F1 Singapore 2008 – Super Race, Super Show!

The inaugural F1 night race has placed Singapore on the map as a world class location for high visibility global events! The practice runs, the qualifying round for the pole position and the grand finale were executed with the obvious finesse that is associated with any F1 event. The infrastructure was almost equally flawless in supporting the event in its first year in front of 130,000 on site audience and 500 million television viewers worldwide! Fantastic!

. Local outfits had the opportunity of doing brisk business & enjoyed brand visibility despite a rather gloomy macro economic environment. Congratulations go out to Singtel & everybody else associated with hosting the event! Following all the kudos, Singapore has to continue to seek excellence by taking pages from city circuit venues like Monaco, who have hosted similar races for more than 79 years.

. As a spectator at the event, I felt inadequacies in transportation, extended road blocks, seating coordination & food outlets while the drivers had to contend with bumpy road surfaces and soaring track temperatures! Mental notes need to be taken to fix these next year!

. Singapore & all of us also have many a lesson to learn from the races themselves. Team Ferrari’s debacle after taking 2 out of the 3 positions from the Pole in the finals - then getting totally knocked out in the final run! Lessons like team co-ordination & collaboration or the lack of it can ruin the best laid plans as Ferrari experienced during Filipe Masa’s fatal pit stop.

. Also a lesson that ‘Hope’ is a winner’s best friend from a despairing Alonso who stood with virtually no chance after the qualifiers but then eventually won the race on Sunday driving with grit & hope. A lesson that Winning is not necessarily brought about by excelling individually but also by seizing the opportunities created by the opponents’ shortcomings as experienced by Alonso who started off by virtually trailing the entire lineup.

. All in all an excellent demonstration of speed, discipline & collaboration and also the pitfalls and failures that so characterize us as human beings. Big win for Singapore and a big win for the human innovation and spirit!

. As the season wraps up with the final race in Brazil, I salute Louis Hamilton, the 2008 F1 Champion for his single minded focus, dedication and ability to act at the right time in the right way that saw him screech into the ultimate winner slot by securing a position in the first five at Sau Paolo in front of a bewildered Masa who did everything right in the final race and his legions of loyal Brazilian fans!

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Why put ANY effort when you do not know the WHY?

Kids are smart these days. I cannot make my daughters do ANYTHING unless they know WHY they need to do it and WHAT they will gain if they do so?

. I do not blame them because there is a perfectly good reason why they ask these questions. No task or initiative that consumes time and energy should really be done unless the people involved know the ‘Why’ (the reason why they need to spend time doing the task) and the ‘What’ (the foreseeable outcome of the task).

. Sounds like a no brainer.. right? Any doubts, check with the first kid you meet on your way home! However skeptical you are, there is always a Why & What to everything. What matters is - Do you look for it?

. Go to any workplace teeming with intellectual capital and see how many Why? & What? are traded across the work floor. Candidly speaking, hardly!

. Most employees go about doing their tasks because they are told to do so. Naturally this leads to at best mediocre passion, energy, creativity, innovation which finally leads to (you guessed it right..!) mediocre results .. what else?

. The individuals toiling away all day have no clue regarding consequential impact of their effort on the final result, have no interest in recommending improvements, suggesting new ideas and no avenue to taking pride in the final result that crowns their effort. And all this because they did not bother to ask the Why & What .. does this sound like a serious compromise of impact or what??

. I have tried asking the cause of this apparent lack of inquisitiveness – fear, lack of preparedness, embarrassment, doubt and even stress are some of the candid responses I get. Map these attributes with those linked to non-performance within individuals and teams & your make a startling discovery … they match!

. I take pride in practicing & encouraging everyone in my direct and extended teams to NOT do anything unless they understand WHY they are doing it & WHAT outcomes they are doing the task. Once they do, they are on a natural high to achieve the expected outcome. I see many of them adopting this attribute and actually practicing on me..

. Not that I mind at all … leadership skills in an individual or a group environment always requires the ability to seek and explain the Why & What in every situation whether it is demanded or notI wish my daughters were more forgiving though…

Do One, Two, Three things at a time ... Really!

I often think multi-tasking or high bandwidth multi communication processing is over hyped, over rated and frankly unnecessary! I have seen no dearth of sub-ordinates, peers and even superiors speak about these qualities as a part of their professional skill in glowing terms but still do not seem to make much headway with it!

. I do believe that the sophisticated organ that we call the brain is very capable of processing an amazing number of instruction sets and also the fact that we hardly utilize the capacity of this organ. But be aware though that getting things done in the real world is not just about the brain!

. Long ‘Must Do’ to-do lists that individuals draw up for parallel attention without any clue regarding the commitment and effort involved in accomplishing them also concern me

. In my professional life, I often come across two extreme mental faculties amongst people while most of us fall somewhere in between – Type One, mostly is in eternal awe with their daily routines, in what they need to do, unable to prioritize between the tasks in hand or do not have the information or possible skills to tackle the task they have been handed!

. Even if they can prioritize tasks they have problems communicating where they need assistance & from what kind of skill set. The other set, Type Two set are the supremely confident (the high bandwidth multi tasking types) for whom doing one or two things is way below their intellectual zone and highly demeaning. They are in an eternal rush to take one more than others and complete it quicker than the others. Both types actually end up taking on more than they can chew or what is needed to be chewed and suffer from the consequences – lower quality of work and demonstrating stress symptoms even without realizing!

. The pains associated with Type One are more apparent - confusion, doubt, fear & frustration in not being able to complete the task as required! Consequently, the pains associated with Type Two though more discrete still make the individual and the organization vulnerable.

. The Type Two does not function alone like any one else, they have to interact and succeed with others around them and as they ascend the leadership ranks the leverage and dependence on others increases. Even if they individually can focus and handle multiple tasks on their own, their quality of external communication and their ability to interact and deal with different people and the roles that those people play deteriorates as they take on more tasks.

. Also the people that the Type Two deal with (assuming that they too are carrying the same task) may not necessarily be able to operate in the same multi-tasking mode that the Type Two’s can. The resultant collaborative work quality usually suffers!

. So instead of taking on big bites how about this – irrespective of the mental category you are in, take two or three tasks at a time based on the priority. Then plan to complete each of them within a pre set time period. If you cannot prioritize the tasks or have doubts regarding the time you need to allocate for completion, seek advise from your Supervisor (Do not Suffer in Silence – see related post).

. Handle these two or three tasks with focus, diligence and collaboration. Seek ‘Quality’ all the way. Not just yours but the quality amongst your co-workers as well. Get a high quality job done!

. As you focus on these two or three tasks, you have automatically prioritized them with a time allotment, you now think more clearly because you are attending to these tasks alone and you are working them towards completion either individually or with your team

. As one or more of these prioritized tasks that you are working on gets done, replace them with the next task on the basis of priority from your to-do list and so on. Do this and see how things work …. I will take Quality anytime in lieu of Quantity!

. So what happens when you hit the wall with a task that you do not seem to be making any progress with? Well as soon as you hit the time that you allotted for the task or even prior, judge the priority of the task compared to the tasks still pending. Based on your conclusion either slot the task further down your priority list to be attended to later or if it is immediately crucial then research the task more, socialize with your team members, think about possible alternate options & seek guidance from your supervisor.

. I missed out mentioning honest expectation setting in the midst of all this. As you handle your two to three things and other tasks show up simultaneously with near time delivery expectations – determine its priority in line with what you have in your plate or your current queue. If you have tasks further down the queue that have an equal or a higher priority, then do not be afraid to set the right expectations for a delayed delivery, prior to taking the task – people will respect you for that.

. However, if there is any way in which a new task with a high level of urgency can be prioritized based on the circumstances, then by all means do so. Make sure that the beneficiary is aware of what you have done for him. Adds on as a favor in you ‘frequent flyer’ miles bank

Matrix Organization Reporting Lines - Why Suffer in Silence??

Today’s organization has become diverse and complex even compared to what it was five years ago. Multiple business units, product lines, functional groups and territories require separate reporting lines to ensure that the required checks and balances are in place. These checks and balances then ensure that the objectives and goals of each of the constituencies are met.

. Organization structure wise this means the need to create multiple reporting lines within an operating unit or what is loosely termed the ‘matrix-organization’

. Individually this means that a particular position might be required to report into two supervisors – one via a ‘Solid-line’ and to the other via a ‘Dotted line’. The primary difference between the two is that the Solid Line Manager is responsible for investing on the headcount, the operation expenses related to the headcount and has a larger say in defining the goals of the position, the performance evaluation and the development of the individual. The Dotted Line Manager provides functional or knowledge cover, aligns the other critical functional groups to the individual and helps the individual generally succeed in the role

. I have often noted within the organizations that I have worked for (all of which implemented the matrix organization) that positions which fall within these environments are more aligned to the supervisor that the position interacts with on a more frequent basis irrespective of the nature of the reporting lines. This observation obviously assumes that the leader is capable, well respected and adds value to the sub-ordinate

. Enough on the reporting models, what does this mean to the individuals. Well, I have realized that the work life for the individual with two or more reporting lines is not rosy at all. Especially so if the two managers are not aligned in the goals and priorities related to the position. Even if they thankfully are aligned, it does not mean that the directions provided to the sub-ordinate are precise. Very often one expects the other to make these essential communication and both end up not doing it.

. The employee on the other hand fails to realize the priorities associated with his role, is confused regarding the measurements of her success and does not know who to reach out to seek guidance or advise when needed

. If you are ever in this situation ….. STOP! Bear in mind that YOU and only you are accountable for your success or the lack of it! No one understands you or your problems better than YOU! No one wants to fix your problems more than YOU .. so who needs to make the first move when you are faced with this confusion amongst ranks .. of course YOU!

. In our periodic Organizational boot-camp events, I get the opportunity to address our new hires as a part of the New Hire induction process. Its great to meet these folks and admire their passion for the organization that they have just joined and the roles that they have begun to play … super! What I always tell these enthusiastic lots is Never Suffer in Silence and Never Do Anything Without Understanding Why You Are Doing What You are Doing (more about the second one in a separate post)

. So how do you stop suffering in silence? Well, start off by defining exactly what you need clarity on and/or what area you exactly seek assistance for? Poorly defining what assistance or guidance you need leads to your supervisor questioning whether ‘you need help with the solution or are you a part of the problem?’

. Then communicate it frankly. Be honest in your approach – do not claim to know stuff that you do not know! And make sure that you are heard … your supervisor may have other priorities but remember what you owe to yourself. So make sure that you are heard!

. Assuming that this goes well and your supervisor hears you and then provides you with the needed recommendation and guidance. Make sure that you have understood him. Do not be embarrassed to ask questions and clarifications at this stage (many unfortunately do!).
As a leader, I am far more willing to re-clarify and re-explain till people are sure that they understand. Once they confirm that they do understand, I expect them to do so, right? What disappoints most supervisors is when people say they understand (when they do not) and go off and make the same mistakes that they would have without the guidance!!! Defeats the entire purpose and effort behind the coaching.

. Once you are successfully past this stage commence implementation. Keep your supervisor informed and seek inspection, guidance or just check notes on the progress on a periodic basis The frequency and intensity of this step depends on the complexity of the task.

. Finally on the successful completion of the task, inform the supervisor and thank him for his advice and guidance (again, many forget to do this)! Your supervisor will definitely be more accommodative to guide you the next time around!

Goal Setting - Does Stakeholder Participation make sense?

Like most people in my job description, things begin to really hot up as the year end approaches … the feeling of accomplishment in the past year, the excitement of the coming year, the rum laden fruit cakes and the wine and chocolate hampers that do the circuit to be shared with friends and family .. the year end is a simply wonderful time for all!

. Closing the year with all business revenue, margin, share, productivity and utilization goals accomplished is always a must do. However the intellect focused on closing the quarter and the year is constantly bombarded by the incessant flow of data requests for setting the goal for the next year

. In my early days as a people manager, I would be grossly offended by this ‘distraction’ related to next year planning when closing the financial year seemed like the most important thing on the planet to me. Over the years I admittedly wizened up as I began to appreciate the ‘other’ activity

. As we approach the year end we are typically in quarter four – i.e. three quarters have come and gone by and unfortunately the results will not change. Even the fourth quarter is mostly done and depending the nature of your position and your business you might have minor to meager influence on the final results at that point

. The following year on the other hand lies ahead like the proverbial ‘fresh sheet of snow’. You can (based on your position) at least partly determine what your individual, team or organization’s footprint will look like on that brand new surface. Does that not warrant some time, reflection and attention… easy choice, right?

. The Planning exercise for the following year usually has a Quantitative (revenue, margin, share, opex etc.) and a Qualitative (initiatives, go to market, coverage gaps, partnerships, resources, skills and infrastructure) component – make no mistake, both are equally crucial! Most organizations focus unduly on the Quantitative element while the smart outfits get the operating teams to focus on the Quantitative planning and goals to determine the ‘What’ while the Qualitative planning provides the ‘How’.

. It is unfortunate and alarming that most organizations spend very little time planning and more specifically socializing the next year goals with the broader set of people who are expected to deliver those goals

. That said, it is within every leader’s prerogative to socialize Quantitative and Qualitative objectives for the following year with some relevant people within her team after familiarizing them thoroughly with the overall organizational strategy framework.

. Socializing goals bottom-up leads to three specific values – firstly, it creates a sense of belonging, individual value and pride within the team, a feeling that their judgment and opinion matters in the organizational context; second, it brings up feedback and outlook from the trenches which lead to creation of potentially new initiatives, strategies and mindset to tackle the upcoming annual objectives; thirdly, planning Quantitative goals provides an avenue to do the necessary check and balance to determine whether the Quantitative goal is within the practical ‘zone’ and can be attained with a stretch

. In setting Quantitative goals, I have always preached a bottom-up and a top-down approach. A bottom up approach is fair because it provides the downstream participation and perspective based on several influencing factors. Both are welcome in considering and determining what goals need to be set, which needless to say needs to be top-down

. While seeking bottom-up feedback, it is crucial that the right set of expectations are set with the contributors – think like a shareholder of the company, size the opportunity correctly – if the final results differ significantly from your outlook you obviously will not look good, be aware that the Quantitative goals that you will be ultimately expected to work on will be determined with the consideration of many data-points including the ones you provide. The goals therefore might differ significantly from your recommendation. The right expectations upfront allow people to go through the exercise with the right mindset and prevent any potential heart burn downstream

. Try these out and see how you go. All I am preaching is commitment for ‘involvement with reason’ in lieu of ‘coercion’, ‘collaboration’ in lieu of ‘conflict’ and ‘participation’ in lieu of ‘alienation‘ in every stage of the next year Planning process ….. whatever the state of quarter four may be!!!!!

Driving Organization Vision – Keep Visors & Shades on!!

• Organization, department and even team Visions are hugely instrumental in providing guidance and momentum, even passion and excitement to operating teams!
• A Vision can range from a GRAND organization wide shift to a FOCUSED department initiative for revenue growth, expense optimization or new business development. The principle of unfolding the Vision will be the same - the scale will vary
• If many chefs in a kitchen or many surgeons in a surgery concern you – then you get a good feel of what too many Visionaries or Visions can be for a smaller team or even for an organization
• Ability to conceive and build a Vision is a specific capability, not a general skill and does not even need to be one! Translating the Vision into specific short term measurable goals and actions, then laying out the implementation path is another competency. Thereafter, leading and participating in the implementation of the Vision & delivering predictable results is the third mutually exclusive competency
• I have realistically seen these skills demonstrated by three very different profiles of people. However, I have seen exceptional circumstances within small groups where the same individual demonstrates two or all of these three competencies
• I am laying this out upfront because for the successful implementation of a Vision all these 3 roles need to be understood, differentiated and used. Related ownerships and accountabilities need to be set for each of the roles – do this and see the Vision unfold into real world results!
• The Vision is conceived by the proverbial "Visionary" (lets call this individual or group A), normally the head of the operating group - this is a very 'macro view' that lays out the broad based direction the leader(s) wishes the group to take based on individual or collective judgment. The 'Vision' at this stage is usually skeletal, possibly over simplified and can be usually understood by a selective few who are either closely associated with the working and thinking process of the leader(s) or involved with the core functions of the group (lets call them Team B).
• It is very risky to spill this 'unbaked' Vision outside of Team B. The unbaked Vision can very likely send wrong signals to the rest of the fraternity, de-focus people from their immediate job functions or simply confuse them regarding the relationship of the new Vision to their current way of doing things. So do ensure that the broader team has their visors and shades on at this time
• Having people with competencies around "translating the Vision into specific short term measurable objectives and laying out the implementation path" come in handy at this time. This is usually contributed by Team B. Team B articulates the "Why?" behind the Vision and provides meat to the initial skeletal structure. They also lay down short term goals and metrics that will be implemented by usually more than one functional group. While doing this, Team B should explain the rational of each goal and metrics in a manner that the downstream teams will understand. They also prepare plans and methodologies on how these function specific goals and metrics will be sold to the downstream functional leaders first who will then communicate this to their teams (Team C).
• This stage requires over-communication between A and B as well as B and C-Team Leaders as the Vision starts to settle in. New Visions also introduce ‘change’ that Team C members normally resist – the intensity for resistance grows as you go down the hierarchy. Complement this by reinforced top down communication, document & broadcast best practices demonstrated by the early adopters while highlighting & rewarding the early wins or proof points. In parallel also take in feedback from rank and file, especially on ‘what is NOT working’. These often prove more valuable than they apparently seem and ensure that the vision gets further fine-tuned to deal with the real world!
• The ‘Rolling out the Vision’ to Team C Plan also includes relating the new activities that emerge out of the implementation of the Vision to the current roles, responsibilities and compensation of those involved. If changes are needed, this is the time to do so rather than leave it till later
• Very often the Vision does not have a bearing on Team C's immediate objectives - this can be a potential melting point that needs diplomacy, communication skills, tact and most importantly courage from Team B and Team C leaders to help align. Exceptions regarding compensation (where absolutely needed) should be considered for specific pivotal roles who are critical for the success of the implementation especially within Team C
• Once Team C has bought into the Vision, implementation commences. Team B and Team C leaders need to be very vigilant during this phase and ensure that the goal completion and related metrics are on track – constant feedback to leadership and the participants is recommended. More importantly, they should continually do the checks and balances to ensure that A's Vision or Team B's implementation path are realistic and achievable based on feedback from the trenches. I recommend periodic, structured communication between teams A, B, C to accomplish this
• Often adjustments and modifications early in the implementation process based on internal, adjustment or even competitive circumstances results in a more impactful realization of the Vision. Conversely, I have seen many an implementation turn lackluster because the teams did not consider changing external circumstances while implementing the Vision that was originally conceived in a different time and place
• Assuming the implementation is going fine, constant periodic feedback to the team is still recommended till the goals that the Vision aspired start showing (the Vision might be more of a continuum). At this time the leader ought to announce the accomplishment of the immediate goal to everyone involved, lay out the learning and formally conclude the (shorter term) exercise. Do not forget to celebrate success thereafter and reward or recognize the high achievers
• For longer term organizational level Visions – short to mid term goal-setting, performance measurement, feedback, adjustment of the Vision, communication of progress and reinforcement of the Vision to all involved are crucial ingredients that keep the Vision alive and fired up!
• Try this out in your own roles but make sure that the people are wearing the right visors and shades based on their roles as the Vision unfolds…..
• I got some feedback regarding opportunities for Team C to contribute to corporate vision. My answer ... ABSOLUTELY! I see many organizations reaching out and rewarding people at every level for creating and contributing to innovation and new initiatives within the organization. I support and applaud such practices.

Making TeamWork Work!

• Organizational productivity starts to crawl and competitive advantage goes out of the window if organizations fail to accomplish 'Teamwork' or more appropriately 'Cross-functional Teamwork'. Building effective teams is hardly a walk in the park for most business leaders and operational managers!
• The way around is to determine the kind of team-work methodology the organization currently practices that does not measure up, seek alternate methodologies & models needed to perform optimally, then re-start the process.
• Be aware of some basic guidelines though …Get the team mentally prepared to work together – different people need different levels of preparation to do this. Some even need specific handholding and assurances to be able to work with others
• Teams and teamwork go through several stages of evolution before beginning to function cohesively. Guidance, counseling and open communication is key in these stages
• Next, do ensure that the team has a ‘What’ and a ‘Why’ of their goals clearly defined – people (especially individual achievers) do not necessarily enjoy being in a group situation of compromise and consensus unless there is a clear understanding of the goals and the reasoning (read individual benefits) behind the goal
• Right after laying down the broad objectives, do ensure a precise team objective with quantifiable and measurable outcomes. Ideally, its best to set milestones along the path of the ‘What’ so that the team can measure progress and success as granularly as possible and make changes as appropriate along the way
• That said, leaders should not rush to assess team performance too early in the cycle – it generally preferable to let the unit mature before any assessment on the productivity of the team is done
• It is natural for teams to experience ‘teething problems’ as they come together – I begin to worry if all team members continually put on their game face and pretend that all is well and overtly anxious to demonstrate how well things are working
• Different teams need different levels of hand-holding and guidance depending on the team’s composition and the complexity of the task
• Leaders need to be able to determine which teams need guidance and which ones need to be left alone.
• Quantifiable goals and metrics that I mentioned earlier facilitate the process and serve as tools for teams to determine if they need guidance or need to modify and adjust their strategy
• Successful teams leverage individual strengths and competencies while merging these competencies across a broader ‘team fabric’ that lends a larger value to the combined competencies than the sum of individual parts.
• Finally, do not forget to encourage the team to celebrate success when the mission is accomplished! Celebrating leaves pleasant memories for the team members to feed on even when they have disbanded! It also creates a strong foundation of future engagement amongst two or more members should a suitable opportunity present itself!
  
  Ten ways to drive a successful Teambuilding Exercise
  
  1. The nature of the initiative determines the character of the team that is being built.
  2. The event should include variety in content.
  3. Watch the agenda. Link the activities in the exercise as close to the work life circumstances
  and instances as possible. People are smart & seek personal wins – they tune off if the task
  is irrelevant to their actual roles and responsibilities
  4. Planned milestones should be preset, quantifiable and measureable. They should be
  reviewed with diligence on pre set dates
  5. Stay clear of conflicts – maximum alignment is key! Conflicts though healthy (if managed
  appropriately) still delay the processes and prevent alignment
  6. Frequent team meals are welcome – a team that eats together; stays together!
  7. Build in ‘recall’ – humorous conversations, quips & actions with funny tasks and
  challenging, innovative outcomes make the session memorable and impactful
  8. Introduce multiple instructors – beside livening up content, they bring a more balanced and
  varied perspective.
  9. Relate the exercise that you are conducting with the big bad world outside – make sure that
  the team understands the relevance
  10. Don’t expect the event to fix everything! Treat this as a good start for better things to come

Celebrating Success – A Way of Life!

• I am a huge believer in celebrating success – celebrating accomplishments. After all what is the point of succeeding if we do not have the time, inclination or opportunity to take a moment to celebrate it!
• I love doing it and its rubbed onto my wife and daughters where the whole family finds every opportunity to celebrate accomplishments. After all, these celebrations give a meaning to the hard work that goes in towards achieving virtually anything – nothing worth doing is really easy
• Celebrations also set the platform to launch the next target accomplishment. Its very much like trekking up a mountain peak despite all the adversities. Would it not be wonderful to stand on the pinnacle for a while and enjoy the beautiful sights all around that the summit provides you – soak it in .. after all you have earned it. View it, feel exhilarated by it and then set out for the next goal which will provide you with greater accomplishment and a nicer view.
• In my field sales days I spent years in a software company where the ritual of celebration was taken very seriously. As a rep walked in with a purchase order, he would ring a cow-bell that was suspended in the office lobby – brilliant stroke. All of us reps would ring the bell with joy and pride as we held our purchase orders while everyone around would cheer! This not only made our days but created a deep desire for accomplishment and recognition.
• I have seen smart organizations use celebration of success as a classical non-monetary tool for employee motivation and retention of top talent. Keeping great people is not about just paying them big bucks – simple acknowledgement of people’s efforts and accomplishment goes a long way… The flip side is quite predictable!
  
• My daughters are growing up very aware that their parents not only love them unconditionally but have a lot of pride and respect for all their successes and accomplishments however insignificant they may seem. This is shaping their character, attitude and their bonding with their parents. Employees within organizations are no different.

Malaysia 2008 - The 'Caring' Budget

Malaysia has unnecessarily pulled the brakes on its economic progress further through its political inadequacies within a prevailing global macro economic slow-down. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi himself labelled the latest budget a “caring budget”, with most of the policies meant to address the immediate problems faced by Malaysians especially the impact of spiraling inflation on the price of food and fuel! These accommodating measures have also created a perspective among critics that the budget is angled towards a favorable election, though hopefully it does have a placating effect on the populace - which translates to a more stable socio-political environment for businesses to prosper.

As Malaysia tries to expand its business influence in the region, the government also recognises that the country’s ability to continually grow its pool of diverse skilled workers along with strong fiscal incentives will play a critical role in attracting foreign direct investment. This understanding is reflected in the budget with substantial government spend allocated for training and education and the incorporation of the Knowledge Workers Development Institute. In terms of fiscal measures, the Government has also several tax exemptions for businesses while hiring and investing in Malaysia and will also lower corporate tax to 25% in 2009. These definite steps taken to address inflation, education & business viability will hopefully support the country’s progress within the prevailing circumstances.

Standing Tall while “Cold-Calling”

• I often hear people grudging cold calling. Its human nature … nothing out of the ordinary!!! Every human seeks comfort within the ’known’. Venturing out into the unknown & speaking to a stranger with a high probability of being rejected is brave enough! Leave alone making a positive impression, getting his attention, then influencing the person and actually selling something – wow!
• Cold calling is NOT easy and lets be frank, I have not met many people who have raved about how much they ENJOY cold calling! Meet new people – absolutely yes, meet them and sell them something – not many takers!
• After all the whining settles down lets get the baseline right – cold calling is a must & every successful sales person goes through the grind as they build their turf and throughout their tenure they set aside some time for cold calling.
• Irrespective of how rich your pipeline or account list is, it is wise to protect your territory against tangible and intangible risks. The best way to do it is by GROWING it – I cannot think of any other better way than constant cold calling
• Now that I have smudged you with the reality, let me also give you some good news! Cold calling actually becomes easier (& even challenging and fun) as you gain in experience and have some wins under your belt. The quicker you learn the skills & garner the wins the quicker the fun begins – so its good to pick up the tips!
• Start with the premise that it is okay to be fearful of doing something! Going ahead despite the fear is what bravery is all about!
• The basic human fear that comes into play is the fear of rejection. Plan your effort in such a way that you stay clear of rejection as much as possible
• Do your home work – choose your target prospect profile based on all available data regarding the typical customer of your product or service. Seek advice & guidance as needed
• Identify prospects who can be introduced to you by an existing customer – this will make things a little easier
• Learn your stuff. You should be able to articulate your offering well enough to earn your prospect’s attention and subsequently his trust & respect. This will help cement a relationship & will make the journey ahead easier
• Make your prospect comfortable – drive a dialog instead of a monolog. Get to know the person – the likes & dislikes, current challenges, goals, personal wins, concerns/risks, needs. The more you know, the stronger your position will be
• Be sensitive to your prospect’s time or the lack of it. He should want to meet you again – not get rid of you
• Do not spill your entire value proposition in the first meeting – keep some goodies for subsequent encounters
• Work towards building him a solution that addresses his problems rather than trying to sell him a product
• If through your interaction you determine that the prospect genuinely does not have a need for what you have to offer at the time you approach him – acknowledge it, let him know and walk away. Stay in touch and be assured that you will be contacted when the time is right
• These are the cold calling beliefs that shaped me – not that I specifically loved doing it, but nevertheless I did it, very seldom got rejected and built long term relationships that serve me even today.
• Knowing how to deal with the unknown, turning virtual strangers into trusting customers and friends slowly grows on you! It gets to the point where it begins to actually tickle you & challenge you. All the while helping you build the strong platform of self confidence on which your successful professional career will stand!
• Stuff we try to avoid are not all that bad after all!

Oops! We have Solved the “Wrong” Problem!

• We have become very efficient in living in a world filled with instant gratification where every external stimulus deserves an immediate (almost in a nanosecond) response!!!
• Just look around and see people with their cell phones, blackberries, in discussion sessions – eager to speak, to respond, almost itching to do so..
• I have myself been in sessions where I have coached people to ‘listen between the lines’ and understand others perspective before responding. Its amazing to observe how people instead of ‘listening’ are actually mentally rehearsing their own lines while someone else is talking, just waiting for the other person to conclude
• Some of the North Asian cultures encouraged ‘thinking’ followed by a consensus based response – contemporary business cultures are unfortunately erasing these great habits!
• I have come across many situations where talented, result oriented individuals and groups get together to study a situation and define the underlying problem. Being a part of the instant gratification ‘culture’ & faced with tight deadlines, they often define the problem, well … ‘wrongly’!!!
• They then set about in full steam to solve the ‘wrong’ problem and do a good job at it! All the while there is a lot of visible activity, the reporting hierarchies are happy with the development & in some instances the individuals are also rewarded or publicly recognized
• Strangely though when the initial euphoria settles – the desired results are not visible. Some of the ‘participants’ then own up and confess that they expected better results while some try and sweep the data under the carpet & forget about it…
• The crux here is the value of the ‘thinking exercise’, be it individual or collaborative. The proverbial sharpening of the axe before beginning to chop down the tree
• An imperfect situation that needs to be fixed absolutely demands the time for thinking and analyzing to determine what is causing the imperfection – the problem itself. Often what meets the eye and seems like the obvious cause is not it!
• Matrix organizations & formation of cross functional groups presents opportunities for gathering varied perspectives on the same set of circumstances & data.
• If you are a team member leverage these varied views, contribute yours and encourage the team to take a balanced view based on the consolidated set of opinions.
• If you are a leader and do not necessarily want to make a consensus based decision, ask questions, challenge individual views and take holistic view of the surrounding circumstances or data to define the problem before commencing the “fix”
• While it is mostly a drag to dwell long on the problem instead of setting out in light speed to solve it – you will serve yourself, your team and your organization well in terms of time, effort & investment by choosing to define the problem better

Fix the 'End Goal' within the Strategy First!

• Strategy seems to be in everyone’s mind these days .. hey you have to ‘strategize’ to build competitive advantage & drive organizational, team or individual success. Is it not the ultimate differentiator against those who do NOT have a strategy, remember Strategic Management at B-School – so we go blah .. blah .. blah
• Seriously speaking, I value strategy for all the above virtues and have used it for attaining leadership positions in many ways myself. That said, I often see strategy taking too much of prominence in time, focus and mindshare where it begins to become a worry. Also remember that for all you may think, your competitors are strategizing too .. against you!
• I view strategy as one of the means to attain the end game rather than the highly involved end game itself – this very often happens without you even realizing it!
• The end game attainment goals needs to be definite – holistic goals like top-line, bottom-line, share growth or specific goals like market-share, productivity growth etc. Simply put, a metric that delivers incremental value to the organization & provides it with a competitive advantage
• Add to that a need for an accurate description of your current status – what is the point of figuring out where you need to go if you are not clear where you stand today
• That done, the ‘strategy’ needs to be taken down to all the functional groups that will drive the determined ‘end game’- sales, marketing, finance, operations, manufacturing with commonly agreed sub-goals that will cumulatively drive the overall end game. Disjointed and often contradictory strategies between functional groups have a history of downing many a honest effort - leadership, teamwork & collaboration are keywords here
• In my leadership career I have practiced a Plan of Record (POR) Methodology for determining & executing strategy collaborating multiple cross geography teams. The POR glues the teams by - documenting specific focus areas, specific action items related to these focus areas, designated primary owners, associated secondary owners (across cross functional teams), target completion dates, actual completion & comments. Quantify these as much as possible and ensure they capture the What, When, Where, Who & How? Watch out for the devil in the details & you will stay on track
• While the POR guides your execution, do not lie back just yet! Milestones along the way are crucial in determining whether the strategy is on track – quantitative milestones embedded in the POR (as recommended above) are very useful in accomplishing this
  If the variance between the forecast & actual is significant at consecutive milestones, it is very likely that we have a problem
• Socialize within the functional teams involved and do not be afraid to open up the Strategy shell … it is always better to take a step back and fix things rather than continue to make the shortcoming bigger than what it really is
• Your methodology and your quantified pre set goals will provide your team with the confidence in driving towards the end game goals. Assuming that you have set the goals right, you are very likely on the track to deliver incremental value & competitive advantage to your organization .. Congratulations!

Leadership lessons from China

On 8 August, China further stamped its leadership in the international theatre with an incredibly impressive demonstration of its art, history & culture on the one hand and its ability to use cutting edge technology, first class infrastructure and superior execution on the other! I am talking about the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.
A billion people worldwide sat mesmerized by the Greatest Show on Earth! What followed in the days after was finely honed skill, passion & an absolute desire to Win – the result, a record gold medal haul by a country that won its first gold medal in 1984.
Through all of this what shines through is the leadership, national growth & people development cult that flows through the country underlined by the passion & determination to WIN. I am quite certain that its not just about people talent, intensive planning, strategy or the 40 Billion dollars that went down to host the show! Its deeper than that - it is the unified determination, discipline, deligence, belief, collaboration and pride of over a billion people in a vastly spread & diversified land.
Every other nation, society or organization that strives for similar attainments need to mirror the spirit of the Chinese people. Passionately striving & preparing for leadership in everything that mattered - each performance category, in getting their city ready to host the world, in making the sacrifices to ensure that the air was clean despite the criticism that was waged upon them, in displaying the pride of the people regarding their country and culture and in demonstrating the spirit of the games by supporting every participant and providing a flavor to the games that was very, very unique. Very impressive ... Congratulations China!