The one oh

2023 marks a decade of professional experience for me. While it may not rival the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II, it is still a significant ten-year mark. Perhaps it’s reaching this milestone or the impending end of the year with the accompanying New Year’s resolutions but lately, I find myself reflecting on this past decade. Mulling over the lessons I’ve absorbed, the knowledge I’ve amassed, the situations I’ve navigated, the insights I’ve gained, and the effort I’ve invested.

Despite all of that, some of my closest friends and family will remark, “You have a great job, it pays well, it allows flexibility to work from home - your life seems so comfortable and easy”. True as this might be now, if I roll the tape all the way back, one can uncover numerous sacrifices and challenges underlying the perception of having it “easy-peasy”.

Venturing out when I was 19, I would often find myself in no-win situations. I had to work to finance my university education yet professors insisted I had to choose between the two. Opting for school alone meant I couldn’t afford it while trying to maintain a work-study balance resulted in professors failing me for anything less than 100% class attendance. All the while I was bleeding friends because we weren’t on the same wavelength. Working me wasn’t hanging out with them during the day anymore and tired me would prefer staying home in the evenings - a preference that did not resonate with peers in my age bracket. All of a sudden, I felt alone because I was alone.

I didn’t have the luxury of time to feel alone though. Another set of challenges awaited me on the work front, including age prejudice and hierarchical dynamics. To be fair, these didn’t bother me all that much when I was just starting and lacking experience. Learning from people in more significant roles seemed the logical path. I believed in channeling their experience for personal growth while staying humble along the way. Surprisingly though, as I progressed, age prejudice persisted and along came new hurdles like ethnic prejudice, sexism, pay gap, outright dismissal.

I had to confront the reality of living in a world where a person’s qualifications, track record and referrals wouldn’t matter at the face of prejudice in the hiring process. Where their later accomplishments and dedication still wouldn’t amount to justify a fair raise. Where a man refused to assign meaningful tasks to the female members of his team. Where that same man would repeatedly tell me, “I will write this instead because it’s not in your wheelhouse, and besides I’m a native English speaker”… then never follow through on his responsibilities, leaving people waiting for his supposedly inspired words to feature on our portfolio. That same man had just been hired at the time and this was during one of our first meetings, when he wouldn’t have even had a clue about my educational and professional background (even if I had hit him with my English degree on the head, excuse expression). Where nobody ever bothered to inquire about my age or years and type of experience but rather make conclusions solely on my youthful looks.

Come to think of it, it’s striking how few people genuinely take the time to get to know their co-workers and the diversity they bring to the table. Diversity in competences, talents, skills, tools, know-how. Introductory conversations typically revolve around casual small talk about one’s origin, past employers, basic job titles, and the weather. Don’t forget about the weather. There’s often a lack of depth, meaning, and real value in these interactions.

That is precisely where company culture comes into play and why it’s vital. Fostering a safe environment for conversation, transparency, honesty, and collaboration is crucial for a healthy organization. It’s natural to succumb to the day-to-day, the fast pace, and the pressure of delivering results that we often overlook the importance of communication — forgetting to seek each other out for help, ask questions, or simply take the time to align our efforts.

Ten years in the making I have found my compass in operations — forging efficient processes and steering improvements. Whether on the business or technical front, I enjoy working with people from all domains. I don’t think of Mark from Accounting as “the numbers guy” or Jane from Dev a “the tech chick”. People aren’t defined by their job titles; rather, they are capable human beings and colleagues with valuable insight and toolbelts that extend beyond their official roles. It’s the synergy of our collective efforts that propels companies to exceptional heights. I feel fortunate to be part of a “Relax-ing” organization that enables me to flourish and thrive without anyone having the need to “pull me back and sit me down for a time out”, a place that empowers me to pursue my ideas, surrounded by colleagues who are always ready to collaborate.

As you reach the end of this lengthy post, you might feel that you relate to it. On the contrary, I actually encourage you not to relate. Instead, look within, evaluate your own experiences, and don’t write your name to mine but appreciate the path you’ve come along, your journey and your success.

To bring this to a close, I’ll leave you with something I’ve been telling myself lately. There’s enough bad in the world for us with the cushy jobs not to be on the same page, the good page.

Disclaimer: This represents my personal experiences and pertains specifically to challenging individual interactions. It is not a commentary on my past or present employers, nor does it reflect on how they addressed the situations mentioned. The circumstances and the responses to them are distinct topics.