A Dedication to My Greatest Guru - Miss Lynn

I had my first job as a marketing executive in the year 2003 for a company that specialized in point-of-sales system, or in short cash registered machine but with higher technology. It was fun, mainly because i was young and everything in the marketing field is new to me. I was like a clean sponge ready to absorb as much as i could. The company was great as well, with great people who are always willing to teach and help and it was like a big family. I was lucky to be able to join this marvelous company and family.

But the person whom i think made the longest lasting impact on me was my then VP of Marketing and Communications. Her name is Lynette and somehow i am not sure why i always called her Miss Lynn when i could just called her Lynn. It had became a habit that i cant kick off. I still remember the first time i saw Lynn, she was smiling at me and her eyes were examining me from top to bottom then bottom top again. I was afraid! Plus with all the scary stories that i have heard of Lady Bosses, i was highly defensive and protective of myself. I thought Lynn will be one of those monster bosses in the movies.

But Lynn is the best boss to work with ever. After her, i could not have another better boss. Of course i have met some nice bosses along the way but each time i will compare them with Lynn, and somehow no one could outshine her. I still remember when she came to me with a report i gave her. In the report, she circled all the mistakes i have done. They were not big mistakes though. The mistakes were like a comma here, a full stop there, a big cap along the way or even the alignments of both sides. She was that critical and she told me that she is a perfectionist! I was totally caught off guard! Of course i changed the mistakes but i could not buy into her saying of being perfect when it comes to Marketing. Then years passed and i have left the company and it is during those time that i saw what she had been trying to teach me and instill in me. In the Marketing world, ever single mistake means a lot. And because of her, i have learnt to scrutinize those mistakes as well in my work and also in others. And because of her, i am a better Marketing person.

She was also the one who had given me the confidence to organize a small scale business convention. It was through her that i learned how to communicate with the various media owners, how to mail merged, how to work with the various suppliers for our marketing department, and also learned to take up responsibilities and admit my wrong doings when things gone wrong, and how to do the right things again.

Lynn is also more than a boss to me. She is more like my mentor. I remembered i went through a very rough patch of my life when i was still working with her. After telling her what happened, i thought she might just react like most people did, simply by asking if there is something she can help and then she will just disappeared on me. But she didint. She really did help a lot. She was the one who let me off the office when the urgency needed me and helped me explained to the management. She was the one who came to me constantly during that time just to check on me that everything is still fine. And even when i wanted to leave the company, she was the one who let me off for a couple of hours so that i could go for interviews. She was also the one who came out and sat down over a dinner with me and listened patiently when i whined about my life later on and when i doubted myself. She was the one who taught me how to see things in a positive note and how to be stronger when faced with problems. And the last day when i left the company, i was in tears to much that she thought something was very wrong in my life and tried so hard to console me but unavail. All because i just shook my head and told her nothing is wrong but i never told her the real reason for my crying so much was i felt as if i am leaving a great boss and mentor. I never have the gut to tell her that.

After i left the company, we didnt really keep in touch that much but deep down in my heart, i often miss her and remembers the things that she have taught me. The worst of me is that when i went India few years back, i bought her a very nice bracelet which is still with me even to now! I swear i must give it to her the next time i go back to Malaysia.

Miss Lynn, maybe i have not told you this before but i really want to thank you for everything that you have done for me and everything that you have taught me. It is you whom had help me through the rough patch and made me a better person now. Thank you very much.

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UPDATES:
When i posted this entry, all i wanted to do was to tell Miss Lynn how appreciative i am towards her and also tell her the little secret as to why i was crying so much when i left the company. I never expect any returns from her. I checked my email today and saw a wonderful and very very touching comment from her. I was moved to tears as well. And she as usual, was almost late for her appointment. *wink*. 
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