No matter who you are, as long as you're an employee, going into your superior's office will always be an intimidating experience.
That was how Nadine felt right now.
Sitting in the stiff chairs facing her direct supervisor as he reclined in his ergonomic leather seat, rattling on the line with a client overseas.
By all means, Nadine had nothing to be afraid of. She was a diligent and hardworking person, always striving for the best. Even so, her heart skipped a beat when he was finally done with the call.
"Hello Nadine. I see you received my urgent email this morning."
She nodded with a meek smile.
Nadine's superior was a single man in his early 30s. He was tall, outgoing, charming and especially well spoken, the kind of men women fell head over heels in love for.
Too bad he was gay.
He was the one who hired her in after she graduated a few years ago. Luckily for her, he was and still is a very knowledgeable mentor both at work and in life. Outside of work they were friends who could share a drink or two, sharing bits of their private lives. At work she was his most able right hand person, managing all the tasks that he delegated with professionalism.
"Any idea why I asked you here first thing in the morning?" Dan tapped his well-manicured fingers on his desk to ask.
"Uhm," Nadine tried to think of a good reason. They mostly corresponded through emails or intercom via the phone during office hours. Most of the times they met in his office were for initial project briefings or progression of various projects or events. Sometimes of course, it was for 'motivational talk' when things weren't moving fast enough.
"We have a new project?" She tried; judging from the look on his face, he probably had something else in mind.
"Nadine," he sat up straight to ask her this time, "How long have you been working here?"
She was taken aback by such a question. "Uhm, this is my 4th year with the company."
"Have you been happy during your time here?"
Oh God. Was she at the receiving end of a retrenchment?
"Yes, definitely. The company has helped me to grow a lot professionally."
"Good. And remember the bid for a new branding project that main office in Singapore got and allocated to us two months ago?"
"Yeah."
That new project was one of the biggest that the company ever got. It was passed on to their Manila office but the project itself would be based in Shanghai.
"What do you think about it?" Her boss was reclining on his chair and tapping his fingers again.
"I think it's very beneficial to both the company and people who get to work on it in terms of both long and short term effects. Moreover, being based in Shanghai will help to widen the professional horizons."
"Well said." Dan gave her an encouraging smile. "You must be wondering how has this got to do with our meeting this morning."
"Yes, I am." Nadine answered honestly.
"I'll be frank. You know this project is a huge one, management wants to use this as an opportunity for more profound career development." He paused, "So far so clear?"
"Yes."
"I recommended you to management for an overseas posting to oversee the marketing aspects of this project."
