I changed jobs and moved to a new workplace.
Everyone is kind, and I feel very at ease. Already I'm glad I switched.
The other day a new colleague asked, "Why are you so meticulous?"
I hadn't really been aware of it, but documenting what I was taught, checking alignment more often than usual, and my wording in writing and conversation apparently gave that impression.
My colleague isn't great at detailed work, so I probably looked even more meticulous by contrast.
I myself had never really thought of myself as meticulous or good at fine-grained work.
If anything I thought I was the type who leaves things unfinished, and I admired people who could do detailed work.
But hearing it said, for better or worse I do have a neurotic, perfectionist side — so maybe it's true.
My colleague meant it as a compliment, but it isn't necessarily only a strength.
If you asked whether detail-oriented people suit me personally, I wouldn't say yes across the board.
For example, I really struggle with people who send nitpicky notes that have little to do with the goal, or preference-based feedback.
I try not to do that myself, but in other situations my own meticulous work style and behavior have probably bothered people.
How I work may shift gradually from here, but I still think my way of working — imperfect as it is — is right for me in its own way, and I don't plan to change it drastically right now.
The detail is both a strength and a weakness.
In a different situation, the same colleague asked, "Looking at how I work, do you notice anything that feels inefficient?"
A few things had crossed my mind, but I didn't really answer.
Suddenly I thought: maybe there's no point in pointing out weaknesses.
I basically assume people don't change — especially behavior and speech that come from personality.
Even granting they might change, I think it only happens when they change spontaneously out of necessity, not because someone else pointed it out.
Trying to change someone through your own criticism or coaching even feels presumptuous.
If you notice a mistake or behavior you can't overlook, you can speak up case by case.
Saying so myself is a bit awkward, but I think of myself as relatively coachable.
That isn't because I'm so tolerant that I accept other people's criticism easily — it's simply that I'm interested in improving my own ability, and I believe it benefits me.
I'm grateful to people who point things out, but I'm not doing it for them.
In everyone's life, someone shows up who points out your weaknesses with a knowing face, implying they're saying it for your own good — and however you look at it, that's a nuisance.
If you turn it around and point at their personality or behavior, they'll keep denying your character as if to say "see?"
That kind of exchange is completely meaningless. You don't need to deal with it seriously. People basically don't change.
(I remembered elementary school: my homeroom teacher, on a whim from something on TV, had us write classmates' strengths and weaknesses on paper and hand it to them. Clearly unhinged.)
If someone doesn't suit you, you should quietly take distance; if it's a close colleague or friend and something bothers you, advising one thing at a time is probably best.
With workplace colleagues too, I think I get covered for more often than I cover for others — and I'd like to be able to cover for them as well.
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