What a relief....

Sigh...

Thank God my APT (average processing time) had significantly improved for March.

For those who don't understand what APT is, don't worry. You'll know it soon enough when you work someday!

To put it in simpler terms, imagine when you to McDonalds 'drive-tru'. They have to make sure that you wouldn't wait too long from the time you order until when you got your food. Of course for some orders, it'll go beyond the slotted time. So they have to manage it by achieving certain percentage. Any lower than achieving the percentage APT would hamper their 'drive-tru' overall performance.

Well...in my line of work, i have to manage this among other things. For the first 2 months it was bad due to certain situation. I've told my superior that once those situation are resolved, my APT should rised again.

And i got to know this was achieved last month which was a surprise as i thought it'll only improve in April. My boss acknowledge this and my excuses was proven.

Alhamdulillah...

Eid at work...

To eat and have a feast...

Yesterday, my division had an Eid celebration. Invited all the tenants at the office building to join the celeberation. The week before, there was 2 other division held Eid celebration. Plus, there are invitation by vendors for their Eid open day. So, here in the East Coast there is a tendency of having free lunch every other day in Syawal.

For our celebration, each departments needs to put on a show. Well, it was delightful to see that our management also join in the show. Some puts on a great dance number with everyone dancing, one department put a video presentation along with their show, another instill the patrioticism in their act with 'Merdekaraya' and my department put on an Eid sketch with background 'live' singers/choir ( which includes me!). When i say show, they really pun on a spectacular show. I mean, when can you see a senior manager dance on the stage? A cute dance some more!

Rase bleh masuk rancangan ni tak?

 The day was joyful and we just forgot about work for a minute. Like a say to my fellow colleague, the thing at this office is that whenever there is a chance of something which could distract you facing work, you'll give it 100%.

This you wouldn't see in KL...

How to be productive at work...

Getting started

Start with understanding and doing your assigned task. Remember, taking the first step is always difficult, but if you do not take that one step you can never achieve your goals. Don't get worried with the task assigned, if it is new to you.   Ask required questions to better understand assigned task. Once you get started, everything will come in easy.

Stay Healthy

Bad health can also be a possible reason for being unproductive. Before you go to work; take your breakfast, rest well and research about your duties.

Make an appointment with yourself

Give yourself at least 30 minutes during the day. This will enable you to concentrate and focus your attention on the matters at hand. Give yourself time to think and concentrate as you tackle your job and projects. These uninterrupted 30 minutes will give fruitful results in the long run.

Utilize your prime time

We all have a specific time of the day when we have lots of vigor and zest and a greater ability to think and concentrate. Work out when you have your high energy levels and tackle your most important work at that time. Try to arrange meetings, appointments and other activities at another time of the day.

Avoid unplanned meetings

Spontaneous meetings are real interrupters as well as huge time-wasters and productivity destroyers. They break your concentration, disturb your thought process while undermine your momentum. The next time someone comes into your office or sits by your desk and start making him/herself comfortable, say that you are in the middle of an important project. Then ask if you could get together at a mutually convenient time later in the day or week. This is called a polite excuse.

Schedule your meetings with staff and colleagues

In most offices, time is wasted when people get up from their desks to ask their colleagues a question. Fix a specific time to meet colleagues for queries. Best is the time slot which does not fall in the peak hours of work.

Take breaks

It is a fact that taking breaks periodically during the day relax your body and nerves and refreshes you for the tasks ahead. Ensure that you take small breaks all day. It could be a walk to the water cooler from your office/room or a visit to the photocopy machine/fax/ printer.

Planning required

Establish a routine of listing your daily and weekly tasks. This will allow you to have your most productive week all the time. Start your day an extra 15 minutes early to do this planning every day. Write down the top 3 important things you must do that day. Plan your upcoming week on Sunday evening.

Drop unimportant tasks

Delete the non-essential items from your to-do list. The best way to do this is to prioritize and complete your most important things first.

Enjoy your time at work

Being productive and competitive in official business doesn't mean that you have to be serious all the time. Smiling doesn't mean you're not working hard. Be enthusiastic as well as competitive. Stay positive, that way you can face and win challenges better.

Be a Team Player

Don't be afraid to collaborate with others. Don't wait for your boss to tell you what to do.

Learn from criticism

Be a sport and never immediately reject critiques from others, even if you do not like or respect them. Sometimes people you do not like may be giving you more honest feedback than you can get from others.

Acclimatize

Adapting is in the nature of living beings. Those who do not adapt, become extinct.

Upgrade your learning

Always be on the lookout for opportunities to learn and improve your skills. Look for good seminars and training.

p/s: Lots of tips here, some i just can't do yet. It takes time...

Swamped...

I try not to complain...

It has been a whirlwind since my transfer here. We were reminded that our learning curve would be steep. We need to learn the work fast and do it efficiently in a short amount of time. It's like learning to swim when you don't know how to float.

Well, the seniors are helping but at times i felt embarrased to ask for their advice as i felt that i asked questions too often. I'm sure after a while, they too felt fed-up when often than not i would stop them in the middle of the own work to query about something.

With users starting to call requesting me to speed up the process, i do felt overwhelmed. I tried to play it down by saying nothing much and wearing a brave face. Deep inside, i was worried that i might messed up. Me messing up would really affect the daily operations of the oil and gas subsidiaries.

I have to be courageous to face all the demands of my work. I need to make myself efficient in order to excel in doing my job. I must be organised to juggle all the things i need to do.

Oh God, please help me by giving me strength to do this job...

Note :  I didn't even have the time to take out my things from the boxes and arrange them at my cubicle. Need to side time for it!

A deskjob it is...

Week 2 on the job...

Is it a boring job? Not really. Is it so interesting? Not really also.

By definition, it is a deskjob. You are pushing papers to get approval. Everyday.

Calling vendors to make sure they get the orders. Every other day.

Users calling you making sure you pushed the papers and call the vendors. 24 hours? It might as well be!


P/s : Someone told me that whether the work interesting or not, it's entirely up to you. You are the one who can make it exciting, interesting. If you look forward for the job, the job will not bore you. If you wake up and thinking, it'll be a boring day...for sure it'll be full of boredom.

P/s 2 : Finding the motivation is not easy. You need to push yourselves. You need to know what makes you excited. You need to make your day wonderful. Noone would make it wonderful for you.

P/s 3 : Think it like this. This is the work the company pays you to do. Do it. The company could always pay other people if you are not interested. This is the fortune God had given us. Aren't we grateful?

P/s 4 : 'Ikhlas' is the word. The more we moan, the more we complain, it's like we are not grateful. This is even harder to achieve but it is achievable. I am like other people, digging deep for motivation, tunneling further to search for 'ikhlas'... trying to do the job with heart.

Yup, it is so hard...

Live from the new place...

In the office, no purchase requisition to process just yet....






My place

 
It had been almost a week since moving here. Rented a house with my friends.  Started at the new office last Monday, the first day of Ramadhan. The first 2 days reporting for duty was filled with briefings, meetings and getting our cubicle in order. Meaning to set the phones, the conputers, IDs needed to enter the systems and also to haul the stuff we bring from previous place. Here, we work from Sunday to Thusrsday. So, I'll be going back to KL after work tomorrow for the weekend and breaking my fast on the road. Some of us carpooled. However, this time around i'll be driving alone. Maybe next next time i'll do a convoy.

Trees outside the office

For the past few days, it had been somewhat busy. People going in and out of the office to get the system running. New people with confused looks, gazing around to get a hand on what they need to do. Me...i am learning. Baby steps.......or maybe long runs...he..he.... Thanks to my friends and fellow senior collegues, i got some undestanding what my job require of me. Knowing the systems and procedures is the first steps. I got mails requesting for info on my second day. After asking here and there, i think i know what to do. Let me do it first. If i make mistakes, need not to repeat it next time.

It's 5 pm. Time to go home...

Though i will be far, no worries...

The move is eminent...

As its gets nearer and nearer, it seems unreal. I just can't believe that i'll be moving away. Into a new job, new environment, new bosses, new colleagues...new everything! Though i'd prepared for it i.e. find a house, scheduled movers, went for familiarization, attended training, buy stuff and things to be brought over there....i just....hmm.....not ready.

I think once i moved, then the reality would hit me. Hopefully i'll not be too shocked and shattered.

For the last few weeks, i treat my days as if i would still be working in KL. My plan once there, was to come back to the city every weekend. The more i think about it, the more impossible it felt. 4 hours drive, a trip with tolls and other expenses. That 8 hours go and back. Can i afford the time and money? Wouldn't i feel tired and everything else which comes together with the trips?And the first 2 months would be Ramadhan and Syawal. I don't know. I would only know when i am there.

My friends said goodbyes to me last weekend. I replied, it wouldn't be a real goodbye as i would be returning every weekends and we usually hang out on weekends anyways. We would still hang. Just that i can't do dinners on weekdays like we do at times. I just can't, on a whim call and meet my friends. It'll have to be on weekends.

No worries, i'll be okay. I am fine with the move. I hope i won't be emotional on my last day this 27th. Hate goodbyes. I will be far, but my heart would always be in KL. I'll be calling and texting all the time. I might even create an FB profile just to keep in touch with them. Really......maybe not......who knows......anything is possible.         

A week of systems training...

The whole of last week were contributed for training...

I learn new things during the training. Need to get familiar with the system as quickly as possible. We'll be up and running starting this August. No time for a breather or anything. The Management expect us to be able to conduct the daily activities without a hitch from the get go, which is obviously impossible.

The thing is, though the system is easy enough to understand, i am not familiar with the works. It'll be slow and painful. Expect lots of mistakes in the beginning. Actually what i need is hands-on experience. Once i got to work and got a hang of it, it'll be smooth sailing. Give me a month or so, then it'll be okay. But with high expectation from the top, it'll be so stressful. Hopefully, the situation would be stabilized within 3 months. Taking over the departmental functions from the group of companies into one shared-service, would be a mess at first. Once stabilized, everybody should be happy.

Expect the unexpected... 

I am floating...

It's my work situation.I am not here neither there.

My division was under major reorganisation. That's why many of us were transferred or some just quit. The thing is, the reorganisation was effective early this month. All those who swap positions or had departmental merger or goes out of the organisation, the effective date was 1st July 2011. The thing is for the group of us who would be going to the East Coast, our effective date is 1st August 2011. So, for this 1 month we're floating...

It was lucky that our month was filled with trainings and preparation to go there. Even our current cubicles are taken over by other personnel because of the reorganisation. Where are we going to sit in between the transfer? How about our office telephone or our computer's LAN for this 1 month? There are no temporary place for us. I felt the Management just left us out. The 1 month gap shouldn't happen to ensure smoothness of the reorganisation and the transfer.

Some of us still has some work to be completed before moving on. The handover processes to new personnel need to be done. I'd completed my current task and now just idling about. I've already packed all my office stuff. Only waiting to move. For the last 2 days, i was wasting my time by playing games. I'd finished the game already. I was like....wow....what a waste of time. I should be doing something productive. But what could i do? I can't work on the new position as it'll only effective next month. I can't do much for my current work as my name is not the organisation anymore.

So this is me....for this month..........doing nothing....floating around..........