Pay Back From Excellence in Service

I was 11 years old again today!

When I was actually 11 years old (seems like a life time ago) I was treated for a particular condition relating to protein levels in the body. I was hospitalized for a week at a particular clinic cum hospital at Jalan Ipoh. The good doctor, Dr. Rommel de Silva attended to me and ensured that I got well enough to attend my standard 5 exams. He was such an emphatic and caring doctor that until today my entire family goes to him first for any and all health reasons. We get his opinion first before proceeding to other specialists if needed.

After a long delay.. I finally managed to find some time to attend to a fatty growth on my right arm. So off I went with my aunt, my perpetual supporter! Dr. Rommel looks thinner but has not lost his smiling and fatherly ways. Seeing him again after all these years brought back the memories of being hospitalized at the tender age of 11. As always he asked about ME first before asking about my problem. Taking a quick look at that lump, he smiled, looked at my aunt and said "No problem... it's just a fatty growth and can be removed surgically or even left alone. If you want I can ask the surgeon to do it today." All this was said to my aunt as if she was the patient. That's because he knows his patients and their families well. In my case, I could be the physical patient but it was my aunt who was the emotional patient. He knew how she loves every single member of my family. Having reassured HER, I was wheeled into the surgery room.

The surgeon came in and the whole thing was done in less than two hours. On the way out, we dropped into Dr. Rommel's room to say thank you.

Isn't it amazing how true when people say that "we buy based on logic but justify the purchase by emotion". This is also similar to my posting relating to my cousin's non-experience in buying his new car. Isn't it also amazing how many businesses whose life-line is entirely based on and subject to customer satisfaction and positive buying experience seem to think that providing good customer service is a negotiable thing. Providing good service to customers is non-negotiable. It is what at the end of the day determines the sustainability of a company regardless whether you are in the food industry, dismantling jumbo jets or higher education. It is all about customer satisfaction.

I wish Dr. Rommel continued success in his business.

And, this posting is being typed by my so loving girlfriend as my right arm is resting!

The War for Talent

I have been writing about the challenges faced by companies and even Malaysia as a nation in areas related to identifying, nurturing and retaining talent. Malaysia's brain drain and Singapore's brain gain are some of the often discussed issues.

The following is an illuminating piece of article written by my colleague, Shyamashree Rudra in Mumbai who recently attended the Young Leaders Conference in Italy.

With her permission, I am reproducing that article verbatim. Thank you Syhamashree.




THE WAR FOR TALENT

2008 YOUNG LEADERS CONFERENCE
Turin, Italy

“THE WAR FOR TALENT”


The demographics of the global workforce are changing. Patterns of migration and social change have altered the labour market and have increased competition for skilled workers and possibly also for low-skilled ones. This is a trend that is set to continue. All entities relying on skilled input are feeling the pinch, from universities to government bodies. Google, Microsoft, Apple, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Citigroup, and JPMorgan Chase are all companies based on very few 'hard assets', their value being almost entirely measured by their intellectual property and people. Communications and technology have created a world which is no longer bound by geography, but rather operates through a system of interconnected networks across the continents. Now global corporations are becoming “trans-nationals” – moving parts of their business to the places with the talent to handle it and the time to do it at the right cost. This means hiring the right people in the right place, fast, or finding talent that can be moved quickly around the globe.

It is said that in ancient Greece, talent was the most valuable currency used in the monetary system. Today, in a world where human capital is the key driver of present performance and future growth, the War for Talent is THE battle that organizations, both for-profit and non-profit, need to face and win.

46 Young Leaders, gathered in Turin for the 24th Young Leaders Conference, addressed this topic with a truly global mindset, bringing in perspectives from the United States & Canada, Europe (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland United Kingdom,), Brazil, China, and India.

Participants discussed the essence of talent, the type of talent employers are looking for, how the demographic changes impacting the global workforce are heightening the quest for talent, and how talent can be fostered and managed.


I. WHO AND WHAT? – THE NEW GLOBAL LANDSCAPE


The first plenary focused on “what” is talent and “who” is the talent for employers. The Young Leaders agreed on a definition of talent, viewed as “A set of traits and characteristics, both innate and stemming from education and experience, which allows an individual to excel in the workplace, make an impact and add value to an organization, today and in the longer-term”. Talent is therefore a combination of (i) common traits of unusual value, such as a bright mind, the ability to make an impact, leadership skills and vision, and (ii) technical skills, such as industry-specific knowledge, experience, effectiveness in the workplace. One group highlighted that in several intellectual professions, such as art or journalism, individuals may not know how to lead other people, but nonetheless they produce work of exceptional value and ought to be considered talent. For this reason, the traditional concept of leadership might be limiting and leadership should rather be interpreted as the ability to influence the environment and make an impact.
The question: “Does talent exist only if it is perceived by others or is there a talent per-se?” sparked debate among the participants. While recognizing that artists like Michelangelo, Picasso and Leonardo were geniuses who produced unquestionable masterpieces, there was general consensus that recognition of talent by others is essential to the definition of the talent.
The Young Leaders also agreed that as much as talent is typically defined on the basis of objective elements, oftentimes there is an element of subjectivity when assessing value and talent, just like beauty, “is in the eye of the beholder”.
All three groups pointed out the important role played by education, considered as a key means to breed and develop talent. As a result, governments are asked to forge an educational system that facilitates the “birth” of talents and supports their development over time. Also, investments in the university system are key to fostering talent and enhancing a country’s competitive position.

On the question of “What are the employers looking for?” participants agreed that employers typically look for individuals that: (1) have specific technical skills required for the position to be filled, (2) fit with the organization’s culture, (3) show motivation and drive, and only in a few occasions look for people who are also capable of bringing a new perspective into the workplace. In other words, employers tend to look for managers rather than simply for talents. Managers are the strong performers that have the appropriate experience, can rapidly deliver results and fit in the professional environment. They represent the “low-risk bet” that an organization often prefers to make. However, by doing so, employers may miss the high-potential individuals, those who can bring in an innovative and creative approach, also by challenging the status quo, and are capable of adapting to change. These individuals may represent a “higher-risk bet” that will, though, yield a higher pay-off in the longer term. Many of these individuals proved themselves in times of crisis and came through with stronger character.

A distinction was made between public and private sector employers. All the groups highlighted that the public sector tends to be plagued by several issues, including lack of performance-based evaluation and limited hiring of young talents. A system that evaluates its resources on the basis of performance allows individuals to know what the organization’s expectations are with respect to deliverables and results, and what the career path associated with achieving those results is. Such a system increases effectiveness and efficiency of employed resources. Furthermore, an organization that hires an adequate number of young talents can benefit from the new perspectives that typically young people bring in and be in a position to breed the next generation of leaders. This is a particular challenge for many companies or organizations, which change their leadership every five years – “the only constant we face is constant unpredictability”.


II. DEMOGRAPHY AND PRODUCTIVITY

The second plenary addressed two key phenomena that are changing the workplace: (1) Demographics of the global workforce rapidly changing, with a rising population in developing countries that offer large pools of labor, and an aging population in developed countries, facing a looming shortage of skilled-labor; (2) Globalization of the workforce with corporations becoming “transnationals” and the labor pool becoming more and more mobile.
The Young Leaders agreed that addressing these phenomena requires the cooperation between the private and the public sector, which together ought to develop a concerted strategy and shared policies. Moving to the heart of the discussion, the debate became heated.
The demographic imbalances between developing and developed countries result in global migration, mainly from the “young world” to the “old world”. In this context it is very important that governments define an immigration policy that attracts the talent that is mostly required and that ensures a structured, efficient visa-authorization process. This policy is meant to favor the economic development of the home country, as well as support corporations in meeting their hiring needs. The participants highlighted that corporations tend to have a more open and global view regarding immigration as compared to governments. While companies are focused on attracting skilled labor from all over the world at the lowest possible cost, governments need to serve the “higher good” of the nation, taking into account multiple interests, which include preserving jobs in the home market.

On the question of “brain drain”, the shared view was that while developing countries are primarily affected by this plague, also developed nations suffer from it. For example, Europe experiences a constant migration of top scientists to the U.S. This, too, needs to be addressed by devising appropriate policies that motivate talents to remain in their country of origin, by offering them rewarding career paths. Young Leaders coming from the military pointed out that talent retention has become a serious challenge for the Army and has risen as a top priority in senior officials’ agenda. Another proposal was to encourage bilateral talent circulation with bilateral government agreements between developed and developing nations.
On the issue of an aging population, there was broad consensus that senior talent should be optimized, both for economic and social reasons. In particular, retired people can continue to contribute to economic development, by sharing their knowledge with the younger generations and thus supporting productivity. In Ireland, for example, retired people teach English to immigrants. The 60+ year old should also continue to feel engaged in society and connected with the working world. Here, again, the role played by public policy is crucial.
The discussion then turned to the second phenomenon changing the workplace: globalization of the workforce, which can be summarized as “jobs moving to people and people moving to jobs”. For corporations, globalization is mainly driven by the need to reduce costs and access available talent pools, consequently outsourcing segments of the business to low-cost countries, such as China, India, Eastern Europe and Latin America. For individuals, globalization is driven by the desire to find the best opportunities, where these “modern nomads” can thrive.
On the one hand, “young countries” that want to lure investments from global companies need to have an educational system, which breeds workers and graduates that are mostly sought after by foreign employers, including engineers and English speakers. Sometimes “young countries” pay even higher salaries than “old” ones and offer tax incentives as well. On the other hand, corporations that want to build a global workforce need to understand what motivates and inspires people in the different countries where they set operations and develop an inclusive culture that embraces and integrates diversity, rather than imposes, with a colonialist mindset, the head-office policies. Multinational firms should also be supported by their governments, who, in concert with the local governments, draw the political and legal framework where corporations can effectively operate.
Participants concluded that, as the workforce changes its demographics and becomes increasingly global, new kinds of talents are required, talents capable of understanding different cultures and leveraging resources coming from a larger and more diverse pool.


III. TALENT MANAGEMENT

The third and final plenary put the spotlight on talent management, defined as the ability of an organization to recruit, motivate, and retain its most valuable employees. Every participant agreed that talent management is a key competitive advantage for organizations and ought to be “elevated to a burning corporate priority”.
One group observed that there are actually two main categories within talent management: (i) self-management of your own career, (ii) talent management conducted by the organization. The former is becoming increasingly relevant in a society where “modern nomads” frequently change jobs and work with bosses that have the opportunity to know only a portion of their overall abilities.
Research shows that key to talent attraction are employer’s branding and cultural fit. More specifically, employers that are mostly attractive to employees share attributes such as a credible management, a culture of respect, fairness and pride, and an environment of camaraderie. Diversity of the workforce is also relevant, especially for women, who are looking for evidence of a company’s openness to career development for female professionals.
When talking about retention and development, mentoring and feedback were identified as essential tools to nurture talent. Coaching and mentoring were recognized as critical to gain a broader perspective about contingent situations while also receiving support to effectively navigate the system and be able to progress. But sometimes a “generational divide” prevents feedback. Feedback was considered necessary to enhance behavioral competencies and become more effective in the work environment.
Broad consensus was reached on the fact that the Human Resources (HR) Department plays a greater pivotal role in talent management: HR should, from an organizational standpoint, directly report to the CEO (for example as a Senior Vice President) and be an active player also in the definition of company strategy. In well-run organizations, Human Resources performs regular talent reviews and screens the work population, at the various seniority levels, to identify highly-valuable resources and devise a talent strategy that matches their ambitions. HR talent planning provides for an independent, longer-term perspective, which ensures that talents are offered the most suitable development path for them, even if this might be in contrast with their direct bosses’ short-term interests.
Another question raised was how to measure effectiveness of talent management. Several participants suggested retention rates, employee satisfaction rates, employee referral rates, productivity or productivity per employee, as well as success in managing work/life balance.
There was agreement that development of talents ought to be combined with a clear organizational framework and a strong culture that supports talent development, while, at the same time, preventing the excesses associated with the Enron “star culture”.
The Young Leaders agreed that talent management requires also having a clear understanding of what skill gaps might arise in the future in order to proactively recruit those talents capable of filling the needs of tomorrow.


“Great talents are the most lovely and often the most dangerous fruits on the tree of humanity. They hang upon the most slender twigs that are easily snapped off.”
Carl Gustav Jung

January 26, 2009

Innovate or Implode

On my latest trip down south to Singapore 2 weeks ago, I had some dead time to be resurrected. So, upon checking in, I walked down to Clarke Quay for a beer and some reading ( I have limited my beers only to my travels as I find my favorite drink, single malt whiskey a tad too expensive on the road). The time was about 4.30pm and I was thinking to myself whether I will be able to find a nice joint where I can have some shade from the sun and some light food with a nice cold beer served with a friendly smile. Lo and behold, like something out off Inkheart, I found this nice outlet called Sosis selling a brand of German beer called Warsteiner. With a huge German sausage to devour and a cold beer to wash it down, I knew my evening was already well scripted. I could live with the fact that this takes place in Singapore too. I praise the innovativeness of the Singaporeans. You got to pay a visit to Clarke Quay to see what I mean.

But, my evening didn't go that pleasantly as I had wished for and it was all my fault : My thoughts wondered to an article I read in the Edge just that morning on my flight. The writer, after researching almost 2000 SMEs in Malaysia has concluded that our businesses are just not innovative. In fact he argued that many Malaysian businesses don't even feel the need to be innovative! A depressing thought to be entertained at such a moment but entertain it I did.

Any doubts about the writer’s conclusion? Try to find an outlet selling German beer and sausages along the Klang river! Or even a place to sit without foul smell for that matter!

Innovation, in my mind, is characterized by continuous reinvention and change. It is also characterized by hard work to differentiate not only in terms of products and services but also in values and behavior. Eversendai Corporation, is a Malaysian company which can vouch for the fact that by being innovative, Malaysian companies can overcome the odds to become truly world class. This specialist structural steel contractor is the epitome of innovativeness and hard work all rolled into one. Just take a look at Eversendai’s success list which began to take shape after their excellent delivery on the Petronas Twin Towers project :

Dubai : Burj Al Arab Hotel
Emirates Tower
Dubai Airport Control Tower
Dragon Mart
Etc

Qatar : Ritz Carlton
Khalifa Stadium
Etc


Bahrain : Al-Moayyed Towers

Saudi Arabia : Kingdom Centre

An these does not include numerous on-going land mark projects.


But why is innovativeness such a difficult thing to come by? I would like to propose the following top 5 reasons as to why we seem to be loosing out in the sphere of innovativeness:

1.Shackling employees to an extent that they find it to be not rewarding to be innovative.
2.A widespread culture of not tolerating genuine mistakes and failures.
3.Poor or non-existent reward system for innovativeness.
4.Labyrinthine bureaucracy.
5.An education system that limits the creativity by focusing too much on being ‘correct’ and not focusing on the ‘possible’ which finally produces a work-force who genuinely do not know how to be innovative.

And may I add one more particularly Malaysian-made innovation killer? Politics!

How else to explain the seemingly endless road blocks and resistance put in the path of a truly Malaysian innovation : Air Asia?

Tis’ the Time to Lead!

Most of you who follow my writings (ranting?) will know that I don't care much for ‘charismatic’ leadership style. I would rather put my money on plain simple effective leaders.

I don’t have anything against these charismatic types but they just tire me. They become legends so undeservedly and go around strutting their stuff as if the world is indeed their oyster. Of course they get away with it as after all they are indeed….well…charismatic. They have their persona to carry them through the day. Until bad times come calling that is.

So, for all you charismatic leaders out there, here is a list of things you need to do NOW to earn your keep during the tough months ahead:

1.Go and find out how the various critical tasks are actually carried out around you. Go to the manufacturing floor. Take a ride with the delivery guys. Sit in during one of the weekly departmental meetings. Visit the Chinese kitchen of your hotel. Stand behind the ticketing officers of your airline. Have a cup of coffee at the staff cafeteria. Just be where the action is! Oh yes…I know you have done this before but this time I would like you to do it with a difference….Shut up and listen! Enough of your ‘positive attitude’.Enough of your ‘we can do it’ bravado. Now is the time for measured confidence layered with sincerity and honesty. Winston Churchill didn’t go raving about how the Brits are going to crush the Germans with one clean sweep for good reason. He told the Brits all the hard work and sacrifices they need to do and partake in….and then…only then…he told them of the possibilities of victory. He was honest and sincere and his people obeyed.

2.Take more interests in your numbers and figures. Get your financial people to explain to you where it hurts and what needs to be done. If you are too dense to understand the whole complexities of financial data (which I am too) get a trusted associate to explain it to you. Take a cue from Idris Jala, the MD of Malaysia Airlines who said that he didn't have to be an airline guy to know immediately what was ailing the company when he took a closer look at the numbers.

3.Reward innovativeness. If you have been as effective as a charismatic leader as I suspect you must have been, trust me when I tell you that you would have killed of many sources of innovative ideas in your company. Why? Because…..everybody else could never measure up against you. Or at least that is the impression you have been giving them unwittingly.

4.Seek out the status-quo challengers. It’s easy to find them as all you have to do is ask your managers. Seek their input as these rebels never see things as their managers do and you will be surprised to hear the creative solutions these ‘trouble-makers’ might have.

5.Encourage as many informal meetings that you can. In times of crisis, as undoubtedly today is, informal sharing sessions will be much more effective to drill further into the creative depths of your company that hitherto you did not have access to. Listen to these voices and make sense of them in business terms and immediately implement those that can help you improve your bottom line. Surely, more of such valuable ideas will be forthcoming.

So, go do something worthwhile for a change!

Japanese Housewives, Trend Setting, Life Changing : Global Recession

It seems that the current global economic recession will be a trend setting one.
Futurists are saying now that the current economic recession will fundamentally change some of our behaviors and world view. Among others, it is predicted that people will become more cynical towards the so called environmentally friendly behaviors that we are supposed to practice. Take for example the little notices that we find in hotel baths asking us to re-use towels purportedly to save the environment by reducing the usage of detergent. But, we all know that whether we use one towel or two will in the final analysis, be of no consequence as everything else about the entire hotel industry is a colossal waste of resources. There will be a sort of back to basics ‘movement’ with home cooked meals and DIY habits once again taking root. People will be less of a consumer and more of a producer-consumer as in the agrarian societies of old.

And, Japanese housewives apparently will have a big say on which way this recession is going to go. Did you know that these gentle ladies of Nippon collectively control such a vast amount of money that if they do actually act in unison, they can move markets? Reminds me of my grandmother and her 'hoard' of cash under her pillow.

Well, trend setting or not, I think some things will never change and some should not. This past week or so, I have been busy delivering workshops and presentations to clients and despite all this doom and gloom, it is heartening to see that there are many consummate professionals out there who have just simply dug in and continue to do what they are supposed to do. I have already come across a couple of HR leaders who are going around doing their duties with utmost professionalism already knowing that they a mere months away from becoming redundant themselves. Yet, they are heroically putting up a confident front for the sake of their colleagues who are already departing the ranks. One even jokingly told me that “Well, you know…..we sink with the ship…”.

Coming back to the so called trend-setting recession as this one is touted to be, I believe that organizations should not allow any aspects of good corporate behavior to be compromised. Take for example, the nightmarish experience that my cousin had with a car dealer recently. After months of agonizing on which model to go for, he finally decided to buy a VW GTi. A truly mean machine and I was all excited for him but the whole experience for him has probably left a bad taste in his mouth. Firstly, barely 2 weeks after he paid his booking fee, the company announced a discount of RM20,000 on this particular model! When my cousin wanted to cancel his booking, the salesman convinced him otherwise by promising some extras which sounded good….if only they were fulfilled. The conclusion of this story is that this salesman used abusive verbal barrage against my cousin who yet again called this guy to get what he was promised! The whole experience turned out to be a bad one. The car is there. But, the buying experience is not there and being a net-generation, I can bet you that my cousin has already shared his experience with others and this particular dealership just dug his own grave : Allowing an un-ethical salesman to be in its midst and not doing anything about it.

I have been thinking about the RM20,000 reduction issue. It is the prerogative of the business owner to do what he needs to do to maintain his business. This is called strategy. But, could this strategy not be executed in a better way? For example, shouldn't the dealership and salesman forewarned buyers that there will be a discount offered soon BUT with some add-ons not being offered. That way, those who really want these add-ons will just buy at the current price as they have their eyes set on these extras while those who look at these as only ‘nice to haves’ may opt to wait for the discount to take effect. But, reducing such a hefty amount with no differentiation on the product will leave a bad taste on the more recent buyers who had to pay the higher price. Do you need an MBA to know this?

There is a reason why the term ‘Economic cycle’ was coined. It is a cycle! The economy will not stay down forever. But by resorting to unethical and unfriendly measures to both customers and employees, companies are just prolonging their troubles as when things get better and as more choices are made available, both consumers and employees will forsake these businesses. Pain lasts longer than most people would like to believe.

I salute those companies and business owners out there who have not changed their ethical ways to make a quick buck..no matter how justified that could have been made out to be.

Talent Management in Lean Times!

Talent Management in Tough Times


What everyone agree upon is that the world economy is in recession. Opinions differ only in the severity of the downturn. My take is that things will get tougher after the Chinese New Year and the escalating middle east crisis will make things worst. Already, some of the world’s benchmark setting companies are reeling from the first wave of the downturn. This downturn is no longer some nebulous dooms-day scenario by an economists. It is a real and present phenomenon.

While we are fretting over the state of the economy and vis a vis it, companies’ financial performance, lets remember not to throw the baby out with the bath water. It frightens me at the speed of how some companies are laying off workers. I reckon out goes with these redundant workers, some key talents that the companies have spent a huge sum of money and time developing!

So, my advise to all HR decision makers is this : Hold your horses!

Listen, the recession may be knocking on our doors. Yes. But all critical data shows that Asia Pacific will show growth in 2009; albeit at a slower pace. In fact yesterday (6/1/08) the major bursars in Asia did better than expected. That means, things may get tougher but not entirely hopeless. Also, notice any difference between the current downturn and the previous one? I can see one major difference: The remarkable speed at which the major economic powerhouses acted! The Americans of course immediately took the bull by the horn as they always do but look at the Japanese. They sat on their butts while the previous downturn was eating away into their economy. This time around, they were up and running at the first sign of trouble. China, India, Thailand, Singapore, and even Malaysia announced mitigating efforts quickly and decisively. India may even reveal a supplementary economic stimulus soon. I suspect a few other countries will follow suit.

What this means is that, there is a possibility that this downturn will not be as deep as we think. Yes, demands for products and services has already declined from the US and Europe but it may be temporary in nature. Besides, most companies today are so lean and mean in nature that removing any part of its workforce will surely have a negative impact on its overall operation. I doubt that there are much fat left to trim since the last trimming in 1997.

Another worry for me is that companies may forget about their Generation Y employees. This will be their first major, conscious ‘difficult time’. They have had it good these last few years with companies and business leaders bending over backwards (because the economy was good) to accommodate the idiosyncrasies of these Generation Y employees (I like to call them the Starbucks Generation). Undoubtedly, businesses finally bought into the idea by social scientists that Generation Y employees are typically different and more fickle than their predecessors. This facebook-google-ipod generation was recognized as an entirely new ‘employee-type’ that needed to be managed differently. The old command and control style would just not work. A more laissez-faire management style with ample room for creativity and expression of individuality was seen as the preferred style for them. And, organizations found it to be absolutely true. Take the case of a grocery store chain in the US. This company wanted to enhance its web presence and its on-line sales. An external IT consultant quoted a couple of million dollars to get the whole thing off the ground. When some employees heard of this, they set up an impromptu team and presto! They had the whole thing done for less than USD250,000. One of them later, during her spare time, developed a mobile version of the website and on-line sales portal! Enter the Starbucks sipping Generation Y!

In some of the local companies that I have had the pleasure of servicing, I find extremely talented and ambitious young people. It’s almost like throwing ropes around them to keep them down as they are just too fast and too ‘clever’ for the current state of the company. In fact, yesterday I met a gentleman who has been in the same industry for 15 years and in his current company for about half of that. I can see that he loves his job and he is good at it. He has surpassed his performance target for 4 consecutively years. These are the talents that the company knows it will need a few years down the road. Some companies have worked hard and invested much in its HR framework to accommodate these employees. All in all, the system is primed and ready. Everything is in place. To throw all these out in a knee-jerk reaction will be such a waste and ultimately unnecessary.

Also, the Starbucks Generation don’t forget easily. They will remember how they are being treated right now. If they are treated well, they will show their gratitude later when the situation is such that they are able to perform at their best.

However, this is not to say that HR people should just sit down and wish all these bad vibes away. No! There are definitely steps to take and strategies to put in place.

Firstly, freeze all non-critical hiring but keep the doors open for some good talents that are out in the market.

Second, use the downtime for re-skilling your employees. Send them for both soft skills and technical skills training. Also, provide them with career management skills. Trust me, in my years of consulting experience, career management is something that employees truly appreciate and feel grateful for. For you and me that are seeds of loyalty.

Third, take an audit of your talent pool. If you haven’t done so, this is the best time to do it. Identify your talents and match them with what your company has strategized to do to weather this storm. Redeploy them if need be. Somewhere in that office there are people who are exactly the type you need when times are bad. These are the quiet but resilient ones. They may have stayed below the radar, but now you can leverage on them.

Finally, the one absolutely critical thing you need to do is to keep all communication lines open. Make sure that your people are in the know of the company’s performance. They need to be told the reasons behind what ever tough decisions you are going to make. Keep an eye on your hi-po’s. Notice any sort of restlessness and immediately arrange for a one-on-one coaching session to understand why and provide reassurances.

Whatever it is, I sincerely hope that your competitors are not the ones who are going to benefit from your talents a few years down the road. Also, I am sure you have given much business to consultants like me over the years when times were good. Now is the time to get some pay-back! Call your consultants and pick their brains for ideas and strategies. Make them your sounding board. In fact, I have been sending out emails to that effect to some of the senior HR people I know. Nothing beats sharing and two heads sitting down together to tackle a problem.

2009 : Through My Eyes

Global Trends and Changes (Business)

1.Mega mergers of financial institutions. Probably involving North American and European banks. American law makers will pass a slew of new acts to allow the Feds to keep all forms of financial institutions under close scrutiny.

2.Chinese manufacturing may not recover from the current slump and this vacuum could be filled by India, Mexico and the former Soviet block countries. In India especially, manufacturing will loose it’s ‘dirty’ tag and become a profession of choice just as IT and services related jobs.

3.Chinese and Indian firms will aggressively buy into ailing western companies at fire-sale prices. Possibility of Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern investors gaining a foot-hold in Detroit’s automotive industry is quite high.

4.More mergers in the airline industry with Asian flag carriers being the target this time.

5.The birth and widespread use of extremely affordable note-books which will change the industry inside-out. This will most possibly be spearheaded by giants like IBM and Microsoft with India, China and Latin America as the target markets.

6.Mega mergers of auto manufacturers.

7.Reconfiguration of air-line industry.

8.Hostile take-over of Yahoo by Microsoft!

9.Mergers involving the world’s three biggest pharma companies with GSK leading the way.

10. The first economical and viable battery powered mass production car.



Global Trends (Politics and Social)

1.2009 will be defined by Barrack Obama. He will have to manage the unbridled expectations placed on him and the payback that the various interest groups will be clamoring for. The world will begin to see more and more of America’s soft power.

2.Russia will flex its muscles further much to the chagrin of the hawks in Washington. A proxy war of sorts is in the cards. Russia’s dominance in gas supply to Europe will once again become the point of contention.

3.Japan will edge closer to end its pacifist constitution which will anger China. A new schism is quite possible in East Asia.

4.Chinese social revolt will finally come onto international radar screen. But, the Chinese involvement in trying to keep world economy from going into total chaos will win new friends in the capital markets of the world but popular politics will once gain spiral into China-bashing.

5.India’s relation with Pakistan will worsen and a war between these nuclear powers should not be ruled out. Unless of course, America and the international community decides to avoid an all-out war between these two countries by waging a managed war on Pakistan’s terrorist sheltering regions with UN blessings. As always and as what many believe, Pakistan’s semblance of governance exists only because it is anti India. Take that away and we have a full-fledged rogue nuclear nation. However, things may not be rosy for India with its national elections looming. A hung parliament is likely with the Congress and BJP loosing ground to regional parties. Economic and business wise, things should be quite predictable with the Indian Century continuing its progress.

6.Israel will strike Iran’s nuclear facilities while the Palestinians will look away from America as their peace brokers. Barrack Obama and his team will not have the same kind of self-proclaimed importance for the Arab-Israeli peace process. More and more Americans will come to see how their nation's blind support to Israel is undermining America's own international interests. Their voices will get organised this year.

7.The consolidation of institutions of higher education in the form of branding and marketing.

8.Protectionist policies and rhetoric will trump free market and liberalization. China will do all it can to protect its economy for anything less will create an unprecedented social calamity. This shift back to a closed economy will put the Chinese and the Americans on a loggerhead. Europe will gravitate to more conservative policies spearheaded by France. All over the world, proponents of globalization and free market economy will find themselves hard pressed to explain that globalization is the way forward.

9.A major military conflict in Africa with Mugabe playing a key role.

10.China will be less tolerant of North Korea. We may see some real breakthrough with the Hermit Kingdom but not before a huge nuclear scare in the Korean peninsular.

11. A firmer union of South American nations will take place with Brazil and Venezuela roughing it out for moral and political leadership.

12. Tamil Tigers will have the last say in Sri Lanka...at a terrible price. Any arm-chair analysts can see that they let go of their de-facto capital far too easily to government soldiers. This means only one thing : They are regrouping, re-arming and preparing for vengeance.

13. A turbulent year for Thailand (and ASEAN).


Malaysia (Business)

1.Datuk Tony Fernandez will sell down his interests in Air Asia. More active participation from Middle East players and Bumiputera centred institutional fund managers in Air Asia.

2.Labu LCCT project will not take off.

3.The merger of two or more banks to form a mega bank positioned to compete at regional levels.

4.Major changes in the railway industry beginning with KTMB and a possible second operator finally taking shape.

5.The establishment of unit trust funds specifically for Sabah and Sarawak in the likes of the current ASB.

6.Proton will move beyond Mitsubishi to form a business partnership with a European car maker most notably VW or Peugeot. Talks of merger with Perodua may also surface and be taken seriously.

7.Malaysia Airlines will form a ‘partnership’ with SIA.

8.AK will make some major moves in the market with probably institutional investor support. ASTRO may be taken private.


Malaysia (Politics and Social)

1.Will be a defining year for Malaysia. What Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak says and does immediately after taking over the reigns of the administration will define Malaysia for the next 50 years. He has 2 options : Go back to Mahathirism OR push forward with the reforms set in place by the Abdullah administration. The BN convention slated for early next year will be a watershed in Malaysian politics. The aftermath of this convention may see some BN component parties striking out on their own.

2.The Pakatan Rakyat will be severely tested. But, Perak Penang & Selangor will go further away from BN’s grip.

3.Radical Indian activism will take root.

4.Samy Vellu will not last the year as MIC president.

5.MCA will face its most serious leadership struggle in decades.

6.The return to active politics of certain questionable personalities will weaken UMNO's moral leadership further. The birth of a new generation of Young Turks will define UMNO's future and continued relevence to Malaysian polity.


In summary, I anticipate 2009 to be an exciting year which will define how future generations look at this generation. The world of business will witness a total re engineering with substance finally getting its deserved due over form. Asia-Pacific will still be the focus point of world economy.