Dipercaya, atau diperdaya?

Reflection, is something that we normally do at the end of the year. Recalling what were happened in past life and then decide which ones to stop, reduce, improve, and add some other resolutions for next year.

As an employee, reviewing current job might be in the list. It is exactly what I did in the past month. The result? Well, generally speaking I am quite happy working at current company. Sure, there are always strengths and weaknesses when comparing to others (hey even sometimes I see like there are more candies outside the fence, ha-ha). But I believe there’s nothing called perfect company. I think we should always go back to our objectives: what do we want to achieve currently? What’s in our top priority? Is it money? Learning? Facilities? Status? Pleasure? Flexibility? Oh well, I think I got fair enough for all those things, so no way for me for not being happy. Alhamdulilah

Actually, we, consciously or not, is doing such review in daily life. Recall your lunch time with colleagues, with your old friends. There’s always a chat about works. ‘Heart pouring’ thingy: deadlines, too much works, bosses, salary, facilities, colleagues… the list goes on. One thing tickling me most (cos I noticed it often de-motivates the bright talents) is about ‘working beyond responsibilities’

“I lend a hand when the other team was overloaded. But I don’t expect that now I am trapped in this project, permanently. I’ve got more than enough on my plates right now”

“I work extremely hard. I am doing what my manager supposed to do and yet am only a senior exec”

“This work should go to other colleague, I just don’t understand why it is me who handle this!”

Sounds familiar with such comments? Is ‘working beyond responsibilities’ wrong? The answer is debatable I believe, since there are costs and benefits of doing it.

Look at those ‘working beyond responsibilities’ persons. Well, you might be one of them. Most of them are reliable employers, who are being entrusted (= ‘dipercaya’) will get the jobs done. Let’s look at ourselves. When we are in need, who will be the first person we’ll see? Must be the person we believe will be able to help us, no?

But then a joke coming, that there’s only a thin line lies between ‘dipercaya’ (being entrusted) and ‘diperdaya’ (being deluded). Sounds similar in bahasa, but totally different meaning Hhmmm…. Is too much trust the same as being deluded? So how do we know that we are ‘dipercaya’ instead of ‘diperdaya’?

Well, am not the expert… Personally I see working beyond responsibilities isn’t negative, as long as we could pick the right tasks and manage them properly. The bottom line, I believe, should be a mutualism symbiosis.

What do I do to avoid falling into ‘diperdaya’?

First, for every extra mile, I’d like to ensure that I’ll get benefit in return. No no no, am not talking about hard dollar, it’s more into the soft dollar. Will I get the learning on top of the weariness? Will the learning I got contribute to my professional development? If the answers are ‘YES’ then I will put it into my consideration set.

Second, simply, is being realistic by knowing my capacity. Never let the additional works ruin the main responsibilities. Willingness to do beyond job desks doesn’t mean that I have to become a 24-hr employee. Come on, there is lot of fun outside the company! And that 24-hr is not in the job contract BTW

Well, that’s what I do. How about you? Have some tips? Would you mind to share?

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