It was about two o’clock on Monday, my Chinese interns last day at our office, and things were moving along nicely. Two weeks had passed during which I had passed on as much knowledge and skill that could be absorbed (and understood) giving that she had absolutely no business background and was just starting grad school. A common language, English, had made communication easy and her eagerness to learn made teaching fun. It was no surprise when I was called on this day into the conference room to have a meeting with her, my ‘supervisor’, and her advisor from university.
‘So, how did she do?’ the advisor asked leaning forward intently. I began to think, going through the last two weeks in my head preparing a thoughtful and complete answer. Her strengths, her weaknesses, things she could improve on, things she did well all lined up nicely in my head and I opened my mouth to speak. I actually got through the first set of thoughts before I realized, looking at their eyes, that what they wanted to hear was anything but what I was saying. I finished lamely with the words they were waiting for, ‘She did great.’
Everyone sat back with relief. Honor was safe, something was learned and all was well in the world. With that formality out of the way it was time for the next. The long honored tradition of obligatory compliments and back patting.
The advisor warmed up with a lavish ‘I have heard so much about you. Would it be acceptable for us to send you more students?’ and continued on for a short time. My ‘supervisor’ countered with ‘Isn’t he great. He is extremely smart and going to take this company to the next level with international trade!’
My vision came sharply into focus as I inhaled deeply and took a look at the man as he continued on that thread. Had he just inferred that the company was depending on me to bring home the bacon and that they were fully supporting me in my endeavors and everyone was eagerly perched on my shoulder wondering what was happening? That wealth and fame sat just around the corner waiting for me to discover them? Was this the same man whose last conversation that lasted more then 2 minutes was when he told me they had to cut my pay by $1000 dollars A MONTH because of economic problems (despite the five fold increase in sales and no one else taking a cut – I checked). Sure I could accomplish those lofty goals if I had modest budget, support from my coworkers, and a free flow of information-both ways, but alas that is not the situation.
In two years not a single person in my company, including my boss, has ever asked me a single question about what I was doing unless I brought it up. I have asked questions, made suggestions, created proposals, given and asked for advice but in all of that no one has even shown the slightest bit of interest. Wait, that’s not true. When I manage to pluck a sale from thin air I get short ‘good job!’ and everyone goes back to facing their computers. I have put forth ideas that could save thousands of dollars, save immeasurable amounts of time, and speed up the sales process but each has fallen on deaf ears not because of the cost, but because it would change things up and upset the comfortable norm.
Yet here the man was laying praise after praise on me for things that he himself was preventing me from doing. With my head reeling and feelings seething I did the only thing I could, I nodded and smiled. How he reconciled within himself what he said and what the reality of what the situation was I do not know, but this kind of thing is not new to me.
The meeting ended with the normal bowing and the day quickly wound itself out. My intern headed off into the sunset hopefully having learned something probably not realizing how much she had done for me. Her presence and innocent questions had forced me to put into focus my thoughts, feelings and plans. Not bad for only a few weeks worth of work.
Another day, another 100 yen, but for how long…
