While I was walking the aisles of Fully Booked a couple of weeks ago, one of the books that caught my eye was Lois P. Frankel's Nice Girls Don't Get The Corner Office 101 - Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers. Unfortunately as it turned out, this book seems to be describing most of the supposedly "wrong" things that I'm unconsciously doing at work. Read: If you work nonstop without a break...worry about offending others and back down too easily...explain too much when asked for information...or "poll" your friends and colleagues before making a decision, chances are you have been bypassed for promotions and ignored when you expressed your ideas. Although you may not be aware of it, girlish behaviors such as these are sabotaging your career!
Sometimes being nice just isn't enough anymore. It's not that I have to exert effort to be nice. What can I do if everything is really honest to goodness okay for me? I really don't see any reason to complicate things any further or make things difficult for others. For as long as it's something that I can do and I'm comfortable with, I'd be more than willing to help or share. It just takes a whole lot to piss me off. My patience can stretch the mile when it comes to dealing with difficult and/or stupid people. I can shrug at crappy insensitive jokes all in the name of "fun" or camaraderie. Really, I don't get irritated easily. I can't even remember the last time I was fuming mad. Ganun lang talaga ako, I guess.
However, a recent experience at work has made me come to the realization that nice girls always finish last. Being nice doesn't cut it anymore. Henceforth, I've resolved to consciously exert more effort not to be nice at work. Even if it's really okay, it's no longer going to be okay anymore. I'm not going to be as considerate anymore. After all, most people aren't really that considerate anyway. Bastusan na kung bastusan basta I'm going to be "kebs" about everything at work - a term I'm borrowing from my sister, a term she uses for I don't care or I couldn't care less or wala akong pakialam. So kebs na ako if I'm on the bad side of my boss. Kebs ako if I piss her off because of some mistake I made. Kebs ako if I always come in the office last (hello, everyone in my tiny department comes in on average at least 30mins earlier!). Kebs ako if I always leave the office first (hello, try working in a tiny department where on average everyone leaves way past dinner time). Kebs ako if iba ang trip ko sa mga officemates ko. Kebs ako if I don't do the usual things that my officemates do. Kebs ako if I'm out of the loop. Kebs ako if I'm not the best employee. Kebs ako sa lahat - n.r., walang pakialam, don't care.
