Transformation in Marketplace: There is a Way Out

Abegail Chong · Manager - Claims

From a young age, I was not much of a talker. I tended to focus on getting things done, rarely expressing my opinions, and preferring to listen to others. I was generally low-key.

After graduating from university, I entered the workforce and enjoyed the busy nature of my job. Being deeply engrossed in my work allowed me to accomplish tasks quickly and efficiently. Colleagues and superiors had minimal expectations of me because of my high work efficiency. Due to my productivity and willingness to go the extra mile, I received several awards as an outstanding employee.

As the years went by in the company, I gradually moved up from a lower position to becoming a senior staff. My superiors also started involving me in managerial tasks. During the year of the Movement Control Order (MCO), I was promoted to a manager, responsible for overseeing a small team of five members. All tasks during the work-from-home period were conducted online. I served clients from abroad, resulting in daily Zoom meetings lasting six to seven hours. At that time, lacking the art of communication, I often had disagreements with business partners because I didn't understand what solutions they were looking for. When I offered suggestions, they were dissatisfied, and their tone was impolite. Such interactions made me feel unjust, and I even lost control of my emotions and cried during a meeting. I shared my feelings with my superiors multiple times and expressed my desire to step down from the manager position, returning to being a subordinate. However, my superiors repeatedly urged me to endure, promising to communicate with the business partner.

Managing subordinates was also challenging due to the remote work model, which led to a lack of necessary communication. Everyone focused on completing their individual tasks, and when problems arose, the only means of communication were through informational messages, lacking warmth and interaction. I assumed my subordinates were independent, needing minimal attention. This approach made it difficult for me to evaluate their performance. I would briefly write evaluation reports and only superficially meet with each subordinate, without delving into their challenges or understanding the assistance they needed.

Recognizing my shortcomings in leadership and management, my superiors arranged numerous leadership courses for me, with various teachers sharing their experiences. Despite attending these courses and putting in considerable effort, I still felt inadequate in terms of leadership.

Whenever I heard about the enrollment for the Marketplace Leadership Institute (MLI) at church, I felt a tug at my heart, but I didn't take any practical steps. However, I consistently received a sense that God wanted me to become a good leader in the workplace. After struggling for several years, I finally enrolled in MLI, hoping to become a better leader through biblical teachings.

Through the courses and dancing with God, I learned how to understand the perspectives of my superiors, business partners, and subordinates. Previously, during meetings with business partners, I often disagreed and was uncooperative, leading to a worsening tone in their communication. After the course, I learned to look at superiors, business partners, and subordinates from different perspectives. I individually understood their requirements and learned to empathize. After a few months, my relationships with them noticeably improved, and meetings were no longer tense. Because of my humility in seeking advice from them, patiently asking relevant questions, we discovered many efficient solutions together. The attitude of my business partners also changed significantly. Previously, they were not good at saying sorry or expressing gratitude, but now they would apologize and thank me and my team for our assistance. Occasionally, they would also express concern for me and my subordinates.

Concerning subordinates, I adopted the principle of building relationships before focusing on tasks. My subordinates are all young people born in the 1990s who dislike direct communication. They also do not express many opinions. Therefore, I needed to communicate with them in a trendy way, making them treat me as a friend, thus establishing a relationship of trust. They would openly tell me their needs. For example, after the MCO, each employee was allowed to work from home only one day a week. However, the young people hoped to work from home every day. They would come up with many creative reasons to request working from home, and I usually approved with grace. Previously, during one-on-one reviews, I found it extremely challenging because I didn't know what topics to discuss. I would only talk about work progress and individual performance each time, making the entire process rigid. Later on, I began to care about their lives, hobbies, family life, and more. My relationship with subordinates started to become more natural. One-on-one meetings were no longer awkward or suddenly quiet. From previously only talking for 15 minutes, we now talk for up to an hour, and my subordinates' trust in me continues to increase. My small team has expanded from five people to now having more than twenty people and is still growing.

I am grateful to God for leading me and the pastors for their sharing, as well as the teachings from MLI teachers. These have allowed me to find breakthroughs in my weaknesses, and I am continually progressing. I am also growing to love the role of leadership more and more. All glory goes to God, Hallelujah!