Downsizing & Retrenchment : A More Dignified Exit for Employees

The plain truth is that many organizations in Malaysia are shedding their work-force as one of the strategies to weather the current cycle of economic down turn. The reality is also that not many seem to be doing it the right way.

In industry parlance, this is called transiting employees out of the organization. It is rare that an employee does not suspect that he or she is next on the chopping block. They would have heard through company grapevine and from hints dropped at team meetings that some form of workforce reduction will take place. Yet, when the news is finally delivered officially, many employees still go into a state of shock. I suppose there is a difference in actually hearing it from one’s manager. One can only imagine the fear and desperation setting in when the whole inevitability of the matter sinks in. Denial turns into fear which turns into anger than to self-blame and finally to despair. An unfortunate and entirely avoidable situation really, if only organizations take a little bit of effort to manage this more humanely.

Unfortunately many organizations, big and small, do not prepare their managers and supervisors to manage employee transitions well. Affected employees are often notified in a manner that is either overly business like or too apologetic. Both will not do any good for the organization and for the affected employees . Being overly business like may give the wrong impression that the organization is not emphatic while being too apologetic gives out the message that the organization feels guilty for doing something that is ‘wrong’; which in actual fact is not. Reducing head-count is well within the prerogative of the employer especially when it is justified. An uncertain economic climate, recession in our key export markets, impending recession in our secondary markets and a topsy-turvy raw materials cost are all very well justified causes for why any organization would need to keep its costs low and manageable. However, as much as it is well within the prerogative of an organization to hire and fire, I believe that in the long run Malaysian organizations will reap far more benefits, both tangible and non-tangible, if they conduct their employee transition exercises in a more enlightened way.

I suspect that many organizations don't see the need to invest the time and resources to do employee transition in the right manner because they feel it is a wasted investment. After all the employee is leaving the organization. Herein lies the shortsightedness of many. Ensuring an employee is properly transited out of the organization not only benefits the departing employee but also the organization in the long run vis a vis the feel good factor created for those who are still in the organization. How would an employee who is not affected in the work-force reduction view the organization when he sees his colleague being unceremoniously dumped out of the organization? How motivated will he be to stay on with the organization? Or, will he spend his days thinking about his own uncertain future? On the other hand, how about the hundreds of people the affected employee is going to come into contact post-termination? How will he portray his previous employer? What kind of stories and images will his family and friends make up about this organization?

It is not enough for organizations to extol the value of their ‘people asset’ during the good times. It is far more important that they show that same appreciation to their employees during difficult times. If you want to attract the best talents in the future (recession doesn’t last forever!) you need to create an image of your self as a caring and humane employer.

Having said that, managers and supervisors should not be expected to automatically be able to conduct employee transitions more effectively. This is a skill set, mind set and tool set that needs to be acquired. It is learnable. All it needs is the will to do the right thing.

I pray that Malaysian organizations treat Malaysian workers with a little bit more respect and dignity in these trying times. I hope they will do what is right rather than only what is expedient.

No Time to Coach!

"Managers who don't coach will not be promoted"

The above quote is credited to the legendary Jack Welch. I guess, those who say they don't have time to coach will not be making a bee line to GE during Jack's time.

When a manager says that she has no time to coach; we can assume that she is making two assumptions (no pun intended):

1. First assumption : That coaching only takes place at a certain time and place.
2. Second assumption : Coaching is like washing your company car; it is something proper to do but its not so important that you need to put it on your priority list.

Both assumptions are wrong and can cost an organization dear.

Imagine that your 5 most senior executives are retiring in the next three years and collectively they have between them 100 years of working experience...all in your organization. The day they retire and walk out of your organization, they are walking out with 100 years of know-hows, insights,tacit and implicit knowledge,and, a myriad of other skills that you could probably will never be able to capture even if you tried.

But what if these 5 executives have been actively coaching their subordinates for a few years prior to their retirement? Lets say that through their effective coaching skills, they were able to collectively transmit about 30 years of job specific knowledge and skills to their one and two downs. Can you now calculate the amount of sayings the organization can enjoy in training and development costs?

Now, what if...just what if...that every manager and supervisor in the entire organization is actively engaged in coaching roles and through this the organization's talent pipe-line is continuously enriched and the there is a seamless transfer of tool set and skill set down the entire organization.

I recently met a business owner who has, from what I can see, poured his blood and sweat into building a prosperous business in a fiercely competitive industry. You could feel the passion in his blood for what he does. I just hope that he has done enough to instill a coaching culture in his company as when the day comes for him to take a back seat, he will need to have a set of key people who can continue his legacy. In my experience, all entrepreneurs desire to leave behind a legacy once they have enjoyed and done whatever they set out to do. That legacy is largely dependent on the ability of those who take over the reins of the company.

So,coaching is not a leadership luxury. It is a leadership imperative!
And...talking about coaching, I think Arsenal needs a new coach!

To get into the New Year's mood for 2008, I made a list of predictions and a wish list for 2008 (refer to my entry for the month of January). Now that we have less than 2 months more to go before the year is out, lets take a look at my psychic abilities :

My Predictions for 2008 were:

1. The gap between Malaysia and Chindia (and Vietnam) will increase to the latter's favour and the true impact on our economy will become clearer...... Obvious isn't it?

2. There will be more mega M&As starting with the pharma industry and also possibly further consolidation in the automotive, steel and airline industries. For the first time Indian/Chinese companies will conduct more M&As on European/American companies than vice versa..... I have been keeping you guys updated on the continued raids made by Indian and Chinese companies although I am not sure of the exact number. Delta and Northwest has merged. The big three of Detroit may head the same way.

3. We may see the first non-Malay CEO of a GLC and/or ULC company before the year is out..... A Chinese is now heading PKNS!

4. Africa will awaken vis a vis its importance to China and India as a critical supplier or raw materials..... China's continued reluctance to make the warlords toe the line.

5. The first energy-resource related armed conflict vis a vis Russia and it's former fellow Soviet Union republics..... Russia attacked Georgia (and it was all about energy baby!)...even I got spooked by this!

6. India and China will firmly establish themselves as the favoured destination for business/technology education.... No data on this.

7. The 2008 Olympics will be one of the most successful yet controversial games ever!..... Absolutely bulls eye wasn't it. The grandest ever games with the amazing controversies to boot : Tibet, child manipulation, age manipulation, murder, etc)


And my wishes for 2008 were:

1. Malaysian CEO's take more direct interest in the training and development of their employees.....Hmmmm....no comments.

2. Our policy makers will institute some real measurable strategies for talent development..... No comments

3. CSR standards also include human capital development as part of its dimensions....Nope

4. Air Asia acquires Tiger Airways!...we still have another 6 weeks!

5. Proton gets Tata or Nissan as its strategic partner!.... I wonder?

6. Malaysia gains back loss ground to Singapore in the biotechnology industry.....way off mark, sad to say.

7. Qualified technocrats are made ministers for critical ministries.... nope


Not bad I think although I wished more of my wishes for Malaysia came true. Lets see what the rest of the year brings.

Narcissistic Leadership!

A Greek myth tells of the story of the handsome Narcissus who, despite repeated advances, rejected Echo the nymph. He was then cursed to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. Of course, this ends as an unfulfilled love and he literally whithers away.

This story surfaced to my consciousness when I read about a recent research that identified one of the factors that 'pushes' people to become leaders : Narcissism – a total and absolute self absorption of one’s own grandeur. Tongue in cheek, this study raised the question that is it ever possible that any one who is not a narcissist would ever want to be the President of United States of America?

Although narcissism may push one to be a leader, it will not make him or her an effective leader. To become an effective leader, one needs empathy, self-control and the ability to see goodness in others and weaknesses in one self. An effective leader must be able to see the bigger picture, hold steadfast to good values and exemplify these values in his own way of working and relating to others.

I have attempted many times to pin-down what actually makes someone a good leader but the goal-posts seems to be moving all the time that it seems to be a futile attempt.
However, I suppose I will not go wrong to say that there are probably 5 key factors that contributes to great leadership. I call these the 5 Sense Approach :

1. A Sense of Destiny : The lives of great leaders are driven by their sense of destiny. Some of them have been thrown into a set of circumstances while others have knowingly got them selves into circumstances that allowed them to show their greatness. Examples : The Wright brothers, Alexander the Great, Hitler
2. A Sense of Carelessness : This is going to be though to explain. What I mean is this….when you become a leader you put your head on the chopping block. You may even put other people’s heads on the chopping blocks. You have influence over others’ lives while simultaneously loosing grip on yours. So, it takes a little bit of devil may care attitude to actually take the risk of becoming a leader as there is much to loose. Examples : Che Guevara, Malcolm X.
3. A Sense of Greatness : Unlike a Narcissistic leaders, a true great leader has a sense of greatness instead. He measures his success not only by what he has gained and accumulated but also by what others have gained and benefited from his leadership. He feels great about him self vis a vis the greatness achieved by his people through him. Jack Welch,Tun Dr. Ismail.
4. A Sense of Humbleness : If you read the stories of some of the world’s greatest leaders from all areas of human endeavors be it in nation building, science, teaching, healing and even religion you will find that these people have very extreme weaknesses and human failings. In my own search for role models to emulate I used to be often disappointed when I come across pieces of information about particular leaders which was very troubling. Sexual addiction, drug abuse, depression, matrimonial violence and even incestuous relationship. In some of the autobiographies that I have read, these leaders who have openly admitted to these failings which they know will somehow diminish their luster, have done so with a sense of humbleness. Yet, with my own humbling experiences I have come to ignore these and just focus on the essence of what makes these men and women great. Examples :Mother Theresa, Winston Churchill, Tun Ghafar Baba.

5. A Sense of Helplessness : Deepak Chopra might call this syncro-destiny or letting the universe take care of the details. The greatest leaders the world has ever seen are also some of the most insecure people. Outwardly they appear to have planned and thought about everything but inwardly they seem to be engulfed in a sense of fear and helplessness. They, despite what the world thinks of them, often allow the universe to take care of their destiny. Their bravery and courage pales in comparison to their private fear and insecurity. Gandhi, despite his heroics in going against the mighty British empire, had always doubted about him self and often resorted to prayers to calm his troubled soul. It is not surprising than that the current blue-eyed-boy of corporate Malaysia, Idris Jala, never fails to make the point that after all said and done, one needs to pray to make a business successful!.


Having worked out the 5 factors above, I still feel a sense of vagueness as to what constitutes good leadership. I often come across ‘leaders’ who alienate others through their ineffective communication style or those who show a lack of empathy. Of course there are those who are almost empty drums. They keep repeating their few and far in between success stories in the hope of gaining respect from others. Then there are others who are either too arrogant or too pleasing. Each time, I tend to think that one or two factors make a great leader only to change my mind when I meet another ineffective leader.

Maybe leadership is situational. Yet, I am not totally convinced by that paradigm either.

Male Depression : The Hidden Cost to Organizations

I have been reading in a couple of international publications recently that the current economic crisis may result in a case of health crisis too; both physical and mental. That's why I am writing this.

I was walking back from lunch the other day and I noticed the weather outside. Gloomy and the clouds appeared to be ready to open up at any time. With my stomach full after a satisfactory lunch of soup and coffee, my observation of the day’s weather should have been just that...an observation. But it was not meant to be and hence something for me to put into words.

When the chillness of the air caressed my skin, a distant memory flooded my consciousness. It was not really a memory per se; more like a feeling ‘remembered’ by my intellect. And that memory sent a momentary shudder down my spine. As fast as it came, it disappeared. It was a distant memory of my depression and my depressive feelings that haunted me for many years. In a way, this is a closure for me. I have not put any serious thoughts to this and maybe this is it. Time for me to close that chapter in my life; and as always, through writing. I hope somebody out there, right now, in the corporate world, will find some solace and do what is needed to help themselves or others at their work-place.

I hope those of you who are reading this (especially if you are a male) will take this as both an advise, sharing and maybe even as a tool to either help yourself or others who may be facing depressive episodes in life. I guess, if you have or is still in depression today, you will know exactly what I mean by depressive ‘episodes’. It is a misnomer really. When depression hits you, it stays. It doesn't come and go. It appears to be so but in truth it is there all the time, clinging stubbornly like a poisonous layer on your very being. It saps your energy and your happiness. All you can feel is a sense of helplessness and loneliness. The curse of depression is that it can hit you even when everything is going great in your life. Like me.

I am not a trained therapist nor do I claim that I suffered the worst of depression. But I know I suffered enough to want to help others.

I remember that I first had this deep nagging sense of lethargy…that's how it starts…when I was 15 years of age. It was a strange feeling for a small town boy like me to comprehend. After all, I just did my family proud by becoming one of the top students in my school for SRP. The school was creating a special post for me in the prefects board just to accommodate me. Later, I found out that the Principle felt he made a mistake by announcing that another girl to be the head prefect and to avoid any embarrassment to her, the school created a special ‘advisory’ post to accommodate me. All these should have made me happy and breeze through my secondary school. But it didn’t. I became despondent, moody and there was always this deep sense of despair. That things just didn't matter. But strangely I did well in my studies and it seems my student leadership was not diminished in any way. I also remember being a scout leader at that time. But others didn’t know (even I could not put a name) to the demons that have taken home in my soul and which will shake me to my roots in later years.I despaired in my successes. I despaired when my beloved grandmother passed away. I despaired when I achieved important mile-stones in my career. For everything...my despair was the common denominator.

That was the pattern all through my upper secondary, post secondary and my university days. That was the pattern through my first and second jobs…my marriage and my first years of my fatherhood before it ended in my divorce. The only thing is that the intensity of my depression increased. Simultaneously and strangely, my worldly success was also enhanced. I had a good job. I earned well, I completed my Masters. I was blessed with 2 beautiful baby girls. But I was depressed. Nobody knew this or if they knew they would not have believed it as my external life was just good. A perfect life. One that every mother would dream for her son.

It took me years before I realized that I was going through depression. That's when I realized that my subconscious pushed me to do a thesis on this very same subject matter for my Master’s degree. It was my subconscious’s desperate attempt to make me realize that I am going through depression. Somewhere around this time, I did an on-line self assessment for depression and I was diagnosed as ‘severely depressed’! The more I read for my thesis, the more I began to identify with my own feelings.

It is almost impossible for a non-depressive person to understand what it means to be depressed. The common fallacy is that you can easily identify a depressed individual. They will ‘look’ depressed. They will look sad, un-kept, de-motivated. That's true in some cases. These are the lucky ones as others may be able to help them. Then, there is a vast majority who go about their daily lives and even achieve great heights in their careers with the curse of depression hanging over them.

In my own struggle to cope with depression, I used to fear certain sounds and sights that will immediately magnify my depression. Even songs and certain tastes. It’s inexplicable. It just happens. So, that sight and feel of a cloudy day with the rain just about to burst out would have driven a deep searing pain into my being a few years ago. A deep unphantomable sense of dread. Of meaninglessness which would have stopped me momentarily from doing what I was doing. And, it would have taken a herculean effort to snap out of that. I remember hating my mornings. The moment I rouse my self from sleep, a wave of negativity (for want of better word) will sweep over me. I will robotically get prepared for work, go to work and do what I was supposed to do. But, all the while I will long for night to come. It was like a blanket for me. The night kills all the noise and the hurried existence around me. It allowed me to withdraw into my shell. I felt safe and a little at peace with my self. But I knew, morning will come and that thought will get me depressed while I get ready to sleep. So, you can imagine that this pattern of behavior will kill off any marriage. It did mine. I compensated that with intellectual growth and career development. Something had to give and something had to grow. I guess that's how the self fragments it self so that some parts of it can be saved.

My worst period was about 4 years ago when I had a severe bout of depression for about 3 months. Lucky for me, I had a wonderful manager who understood my needs and gave me the space to produce my work. He didn’t insist on office rules and regulations and that helped me to produce good work despite my personal struggles.

Then, somehow…since the last 3 years… I could also sense that I began to climb out of my bottom-less pit. Why and how…I don't know. Just as it came for no apparent rhyme or reason, it has also left me by no apparent cause. Maybe the reasons for this change is a combination of a thousand factors. A thousand minute thoughts or things that I have read and thought about. Maybe it is even related to my stars and planets or even my hormones. Maybe its the physical workout that I do diligently. I don’t know but I began to enjoy my days. I began to enjoy my work not because it’s my psycho-compensation mechanism but because I really liked what I do. This corresponded with many other aspects of my life. I could hold a meaningful relationship. I could let go….just let go. I felt no need to convince others to my point of view nor feel offended. I became more forgiving as I had to forgive my self first. I also became more sensitive to others who may suffer silently as I did. I let the universe take care of the details. I don't despair. I live. I became a father, a son, a nephew, a cousin, a brother, a lover, a friend.

For those of you who are experiencing the pain and destructive effects of depression, don’t loose hope. Ride out the storm. It will be OK. If you have to manage people and be responsible for your department’s or company’s performance, your challenge will be that much more difficult. Get help. Talk to somebody who can assist you. There are medications and there are therapies which I have been told to be quite effective. You may need those or you may be lucky enough like me to hang on until the storm passes. Either way, talk to your trusted friends and partners. Let them know. Let them help.

Looking back, what kept me going was my deep sense of responsibility towards my work and my love for what I do. Find your anchors and hold tight to them. Mine was my ego...I knew I could not fail in my work. I needed my work to save me. It did.

I found the following poem on the net and this will aptly bring to a closure the darkest chapters of my life. You are free to define the Me & I as you wish.

Remember Me, I AM Here.

When you are suffering and in pain,
Remember Me, I AM Here.
When all your days seem to only rain,
Remember Me, I AM Here.
When things just seem to never go right,
when relief is out of reach and sight,
when grief is constant day and night,
Remember Me, I AM Here.

When peace and joy are just memories,
Remember Me, I AM Here.
When your life is just one stormy sea,
Remember Me, I AM Here.
When behind the clouds there is no rainbow,
which means peace yet all you have is sorrow,
when you are in despair and don't know where to go,
Remember Me, I AM Here.

When your trial of faith won't go away,
Remember Me, I AM Here.
When your circumstances will not change,
Remember Me, I AM Here.
When your troubles seem to never end,
you are alone without one single friend,
look at the Constant Presence on whom to depend,
Remember Me, I AM Here.


God bless you my friend. You are not alone.


NOTE :
Guess what, the following famous people have been reported to have struggled with depression:

1. John Adams
2. Hale Berry
3. Barbara Bush
4. Drew Carey
5. Melanie C
6. Jim Carey
7. Winston Churchill (yes, the ‘bull-dog’ prime minister of England)
8. Kurt Cobain (the worst case)
9. Charles Darwin (hmmm…figures!)
10. Princess Diana
11. Charles Dickens ( the Christmas Carol is said to be a result of one of his depressive episodes)
12. Harrison Ford

4th November : American Liberation Day

4th of July is the day Americans celebrate their independence from British rule. If Barack Obama wins tomorrow, 4th November will be America's Liberation Day : Liberation from the sins of the past.

If Barack Obama wins, 4th July 1776 and 4th November 2008 will be spoken in the same breath for ages to come.

I was in Krabi, Thailand for the last 3 days and Krabi is as far away from world politics as Prada is from the slums of Rio de Jeneiro. Or so I thought. The coffee shops,beaches and souvenir shops all had the air of Barack Obama. Spoken in many languages, I could catch 'Obama' now and then.It is indeed a momentous moment. People just can't stop talking about Obama. Its so intoxicating.

The French and other Europeans who traditionally have been a little uncomfortable with American moral leadership is probably throwing cynical glances at Washington. Can America live up to its rhetoric of equality and social justice? Can Americans prove to the world that they can indeed live what they preach and preach what they in fact live?

The Africans....well...its obvious isn't it? They have yet another name to put into the history books alongside Mandela and Koffi Annan.
The rest of the world, yes...its all about Obama.

Its probably not very nice being Obama right now. The weight of expectations must be so overwhelming that it would have paralaysed any other man or woman. But then Obama is not 'any other man'. Obama is Obama. Barack Obama is destined to be here...now...to make a difference. The great man theory of leadership will have a brand new icon to study.

But lets be realistic for a moment. Unless all the polling agencies have been fooling us and unless all the opinion leaders have absolutely missed the mark, Barack Obama will become the next president of America.Then what?

Can he change the insane way world financial markets are 'governed' today? Can he bring a semblance of sanity to speculative trades? Can he push for the birth of a world economy anchored on real value as opposed to paper value? Can he make insular American policy makers see that the only way to maintain a prosperous America is making other trading partners prosperous? Can he make Americans and the rest of us understand that it was never a zero-sum-game?

Tough job for a man. Even for Barack Obama.

I am not going to be bitter and disappointed 5 years from now like how I suspect many others will be. I am admittedly pessimistic to the breath and depth of change that Obama can bring because that 'change' which we want Obama to usher-in is within our power to give him the permission to do so. I doubt he will get it. At least not from the Russians, Chinese, Indians, Cubans, Iranians and the French. Many others will also refuse that permission as once the romance of Obama dies away, the age old parochial and self-centred nature of world business and politics will once again hold court. I find it ironic to read in the Times Magazine on my way back from Krabi that Obama is viewed as The One to change the world. Whatever happened to inter-connected and globalized world? If the world economy and its fate is indeed inter-connected why then we have suddenly abdicated our roles to Obama?

As I said, I will not be bitter even if Obama fails o live up to his promise. For me, Obama is a work in progress. He is an experiment in the same mould as many other socio-political experiments of our times. His victory (if it is to be) will reverberate more in the hearts and minds of man than in the financial markets.

It is fitting that I will be witnessing this momentous moment in world politics (and I hope also in international business), from Singapore. The land where a single man and his vision made all the difference. I wonder what Lee Kuan Yew is thinking right now about Obama and his chances?

Win or loose, Obama is a truly wining idea. The idea of Democracy.