact information. I cautioned them about the impact of the cancellation, and spurred out some names of people who’d agreed to be at the event. And the trick somehow worked. Pressures were applied, and we’re chugging happily towards the event date next month.

But now its gotten crazy again, this time in a happy way – I have another event early April with the New Year party client (DM), and the phone is ringing off the hook!

Writing has deficiently gained limelight. After dinner, nearly every other day, I write either articles, or blogs for about 2 hours.

Even after my flu shot, the Social Media Marketing bug has caught on (that was a really bad stab at a joke). I am successfully marketing for client on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn; everyone’s happy at the end of this chaotic week as the till brings in sonorous sales.

Happy No-Holidays

It has been ages since I posted on this blog, which is not to say that I haven’t been spewing about in other places. The simple fact is that I have been getting a trickle of work since October, but nothing which could make me jump out of my seat, and say Caramba!

Today, that has changed.

I have long been talking to a prospect whom I’d contacted for another project earlier in the year. Although things hadn’t worked out then, since the past two months, she had indicated that there was a project in pipeline, and enquired if I’d be interested.

On advise from another client (let’s call them MS), with whom the deal had foundered earlier in the year, I was wary, and didn’t keep my hopes high.

Meanwhile

• I trudged about creating weekly newsletters for a few months
• Worked on an inde-movie project which flopped on the box-office. Besides doing the project as a favor, the director turned around and blamed our team for the failure (very unfair)
• Helped a client complete their appraisal and resume! (I don’t even want to discuss how this came about)
• Am coordinating for two New Year’s Eve parties
• Developing content for an international chain of schools

As you can tell, this is an unhealthy mix of lot of administrative work, and very little writing.  To keep myself sane, I smash regularly on the keyboard venting about something or the other. Of late, I began to publish articles on my caffeine fascination. Let’s see how long that lasts.

Now that I have filled you in with banalities by digressing, lets get back to the meaty project I bagged.

Yesterday, SV (easier to follow nicknames) emailed me if I was still available for the project we’d discussed. A few emails bounced back and forth. I knew I had to bring up the topic of payment, but was shaky since I’d been warned against working with her MS, I quoted double the amount MS paid me for her project. Without batting an eyelid, SV agreed!

Naturally, I am thrilled. Without revealing any confidential info, I can say, this is my first award function, and it promises to be less crazy than selling tickets, and finding sponsors, because everyone will be already invited! Now that I already know is a lie; it will be crazy, I will go nuts; but I’m getting good enough money for it all! It also means that I will be working throughout the Holiday Season, starting my year off with the chiming of coins in my till.

So good luck to me. You will hear me cribbing when things go downhill; so enjoy the glory of my smiles while they are still available.

Who’s the boss?

In my seven-year full-time, and three-years of part-time work-life, I’ve had only 3 yearly assessments.

In one of the part-time jobs, where I was a counselor (my own jaw drops with astonishment), I was asked to be part of a senior counselor’s appraisal process, since that organization adopted a 360-degree approach. A timid teenager, my comments were mild, and all-praises. I don’t believe I had developed skills of judging a person’s skills, especially since that person happened to be my mentor and tutor, in this case.

Today, I came across an article by Harvard Business Review 3 Tips for Giving Your Boss Feedback which states that:

…knowing if and how to give your boss feedback is tough.

I’m here to contest this.

Of course, it also gives more sensible details:

Wait or ask for permission. Don’t launch into a list of things your boss could do better. Given the nature of the relationship, it’s better to wait to be asked for feedback or to inquire if your boss is open to feedback.

Focus on helping her. Give input that will help her improve her performance. Avoid telling her what you would do if you were boss.

When in doubt, hold your tongue. If you think your boss will not be receptive or if she has been known to lash out at constructive criticism, you’re better off keeping your mouth shut. Find other, anonymous ways (e.g. 360-degree reviews) to give your feedback.

which I refuted, and yet came out unmarred.

Fast forward to my last corporate job in communications; I was the first person in that subsidiary company who had experience on sales & marketing, strategizing and business development. Some months after I joined them, a senior engineering department head was announced as the new ‘Business Development Head (BDH).

While the team of 50+ engineers moaned loss of such an experienced manager, I soon began to pull my hair in frustration. He had not the faintest idea of how the sales cycle works. He didn’t know how to find new leads, and deployed an entire team of 7 people who were to be incharge of Procurement of goods for the company, to pinpoint potential customers. Unsurprisingly, everyone began running in circles, with no concrete prospects.

Two months after institution of this new BDH, appraisal-season came up. This company did not follow a 360-degree approach for employee assessment. So all I had to do was list down my KRA’s (from my offer letter), enlist my work against that, rate myself, and send it over to boss, in this case the BDH under whom I had begun working, out of the blue. During the appraisal interview, I defended my functions and progress, which happened to shed poor light on the BDH’s persona as a leader. Abashing, he admitted that this was all very new to him, and was looking forward to my support to help him develop the marketing collaterals. You’d think I got 5*’s in this appraisal? Was saved my a thin hair from losing my performance due!

A few months later, both of us left the organization, just a few days apart from the other. On my last day, while handing over all the documents to him (he was to leave after me), he sat me down, and said that he was not miffed with my honesty. Being 17 years his junior in the workplace, this did kinda add a haughty edge to my attitude thenceforth.