HOLIDAY!

We have been through 2 extended weekend holidays here in the last 3 weeks, and yet I have not had the time to blog till today.
That is because I had been busy, as the first extended weekend was spent working - the first time I had brought work home in the 4 months I have been on this job!
Things have indeed been busy at work, which saw me staying till as late as almost 12 midnight on one occasion.
And especially in the past week, I had been keeping all the receipts for cab fares - from working overtime.
Last night before I left the office, I sent out an email to my boss (he is currently in the States on business), letting him know that the work that I have been rushing out to meet the deadline for is now ready to be submitted come this Monday.
I also cheekily added that I hope he would be signing off my claims - ha.

In his own short (and sweet) style, he thanked me for my "very reassuring" email.
I am happy.
Happy that my boss and I have managed to establish that I do take my job responsibilities seriously.
I say this, simply because I didn't receive a "reminder-email" to ensure prompt submission of my work from my boss yesterday morning, unlike my fellow colleague.
(I'm guessing that my colleague's past mistake had something to do with it.)

Anyway, my colleague mentioned this as I got into the office yesterday morning.
He started out by saying whether I got the same email as he did.
And when I said no, and that I have already spoken to our boss before he left for the States, my colleague's mood changed.
Knowing him a bit better now, I can sense that he probably didn't like the fact that my boss only issued out the email-reminder to him, and not to me.
If interpreted the wrong way, it means that he is "less-able" than I am - which I am sure that was how my colleague had taken it.
It's all about the "ego" thing which my colleague seems to have.

Being a positive person myself, I would've been happy that our boss had emailed me.
At least it shows that our boss cared enough to drop me a personal note since it is rare that he does that (i.e. dropping personal notes)!
That goes to show how the same action could render 2 totally different responses...oh well.

2 new members of staff have now joined my department.
One reports to my colleague (which means he has 3 pairs of hands to help him now; this includes a temping staff hired exclusively to help him out with his stuff).
The other reports to me.
Within the first week of his new staff joining, I am sorry to say that my colleague has already thrown his weight around.
He talks about his new staff's work matters to the other staff who reports to him as well, as if that first guy isn't in the room.

I chose to tell my reporting staff that I would like to view him as a peer-colleague.
While his work performance is appraised by me, I told him that my working style is pretty easygoing.
I said that I am not the kind to get angry easily, and neither would I show it even if I were.
I explained that keeping a cool head most of the time works best for me.
This is more productive than spending unnecessary time fretting and fussing about things, when the same time could be spent more constructively at trying to make things better!

I couldn't say the same about a contracted work associate whom my organisation has hired to work part-time.
She actually spent time to compose a complaint (via email) about me earlier today, instead of attending to a work-related matter that urgently requires her attention (which I had highlighted in my email to her).
Basically, she said I could have "communicated better" with her, saying that I was blaming her for not doing a good job that was required of her.
Come to think of it, she was right that she didn't do a good job (ha).
But to be fair, I didn't blame her for it.
I merely said that it was standard procedure which she hadn't adhered to, so the problem wasn't anticipated and that unfortunately, this translated to a possible delay in the submission of this project from my end (which still requires my input upon her submission of work to me).

From that email, you could tell that she was defensive, since she decided to copy everyone else on the team for this project, and asking my fellow colleague who initially contracted her and her team-leader to address this "problem".
Needless to say, I was amused.
I know my fellow colleague and the team-leader would be too.
This is because I have worked very closely with both of them, and they know my working style so well that they have said on several occasions how much they have enjoyed working with me!
And I have full knowledge that what I mentioned on that email to that work associate was totally justifiable.

Besides, it was wrong (and silly too) of her to copy everyone else on the team about her problem.
To which I apologised in my email-response (addressed to her but leaving the rest of the team's email-addresses in), saying it was rather embarrassing that the rest of the team is included in this matter.
She probably thought I was going to be the one who would come out badly.
After I sent out that response to her earlier this afternoon, I can foresee that she will be the one who will end up being embarrassed.
For one thing, I said she should not have read too much into my words, when miscommunication could potentially arise through an impersonal mode such as via email.
But, I did make an apology to her since she seems to be asking for it, bearing in mind that it is for something I hadn't done.

As far as I am aware, this work associate is known to be a difficult person anyway, so as long as I get my stuff from her, the case will be closed from my end.
If she wants to continue fretting and fussing about it, I shall let her.
I don't have time for such immaturity and unprofessional behaviour.
And I shall leave it as that...