Blue Ocean Strategy Seminar

I am glad that I have just attended two days of this great programme. It is an opportunity to structure our thinking. I was push to do right brain thinking more than my left brain thinking. It was a great birthday gift for me.

I am know eager to share with my team as I hope they could learn it the same and start doing the right brain thinking, helping them in your tasks and approaches. This will be a survival tool for them in our competitive market. We need to create new opportunities, bringing the competition to the next level.

The thinking process of the future in the team is limited. We are more of fire fighting team rather than developer of new avenue. We are more towards a maintenance acts rather than developing new business. To survive in our competition, we must do more attacks rather than defensing.

Scenario thinking is another tool which is critical for high power management today. We need to be able to think various scenarios for consideration to take the best approach.

Again and again, leadership is the centre of good management. As leader, the direction and example are crucial in leading the team to pratice all the available thinking tools to move the organisation and business.

Last but not the least, I have decided to buy the book for my more detailed study and perfected my thinking. I always believe a seminar is just a catalyst act for one to learn up new skills and they need to enhance their learning through practice and soon it will be come an acquired talent.

2 days into last quarter of 2010

Time really flies and does wait for us. Today is already the 2nd day. It has been a challenging quarter and I have gone few patches of difficulties. Overall, the team and I managed to put in our best effort. Though we may be trailing against our budget but our spirit seems to be stronger than ever. I am glad to have few strong ladies with me pulling through such feats. Of course, Jesus has been nice to us. I need to put my strong faith though the temptation of devil is there.

Soon, I will be presenting my review report on last quarter and provide estimation how we are going to fare in the last quarter. Yes, the projection for the year end results.

The important lession that I have in my career is that "never lose your faith no matter how tempting is the other side. Give your faith stronger, live with it truely to the love of Christ, Jesus will not forsake us and He will keep us always by His side and we will come out victorious!"

Indeed, I will continue to walk with my saviour Jesus Christ, to complete this journey strongly.

My team and I will move in tandem and unitedly to achieve our goal !

Yes we will !

15 years as Insurance Player

Time indeed flies as I have just crossed my 15th anniversary few days back as an general insurance practioner. I have started my journey back in 1995 with Hong Leong Assurance (HLA) as a management trainee. On the first day of work, I was told by Lim Sze Yeen, the then HR executive I was one of the eight candidates selected out of nearly 120 applicants for the opportunity. Hmm, felt proud and honour of such feat. It is at HLA, I build up my foundation in my corporate career. It was shaping strongly to be a honourable entrepreneur through its 8 corporate values. Till today, I could still remember the values deep in my root.

Quality, Entrepreneurship, Integrity, Honour, Human Resource, Unity, Progress, Social Responsibility

Before securing the job in HLA, I had actually took up a two months temporary job as a production executive at the leading Taiwanese textiles factory operating in Nilai, Seremban. The main objective at Hualon Textiles is to earn my fund reserves so that I could secure a better opportunity in my career.

Graduated as the first batch of molecular microbiology, I was supposed to take up a job in the lab or pharmaceutical lines of selling. I did try to apply for those jobs but the requirement was to have own transport by way of car as it involves sales. I have only cub chai and I am not prepared to invest in car in West Malaysia. I was only focusing on getting a job that I could later continue back to Kuching or Sibu. I was waiting for my girl friend to graduate and that wait is at least two years.

I went for few interviews and one interesting interview was that the GM and Directors were trying to bash me up mentally and accusing me of prejudice. We argued on the definition and finally I left the interview more informed of corporate approach. The very next day, I received a call from the Sales Director offering my the job. I declined the offer nicely if not I will be in Boreinger Manheim, a pharmaceutical firm (May be I should have tried and probably I will be in Germany for free training...kekeke)

I have been travelling on my cub cai to KL/PJ almost every week for nearly a month. I study the road map carefully before riding my faithful to interview place. It is a good experience.

Then came, the opportunity in HLA, an opportunity informed by my girlfriend who spotted the advertisement. The first interview that I had with HLA was over the phone. An English communication test and I passed the test and was advised for interview the following week. Arriving at 18th floor of Wisma HLA at Jalan Raja Chulan, I was guided to a room and was given 3 essay questions for a pick to write only one. (I remember that in the room there were 3 other candidates). I chose to share the best experience that I have in the last 3 years. I wrote about my deep learning as resourceful and resilience (never die attitude) of a final year student when I was challenged to the max in completing my honours project. I think it took me 1 hour to write the 3 pages and I guess about 600 words. Ideas was flowing easily as it was my personal experience.

After I submitted the essay to a lady (I could not remember the name), I was advised to wait for my turn for actual interview. As an innnocent young man, I entered the interview room and there Sze Yeen and a small fella with a moustache by the rank of GM were ready to interview me.

...to be continued...

My Own 2010 KRAs

Top line - RM19.9m

Bottom line - RM1.0m

Teambuilding 2009

It is another accomplishment for this year. This event has definitely melt down the "I" among the team members and I hope the "WE" is budding strongly.

This one and a half day session which is divided into 3 main activities beside lunches, dinners and sleeping sessions has really nurtured team members to breakdown their defensive walls and nurtures their understanding as team members and friendship.

The 3 main activities are as follow;
a) Dry Session, where sharings were done in classroom style
b) Jungle Trekking, walking, climbing and crossing a 2km jungle trail
c) Building sand castle or designs at the beach

The group of us totalling 17 was divided into 3 groups namely "Kuat Makan", "Not Yet" & 'MPIB Boleh". Throughout the activities, team members have been working very closely in the name of TEAM WORK...(it really alive)...

The minor shortfall of this event would be...
a) We missed two of the team members who was unable to make it due to personal commitments.
b) We could have engaged a professional coordination for "full blast" effect (will make a difference in 2010).

Above all, I am personally satisfied that this team building event has achieved all the three objectives;
a) Deleting "I"
b) Budding "WE" values
c) Enjoy & Have Fun

I am looking forward to the maturing of "WE" values and growing in our personal values among all team members in facing the new challenges in 2010.

Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

I have learnt about this indicator eversince I joined the corporate world way back in 1995. It is a must in corporate organisation where results of the work is utmost upheld. Each employee is given a set of indicators to track their performance throughout the financial year. This indicator will be reviewed and discussed during the annual performance appraisal where the bonus, increment and promotion are considered.

Nevertheless, that is on the individual level and when all the indicators are combined, it must support the overall company's goals and objectives for the financial year. The CEO will be having the overall responsibility to ensure the KPI of the company is achieved through the implementation of various individual units.

Today, the government under the leadership of our PM had openly declared the KPIs must be in place and is to be achieved for good governance. Agreeable, this is a good approach to lead a good governance. However, a good declaration and the success of this implementation is very much depending the real performance review and follow up actions periodically. Any of the minister who perform below average must be identified and replaced whilst those perform well, must be appreciated and entrusted for bigger roles. Likewise it goes down the hierarchy to the respective ministries, departmental, unit heads.

Quarterly result must be disclosed and reviewed to ensure the progress is tracked and if any of the actions need to replaced or enhanced, it can be identified and acted upon.

In company, the internal and external customers will be providing feedbacks, constructive complaints or even mere dissatisfaction or grouses over the services or implementation of programmes not effectively meet the needs of the users. In the same manner, NGOs, oppositions or rakyat could air through proper channels to provide feedbacks to the government on the non-performance.

It is also encouraged that if any of the good performance delivered, an appreciation of support should be made unselfishly as to spur the performers to continue with their good action rather than just highlighting the weaknesses which could be counter productive.

I believe if everyone subscribe truely to the goodness of KPIs, we will be building a great company, supporting in our effort to support a progressive nation leading to greater respect by others.

Cash Before Trial

In corporate environment especially in the financial industry, it is a very sacred understanding of having highest integrity. One may always be hearing a lot hidden doings but true enough many were caught not charged. It may also due to long delay of authority investigation or probably the softer part of Malaysian culture or tidak apa attitude of us locally which may have encourage more became bolder in their action.

One may escape the charges but will not escape the punishment of life. Easy come and easy go. Time will prove if one has the patience.

Setinggi-tinggi tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh ke tanah juga. One may thought that the community may be forgiving or forgetful but when one is caught, he or she may just have to count their days....praying for understanding and consideration but it will be definitely a disgrace to oneself, family & friends. So better do not cash before trial...it is never worth to be part of this evil acts...

Defining Performance Bonus

From company or employer's point of view, bonus is clearly defined as follow;

1. Compensation paid to an employee or employees for achieving a particular sales goal or organizational objective. This is above and beyond either a Commission or a Salary. A corporation achieving a 10% increase in profits may distribute part of the earnings as a bonus to its employees.

From employees' view, a hope from employee that his or her employer or supervisor appreciates their contribution. More directly as expectation to have bonus to support their needs or wants;

1. Buying special gifts for family and self,
2. Having extra to enjoy the hard labour for the whole year,
3. Going for overseas holiday with loved ones,
4. Buying new clothes, watch, car, TV etc
5. Giving angpow to parents, children and loved ones....
and never ending....list of requirements.

From the feedbacks received from people around, newspapers, blogs, internet news and directly from various friends, many companies have forgo this bonus in this year of global financial crisis. Some big ones even cut the salary between 15-20%. Employers seem to be more concern and fear of the impact of this crisis than facing unhappy employees. If business could not survive due to deep constraint of cash, what is employees' threat ? They may just need to terminate the employees.

Since the end of last year...when few of the super big global companies announced the collapse of their cash flow and locally few insurance companies had announced bad investment income beside deteriorating direct underwriting results, I have working smartly to prepare the mindset of my fellow team members of not to expect high bonuses or increment beside be more vigilant in their spending through my weekly and monthly meetings. I myself had even pycho myself to prepare the situation when comes to remunerations although the whole last year, we have achieved surplus in both top and bottom lines results, achieving the budget.

Finally, the D-day came...thank God, my Senior Management had managed to secure their promise to have the bonus paid before the Ox New Year celebration (though the amount is much less than expected) but my heart is happy as the pycho did have the effect nicely...(but it did not go well with few and sadly these few are those who are performing to the expectation but they have high expected and high headed thinking that they have done their part (could not see their undelivery though it was highlighted to them for which they had silently agreed). What a situation...

My mind went spinning..to ask, are they mindless ? not ashame ? what the hack, ah hia had not complained, sa kia cry first !

Those positive ones have stay calmly and even appreciated the gesture though the amount is lesser than previous bull run year as they have expected this would be the best as the management is still generous to give when others bigger names in the same industry had freeze the bonus...

It is during this diffcult time, we can see who is capable and can stay together as an united team. It is not a new subject but you would agree very much where we can also see who is loyal or not, who is a friend or not...I know a leader we must stay calm and always open to hear people out. After all, we must be caring and understanding. They are sensitive and if we could help them in this difficult moments, they may become better supporters of us. Thus, we must triply strengthen ourself to face this internal fractions before external demands.

New Year 2009 - I resolute corporately...

This afternoon, I had carried out my first sales meeting of the year. I put forth my resolutions for the branch and provide the expectation for my team members to work upon and at the same time, invited them to share their views and aspiration for the year.

Change is inevitable and is essence to achieve my 2009 resolutions as I stressed out to each one of my team member. With financial crunch continues to hit the headlines, I have remind my members of these iminent threats which everyone must be well prepared individually or as a dynamic team.

It will be a hostile if not dangerous at the forefront for us to sail through profitably and productively.

I need everyone's contribution to ensure the journey will be much cushioned off from the challenges ahead. In two weeks time, I will be presenting again upfront in the congregation of leaders to show how I am going to do what I did last year with a BANG ! Achieved what I have set out to do ! Oh Yes !

Last but not least, I resolute for positiveness ! to sail through rough patches with resilence.

The financial rippling effects has reached our doorstep

Western Digital announced that Kuching plant will be closed down by March 2009 leaving 1500 workers laid off.

The Timber is suffering worst effect and fear 100,000 workers may be laid off if situation worsen after Chinese New Year. Many of the timber camps have closed since November 2008 for festival till March 2009. Demand is very low from usual Japan market and many companies even cancelled orders.

Petrol/Diesel dropped another 10 cents since the famous 80 cents hike in August but kampua/kolok mee or other coffee shop increase had not reduced a cent. I think the operators will not move until no customers willing to patronise their premises.

Are we prepared for worst as we prepared to close the year and welcome the new year in 10 days time ?

Recruitment & Succession Planning

Some 10 years ago, this topic is not so a concern to me but now it is becoming more critical as we grow bigger and faster. As I have learnt from one of my favourite speakers, as manager, we need to consciously identify potential team members and not during when we need one. Thus, averagely every other month, I will engage in interviewing potential members though I may not have any vacancy. And every 6 months, I will put up an advertisement in the paper to encourage wider application for picking. This is to enable creation of a potential pools to select and also to provide training ground for us to select the right people.

Having good pools of right staff will help in picking right successors to succeed eventual team leader though mentorship is importance to ensure their learning is in right direction. The one who could work together tirelessly and supportively moving towards goals together is a diamond to any great leader.

It is true that people will come and go during the process or at any time, thus we must always be prepared and accept the fact that this is natural although at times, we must reflect on what have gone wrong in trying to improve our team weaknesses or environment weaknesses. Yes, some of the members are good but due to dissatisfaction of certain situation, it leads to breakups but there are many who just have attitude problems to work.

As leader, beside challenges and obstacles, we will face with a lot of learnings and improvement through encounters of human issues. If we could manage this aspect well, as in any professions, we will be able to move "mountains". Every great organisation, human assets are backbone to them.

Spending time with our good people is a must so that we could lead and mould them beside opening the door of open discussion and two ways motivation approach. Every week, I am trying to sit down with my key people sharing with them the crux of our business beside giving them my personal sharings and hearing their challenges and successes. Many are still quite closeup but I believe the strong one will start the ball rolling.

Therefore, to build company, we must build people. Recruit the right one, mould them and lead them to success and they shall attract more successes and when the chain reaction goes smoothly, the organisation will growing strongly continuously.

Brain Seems Better Than Physique

It seems that what you know is more appreciate or valued that what you can do ? Right...no ?
Well, try the following;

Usually people salary is paid based on what you can think of or your better brain thinking rather than physical extensive works. Look at the leader who think, plan and lead is paid better than follower who just follow what the leader instructs.

Of course there is exception if you are the best of your field and specialist when everyone needs your expertise...with little brain to bargain, you will get the better pay than those who just think.

That is why may be our parents or teachers always encourage us to study well in order to build up our brain. But the smarter of all are not the smartest kids in class as when we leave school, usually those grade A students are working for those grade B or C (of course not the grade D or E). Don't you agree ? Well, that is the fact !

I believe that this group B & C sutdents are those who are smart in using their brain in balance with higher EQ than the smartest kids.

It is not too late to discover than the requirement to have both IQ & EQ in balance and utilise wisely. Exposure @ Experience would help the balancing acts. Be alert and move with great confident that we are all equally good and the difference is only on whether we do use our intelligent to best of opportunities.

Brainstorming Session

After 10 days, I back again to KL to have my brain squeezed further. Tomorrow, my top management had organised a day brainstorming session in coming out with new business plan for the next 3 years.

We had a similar session last year at Dorsett Regency and guess what...we are coming back to the same venue...why ? May be to ride on the good fortune this year as we had been doing quite well on the directions that we set last year at the same venue.

However, this year...we shall have tougher challenge with global financial woes and Malaysia market will not be spare. We need to be very careful and chart out extra dynamic plans to sail through this financial waves.

I look forward to this session to draft a strong plans for continuous growth and profitability in this challenging situation in 2009-2011.

In fact, at personal...it is also about time to do some reflection to ensure our personal objectives can be achieved or on track...good luck !

Q3 Performance Review

To be frank, I am very tired at the moment after two days gruelling presentations from morning till evening plus after hours activity till early hours before waking up 3 hours later to updates my notes before attending the following sessions.

Quality Productivity and Preparing for worst have been the main topic with the global economic turmoil and local sentiment. Everyone is asked to stay focus on their business plans, never give up and work extra mile to deliver real results. Writing the strategies is quite easy but the real action will come in execution. Discipline, determined mindset with flexibility will lead surer progress.

Coming out from this meeting is very motivating whilst moving forward to run the final lap of the year 2008 whilst getting ready to start 2009.

In the next 3 months, a lot of expectation has been set up namely Budget & Business Plan 2009, Performance Appraisal 2008, Quality Transformation follow through and Nailing the Q4 budget.

Travellings is also expected to move faster as I need to run longer and consistent to cover wider and deeper network.

However for now, unwinding myself at coffee bean writing down my thoughts before proceeding for my dinner and also a spa session later in the night. Have a nice weekend.

Last Quarter

Time is flying passed us without waiting although we do wait for time to pass at times.

We are now in the last quarter of the year and I am now doing my review on my performance for the past 3 quarters. The budget management session shall be held sometime this month as to have thorough review and create the last push for the year end closing.

This is also a time for budgetting for next year performance beside staff appraisal evaluating the performance for each staff.

On the economic front - globally or locally, the reports are not rosy as compared to previous year around this time. You may have heard about the bailouts running into hundreds of billions USD. Tough challenges is ahead of us and we need to dig deep to prepare for the worst as we chart out our new blue print for next year whilst squeezing the last drops to close the year beautifully.

For me, I know...this month I will have few sleepless nights ahead in meeting the benchmarks set in order to deliver the goals. Whatever it is, I and the team will need to work out smartly together to meet the benchmarks/deadlines.

Management Trainees

I was a product of a thorough management trainee programme and till today, I am thankful that I have gone through this programme for the first 24 months of my corporate life. The first 6 months was most of the time about lectures/theory all round with mental setting by various department heads and also peers. A lot of sarcasism learned and unlearned as my mental was mould over and over again in the corporate living. Every evening I will need to sit down with my manager to have 30 minutes chat on what I have learned through the day. Then, on every Saturday (those day, we still have half day), both the manager and myself will sit in a sharing session headed by the GM on a very open manner in discussing the progress of my learning and weaknesses or problems I have discovered in the particular department. A monthly report will also need to be produced and submitted to the department head (like a thesis with recommendation on improvement)

Actually, together in the programme, there are 8 of us and we have actually assigned in pairs and then we were scheduled to attach with 6 department in 6 months. Sharing of information and learning is crucial in our group. We go breakfast, lunch and dinner (minus sleeping) together almost everyday (As our mentor had also gave us a challenge to form up a common identity for our group). In between training sessions, we were also entrusted to organise or lead the whole company on grouping activities like sport day, family day etc. We have laughters, angers, frustration, sad or belacan taste throughout the programme. However,...two of us left the company after 6 months, after they found that they do not belong to this industry (today they are successful practising lawyers). Another one, two months after that. After a year, there are only 3 left in the group.

From day one, we were also "forced" to take up professional course or get fired. Oh yes...that is the challenge. So, I took up and graduated with another degree (An Associate) after 2.5 years. (For infors...out of the 8...none except the writer) Hmmm now, I was recognised as a Chartered last year...(satisfied...)...that is probably why I was the last of the "Rising Sun" (our group's name) to move on from the company after 8.5 years, and I remembered on the advice of one of my managers (who is very well qualified), within 3 years..."you have to learn more than you can adsorb in order for you to root strongly in the career you want..."

Looking back now, it was the initial mental conditioning (foundation) that is the crux of the learning. It does make a different !

Petrol Savings

In a commitment to respond to petrol savings, I have recently re-calculated my petrol consumption and found that my Matrix 1.6 Auto is a big user, gulping a lot...and average it has only able to bring me 9.9km per litre at town driving (can you believe it ?...is my computation wrong ?...my mileage is 368 for RM100 = 37 litre...this has only last average 5-6 days. May because of hot days for the last one week...normally consumption is higher when we are going through hot condition). It is a wake up call indeed !

This is in addition that I am using special additive supposedly to increase efficiency by 25%. Today, I have decided and installed a magnetic fuel saver which is alleged to be able to increase efficiency by 10% and up 30% on long run...

"The magnetic saver is clipped at the fuel pipe before the entry to the engine. It is supposed to magnetize the petrol molecules so that the injection is more stable and equal to enable complete burning. Through this process, the car will also experience more power and engine is also smoother. It has a warranty of 15 years and it is a German's product. It was proven over in Germany, the fuel efficiency can be improved by 30% after the vehicle was installed with this fuel saver"

I hope it works ! (then I can start introducing and selling !) Hooha !

Reap What You Sow

This is an universal principle and known to farmers worldwide. In fact this becoming a knowledge to all who had go through life.

In farm...
1. When you plant durian seed, you will get durian tree..
2. When you nurture the fruit trees well, they will bear much fruits..
3. Whe nyou take care of the farm well, you will reap more fruits...

In life...
1. When you give a smile to another, you will receive a smile back
2. When you give a frown, you will receive a frown/surprise look back or even a scolding..
3. When you are lazy, you will not achieve success
4. When you are careless, you will lose out more
5. When you offer love, you will receive them back (may be not from the person but from others)

You may not get immediate results of what you sow but definitely, the principle will not just miss the linkage, it will let you enjoy your fruit in time to come...

In Chinese culture, this is probably people called wealth creation for future. Whatever we enjoy probably owned to what we have done in the past ?? Malay saying...bersusah-susah ke hulu, bersenang-senang ke hilir.. ???

Therefore, we must always careful on what we sow as eventually we will reap the fruits of it.

Structure Tree

Structure tree method has became my integral basis of business planning. This method has been taught to me when I first started my insurance career as management trainee. It is very useful in tracking down and thinking out of the action plans.

Every action begins with end in mind, our objective in achieving at the end of the day. From there, we have planned each and every step. We rationalise the challenges along the way and come up with solution or alternative to move up the trunk, branch and towards the leaves and flowers.

In summary, we are looking at from starting point to the end.

Example;
End in Mind : Achieve RM10m production...
- what are the sources available : Agency / Direct / Brokers / FI / Franchise / Coinsurance
- who are the supporter under each branch ? list them down...
- what are their business volume for each of the leaves...said under Agent A - how much is he doing annually ? type of business whether is preferred or declined...
- what are the action plans to attract those business or build up the support ?
- what are the challenges along the way ?
- timeframe for doing it ?
the questioning will go on and on until we are satisfied every leaves are accounted for...it shall become our structure tree...in engineering term is a blue print for a new building to be constructed.

The success will come with how detailed our plans are and our discipline in keeping this structure tree updated over the time.

Try it and you will see the difference and from here you can also track your subordinates in their work planning and thinking.

Quality Transformation

Officially on 13th June 2008, my company has launched the Quality Transformation programme, a programme which I have shared and indicated in my previous blog. Through embarkation of this programme, we aim to improve our service delivery to our customers. A total mental shakeup is necessary to make this programme a success as we have identified all key action plans to implement immediately.

Last Friday, we have our soft launch in our Kuching Branch whereby my CEO had personally given his important message on how best we could lead the Quality Transformation in our branch operations especially highlighting each of the 6 core values;

* INTEGRITY
* TEAMWORK
* ENTREPRENEURSHIP
* ACCOUNTABILITY
* CUSTOMER CENTRIC
* CARING

We have been given 2 pieces of t-Shirt (to be worn on every Friday...suka..nya saya...), a Quality Service handbook and a lanyard to keep reminding ourself of the importance on this programme as we want to achieve quantum leap in our service.

(A Photo showing my CEO was handing out the Quality Service handbook to my staff)