Ambushed.

I always wondered what I started this blog for. To blog about my life I guess. All of a sudden I have a feeling that I am repeating myself already for something that I already talked about in some previous entries. Haha too bad for you for having to read this again.


Lots of things can happen in a short time. Sometimes a lot of things happened not because of a lot of things have to happen, it’s because a lot of things don’t really happen until someone triggers it or when there’s an opportunity to happen all in one shot.

Everything happened in one shot yesterday.

it was a meeting that caught us out of blue, that happened all of a sudden. An email invitation came titled “team meeting” without any agenda mentioned to us. What happened in the meeting room, most of us would agree that it was to be named a “show down”.

For a while we have been doing some skip level meetings with our boss’s boss. We were asked to provide feedback so feedback were provided. It is natural in human nature that when you comment on something that could be improved, you comment on the short comings that you think it could be improved on. Soon the feedback became criticisms, and criticisms would lead to negative feelings and then to something worse.

That has been happening in the team and our Team Leader has been at the receiving end of it. For the fact that he has some negative traits that he might not have realized and him being not transparent enough of what he has been doing, he was depicted to be a good-for-nothing.

Yesterday’s meeting was tough.

The manager was invited into the meeting and he has played a major role in this turn around. Well, I consider it a turn around because this meeting convinced me that I should give him a second chance. Scrap whatever that I know about this person and then learn about him again. For me I believe everyone deserves a second chance because once upon a time in my life when I needed a second chance, someone whom his name I cannot remember gave me a second chance. Else I’d remain a high school dropout and a good-for-nothing probably for the rest of my life.

So words exchanged, in a positive way. It was difficult because the manager has pointed out things that we accused of the team leader of not doing, although no names were mentioned it was easy to understand who said what because the team is of such a small size. There’s nowhere to hide so what happened was that we had to stand up and speak the things that we didn’t. We told the manager things that we told precisely because we did not feel comfortable to tell the team leader. So it was a showdown.

We pointed out his short comings. I told him in the face that I didn’t like him and I did not have enough trust for him. That I’d work with him as best as I possibly could and I will give my cooperation to him to help him to gain the similar type of support from the rest of the team. However on a personal level, after working hours, at this point of time I would not even consider ringing him for a hang out, will not tell him anything regards of my personal things. I will also think twice in picking up his call outside of working hours. Simply because he has not done something that gained my confidence that he is a person that is dependable.

He took it well. I’m impressed. So that’s a good start.

He came to the meeting prepared with stats and data, we had no idea what the meeting was going to be about. It was a disadvantage for us because he has been asking questions as according to data he has and things that we are unable to say “no” because it was In fact the truth. He’s smart in that sense, he designed the meeting so that he would look good and so that our accusations would seem rather empty and were like firing blanks. The manager was not impressed with us because all the concerns we raised seemed totally untrue now.

We were caught pants down.

It didn’t go one way however. We are a department that has been constantly been making arguments and analysis with logic and facts without the aid of supporting documents. All we said were facts and we had no fear. So when all the arguments were brought up again we justified them. Most of the criticisms came from the 3 of us whom has been in the team long enough. 2 of the other team members who have been quiet suddenly rise for the occasion and started to speak for the team leader. So it was not a unified voice. Things got difficult.

I remained quiet for most of the first half of the meeting. Then I felt that I have to speak. The first thing I did was to identify myself with the criticisms I’ve made then I explained why these criticisms were made. I have also pointed out that how unnecessary this showdown was as this conversation should have been carried out 6 months ago and should be on a regular basis. So much time have been wasted.

I say he has himself to blame as he is obviously lacking in terms of connecting with his team. He is lucky with us as this team is relatively more enthusiastic than the other half. So good luck to him in that.

My principle is simple. I don’t have to like this guy but will ensure that I will be able to work with him. I will also try to get my team mates to be the same because there’s no reason for them to jeopardize their own career advancement just because of this fella. This place where we work is a stepping stone after all and we all want to move on the somewhere higher.

So far I dun find anything in him that I can convince myself that I can like him. His personality and his way of carrying himself are directly similar with someone that I really really really dislike. Too bad for him. Yeah prejudice I know. So what?

Let’s see if that’s going to change. Opinions are forever changing, albeit some are harder done.



Signing off.