To Trust and Respect Our Colleague

This is my experience when I was still an officer in A unit. There was a time when the activity level was very high because of the pressure from Management to fill the manpower needs for both the Branch and the Head Office. I was expected to adapt our schedule in order to fulfill those needs. It was something usual to forget the time or forget to eat. Maybe some of you have felt this, too. Sometimes our family became less of a priority because of work demand. It didn't mean that our family was forgotten.

I was greatly helped by my dear colleagues in A team to fulfill the demand. They held a significant role in supporting unit activities. The tight work demand didn't give me much time to give detailed explanations about the work list so I started to delegate and give full trust to my subordinates in supporting our unit activities.

One example of their support was to handle all of the preparations before I traveled out of town for my unit activities. I wrote down a list and they quickly prepared all the materials. I still checked the list but I soon learned that I didn't have to check the things or materials one-by-one. Every time I needed the material, they were available and systematically compiled. I really trusted them with those tasks.

To trust and respect them as my colleagues is the most important thing for me. It never crossed my mind that "I'm the Boss" or "I'm the senior" who knows it all and my colleagues have to submit and obey all my commands. I appreciate everything they have done. When mistakes were made, which is human, I was willing to understand and to deal with them with an open mind and a big heart. Perhaps not all of the mistakes were because of them, maybe I was responsible for some parts. That is why we try to communicate difficulties and problems. We try not to get overwhelmed by the problem but instead, we try to focus on finding the effective and efficient solution.

An indirect result of doing all the things mentioned above will be to make the working environment more solid, more supportive, more tolerant, and will bring into reality all of the goals of our beloved company.

I hope my personal experience will open your heart to the knowledge that trusting & respecting our colleagues is a first start to creating a positive environment that is conducive to success.