Early in my career as a hotelier—back when I was at Aston Canggu—I remember those moments so clearly. I’d go home and whine: “Why does my boss do this? I don’t think he likes me. Why is everyone faking it?” I was so attached to the work, in the name of “passion” (or so I told myself).
Then came Mba Orie, with her signature blunt wisdom. One day she looked at me and said, “Have you done your report yet? So your boss knows the data and sees how much value these people you invited bring to the property?”
DANG. Like a knife straight to the gut. That was my wake-up call. I was new to hotels, new to corporate life—and I missed the most basic step. From that moment on, I made reporting a priority. Because no matter how good my intentions were, if I couldn’t communicate them clearly or earn the trust of my team and boss, how could I expect to work well with them?
So take it one day at a time. Study the culture. Get to know your team. But set boundaries—because work and friendship aren’t the same. And remember: trust isn’t given, it’s earned. And when you have it? Respect it.Then came Mba Orie, with her signature blunt wisdom. One day she looked at me and said, “Have you done your report yet? So your boss knows the data and sees how much value these people you invited bring to the property?”
DANG. Like a knife straight to the gut. That was my wake-up call. I was new to hotels, new to corporate life—and I missed the most basic step. From that moment on, I made reporting a priority. Because no matter how good my intentions were, if I couldn’t communicate them clearly or earn the trust of my team and boss, how could I expect to work well with them?
