On The Train (Sharing common objective), June 27, 2007

Another long day for me and I foresee it will continue to the rest of next week. Just like the old MSC IAP days where nights and days are the same, only difference is either dark of nights and clear daylights. I know it cannot be like this all time as this kind of things that I ran away from. So far my family are fine with this arrangement, I guess because I still come home smiling and full of jokes, funny or otherwise.

I took the 2210 train home and as I described before I went home with the other office or construction workers that decided to call it a day. One thing about this bunch is that we are a bit discipline as we fully aware there is no use creating unnecessary stress for everyone. Also, I can see and feel the trust level among us is quite high. This is really important as it creates a compromising and relax environment of trying to achieve common objective – to get home without much trouble. This got me thinking somehow, if we create, maybe force, an environment where several people have to be in one place at certain fix time trying to achieve almost the same objective they will develop enough understand and trust to be a successful community. I would not say collaborative community but it is a start. Let say in an office environment we create a space or situation where people with more or less sharing common goals, without giving them any structure, overtime they will develop into a good community. I do not know how long but it would be a good research to find out. You see all of us in the train are going home and all of us are doing our own things. I am typing, someone else would be reading, talking or even sleeping but all of us would share willingly about what we are doing or even talking about our private family life. All of us do not know each other by name but all of us recognize one another and even know each other stations. So we know each other enough for natural bonding to accour. I met my fellow commuters outside of the train carriage once and we click straight away. I guess in an office environment we just bring possible groups together and let them loose to discover each other. Our KMC is one good example.

On The Train (How did I survive all these), June 26, 2007

How do I handle all these? Work pressure piles in on me for weeks now and I know I have to keep cool. What have kept me sane all these while are;

• The train ride that I takes everyday, although today KTMB aggravated my situation by turning up late for my ride home, which I enjoy somehow. It keeps me relax especially when I am sleeping LOL.
• My writing is another main contributor as I managed to channel my energy, sometimes worries, away form work.
• The ability to shut out work after office hours. The family activities as well as my sport endeavor pay dividend.

Today a Tan Sri dropped by at our office for a short discussion on the possibility of collaborative digital collection building. I have no issue on that and really encouraged to have more of this collaboration with more parties. The discussion obviously became a short visit and tour around our facility and presented me an opportunity to share our KMC story. I am sure one look at the place people would want to know why we did the place the way we did. I flew with it trying to explain the best I can and I could see the Tan Sri was convinced. He said this, ‘..not like our place, so…stiff.’ The way I see it is this if anyone could see the place, or anything for that matter, is really working then it is easy to convince them. Another thing is that Management would be willing to do new things and you need to persevere in selling your ideas.