Dear All,
Nice to hear all these, let me share with you my initial experience in IR which I hope might help you.
1) Intially my only work was to file all papers into respective files and just go thorugh the paper movement and files.
2) After that I was given the task of drafting regular letters. The drafting involved changing names, dates and other relevant objects. It was just a fill in the blank exercise.
3) I was not given excess to computers and I had to do everything in pen and paper.
4) After a couple of months I was first allowed to listen to discussions that use to take place between workers, Union Leaders and my boss. I did not had the permission to comment.
5) I didnot have any permission to alter, change or modify any documents, letters and likes.
How much I use to curse my boss and feel so frustrated and dejected, but now I feel they are very valuable lessons my boss taught me.
1) Due to the filing system, I was able to understand the whole concept of how official communication works. Which papers should be kept and which papers should be discarded. In short how to effectively communicate and keep tracks of documentation and communication and effectively use the same at my advantage.
2) The drafting taught me to evolve a system of effectively communicating and understanding the importance of maintaining a specific format for specific set of matters to get maximum effect. For example, when you are dealing with Salary Discrepancy the Accounts executive who is looking into the matter does not have the time to go through the entire communication and as a result in most cases he sets it aside to look at it, in covienence. But, if you are keeping the same format, he will just have look at a few places to understand the whole matter and effectively his time spend on the matter get reduced and he will execute the work quickly.
3) In absence of Computers I have learned to be more careful, you simply donot have the backspace,delete, copy paste, insert options. If you make a mistake you have redraft the letter. This has taught me to be careful both while typing as well as reading any documents. Never be casual with documentation.
4) As I didnot have the permission to comment in those discussions, I learned to listen and take a problem as a whole. It has enabled me to control my expressions both verbal and non verbal when dealing with people.
5) Since I didnot have the permission to change anything, I learned following:
a) To understand why a system is in place. The people who had framed them are not fools and they must have a reason. Once you start to find out the logic and reasons you will start giving respect to your senior and their experience. And, once you understand the logic, the change becomes more effective and acceptable.
b) Change for the sake of change is always counterproductive. Since once you make a change you need to have the whole organisation get accustomed to the change. Now, what you really have to find out that if the change is really worth the effort you put in or is it really necessary.
Further to the above, I have also learned how much effort and how valuable it is to become a Team Member in the true sense.
I would only suggest that:
1) Be positive, proactive and
2) create such a position that everytime your boss needs help he will turn to you.
Kind Regards,
SC