What #LifeaseFisherian Means to Me
Today’s topic in #10HariMenulis is about #LifeaseFisherian. It is the second time in a few months I talk about this. You can read the first one here or this one from the previous year program. But I guess there’s always story to tell because my life revolves around eFishery and its (farmer) problem anyway.
In my previous writing, I mostly talked about my first five years with the company. Yes I know it was that long. This time, I want to talk about the second phase where I re-join the company one and half year later. I would like to talk more about my team and my current mental state at such stage of career.
Well, I love to work alone. I always an individual contributor, or so I thought. Even when I have a ‘manager’ title when I was in CEO Office team before I was resigned, I do not have an actual subordinate. It was merely a title on the paper. The company I work on after that is almost the same. It is a fully remote environment. I managed a few people but we never meet in person until the very last time. So I don’t really have that much experience in managing people. I always thought that managing people is a big responsibility and I would probably involved in unnecessary drama. And my ignorant af always tell me to avoid it. Besides it’s probably easier to do everything by myself. But when I was told to build my own team, a brand-new division under FAT department, I don’t know, it sounds exciting but I hate extra responsibility. However, the good thing is, I have a chance to define my own rules and choose my own team. And that’s a huge advantage.
To give you some context, I work in Finance Business Partner a.k.a FBP team. The involvement of finance professionals in business decision making, strategy development and driving performance is nothing new. However, there are significant variations in the role of finance departments due to the unique circumstances of different organizations. In particular business partnering may or may not be a priority, and finance departments may or may not have the ability to deliver. If the business is performing well without finance acting as business partners there may be no need to pursue such a role. Indeed some organizations prefer a situation of creative tension with entrepreneurial, risk-taking managers sparring with more conservative, control-oriented finance person. However, in many cases finance can do more to support businesses. This may require developing capabilities and generating demand for additional finance department services, and that’s the reason of my existence, or my team existence.
Finance’s ability to deliver business partnering services can be severely hampered through poor systems and processes, even though many problems can be overcome through hard work and manual workarounds. Indeed, these will often be necessary where quickly responding to competitive demands inevitably leaves back-end processes behind. Having said that, active finance department involvement in system and process developments across the organization can help ensure information is more accurate, timely and accessible, while reducing time spent on routine processing. Developing and maintaining systems and processes which achieve these objectives requires perseverance and attention to detail. Achieving success in finance business partnering requires adaptation to change and perseverance in order to overcome inevitable setbacks. So that’s why I’ve been very careful in term of choosing my own team.
I got my first team member six month after I was assigned to this new role. When I had the interview I know we will vibing really well. It doesn’t even feel like an interview at all, we just talk and I even skip the skill test presentation. I believe that our body can pick up on bad vibrations. If something deep inside me says something is not right about a person or situation, I tend to trust it. And I feel nothing but having a sincere and honest conversation with. Of course I already cleared off the technical skills and background check. Sometimes sending back the skill test is already a good sign because normally only two out of five would send it back. For a few months we worked as a two-woman squad trying our best to deliver our purpose. Until the beginning of this year, we have another one member join. It creates the new dynamic and everyone just know what to do in the right time and the right place. It’s three of us not the full-fledged team yet, but I already feel my life get better because I have the best team in the world.
I love my new routine. I usually work at home on Monday, then we have our book reading schedule on Tuesday Morning. Wednesday is a-no-meeting day and I will spend the evening at the Gym joining a Pilates class. I have a badminton schedule on Thursday, also one of the oldest eFisherian club. Then we would spend Friday for a Work-From-Cafe schedule. That’s my favorite. I would play badminton again on Saturday or having a weekend getaway with the eFisherian hiking club. It all just perfect.
Just when I thought everything is in place, one day, I heard that news, a devastating one. I was playing badminton four sets in a row on a Saturday morning. It was thrilling because my right arm finally healed after the climbing incident a year ago, and it doesn’t hurt anymore when I play. I also won the game. Little did I know, at the very same time, hundreds KM away, one of my team members passed away.
I was about to drink when two of my colleagues walking toward me,
“Is it your team member?”
And I just like… what, who, I don’t understand
“Aldi… “ They Said
“work email” They said again
Then I quickly check my phone, and read that email. Later I know, people operation team was trying to informed me in slack. I am that few people who do not check their work email until the next working day and keep the slack notification off during the weekend. Mas Tommy, our dept head, knows that so he message me in WhatsApp. My world turning dark and it feels like the time has stopped. I stood in for a few seconds and trying to wake up just in case it all dream, but it wasn’t. And after that just too painful. I cried, alone, on the phone while Mas Tommy on the other line, he didn’t say anything, he just listens, until five minutes later I trying hard to say a word.
“I want to go there, I want to see him for one last time”
He said yes and he arranged everything. I always amazed on how he takes care of his team. If there’s the best leader award in the world I would definitely choose him. I couldn’t do anything at that state because my mind wasn’t there, it just an empty body walking. I left the gym and go back home to get ready for the trip.
Rest in peace, Aldi, an excellent workmate, beloved team member, dearly friend. You did well in life.
And just like that, in a blink of an eye, I lost someone important to me. Three days later I still mourning when another crisis coming: I tested positive of Covid-19. The first three days was annoying because of all the symptoms. But for the first time I forgot about my lost. Maybe it is indeed necessary for me to experience that.
A month later, I have another team member join, and then another one. And life slowly turns back to normal. Life must go on. We can’t stay forever in the dark place. And I got all the supports needed here during the ups and downs. So that what #LifeaseFisherian means to me.
Let’s do our best in this life, let’s make an impact for as many people as possible. Let’s bring only good things to the world we live in, so we could return with all the best prayers.
