I am writing this to my dear self so that I will be reminded in the future that I have made a good decision for myself and to demand the things that I truly deserve. All you need to do is ask, and of course, if you've been good to people, stay grounded, and always be respectful to people, even if some could be nasty to you and make your life hard and difficult. There will always be other people who can help you overcome them or their decisions toward you. Allah is fair, and for that, I am so thankful.
Today marks the 29th day of my tenure as the Head of Everything (HOE) at Yums. I am no longer working in the corporate world (well, not yet), and alhamdulillah, things are going incredibly well. I have been contemplating whether to concentrate and focus on Yums, but sometimes I can't help having thoughts and desires to be "somebody" in the corporate world. Silly, but I can't help myself. So, what happened is that I applied for a position in one of the well-known companies and one of the world's top 10 companies in its industry. Insha Allah, I've received good news, and I hope it is confirmed that I have the opportunity to join them.
Honestly, I did not expect this opportunity to come, but I am overjoyed, and I truly hope I'll perform well, that they'll like me, and most importantly, I pray to Allah that I get not only an efficient, skillful, and knowledgeable manager but also a morally good one. What I can say is that having a good supervisor is also a form of rezeki.
I've had enough of feeling anxious about everything every single day and being in a situation where I always worry about whether I am doing things right. I've also had enough of a situation where people are inconsistent with their words - reminding you not to assume things, but encouraging you to ask if you are not sure. Yet when you ask them, you are questioned about why you need to ask when you've encountered a similar or almost similar situation - which then leads you to make an assumption. Confusing, right?
There was no room for exploration, trying new things, being creative, or fully utilizing your problem-solving skills. Everything was expected to be right the first time. The moment you asked, you'd get the impression that you didn't try hard enough. You were not only evaluated for accuracy but also for speed, even though you were new. Being accountable for errors and being transparent about things you were unsure about, where you had to check to confirm before presenting your findings, were seen as weaknesses because they showed a lack of confidence. There were no reliable systems or tools to measure your performance, tasks completed, errors omitted, or any recognition for problem-solving. I did ask for it, but they could not provide it.
You'd also receive criticism for a typo in a free-text section. Ironically, almost every day you encountered others making silly typos, and no one made a fuss about it.
When a new request came in, you went through the materials together and followed the recommended actions. The second time you did it, someone highlighted that what you did was wrong, and you were asked why you did it wrong. When you explained that you were taught that way, there were no apologies given to you. You were forced to accept it and move on.
Nevertheless, it was a valuable experience, and perhaps it's time to reevaluate and re-plan my life, preparing for potential challenges or opportunities that may lie ahead - they might be great. I hope so!
“Sometimes it takes a wrong turn to get you to the right place.” ― Mandy Hale
“Everyday presents a new opportunity to grow and press forward to your success. Stay the course believing that where you are right now doesn't matter, as long as you are moving in the right direction.” ― Germany Kent
For now, let's savor the moment. I must admit, I'm quite enjoying being the HOE of Yums! I've been able to address numerous challenges, delve into new areas of marketing and sales strategy, and successfully boost sales within just two weeks (after dedicating time to research and extensive reading, of course!). Some of our loyal customers have advised me to concentrate solely on the business, as they see potential in both the business itself and in me. However, a part of me reminds me that I'm still young, so I should channel my energy towards achieving my goals in the corporate world for at least the next 10 years before considering a full focus on the business.
Rest assured, I will take my time to carefully and thoroughly consider my options and continue to educate myself so that I can make the best decision for myself.
Till then.
