Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Moments @ Work

I quietly stepped into the Big Boss' office. I needed him to approve a document.

He scribbled into the file and stared at my shoes. "Are those what you call, 'ballet pumps'?"

I blinked momentarily. The question caught me totally off guard. It was completely out of context! Then I grinned. "Ballet flats actually. Pumps have got slight heels to them."

His pen paused in mid-thought, "They're really popular. I think I shall get a pair for my wife."

I nodded my head enthusiastically. "Do that! I'm sure she'll find them comfortable!"

Then I flounced out.

Many find the Big Boss scary. I suppose, in a way, he is. Like all competent Big Bosses who possess an inhumanly sharp intellect, macro overview and yet able to drill down into the details.

Many times, we tend to think of the Big Boss as an institution rather than a human. Many times, we run away from the Big Boss and avoid prolonged conversations. We leave that to the Boss to handle. Unless, of course on work trips when we run out of space at the breakfast table and we push someone to go sit with Boss and the Big Boss. *smirk*

But this Big Boss is really quite approachable and rather endearing. And he's really a human being too.

Like how one colleague puts it when Big Boss shifted a meeting to 8am and volunteered to buy breakfast for all members of the meeting. "How to stay glum with an offer like that?!!" I think it made everyone wake up earlier happily just for this meeting.

I also think, this begets what some call, loyalty to the office.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah, arguably the cheapest and most efficient way to buy the hearts (and stomachs) of your employees.

It's old school, but it works. 8)

Anonymous said...

it's called 'showing the human side to buy loyalty'. so long it works. it's working ain't it?!

kikare said...

ballerina flats go with (almost) everything!
but i thought you wear birkies to work?!

Jo said...

well, he is human too. :) But I feel that sense of loyalty towards a good 'human-ly' boss too. I mean.. felt.

Anonymous said...

too close to the boss also not good. very scary. difficult to draw the line between personal loyalty and objective work goals. i prefer keeping my distance. no conflict when i quit!

Q said...

It has to do with asian mentality. The best way to win our hearts is through winning our stomachs. Feed me and i'm your friend for life :P

Little Miss Snooze said...

It always helps to have a friendly big-boss :)

Esp one who knows shoes types HAHA.

My ex bigboss insisted that 3/4 pants are for "going to market" only. :P I had to tell him "they are called capris".

coboypb said...

It's nice to have a boss who cares for the staff and bothers to get to know them better.

Anonymous said...

again, it boils down to leadership. so many good work environments are often the direct result of a boss' leadership style, attitude and direction.

imp said...

johnnyM + andrew: hahaha. yes. so hoping there are discerning consumers of these perishables.

kikare: yes! different colored ones! i usually wear birkies. was feeling dressy that day.

jomel: hahaha.

opal: i always do! that's always a caveat with niceness!

lms: i was sooo tickled. aiyoh. i still hear 3/4 pants being thrown around sometimes!

Q: sometimes i guess. but i need to be fed like 10 times before i'm someone's friend! wahahahaha.

coboypb: yup! makes it so much better.

meteor: more often than not. it cuts both ways.

geesmo said...

Hooray for good Big Bosses. I had the pleasure of working with a few and they sure left an impression on me till this day. As do ppl who end every sentence with 'right'?

imp said...

geesmo: the competent ones. *pause* right?.

wildgoose said...

You really wear Birkies to work?!! I wish I can do that too!

Anonymous said...

whoa, the fact that he knows it is 'ballet' anything amazes me already! And wanting to buy for wife?! This man is the works.

Anonymous said...

i wondered why u were asking me strange things :p

Anonymous said...

That's nice..! Good bosses are really hard to find.

imp said...

wildgoose: i do!!! hehehehe. i blatantly flout office dress rules.

ame: teeeehehehehe.

corsage: i was just as surprised too!

mamabok: that's why i'm hanging around!

Jemej said...

Wow, I'm impressed with his knowledge of shoes!

imp said...

jemej: yea. that too!