Back Office Communication is Good
Work talk.
A chat with a colleague who has about 20 years of experience in back-office roles (HR, labor, and accounting).
The conversation started because some female employees dislike a certain staff member for being "arrogant."
From our perspective as back-office staff, we don't really see them as arrogant, so we wondered if they act differently depending on who they're talking to.
In labor or accounting, we do point out small details and make a fuss about deadlines, but
that's just business, and we should never act arrogant.
Strictness is necessary, but that doesn't mean we're superior.
I just stated the essence of it.
This is the most essential thing for people who handle money.
Exactly, exactly! That's so true!
I want to dispel the idea that back-office staff are hard to talk to.
Just because we "do things properly" doesn't mean we're superior at all.
We just want to do work that earns trust.
When someone acts arrogant, people just think,
"I don't want to get scolded, so it's hard to tell them if I make a mistake."
That's a vicious cycle, isn't it?
Exactly! I want to print this conversation out,
and hand it out to anyone who acts arrogant!
Trust isn't something you gain through superiority (job title or power).
I'm sure my department is also seen as hard to talk to, but
we're calculating money all year round. If even one yen is off,
it's treated as an error that gets chased until the final settlement,
by Tohmatsu.
We know the terror of a single yen all too well, don't we?
We can't just be lax about it.
Try being chased by Tohmatsu once, that's what I say lol
They'd probably run away lol
Having even one comrade makes it easier to keep going; I'm truly always helped by them.
A grateful presence.
We're more than halfway through this term, let's do our best not to be chased by Tohmatsu...
I handle various cases every day, and there really are all kinds of employees.
Some people attach proper documentation and submit things on time,
while others have their own rules, others always blame someone else, and some are just loose...
Because back office roles reveal a person's true nature, the longer you are in one, the more you understand things like
how to communicate with this type of person,
or that this type of person will be more motivated if you say it this way,
and when things go well, that can be a source of fulfillment.