A Day with Ariel, my cool Boss
My boss Ariel picked me up at Starbucks, in front of Santuario de San Antonio by Forbes Park, Makati, and I felt weird ‘cause he said it would be good to have breakfast somewhere else, when we’re already inside Starbucks. We were to go to our Cabuyao plant, and this breakfast thing has become a routine. Along SLEX, we stopped at Pancakes where Petron Station is. (Aren’t gasoline stations getting cooler these days, like mini malls and bistros?) So we began to attack our breakfast of pancakes, bacon and sausages and, hmmm, the very soothing brewed coffee. But even if I knew the question would be shot at any moment, I still had to keep my balance when he asked “Did I do anything wrong that in any way offended you?” Uh-oh. I said, “No, you’ve always been the nicest boss there is, and you took good care of me and my staff” More questions, as expected “Then why would you like to leave the company?” I tried to recite the lines I’ve been trying to memorize in my mind a few hours before and then I felt, yeah, I would be ok. “Boss, I already turned 45, and I want a company where I can grow old and not worry about closures and unions and retrenchments and more of that stuff. I cannot delay it anymore, for then, I wouldn’t be able to sell myself. Please try to think about my interest as well. I have to move on.” Man, did I make him sad! He talked about how much he depended on me, and how that he saw my importance. He talked about all the good things that could possibly make me change my mind; an increase, more perks, flexible time, just a little work and more of bumming he would gladly be lenient with. Talk about a cool boss, it’s Ariel, macho too! But I have decided, and all I really want to do now is negotiate for a graceful exit. Sam, my husband and I have talked it over and we've made up our minds. And maybe, I was able to convince him of the purity of my motives, for he promised to help me on how to deal with Ulysses, our big boss. Ulysses still has the final say, but if Ariel (and Vic Tan, Jr, the Deputy Country Manager) are both with me, then I’d feel more relaxed. Two down, one to go. We talked some more, but I just could feel his sadness. I’ve probably cried buckets of tears for friends that come and go, and this one’s his sad part, well, mine too, but I just have to go.
The day was spent chatting at Cabuyao, Laguna, with some more managers. We barely touched our lunch, but I couldn’t resist the papaya and the bananas. Then after some discussion with our accounting staff at our Laguna office, we were ready to go back home to our Pasig office. After minutes of driving though, he felt like wanting to have coffee again, so we parked by Delicatessen over at Shell Station (see what I mean by cool gas stations?) and had coffee with our cinnamon and peaches croissant. We talked some more, about the things that really matter in life, about spirituality and illumination of the mind and spirit (how profound ‘no?) and about how he didn’t really want to let go of me. Again, he asked, “Is there anything I can do to stop you from leaving?” I said, “ I know you understand, please give me this one last shot at my career.” And he sat quiet and later said “Ok.”
We drove back to Pasig, and tried our best to pretend this wasn’t really a big issue. We stopped talking about my going away and soon, we were there. But then, he promised, he’ll help me talk to Ulysses. That was all the support I needed, and my cool boss Ariel gave it to me. Thank God!
posted by BING L. HERNANDO @ 9:31 PM
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