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HR and diversity professionals.
We decided to let Ben have a well-earned rest this week, so he's asked the brilliant Wai Foong Ng to take the reigns. Foong is the founder and editor of Suit & Pie, a bi-weekly newsletter which collates news, articles and videos about professional women with the aim of addressing some of the gender equality issues in the workplace.
I heart work
I am one of those lucky people who really enjoys their job (as my friend Fee at Womanthology would say - my job is what I do when I am procrastinating).
I love the complexity of it, the rush up to the deadlines, the feeling of accomplishment and pride in producing something valuable for my clients, and the sense of belonging within my team.
You must be wondering what my job is (cos it sounds awesome!) - my official title is Tax Senior Manager. Who knew tax could be so cool? is what you must be thinking. Ahem.
Me = my job?
Up until recently, my job was very much part of who I was. It defined me. The person I was at work was the best version of me.
Work allowed me to be:
- A thinker - dealing with complex and yet solvable (!) tax structuring issues
- A leader - managing projects, building teams, having people listen to my opinions and action them
- A team player - working with individuals who are not only my colleagues but also my friends and who are willing to go the extra mile and hang out with you after hours
- A proponent for diversity and role models - I write a bi-weekly newsletter called Suit & Pie which tackles diversity issues in the workplace (little plug there). My firm have been nothing but supportive in encouraging me to do this and being a voice for middle management.
My personal brand
Recently, as part of the progression process, I had to undergo a rigorous mock interview. The sole purpose of which was to test my readiness for promotion and ability to perform at the next level.
The process was an eye-opener for me. The interviewers questioned me in all the areas I had always taken pride in being good at and found holes - what appeared to be large ones.
Resilience
For the 3 weeks following the interview, I was absolutely devastated. If the person I was at work wasn't good enough, then I wasn't good enough.
The whole foundation of who I was had been brought into question. I felt lost - how was I supposed to act, who was I supposed to be if not myself?
What I came to realise (following tears, tantrums and a number of heart to hearts) was this:
- Who I am at work does not define me
- Don't take criticism personally, especially work criticism. It took me a while but I realised that all the feedback had a positive intention - to try and prepare me for the real process
- Resilience is key. Knowing who you are and what you stand for is important
- You will always need a support network. The number of people who offered me advice, guidance and just an ear to chew on (if I can use that expression) was surprising, very touching and much appreciated.
Onward and upward
Following my self-exploratory journey, I am pleased to report that I still love my job (yes, still a tax geek!) and my role still allows me to be the best version of myself - my work self, with some fine-tuning needed in parts.
Who I am, my values and what I believe in are still absolutely core to my existence - they are the values that I bring to work with me, but work no longer defines them... or who I am.
Wai Foong Ng, Senior Tax Manager at a global accountancy firm
