Appraisal - April 2009

I was in for a surprise when i arrived at work today.
My boss casually asked, matter-of-factly, "Wanna do your EMS (appraisal) today?"
No prior appointments; no hint of it the day before...

Well, i guess you don't really need to be prepared for these things.
But at the very least, I figured i need to know what i want out of this job, lest i say something dumb like "anything lor".
And so we met.
Just the 2 of us in a huge conference room.
Nothing like a closed-door affair to make one nervous.

There's so much to talk about, which i've kinda avoided.
When exactly am I returning to full-time work?
What are my plans? Do i want to stay on this desk forever or move on to another area within the organisation? etc etc etc.

I felt encouraged by the whole talk.
You'll be glad to know i received an excellent appraisal, far better than I thought.
:)
I was touched, hahah.
With me working 3 days a week, she could have easily skimmed mine or kept it succinct.
But she went the full length and I appreciated it.
The kind intentions behind it.

She even let me have my pick of work schedule when i do want to return to full-time work.
Like if i prefer the morning/mid-day/noon or late shifts.
That's super kind--I don't think i ever had that kinda option from any boss before.

So yes, all in all, a great chat with my immediate boss.
She's a great person, extremely rare in my office of wily foxes and werewolves.
A nice boss, thoughtful, understanding and supportive.

It's easy to throw in the towel and move on when it comes to jobs.
At least for me.
But there's something about this place that is a keeper.
Yes, despite the torrid politicking.

For one, it's family-friendly.... i still have yet to hear of another company that offers it employees a flexi work schedule when she has kids.
For another, there's different areas to explore once I get bored.
I'm not chained to my desk and in fact, bosses here encourage us to try new skills, learn new stuff, move around the food chain.

Also, my big boss right at the top is humane and decent, even if he is sickeningly drawn to the politics. I guess he has to be in the game. But outside of that, he is alright and approachable.
It was him, after all, who approved my current work schedule.
And I do have some pretty decent colleagues - those who are not into the sick politics.
Some of them are down-to-earth folks who are great at their jobs; make good mentors.

Perhaps it also helps that we are such a key global news network: I'm really at the forefront of business news, and daily work can get pretty exciting. The resources and reputation precede the product almost; I'm constantly amazed at the quality put out.
CNA? A galaxy away.

But of course, I also face the ugly side of things everyday.
The politicking aside, it's hard to 'climb the ladder' in this place.
Most people are dying for a promotion that is not forthcoming.
They are not generous like that.
And of course, like the news we put out, the politicking is world-class as well.
So advanced that I'm not even half in it -- way too sophisticated for my lil' pea brain.

So there.
My job in a nutshell.