ZGAGA

5 Lotion Lessons

zgaga

25/07/2016

I used to be a teenager once, you know. With all the usual teenage problems. Not getting along with anyone telling you what to do, occasional laziness, having constant crushes on my boyfriend (these have not passed yet), body changes and skin problems.

The latter I overcame with an effective cosmetic product. It was some kind of a cleaning lotion. I do not know its name anymore. I remember it was light blue and I could not buy it anywhere. Only the biggest shops had it.

Once I went to buy one and the lady at the counter holds it in front of me, looks at me, at my face, the lotion again, and once again my face.

– Girl, why are you buying this lotion if you have no acne and no pimples?

– That is the exact reason I am buying it, madam.

She sells me the lotion, probably thinking to herself that I am mad to buy things I do not really need. I leave the store and think this was really weird of her to ask. However, don’t they say that every seller should sell the client, what s/he wants? Everybody knows the rule about the client being the king. There are some exceptions, of course, like selling cigarettes to a minor.

And again, did she ask herself, why am I not having problems with my skin? Probably not. She didn’t realize that I am probably buying the blue lotion because I have seen it work and prevented me from getting the acne and pimples.

This short story has several lessons.

What the client is buying is probably none of your business if s/he doesn’t ask for your opinion. And even if s/he does ask you, be frank and don’t nod to your bosses and lie to your client (f.e. how good she looks in that pink blazer) to generate more sales. If the client finds out you’re, lying this probably the last time he shops in your shop.
Could it be that the current state (in my case my skin, in other cases it maybe education, wealth, even good figure) is the result of a persistent and continuous effort of individuals, who at some time in the past have decided to make a step forward, set a goal and now still follow their path? Yes. Many times it is and we are not aware of it.
The outside is the result of the inside. The outside is many times the first thing we notice. We take it for granted that our neighbour is rich, because he has been rich for ever. We do not see it as the result of his hard work. Our colleague has a great figure. Again, we are not aware (or don’t want to be aware) that she exercises every day and counts the calories of every meal. Moreover, the cousin who did the faculty at one go, was born smart, not trying hard at all. Come on. Stop with thinking that if we are not prepared to work hard, nobody else is. There is a catch. If we never worked hard, we do not know how much work and time it takes. In addition, we cannot imagine ourselves putting that indefinite quantity of effort into a state we want to be in? Is it better to find excuses like, she has it all, I can’t compete with that? The outside marks what is inside and this is hard to understand for those who focus only on superficial, outside things.
Even if we manage to push ourselves to get better is some things, we often expect only good results. Bad results are a disappointment. This hurts. Actually, many times the bad results seem bad only at first. If we put some thoughts to it and extract all the valuable learnings from it, we find out they are actually good results. Therefore, it is impossible that trying, putting effort into matter is bad for us. We learn a lot and are better prepared next time.
If you see that something works, don’t stop doing it. That would be silly. Don’t lose your passion. Stay persistent and continue, until you reach the desired goal.

If you think the five lessons above are true only for your personal life, you are wrong. Think of your work environment, organisation you work for and the development of it. Constantly checking what others do and finding excuses why we are not there yet, does not bring any results.

I think my lotion lessons provide some answers. Dig into work and do not stop.

If I had stopped back then, many would have still remembered me as a pimply teenager, squeezing the zits.

Although I again tried to find that lotion, I wasn’t really successful. Anyway, I did find some interesting products to buy to wash away the pest of zits. Did you know they existed? I didn’t.

The bizarre job interview no. 5

zgaga

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22/07/2016

This interview never really happened. The board had so many instructions and directions of who not to choose beforehand that they rather chose no one. Of course, they also did not choose the person writing this.

The job was actually a real challenge. A company had been in red numbers for a decade and the director wanted to retire. The mission was great, the money promised not that much.
They announce they want competent people to apply. People with several skills and virtues, with focus on technical skills. What? Such skills could be gained in a four-year technical high school and easily outsourced for little money. Why would a director, responsible of managing, leading and financing the company obligatorily need such skills? Huh, let’s find an answer to that. There was also one unclear condition – knowing the state the company is in at the moment. OK. I have to find an answer to this as well.

There is a number to call. I dial it. The director answers and says I can ask anything. He didn’t think I am calling him because of application. When he realises that I am asking questions about the company, so that I could plan the development of the next four years, he freezes and wants to end the conversation.
For the next days till the application deadline, I call him several times to get some answers. It is impossible to make a plan without knowing what is going on. He doesn’t answer my calls or finds a quick excuse to hang up as quickly as possible.

I learn that cooperativeness is not really his virtue. No wonder he is in red numbers. Despite this, I seriously dig into work. I research the publicly accessible data, I interview some employees, some ex-employees (let me tell you that the numerus of the latter was extensive). I write the strategy that would help the company to grow into green numbers, extend cooperation internationally, provide better conditions for employees.

I again ask five friends to go through the plan and comment, adjust and correct. One of them being technician, others experts in other fields necessary. They give me great feedback, understanding and hoping that the company could really prosper with a better management.

I apply. I hear three others have applied as well. I include my full CV with documents proving that I have already helped organisations grow moneywise and staffwise. Proving that not only I possess the knowledge of management, but also know how to put it into actual work.

A week later I get a letter. It says that none of the applicants showed enough skills in organisation management and finances and did not know enough about the real situation the company is in at the moment.

I again dial the (one and only) director’s number.
– What you did is a big M.I.S.T.A.K.E.! How can you expect me to know about the real situation of your company if only you know it? You gave me no chance. This is bizarre.
His lame apologies and excuses quotes would take too much of our precious time. It was clear the decision was made by someone else and that the director has again given in to their wishes (like he has been for the last 20 years).

I inform my friends. I scan the reply of the board. They are appalled by the content of the rejection letter, they don’t understand. Going through the plan and perfecting it made them feel that were part of this application. They started to believe in my vision and such rejection really disappointed us all.

One of them contacts the board without me knowing it. The next time we meet I get the explanation.

– They decided you were too competent for leading this company. You would bring too much change. They rather chose no one.
– But what about the letter, it says terrible things to all the candidates, not only me? It’s insulting. You never want to deal with such people again.
– They just wrote one version and made four copies of it. You got one, even though the facts stated were not true for you.
– Wow, this really is great comfort.

We laugh.

In a year’s time they again look for a director and nobody wants to apply. They call people to apply. It seems like this time anyone is good enough to take the director’s position. But nobody wants to apply. How come?

The bizarre job interview no. 4

zgaga

1 komentar

17/07/2016

One summer afternoon I was walking down the street, full of worries, as my son was really ill (he is OK now). A lady stopped me to ask:
– Have you seen the call for applications? We are looking for a new director, and we need competent people, someone who would lead our institution, who would get along with people and the current authority, do apply for the director’s position. We need you.

– I’ll check it to see if this position is ok with me and if I comply with all conditions. I don’t promise anything. Why are you telling me this?

– I am the president. We have to find a new director quickly. Please, check the website. You have three days to apply.

I didn’t apply. Actually, I thought I had already missed the deadline when I remembered to check their webpage. My son was sick and I focused on him getting better. This was all that mattered to me at that time.

And all in all, there was no way I could write a good four-year plan in three days. No way. I couldn’t have done any research. They would not take me seriously if I handed in a half-done plan.

They found a temporary solution and one year later they look for the director again.
This time I prepare a four-year strategy. With all the goals and the measures that would quickly show if we are on the right path to develop the organisation.

I ask friends to help me check the plan. They are experts in several fields. Five of them. I am not that smart, you know. Even though people say I learn fast.

I take their comments into account and write a good application.
During the application period I call the number given on the call to get more info. I recognize the lady from the street. I inform her about my application, ask what else do they expect from me besides the four-year strategy and inform her that their website misses some details that would help me prepare the plan to present it at the interview (f.e. who are the people in the board – if they are competent I could include their knowledge as an important source of the organisation). I also inform her that all the public information should be available as this organisation was funded by public money).
She was hesitant to answer and this was the first sign something is not right.

I get a notice about the date of interview and the request to send the plan via e-mail to the existing director.
I write back that it was not clearly stated in the application that I should send files electronically. I ask if I can use some video to present my plan. The answer is no.
I inform my friends and we all agree that the plan be signed by me with a clear and evident note that I copyright.
I apply.

In a fortnight I get the interview. 7 people sitting there plus the ex-director, who according to the rules of the organisation, of course, should not be there in any way. The president of the board (read: the lady mentioned) makes an introduction that they invited me because I applied and wanted me to tell what I plan to do in 15 minutes. I try to do whatever I can in that time, but notice that they don’t listen.

In the Q & A session the above fact became even more obvious. Now I know that they did listen but did not understand. Q & A was actually a complaints and answer session. One man was complaining about parking tickets in Ljubljana, one lady was scared of me having the ‘director’ title (it scared him that I was used to this title already!), one guy did not understand how you can ask people for opinion and plan new things according to what they think. One man asked me, if there is no other place I would rather work as I am too competent for this town.
Then I answered that I had expected such a question and I know I stand out somehow and this should only be an opportunity for their organization, as I apparently have a lot of knowledge to offer.

Nobody understood what connecting with people meant – probably because they never connect – just taking care of themselves and their wallets. All the time I had the impression they wanted me to get scared and get out? Even move to some other place. Well, it won’t happen. I’m stubborn.

The small town thinking… Like dust, it’s everywhere you don’t want it to be.

There was someone other waiting to have an interview. He was waiting for a long time as I really bona fide wanted this organisation to do something good and for people for a change.
He got the job. Probably he had a better (read: none) plan. In a few days I have learned he agreed to go into politics with the lady president. This, you know, is enough in small towns. You need very little competence if you are in politics. Sometimes nodding only will do.

In two days I got the letter saying I was not chosen and that the decision was unanimous. The letter was not written according to the existing legal procedures and I could have made a complaint. But then again, what for?
It was clear to me that those people didn’t even understand what they were doing in the board, not even knowing what their responsibilities were. Throughout the interview they clearly showed that they just take care of themselves and give a damn about development of our town.
Tell me, how are such people going to assess my work and know if something is done well or not? That wouldn’t be good for me. It would be and is even worse for the organisation today.

I still live in this environment and you should see half of them lying that they wanted me to take the position. Then I mention the letter and that the decision was unanimous. And… they look down, go away and hide. Like a puppy who peed on the kitchen floor and feels guilty. Come on. Am I here to explain to you what YOU decided? Wait a minute. You’re telling me, somebody else told you what to do? Oh, poor thing, go and nod some more.