How are you in relation to your pay grade?

Do you aspire for a promotion? If yes, please evaluate thyself.

Whenever the boss asks you a question, do you answer correctly? Are you the type that says, “Ikaw sir!!?” Loosely translated, it means; “It’s up to you, sir!!!?” Or, “What do you think sir!?”

Or, are you the type that gives your straight thoughts and go further by offering suggestions?
Do you perform your job just like any other employee? Or, do you work harder than all others?

Here are my thoughts:

When bosses ask questions, their intention may be to truly seek for enlightenment, test their subordinates’ ability to solve problems or maybe, they are checking the quality of responses of their subordinates.

By answering; “Ikaw sir!?”, how did you think you performed? Were your responses, below, at par, or well above your pay grade?

-In your work as an ordinary employee, supervisor or executive, how do you perform?
-Are you the type who let things pass even without necessary clearances?
-Are you the type who stops the release of goods for the lack of clearances? Or,
-Are you the type who will block the release and report the failed attempt to your boss?
-Are you the type who simply look for problems or are you the type who help provide solutions?

My message, for now, is this:

Employees who shortchange their employers, work below their pay grade.
Employees who perform only in accordance with their job descriptions work according to their pay grades.

In the event of mass retrenchments, both employee types will undoubtedly be the first to be terminated. They are a dime a dozen if not, totally undesirable.

On the other hand, those who walk the extra mile, truthfully care about their company and serve more than what they are paid for are the real honest employees that deserve to be promoted and cared for. They are the ones that bosses will eventually recognize, be given responsibilities, promotions and that much valued raise.

Think not, below or in accordance with your pay grades. Always be above it!

These are the types that I look for whenever I look for people to promote.

In Addition

I can't believe that it's been a week since my last post.

A lot of things have transpired and most of it were positive developments.

In regard to my last post, I was told by several sources that the company is indeed suffering from temporary financial setbacks. It expanded very rapidly, to the point that their cash flow is heavily burdened. I've heard of suppliers withholding deliveries because of huge overdue collectibles.

I don't think that company is about to go under. It has plenty of good clients and it's probably a simple matter of huge uncollected receivables from its own clients. This setback is just temporary for them. What I just don't like is their way of dealing with us. The way they try to blame our paperwork for their failure to pay us on time. The way they try to make fools out of us.

I've been in this planet long enough to recognize an alibi and a serious cash flow problem when pass by one. I am very much insulted when people try to do this to me and think that they got away with it. But my breeding dictates that I should not slam this in their faces. But I've also been here long enough to know, that somewhere along the road, they will meet somebody who will.

Palusot

Don't you just hate it, when a client who's behind in payments, try to blame your company for their failure to pay you on time?

I got a call from one today. Very politely, I listened to her rants against my collections department - how they failed to send billings, time and time again, blah, blah, blah! My, she was very abrasive.

I did not get to where I am, by being stupid all the time. But rather, I got here because I read things right, most of the time. I already deciphered the message that they are short on money at this time. A lot of companies experience temporary crunch, when expected inflows (collections) do not come on time and suppliers already need to get paid. Things like this are temporary for most big companies. This client, instead of handling things the right way, resorted to back stabbing my employees.

I called the concerned people in my company and they showed me documents, duly received by the client. My people were not lacking in this instance, as I suspected from the beginning.

That client showed how they can be bad during bad times and that's so sad.

Threats of Floods

The threat of a Tsunami this weekend tells me that we simply can't be complacent.

There was the same amount of Manila floods in London, an earthquake in Haiti and Chile and now, the Tsunami alerts in the entire Pacific.

Global warming is here and we need to get ready for it.

I may be paranoid but for sure, I will be one of those in lifejackets and floating rafts when the next great floods come.

Get ready, everyone!