Culture Is Everything

After years of journey, travelling from the orbit from one company to another, seeing why some companies succeeded and be able to sustain it that way while some enjoyed some quick bucks only to realized that the market dynamics has changed so much that it eaten the non-cultural companies alive!

There are lots of reason if we are to dissect it, from products, service, vision, competition, hiring the right people, training the right skills ....etc. Eventually, the emotional part of an organization plays the ultimate driver, that is CULTURE. This is the factor which drive people when there is no proper guidelines, no SOP & no footprints to follow.

When they feel it is the right things to do, they just do it.

Comparing a company with all the rules & regulations, telling people what to do, when to do, who should do it and how to do, culture says it all.

Instead of being told what to do, they do what is not being told.
Instead of react, they respond.
Instead of having "me", they have "others" first.
Instead of looking at financial P&L (Profit & Loss), they look at people P&L (People & Leadership).

When we look at a company with culture, you just feel the flow, the rhythm and the energy around everyone. Of course it all started from the top.

What makes a cultural boss then?
It is what they feel, the angle that they look at things, their emotional needs to be fulfilled and eventually, the deepest WHY that will drive the cultural behavior.

Don't ever join a company based on size but based on culture.
Don't ever join a company based on cashflow but based on culture.
Don't ever join a company based on industrial growth but based on culture.

Cultural organization lead to fulfillment, appreciation and massive growth.

Can culture be developed?
Yes.

• Get a bigger picture.
• Mix with bigger people.
• Connect with a bigger heart.

When we try to analyze this & that on why this & that fail and why this & that doesn't work out, don't waste time on data. Go to the root, the culture is the answer!

Management By Walking Around and Talking Around

I've reviewed for the past few months of what I've been doing in the company that I worked for. What keeps me going is not the Directors or CEO or any top guns in the company but those frontliners that I enjoyed working with.
Those are the people that faced daily problems.
Those are the people that faced customer's complaints.
Those are the people that work hard and didn't get recognitions.
Those are the people that keep the sales alive so that the top management can get their salaries!
Those are the people that got shot if any mistakes occur.

In common practice, top management used to manage or form opinions based on the position they sit in. We should fold our sleeves and walked through the muds with the frontliners and talk to customers. In other words, we should be Managing Through Walking Around & Talking Around....not Sitting Around!!!

In most of the company's meetings, I've had opinions, comments or suggestions to contribute.
Not because that I'm a genius. But because I talked to employees and customers. That is where the pots of gold are located, not in the office.

Perhaps some people think that closeness with employees will lose their status or authority on them.
We don't need authority to manage.
We need respect to lead. 
Closeness will lead to respect when we are an uplifter, an enricher and an encourager of people.
Closeness will lose both authority and respect when we a bulldozer of people.

If you want to be a Business "Runner", build yourself up and crash those you don't like.
If you want to be a Business "Owner", build other people up and crash no one.
But remember; Business Runner means you run it. Business Owner means you own it, others run it.
You choose....

Who's The Boss?

How do we live and what kind of attitudes & behavior that we carry in our workplace are totally depending on the ability to identify & prioritize different bosses in our life.
Who is our boss and what is our boss suppose to do?
I've identified 3 different bosses that we need to look up to especially in the context of a corporate world.
Most people think they are working for a so-called boss that pays them salary!

To me, the FIRST BOSS should be our OWN-SELF.
We must have the mindset of working for ourselves and not anyone else. We should voice out whatever seems good for the company and for the greater good for all. We keep improving ourselves not for the sake of getting attention from the top management but solely for increasing our self values. We should not worry about the nay-sayers as different people will always perceive through different lens of looking at it. We can't satisfy everyone, just knowing the right things to do, then do it.

The SECOND BOSS should be our CUSTOMERS.
Without customers, nobody in the company gets paid! It is all about the integration between internal & external factors of creating a customer experience which converts new customers to loyal customers and eventually to raving-fan customers! Only continuous effort in developing new customers and raving-fan customers that grow a company. It is a Do or Die scenario. A company is either growing or dying, same as human!

The THIRD BOSS should be the ONE THAT PAYS US.
Our corporate boss provides a platform for us to perform and grow, an umbrella for us to be who we are and to sharpen what we are good at. We should help the company makes money, control costings and manage it to be better than before. Eventually, we get paid!

Without the monitoring from the first boss, the other two bosses are going to suffer.
Without the support from the second boss, the other two bosses are going to suffer.
Without the vision & direction from the third boss, the other two bosses are going to suffer as well!

So, to all the first bosses out there, I'm talking to YOU including myself!
Let's be a great boss of our own.

Managing Management

There is always so many tasks, so many to-dos and so many activities to accomplish in a day. We've always think about how to maximise productivities, in hope of finishing whatever needed to be done. Upon completion, we realized there are more to come! And the vicious cycles continue.
Then we are stressed up, growing more white hair, drinking more beers and burning more midnight oil!

Sometimes, in the midst of working on our To-Do lists, we need to stand still and refresh our mind on how to manage ourselves and the things around us.

I was having a drink with a friend the other night and I'm truly impressed on how simple he managed his career and business. Everything is within his grasp. Everything is so clear to him. And most importantly, everything looks simple to him and he knows exactly what he is doing.
After he explained part of his journey to me, I can summarise it into 2 management areas; the MAJOR and the MINOR parts of it.

The major part would be defining:

1. WHAT exactly that we want by looking ahead, followed by 
2. WHY we want what we want. 
3. Then we figure out HOW to get to the WHAT through the WHY as a driving force. 

The minor part would be the extension of the HOW, which is to :

1. SEGMENTALIZED it.
2. BREAK it &
3. DIG it.

Most of the time, we are stuck on where to start. 

We have a vision and a clear direction but have no idea on the very first step. 

As mentioned, we have to segmentalized all the related entities and see what's important at the current moment. Then we got to break it down with a procedural and investigative mindset. Finally, use our laser-focused brain to dig it further into small actionable steps. 

I observed the importance of having no grey areas as it tends to deviate us from a solid decision. 

To my friend, everything is Do or Don't Do. 

There is no "maybe", "perhaps" or "try".

He has a steady confidence going around him. He spoke his mind out, voiced out the truth, very transparent in his character and he respects people.

I have tremendous respect for him and hope to share my observations with all of you out there, who may be stuck somewhere somehow!!!

Can A Chicken Identify an Eagle?

It takes a good person to identify another good person.
It takes a great person to identify another great person.
But it takes a humble person to identify an incredible person.

Quite often that we meet some empty vessels which tend to makes the most noise wanting spotlights, recognitions & credits while practically doing not much & riding on the sub-ordinate's success. And sometimes it is a mystery to me that such categories of people are placed nearly on top of an organization, ruining it than running it!

When people go for job interviews, most of the time, interviewer over-emphasizes the knowledge & experience of someone in a particular field or the specialized knowledge which they generally perceived as the only important focus in someone's career.
Wait a minute...what about their initiative, commitment, attention to details, ability to strategize, good connections, communicate with respect, resourcefulness, team spirit, responsibilities, integrity....etc?
Aren't those attributes build a stronger foundation for someone to be able to grow the company in the long run?

The question is "Can A Chicken Identify an Eagle? Or an Eaglet?"
It takes someone from a great height to be able to see the potential of another person reaching a greater heights! That is a People-Builder, a Developer & an Enabler!

It is sad to see a company functioning as a Juice Extractor of talented people where fresh employees are full with brain-nutrients & attitude-minerals are being squeezed until the passion & commitment are dehydrated in the name of growth & bad management!

Eventually, it is okay for a local "Watermelon" like us to leave as imported talents such as "Apple" or "Orange" can replace us. Then the process of extraction begins again....
That's why we are seeing local "Watermelons" or "Durians" being exported out as they find more values in other countries.

In a nutshell, it is important to find an Eaglet, invest & build the Eaglet into an Eagle. Then train the Eagle to look for other Eagles to grow together. Sometimes an Eaglet may come in a form of pigeon or turkey for us to discover that they are true Eagles in the making, with hidden wings & sharp claws!

The talent is out there....

Is A Manager, A Leader Too?

Conventionally, a company or an organisation put emphasis on a career ladder to potential employees which leads to higher position & eventually or hopefully to the top! But I've found out promoting a wrong person holding a wrong position makes it even harder for a company to gel people together & eventually can't get things done through the right delegation. As rapport needs to be build & respect needs to be earned before the results set in. People must be positioned according to their strengths or talents instead of knowledge & experience alone, which most of the companies are practising now.

Some people are really good in execution but poor in delegation or leadership.
Some people are good in strategising but poor in execution or deadlines.
The best are those that can flip in between both attributes.
If an organization builds a team based on bringing out the best potential a person got to offer, people will have auto-drive & passion in their work. Eventually, they felt a sense of achievement & a sense of belonging to the company.

Sometimes promotion doesn't depend on the number of years that an employee served. To honour an employee's loyalty, he or she can get the salary of a manager without being one. Why not?

A manager is not necessarily a leader & vice versa.

A Manager is based on position while a Leader is based on influence.
A Manager uses authority while a Leader uses inspiration.
A Manager practises upward management while a Leader practises downward appreciation.
A Manager takes credit while a Leader gives credit.
A Manager always says I and You while a Leader says We.
A Manager focuses on performance & tasks while a Leader focuses on performance & people.
A Manager uses science to manage while a Leader uses Art to lead.
A Manager corrects & commands while a Leader correct & compliments.
A Manager suffers from insecurity complex while a Leader have inner self confidence.
A Manager is egoistic while a Leader is compassionate.
A Manager improve someone's weakness while a Leader capitalizes on someone's strengths.
A Manager wants to be a Star while a Leader wants to be a teamplayer.
A Manager hungry for reputation while a Leader is full of character.

Anyway, these are the qualities of managers & leaders that I can think of relating to my previous careers. What I mean referring to Manager, can be of a higher ranking as well, such as MD, CEO, COO, GM or whatever it is. I personally feel title will destroy & blindfold personal growth if it is being overly honoured. Sometimes we have to be a good follower before becoming a great leader.
The worst scenario is a founder of a company that develop the same mindset when starting a business as compared to growing a business. It is really dangerous when they don't know what they don't know.

Starting a business is about micro-managing everything. Growing a business is about building teams & delegation.
Starting a business is about profit & cashflow. Growing a business is about building vision, mission & values.
Starting a business is about firefighting. Growing a business is about strategising.

When a business started to dilute on product quality, consistency, cultures, consumer's confidence or partner's trust, it is even more expensive in a later stage to revive. And it certainly needs strong & committed leadership to make a turnaround.

Basically, Leaders can be found in all level of an organization. We just need to uncover some dirts, clean it up, to discover the gem!
Don't be mistaken that leaders are the one which makes the most noise or usually an outgoing person. Not necessarily.

In summary, Managers are everywhere. But Leaders are rare.
Treasure them & let's grow to be one...