What would you do if...

...you see things happening that you think should not? What do you do if the boss does something completely unexpected and perhaps even unnecessary? What do you do if you think it is a strategically inexpedient move?

I can fret and complain and moan till the cows - and all the other farm animals - come home.

Or I can psych myself into believing that the boss, being the boss, is privvy to much more information which I am not. That, as an aide , I can only see a small part of the whole. And when a battle is at its height, the general got no time to tell the foot soldiers why he decides to retreat or advance when the only thing that matters is winning.

I, or the boss - or both of us - may be wrong. But once the bridge is crossed (and occasionally burnt) it is pointless to discuss the merits of the decision. What's more important is the road ahead.

This is not sense of denial or the ostrich syndrome. Call it Political Aide-ism 101, if you will. Really, this is not about being a yes-man. It's about knowing your place in the overall scheme of things.

It's Out!

Yes, the PKFZ report is out. And I am glad. What a relief. Phew!

I think this is one of those things that will come to define boss' leadership. I don't care if you think that's an exaggeration. I don't care if you can summon the winds and the rain or can walk on water. I don't because the Report is out. Woooohooooo!!

But, it's been a cliffhanger over the past few weeks. The drama, the anticipation, the disappointment and finally a few hours ago, the release. All that does not matter now. The release is not the be-all end-all and the boss is in it for the long haul. But still...

Lemme pinch myself again. Ok, I am not dreaming. The Report IS out.

A brush with the "rival" (not mine) ... (1)

A couple of nights ago, I attended an informal get-together dinner. My boss was there and so were his party comrades and lots and lots of people from the press. Dinner was served buffet-style and there was no fixed seating arrangements, to allow guests to mingle more freely.

I arrived early and was seated with two friends. And there I was, sinking my teeth into the satay when a party leader came from behind and sat down in the same table. He was, in the public's eyes, a rival to my boss in the party.

I wasn't sure if he knew I was seated in the table before he took his seat, but I nevertheless greeted him with a "hi" and even smiled. He responded the same.

Although I knew him even before joining my present boss, I felt a bit awkward striking a conversation with the man. I continued the discussion with my friend seated next to me. If there was any uneasiness in the table, I didn't think anyone felt it.

At one point, the leader asked a mutual friend seated with us why he was eating so little. The friend said he would get more helpings later and I took the opportunity to chip in: "He needs time to warm-up." That must be the closest to me and him having a conversation that night.

All in, I guess it must have been 10- 15 minutes since the politician sat down before I excused myself and mingled with those from other tables. Given the nature of the dinner, I guess the duration was fairly acceptable. After all, we were supposed to move from table-to-table and hobnob.

I did not stand up and walked away immediately after he took his seat. It never crossed my mind to do so and it was absolutely unnecessary. In fact, I must say we both conducted ourselves fairly well.

Fire-fighting

It's bloody exhausting fighting fire. It is, it is, it is...

Of late, my boss has come under intense media scrutiny over some decisions he made. I am not here to discuss the merits of what he has done. But each time the media put him under a microscope, it feels like a tonne of bricks just came crashing down on my shoulder.

All of a sudden, your stress level rises exponentially. Each and every news item need to be thoroughly scanned. Sometimes, a reaction is warranted. The worst is dealing with those who already have preconceived notions about certain issues and who simply refuse to open up to any other opinions except their own.

All these sap your energy and even rob you of the ability to think clearly, although these are qualities you need in abundance during fire-fighting. This round, I was slightly scorched.

But a friend on Facebook offered consoling words: "just let it (the current issue) burn la. sooner or later, it'll burn out."