Overview
Recently, one of my employees challenged me about what my goal is for the company. I was taken a back because I never thought about this. I knew why I was working in this industry but I never thought it was relevant to tell anyone.
What started as a short e-mail paragraph turned into a… Well… an essay. My original intention was just to circulate within the company, but I haven’t made an actual confession on this blog in a while.
My Background
The times I’ve spent with my family are my most valuable moments. Why? Because when I was growing up, I didn’t have these moments.
My father owned a business and made a lot of money. My mom was a pretty good mom when she was present. Looking at it from the surface, everything was nice. But we had a lot of problem as a family. To this day, I never understood why my dad thought money and status was so valuable or why my mom thought gambling was more important than her kids.
I don’t blame them for what happened because it’s not their fault. They had to do what they did in order to survive. Just like what my brother and sister had to do in order for us to survive. We’ve all made decisions that we’ve regretted looking back; however, at that particular moment in time (and that particular environment) it was the best possible decision we can make.
When I was probably 13 or 14, and I don’t remember what exactly happened, I cried in bed and made myself promise that one day I will start a family of my own and I will be a good husband and a good father.
I will not let my kids to have the same kind of childhood I had. I will always be available when they need me and I will be their father. I will love and cherish my wife with all my heart and never let her feel lonely.
The Miracle
I don’t know why. Maybe God took pity on me. I was able to achieve what I wanted. I met my wife and she gave me exactly what I was missing in my life. A stable family.
Although striving to become a good husband and a good father is still an ongoing process, there’s not a moment where I don’t feel blessed and feel that I’m incredibly lucky.
The Improvement
Because of my past, I frequently think about how we can finish our work in a more efficient and accurate manner. So we can quickly go home to our loved ones.
Every time I see people work until late at night, I always think about that person(s) waiting for them at home. But they couldn’t go home; they had to finish their work.
I want them to use that time at work, and instead use that to spend time with their kids and loved ones. Because time, once it’s gone. It’s gone.
Why ERP?
So why do I want to get into the ERP software industry?
My answer is that it was not my intention. You remembered when I said that I was lucky earlier? I think I really am.
When I was a student, I only had a student visa. After I graduated, I needed a company that was willing to sponsor for my permanent stay in the US. My grades weren’t that great and my social skills were lacking, but I made sure my determination and persistence was there. After countless interviews and networking/recruiting events, no companies hired me.
My lucky break came when one of my friends gave my resume to a company that sold Navision (my friend worked in a company that bought NAV). This company was very special, it was their strategy to hire a tone and fire quickly you did not work out within a few months. During my 2.5 year at the company, I must’ve seen 30-40 people come and go, and we were only a 10 people company.
At the time when I got started, we had the Y2K problem. Within a month, there were on average of 3-4 implementations going on. It was trial by fire. Tiring, but fun.
The Revelation
I remembered my first year in this company. When I go to client sites to implement NAV, I couldn’t believe why people needed to work such long hours. What were they working on? Why does it take such a long time?
I always thought, if they can finish their work could they go home earlier?
This gave me the insight into how I can use software to help other people. I wanted to learn more about ERP (in particular Dynamics NAV) so I can help others.
This will become my tool to help others to have the opportunity to give what I’ve always wanted when I was growing up. A happy family.
Hi Ale,
Sitting in the same hotel in San Diego I finally found time to read you ‘confession’. And I am lucky to be here and able to read this. Thanx for sharing this. Goose bump and respect. And glad to eventually meet you in person here.
b rg
Luc
Thank you for reading Luc. Glad to finally meet you in person!
Hi Alex
Thank you for sharing your experience. I must say we share similar view regarding the time we spend at work. On a more personal note, I came into ERP because of the opportunity to fit my family around work. I want to see my daughter grow and I want her to remember all the things we did together as a family.
Thank you for reading! At the end of the day, how much money you have, what house you live in, what car you drive, etc will not matter as much as the influence you have on a child.
Thank you for posting this very insightful and personal essay. This just proves that you have your priorities straight. Love it! Thanks, Alex!
Thank you for reading!
This is a very touching story. Glad to see someone putting family first.
Thank you for this inspiring story, what really caught me is how you aligned your career objectives with your values and insights on where these values came from.
I’m a NAV consultant myself (in the middle east), and I deeply appreciate this resourceful website, I read your posts very carefully.
Once again, Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the rest of the world. it truly helps ALOT.
Thank you for reading!