With Fond Memories (Not As Mushy As It Sounds)
Today is my last day at Straits Knowledge and as with Patrick, I leave with mixed feelings, though I am not a Piscean. I have been treated with respect and fondness here at Straits, and treated to some very awesome minds and good humour. On reflection, I realized that what mattered most to me was I could see the purpose of what we were doing and how we did it. Our hearts were in the right place all the time… not sure if we could say the same about our heads? 
I can still remember my first day at the office. The start of the year, the guys were still not back from their Christmas break. I had been given the office keys a couple of weeks earlier and so I let myself in on Day 1. I remember turning the salsa music up in the office and sashaying my way to the printer and the pantry. Dance like no one is watching as they say! Bet you didn’t know that, did you guys? 
More revelations to come!!
We were a good team. Sometimes I likened ourselves to the American Idol judges – Edgar is Paula Abdul, caring and talented; I am Randy, rounder and more tanned…well, and maybe, a little more diplomatic; and there’s no guessing who Patrick is! The “Simon” who understands the “game” and knows good stuff when he sees it. Truly in a league of his own, I will miss the gems and the wit and humour he frequently tosses up. That will be my envy of the person who takes over this seat. Then again, sometimes, it feels like we were of more humble backgrounds, like the Holy Family – preacher, carpenter and mother. Which one’s which – you figure!
So what else will I miss about working in Straits Knowledge? Here are the more significant things.
Buddha Bar – this is the regular in-house music entertainment at the office and probably the chart topper CD for Straits Knowledge in 2007 and perhaps, 1Q of 2008. Thanks to Edgar’s exquisite taste in music, I was able to relish the varied ethnic sounds of his now almost complete collection of it.
Mac – It looks like I will have to abandon the Mac environment and trudge back to Windows, which is probably more practical for a large organization. I am going to miss prancing around on the Mac though and smooth-walking my way into applications. Enough said, you get the picture.
Post-its – These are as vital as our Macs for our work. They represent possibilities which when put in the hands of people, can be very powerful and revealing. We use them extensively in our workshops and I have seen how versatile their application can be, not just their re-stickable value.
Our clients – Some nice friendships have emerged through these engagements, some deeper than others. Thank you all for your trust and confidence in us as well as in what we do. It is heartening to see that you have among yourselves, formed a community of SK clients!
Aunty Choa Kang – that is what she told me her name was. A strange name my Chinese friends may say, for it means “work” in Hokkien, a Chinese dialect. She is the cleaning lady who spoils me with biscuits and other breakfast goodies whenever she comes round. I hold her culpable for my extra inches.
Green Chameleon – this is the blog I will miss being able to post on but am glad I can at least continue to comment. It’s a blog with an audience. The picture of the Green Chameleon above is the puppet that lives in the living room of our office. It also resembles, oops I mean represents, Patrick who is behind the Green Chameleon name. 
Finally, I will miss posting as a Straits Knowledge person on the forums I’ve been introduced to since I’ve been here. My most enjoyable and enriching being the actKM forum . I will still be here guys on this forum … sorry, it’s not that easy to get rid of me! Just looking and chipping in when I can from a different window. Thank you also for one of the best KM conferences I have attended last year in Canberra). It walked the talk.
I have also come to meet some pretty sharp thinkers as a result of being with Straits Knowledge, my favourites being Dave Snowden and Gary Klein. I guess it’s because they think at a different plane (and I don’t mean aircraft) from most people, and that is what makes them interesting. The meta of the meta, the abstract of the abstract, know what I mean?
Finally, I have one final unfinished task. I have to thank Frank Connolly from the Victorian Public Sector Continuous Improvement Network (VPSCIN) who invited Patrick to speak at the KMLF session on the Vices and Virtues of Knowledge Management last October and at the dinner afterwards, true to the power of a social network, provided me with directions to Radii, an amazing salsa place in Melbourne recommended by his friend.
Yes, it always comes back to dance with me.
From Paolina at Straits Knowledge,
Adios Amigos
3 Comments so far
Good luck Paolina in your new job.
I am sure we will stay in touch - through Facebook and any other method we choose to use. You are going to be one very hard act to follow - please note Patrick!!!
Keep on dancing - oh how I wish I was that talented
Nerida
- Frank Connolly
Paolini,
Don’t be a stranger and don’t neglect those cumbias and merengues.
Frank
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The guys will definitely be missing the balance you bring to the Idol panel! Good luck with your move and I’m sure I will be bumping into you in the near future.
Regards
KK
Posted on February 22, 2008 at 07:18 PM | Comment permalink