Pic note: Welcome Today

from “workisnotajob” website

Tax Season… wheww!

tax season again… and it’s been so hard… lots of new accounting standards and policies… lots of new requirements… lots of pressure from regulatory bodies… shortage of staff… and for me, lack of staff… wheeww! … but the good problem is, we got lots of clients too… weeee! but got to be very very careful, this is serious work, and we are in assurance business, we need to assure our clients and at the same time, the regulatory bodies! We are running out of time till april 15 and there are lot more to review!

haayyy… by the way new office too! nice!
Mabuhay ang SVS… Santos Verde San Juan, CPAs!

TSP: Realized Just How So Simple It Is

When You’ve Realized Just How Simple it was when You Finally Done it (When You We’re Dreading to Do it for a Long Time)

There is one project (procedure enhancement) that has been in my list of to-dos for the loooong time, just thinking how intricate it is “as is” probably I assumed how much more difficult it is revising it… that made me stop/stall/ignore doing it, it’s been there in my “shelf” for a long time…
And then yesterday while my staff and I were waiting for a food to be served and we were sooo hungry (at this crampy, jam-packed restaurant with great food), they were discussing this procedure and how we can simplify the process… with all the staff throwing in arguments, suggestions and ideas… maybe out of frustration or hunger… I finally made the wrap-up (out of my hunger too), then viola! we were able to have a best solution before the food arrived. It’s done! and over with! Ganun lang pala yun!

101 Minus: Wall Climbing & Pole Jumping

It was a great day when we did lots of physical stuff during our annual conference and team building. I was so excited in our wall climbing and pole jumping games… although half of me doubted if I can still do it! or can I still be awed by it! Of course I did it! These are some of the pictures back then at Meralco Leadership and Development Center at Antipolo.

Gung-Ho “Post in Your Heart” message…

A message to me from one of my Supervisors who attended Gung-Ho… I know they were asked to write on a post-it for messages they want to say but can’t get around to say it…. (I was touched) Ma’am, Thank you for giving me a chance to join at Gung Ho! Seminar
I’ve learned a lot from Sir Jojo… regarding inspirations, thoughts and lessons
on how to become a better person….
Thank you for being the best manager/mentor with us…..
We are lucky for having you compared to others…..
Thank you that your are not selfish because of the knowledge you’ve shared with us…..
Thank you for the leadership you’ve shown to us…..
Thank you for being part of my life because of so many things
I’ve learned from you…..

from XXXX

I want to share also another one I receive today… (well I’m glad that in this time of my rather “depressed” moments, God is sending me “something” to remind me to smile and be thankful!)… Here’s another message from a departing staff….

Ma’am, Thank you po sa mga opportunities na binigay nyo po saken throughout my stay dito po sa company. Salamat po sa warm welcome at sa mga trainings/workshops facilitated by HO. Thank you din po sa inspiring messages, thoughts, trivias na send nyo po sa min na mga store auditors, malaking tulong po tlga sa min un.

Proud po ako na nging part po ako ng Audit family. Ung mga experience po at mga taong na-meet ko po as days passed, nagpapasalamat po ako dahil naging makulay at masaya po ung pgstay ko sa store..

Thank you very much po..

Great Time During “Bad” Time!

How can one act if one is having a hard time at work but need to have to spend great time with family?! In the end, it is just a MATTER OF CHOICE! and a better choice is always the better (who in good mind choose the worst over better, anyway?)…. well, it’s elementary, feeling great is it!

It is my Aliya’s birthday and we had a family getaway in the afternoon (because I need to go to work in the morning, but it should not get in the way about my plan for this day)… We went to Quezon City’s Ace Water Spa and had a great, great time! Aliya enjoyed it a lot (ang mommy too!) We tried everything and had a great fun! It does’t matter if she had drunk a lot of chlorine (but I mind). Later on, Aliya could say, “iming” (swimming), “awer” (shower), “eyning” (raining), boat (right, boat), slide & bubbles! We had our lunch at Greenwich (Marilao) and had our photos taken! Wheee…Saya! what a great day!

Who said about having a bad time at work? Well, it even doesn’t worth mentioning here and gaining space in my valuable blog! So that’s it!

Happy Birthday Aliya!

T&I: Go the Extra Mile!

This is an excerpt from “the God Memorandum”
from the book “The Greatest Miracle in the World” by Og Mandino
(this is the 3rd law to perform the greatest miracle in the world)

Whomsoever shall compel ye to go with him one mile … go with him two.

Go another mile!

The only certain means of success is to render more and better service than is expected of you,
no matter what your task may be.
This is a habit followed by all successful people since the beginning of time.
Therefore I saith the surest way to doom yourself to mediocrity
is to perform only the work for which you are paid.

Think not ye are being cheated if you deliver more than the silver you receive.
For there is a pendulum to all life and the sweat you deliver,
if not rewarded today, will swing back tomorrow, tenfold.
The mediocre never goes another mile, for why should he cheat himself, he thinks.
But you are not mediocre.

Go another mile!

To go another mile is a privilege you must appropriate by your own initiative.
You cannot, you must not avoid it.
Neglect it, do only as little as the others, and the responsibility for your failure is yours alone.

Cause and effect, means and ends, seed and fruit, these cannot be separated.
The effect already blooms in the cause,
the end pre-exists in the means, and the fruit is always in the seed.

Go another mile!

Concern yourself not, should you serve an ungrateful master. Serve him more.
And instead of him, let it be Me (God) who is in your debt!
for then you will know that every minute,
every stroke of extra service will be repaid.

Go another mile!

And worry not, should your reward not come soon.
For the longer payment is withheld, the better for you …
and compound interest on compound interest is this law’s greatest benefit.

You cannot command success, you can only deserve it …
and now you know the great secret necessary in order to merit its rare reward.

Go another mile!

Busy Season!

A time in a year on its first quarter before April 15….
Time suddenly became short and insufficient…

But this is the best time:
to learn (again), to think and analyze,
to improvise and be creative…
to calibrate memory and not forget whose issue goes to what client…
to realize why every minute is precious…
to grow with friends and partners and knowing we can rely on each other…
to impart knowledge to staff and learn also in the process.. and…
to drink more coffee, skip dinner (and bath?),
to sleep (or try not to sleep) on chairs….
to keep oneself sane and calm… until the 15th!

At the end of much dreaded deadline (but also awaited because the agony and stress will end by that time!)…. nice to say….ahhh…what a relief!

Fail Forward

“When Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, he tried over 2000
experiments before he got it to work. A young reporter asked him how
it felt to fail so many times. He said, “I never failed once. I
invented the light bulb. It just happened to be a 2000-step process!”

Everybody fails, errs and makes mistakes. We’ve heard the saying “to err is human, to forgive is divine”, Alexander Pope wrote that 250 years. But apparently there are rules in “failing”:

Rule 1 = You will learn lessons
People think that failing takes you backward. But failure teaches us to be resilient, to do better and to change course and strategies if we must. Think of it as “2,000 steps-process”

Rule 2 = There are no mistakes — only lessons
Might as well have different perspective and mindset about failure. Look at it as a teacher, fine-tuning your success. This must be your motivation to do better and not to justify yourself for not trying anymore.

Rule 3 = A lesson is repeated until it is learned
Failure is not always against you. Like all other circumstances, it has to follow the universal law of averages. This law states that for so many tries you’ll get a successful result. But you’ll NEVER get the best shot, IF you’ll never take aim and shoot in the first place.

What’s the point…

That being subtle and courteous doesn’t pay off if you want to drive a point intensely.
However, putting raw emotions on written arguments also doesn’t pay-off.
But at the end of the day, summarizing it, being decent and professional is still the whole point.

…Just a piece of thought after an emotionally-drained moment at work.

T&I: The Longest Way is a Short-Cut

One of the most common obstacles to success is to cut corners. But short-cut never pays off in the long run. Let us try these valuable tips and insights:
1. Don’t give in to your mood or impulses, you need to change your approach to doing things.
2. Refrain from “fast-breaking,” because quality is sacrificed in the process.
3. Avoid cutting corners. It is really a sign of impatience and poor self-discipline.
4. Follow through… you can achieve a breakthrough.
5. Set up standard for yourself that require accountability.
6. Once you have standards in place, work according to them, not your moods.
7. Stay on track and keep focused. That will get you going in the right direction.
8. Self-discipline is a quality that is won through practice.

Remember, effort and time are wasted if you have to do things all over again
because you have not tried to do it right on the first time.

-From John C Maxwell’s “Failing Forward” and Katrina M’s Journal…..

Pic Note: “Accountability”

Demented Week!

We can’t have it all! We can’t be “lucky” all the time…:)
While last week was a “Colorful Week,” this week was a “Demented Week”…. well I am not complaining… Because I know “this too shall pass…”
Rather than enumerating what happened, I’ll just recap here my feelings and thoughts (good or bad–sensya na) and the lessons and insights I’ve learned out from it (and that’s the important part naman!)
People can be so mean just to make sure that they look good to the management.
Professionalism speaks many language and has many perspective
“you should be on top of the situation!” has suddenly become a tagline of people who actually are not on “top” but want to impress that they are! Huh!
siya na nga! “know-it-all” and “blamelessly perfect” people annoy me so much….
Remorse is not their trait….
two big words for the week: accountability and accounting…

Well, life must go on…
Inspite of it all, I am keeping my values and I am still “intact” and not “losing” myself.
My first instinct is to fight back, but restrained myself, if I’ll do that, I will just put myself to their “level,” and because that was not the right thing to do
for the sake of my people who are working hard for the projects, I just have to be more “loud” about it. Just blowing the horn here and there. I owe it to them!
just have to learn the lessons out of it and improve!
I still believe that the world still belong to few people who are WILLING to make their hands dirty! (click here)

I will not allow this week to be uneventful… I am still grateful for good graces and blessings that came my way this week!
Opportunity to give lectures to new staff
Have fun in our badminton night with friends and staff
Reading good books this week, of course including Bible…
A chance to attend Gung Ho seminar again, this time as a judge and had fun (again)
Am happy to give up a book “What so Amazing About Grace” to a wonderful person, Bro Jojo Baldo (I really wanted to give him “The Shack” by Paul WM Young, but can’t find one at National’s)
Getting ready for the teambuilding next week, me as a team captain for blue team…
And my week will be capped-off by a nice family outing tomorrow. yeheyy!!…

Demented!

But why should I be affected?!
I just have to steer away from this kind of people who sucks the good things out of me…
I will not be dragged to their level… as I will not allow it…
Demented as I am right now,
I will still resolve to continue to live in my values of what’s right and what’s good…

T&I: The Blame Game

When things go wrong, the natural tendency is to look for someone to blame. You can go all the way back to Garden of Eden on this one…. When God asked Adam why he’d done it, he said it was Eve’s fault. Then God questioned Eve, she blamed it on the snake. The same thing happens today.

The next time you experience a failure, think about what you failed instead of who was at fault. Try to look at it objectively so that you can do better next time. Ask yourself:
• What lessons have I learned?
• How can I turn the failure into success?
• Where did I succeed as well as fail?

People who blame others for their failures never overcome them. They simply move from problem to problem. To reach your potentials, you must continually improve yourself, and you can’t do that if you don’t take responsibility for their actions and learn from your mistakes.

— Your Road Map to Success, John Maxwell

While our Audit motto (daw) is “Bawal Magkamali”…. Let us just take that as our GOAL and add this in parenthetical note: (“Pero pag nagkamali… bawal magkamaling hindi akuin ang pagkakamali kung mali talaga”)

Most importantly…. “If you fail… make sure to Fail Forward”

T&I: Blessed For Success

Not everyone we influence will think the same way we do. We have to help them not only to believe that they can succeed, but also we have to show them that we want them to succeed…. So, how….

Expect it: People can sense the underlying attitude no matter what we say or do. Let them know you are expecting them to succeed.

Verbalize it: People need to hear it. Tell them to that you believe in them and want them to succeed. Become a positive prophet of their success.

Reinforce it: People need encouragement. Seeing that you care to know their progress will let them realize that is also important to you.

Pave the way: Give them opportunity to show their best. Give them challenge to harness their worth. Give the boost and helping hand.

Once people recognize and understand that you genuinely want them succeed and are committed to helping them, they will begin to believe that they can accomplish what you give to them.

T&I: See How Can It Be Different….

.I have sent this article to my staff as our guide for our annual audit planning and goal-setting…. Thank you for the link provided by the “Your Successful 101″….

It’s that time of year again when our thoughts turn to making new GOALS. The enticing prospect of a blank year ahead invites us to think about what we would like to be different in our lives, how we want to improve ourselves and the work we do. And yet so often, the good intentions of GOAL-SETTING of early January have dwindled down to just IDEAS as we go along the way, sometimes not to be brought out again until next year. And we are left with the same feeling of frustration that another year has passed and nothing has changed.

What happens? One common reason is that we quickly go back to our ‘normal’ lives and the usual routines and along with our usual habits!

Sound familiar?

So how can it be different?

I hope the following TIPS will make it different for this year:

1. Be clear about what you want – BE specific about what you do want. For example, if you have written “lose weight”, write down how much you want to lose and by when
2. Write it Down – Writing down why you want something will give you a handy reminder to go back to when you’re feeling un motivated.
3. Be specific about what you will do – It’s very hard to be in action around a vague list of “will do more of…” and “will do less of…”. If you gave your list to someone else would they know exactly what you were doing when?
4. Know what stops you – There will be times when it feels hard to be in action. Being honest with yourself about what will stop you now will let you plan for these situations rather than ending your resolutions.
5. Create support structures – Put support structures in place now that will keep you on track. Maximize team effort for team goals. Try buddy system, or use “tracker” or require team to do regular feedback.
6. Be in action – Sometimes the only thing that is required is to just do it! For no other reason that you said you would.
7. Embrace imperfection – Sometimes things will not go to plan. It happens. Don’t let it throw you off track completely. Make adjustments, come up with new ways of doing things, create a new plan for the imperfect world you live in. It’s perfect.
8. When failing isn’t failing – Feeling that you’ve failed at something can be a real kick in the teeth and the end to achieving goals. So think of failing differently. Failing means you are doing something different, possibly something new. Failing isn’t failing, it’s just not having done it yet. Fail Forward!
9. Reward yourself – Don’t hold out until the “big prize”. Create reward points along the way. Reward yourself for being in action. Be kind to yourself and use the carrot, or lots of carrots, and not the stick!
10. Enjoy! – Most importantly, your new year’s resolution (goals) are about being happier, more fulfilled, enjoying your life and work. If it is a punishment list put it in the bin right now!

See also my collection of “Tips & Insights” here

These Are the Days….

My greatest appreciation to my staff and colleagues at Audit Department. Life and work wouldn’t have been so engaging, rewarding and “easy” without the enthusiasm, commitment, motivation of these people. I have learned a lot from this bunch and I hope that I was able to inspire them too. Our moments of working, planning, achieving and playing together deserves this video clip I made:

These are the Days, by Natalie Merchant.

Moving Forward on my 101….

#79: keeps on the habit of investing in mutual fund, (I have received 10k gift of Lola Baby to Aliya and it all goes to mutual fund, 5k goes to car registration)
#84: have finally decided to pull-out Jolo’s plan so not to diminish its value further (I will just put it in mutual fund)
#87: be more aware of financial matters: Meralco shares is going up (and now going low)… decide… decide… I have so&so shares at stake…
#94: Bought a microwave oven
#91: starting remodelling my purple room
#5: had a good “talk” with Jolo about attitude and habits. Also, bought the Jabbawokeez Mask for Jolo, Chess for Lean and new slippers for Aliya (been in my “to do” list for long), have to spend more time “dancing” with Jolo and playing with Lean and ALiya…
#17: Seen 2 groups of friends (SVS and SJS) and had fun
#30: went out our street to see the fireworks coming from SM, even I was the only one there gasping and amazing!
#34: adding more on my ‘travelling feet’ collection
#48: been conscious about learning new things and keeping tabs on them… (i’m currently reading about physics and religion)
#49: slowly creating habit for my health (ex. drinking 2 glasses of warm water every morning, less rice, take the opportunity to walk)
#58: finally launched by “pledge-gathering” for my Christmas Toy Gift-Giving… (I set-up a ChipIn (see my account how you can make contributions) and formally announced to network friends that I am “desperately” need of pledges)
#67: did “Pay-it-Forward” deed, I bought two tickets for “Truly Rich Seminar” of Bo Sanchez and gave it to two of my favorite cousins! (hey don’t forget me when you get rich!)
#69: inspite of toxic work, I keep on my weekly blog tips for staff
#70: released 1 major policy for implementation and 2 new policies for review

Tough Season at Work… Wheew!

Just want to share some ups and downs and “tamblings” and “boljacks” and some few triumphs at workplace… It’s been a stressful 2 weeks… but then again, at the end of the day, I have to “leave” it behind for a while to enjoy the rest of my day/night… (Carnegie said something about “compartmentalize”).
hired 7 audit staff this week (and 4 staff from last week)… this will definitely change the course of their lives… because I have put my “butterfly effect” on them…
but really having a hard time keeping up with our hiring (due to new stores and resignation and EOC and leaves – am I complaining?)
Helped opened 3 PG stores this week… having been the “silent force” behind stores’ technical training, we have managed to keep the training schedule running on “auto-pilot” mode… thanks to the competency of our trained trainers.
been worried about “deterioration” of auditors’ know-how, or am I just over-expecting (but then, I really need to revitalize our own training program)
a major project may not see-the-light-day because of mis-coordination (just when we have already done 90% of work)
working on another major vital project, but I have a heavy foreboding feeling about it because of the dementors…. (but I know this should not deter me… or else they will just gain power over my potronus charm)
have released one major policy, as in… (this have been in drawing board for 3 years)
keeping up with the releases of other policies and procedures.
learned the lesson of not jumping too fast on proposing procedures, and relying on store managers’ assertion that the transaction of which the procedures are needed was already approved by the Boss.
seen exemplary performances of some auditors. we really just have to keep them motivated and challenged!
Been “bad” again for feeling so “bad” for the “incompetency” of tooot-toot….
got an approval on a new set of training program set until next month
on the right track (I hope)… so far, so good (I pray)….