About courage and speaking up for the good.

Few days ago, our logistic big boss holds a close door "Meet the workers" session. It was pretty unique because our immediate bosses was not allowed to attend so its much like a close door session for us. Sadly, like before, only less than a hand count of people actually raise any question or concern to our big boss. While at times people could be bitching here and there during small talk over kopi and food, its pretty sad to realise that in times when the oppurtunity arise that could allow things to be highlighted and for the boss to clarify or take action with, no one actually stood up and said something about it? Maybe its the atmosphere or its just the culture cultivated to a "full grown tree" of not voicing out in front of your peers for the fear of discimination or critisim.

In fact big boss is a very very accomodating and like to mix with us on the ground both in work and lunch. Unlike other bosses we have that we only got to see occasionally. Big boss was always there during our working days. We can talk cock with him, joke while also discuss serious work matters. However I wonder what got into others during the close door session we have. I don't think its any problem with the Big Boss cause he is trying his best to make it as comfortable as possible. So I decided to break the silence and voice my concern that Structure Flight is stretching their man-power to the limit especially when I observe Warrent Officer Koh doing all the aircraft works for very long hours for a few weeks at probably a detrimental effect to his health and most importantly his Family. I am hopping that Big Boss will realise that a balance have to be strike between work and family and the way Encik Koh was going is not going to be good for him and his family in long term.

Big Boss replied that for Structure section, workload is like a sine wave. They get very busy during phase servicing but workload is minimal outside phase servicing. However, judging from the back to back aircraft phase servicing, with one aircraft completing and another coming hot behind its heel... the work load probably is more like a Y=X graph rather than a Y=SinX graph.

And here is reality...after the session, someone actually walk up to me and said I am asking for trouble or slapping myself in the face with the question. I just don't get it...its a concern about the welfare of our man and what could Big Boss find anything offensive about the question raise? Nowadays Boss are educated people and allow us to voice concern but people are still skeptical or fearful. And right when the few heros stand up and talk, they get hammered down not by a "Higher" being but the common human on the ground.

I believe LEADERS are different nowadays, they are willing to listen but the many years of practice, habit and attitude instilled into our people have literally mute us all. Like a Chinese saying "Once the root harden, its hard to pull the trees". The "Silent" culture in our organization have been so deeply rooted that openly voicing out is still a enormous challenge to many.

"A GOOD EMPLOYEE BRINGS THE BAD NEWS"
"A POOR EMPLOYEE JUST FLOW WITH THE SEWAGE"

When you hid the problem about the organization or the company from your superior or boss. It only mean 2 things, either your boss in incapable thus voicing out or not make no difference, or you just don't give a damn about it, only concerning on getting by each day and making sure salary is in your bank account every 10th of the month, that problem is just another nuisance. Than one day you realise that problem you consider just nuisance may not get bigger but many other small problem in work comes along and it starts to pile up higher and higher untill one day it combines to become a huge problem. By than the mentaility of ignorance is so imbue into your mind that you can't even feel the damage its causing you in work and life, like been stabbed many times with full body anesthetic. You eventually left your job, either you have become irrelevant (retrenched to be degratory) or you simply quit. Looking back in life, think about it...what have you achieved beside taking that monthly salary each month? All you got during your career is silence wound of disgust or hate about your job inflicted upon by yourself when you could have make the stand when Big Boss was a open man to suggestion, concern and critics.

Maybe you could have make that great contribution to the company for highlighting flaws no one realise and helping to zap the problem even if you did not offer any solution in the beginning. Maybe there won't be a mole hill of problems eventually but just little bits and pieces of debris to be clean up.

Instead of looking back 10 years the next time and brood over how things could have been better in life or work,

WHY LET TODAY PROBLEM FLOW DOWNSTREAM AND CHOKE UP YOUR LIFE TOMORROW?