Kancil Retires; Nano Rises

The nifty Kancil, a Malaysian icon, will be retired next month after more than 15 years of delighting Malaysians with its fuel efficiency and 'tight-spot-parking-friendliness'. Perodua, the maker, has decided to call it a day with this model and position the Viva (basic variant) as it's entry level car. Kancil has done so well that it's maker realized that 'Kancil' has become a better brand than 'Perodua'. A position that most companies would love to be in but not in the auto industry and it was indeed a far-sighted move by Perodua's management to begin branding 'Perodua'. If anybody doubts the popularity of the Kancil, know this : 750,00 Kancils are on the road!

About the same time we see the last of Kancils being rolled out of Perodua's plant in Rawang, the Nano, made by the storied Indian conglomerate, Tata, will be hitting Indian roads. Dubbed by no less than Ratan Tata, as a car for the young generation of India, the Nano will be the first mass-production car in the world with a starting price tag of less than USD10,000. Of course it comes with no air-bags, one windshield wiper, no air conditioning, 3 wheel bolts instead of 4 and will definitely not pass most European countries and America's emission and safety control standards. It may not even pass Puspakom. But then, the Nano is not made for us or for the Americans. It is made for Indians and Indian roads. The Nano will be India's Model T. It will revolutionize Indian industry like what Model T did for the Americans and best of all in the case of India, it is going to impact the 800 million non-middle class Indians. As it is, India's new found prosperity is fulled by it's 400 million plus middle class. One can only imagine what will happen when the other 800 million becomes empowered!

Empowering Indians - that is exactly what the Nano is going to do. Just as the Kancil put car ownership within the grasp of more Malaysians than Proton could ever do, the Nano is going to move Indians like never before and I mean that literally. With the Nano, millions of families will be able to move about regardless of the crazy Indian weather. Which means they can buy more, consume more and spend more. They can travel further for work, leisure and more importantly for their all consuming passion - for education. Nano will spawn thousands of support industries. Rural petrol kiosks, repair shops and a myriad of other related businesses will be fueled by the millions and millions of Nano owners. It will need better rural roads and even more parking space in cities and the burgeoning Indain suburbs. More and more Indians will demand better roads for their Nanos to be driven on and they are going to pressure their elected representatives to do that for them. Car financing and it's related services will experience growth and sophistication like never before. Every facet of Indian life will change with the Nano.

As our own icon rides into the sunset, another will rise on another land. And, who knows what impact this new one is going to have on all of us. I can't help but relate this seemingly unrelated sequence of events to our own manufaturing prowess and its gradual decline; only to be surpassed by countries like Vietnam. Will we once gain loose a clear advantage that we had? After all, does it take a nuclear scientist to ask why we never took the Kancil into Africa? Or, could we have taken the Kancil into the Indian market 15 years ago like how Suzuki ruled that market with the Maruti?

The talk is, there will be a European version of Nano. Did I just hear the Africans want one too? Oh...the world is leaving us behind while we decide who is the rightful Menteri Besar of Perak.

It would seem that nothing ever changes....at least not in Malaysia.

Life after Lay-off

The following are some notes that I prepared for an interview (with my country manager) with the Star on-line. I am posting it here albeit with a little bit of tweaking. It's in a Q&A format. Hope it will help you to help others....or maybe you may find something useful here for your own self.


Q: Loosing a job could be traumatic for many. Even those who anticipated it could feel totally devastated. Why is that?
A: Research has shown that loosing job is no. 2 or 3 in the list of what frightens people most. And, that says a lot. They have invested so much into their jobs and for many, their identities are sometimes linked to their jobs. The job makes the man(and woman)they say. And sometimes, it is not the job loss that they feel upset about but the way they feel about how the company has treated them. Lets face the fact - many of our managers are not trained to handle these matters professionally.


Q : What would be some of the feelings of an affected employee? Are these emotions normal?
A : Some very common emotions are feelings such as wonder what has hit them. They will also feel angry, insecure, ashamed, frustrated, rejected, dejected and depressed. Imagine that you have just invested on your dream home and your husband has just bought a new family car and suddenly a big part of the financial equation .ie. your salary, is now in serious jeopardy. How will you feel? Or, imagine that you have all these plans to retire in your job as after 17 years of good service you are quite confident that you are very much wanted by the company. And so, you send two of your kids off to do medicine in Russia. Then one day, your world comes crashing down. How will you feel? So, it is perfectly normal to feel this way. This feelings will not be stable too. You may go on an emotional roller coaster and that is very normal. Remember, your job is a big part of who you are just like your spouse and loved ones and so, loosing it will be painful. Accept it.
Then of course we have those who actually may feel relieved as finally they have a reason to take stock of their lives and do what they have been thinking about all these years. Many of our clients are actually in the midst of considering going into business. But even this feeling of relief does not last long for some. We know this and we are always there for them too.

Q : How can one come out of these negative feelings and move forward?
A : First, you must accept that it is ok to feel sad and insecure and even angry. Give your self time to feel the frustration and accept it.
Second, believe that it is a business strategy (for whatever reasons)and it is not a reflection of who you are. You are not a failure. The company may be failing but not you. Third, reflect on all the skills and expertise you have which are not only your functional skills but also your transferable skills. Just because you have been a line supervisor in a FMCG company all these years it doesn't mean that you can't do part time lecturing in ITM. Finally, tell your self that a job loss is a transition period. It is not a permanent period. In fact that's why we always advise our candidates not to use negative words such as ‘ I have lost my job’. We tell them that they are ‘in-between jobs”. For me personally, I call my clients 'candidates' as they are indeed candidates for greater things in life.

Q : What would be some of the major steps that one should take to begin searching for a new job?
First, accept your new situation. Second, plan your next steps. Third, put your plan into action. Searching for a new job should be viewed like a project management and you are the project manager. Where is your project planner? Where is work-table? Where is your budget? I guarantee you that you are not going to make headway if you wake up every morning in your sarong or nightgown and sit in front of Oprah and flip through the newspaper in the hope of finding your next job.


Q : Many people depend on newspaper adverts when searching for a job. Is this a good idea?
A : Yes and No. Yes if you are looking for probably entry level jobs
Yes, if you just want to give it a try as one of your strategies.
No if that is the only thing that you do. Our research shows that only 20 – 30% of job openings are filled through job advertisements in the paper. The rest are through networks. This percentage is higher when you are talking about higher level jobs. Also, just because a company is not advertising job openings it doesn't mean that it will not hire valuable talents. Out of almost 20 candidates that I have coached in the last 5 months, 80% of them have landed a job via referral and direct marketing.

Q : So, what should one do then?
A : Well, you must utilize all avenues. If you see a job opening in the paper, make sure you meet at least 70% of the job requirements before you even bother to apply. Research the company first. Don’t send out a generic application to 15…20 companies. As far as possible address it to a person. Remember to follow up after 1 week.
If you are using on-line services, make sure you have updated your online resume. Make sure you have used the key words. For example, if you are looking at a Regional Financial position in a multinational company, make sure you have that stated somewhere; say in your Career Summary.
Use your networks too : close friends, former vendors & customers, your social group members You should also utilize job placement agencies. Meet their consultants face-to-face to make sure they have experience placing people at the level you are looking for and in the industries that you are interested in.

Q : Many of us attended interviews years ago, what would be some quick tips for those who are attending interviews?
A : The basic rules of attending interviews apply. That means your dressing, your punctuality, your body language and your manners. Apart from that, in a situation where you are looking for a job after being retrenched, you need to feel confident about your self and don't show that you are desperate for a job, any job!
You also have to now demonstrate that you are adaptable enough to the culture of a new company. One of my candidate who has been with particular global multinational for almost 15 years, had to answer multiple questions in relation to this. The interviewers’ main concern was whether my candidate can adapt to their culture.
Remember that an interview is for you also to test whether you want to work for that company. The company on the other hand wants to know whether you can do the job, whether you will do the job and whether you fit in.

Q : Even resumes might be to ‘old’. How should a good resume look like?
A : There are various formats for an effective resume. Choose the one that is beneficial for you. If you have many job experiences, you may want to use a chronological one (from the latest). If you have only one or two job experiences but for many years, you may want to use a functional format where you can highlight your various positions and functions in that one or two jobs. But, our advise is to keep a few additional pointers in mind :
First, remember that a Resume’s job is to get you an interview. The interview’s job is to get you the job. So your resume must move the person reading it to call you.
Second, if I am a hiring manager in today’s busy world, I want to be able to have some idea whether you are suited for the job after reading the FIRST page of your 3 page resume. So, I am not interested to know about your marital status, number of children, etc. which is what we are so used to putting in the 1st page. Move all these to the last page. In the first page, you got to tell the reader who you are, what are your strengths and what you could potentially contribute to the company.
Third, for each job experience you need to highlight your key achievements that make sense to the company. For example, if I was a Line Supervisor and my job is to manage 12 people in my shift then I must be able to identify 2 or 3 key achievements in that job that have benefited the company….in other words the ROI for the company. So, I must be able to say “ I managed a group of 12 production operators and reduced absenteeism to less than 5% in one year” OR “ I set up a quality team that reduced rejects to less than 1%”. Now, that is what the reader wants to know!

Q : Coming back to managing emotions, In your experience, what are some of the major worries of someone who has been retrenched?
A : Well, the men often find it difficult to break the news to their wives and children. So we coach them and make them feel confident enough to tell their family members. Our clients who are too specialized in a particular skill area often fear that their choices are limited. This is not necessarily true. We help them to identify their technical skills and their transferable skills and help them market these skills. Some also worry whether they can command the same kind of salary packages. So far, all our clients have landed jobs that in its entirety have similar or better salary packages as the previous one. Remember, if a company is trying to get you on the cheap just because you are out of job or 4 months pregnant, we don't think that's a company you should dedicate the next 10 years of your working life.

For those of you who are in between jobs, take heart that you are a candidate for better things in life. For those of you who know somebody else who is in -between jobs, become his or her catalyst for a brigter future.

Cheers.

Proton Exora!

Proton surprises me. Proton Exora delights me.

Named after the Ixora (the humble bunga jarum-jarum), a plant native to tropical Asia especially India, the Ixora is a popular item in the long list of Hindu prayer items.

Anyway, I hope nobody at Proton or the Prime Minister’s office is going to take offence to the ‘ties between’ Ixora-Exora and decide to change the name of the car! Stranger things have happened in this beloved land of ours.

The Proton Exora is a beautiful expression of what Malaysia and especially Proton is capable of. A car designed and priced for the times. My earlier postings have lamented at the sheer lack of creativity and common-sense business practices at Proton. Things have indeed changed. If the car indeed looks as good as it looked on print and the waiting list is at reasonable length, the Exora is going to smell heavenly on our roads; not to mention what it is going to do to the health of Proton’s coffers.

But here is a thought – a dilemma even. I read that Perodua is building its own MPV. If this is true, we have an interesting situation in our hands : the product segment and differentiation of Proton and Perodua has blurred. Each is into the other’s turf and in a small market like ours, that may not be the most efficient way to go about doing business. When Perodua was only selling the Kancil and Proton its Waja’s, Wira’s and Perdana’s, there was an equilibrium. Then when Perodua introduced the Myvi and Proton the Savvy, the blurring began. The new Proton Saga, in terms of pricing, has blurred the lines even more and now with potentially two MPVs , it’s going to be interesting to watch. Then of course we have the Nautica (Perodua) and Satria Neo (Proton) which are, well, just there. Persona is probably the only one standing out in terms of well defined market segment and I don’t even want to talk about the ‘ancient’ Perdana.

What does this mean? A merger between Proton and Perodua? I think that's worth one or two rounds of teh-tarik discussion. Also, this merger can become an acceptable ‘excuse’ for the government to prolong the protection given to the local auto industry. After all, with the Exora priced so menacingly against its rivals in the same segment, there are going to be inevitable questions on high taxes imposed on other makes but with a merger of such significance, a few more years of ‘protection’ will be well justified.

So, what can make this dream merger work:

1. The government should provide structural support and then keep off them; let both companies run their business. This means; politicians and politically motivated interest groups should be kept out.
2. A Proton-Perodua merger will be a more attractive option for a potential strategic partner.
3. Proton’s Tanjung Malim plant can be consolidated.

We have a winner in the Exora and we have the opportunity to do something right for the local auto industry. By the way, don't forget Naza Motors in the equation!

All the Pretenders, please stand up!

“ For years these people are our lunch buddies…..but the moment they are selected for separation they become criminals in our eyes and we want to escort them out on the very same day of notification. I tell my managers we don't hire criminals so show some respect for those who are selected for separation”

(Shared by a participant in a recent thought leadership workshop).


An economic crisis has an in-built advantage. Just like the over flooding rivers of the African plains, economic crisis can be life-rejuvenating. It can bring forth new life, new hope. It is the ultimate differentiator of who can swim and who ‘thought’ he can swim. It is the ultimate arbitrator of who is preaching what he is practicing and who is preaching what he himself is not ready to practice. The proof of the pudding is in the crisis!

More than ever, today we need leaders who have the integrity and wherewithal to manage our organizations. We need leaders who can truly lead us out of the burning house. Superstar CEOs and celebrity managers who sashayed around with their PR and media consultants will be called upon to show their true mettle…to Lead. The integrity of those who preached honesty will be severely tested. The lofty service oriented mission statements of companies will be put to the ultimate test of profit vs service. The often repeated ‘my people are my greatest asset’ dictum will be up for a close scrutiny. Actually, now would be the best time to do a ‘Employer of Choice’ survey.

As I have said many times before, it is indeed a prerogative of an organization to reduce its head count or divest a subsidiary or close down an entire plant. But, how it goes about doing it will determine its future survival. How an organization treats an employee that has been made redundant will determine the morale, productivity and loyalty of those are staying behind. As my Country Manager said recently, “ For every one staff that we ask to leave, 50 others are left behind due to our negligence”. It will affect the organization’s future ability to attract talents and its ability to hang on to its existing talents when the good times return.

Managers and business leaders too will be put to a test. It is easy to engage in a rhetoric about integrity, empathy, team work, service orientation and such but much harder to exhibit these qualities when your back is to the wall. How many businesses that have cleverly branded them selves as ‘people oriented’ are willing to share in the people’s burden?


Ultimately, bad times brings out the true character of both an individual and an entire organization. Employees want to know whether they are indeed ‘the most valuable asset of an organization’ and consumers want to know whether the companies they are dealing with are indeed ‘caring’ and conscious of their ‘social responsibility’.

Maybe this crisis will bring forth new champions….true champions.

A Changed Ecosystem

Do you feel it?
I do. I can feel the calmness. A deep sense of calm-knowing that whatever happens, it will be business as usual sooner or later. Its frightening really this feeling.

In the Economics of Trust, John Whitney asks " How often have you fixed a problem only to find that it crops up again - perhaps in a slightly different guise, but the same problem nevertheless...it will soon become clear that these problems most in need of a new theory". He then proceeds to list 12 of this often recurring problems. May I add one more? The recurring global economic slump.

It is said that when the human self is faced with a situation so dangerous and possibly fatal, the mind assumes a quality that it seldom bestows on the self. Calmness. The mind subdues every single one of the billion other chemical reactions and signals that are being sent out to the brain by every single organ in the body and it gives the self the gift of Calmness. At that moment the self is akin to a floating cocoon of peace and serenity in a raging ocean. This mechanism is designed to allow the self to calmly think through and take appropriate measures to ‘save’ it self from the impending danger.

And all these happen in a split second. The self wriggles it self from the mortal danger and just as quickly the waves of usual thoughts and feelings floods the self and life is back to its ‘normal’ chaotic amalgamation of feelings, thoughts, rights and wrongs.. At this point, even the self may be surprised to see the kind of heroic and Herculean tasks accomplished or the kind of amazing decisions made to save it self from the danger. Like how a mother of a teenage daughter beats off two parang wielding intruders with nothing more than a role of old newspaper.

But, it is also said there are times when the self goes on an extended period of calmness and serenity and sometimes never emerges back from this state. At this point we can conclude that the mind for some reason has ‘shut it self down’. The self now is ready to be institutionalized. You get the point.

The way business leaders and policy makers are behaving now is similar to the mind staying calm and composed while trying to preserve the self but the only problem is, it has gone on for far too long. I am afraid such calmness is no longer healthy. It looks more like Lunacy now.

The first ‘calm’ decision made by nations the world over was to formulate, announce and release billions of dollars worth of stimulus packages. Many of this has even expanded to its second and third versions. Billions of dollars were used to nationalize what used to be private enterprises. Billions more were channeled into failing businesses whose business models and ideas are grossly irrelevant to today’s business ecosystem. But save them governments did as their collapse will unleash a chain reaction that could wipe out hundreds of other businesses and eliminate millions of jobs. Then, we also hear of how millions of dollars were channeled into businesses that were in fact the perpetrators of the economic crisis we are facing today.

Companies and enterprises have also ‘calmly’ announced what they term as strategic decisions. They are decapitating their work force by reducing their numbers in the name of cost saving.

Everybody is happy as these decisions provides action and action always make people feel good. In fact any action can provide that feel good feeling especially when you can hardly grasp what the problem is all about in the first place.

No doubt we need monetary injections into the business ecosystem but how about injecting some Integrity and Accountability too. Don’t we want to make sure that 10 years from now, we don’t have to do this all over again? Don’t we want to cure the disease and not just the symptoms?

What was the cause of the quagmire we are in now if not for the Greed and Unbridled Entrepreneurial Spirit of the those who were out to make money and nothing else. A bad debt could be ‘restructured’ in such creative ways until they look like a product that one can own by borrowing more money (hence more debt) to buy the first debt. With enough people selling and buying, you have a guaranteed ecosystem where the economy is a false economy and the consequences is a foregone conclusion. Yet it did happen didn’t it?

So I think it is prudent to develop a set of safety measures; a new theory even, to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. We need to revisit the lessons of this crisis and turn them into learning points for future leaders; both in public and private sectors.

I for once do not believe in the hype the world over that the government is pumping in all that money for the benefit of the people. Most governments are for big businesses and not for the people! The least these governments can do for the ‘people’ is to ensure no more of tax-payers money is used to clean the putrid mess created by corporate greed.

The eco system has changed. It is no longer acceptable for us to be told that it is a normal economic cycle for the entire global economy to crash every 10 years. If there is a predictable cycle, there is a design. If there is a design, there is a designer. We know the designers of this crash. Go after them and make them into a lesson for the sake of future generations.

So, instead of asking for the resignation of Wagoner as the chief honcho of GM, the Obama administration should make him stay and clean up the mess and then ask him to go. Anyway, the auto industry was not the catalyst for the current crisis. They were just caught with their pants down.

The Co-existence of the Opposites

Deepak Chopra often says that we are an amazing array of co-existing elements of sacredness and profanity. We have within us both the pure and impure; wisdom and ignorance. This simultaneous co-existence is like a diamond that shines differently as light falls on different facets of the diamond.

In my daily being as a corporate citizen, I am often at war between this duality in my own existence. I know I have the sacred within me and yet I also know that there are times when I give more room for the animal in me to surface. I know I have the knowledge to do what is right but often end up merely doing things right. I have both the far-sightedness of a leader and the short-sightedness of a manager. And, constantly...constantly...I am at war with my self on which I should give my attention too.

And, I am enjoying it!

Surprised? Read on....

There was a time in my evolution when I used to be torn within; a time when I would berate my self for failing to do things right, be in control of my composure,be nice to others and say all the right things ALL THE TIME! Not anymore.

My evolution has taken me where I am today and I know I am evolving still...and I know I am on a constant correction to become better at what I do. I know that because I no longer feel bad about doing what is right even when it doesn't make me feel good. I am no longer a mindless slave doing things right just to satiate my hunger to be liked and feel good. There are times when I could have chosen a less stressful path and feel good about it and I know that would be good for my ego but not for those who may depend on me to be honest. It may be painful now but it will surely be appreciated when they themselves have evolved to appreciate it much like how we appreciate the various seemingly not so nice things our parents have said or done to us. We know better than that now. We have evolved.

So, I invite you to allow this duality to play in you freely. As long as this play is directed by truth, honesty, sincerity and good faith - you should feel no less of your self to lead others or guide others.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People speaks of Private Victory and Public Victory. For me, your private victory begins when doing what is right still pains you but you can live with it.

60% Marketing.....40% Product

Langkawi was a pleasant surprise. It was such a great place to block out the world and crash on the beach....and yes....you can get cold beers and what ever else that you feel like drinking. Best of all, when you think your money is running out, the mamak shops are always on stand-by for rescue work.

And, as most places in this gorgeous land, I left Langkawi with a sigh of desperation. Why oh why we never market our selves better? Langkawi, Melaka, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Karambunai, Sipadan may be known but not as known as Phuket, Bali or the Maldives. The thing is, our very own holiday spots don't lack in anyway.

Then, there I was at Kelana Jaya this morning, in a mamak shop (I busted my budget buying single malt whiskeys at Langkawi duty-free!) after sending my trusted car for its long delayed service when I overheard this serious looking gentlemen talking about business in general to three of his teh-tarik mates. After a couple a minutes, their conversation became animated and this gentlemen with almost a sense of desperation waived his hands in the air and proclaimed " They just don't understand la....its 60% marketing and 40% product...so stupid la" I wondered if he too just came back from Langkawi...or maybe from Kundasang.

Well, we may argue about his equation in terms of percentage but the fact remains that marketing is key and without effective marketing, our products and services will be like the Americas before Columbus bumped into them and 'marketed' it to the gaping and wide-eyed royal houses of Europe. In terms of tourism marketing, Malaysia truly has everything for everybody. Whether you are a Muslim or whatever, whether you are a single or whatever, whether you are a straight person or whatever, you have a place to visit in Malaysia as long as you respect the local cultures and know your limits. You will not be attacked for having a good time within reasonable boundaries. My girl-friend and I stayed in a Muslim-run Inn, had our breakfast in Muslim restaurants and our dinners in a Spanish restaurant called La Playa and a fusion Indian-Western restaurant called the Oasis. Both were right smack on the beach! I mean, I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets with a cold beer in hand and munching nachos right from where I was sitting at La Playa (which incidentally was behind the Tomato Nasi Kandar which is facing the main road of Pantai Cenang...for those who prefer the good-old Malaysian dusty restaurant dining experience). There were loads of Indian tourists too. They were trying about everything offered at the beach in terms of water sports. And yet, have we ever used a Bollywood film to do product placing for Langkawi or any other Malaysian holiday spots for that matter. Product placing is a conscious and deliberate way to get your product known to the masses. Its like Will Smith showing off his Converse shoes in I-Robot. Shah Rukh Khan filming in Melaka don't count as the post production guys in India will make Melaka look like Madrid (that's how they save money!). Remember the controversy surrounding the movie Entrapment? Yes. So whats the big deal? They super-imposed some parts of Bangkok with Petronas Twin Towers and they re-named Bukit Jalil LRT station. Did anybody bother to put a sign board saying "This is where Catherine Zeta Jones sat!"

I guess this has something to do with our value system of "don't make so much noise....work hard...people will know!" Well, I am afraid we need to modify that to Work Hard and SHOUT EVEN LOUDER. Because...the Thais, Indians and Australians have been shouting at the top of their lungs and they are getting a bigger chunk of the tourism dollar. I was once told by a Malaysian tourism player that, most visitors who come to Malaysia do not return.This is unlike Thailand and Indonesia where they get repeat tourists.

Anyway, I must say that I absolutely appreciate the taxi drivers in Langkawi who despite not using the meters, charged us standard fares. They were friendly and didn't look at all carnivorous.

By the way, I think it is also appropriate for me here to make a little correction. It was pointed out to me by my new friend, Amata that in one of my postings I have said that "...people buy on logic and justify on emotion....". As Amata pointed out, the opposite has been proven to be true and I absolutely agree with her. That was what I meant to write but in my haste, I must have written it the other way around. Thanks Amata.

Nations & Companies Endure; Economic Crises Don't!

Its nice to be back writing on my blog again! More importantly its nice to sit back and reflect and re-align one's thoughts and actions to the bigger purposes intended.

I wish our companies and our government will do the same.

Being busy can be a curse. It lulls us into a false sense of gainful activity without much long term benefits. Being busy for the sake of busy merely keeps one active but not necessarily productive. I have seen that in many of my career transition (outplacement) candidates. After the initial shock of job loss dissipates, they embark on a series of actions and activities produced my their meandering thoughts. This sudden rush of activities/action gives a sense of relieve from the paralysing fear that they had felt just days or weeks before. And so, they go on being active for weeks and months and fill their daily routine with various tasks which are designed for the sole purpose of keeping them 'busy'. Then, after much coaxing, prodding and eventually through some meaningful coaching, they accept the truth that all their actions and activities have not brought them that one result they so desperately need : A job or at least an interview. When this is accepted, they open up and they are willing to consider concrete suggestions and ideas from me which are solely designed to to do one thing and one things only : To provide them with all the information that they need about themselves and the jobs that they are targeting so that they can make an informed decision.

I fear that many of our companies and our government's policy makers are behaving like my candidates in their early stages of career transition : being busy for the sake of being busy lest unpalatable thoughts and realities rise to the surface. Lets be busy...busy...busy and bury all these negative thoughts stay buried. They will disappear or at least if I can bury my self in 'work' long enough, they will soon become somebody elses problem. And so, they keep them selves busy.

One of the products of the policy makers' busyness is the rapid fire announcements of packages to retrain retrenched workers. More funds have been announced to retrain jobless college graduates. There are funds to train those who are interested in biotechnology business even if they had graduated with a social science degree. There are funds to train those who are interested in ICT business; it doesn't matter who you are. You just have to show up. May I ask, what are all these actions intended to achieve and to what end?

How is it that a graduate with four years of tertiary education and prior to that at least 11 years of basic education come out into the job market without adequate communication skills in the English language and how is it that a 3 weeks or 3 months program is going to remedy that and miraculously enable them walk into an interview room with new found confidence and land a fat paying job? Anyway, where is the job or jobs that everybody is talking about? Oh yes! The 30,000 odd government jobs. The good old public service. Yes! Lets dump all and sundry into the school system and pray to the Lord that they will somehow; maybe through divine intervention, will realize how much they love the teaching profession and dedicate their lives to years of dedicated performance as educates of our children. By the way, we could also send some into our fishery departments and task them to passionately defend and develop the rights and welfare of our army of poor fishermen. Hmm...lets see, the security forces will also be able to absorb some. You don't have to be that smart to fire a machine gun or hurl a grenade right? I hope you didn't say yes to that!

So, what will also these monetary allocation really do for our economy in the end. Probably nothing much and maybe a little bit more damage. We will have mis-fits in various sectors. We will have teachers who can't teach, we will have 'entrepreneurs' who can't do business and we will have police officers who can' police.

Now, some of our corporate organizations aren't doing that great either although many of their 'policy makers' have MBAs and DBAs. But I must say, there are those who are enligthened enough to do what is right rather than what is expedient only.

You see, nations and corporations will endure but economic crises do not. So, what we do now in this crises must take into account the repercussions that will be felt a few years down the road when the economic crisis is but a distant memory. At that time, we will feel the true weight of the consequences of what we do today. If we slash our head counts blindly and allow valuable talents walk out of the door, if we fail to take care of the myriad of worries and fear felt by those who are with us, if we behave ruthlessly for the sake of quarterly financial figures, we are doing nothing but setting up the company for failure in the future when everything is just right for the company to actually surge forward.

Career Management in Turbulent Times

Having finished the final touches to my presentation for a marketing event on Monday, I decided to take a break by reading The Economist and the Newsweek. Having gone through the entire Newsweek, I had a strange sensation....something you feel when you just know that something is not right but you can't put your finger on it. The feeling intensified half way through the Economist. Having put both magazines down, the reason finally came to me......both publications have moved on from talking all gloom and doom of the current economic crisis to the usual stuff (read America, America and more America!). To be fair they did give some space to news from Iran and Russia especially how the 'tyrants' from these countries will be brought down by the economic downturn. Maybe the prospect of this happening soon has cheered the editors!

Anyway, what I really wanted to focus my thoughts on today is 'what can one do to continue proactively manage one's career' during this economic turmoil?'

Allow me to give my two cents worth; some of which I shared in a recent workshop I conducted. For each, I will take the liberty to share an example from my own (limited) experiences where ever I can:


1. Don't despair : In 1997, I woke up one day thinking that I am busted! My car payments were behind. Some freelance work I was doing came to a halt. My day job was precarious to say the least. In 1998, I became a father of twins. It was tough. Was I worried? Yes. Despair? No. Someone I knew and respected at my workplace told me that 'hey...just keep saying to your self - what's the worst thing that can happen...you will feel better'. Strangely, it turned out to be a good remedy and the reason is in point no. 2 below.
2. Find the higher purpose. My higher purpose has always been teaching, educating and guiding. I learn best by doing these and that’s exactly what I did and did more of and sometimes for very little financial return or none at all. I was happy enough to keep my depression to a manageable level.
3. Change. Sometimes, simply trying again and again and again is not the best course to take if you are doing the same thing in each try. So, I decided to venture into something entirely different. In fact, I even moved my family (then) to a new location. You don't have to go to that extent but institute some changes into your life. Read different books, watch different movies, have lunch with different people. At work, take your head out of the PC and look at what others are doing, what are their job functions, what are their tools, what are they enjoying about their jobs. You might just find your next career objective.
4. Maintain your professionalism. When I left my job at the University, the Dean of the faculty wrote such a heart-felt reference letter that I almost changed my mind about leaving. That letter opened many doors for me. Then, when I left my next job, some associates and clients asked me how much I made from selling off my shares in the company. I didn’t make any money as I was merely an employee of that company. It took my former boss to tell me that the thing he liked about me was that I take ownership of my job and the company no matter how difficult the job is. So, be professional and it will pay dividends when the economy picks up. It did for me.
5. Prepare for skirmishes at the workplace. Tough times will bring out the best in people and occasionally the worst. Don't take it to heart. But, don't allow critical issues to be swept under the carpet either. During times like these, we need to move fast and be lean and mean. So, nip problems before they blossom into full blown issues....but do it in a nice(r) way. I know I don't always do that, but I try.
6. Manage your workplace reputation. If you have been unfairly labeled in any way at the workplace, this is the time to prove your real worth. You can erase years of bad reputation by doing something extraordinarily altruistic or synergistic to your team or colleagues. This downturn may well turn out to be your second chance in your career development.
7. Revisit your career motivations. Take time to reflect on your passions and values. There will be things that you need to re-adjust. The floods (crisis) in the sub-Saharan plains is nature's way of bringing renewal(growth) to the lands. So, this downturn is an opportunity for your renewal. Whether you are still in your job or has been made redundant, you can renew your career objectives and with it a big portion of what constitutes your life.
8. Update your Resume. Not to switch job but to see where you have arrived at since the last time you got your resume updated. Are you where you wanted to be 3 years ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago? If yes, good for you and hang on in there. If not, time to do point No.7.

Career Management is a reflective process followed by action. What better time to do the former while waiting the opportune time to do the latter. Trust me, the opportune time will come. It always does. Have faith.

Cheers everybody.

Nations & Corporations : Bonded by a Common Crisis of Trust

A couple of days ago, a senior Malaysian minister commented on national TV how cynical the Malaysian public has become about all that they hear from the ruling government controlled mouth pieces.

A few days before that, I heard a similar complaint from an executive of a giant Malaysian corporation. She is tired of having to continuously 'prove' to her underlings that she has their best interests at heart.

Both the minister and the executive are right as the concept of nationhood and the emergence of all powerful corporations are indeed facing a tremendous pressure of legitimacy. True loyalty is hard to come by these days but for good reasons too.

In my opinion although it is true that humans as a whole have gone through a quantum leap in the last 20 years in terms of technology and innovation; the one distinguishing differentiator that not many seem to pay much attention is that humans as a whole have also become much more 'educated' and 'educatable’.

Let me share some examples of this. I hope those of you who are reading this will share your examples too even if they are contrary to my arguments.

Let's take the wheat growers in India. 50 years ago, these are your traditional 3rd world farmers who live at the mercy of weather patterns and the middle men. Both not always in their favour. In fact, the western media often use the faces of these farmers to illustrate their sleek pre-program blitz when dealing with Asian issues which of course are all about strive, poverty and chaos! Today, these very same farmers are adept at using communal internet enabled personal computers to keep track of wheat price and manage their inventory. They are no longer at the mercy of the middle men. Yes, they still need them to move the produce to end users but collectively they are now able to receive a better and fair return from their lands. They have become educated and these 'poor and illiterate' farmers seem to have been 'educatable' to begin with. They had the capacity within them, to learn and to be informed. They just needed a tool.

Then there was this social experiment conducted in the slums of India (I can't recall in which state or city)where specially designed personal computer kiosks were placed at the various spots in these slums frequented by children. The amazing discovery was this : In no time, without any coaching from anybody, without any manual or how-to-do material - these kids learned how to use the machines and navigate the internet! And, they were all illiterate street children...

Corresponding to this, more and more research data points to the increasing disillusionment felt by people at large at institutions that only a few decades earlier held sway over their lives. Religious, legal and community based organizations are facing a congregation that are not so easily convinced by rhetoric. The prevalence of Malaysians who trust blogger produced 'news' compared to the traditional (and official) media is a testimony of this. In fact Obama’s campaign strategy was aimed at positioning himself and his team as separate and different from the existing status-quo and it helped him win the presidency. He appealed to the mistrust that people felt over their government and the large corporations that provide them with employment.

Now let’s get into our workplaces. Do employees buy into the company's stated reasons for certain critical but unpalatable actions. For example, this is the season for down-sizing (oh! please....don't tell me its 'right-sizing'). When you ask people to leave, its down-sizing. No two ways about that. Period. It may be a strategy though. That’s fine. However, the reasons for this strategy needs to be truthful and believable. The company is not doing well? Then make sure the company is not sponsoring a football referee’s shirt sleeves in the English Premier League. Poor financial results? Than make sure, the C-suite guys and ladies behave accordingly. Don't feign pain over the financial results but live life as if there is no tomorrow. Travel economy class and stay in 3 star establishments. Switch to remote meeting tools instead of 16 hour travels and week long stays at exotic locations. Take a pay cut and forgo the fat bonuses. AND, no more symbolic one dollar salary reductions. Make it a thousand dollars.

The following example may be hilarious but it just goes to show how informed and educated our employees can be and we better not take them for granted. This young R&D researcher once told me that his manager informed him and his colleagues during an office meeting one day that the particular natural resource that their company is reliant on will be depleted in less than 15 years and hence they need to be more creative and innovative in their R&D work. Well, the push for more creativity and innovativeness from your people is fine but you had better be more convincing as the young man who shared this example with me said that only days before the meeting, he read in a research journal which quoted the very same manager that his company is in no serious danger as there is enough evidence that there are reserves of this natural resource for another 50 years! I am sure this manager's R&D staff were absolutely energized and became more innovative and creative!!

Just as people are increasingly cynical and suspicious that the governments of the world are in existence only for the benefit of the rich, many workers are also becoming disillusioned with the behaviors of corporations that are seen as having only one purpose for being : The profit of share holders and office bearers. The Enrons, Satyams and Lehman Brothers of the world have further added fuel to this mistrust. How can employees really believe in what their corporate leaders are saying if at the back of their minds there is an ever present fear that they are being taken on a ride and that one day...without any warning... their world will come to a screeching halt. Can you imagine the devastation felt by those who believed in the values of Satyam?

Peter Cappelli's The New Deal at Work: Managing the Market Driven Workforce (Harvard Business School Press, 1999)labeled the relationship between the workforce and their employers as "...an uneasy dance". Well, I can say that today, it's no longer an uneasy dance...it has progressed into a full blown love hate relationship. The revelations of corporate frauds (Maddox-like)and down-right mis-management coupled with the emergence of new forms of news makers and carriers (fueled by the internet and its associated technology)have only exacerbated the cynism of the workforce.

Similar to the examples of wheat farmers and slum children, the workforce of today is also very much more ‘educated’ and informed. Even if they are not, their internet generation children at home will be. I wonder what are the children of those who are working at Monsanto and BAT telling their parents about the environment and health! Karl Marx may well be a satisfied man if he was to live today as he can see how powerful the ‘workers of the world’ have become with their ability to access knowledge and news from multiple channels. Today’s workers are no longer gullible herds. They are powerful forces that will soon revolutionize the may we manage corporations.

But, I do not see a silver lining yet. Governments and corporations are still behaving with blatant disregard to what is true and honorable. Is this the price we need to pay for trusting the mantra of ‘market correcting it self’ before the market finally corrects it self? Only time will tell and in the meantime we have only one tool to manage our workforce as agreed by a team of HR professionals in a recent round-table session I facilitated : Open and honest communication.

“It was just a pen” – Stories from the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company

I have on numerous occasions shared the legendary service mentality of the Ritz-Carlton exhibited by its Ladies and Gentlemen all over the globe. A couple of days ago, I came across yet another book extolling the impeccable service culture of this company. Written by Joseph A. Michelli (McGraw- Hill, 2008), The New Gold Standard is filled with stories and anecdotes from the Ritz-Carlton experience.

In one such instances Brian Gullbrants, vice president of operations shares the story of how the company decided to change the pens that they have been using. As they realized that they have been using the same type of pen for many years, they decided to have a newer one comparable to that of their competitors. However, due to un-characteristically careless decision making and a failure to pay attention to details they found the new pens to be of poor quality which were later recalled and the whole process repeated until the perfect pen was found. They realized that for the Ritz-Carlton, 'it is not just a pen'! It is about a service that should be unrivalled in ALL aspects. Then there is another story of how in one of their new hotels, the swimming pool was built in such a way that it is in the shade for much of the day ( of course we Asians would probably love that).

But then this is the legend of the Ritz-Carlton. It is such a great hotel company that we tend to learn valuable lessons not only from its success stories but also from its mistakes and recovery. After each service lapse, they seem to come back stronger. After each natural disaster, they seem to win more friends.

What makes this company such a great service provider? I believe this has something to do with its value proposition to its employees (the Ladies & Gentlemen). Somehow ingrained in its leadership genes is the importance that need to be paid to those who really make a difference in their business – the cleaners, the house-keepers and the kitchen staff. These are the Ladies and Gentlemen on whom the service quality of the Ritz-Carlton rests on.

There is something special that the leaders of a company need to do to gain such a level of service mentality as exhibited by the Ladies and Gentleman of the Ritz-Carlton. I am not sure what that is although the writer has identified a few factors. I still feel there is something more here. Maybe you could phantom what that is after reading the following story as described on pages 13-14 of the book:

Natalie Salazar was a 12 year old figure skater just one step away from Olympic qualifications when she was diagnosed with cancer. One year later she was told that she will not make it. At that tender age, her only regret was that she could not make it to the school’s prom night.

This tragic story was shared by Mrs.Lewis, Natalie’s teacher, at a church in whose attendance was Laura Gutierrez, the area director of human resources at Ritz-Carlton Dearborn. Laura shared it with her Ladies and Gentlemen and they decided to do something about it.

With a spontaneous service mentality so characteristic of the company, they hosted a prom night at the hotel attended by Natalie’s 18 class mates and skating team members. The entire do was manned by the Ladies and Gentlemen with no external contractors involved. The audiovisual technician was the DJ while the IT technician became the official photographer. They put all the decorations befitting a ball for a princess and Natalie danced the night away with an ever present smile on her face. She ate all her favorite food and had all her favorite songs played. At the end of the night she was led away to a waiting chariot to be taken home for rest as she was scheduled for some tests at the hospital the next day. Tears flowed freely and her parents choked with emotion watching their little girl having the night of her dreams.

On Thursday, September 20 2007, Natalie Salazar succumbed to the ravages of cancer. She was buried in a dress sown by the Ritz’s seamstress who also sew her ball dress.

Why would a group of ordinary wage earners go to such an extent to make a difference?
Because they are the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company!

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.