美国职场奋斗记 (22)

有了这层关系，我的要求就来了。我的要求就是如期把工作做完。如果做不完，必须通知我。我可以亲自下手来完成。他们知道我的底子，也知道我是个既能动口有能动手的老板。而且不是说着玩的。从那时开始，我的经理再也没有问题要他们完成工作了。组里有两位女博士，一位来自台湾，在美国修了一个博士。这位博士，是本省籍的同胞。其实，我非常高兴能有这么一位宝岛姑娘同事。至少，我们可以用台语来交谈。我的台湾话是顶呱呱的，总是希望有机会练习。那年我回台湾，到台大，中央研究院，清华等校的化学研究所，和教授一起都是用台语交流化学，不会讲的就用国语或英文。我和这位女博一起快四年。起初，这位女博眼睛长在头顶上。交代给她任何工作，总要有意见。我的做法就是尽量让这些博士们自己去闯闯，给她们足够的空间与时间去工作。我要做的就是提供她们所需要的材料，仪器等一切。结果，经过头破血流之后，东西还是拿不出来。不过，这位女博，经过我晓以大义，总算转过来了。后来，我们变成很要好的朋友。多年后，她找工作都是我一直给与最好的推荐。也一直还在圈子里工作。我进入公司不到几个月，算是一切搞定。每天上班轻轻松松，大家在一起就像一家人。每个礼拜，组里的人都会自动的带点各式的点心，早上一起享用，呱啦呱啦的聊上一阵子，才开使我们的工作。

我们经常会办聚餐，就是每个人带一个菜，中午在公司的草地，摆上桌子，一起享用。我们都说好，不准用买的，就是要亲自做的家常菜。我还特别做了韭菜盒子，葱油饼，凉拌菜。这是我来美国这么多年，第一次看到美国人那么的爱吃韭菜。我们每年也办公司郊游，邀请员工眷属一起参加。圣诞节也有大的爬梯。总之，在这个公司上上下下，气氛融洽，每天大家都是高高兴兴的上班。一直到现在，我们还是不定期的聚在一起。互通工作上的信息。可见得一个公司是可以创造出一个和谐的工作环境。只要大家协力，摒弃己私。在一个公司上班当然是为了工资，但是除了工资以外，实在还有许多其它的乐趣可以追寻的。乐趣当然包挂了自己在专业 的学习。

我上班不久，我老板太太的公司裁员，结果她手下的一位中国小朋友被裁掉了。这位小朋友是小时后从缅甸来美。大学毕业后就在一家做试剂的公司工作。被裁员后，老板就推荐给我。刚好我那时有个缺。说实在话，这位小朋友的经验实在用不上。可是见面之后，我非常喜欢他。我当时就给他工作，同时答应亲手从头教他液相色谱。这位小朋友来了之后，可真是努力，终於学会了一技之长。后来很快的变成了我的台柱。同时他的灵活，也使他成为公司举办活动的要角。所以我时常说一个人要有机会，但是机会来的时候就要好好把握。这位小朋友后来也找到其他工作离开了公司。而且我都是一直做他的推荐人。

在我进入公司第三年，我们雇了一位从大陆出来，在美国拿到化学博士的大妹子。这位女博士，先前在这个公司做了几年。后来因为结婚（嫁给了老美）而辞职。结婚后住在华州的一个小岛上。先生是个反文明的人，因此住在荒僻的小岛。听说又缺水，缺电的。早上起床后，第一件事是那个铲子在屋外挖个洞，然后排泄。结束后，再用土埋起来。这位女博士，工作非常认真。公司从总裁，副总，一直到我的老板，一口咬定要雇她回来。我跟她面谈了半个小时，见了我的老板。老板问我的看法如何。我说，没看法。你们都已经决定要她回来了，我当然赞成。其实，我来上班后，最大的成就就是把她所有以前的工作推翻，重新来过。不客气的说，这位女博虽然十分卖力，可惜底子太差，所以她以前完成的方法，没有办法认证。我们里面的助手们只要重复她完成的方法，就成天的唉声叹气。我之所以被雇佣，就是要把这些方法，全部修改成可用的方法。女博士风尘仆仆，每周一中午来上班，每周五中午要赶回去报到，与夫共度原始时代生活的周末。不过，我是从来不计较我的属下工作小时，我的要求就是把工作做完。如果，没有工作，那就意味着人手过剩。工作太忙也不对，那就意味着要加人。

[yijibang]

回复realprincess的评论:
您好客气！刚开始工作要把一切基础打好。我认为最重要的还是人际关系。我们要使自己Fit Into 环境，一个公司总有一个公司的文化。然后就是学东西，尽量利用公司的Resources 学东西。有了一技之长，啥都不怕了。在翅膀没硬以前，是要忍让，谦虚。当然，是有一定的界限。谢谢您的浏览。预祝您一切顺利。

[realprincess]

缓缓叙述的文笔我很喜欢，
文如其人。

我是个刚刚开始工作生涯的人，喜欢听职场前辈的故事。。。

谢谢！

[yijibang]

回复duckling3的评论:
I am so happy for your and keep doing your good job.I always believe that our personality determines our fortune a lot. Many times if we retreat one step and we can see more clearly what's going on. 退一步海阔天空。The problem is we always have tendency to forget about that when the time comes. We are certainly lucky to work in a relatively liberal environment here in Bay Area. Again wish you the best in your success.

[duckling3]

回复yijibang的评论:

Thanks for your response. I guess I am indeed lucky to have met so many good bosses. I never had the feeling that they felt I was a threat to their position. Instead, I made them feel they made the right hiring decision. In my 12 year career (Bay Area), I had earned 4 promotions, none was a request or demand, some came as surprises. Maybe it was also because I reported to department head or directors, instead a group leader or a senior scientist. I myself is at a middle manager position now, supervising and supervised many Ph.Ds. Your posts made me think I ought to be more careful and sensitive in managing Ph.Ds. And guess what, as you know, most Ph.Ds in chemistry field are Chineses.

[yijibang]

回复duckling3的评论:
Thank you very much for your comment. It is quite true that I did leave my job with a hard feeling. I am sure I certainly have room for improvement. On the other hand, many times, at least in my situration,there is so much you can do. May be you are right I am not as lucky as others. But I did have good bosses who did not feel threaten by my expertise. On the other hand, they know how to use my expetise and become very successful. As many other readers point out, it is quite common to have your boss felt threaten. The question is how to manage the situation so that you can turn the negative into positive. That is all what we have to learn and classified as communication skills or interpersoanl skills. By the way, I always live a good life no matter how bad the situation in my office. Because I try my best to put only 8 hours in my office and once I leave my office, my mind is at home. Thank you for your continuing reading and wishes you the best in your career.

[duckling3]

I read all 22 posts. I learned quite a bit and found the posts very interesting. I had great interest in the posts because I work in the similar field and hold Ph.D in chemistry as well. Thank you for sharing.

However, the author seems very unlucky that he did not meet any single good boss, he couldn't get along with any boss or have any lasting nice relationship. Many times, he left the job with bitterness. Frequently, he did skip level reporting and was mindful in earning credit for himself. In addition, he emphasized in almost every post that his bosses were all technically incompetent, and he got discriminated because they felt threatened by him. Frankly, I cannot believe these thoughts were from someone in the industry for more than 30 years. I don't want to be harsh, but come on, wake up and think hard what you can do to improve yourself, before you believe you have been a victim for so long. Meanwhile, get it over with some bad experiences, and try to have a higher quality of life. The part you fought with your Chinese boss is especially, well, sad…