Life in the local community

It has been 2 months since I residence in a local company, the new office where I am working. Two months have past but I felt like I have been here ages. My new role and responsibilities are interesting and exciting, at the same time exhausting and stressful. As days goes by, I started to learn the culture of local company and have comments that I have to adapt to existing culture, instead of turn them around to adapt a forward looking and fast pace culture.

To begin my journal today, the feeling of trap in a tiny box creep inside my head. A lot of business issues required my attention and solution but it is not something I can resolve immediately. A lot of it needs attention and support from other parties. Without amper time to learn about the strategies and directions of the company, I have to jump in with a life-saver. This experiences thought me to make decision within minutes, alert at all time, think before I say anything and my brain has to work overtime and lighting speed.

Sales personels are the group ones needs to beware and be careful. Someone told me this during my first week here. I learnt the truth about his word in a very short time. Sales will manipulate their ways to get what they want. They are very clever and some with an attitude. As sales required to meet target each month, they are full of tactics and strategies. They will think that they can smooth their way out of the new HOO. Procedures that have been in place for many years, they will think the the HOO won't know a think and start twist and turn the procedures and stories. Not to mentioned with full drama and special effects on their expressions.

Just yesterday, one of the sales came to me asking why she can't report her sales with sample images. I believe she thinks that because I'm new and young, I know nothing. As usual, my daily task is to put attitude back to where they belong. Once out of my room, the noise still continued and express her frustration. I still an earlier insident where a female sales was making a loud statement because my department rejected her spec ad for in-column ad. What a fuss! This remains me of an advice from my grandmother. Tin kosong. Indeed, at that point of time, she did look like the tin-kosong. Big and loud but nothing to show. Nothing to show on her performance. I wonder how gulible one can get. (I would prefer to use the word stupid)

There is one who would push all the blame to others but himself. It is amazing how he twist the stories and never take responsibilities. Everything he said has to be email and repeated to him or else he would change the stories. In front of my boss, he's timid mouse. Behind, he would roar like a lion without teeth. More like a lion without courage.

At the same time, I am worried that my creative director can't take the pressure and the environment here that he would resign. That will be my worst fear. without him, I won't be able to go though my days here and my plan for my department will fail. It is not easy to find a excellent colleague like him. He will give 200% of his job, never compromise quality and everything he touch turns gold. The designs are just fantastic. He even creates follower for his design. a trend-setter. Each day, he would put in minimum 11 hours. Single handedly complete a few projects by himself. Well, more like all the creative designs. On top of that, he has to couch and guide my designers who just woke up from 14 years of sleeping. They learn something for the first time after 10 to 14 years with this company. I've seen my strategy working. My designers are respecting him a lot and look up to him as a role model. They are starting to open up and more relax working here. They start to question those who are not performing or under perform.

All these new changes I have to thank my creative director for his unlimit dedication and loads of patience. His pride that won't compromise speed with quality has made our department looks good in the eyes of our contractor and ad agency who handle our group accounts. I bet they are starting to worry about the security of their account with our group companies. Thanks, S. You're the star in the department and I aknowledge your contributions even though there are a lot of dungu and poyuh who don't believe you and at times try to sobotage you.

Keep up the good work dude!!

My so so ad 2

This one I like but it seems I'm the only one who like it.

My so so ad

This ad was finally out after a lot of ting-tong from the marketing.

Stress at work

I'm at the edge of a nervous break down. I know this because Sham has told me twice today that I need to relax a bit. Immediately, my friend's advice pop up in my head. She advised me to be cool and easy when I was about to join this company. I listened to her advice but I guess one never know the true meaning of advice until one is in the middle of it.

This week is the one of the worst weeks in my career life. The first one happened when I was with my previous company. I was given a task to design a booth for an international trade in a month. The preparation and execution would normally take mininum 4 - 6 months. It was my first time handling trade show booth and design. I put in 16 - 18 hours a day. On top of that, I had to managed a team of designers and in-house marketing design work, which normally have up to 8 - 10 projects a week. I still remember that I lost 15kg in a month and everyone could see clearly that I was at the edge if nervous break.

A few years later, today, I am facing the same problem but woth greater heights. Due to unorganised company structure and internal problem, I am force to face the same situation again. Lepas tangan and pakar complaint is famous in this company. When things go wrong, people will walk away and pretend doesn't know anything. This make me emotionally very exhausted because I have to manage a hugh department. Not to mention I haven't start carried out a re-structuring.

I just hope this project will ends soon and print smoothly without any errors.