Wrapping up 2006 (Part 3)

Work
Things related to my career and professional development

I had the following goals related to this..

• groom my wingman (or woman)
• reassess my career path and options
• study for 15 minutes every day
• file papers that need filing, throw away others
• have a blast in Casablanca!
• get recognition at work

It has been two years since I first held my current post. Many words come to mind.. challenging, rewarding, at times thankless but more often than not, it is my channel to serve others. This resonates well with my life’s motto.. to lead, serve and love. I’ve worked for almost ten years now and by God’s grace I’ve been given the opportunity to lead and teach others. To serve is a noble calling. I believe not until one is able to accept one’s duty to serve, work will never be anything more than just a means to earn a living. What I do matters, so does the work of all my peers who enables me to do what I need to do, affect the change that needs to happen for us to move forward. While this may sound simplistic, it can also be powerful. Sometimes a powerful belief is something as simple as this. When everything goes wrong and nothing goes your way, this belief gives you faith and the courage to face yet another day.

Other significant events include the recognition trip to Casablanca and Marrakech. I had a great time, taking in unfamiliar sights and surroundings while brushing up my rusty Arabic. On people development, I formalized the appointment of a new Team Leader, someone who I believe is capable, reliable and has the potential to lead others. I’m glad I finally did this, it’s great knowing I have someone dependable to bounce ideas with for the betterment of the group.

I finally finished all my classes for my MBA programme. What’s left is my research project which is ready for final print and later on, hardback binding. It feels almost weird to see this chapter finally ending after three years of evening classes, last-minute submissions (seriously.. and adrenaline has nothing to do with it!) and nerve-wrecking exams. Can’t help it, even after all these years, exams for me are the stuff of nightmares.. which is literally true coz I do have those dreams sometimes. I still haven’t figured out if my MBA is supposed to mean anything beyond how it has helped me grown and benefit from various exposures via subjects such as Finance and Corporate Strategy, areas I wouldn’t normally venture into since it is unrelated to my day job. But I firmly believe that my MBA is about the process or the journey of personal growth, not exactly an asset that makes my CV any more credible. I guess it’ll help open doors eventually, but for now I don’t see how or when that will happen.