I Can Never Win an Argument with You, Adila!

Apart from ranting about the ups and downs of my job, I hardly write about work in this blog.

This entry is an exception, documenting my laments on my new reporting line and my choice of working has resulted in an unbalanced work life.

Reason being, the organization structure of the department where I serve as a Head, has been approved.

In case you all wonder, I am a misplaced Head of Department reporting to an EVP.  In this company where I work, that is no 2.  There is the President, and four EVPs and I report to one of them.

Why misplaced?  Because I always feel that I am a low life creature in this Fortune 500 corporation and much as I do realize the importance of this department's role in the overall scheme of things, I find reporting to an EVP errrr.....shall I say, unnerving?

But life goes on, as they always say.  I find reporting to an EVP not too be a bad proposition after all.  The perspectives of an EVP has been invaluable to me in shaping the way I think about the departmental role in protecting the organization's balance sheet.  I feel like I am developing as an individual in my reporting to him and that's important I think at this stage of my career.

Therefore, at his directive, the functions of credit and trading risk management was transferred to us necessitating a re-look at our organization structure.  Coupled with organizational trends in risk management, and fulfilling our roles as a financial risk management function for the Group, we came up with a new structure,  aligning our risk management responsibilities into two main portfolios.

The tough part was the sell to this EVP creature.  Explanation as to why we structured ourselves this way, why we need that many people, what these positions are supposed to do, and him telling me he has "elephant memory" and that I was supposed to cut positions, not add....let's say I was persistent and honest on the workload that is required and why the right organization structure is very critical for us to fulfill our roles!

After all that, my boss said...."I can never win an argument with you Adila!  Oklah!"

And that was it!!!  From a humble beginning in 2004 where we started with a team of 4 (myself included), we are now a reasonably sized team of 20 positions.

Post Exco yesterday, the HR account manager (who happens to be my senior in MRSM) texted me and said, "Organization structure approved, Alhamdulillah!"

An achievement that could not have happened without the support of my direct reports, who had to tolerate my moods, my discontent on many, many aspects of the preparation work, not to mention frequently changing my mind.

And Kak Nat and Ali, who have been relentless in managing the paperwork and approvals process.

And my husband, who have been tolerating my late hours and except for a few complaints has hardly said a word on my work hours.  And my kids at home, who does not have an inkling that Mama's drive to do all of this is because of all four of you.