MH - Here We Go Again!

I make it a point to fly Malaysia Airlines as far as possible. Apart from the occasional poor service and the usual delays and cancellations (if you travel enough you will know that this happens to every airline)I enjoy my MH experiences. Yes of course, I too notice that the Mat Salleh gets the whole can of beer without asking while I get a small plactic cup. But hey, who cares...I have switced to wine now anyway.

All in all, for some strange reasons it makes me feel at home on a MH flight. I have been on SQ, KLM,Garuda etc but MH always has a special place in my heart. It is a nice feeling to see a MH craft parked in all the airports of the world carrying the Malaysian flag. There, a piece of Malaysia staking its claim in this world.

My most recent MH experience was to Hanoi and previous to that was to New Delhi. The New Delhi flight (or any flight to India) is always an experience as my heart goes out to the cabin crew who wihout fail serve with a smile while being 'harrassed' by the demanding Indian passengers.I have personally come across many excellent cabin crews, pilots and senior managers who are all bravely carrying on the MH dream. In fact, I have a couple of positive stories from my MH experiences that I often share when talking about employee engagement and service level quality issues.

BUT, some politicians and some segments of our society are hell bend on ensuring that Malaysia Airlines remain as a corporate entity that is wrapped in political brickmanship inside misplaced racial pride within a whole lot of uncalled for demands on its 'national duty'.

While all these things happen....again....my heat goes out to the people of Malaysia Airlines who have had to come out of a very trying period a few years ago only to find themselves in the news again for all the wrong reasons. Unlike many who seems to be trigger happy to shoot down the national carrier, I have had the pleasure of delaing with many segments f its employees and I can vouch for their energy, love and passion for the company. It is the politics of this country that is killing the MH spirit.

Now we have an opportunity to put MH where it belongs. If the news reports are true than a synergy between MH and AK should be welcomed. Oh...yes...the other guy is an Indian but I believe he is a Malaysian citizen and one who has done more for this country than many of us. So, please stop this nonsense of racial rhetoric when a purely business sense needs to prevail.

For the sake of the people of Malaysia Airlines, I hope we hear some good news in the days ahead and the powers that be are able to leash in the wolfs that are out to gain political mileage at the expense of a national business legacy.

Malaysia Airlines need to be allowed to behave like a corporate entity if we dont want it to be the next Phillipine Airlines. As a busines entity all we can demand from it is to stay within Malaysian ownership. Apart from that, it should do what it needs to do with whomever it sees fit.

The Need to Convince and Influence

Leaders need to convince. They need to also influence. In fact this is probably the most tiring aspect of leadership. The question is how much of it do they need to do? Note that I am not asking 'how well do they do that'!
Allow me to explain.
I am addicted to the life stories of great leaders. That includes not only corporate leaders but also those from the non-profits. Many of those whose life I follow are not those whom books are written about. Yet they are all leaders and they are all great influencers. A consultant friend of mine often says that a leader needs to do 2 things well: Build rapport and influence. These men and women I know do both extremely well. But when I look at their styles or when I feel that I have read enough about them (from multiple sources) I can usually divide them into 2 categories: Those who achieved great things by influencing others only on key issues AND those who achieved great results by influencing others on everything!
I think it must very tiring for leaders who attempt to influence everybody on everything. The results, if that is achieved must be great. However, what is the consequence on those who are influenced when this leader is no longer around? Example : Tun Mahathir and the Malaysian people?
The other group of leaders i.e. those who influence only on key issues perhaps are happy to shape the future but not put it into an iron cast. What does this do for those who are influenced? We will know when Datuk Sri Tony leaves Air Asia.
Me? I prefer to influence only on key issues. It’s more serene that way and helps to build long term capabilities in my team.

7 Ways To Lose Your Top Talents

This will be my topic of discussion o BFM 89.9 in a couple of weeks time.
As the producer said, it is indeed tongue in cheek. Nevertheless the message is serious and one that people leaders need to be aware of.
Well, lets look at the 5 ways how you can, despite all your best efforts, still lose your top talents.

1. You don't treat your top talents in a differentiated manner
2. You think only more money is required to keep them
3. You think (like your dad and granddad) that a top talent is also automatically a loyal talent (especially since you do No.2 very well)
4. You don’t give enough challenging projects because you are afraid they will burn out
5. You keep secrets during bad times because you think that the less they know the better it will be
6. You fail to see that they have 2 kinds of employment contracts with you: the legal one and the emotional one.
7. You think that a top talent will always be one no matter what happens

I will elaborate more during the show. Watch out for it on 14 June at 1pm on BFM 89.9

The 20:80 Rule in Talent Management

A couple of months ago, during one of my workshops, a young somber looking female participant asked me if she could have a few minutes of my time at the end of the day's session to discuss something that she needs advice on. In the end, 'a few minutes' turned into a solid 45 minutes and only hunger made me cut the conversation short. Part 2 of the conversation took place the next day for another 30 minutes and this time my rush to the airport cut the conversation short.

To keep a long story short (I am sure you will find this story familiar) this young and highly educated and 'decorated' women had a lost all 'connections with the company'. In the 3.5 years that she had been there, she had consistently won awards and commendations for excellence in performance.

And yet, she had lost the engagement that she once had to the company. The reasons for this are many; which I will not disclose here to protect confidentiality. But, what I do want to say is that: Her manager had no idea whatsoever on this dramatic and potentially disastrous change in behavior. This manager had no idea that this Star performer was no longer engaged to the company.

2 days ago, she emailed to say that she had left and joined a competitor.

Moral of the story: Your star performers need as much caring and nurturing as your mediocre performers. Remember that 80% of your results are produced by 20% of your employees. Invest your time and effort wisely.

A New Japan Possibly?

The images horrific. The face of the clearly saddened Emperor on national TV. Helicopters pouring sea water onto menacing and smoky nuclear reactors The death toll mounting and the financial cost running into hundreds of billions of dollars.
Then we watch or read or hear of amazing stories of Japanese dignity and discipline. We see them reaching out a helping hand while shedding tears for their own kin’s who lie dead next to them. We see the youth of Japan rising to the challenge behind the scenes. We see how Americans scrambled their civilian and military assets in answer to the SOS from their post World War 2 ally.
Once the dust settles and the mud cleared and the dead buried, we will see a new Japan. Japan is like a Phoenix with 9 lives. You just can't keep her down. The 1923 and 1995 earthquakes ( I hate to name earthquakes/disasters by the name of the cities where it hits...Its not the way I would like KL to be remembered!), the great firebombing and nuclear bombing of World War 2 and many others similar disasters have not been able to keep the Japanese down. I doubt this tsunami will.
But, I suspect that the Japan that rises again this time will be different. Entirely different from what a whole generation of us have come to view it. We will see the 'silent' and 'indifferent' youth of Japan rising to a new world order. They will use their new-found respect and confidence to make Japan great once again. Perhaps the Japanese political and economic order will face a test of youth angst. Perhaps Japan will find new allies and soul-mates.
Perhaps, Japan will finally conclude that they have paid enough for the sins of their fathers (to the dismay of those hypocritical hawks and doves out there who are constantly reminding the Japanese of their military past).
The question that remains is: Which path will the new Japan take? I kind of think that the new Japan will be one that is nice to have in the region.
To all my Japanese colleagues and clients : Be brave….this too shall pass.

Economic Progress Doesn't Guarantee Freedom and Liberty

American and Western conglomerates are probably working overtime with their PR spin-doctors right now trying to explain to their own countries how is that they have been investing so heavily in countries that today are killing its own citizens.
Allowing for and being able to build and host a Formula 1 race or hosting glitzy polo tournaments or turning desert lands into economic oasis are not by themselves a precursor to more freedom and liberty. Western companies that so gleefully justified their relationships with repressive regimes around the world on the premise that economic development will bring about democracy and the rule of law knew all along that this was just a big mumbo jumbo. They were there for the money because these countries were ripe for the picking.
So in that respect, I think China have been honest about its increasingly dominant economic presence in some of the most dangerous places on earth in terms of personal safety and freedom. The Chinese don't have any pretensions. They go in for the money and leave when things go bad. Not that I agree with this but at least they don't try to blow smoke over our eyes. Of course, China might be the next in line for some flowery revolution soon.
So perhaps, it’s time for business barons from around the world to say "We were wrong and we will not do business with these repressive regimes until they change their ways. We will not allow them to use the prosperity that our monies have brought them to buy weapons to kill their own citizens". This includes Malaysian companies.
Perhaps also we should invest and help prosper countries that have genuine democratic aspirations or have proven democratic records but are hampered by various socio-economic challenges. This will be good investment.

Are we forgetting something?

I remember a chain email (the nice type) that I received not too long ago from my cousin sister. It was about a university professor trying to teach his students that 'everybody that they come in contact with are important and must be acknowledged as such'. So, the final question on his test was 'What is the name of the cleaning lady'. This question carries the same weight as all the other questions that were directly related to the course material. Doubtless, all the students failed to give the correct answer (name). But then, that peculiar question prompted them to seek out that cleaning lady to learn her name. From that day onwards, she 'became important and was acknowledged'.

Now, this little story has deep meanings. Perhaps not what was intended by the professor but nevertheless true.

Recent studies and surveys (including that of Manpower Inc, my parent organisation)shows that skilled and manual labour are the top most difficult positions to fill in both developed and emerging markets. This refers to the truck drivers, welders, brick layers, deep sea salvage divers, crane operators, lab technicians, chemical workers, steel workers, bus drivers, sanitation workers, gardeners, etc. You get the picture? The world is in short supply of those individuals who actually keep the wheel of commerce and our daily lives spinning smoothly.

Malaysians should be familiar with this story line. Just look at who are erecting our buildings and serving us our daily coffee at the kopitiam. Our bus operators just can’t get the good guys to the extent that they hire drug addicts and former cons. In fact our plantations too rely heavily on foreign workers. Perhaps, the recent call by the President of MIC encouraging Indians who desperately need a job to consider working in the estates should not be seen as something regressive. In fact, 'return to plantations' should be a battle cry to encourage people of all backgrounds to begin looking at these jobs in a new light. Perhaps, the government should also stop staying that RM900.00 a month is good money. Come on! As I am writing this, I have a tray of Burger King stuff in front of me that cost almost RM23.00. My parking fees will be about RM20.00 by the time I am done with my next client meeting. Even in rural areas, the cost of living is not as cheap as what our politicians would like us to believe. But that’s a story for another time....

This can be helped tremendously with the right support from our education system and the society at large. The over emphasis on white collar jobs and academic excellence have robbed us of many valuable talents who could have provided us the needed skilled labour. The disparity in salary and the continuous lethargy of the labour organisations in not fighting for a reasonable wage, worker protection and a social safety net have resulted in most people shying away from these critical jobs. In fact, our entire social eco-system is build on and around white collar jobs and middle class culture. We reward kids who earn 15As while we neglect the ones that don’t make the grade although they have a natural talent in agriculture, sports, wood work, mechanical work, etc.

So, yes we must have more doctors, teachers and engineers. Yes, we must have more bio-technologists and IT experts. But we also must have enough of those people who are needed to support these white-collar jobs and they need to be respected, paid well and celebrated as an integral part of nation building.

Blue collar skilled jobs must find a respectable space under the Malaysian sun or we shall face a growth stagnation as we struggle to find enough brick-layers while a room full of architects sit around wondering what to do next.

Welcome to the Career Psychologist

Welcome to the Career Psychologist

The Human Age

More than Work

Being away from your known and familiar ecosystem is usually refreshing. But, if you are away often enough you will see that 'your' city and the rest of the world is not much different afterall. It's the same struggle for meaning. Don't get me wrong...I am not talking in some etheral religious sense but from a very mundane perspective - from the perspective of what a Job means to a man and woman anywhere in this world.

People spent so much time at work. In fact they spend a good deal of their lives at work. Surely for something as important and central as this, there is more than just money and survival involved.

Do people sense themselves while at work doing whatever that they are supposed to do? Do they feel alive at work? Can they see a larger connection and inter-relatedness of the work they do and the world around them? Do they feel that they are making a difference?

I suspect they don't. It seems to me that the more man becomes the focal point of industry the more distant he goes from feeling a sense of worth from his toils. Work de-humanizes. It degrades the natural energy and creativity inherent in a human being. It reduces a supreme creative being into a number.

The solution? A Job should not be work. It should be a calling. Anything less is a tragedy.

A manager should be a path-finder and a meaning-builder. Anything less is a catastrophe.

On Salaries, CEOs and Freedom to Lead!

I was reading yesterday about how American regulators are working on making Wall Street bosses more accountable for bonus payouts. In other words, Wall Street barons are being reminded not to go back to the bad old ways of pre-2009. This got me thinking about something else.

The salaries paid to the brightest and smartest in our corporations.

Most CEOs go to great lengths to hire the best people to surround themselves with. I know they do as I do lots of Leader Assessments for them. Be it the financial guys, the marketing team or the regulatory folks; these are usually the best the talent market can offer. Yet, how many CEOs feel they have the best assisting them in the day-to-day running of the company? Not many looking at how much time CEOs are actually free enough to spend time with their rank and file people.

If I am paying so much for my executive team, why am I having sleepless nights and not spending enough time on the ground with the rank and file? I remember a couple of months back when I was at a meeting. All of a sudden,there was a hive of activity which I could observe through the glass doors from where I was sitting for the regional HR director to meet me. I found out later that the CEO was coming for a rare visit to address the annual town-hall meeting. Well, I thought the Agong was making a surprise visit!

See? If every CEO 'appearence' is treated as a 'corporate event' then obviously the CEO is not spending enough time on the ground!

So, that begs the question : Why is he paying so much for all those other guys?

Note : This is my first trip to the USA. The US was never on my wish list. Europe was. I always felt that I already know enough of the US through Hollywood, novels, management books and popular culture. After all aren't we Malaysians Americans speaking the Queens English?!But, I didn't know something about Americans - they are friendly. They greet you.

And, I also found out that Vince Lombardi was also a succesful Basketball coach. That proves the point : Leadership qualities are universal. It doesn't matter whether its Silambam or Sepak Takraw. It doesn't matter whether it's a low cost airline or a plantation giant.

By the way, its Super Bowl today and America is edgy. Everybody is talking about it. The words 'world champion' and 'greatest show on Earth' can be heard often. I wished I brought along my World Cup magazine with me. The real 'world' tournament! But hey, let it be!

The Universality Employee Engagement

It has been a frustrating week in Chicago. A snow blizzard of historic propotions put paid to my much anticipated session on employee engagement for a client. Sitting in the hotel room having nothing to do but read and catch up with old emails proved to be useful. It gave me time to finish a book that I bought before I left to the USA - Re-Engage : How America's Best Places to work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times by Leigh Branham and Mark Hirschfeld (McGraw Hill, 2010).

To be honest, the only reason why I bought this book was to be absolutely sure that none of my participants will say " yes...that sounds really good but here in America....it's different". I wanted to be prepared if indeed employee engagement drivers in America is different from Asia where I have been delivering this session extensively. I was not dissapointed as what the authors have discovered through extensive research on employee engagament in American companies are as universal as anything can be. The reasons why high performers in America become dis-engaged are the same as what you will find in India. The type of manager behaviors that promote employee engagement in America are exactly what I have been advising Asian managers. The kind of roles that senior American business leaders need to play are the same as what senior leaders in Asia based companies need to do.

I knew this all the while. All researches have shown this to be true. I just wanted to be sure. I would have waived this book like a priest on a Sunday morning if anyone had challenged the universality of engagement drivers! Too bad the snow storm had other plans. I could not deliver my all important sermon.

Well, since we are on the subject of employee engagement I might as well provide the 6 Universal Engagement Drivers mentioned in the book:
1. Caring, competent, and engaging senior leaders
2. Effective managers who keep employees aligned and engaged
3.Effective teamwork at all levels
4.Job enrichment and professional growth
5. Valuing employee contributions
6. Concern for employee well-being.

The Sun is up....the temperature is still way below zero. Much like employee engagement - even with all the benefits and infrastructure; cold and indifferent manager behavior will make no positive difference.

8 Qustions on Interlok

1. To all Indians who are against the novel : How many times YOU have looked down upon another Indian due to his birth 'origins'? How many times you have allowed your children to marry out of your village ancestry?

2. To the author of the novel : What is your pedigree in inter-racial harmony? How many books have you written with an Indian as the 'boss'? Why should we believe that you have no hidden agenda? Have you done a Datuk Lat or Ramli Ibrahim?

3. To the writers and teachers associations : How well are your members known as the beacon of inter-racial harmony?

4. Politicians who support the novel : Do you have any idea how discriminatory our teachers are today in the schools? Do you know that for the most part they are as polarised as the Young minds that they are forming?

5.Politicians who are against the novel (especially Indian ones) : When was the last time you spoke or did something that showed without doubt, that you are skin-blind? How much intellectual and political leadership have you provided to enable the Indians to feel good and safe in their own skin?

6. For the political elite who are as always 'taking no sides' until a clear winner emerges : Do you have any idea what the Indians, Chinese and Malays are calling each other in private? Do you have any idea how many times race factors in the conversation of our children in schools?

7. The Cabinet : Why should a book unheard of all these years; written by someone who has no apparent history of building inter-racial harmony be chosen for the purpose of educating our young and impressionable?

8. To all Malaysians : Where are we after 40 years?

Note : The will be 2 groups of Indians in this controversy. The 1st in which I belong are those who don't care. We have proven our merit and we have risen to the extent that our skin colour no longer speaks louder than our skills. What ever you write or say does not matter much because we serve this country better than you do. The 2nd group will be those who on a daily basis are victims of ill-speak and discrimination. Alas, the latter is in the majority. That is the reality of Malaysian Indians. Everything else is political garbage!