First asked, first responded...izzit?
When first come (asked) first served (responded) has very little meaning...if at all.
A consultant sent me a list of modules for the coming months and asked if I were interested to take on any of them. If I were, then I was to reply the e-mail indicating which of those on the list I would do and when I proposed to have the sessions. They also cautioned that some of the modules were out Klang Valley.
I reviewed the list and noted that most topics to be held locally were already 'taken'; I guessed I must have been an almost last resort since the outstation ones were the ones still unassigned. To me, that wasn't an issue. The location, too was not an issue - it was at a locality pretty close to my heart. Furthermore, among the topics at that location were the ones I frequently facilitated on and were 'eyeing', anyway.
And so I replied immediately with my intent, and sought an information to help me plan the dates. The consultant acknowledged my respond, asked for the outlines and promised to revert with the information I needed. She gave me the deadline for submitting the outline and I responded with an okay that I will meet that deadline. I also asked for some insight into the target group to get me on the right track with the outline.
Late evening, I received an e-mail from her, telling me matter of factly that the only slot open to me now was a module that no one has taken up. The venue of that topic was in Kuala Lumpur. If I were interested to take on that slot, then do the needful, and she added as much information as she could to 'help' me prepare an outline. The topic, however, was not one I am familiar with at all.
I read and re-read our e-mail thread. Nope, no mistake about it...it was clear that I had highlighted the 2 slots, and she had confirmed them to me.Am I missing something here, I thought to myself? Did I not reply to her enquiry promptly, and did she not confirmed with me the 2 topics/slots earlier on? So what happened in between?
This brought to mind a very recent incident I had with a senior sales personnel from this consultant. She had text messaged me very late one evening enquiring of my availability on a certain period that was only days away. I replied with an affirmation and I didn't get any response from her. I followed up a day later, and still did not get a response so I decided to let that be that then. Of course, it said a lot of that sales person's integrity when she did not keep me updated or even have the decency to reply to my messages.
I have associated myself with this consultant since my early days as a free agent. The past 2 years, projects from them have been few and far between. Those that were brought my way were low profile (read: much lower than standard fees, very low trainee turn-out) yet out of respect for the long-term relationship, I honoured those all the same. Of late, I also do hear other associate friends complaining of this consultant's unprofessional attitude towards them.
I firmly believe that my rezeki is not determined by them; Allah knows best and it could be that those slots may be troublesome to me. It was the manner by which this episode was handled that irked me.
Nonetheless I will continue to du'a for the best for all parties; you see, when Allah says that rezeki is meant to be, it is meant to be. This has happened before...:D
A consultant sent me a list of modules for the coming months and asked if I were interested to take on any of them. If I were, then I was to reply the e-mail indicating which of those on the list I would do and when I proposed to have the sessions. They also cautioned that some of the modules were out Klang Valley.
I reviewed the list and noted that most topics to be held locally were already 'taken'; I guessed I must have been an almost last resort since the outstation ones were the ones still unassigned. To me, that wasn't an issue. The location, too was not an issue - it was at a locality pretty close to my heart. Furthermore, among the topics at that location were the ones I frequently facilitated on and were 'eyeing', anyway.
And so I replied immediately with my intent, and sought an information to help me plan the dates. The consultant acknowledged my respond, asked for the outlines and promised to revert with the information I needed. She gave me the deadline for submitting the outline and I responded with an okay that I will meet that deadline. I also asked for some insight into the target group to get me on the right track with the outline.
Late evening, I received an e-mail from her, telling me matter of factly that the only slot open to me now was a module that no one has taken up. The venue of that topic was in Kuala Lumpur. If I were interested to take on that slot, then do the needful, and she added as much information as she could to 'help' me prepare an outline. The topic, however, was not one I am familiar with at all.
I read and re-read our e-mail thread. Nope, no mistake about it...it was clear that I had highlighted the 2 slots, and she had confirmed them to me.Am I missing something here, I thought to myself? Did I not reply to her enquiry promptly, and did she not confirmed with me the 2 topics/slots earlier on? So what happened in between?
This brought to mind a very recent incident I had with a senior sales personnel from this consultant. She had text messaged me very late one evening enquiring of my availability on a certain period that was only days away. I replied with an affirmation and I didn't get any response from her. I followed up a day later, and still did not get a response so I decided to let that be that then. Of course, it said a lot of that sales person's integrity when she did not keep me updated or even have the decency to reply to my messages.
I have associated myself with this consultant since my early days as a free agent. The past 2 years, projects from them have been few and far between. Those that were brought my way were low profile (read: much lower than standard fees, very low trainee turn-out) yet out of respect for the long-term relationship, I honoured those all the same. Of late, I also do hear other associate friends complaining of this consultant's unprofessional attitude towards them.
I firmly believe that my rezeki is not determined by them; Allah knows best and it could be that those slots may be troublesome to me. It was the manner by which this episode was handled that irked me.
Nonetheless I will continue to du'a for the best for all parties; you see, when Allah says that rezeki is meant to be, it is meant to be. This has happened before...:D
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