It was around 2001 or 2002 when my dad had to be confined over at Saint Louis for a heart problem. During that time, my mom, my brother and I would take turns in taking the role of the watcher. I didn't think of it as such a fun thing to do until I was there - check that. It wasn't fun, but it was groundbreaking.
See, when I was there, it was quiet. My options of effectively burning time until my brother relieved me were dramatically reduced as I inked in the final letter on the Daily Crossword. My dad, who was reading a book at the time, suddenly broke the silence by asking me if I would rather lead or follow.
I answered him by saying I'd prefer to learn to follow before leading. This turned out to be a precept which I began to apply ever since I walked into Boot Camp A.K.A. Sitel A.K.A The Call Center Formerly Known As ClientLogic.
It all started the way it would for any brave soul who wanted to talk to people halfway around the world to help them out with a technology taught by theory. Every day for five, or even six days a week we would sit down and do exactly that, until the said theories were experienced first hand, and the help did not come out of necessity, but voluntarily and proactively.
After a period of time, those who led deemed a majority of us who stayed the course to be worthy of being more than able to follow. Promotions followed, and we were assigned to roles which gave us some control over the brave souls who continued to learn to follow. My role in particular was reversed compared to my role as I learned; I was now tasked to listen instead of talk.
In other words, I monitored calls instead of taking them. This has been going on for nearly a year and a half. I hate to say it, but I feel quite stagnant - dull, where I'm at.
Yesterday, however, was different. Due to some unforeseen problems at a level beyond our control, those who were leading us were telling us to take in calls. My pride originally objected to the call which I translated as a temporary demotion, a task that I thought was what I used to do when I followed.
I'm glad faith pushed me to overlook my pride, as the calls I took were not fun, but icebreaking(?).
Notice that when you do something new, you tend to be at your most accurate and receptive attitude. Time would fly, and every time you went home during those days, you would make that sigh, that genuine sigh so hyped by media and hearsay, the one which expresses satisfaction from fulfillment and achievement.
Keep doing it, though, and sooner or later it'll once again take so much from you to even jump out of bed to report for work. In my particular case, I began to lose the determination in mentoring the frontliners that I seriously declared the words which previously came out with so much passion as cliche. At the time I could tell a person to listen, to feel his or her customer as if he or she had the problem himself, and just not give a fuck if he or she got the message after I had him sign the form which served as my record.
Yesterday was a chance for me to walk the talk, once again. My customers were my only worries then, and I had the chance to make a guy believe that I understood the pool of shit he was in and that I was going to either help him out or get him to someone who could. I have to admit it didn't feel fun at the time, but it certainly felt rewarding as I was quickly backing myself up; I was practicing what I preached.
I had relearned to follow, a lesson which my father probably wanted me to realize myself.
Is this what they mean when they say, 'Don't forget where you came from'?