Thriving in a fast-paced multinational environment

Today is Chinese New Year. And I chose this day to reflect on my learnings from a job that had drastically changed my outlook in my personal and professional life.

February 6 last year, I resigned from that financially rewarding, emotionally wrecking, experience enriching, mentally challenging job.

Reason provided on my resignation letter:
I am resigning to allow me more time and concentration to deal with my personal issues which are hampering my level of productivity and hindering my ability to express my full potential at work.

Actually the real reason is that I don't know how to deal with a boss (whom I highly respect) who had loss her trust in me. I was disillusioned by the events that transpired and so was she. I didn't expect myself to perform so poorly nor did she. I wasn't ready to embrace the fact that I was hired as an AVP so I didn't behave like one. Nor did I really put much attention to be like one.

Looking back on how I spent my 2008 after that incident, I actually spent a lot of time working on my self-development and self-expression. I congratulate myself for really taking time to address my issues.

My mechanism for self-development was staffing the Basic, becoming a Starshooters player / coachee, and eventually becoming a coach. Also, becoming a candidate towards becoming an ICF-accredited life coach.

My mechanism for self-expression was joining Toastmasters and becoming an officer.

My journey last year has been full of challenges and dramas but I survived and emerged being grateful and optimistic. And now I am more objective. Thus, I found the guts to review again the 13-page performance appraisal sheets which my former boss had diligently put together. Btw, I must say that I wince everytime I read the document.

As part of my closure for the painful emotional experience, I shall list down the values that I need to exhibit consistently in every job that I undertake to ensure my success.

• Independent
• Meet the alloted deadline
• Proper work distribution
• Not being casual in my tasks
• Multi-task
• Focus
• Adaptability to the work style
• Finish the basic before moving to the advanced; no short-cutting
• Create a laundry list of questions to be tackled at a scheduled time (as a way of managing the inboxes of the boss and teammates)
  
• Respect each other's time
  
• Lower down self-expectations on product knowledge but catch up on readings on my own time
• Be a self-starter
• Manage time
• Be responsible for my own health/physical condition
• Exercise common sense/judgement
• Exhibit security in fielding questions
• Seek guidance from those who have gone through the process to get started
  
• Facilitate trainings
• Submit excellent, not mediocre work to avoid rework
  
• Prioritize things based on deadlines given
• Consult boss when in doubt with official work instructions
• Clarify questions directly from the source to avoid miscommunication and duplication of work
• Learn and process immediately information obtained from immersion
• Initiative in owning the project
• Initiative in the process of documentation
• Initiative in learning more and taking on more work
  
• Provide feedback to boss regarding status of the documents and any support needed
• Be considerate of other people's time
• Deliver quality output on time
• Exhibit work ethics
• Give professional responses (keep side comment in check)
• Assertiveness
• Read documents before the meeting
• Importance of perception
  

Areas to improve on:

• Communication skills
• Adaptability and change
• Creativity and innovation
• Initiative
• Time management

So there.