We Are Married

These past few months, we handled 2 cases of employees with chronic conditions that felt like they were mistreated. One complained that her medical leave certificate was rejected, and another complained that she was unfairly transferred out of her department.  As we dived into the cases, I noticed that some managers tend to not have the courtesy, or should I say, bravery , to take the lead in discussing the chronic conditions together with the employees. Some managers just take the chronic condition at face value, some did not even bother to actually confirm the condition and just accept rumours, and not doing anything to help. Of course, it is understandable to think that by acknowledging the condition, the employees may "bully" the managers to get what they want. But, some employees with chronic conditions may actually need genuine help, and we may miss this group of people. Having a chronic medical condition, be it physical or mental, is not something someone wishes upon t...

I was a boss for five years in a small unit which consisted about 20 staff at a time. I started as a novice and was never provided any training whether in administrations, operations or leadership. My predecessor chose me and she passed over to me without any proper written note. Then, I received a letter and started the work. I always think about this today; how I had to learn everything myself. I decided I was not going to do that to my successor. I spent about one month to complete my task list to pass over to the next boss. I started early because I knew that most of the tasks are done monthly and I wanted to make sure I did not miss anything. A smooth transition is, after all, important as it ensures the continuity of a unit's operations.  But, as I completed my list, I realized that there are things that you cannot really pass over. The intangibilities, such as, your way of thinking and problem-solving, the work culture you cultivated within the unit and your leadership, are ...

Adam Grant tweeted: And it hit me: If the bosses were being problematic and the toxic culture somehow spilled into my workplace (which is physically not in the same place as the top management office), it is NOT my job to fix it. My job is to protect and support my team, not hope or try to change the bosses' attitude. If the bosses somehow have other (boring) priorities, I can voice out my opinion and just accept it when they denied my request.  I was only 30 when I took up this manager post. I did not have any prior experience as a manager and I always tried my best to please the bosses. I only took the post because I was looking for challenge. I thought that winning each battle was the top priority. I only changed after I enrolled in MBA, especially after learning about organizational behaviour. As fate has it, in this department there was an MBA program for medical officers interested in management. I started my course and fell head over heels in love with it. I graduated with ...