Last Friday night, I stayed at the office until 12midnight, because we had a conference call with my bosses in the US. The call started at 10p.m. instead of the usual 9p.m. because its already daylight saving time in the US and Florida, which is on Eastern Standard Time, will not be 13 hours behind the Philippines. Due to several issues concerning the operations of the Philippine Office and with the IELTS summit in Cochin, India being moved to next year, the conference call lasted for two hours. So, there I was, alone in the office at 12 midnight. Did I mention that before we moved in, the former tenants of our office space is a company that sells columbarum and, is ironically named, Ever Living? The first time we checked our current office space, there are still some samples of epitaphs and urns scattered in and around the area.
Then, the following day, Saturday, after dropping my daughter Arphie at her Kumon Class at Shangrila, I proceeded to the office to do some work… our office is closed on Saturdays. I have really transformed to a creature that 12 years ago, vowed that I will never ever become…a workaholic. I first read this term back in 1987, when I’m in Grade 6 while reading Fortune Magazine in an article about Bill Gates. I should have realized that reading Fortune and Forbes Magazine when you’re 12 years old is a sign of an impending doom. I first saw the manifestations of a workaholic in my sister. And 20 years later, I’m officially a dreaded workaholic.
I now detest holidays and repulsed by President Arroyo’s “Holiday Economics”. But there’s a reason for this, even if there’s a holiday in the Philippines, our main office in Florida is not celebrating the same holiday, so work still goes on 12 time zones away. So, I would receive urgent e-mails and phone calls 12 time zones away, and very often, I would receive phone calls at 11 or 12midnight. Last Holy Week, my family and I took advantage of the loooong holiday and spent 11 days in Bangkok. When I got back at the office, almost 300 e-mails flooded my Inbox. I have to spend two days just to read and make sense of all the exchanges in the e-mails. For the next two weeks, I have to work overtime, skip meals to just to beat deadlines. In the recent long holiday, to celebrate All Saint’s day, my family and I went to Pattaya for a vacation. Its a different definition of vacation because instead of the usual r and r, we spent 5 days of training for 4 to 5 hours a day in muay thai. All we did was eat, sleep and muay thai… I wish. In the evenings, after dinner I have to go to the hotel’s business center to do some office work. Plus, the night before we flew to Thailand, I have to stay at the office until 11pm, again for a conference call. Not only that, I have a conference call of my own with my team while waiting for our flight at the airport. We’re just lucky that we saw a family friend who works for PAL and we were given the privilege of staying at the Mabuhay Lounge. So I was able to do my conference call and do some work without the usual airport noise.
One night while in Pattaya, we were watching the movie, The Devil Wears Prada. I sort of feel sorry for Anne Hathaway’s character, Andy Sachs, for having a boss who doesn’t know how to draw the line on what is working time and personal time. Andy would receive calls and orders from her boss even while on vacation. And I said, I don’t want to have that kind of boss. Well, guess what, in less than 15 minutes after I said those words, my boss called.
Another symptom of my being a workaholic is churning out my PDA at every moment of repose. Either when I’m riding in a car, or waiting in a restaurant and even while waiting or inside the elevator, I would work on my PDA that contains documents and spreadsheets related to the office. It’s one of the reasons why I don’t want to drive, because I can’t work on my PDA while driving. One time, when my sister asked why do I have to do something in the car while I’m on my way to work when I’m going to the office in the first place, and why do I have to spend so much on a PDA just to be able to to my work. Whoa, hold on there. My sister, who is more workaholic than me, is questioning my being a workaholic? Did I become a more hideous creature than she is? I’m afraid that I am. Remember, the day after my mother died… I was in the office.
My only solace in working the way that I do is I can provide the luxury and comfort that my family deserves and ensure a brilliant future for my daughter so that she will not experience the poverty my sister and I grew up with. I want to be capable of helping her achieve her dreams. For though I may not be able to attain my dreams, at least I can make her aspirations come true.
After spending a Saturday afternoon in the office, I picked up my daughter from her Kumon class and went to nearby Megamall to buy new discs for her Gameboy and watched the movie, The Gameplan. A Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson comedy movie about an instant and reluctant father.
Another creature that is dreaded in any office are the Office Gossipers. These repugnant organisms are gifted with sonar ears that they can hear if a pin was dropped several meters away. If they can do that, what more about the normal, audible human conversation? They also have the capacity to discern if a conversation is work related or personal. Their ears automatically adjust whenever a phone rings or if colleagues would gather and talk. They also have the uncanny ability of making themselves within hearing distance without being noticed by the people they are eavesdropping on. Aside from their sonar ears, they are also endowed with mouths that can replay, without missing a single word, everything their poor victims have said. And the victim would know the office gossipers have struck when they receive that kind of look from their colleagues. If the US military only know the existence of such creatures, they don’t have to spend millions of dollars trying to develop sophisticated intelligence or spying technology and equipment. They will not have any trouble in locating and capturing any elements of Al Queda or Jamaa Islamiya. All they have to do is get these office gossipers, give them a few training then let them live in Afghanistan, Iraq or even in Mindanao. It’s a sure bet that in just a few months, these office gossipers would be able to locate and give information about the terrorists. Come to think of it, the world would be a better, safe and secure place with them around. All Hail the Office Gossipers!!!
Seriously, I have the misfortune of having staffs are this kind of creature. There was even an occasion that I told them that I know they talk behind my back. But last Saturday, when I learned that an office gossiper struck again with me as the victim, I snapped and confronted them. I was so disappointed and pissed off because I have been a good superior to them and I don’t deserve anybody to talk shit behind my back. One of them was marked for termination and my counterpart in India told me innumerable times that I should fire him for inefficiency. But I want to give this person a chance to improve and prove himself worthy of staying in the company. So I painstakingly trained this person, spend several hours with him just for him to be more productive. Another had personal problems and on several occassions, I gave my assistance even though it already out of my bounds as a manager. When she was being threatened by harm I gave her assurance that while she’s in my office, nothing will happen to her and I’m ready to defend her against anybody.
Would a confrontation make make a phenomenon and turn these office gossipers to professional workers who focus on their duties and responsibilities instead of other people’s lives? Hmmm, I don’t think so. I do not fancy myself as a saint who can perform miracles.
