previous companies

i seldom like to write about my ex-employers. but recent few weeks were very interesting. two incidents happened that made me even more convinced i made the right decision to leave my previous employer.

first incident. it was during the lunar new year break when one of the current staff (who join the company after i left, and whom i knew since i was in the military service) contacted me. and he told me "management wanted me to review (xxxx) and wanted me to revert to him on 6 feb. since you were the one who developed it, please submit to me a write-up by 6 feb." i was really speechless. yup, i have heard from people inside how the unit was given a good trashing my top management over mishandling of some talent-related matters and that my name had been mentioned as having put in excellent work when i was there. but to get a request (that sounded more like an order) was the last thing i had expected. what audacity to ask me to do things for the company now! i simply tell him i do not want to be associated with the company ever again and that he should never ask me to do anything for them. nonetheless i shared with him my thoughts and emailed some reference materials to him. thought that was the least i could do to help him. people said i was too nice.

second incident. when i was there, i spend a lot of time strengthening the unit and formalizing a lot of training programs and getting them recognized by the government. but i had obstacles doing it for service training becos of a specific character. over time, i learned to avoid service-related issues. two weeks ago, i got a call from this character. she said management wanted her to partner government agencies to formalize the in-house service training as part of the existing national framework. and she asked me how to do it and went further to ask me (almost demanding to know) why i didn't do it when i was around. hmmm… i was like, hey, when i was in there, that was exactly what i wanted to do and you told me to hands off cos you specifically warned me against encroaching into your areas. and for that matter, your unprofessional behaviors directly contributed to 2 of my managers quitting back-to-back and now… well, of cos, i didn't say all these things la. i simply gave her some suggestions as to how to proceed. 

it had been a while since i left and i still get occasional calls from different departments asking for my views of how things are to be done. well, on one hand, i am happy that the people on the ground whom i had worked with continued to place their trust and believe in my advice. but on the other hand, i couldn't help but feel a slight sense of wonder with regards how the management continue to retain some very incompetent people within their ranks. ok, shan't talk too much. just very glad i left.