11. SHOULD YOU CHOOSE PERSONAL GROWTH, AND MENTORSHIP OVER SALARY?
11. SHOULD YOU CHOOSE PERSONAL GROWTH, AND MENTORSHIP OVER SALARY?
“If you want to go places worth going, you have to be open to personal growth. No matter how much your job pays you, if it doesn’t offer you the opportunity to grow, your efforts would only go to waste. There are really just some things that money can’t buy. Never stop learning!” - Kevin J. Donaldson
When you go for job interviews, you might end up in predicament on how to choose the right job for you.
If you were offered a job with a very high salary package but you need to report to a lousy boss, would you go for it?
If you were offered a job with a very high salary package to do the same thing you have been doing for the last ten years with no room to grow, would you go for it?
An organisation providing rooms for personal growth is far more important than salary
No doubt, salary is important, but it's not as important as joining an organisation that gives you room to grow and learn.
As what Alibaba Group co-founder and executive chairman Jack Ma said during a panel session at the World Economic Forum annual meeting on January 23, 2019, "Your first job is your most important. That doesn't mean it has to be your 'dream job" - or even one you particularly enjoy. But it does have to be one where you can learn from others and stretch yourself. Not necessary a company that has a great name, but you should find a good boss who can teach you how to be a human being - how to do things right, how to do things properly - and you should stay there. “
Jack Ma continued, “That requires staying the course, allowing yourself time to figure out your strengths and where you want to end up - and all that takes time. Give yourself a promise: ‘I will stay there for three years.’ Then you start to move."
Jack Ma said he's seen young workers often quit their jobs prematurely without allowing themselves time to bed it. He said, "It's not good. I've seen a lot of disasters."
Listen to Jack Ma! He is absolutely right! I have been through it personally and I can testify to what he said.
Personally, I think it’d be a great bonus if you can work for a company that aligns to your own personal values and has a vision that excites you. With the right values and vision, you will find the workspace to be a physically and emotionally safe space for your personal growth.
However, as pointed out rightly by Jack Ma, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a company with great name. In a sense, it also means that it doesn’t necessarily have to be a company that pays you the most. The key is to join a company with rooms for you to grow and learn.
My first job with Seagate in Penang wasn't the best job offer with the highest pay. I received two other job offers with better salary package in Kuala Lumpur.
I chose Seagate because it was closer to hometown Langkawi. I could visit my parents more often through the direct ferry service. More importantly, being a US graduate, I wanted to work for a US company because US companies were known for their effectiveness, efficiency and performance-oriented work culture. I believe I could learn a lot. I stayed on for three years plus.
Choose to work for an organisation that can create a platform for you to gain knowledge and experience, to grow yourself, to stretch yourself. You can slowly earn back the money over the years, especially if you are still young. Time is on your side.
Therefore, given a choice between a company that allows you to grow versus a higher salary, I recommend you to choose the company with rooms to grow. It will give you a strong foundation in your career. Your monetary rewards will definitely come at later stage.
Having a good boss cum mentor is far more important than joining a good company
You and I have heard far too often from your friends and colleagues who complain about their bosses.
In fact, many employers leave their jobs not so much of the company, but mainly because of unhappiness with their bad horrible bosses. Some feel unappreciated by their bosses at their jobs.
On the other hand, when I ask people what they love about their workplace, most people often say that it's "the people" or their "incredible bosses" that they love.
These people usually are happy at their workplace. Some are long serving employees at the organisation. The good bosses usually influence them to work as a team to make the organisation a better place to work.
Bad boss
I had a very bad experience with a direct boss. I ranked her the worst boss I have ever had. I was doing sales and I had to make many outbound phone calls to pitch our products to potential customers. She had no sales knowledge nor experience, yet she acted as if she knew everything. She didn't help me to grow. And I didn't learn much from her.
When she was unhappy with the sales numbers, she would then use her authority to give pressure without showing how sales could be achieved. I left the job in less than two years.
Good bosses
I had a few wonderful bosses though. They were not only incredible, but extraordinary and fantastic! They were the bosses who moulded me to be who I'm today. They have impacted my career. I owe my career to them. Until these days, I'm still full of gratitude for their guidance, development, advice and opportunities given to me. Their impact on me lasts a lifetime.
Example 1
When I was a process engineer (first job) at Seagate Penang, I had an incredibly understanding lady boss named Ms Lim Swee Heng.
I was fresh and new at the job. Seagate provided a solid training ground for me. But my boss really took the effort to spend time with me, to develop me, to grow me.
During one of the weekly production meetings, I gave a presentation on my findings regarding the hard disc manufacturing processes that caused highest defects. I made a blunder sharing an inaccurate findings.
The production manager Mr Tan was very upset. He banged the table during the meeting in the presence of all the production supervisors and engineers, accusing me of finding fault in his department.
I was so stunned and speechless. I knew it was my fault for coming out with the wrong conclusions. Perhaps my tone of voice also made it sound like I was putting a blame on the production for the high defect rate. Despite my repeated apologies to the production manager, he was still very angry.
My boss stood up and said, "My deepest apologies, Mr Tan. This is entirely my fault. I will make sure this is rectified." Only then, the production manager calmed down.
I was so touched by her action. Instead of saying that it was my fault, she took on the full responsibility and accountability to say that it was her fault as my manager. That she didn't check through my work before the presentation.
In fact, she could have done most other managers would do - pointing at me and questioning my mistake. She could have put all the blames on me in the presence of others.
But she didn't.
After we came out from the meeting room, she didn't even scold me. She just pulled me aside, sat me down, and ran through the whole issues again with me. She was more keen to ensure I learned than to scold me.
After she was confident that I knew how to rectify it on my own, she left it to me to further trouble shoot and rectify the problem.
After that incident, I respected her even more as my boss. I worked even harder.
Example 2
Ms Chook Yuh Yng, or YY as we fondly call her, was my direct boss and country manager of Jobstreet.com Malaysia. I was managing the sales and customer service teams at that time.
I really enjoyed working with her because she is very intelligent, open to ideas, appreciative of people, understanding, and knowledgeable. Her business acumen on job market and jobseeker market is top-notched. I've learned so much from her.
I had a career change at 40 from IT and automotive manufacturing to recruitment and job portal internet business. I had to learn everything from the ground up at Jobstreet.com. I had to put in extra effort to catch up on my product and industry knowledge. I also had to learn up about internet business quickly.
I used to have people reporting to me in the manufacturing environment. However, it was nothing like have a team of sales people who have been with the company much longer than me to report to me. I had to gain their respect and trust. They put me to test too. I was having a challenging time adjusting to this new career.
However, YY cushioned me during tough situations, patiently taught me the trade secrets, developed me to be a better manager.
When I was just two months into my new job, I was already tasked with target settings for each individual sales person for the entire team of about 60 people. I was so nervous. I spent countless nights preparing that sales targets, trying to ensure that targets were calculated correctly and fairly.
Sales target settings also involved account allocation, meaning which clients a sales person were to be assigned to manage. One of the sales persons was not very pleased with the sales target and customer account assigned to her.
Even after my explanation in the meeting room, she was still very upset. She walked up to my desk thereafter, raised her voice, and threw the paper with her sales target towards my face. The paper landed on my table. Then she walked off.
I froze. I was totally stunned not knowing how to react.
Being new in the role, understandably I really hadn't gained their respects yet. Perhaps my explanation to her about the sales target and account allocation weren't that convincing too.
My boss YY's work desk was actually not too far away behind mine. She witnessed the whole paper throwing episode. She didn't say anything during that time.
In the next morning, I found out that YY had a one-on-one session with this sales person. YY sounded strongly to her about her insubordination towards me. YY also warned her not to do that again. In fact, YY did all this behind me without letting me know. I eventually found out about it later. I guess she didn’t want my spirit to be dampened. I guess she wanted the team to give me space and room to learn.
Even years later after I have grown into a more mature manager at my job, I was full of appreciation and gratefulness when I recalled back to what YY did. (Today, the same sales person has turned into one of my closest friends. I’m thankful for this sales person’s friendship indeed.)
As my boss, YY stood up for me. She fought for me. She wanted to ensure I wasn't bullied as a manager. She wanted the team to give me a chance.
Example 3
Lastly, I would like to share about my direct boss who impacted me the most in my career journey. He is Leong Wai Kong, currently Chief Operating Officer of SEEK Asia, the parent company of Jobstreet.com.
I reported to him when I was holding regional portfolio in regional sales operations management.
My first task in the regional role was to be based in Jakarta, Indonesia, helping to transfer best practices from Malaysia to Indonesia office. My role also required me to develop Jobstreet.com Indonesia's young team and improve the country operations.
Out of all the Jobstreet.com offices at that time (Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia), Indonesia was considered to be the most challenging country to handle. The team was young. The leaders needed further development. Processes needed to be more efficient and productive. Market share needed to be strengthened and enlarged. Revenue needed to be increased. And losses had to be minimised in order to make a profit.
My regional colleagues were very surprised that I was willing to take up the challenge. It was considered the toughest country to manage at that time with the most challenging operational issues.
They asked me, "Why don't you take care of Thailand or Vietnam instead? It will be easier than Indonesia." I knew they were concerned about me, knowing that it was my first regional task.
My reply to them, "Actually, the more challenges and problems there are, the more I will learn. I'm very happy to be given the opportunity to go to Jakarta to help solve the problems there."
I had no experiences in regional role. I wasn't really exposed to country management before. It was truly an uphill task. Furthermore, I had to commute weekly - flying there either Sunday evening or Monday morning and returning on Friday evening.
Even though I was excited about the opportunity, I was also nervous. I wasn't sure if I had enough knowledge and experience to contribute to them. I was also sceptical whether I would be well received as part of the team in Indonesia or they would see me as an outsider.
Leong gave me comforting words, "Vincent, no worries! I know you can do it! You are capable! I will guide you through!"
True enough! He guided me patiently through thick and thin.
I had late night phone conversations with Leong when I was there whenever I was stuck with business issues. He was forever patiently developing me, guiding me, listening to the problems on the ground, helping me to come up with solutions, brainstorming together.
He behaved more like a mentor and coach than just my direct boss.
I was worried I would make mistakes in my decision makings in Indonesia.
He told me, "It's okay to make mistakes or encounter failures as long they are not lethal to the business. You learn along and pick up from there."
His uplifting, encouraging, and inspiring words always motivated me to strive for the best in Indonesia.
He also empowered me to make management decisions for Indonesia.
I asked him why he trusted me so much. He said, "I have seen how you work. And you have gained my trust. I trust in your decision making knowing they are aligned with company's objectives and principles. And you always update me if you encounter any issues. Go ahead! Make those calls!"
He also encouraged me to be myself, to follow my heart and to follow my own leadership style. He said, "You are a people person. You like to develop people. You like to be on the ground. Continue to do that. Just be yourself! Results will speak for itself." I was so touched and motivated.
I would say that my personal growth took a big leap during the two-year stint in Jakarta. I am indebted to him for my personal growth in my career.
Summary
As you can see, I have had both good and bosses. Based on my own personal experiences, a horrible boss can break your career; and a fantastic boss can make your career.
Therefore, I recommend you to work for a boss who is willing to invest in your development, who gives you every opportunity for you to grow in your career, who encourages you to use your strengths at work to your full potential.
SECTION 2
INVEST IN YOURSELF AND YOUR CAREER
“The best investment you can make, is an investment in yourself…
The more you learn, the more you’ll earn”
Warren Buffet
F I L L
Financial Independence, Live Life
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