This blog reflects on life at work at comments on the latest news that shapes my 9-5 working day in a Corporate Communications consultancy.

About Me

I am a born and bred South African who has always loved to read and write. As a child my mother used to read to me and my siblings, from classics like the “Lord of the Rings” but later also from her own stories. She would write children’s stories and then use us as her test audience, but I loved to hear what she had written long after my siblings had tired of it. So I grew up in an environment of reading and writing, which inspired my love of these things. I hope to write a great book some day, and have learnt first hand the determination and will that it takes. My love of English inspired me to continue my study of it at university. I majored in Law and English in a BA degree at UCT where I found that I took to English much more than law. I enjoyed learning about South Africa’s history and the development of our liberal Constitution, which increasingly made me committed to the hope this country has for the future. Ideally, I’d like to find myself in a job where I am able to write; that allows a good mix of time spent with people and being able to work on my own.

Saturday, 18 August 2007

Things I learned this week.

Things I've learned this week:

1. Respect the office hierarchy. People in senior positions are there because they've worked hard to get there, and know a lot more than you. In a relaxed atmosphere like Brunswick, it sometimes easy to forget that. Even with small things, this is important- for example, for the last month I've been sending out a market wrap every afternoon. Normally, I typed in e mail addresses in the order of the way people are seated. Then, this week, Gareth (my desk neighbour) pointed out to me that it's standard business practice to order email addresses according to seniority - so start with partners and work my way down to interns. Not something you would know unless anyone told you - but again, it's about respecting hierarchy.

2. If you have a problem with someone or you feel they haven't done something properly, the best thing to do is to take it up with them personally, rather than complain to your colleagues. Complaining just allows the problem to get out of hand.

There are office politics no matter how small or how big the organisation - if you put some people together and ask them to complete a task, there's bound to be friction and disagreements. I was chatting to my cousin and he said he thought he learned the most in the first two years of work - and most of his lessons were about interacting with people in a professional manner. That's why EQ and what type of person you are are so much more important than what you study, I'm beginning to realise.

1 comment:

Ijeoma Uche-Okeke said...

Sues, I always make it a rule to read your posts. Your comments are often spot-on and very relevant to work-related and career-development issues. Keep the good stuff coming. And thanks again for making my farewell memorable.