Tempest7: Blogger

Working with Women is Hard

Okay I need to blow off some steam. Currently in my work environment it is around 75% female. I've had a lot of hardships recently but in a sense I was prepared for it because my friend Rui had suffered through some things that were quite similar. He works in company that specializes in female clothing and hence the majority of the employees are female. For most guys it sounds like a dream being surrounded by girls all the time, but the working environment is totally different. My boss is a bit emotional at times. I seem to work for a lot of female bosses, but it seems the ones I work for in Asia are prone to emotional outbursts.

Why am I a bit angry? I had a conflict with one of my friends at work. I shouldn't mix friends and work but I've done it successfully in the past and it was quite a rewarding experience. The problem I find is a girl's sense of loyalty is not the same as a guy's. Taken from the experiences of Donald Trump; Loyalty is the highest virtue. Maybe it is part of the Hong Kong culture, I honestly don't know what it is part of but I felt betrayed. I have two friends working with me, one of them for personal reasons had to leave and I won't question that. I don't know the reason but I TRUST my friend that it is important. If Simon, Rui, or anybody else that is my close friend suddenly had to ditch me and made a point to say it was important I wouldn't question it.

I would cover for my friend.

Okay, yes seems wrong. Though I did not lie out right, a lie of omission is still a lie I suppose. I've been heading up a project related to a brochure cd that we are producing. I've been learning a lot through the experience dealing with employees, dealing with people who just don't perform and that has already been irritating me. I've been waiting on some tasks/deliverables to be handed over to me before I had off the work to my friend. Well, since they were too slow and my friend needed to leave, I made the decision above my boss's head to "let" my friend go for the rest of the day in the promise that my friend would return the next day (holiday) to make up for the time when hopefully the work would be here to be worked on. This sounds more efficient does it not? My choice was duel purpose and I was yelled at for a few reasons. Not that my choice was wrong, but as a show to the others that this type of behaviour is not acceptable.

The problem. Another friend, either out of concern or other reasons, decided to find out what was going on. She contacted the other person and found out the story. She decided to (with the permissions of my other friend) let the whole story out.

Actually there is a bit more background information that people need to know. When I was younger I caused a bit of mischief with my old school computers. I did this with a few friends and we were called down to the office. We had denied the story since they had no evidence but they were smart and they separated us. One kid decided to "take" the blame for the group and confessed. He dug our grave. No matter how good his intention was, I'll always remember how we were betrayed.

I mentioned my feelings to her. I felt this was an issue about loyalty, she felt otherwise. Something about Hong Kong girls needing to be right about everything. She felt it was her business to teach me how to work in a company. I suppose she's the only person who has ever truly worked, my 2 years in an insurance company don't really count.

I've learned a lot working here though. Through the good and the bad. I meet new people, like people from Guangzhou. I had lunch with two girls that came to work for us and they told me that once a year they would have their purses snatched. I have a lot of stress at work, but it is more emotional stress.

Chinese New Years is around the corner. Lets hope everyone comes back a better person.

posted by Tempest7 @ 09:24