Not what you know

One thing I like about boarding in a new company is the Orientation day/week. This is where I have to be introduced to the personnel in the whole factory. Being in Engineering and maintenance, I have to deal with almost all the groups there is on the factory. So when they are introduced, I would remember names of the main people who I’ll be working with. One thing I would ask is their expertise.<>

Knowing them really makes my life at work easier. I would not know everything in a company, but I should know the people who can help me. In a company, when you are not the authority in a field, some times, no one would dare listen to what you say - even if you are right. Knowing the expert, asking them and making them say to the concerned parties what you think is a better way to say what I want. Sometimes, you don’t have to be the one to do most of the job but the one who understands the best.

In case of a deadlock with other departments, I would go to the higher authority. In Glaxo, we would ask for the help of the ones who makes rules and the more experienced people outside of the Cainta Plant e.g. Singapore Site. I may not even know them personally, but knowing that they exist already has helped me in winning debates. I have done this as I am not keen on taking credits anymore. As long as things will happen the way I want it, it’s fine to me for them to be the hero.

There are times when in dealing with a problem or some decision have to be made, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. I later found a more elaborated version and it says “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know and what you do with who you know.”.