Game Over...in the Tunnel!

Can anybody tell me how much money is going to exchange hands now that the US has finally decided to reform its health care system? Did you say about a trillion dollars? You are right I think. Can you tell me how much of this Malaysia is going to benefit from? Wait a minute you say. What does this first significant 'win' of the Obama presidency got anything to do with us? Plenty I say. In fact its going to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars and its not us who will get to enjoy that but Indian and Philippine outsourcing firms.

Think about it! Who is going to do the paperwork and data management that will be the first tangible result of this overhaul in the American health care? Not the Americans themselves that's for sure. They have gotten used to Indian doctors reading their x-ray images and I am sure they don't mind giving a little bit more paper work for Bangalore. And imagine all that financial transaction that needs processing. Dont forget too the demand for the whole range of medical professionals and its supporting industries.

So, there you go. We had lost the game in the locker room. We had lost before the race even began. Oh, we might get some of course. Maybe. A little as what we have gotten used since the BRIIC babes came along and carted away all our suitors of the past (the additional I is for Indonesia...read the financial papers, you will see).

Its funny how most countries and organisations look at 'competition' in terms of competing with other organisations and other countries for market space. They never consider that the real competition today is not in the market or in the R&D laboratories. The real competition is actually in the talent-space. Its in the
schools,colleges and universities. The most dire need for many organisations today is not about culture change, change management or team building. All these will come to nothing if you don't hire the right people. The most critical need now is to empower the hiring ecosystem of an organisation so that it is able to identify, attract, select, develop and retain the best and most talented.

Its sad really if you think that by just copying Google style 'campus' environment, you can produce the right people. You need the right people to benefit from Google style environment. Google, Infosys, 3M, IDEO, AirAsia,the Ritz know exactly the kind of talents they need. They then hire these talents after an exhaustive identification and selection process and along the way also provide whatever it takes to retain these talents. These companies start winning the game way back in the tunnel while their competitors are vigorously warming up on the pitch waiting for the game to begin. Its game over by then really.

I think it was last year or late in 2008 that I wrote about how Africa will rise soon. I have changed my mind since. Its not Africa that will rise but rather Africans who will rise and compete aggressively. Africans who are now forming a significant diaspora community in many parts of the world will form a critical mass in the next 5 years and will displace newly minted talents from the developing world. As a continent, Africa may take some time to threaten others but as a People, Africans will rise much sooner. The war talent will go up a notch.

So where does all these leave us; both as a nation and as corporate leaders. Well, lets not worry where it leaves us but rather think about where it will take us if we ride the wave smartly. We should now start thinking about competition as a far more overarching thing than just competing for market share. We should have Chief Hiring Officers or Chief Recruitment Officers who does nothing but develop and execute strategies to attract the best and brightest.

Plan Once...Review Constantly

Whether you are leading a multi million dollar business or managing a group of 5 front desk operators whose work quality will impact directly on your own deliverables, you should remember to Plan your Plan and Review that Plan.

The mistake that we often make is that we get excited about how fool-proof our plans are and how well thought out they are to the extent that we actually believe that it will work it self out. But a plan will not work it self out. A plan will only work when you work the plan. The most effective way to ensure that you are working your plan is to constantly review it.

Once again, it doesn't matter what your role is or what your business is as the habit of reviewing plans will provide you with the following:

1. Tell you how far you have come (or not come) since you put the plan in place
2. Allow you to modify and alter your approach as although your plan may be water-tight the environment in which you function is always in a flux
3. Enables you to decide whether your resources are adequate and used efficiently
4. Helps you to stop doing the 'interesting' stuff and start doing the 'meaningful' stuff. Or at the least, with a proper balance of both. The meaningful stuff are essentially those things that give you a revenue while the interesting stuff are 'the nice to dos'.
5. Ensure a sense of urgency is maintained. Notice how the board-room air is thick with energy and enthusiasm while the plan is being debated and how it slowly ebbs away as the days go by. Well, that's natural. It is bound to happen. Frequent reviews will pump in that energy and sense of urgency
6. Creates space for team members to provide their own inputs to make the plan work better
7. A sense of direction that you are heading the right way towards your annual goal or budget.

A review doesn't have to be all formal and serious in the sense that you don't have to drag your team into the board room all the time. Quarterly reviews could be done formally but your mid-quarter or even monthly sales reviews could be done (in fact I strongly suggest this) over a cup of coffee or lunch. If you are going to do this over drinks at the pub, then I suggest you do the review first before you view the drinks! For obvious reasons of course.

I have an interesting experience with conducting a business review at a pub. This happened many years ago at a pub in the city of Sandakan, east Malaysia. My boss and I had just delivered a workshop for the first time for a particular client and wanted to discuss on whether we had pitched the first-day of the workshop at the right level. We discussed this over coffee at the pub and did in fact work-out some critical changes for the next day. Once that was out of the way, we ordered our favourite beers and soon enough, we had our ideas flowing freely but all within the parameters that we had already decided just an hour earlier. I am not proposing that you run off to the pub every time you do a review. But a relaxing environment does indeed help.

Now, I am emphasizing on the nature of review setting is because of the following reasons. For any review to be effective, it must be:

1. Free of threat and pressure
2. Free of blame game
3. Full of respect and ownership
4. Full of goal focus
5. Always friendly and motivating
6. Always inquiring and advocating

So, a relaxed and friendly environment will help with the above.

Remember. A plan is only as good as how effectively you review it.
Go review!

The New Economic Model - Old Wine?

One of the things that I will certainly remember come December 31st 2010 is the fact that to the best of my knowledge my organisation was the first to talk about the New Economic model. I did this in a radio interview in early January on BFM 89.9 fm. To date, except for one or two other consulting companies, nobody has really spoken about the NEM nor provided any thought leadership on this matter. I am proud that I had done my part through my organisation. I remember telling my team that "the NEM is the thing for 2010"!

Since then I have been waiting eagerly for the NEM to be unveiled. It was supposed to be end February but now I am told that it will be in April. Why the eagerness? Well, I wil be 40 this year and I am very sure that the NEM will in one way or another determine my life for the next 40 years as a professional, as a Malaysian and as a world citizen. In fact it will largely influence me on whom I am going to vote against in the next general election. It will also, more importantly, determine the type of country, society and polity that my children will live in. For these reasons, the NEM is very important for me. So, they had better not mess this one up.

And here is my wish list that I hope the NEM will reflect:

1. It must be a workable and realistic plan to achieve tangible economic goals. It must be worded in objective and clear language and not in opaque politically expedient rhetoric
2. It has to be an economic model not a political model though I believe if it is well conceptualised, articulated and executed, it will also become a successful political model which will once again place Malaysia as model democratically Islamic country
3. It must be an economic paradigm that is aimed at quantum changes and not incremental changes. The world is too fast now for incremental changes. The NEM must take this strong sturdy ship that we know as Malaysia into the high seas instead of staying pitifully close to safe harbour
4. It must be a model that gives rise to real meritocracy
5. It must be an economic model that finally interprets the federal constitution both in letter and its spirit
6. It must be an economic model that hammers in the final nails on the coffin of downstream manufacturing as the life-line of the country
7. It must be (oh God!) it must be a Malaysian NEM and not a Peninsular NEM.
8. It must be the catalyst for a radical and revolutionary change in our education, employment and immigration laws.
9. It must be the catalysis for a a true managed-free market system and not a manipulated-free market system.
10. AND it has to be an economic model that rides on ASEAN, India and China. In fact, there must be a supporting and documented strategy for this last point. I have no doubt that the future of this country will be closely tied to the future of ASEAN,India and China.

My biggest fear is that the NEM is the new NEP!...old wine in a new fancy face-book laced bottle!
God forbid for the sake of Ahmad, Chong, Raju, Jack, Mojuntin and Pinto.

Pillars of Confusion

I love ‘pillars’. I love them for the images that they create in my mind’s eye. I love them for the potentiality that they promise. A potentiality for continuity, stability and familiarity. Somebody once said that each ‘door’ is the pathway to a new universe…a new dimension. For me, ‘pillars’ gives me hope that things will be alright; that all will be well. When everything crumbles, there will still be some things still standing...thanks to the pillars. Strangely enough I often reflect on this as I drive on the MRR2.

Pillars are quite amazing really. You see, some of the world's most renowned buildings have awe inspiring pillars. From the temples of ancient Greek gods, to the buildings of mighty Rome to the magnificent Indian temples to the majestic Japanese imperial buildings – they all have pillars. In fact their pillars are what that strikes you the most.

But as grand, majestic and beautiful they may be, pillars are merely there to play a utilitarian function. They may look big and intimidating but with closer scrutiny (and maybe some reflection) we can see that they are nothing compared to the super structure they are supporting. They are puny in comparison to the foundation on which they are standing on. They are meant to do nothing other than support the structure of the building. Within that building there are wonders that need to be kept safe from man and nature and the pillars are an important component of the total ‘security system’. They are tasked to maintain and secure. They are given the responsibility to hold and protect. Everything within these structures owe their safety, security, and continuity to these pillars.

Pillars are never meat to achieve something new. They are there to protect what has already been created. Pillars also do not take us somewhere new by themselves. They don’t and can't give directions. They can't drive us to do anything new. They are majestically passive in just maintaining. Never attempting to change. That's what they are really good at and meant to be.

Pillars are static…lifeless…dead. But they look grand nevertheless for the uninitiated.

So now the question is : if pillars are not meant to take us anywhere, then does it matter that we have pillars be it 8 pillars, 600 pillars or 6000 pillars? Well, of course it does. It matters to those who want to keep things as they are. It matters indeed to those who want to protect and preserve the existing foundation and the roof on which it stands.

It will not and should not matter to those who hunger for change. For them, it isn’t the pillar that is the problem but it is the foundation that needs to be looked at. They want to have a new foundation. In fact they want to dig out the old foundation, break down the old roof and build a new structure : with even newer pillars to support this new creation because some of the existing pillars have become weak by neglect and corrupted by man and time. For them, pillars are just a hindrance towards what is possible. They never focus on the pillars as its the foundation that needs attention.

Things can get more confusing of course as you will find that one pillar sometimes looks exactly the same as the next. I leave it to you to make senseof it all.

Or maybe you are like me...more interested in the foundation and keenly aware that the roof is leaking.

Oh the glory of creation!

Oh what glory it is
To create.
A song, a tale, an art.

Oh what glory it is
to be lost in the ecstasy
of it all
where time is of no essence
when the universe stills down
to a trod.

Oh what blessed souls
those who create.
Beauty and pureness
that lifts the spirit.
Through the rhythms and prose
for mortals who seek
a moment of oneness.
Always sailing around
Never into.

Oh what glory it is
to create.

Shame..shame..
scratching the surface
of it all.
Never feeling the throbbing flow
of what is could be.
Oh! What wretchedness!
Not to create
we those made by Gods to be Gods!

Oh! Where are you thou
Don’t forsake me now
I seek thou all my life
And I saw behind the stars
Fleetingly
Oh! Don’t forsake me now Goddess.
I beseech thou
open that window
let me soar.

To create.

Connect. Communicate. Collaborate.

I saw a billboard recently with the following words : Connect. Communicate. Collaborate. Not sure whether I have got the exact sequence but the message is clear. The product being advertised (by a Malaysian telco)is meant to make it easier for us (the users) to communicate, connect and collaborate. Or maybe to make it easier for us to collaborate by connecting and communicating. Whatever. It got me thinking nevertheless.

I was in Jakarta recently to conduct a workshop for a fantastic group of regional managers of a client. Fantastic because they were on the pulse of things even though I pushed them from 8am to 8pm and also because I was amazed by the feedback that they gave about the program. It showed clearly that they were listening and digesting and figuring it out how to apply whatever that I was proposing to their workplace challenges.

That's not all. As much as they had learnt from me, I think they had learnt much more from each other. They came from different markets with different experiences and challenges. Each one of them came with a field of knowledge and perspectives that were fresh in the eyes of the others. As one explained about a particular people challenge, another quickly suggested an approach that had worked at her workplace. When one talked about a product related challenge, yet another shared his own experiences. In the end, I ended up playing my intended role : as a facilitator of discovery. Although that's how I often introduce my self in my workshops, I usually end as the 'teacher' instead. I guess some cultures are more comfortable to learn from teaching while others by discovery. I love to do both.

But imagine for a second here how much inherent knowledge already existing in your organisation. Then imagine how powerful your teams will be if each knows what the other is doing and is capable of doing. Also, imagine how much more effective your organisation will be if there is a seamless transfer of knowledge and skills from one to another; locally, regionally and geographically.

Now, I know what you are thinking! Knowledge Management right? Bah. That's a fancy word for something so simple : Sharing. Its an expensive word too. KM has its place. My own organisation has its KM system which I love BUT it is so effective precisely because there is genuine sharing between all members of my organisation. The KM system helps us to Connect. But, we are the ones who Communicate and Collaborate. The system can't do the latter; only the former. Let me give an illustration. Just a couple of hours before I began writing this piece, I was on the office communicator with my colleague. I didn't ask for any support. I was just updating her on a particular project. Before I ended our 'communisation' she had emailed me some stuff that may be useful to me later for this project. And, this happens even when I am talking to my colleagues who are hundreds and thousands of miles away. Interestingly, although even those I have not met before seem to share willingly, I do find that those with whom I have shaken hands or had a drink during our regional meetings or programs, seem to share much more and far more speedily. There seems to be more than just connection...there is also communication and collaboration too.

The thing is, I feel many organisations have forgotten that some of the most high return strategy are sometimes unbelievably simple. You want your regional teams to work more efficiently cross-border? Don't just invest in a fancy conference call system. Make them meet! Eye-to-eye. Body-to-body. Let them go for a dinner or two. Trust me, you will get better returns from your conference call hardware after that.

Then just this week, I was conducting a workshop for a group of Gen Ys. We were discussing a particularly difficult personal career management issue. Of course, I said everything that I had to say. I pleaded and cajoled them not to feel helpless. Nevertheless, I could see that they were not convinced. Who could blame them. A 40 year old (Yes! yours truly is 40 this year. I had trouble accepting that in January but I am over it now!)telling them that they are just worrying themselves silly for nothing. What would I know! Then, I remembered talking to one of them just an hour earlier during lunch and he was sharing with me how he had personally overcome that very particular problem we were discussing about! As I turned my head instinctively towards him, I saw his eyes shining with anticipation. He knew I was going to call him out to share his experiences. He came over to the front (I moved to the back) and he spoke a good 20 minutes on his experiences. And wallah...believers were in the flock.

Amazing...this connecting, communicating and collaborating. Go try it with your teams. Ask your CEO to invest some money into this.