“Are you done with your cooking?” Maria, the landlord, asked Lora who was doing her dish washing, in the kitchen.
Lora rented a room from Maria when Lora settled down in this new town with a new job offer on hand. They took turn in using the kitchen as they shared common space within the house.
Lora: Yes. You can use the kitchen to prepare your dinner. I’m almost done washing the plates.
Maria took the vegetables from the fridge and put them on the stove area next to the washing basin. Maria stopped and stared at Lora’s dish washing work. Lora used the dish washing sponge that was full of foams formed by the dish washing liquid, thoroughly washed the plates, chopping board, knife, cooking pan and so on.
After thoroughly washed the foam off from those items, Maria placed them on the drying rack. She wiped the chopping board and cooking pan dry, so that Maria can use them right away.
Maria took the dish washing liquid bottle and looked at it.
Maria: Recently, the dish washing liquid was used up quite fast. You can actually leave your plates in the basin and we can wash it all in one go when we are done later.
Lora was rather shocked to hear such a comment from Maria.
Was she blaming on my dish washing work use up too much of the dish washing liquid? Did I pump the liquid too much? But… that can’t be. I am not the wasting type of person. I would only pump the portion of dish washing liquid that is enough to wash away those few oily plates and bowls.
How much was the dish washer again? Two dollar something? She felt heart pain for such a small stuff? I would have never thought about that, even from a landlord’s point of view. Oh wow… there are many kinds of people with different ways of thinking in this world, huh?
As for her suggestion to leave my dishes to her… I don’t think I would to that. I have been practicing independent in getting my own work done by myself all these year of renting-room life style. I don’t want to bother anyone, unnecessarily.
Lora thought about all those behind her mind, but she only gave a short reply to Maria’s words.
Lora: Oh, really? I’d see to that.
Lora wiped her hands with kitchen towel, ensured that all kitchen items have been placed in its original manner; she then took her cup of coffee and headed back to her room.
Lora has been staying in this rented place with Maria for about half a year now. So far, she contributed her responsibilities as a tenant in maintaining the cleanliness and neat in those commonly shared areas. A harmony living ambience has been built within the house with Maria, thus far.
Lora has never thought that Maria would be so particular on a two-dollar dish washing liquid. Maria is the landlord and that’s a matter of fact. Since she already voiced it up, let me try to use lesser dish wash liquid then. Nothing much I could do about that concerns of her.
b) Email Correspondence
Lora: How was the progress on this matter?
Angie: No updates. They never replied to my email.
Lora: When did you send them the email?
Angie: Emm… Two weeks ago. Here, this was the email.
Angie, the account executive, showed to her supervisor, Lora, the email that she has sent to Supplier A. Angie intend to get a revised invoice from Supplier A.
Lora was speechless when she browsed through Angie’s email. It was just a one-sentence email.
‘Please find the attached.’
Lora: Have you talked to them before you sending this email?
Angie: No. I just sent the email with the information they need to refer to.
Lora looked at Angie and talked to her patiently: Have a seat, Angie.
Angie nodded and sat on the chair placed in front of Lora’s office desk.
Lora: You see, in your email, you didn’t mention that you need their respond or advice.
Angie: They should know. Attachment is already there.
Lora: C’mon. If I were the email recipient, I don’t see that I need to do anything at all. You only said, please find the attached. Yeah, I might try to open your attachment and take a look at it. But, that’s it. As I can’t read your mind, and there’s no action you required from me. I can just close your email. The end. Right?
Angie stayed silence considering what Lora has just told her. Angie finally realized what she missed out.
Lora paused for a while and gave Angie some time to think.
Lora: When we communicate with the other party, it’d be better to convey our objective and/or our request clearly. Else, you would have to waste more time to reply and send a few more emails for the same topic. That’s what I always emphasized – do things right at the first attempt. That’d be more efficient and save our time. Our work would only be getting more and more. So, if we don’t try to do something to make our work more efficient, no one would do that for us. You get what I mean?
Angie: I understand. Let me rephrase that email and re-send to Supplier A.
Lora: Go ahead. Thanks.
c) Work Communication
David put a stack of document on Lora’s desk and then turned away towards his desk.
Lora took a glance at that folder to see what those were.
Oh, his journal entries that need my review and approval. How no manner can he be? Not even a word.
Lora diverted her attention back to her work on hand.
David was the accountant joined the team three months ago. After second round interview with the selected candidates for the accountant post, Lora picked David’s resume and recommended to her CFO, John. John then reviewed David’s resume and had HR to arrange an e-interview meeting with David. John confirmed appointing David as the replacement accountant, thereafter.
Whenever Lora attended the interview meeting with those accountant candidates, she observed their conversation ability, knowledge level in the job scope, confidence level in answering the questions she asked, and so on. David was able of handle those pretty well during his interview sessions; therefore Lora selected David among all.
But now, not even three months, David’s working attitude changed drastically. At the beginning, David still has some work discussion with Lora on work matters, but slowly, it became less to none conversation with Lora.
Lora wasn’t able to comprehend such attitude change in David and the reason why he does that. Even with other team members, David seldom has any conversation or discussion on work matter. He just focused on the work assigned onto him. He didn’t bother to assist on those emails that would need accountant to attend to. David would only act upon a task if Lora or John officially sent him an email to do so.
Lora: What this file is for?
David: Information is in the file, you look at it yourself.
David turned away and headed to his desk without even bother if Lora still has any question for him.
Lora: … (WTF!)
If I remembered it correctly, David has been working as a freelance accountant for the past five years. Was it due to his could be independently handling those clients of his, he forgot about his role as accountant when working in and for a company. David has been demonstrated himself as know-it-all auditor and tax advisor at work. He focused on pointing out the error here and there in the way of the company doing things. Even during the discussion Lora tried to explain the company’s way of handling things, David would only nail on the fact that – No. That is wrong. The same answer also came from David when John decided to effect the work process change next month.
He is not able to adapt himself into the company. David only focuses on his own way of doing things and no tolerance at all in team or company’s requests or needs. What he demonstrates himself as was an auditor that picks the mistake and highlights error the team has made in the work.
For that, we already have the appointed professional auditor to do so each year. We do not need another ‘auditor’ in the team but an accountant who has audit background and knowledge to discuss and find a solution for the company to rectify the work process or suggest to the company how well to handle and fix it. As of today, entering third month of David’s appointment, he shows no interest in team discussion.
Can we get another accountant instead?
Lora thought about it and wondered if John would consider such matter.
Lora: How is the open item in that tax matter you had with the tax agent?
David: What do you mean?
Lora: Didn’t your last email to the tax agent telling them about your understanding about a tax rule and asking for their advice if you’re right?
David: Tax agent already advised in the earlier email before that.
What? Then, what’s the point of you sending that last email questioning them then? Lora can’t comprehend David’s train of thought at all. If you want to learn and clarify about the tax rule, since you have already sent your question to the tax agent, aren’t you supposed to follow-up for an answer? If you don’t bother about their advice, then why would you still be sending them that question? Are you too free or what?
David: I don’t agree to what tax agent advice. What do you think?
Lora: I don’t want to think too much about it. They are the tax agent who has keeping up with the latest tax knowledge and requirements. That was the reason why we appointed them to handle our tax matters. If they has wrongly advised on a certain matter, they hold certain level of responsibilities and liable to the consequences towards the company. We don’t have to override tax agent’s responsibility on this matter unless we are 100% confidence about it. Are you?
David: Do what you want.
Once again, David turned away and left Lora and their unfinished discussion, just like that.
I know you won’t take any responsibility on those comments you have towards works. You have proved that through your word and attitudes of yours. Whenever there was a mistake spotted on the past transactions, you were so quick to turn the blames onto other. ‘It has been done since the former accountant.’ ‘Who was the one that reviewed and approved that transaction back then?’ ‘You decide.’ For one that gives a bunch of comments but never once dare to take ownership and ownership of his words, what else to expect from him? What an arrogant staff we have here.
Lora further discussed the tax matter with John, have the decision made and then sent an email to tax agent to wrap up that tax topic.
d) Self Awareness
The next day, a white envelope with resignation letter in it was placed on Lora’s desk. It was from David.
No greetings at work as usual and no verbal notification about his resignation, nothing at all from David. He just gave his back to Lora and work at his workstation. Lora was surprised by David’s rather emotional decision. It could have been yesterday’s discussion on tax matter. But, on the other hand, Lora felt somewhat relief, to be honest.
I’m sick of his work attitude. Why on earth had I selected him from all those candidates. Jeez. Let’s find another replacement. Hopefully, one with basic work etiquettes and well-mannered.
David really couldn’t fit well into the team or he was not ready to be in the ‘can-do and ready for improvement-focused’ way of Lora leading her team towards, to be precised. He would better off continue working for individual contributor kind of jobs such as freelance accountancy work than working as a team and for a company. That way, he could decide what he wanted to do on the accounting posting and tax justification on the accounting work without the needs to comprehend and take other people’s advice.
The interview meetings to hire a replacement post kicked off, once again.
It is a norm for any company where employee comes and go. And it’s also a norm for a company to sack their employees upon management’s decision, at any time, irrespective of how long the employee has worked for the company. All that, doesn’t really matter. Lora has witnessed those occurrence throughout her career life. That’s not something new or shocking, anymore. Lora has tuned her mindset to go with the flow. If her work life with a company comes to an end, she would just wrap up her work and even willing to give proper handover to the next colleague; and then move on to the search of her next employer that she can deliver her work knowledge and service to.
Lora could really comprehend the wisdom quote that in our daily life, one gets to meet different types of people. He or she might face and get shocked by other’s ways of thinking, and even have some views and comments clashed among each other. Some might not align with what one holds; some could even be rather extreme. What Lora strive to do is to give clear communication that could successfully convey her thoughts and views, just for the sake to reduce any unnecessary misleading words or misunderstanding with others, be it at work or daily life.
Can we talk it through, in a harmony way? Can we? This might sound easy, but not many can do it.
Upon publishing the job post by the HR officer, Lora dropped a message to Sam, her former accountant in the previous employment.
‘Hey, Sam, how have you been? Are you still in job search? Interested to join the company I work now?’
Sam replied with a ‘Yes’.
‘Was it the accountant post that you once asked me before?’ Sam asked in his next message.
‘Yes. Please send your resume to the HR officer at this email address. I’d talk to my CFO if he would like to interview you.’
Sam gave his thanks.
The next day, Lora approached John and share some info about Sam and his work capabilities.
Lora: He was the one that I once mentioned to you during the last accountant interview exercise but back then, he was still working for the company and has no intention to have a job change. Now, he is actively searching for a job. If you’re interested to interview him, then I’d get HR to arrange the meeting. I’d excuse myself from this interview then. For other candidates, I’d conduct a first-round interview as usual practice.
John: Okay. I’d have a look at his resume then.
Sam attended a face-to-face interview with John. John decided to offer the job to Sam after he had interviewed the other three candidates with Lora.
John: He is steady and firm. I can see that through our conversation.
Lora: Yeah, he could talk to anyone, at any level of position. He knows what a finance person could or should say. He has been a great support in my past job. He is ready for the change and his can-do attitude is a plus. Furthermore, just like me, he is not one to meddle into office politics. No interest in that.
John: Let’s get him in and let David do the handover to him soonest possible as he asked for early dismissal of his 3-month notice period.
Lora: Oh? I don’t know about that.
Could it be the incident yesterday? Lora replayed the conversation messages she had with David yesterday.
‘Hi, David, please update the unutilized tax credit into the master file.’
‘Don’t keep asking for useless things. You update the file at your end and don’t waste our time. It’s all because of you are not capable of preparing this master file. Then I was tasked to do this report.’
‘David, you’re here to support and assist on the work requests, not here to give instruction to me. Please update the file as I don’t intend to bypass you, the file preparer and made the changes without your knowledge. Having one person manage the file changes will do. Works allocation among finance team members are subject to changes, and being discussed and planned with our CFO, not for you to judge and assume. Whether a file or an information is useless or not, we are to bring it up for open discussion and to notify the file users if any information will no longer be updated going forward. Thank you.’
Lora found David’s respond towards work requests quite unprofessional and rude.
John: He dropped me a message last evening.
Lora: Yesterday, after office hour, we have a communication breakdown. I think it was because of that. I asked him to update the tax information into the excel file, and he commented that I wasn’t capable of preparing the file and always ask for useless work.
John was speechless when hearing such thing.
Lora: I can show you those conversation messages.
There’s nothing to hide. I am telling the truth anyway.
John: No point. Since he wants to leave, let him be.
Wow, boss is high EQ. I salute you, John.
Lora stepped out of John’s office and went back to her workstation.
Sam reported to work on the date advised by the HR officer.
Lora: Let’s not letting David know that we know each other. Just to avoid that him might choose to not giving you the complete job handover, for venting his anger about me onto you.
Sam: No worries. Let me handle that. I can self-study all those working files.
Lora smiled. She deeply aware of Sam’s work capabilities. She can rest assure about Sam’s way of doing things.
Three days passed, Lora asked Sam how was the handover training going.
Lora: Did he walk you through the file properly?
Sam: Yes. But how come those journal entries weren’t put into excel? I saw all his supporting document; there’s no any excel file to them.
Lora: Hah, you can see that too! I asked him to indicate the reason for a journal entry properly and maintain a self-explainable file that any reader or review of his file can understand right away. But, he replied me that ‘The file is there, go understand it yourself’.
Sam was shocked by the way this accountant deliver his work.
Lora added: I have to read through all his screenshots just to get the idea why he prepared such a journal entry. Wasted so much of my time just to review and approve his journal entries. So inefficient.
Lora shook her head.
Sam: I think, by recording all the journal entries in an excel file would be easier for audit as well. All remarks, reason and screenshots were all there, properly labelled. At one glance, easy to grasp the reason behind it.
Lora: I agree with you. Let’s see how to improve. For now, you concentrate on understanding the routine work that he currently need to prepare first. We can simplify and change the needed afterwards. No rush.
Sam: Sure. Lunch?
Lora: What time it is… Oh my, already passed lunch time. Let’s go. I have another meeting at 2p.m.
Having someone that are ready for change, the will to get the communication clearly conveyed, open discussion and sharing ideas, is a gift! If you could have someone like that in your team, all the ad hoc request, urgent report request from the management, could be done, in the shortest time. Efficiency achieved; time and manpower saved; not only towards the company but also towards the individual employees. Everyone can go home on time without the need to stay back to complete their work just because the delay or inefficient work from the others.
Lora, too, wish and aim to go home on time. She has been working late since she joined this company. Process improvements can be seen in many areas within the finance team and work but the thing is: not everyone is ready for the change and some were even reluctant to change. The past practice that was passed down to him or her has been sealed with a ‘one and only model (or benchmark)’ he or she would accept and follow. Whatever better idea or effective way of doing things were just RUBBISH to them.
What a pity.
So, do you want an arrogant, self-focused above any work requests, uncooperative person or one with can-do attitude, team work-focused and open mindset person to be in your team?
Which one would you go for?