...Innovation

...read HBR blog about why big companies can't innovate...big corporation's success is measured by its profit and dividend it pays to the shareholders...start-up company's success, on the other hand, is gauged by how well it identifies a problem in the market...venture capitalist will fund the start-ups if they think entrepreneurs have identified a big problem with an interesting solution ...if the solution matches well with the problem, it'll see growth in revenues and ultimately profitability...if fails, it will continue to innovate and search for better solution...or identifies a new problem and its matching solution...however, when corporation reaches maturity, the measure of success is very different...it's profit...and more profit...without acknowledging the limits of the organization...it focuses on different issues...efficiencies, leveraging existing assests and distribution channels, and listen to their (often) best customers...as the structure of big corporations are becoming more complex, more procedures, rules and regulations are established for standardization...with multiple layers of decision making processes...it requires more efforts to achieve efficienc....the types and scale of innovation is given less priority... ...while achieving efficiencies is important but it should not be done not at the expense of innovation… no wonder some entrepreneurs would prefer to let go (sell) of their businesses when they reach a certain level...a level where there is less room for innovation…and then use their innovative thinking to start a new business...and the cycle goes on and on...lessons learned...when companies grow bigger and becoming more complex...centralization may not be the best option...top management needs to recognize the limits of their organization in making profit...to inculcate the innovation culture, top management should allow and empower certain groups to function with different goals and operational metrics...ok that's about company...let's now think how innovation works in an academic institution or business school in particular...let's have a look at the world top 100 b-schools...what make them top b-schools, how do they differ from the average b-schools...what are their characteristics...are they big or small...are they a comprehensive or a very focused school...how some schools get into the list in a short period of time (less than 10 years)...take SP Jain School of Global Management and Indian School of Business as examples...they are small and very focused…then look at Sasin, a model different from SP Jain or ISB…while remains under the umbrella of Chulalongkorn University…it is given a high degree of autonomy which enables it to innovate and do things differently…HBS is the same…while there are no definite answers to the questions...but if getting into the world rank matters most to your institution...then acknowledging various models of successful b-schools is crucial...

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...new year new hope new challenge

...2012 gonna leave us soon...yet there are many whys we still long for answers...some of the burning questions we simply can't understand and find answers no matter how hard we try...but that is life...so instead of wasting time trying to change things we can't even understand...sometimes it is better to simply forget and move forward...we can't change the world anyway...but as an individual we can start with our innerself...have we done enough as a human being and a servant to the Almighty...the journey we have been through...the good, the bad and the ugly...all are valuable lessons...look forward to 2013...another year another hope another challenge...to continue to dream the impossible and to believe the unbelievable...in our quest to be a better human being and a better servant to the God Almighty...the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful...remember someone saying this (sorry i don't remember the name as age often fails my memory now), 'in the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away'...nite guys
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...reflections

...sometimes I wonder why we're so busy...look around us...our friends/colleagues, our bosses, our subordinates...they're all stressed, pity us all...everything seems to be very urgent...like there is no tomorrow...right from the top to the lowest level...it's all about KPI KPI KPI...outcome outcome outcome...then the 'why' question...why we do not achieve this...why we do not achieve that...how about 'how', 'what', 'when', 'where' and the 'other side of why'...because of the underachievement, rather than having a 'sincere' debate about the 'real' issue, management quickly pushed the panic button and started to find the 'quick wins' bla bla bla...those with big money will hire consultant, often from outside, and paid hefty amount of consulting fees to a team that do not even understand the local issues...rather than making full use of their expertise, our local team simply listened and swallowed all the recommendations without trying to challenge and adapt to the local environment...that is one extreme, the other extreme is the local team would simply add the new rules to the existing ones...so we then end up with more rules and procedures without questioning or realizing that they may not related to the 'real' issues...simple things are becoming more complicated...it is like a football game played using a combination of football, hockey and rugby rules...but everyone was told they are very important procedures, hence need to be adopted and implemented quickly...failure to comply with the new procedures would jeopardise your institution...comes the threat...to make things worst, teams at the institutional level also simply take note of the newly established procedures and 'threat'...panic panic panic everyone is panic now...being a 'good' worker we should follow the new rules and procedures...failure to do so would jeopardise our institution...comes the threat and also the blaming game...that manager/HOD are not committed/serious...we will report that to the top management bla bla bla...no one dare to challenge it...it is not in our culture to challenge and say NO...not even at the management level...'periuk nasi mau jaga maaa'...if we're given a KPI then we should strive for it...why waste time questioning whether it is the right KPI or whether it is the right procedure...when we're young we're told not to challenge and speak up our mind...it's simply rude ain't it...so the cycle goes on and on and on...problem, panick, new rules, new procedures, very urgent, new threat, new game but things remain almost the same...if there's improvement it's not worth the effort and threat...so what's wrong...I don't know honestly but I guess all we need is to take a break, pause and reflect...ask ourselves are we doing the right things...and are we doing the things right...have we set the right KPI/Target...does it align with our vision/mission...is it about outputs/outcomes or is it about processes or is it about inputs...how about classifying our KPIs to high, moderate, low or non value added...so we can prioritize things...is our fundamental/foundation is right/solid...I don't believe in quick wins...without a solid foundation and right fundamental...we simply cannot win...I like this quote...'the shame is not to fail but to not challenge and try it'...let us ponder what it means...that's my 2 cents...I might be wrong...but how about yours...cheers
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...bad day, bad mood

...had 3 important meetings at 3 different places yesterday...the first was at Putrajaya which ended around 1.30pm...happy with the meeting as I was able to speak up my mind and concerns...I guess I was right on my arguments as I get supports from majoirty of the members...my concern was simple, first please do the right things, and second please do the things right...whatever the decision is, it shouldn't be made to please anyone especially the politician...not in education...period...then rushed to KL for a meeting with secretary general PPIBM at 2.30pm...very good meeting, we discussed about everything especially issues concerning bumiputera entrepreneurs...about innovation and taking opportunities...glad that PPIBM agreed to collaborate for a training project...then took a taxi to KL Sentral for another meeting with CFO SHIREE at 4.30pm...SHIREE is an agency that coordinates projects via NGOs to eradicate extreme poverty in Bangladesh...we share the same passion, hence very good intellectual discussions...learned a lot from a very experienced social worker...truly respect his passions in helping the poors...took KLIA express at 6.30pm...fell asleep all the way to the airport...arrived home at 10pm...simply exhausted...flight delayed the night before, arrived hotel around 1am, fall asleep around 2am to wake up at 6.30am...that was yesterday...woke up early today ready for another 3 meetings and 2 appointments with students...the first morning meeting started 30 minutes late...rushed back to office after the meeting to chair a meeting with admin staff at 12pm to find nobody was there...where's everyone? Ohhh we thought you gonna be late bla bla bla then wasted 30 minutes waiting for everyone to be presence...no sense of guilty...it was a quick meeting I'm in no mood just said what I wanna say...was invited for lunch at 1.30pm to celebrate a student who just completed his DBA...gave a short speech congratulating him bla bla bla...then have a quick zohor prayer before rushing for another meeting at 2.30pm...2 deputies, 4 coordinators, 5 officers and 2 supporting staffs are supposed to be there plus 2 invited members...only 1/3 were there...where's everyone? This fella is on leave, that fella said she will come a bit late, the other fella said he's on the way, another fella said he has something to settle first, another cannot be traced bla bla bla...waited for 15 minutes, picked up my file and left...I have another appointment at 4pm which I then cancelled...feeling sick...this is no joke man...what's the point of fixing a meeting if members do not respect it...almost always late...it has not just become a norm but a thick culture now...no feeling of guilt whatsoever...yes everyone is busy with so many things...no doubt about it...but a meeting is fixed at a certain date & time for a reason...if one cannot make it please inform...secretariat should play its role too in ensuring that everyone is informed and ready for the meeting....we can postpone the meeting if we do not have enough quorum...so nobody waste their valuable time...just take an airline for example...if one flight delay, not only the connecting but the whole flight chains of the day will also delay...this is fundamental...if the fundamental is not right how can we move forward...very frustrating...how can we inculcate the value @ spirit of serving something larger than oneself?...gotta go guys...still in no mood...
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...indiepreneurs II

...albert einstein once said "the intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant...we have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift"...what a powerful quote that is...he also said "we can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them"...i guess we are now living in a more complicated world...lots of challenges with very limited resources...but instead of crying for more resources, we need to be more innovative in achieving our agenda within the limited resources that we have...there is no perfect place...innovation means, among others, new ways of doing things, new processes, new products...and that requires new ways of thinking...willingness to challenge the norms...and do things differently...why afraid of making mistakes...because we all learn from mistakes anyway...apple polishing won't last long...play safe approach won't help your organization...that is irresponsible...don't be afraid of voicing your opinion...just speak up...we need more crazy ideas to innovate...read HBR blog about the skills that make an entrepreneur...the first trait is persuasion...ability to convince others to change the way they think, believe or behave...second is leadership...those having compelling vision for the future...third is personal accountability...initiative, self-confidence, resiliency and willingness to take responsibility for personal action...fourth is goal orientation....energetically focusing efforts on meeting a goal, mission or objective...last is interpersonal skills...the glue that holds the four skills together...but changing a culture is never easy...it sometimes require force...force will create norm...and norm becomes a new culture...that's one of the lessons we can learn from China...looks where China is now compared to India...we had a meeting yesterday...discussing about the students' low participation rate in the assessment exercise...we have to create awareness...about almost everything...awareness about research, awareness about publication...awareness about bla bla bla...that's always the favorite suggestion...i have heard that many times since many years ago...but things remain the same...the question is how much longer we have to wait...after 28 years we are still talking about creating awareness without realizing that many others are already far ahead of us...it's time for us to move forward and do things differently...how can we leapfrog to another level...i might be wrong but that's my opinion...how about yours...

...Indiepreneurs

...MOHE organized a forum on strategic approaches in transforming higher education financing in malaysia yesterday...I was one of the invited speakers...given a topic on way forward of financing public universities in malaysia...I was actually a bit reluctant to take up the assignment when contacted by the secretariat last week...was in beijing at the time and don't think that I'm gonna have enough time to make good preparation for the event...but it was a rare opportunity...opportunity to speak up my mind...as I think MOHE can do better in its approach...so I just said yes and think about preparation later...if I don't have the time then I'll just speak up from my heart...I have done that many times before...the program started early in the morning and I was the first speaker...never easy being a first speaker...managed to prepare only few slides the night before so my speech was a bit spontaneous...I missed few important points but overall I think I have said what I wanna say...it was a simple speech which I divided into 4 categories...understanding the sources of income...understanding the expenses...understanding the costs of activities, products and services...and finally about entrepreneurial university, as a public university how far should one go...the first 3 are crucial because without a solid undertanding of the income, expenses and costs, one cannot plan...a sound financial management system must be there...which is a problem in most public universities...fix that first and then talk about the rest...actually many studies have been conducted and many approaches have been suggested but none are working...because the fundamental is not fixed...I also suggested few critical suggestions...received mixed reactions which are expected and which I don't really care...but one interesting that I wanna share is...during the Q&A session, one participant, a senior guy whom I know quite well, talked about theories and norms at government agencies...so he said why change and its gonna be difficult even if we wanna change...my answer is simple...theory(ies) is/are there for us to challenge, and systems are there for us to break if we wanna move to next level...be independent (indie)...look beyond the norms...that's what successful businesses do, airasia for example...and that's what few groups of youngsters do...they called themselves indiepreneurs...interesting concept huh...and that's what professors should do...instead of teaching theories...should together with students challenge the theory...and innovate...I think university should look beyond research...as research only transforms ideas into knowledge but innovation transforms knowledge into new products and/processes...otherwise we'll remain irrelevant in the eyes of the industry people...nite guys
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...loyalty

...general election is coming soon...and it's gonna be interesting as usual...many talked about their loyalty to party...despite their dream to be selected as party candidates...many 'YB to be' said no matter who're chosen they will give their full support...that's what they said and that's what their leaders are hoping for or would like to hear...but we all know...loyalty isn't something that is common in politics nowadays...we have seen politicians jump from one party to another for survival and/or personal gains...that's the reality...normally those who shout the loudest about their loyalty are often the ones who run away the fastest when they are not selected...and that does not happen only in politics...it also happens in organizations be it public or private...I have seen that many times...ok let's not talk about politics...I am neither a politician nor a political analyst, in fact I hate (or dislike) politics...what I really wanna share is about loyalty in organization...let say our leader steps down for whatever reason...what do we do, steps down and follow him?...what if we are not selected as expected...are we going to remain loyal?...I attended a forum about the issue of innovation in beijing recently...which is attributed, among others, to the different leadership style and employee loyalty...comparisons between China and the West, EU to be exact...panellists are reps from China-based MNCs and local Chinese companies...interesting to note what one of the speakers said...in China, employees, in general, are more loyal to their leaders compared to employees in Europe, which are more loyal to their organization...interesting issue for an HR manager ain't it...how about Malaysia...few years ago I held a mid-level position...my boss, third in the management rank, was somehow advised to step down by the new, no 1 boss...so he came to me and asked me to step down as well...he's the one who's appointed me...it's tough because he's my good friend too...I asked for advice from several senior staff...hmm their advice was...to stay...we're not working for an individual, organization comes first...and that's what I did...luckily my former boss is still my good friend....
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...Like father like son

Ever wonder why our children sometimes do not listen to our advices?...remember one famous motivational speaker said, children are different, they have many things on their wish list...and they like to try things too...they also won't say NO until they have experienced it themselves...you know kinda like...remember Denice the Menace movie?...so if they don't listen don't just give up but keep on reminding them, talk to them...at least 40 times then insyaAllah they will listen and follow your advise...that's what the speaker said...living in a modern day makes it more difficult for us, parents to justify things to our children...they see things differently...they listen to different songs...they play different games...virtual rather physical...hey they live in a different world...just like our old time? stubborn and rebellion ain't it...the more people said NO the more we wanna do it...so try to understand them...bed time talking is good...listen to what they say is just wonderful...you'll realize how much they wanna share things with you including their secrets sometimes...but as a parent we must put some guidelines for them...if you have to say NO then it means No ain'it...my 9 year old daughter ask for a mobile phone...all my friends have it, so why can't I have one? She said...hmm how can you make her understand when almost all her good friends have it right? Of course we can afford to buy her one but is it worth it...she doesn't really need it...hmmm ok you can have it but only when you need to use it...but daddy will keep it...I guess that's the best solution...yesterday I brought my baby son to a clinic and notice an ineteresting quote on the clinic wall...'every father must remember that one day his son will follow his example not his advice'...hahah the best is to give good examples...
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...walk away

...even though i know the answer is a big NO.....sometimes i still wonder can we ever pleased everyone...how can we avoid those misunderstanding...how can we make them understand...hmm i guess the rule is pretty much simple...just accept the fact that what's right for you may be wrong for others...and what's wrong for you may be right for others...so what choice do we have other than simply do our very best...we all have our role and responsibility right?...but should we just walk away, ignore and be insensitive to what others think about us?...we simply can't right?...but trying to understand what other people thought about you is not easy too...sometimes it is just a waste of time trying to do that...not worth an effort...some people will never understand you...as they are just committed to misunderstand you...so the best option is just be true to yourself...don't waste your time trying to be someone you're not just to please others...you'll feel the pain for being fake sooner or later...the fact is not everyone will like you...and that's okay what...just live the life your way...the way that is right for you...remember you could be the ripest, juiciest apple in the world but there's going to be someone out there who just hates apple...so don't think too much...just keep going and keep smiling GG...

...oh my PhD

...i gave a talk to PhD students about two months ago...it was the first session of a 10-series talks so i talked a bit of everything...but one topic that gained most interest from the students was how to deal with supervisor...hmm having a good relationship with supervisor is one of the important aspects in a PhD journey...couldn't agree more...many fails to complete their thesis on time due to poor relationship with supervisor...supervisors are just like us, as human beings they have their own ego...we all have our ego don't we?...and the feeling that our views are always the correct one...the students want some tips...so i simply said...never late to your appointment, don't let your supervisor wait for you, not even five minutes as they have many other import an things to do...be prepared for the appointment...never make an appointment unless you have something to discuss...and don't repeat the same mistakes time and time again...i hate that too...as it shows you are not serious with your work...importantly, respect your supervisor's opinion, don't say a direct NO even if you are confident yours are the correct ones...supervisors would feel comfortable working with students who are confident with what they are doing but at the same know how to respect their supervisors' views...those are few important tips i could share...build up good relationships with your supervisor, gain his/her confidence and trust...then you'll have a smoother journey....PhD is not just about intelligence...it is about everything...hard work, good interpersonal and persuasion skill, self confidence, patience etc...as the journey can be lonely sometimes, you also need good support from your family and friends...i asked the students have they met someone...someone they never met before and never did anything wrong but somehow their inner feeling said 'i don't like him/her'?...hahah i can see many students smile and slowly nod their heads...that can happen to your supervisors too...if that happen, you must work harder...try to slowly build up the relationship and gain their trust and confidence...become a good buddy then you'll be ok...come and see me if you want more tips...its free haha...good luck guys

...Being assertive

...'I can do better than him'...'he is only good at talking'...'I have thought about it long ago'...I think we're all familiar with these statements...the question is why we didn't do it if we really can do better?...or why we didn't speak up if we really have the idea? Can we blame those who did their job or those who spoke their mind? It's our fault for not doing our job or speak up our mind...instead many chose to give excuses for not doing the things they should or not speaking up their minds...I don't really talk about this issue openly but whenever asked I always tell my juniors to be assertive...let people notice your hard work...then they will be more appreciative...but then many people claimed they're not looking for reward or recognition to justify why they keep mum...but at the same time they complaint when people don't recognize their hard work...I believe speaking up our mind is not apple polishing...normal human beings love appreciation and recognition...and that positive feeling would motivate one's productivity...not to become arrogant...this is the reality...we live in a very competitive environment...everyone has their own agenda...so those who are more aggressive in selling their ideas will win and be at the frontline...just speak up your mind...but of course with a substance and remember to say it with a smile...as long as you don't hurt other people's feeling and you work with honesty, then you'll be OK...remember one lady (a Dean) when I attended a conference in Tokyo earlier this month...it's amazing to observe how she 'market' herself and her institution...I know her personally...what she said is not much different from others and her institution is also not that excel but the way she put and organize her thoughts makes all the differences and sounds extraordinary...people quickly notice her institution and her expertise...can we blame her for that?...no I don't think so, it requires a special skill and experience to do that...
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...Why change?

...I recently had a good chat with the chairman of a very successful agency...very few government agencies are as successful and many actually failed...he has been leading the agency for about 8 years now...together with the management team, they have transformed the agency from a modest beginning (started with a small grant from the government) into a successful one (with its own building and other assets and a big savings)...its existence has benefited many especially poor families in the rural areas (and they are beginning to help urban poors too)...few have in fact become a millionaire and more than 90% of its members are now out of poverty...that success doesn't come easy, it certainly requires hard work and commitment from all...and its noble spirit of helping the poor...their hard work have put a smile on many faces of the poor families...its success has been recognized by many both local and abroad...however sharing its success story comes with a big price as many now notice its potential...it creates envy among many interested parties including greedy politicians...who would like to take over the agency...claiming that they can do better bla bla bla...he told me that the government would review the board members and management team...I wonder why...corporatization certainly won't help...it would deviate from its main objective...with this kind of agency, profit certainly is not the main objective...in fact should never be one...while profitability would help sustain its existence (in fact that shouldn't be the issue as it is always profitable and manages to pay 6 months bonus to its staff members last year) but it has bigger agenda...to help the poor people...we have had many examples of the failure of corporatization (though I don't want to name them here)...so why change when the current model is proven to be successful...life can be so unfair sometimes...
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...WISE

...just attended a 2-day convention on women in social enterprise (wise)...a joint project with ministry of higher education (mohe) and amanah ikhtiar malaysia (aim)...we were appointed as the secretariat to oversee the running of the program...aim is an agency established to eradicate poverty in malaysia whereby women are given a small loan to start business...so far aim has eradiacted more than 300,000 families out of poverty...glad that wise has turned out to be a very successful project...it is a win-win project that benefit both parties, students/lecturers involved and aim's friends (sahabat)...students learn from their adopted families about business and the families learn from the students the correct way of doing business...they learn cash/financial management, marketing etc...the project involves about 500 students from various HEIs and about 250 aim's friends/businesses...on the second day of the convention, students and lecturers were given the opportunity to share their experiences and to give feedbacks and suggestions to improve wise next project...in my closing speech I said that I'm happy to hear all the experiences and comments especially the negative ones...to me the more problems the students have or faced during the program the happier I am...it means that we have achieved the main objective of the program, to instill entrepreneurial spirit among the student...innovative & breakthrough thinking, quick decision making, use of common sense, self confidence, taking risks & opportunities etc...I asked all participants to reflect (positively) their experiences...how they adapt to a different environment, how they react and respond to the problems/issues, what decisions have they made, is it a good one or a bad one, what lessons have they learned from it...those are the lessons that they won't get from the classroom...they won't learn much from a perfect system...that's the noble idea of the program anyway...
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...tokyo

...just came back from tokyo few days ago...my second trip to japan...a nice country with very disciplined people...this time i went with my wife...attended a 2-day abest21 conference...abest is an alternative accreditation body based in japan, which focuses on Asian countries...we had the opportunity to tour tokyo and akihabara, a famous electronic city, though my wife was a bit upset because we missed ginza, a famous shopping area...you know ladies...kinda not complete without shopping...we also managed to visit fuji mountain...pretty cold there -1 degree...but very nice view, yellow and red leaves surrounding the beautiful mountain...then back with a bullet train...pretty fast, was told it ran at 250km an hour though you won't feel while on board...anyway, what's interesting about japan is that you can hardly find rubbish bin but what's more amazing is that you can also hardly find rubbish...hmm the city is very clean...also the country side that we visited...the people are also very dedicated with their jobs...love japan...

...killer punch

...many successful entrepreneurs had experienced failure in their route to success...even one of the most talked-about companies, Apple used to fail decades ago... despite its innovative products, it failed to compete with Microsoft...until the right combination of innovative ideas and strategy turned the company around and make it one of the most successful companies in history...just like a boxing match...it is not the number of punches that count but the killer one...used to watch iron mike fight...he just absorbed normal punches from his opponents and wait for the killer punch...one big punch followed by several punches that knocked the opponents down...but i'm not gonna talk about boxing...what I wanna share is about vision, goals, ideas and strategy...i'm not a strategic guy so got to use my common sense hehe...we just finished a 2-day strategic plan workshop...four groups working on it...we adopt a popular model used by renowned institutions...it is a more systematic approach...good discussions, debates with many ideas came up...overall it is a good exercise...for our members to share the same vision, passion and understand the issues and challenges we are facing and together think of the possible solutions...we're young but have a big dream...to be honest, with the time frame given, our vision is a bit unrealistic...but only via unrealistic goals we can provoke breakthrough thinking...realistic goals only promote incremental moves...considering the fast changing and competitive environment that approach won't put us up there... the only thing that's lacking from the exercise is the killer punch I'm looking for...crazy radical innovative ideas that would help us leap frog to another level...fast...but looking at the positive side it is a good beginning for us all...happy to observe commitments from all members...thanks guys...really appreciate your contributions...together lets make it happen...
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...Big dreamer

It is amazing to observe how air asia has grown and created its brand...and in such a short time...air asia and its red colour is everywhere and in different industries...airline, football, motorsports etc...not to mention other businesses like tune hotel, tune talk, insurance etc...all emerged from its core business, airline...air asia may yet to be first in terms of brand value in Malaysia but its value has jumped almost 300% this year...it all started with a big dream (or dream BIG) and supported by sheer hard work, great teamwork, competent members and creativity...how they transform their crazy ideas into something workable and practical is amazing...often against the normal beliefs and philosophy...this is what b-schools should teach...to look at the other side of the coin, not what the theory said...air asia provide 'quality' services...may not be the best but what matters is they provide what the customers want...providing options that others don't...of course they stumble at the beginning...encountered many failings due to their rapid growth but look at how fast they fixed the problems...I guess being 'stubborn', stick the principle and beliefs are their other key values...remember reading his commentary about a year ago...tony said, "look at us "nine" years ago, when we started with "no money" and "no airline experience", we only had a dream to make "flying" affordable...something for us all to learn...cheers
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...I don't have the answer

...we're all doing our job, no question about that...look around us...at every level, everyone seems busy working...ok ignore the minority few that are busy chatting and gossiping rather than working...clerks with their routine jobs, bosses with their daily meetings...but have we ever wondered, despite all our hard work, why sometimes we don't achieve what we want? i think we need to take a break sometimes...just stop (but don't quit, that's your last choice), think, observe and reflect, then we'll understand and able to figure out what went right and what went wrong...let us be frank before we move forward...ask ourselves have we actually done enough?...are we not only doing things right but also doing the right things...are we just happy with what we have achieved?...or are there issues and challenges ahead?...i'm sure there are many, right? many issues need to be improved and challenges for us to overcome...but how do we prioritize those to realize our dreams? do we fail due to our inefficiency or simply due to our growth...are we running or are we just jogging?...if we jog we might be left behind...but if we run too fast we might stumble along the way...so do we get up fast enough to run again?...keep on stumbling may not be good as we might not be able to get up anymore...so what I'm talking about? do I have answers to all these? no I don't...what I'm suggesting is that we need to do reflections...but we can only reflect if we take a break...ain't it? anyway, whatever we do we should leave no stone unturned in our quest for quality...
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...Musyawarah

...some people (or bosses) like to talk about the musyawarah-muafakat concept or deliberation and collective decision-making...I'm not against it, in fact I'm with it...really, look at me, I'm serious you know hehehe...but it must be in its true sense (no ghost riders and apple polishing please) and used only when necessary as it may also decrease efficiency in the sense that it takes longer time...the concept gives an equal opportunity to everyone to express his/her opinion/interest...to make it effectivea, members and bosses need to be open to criticisms and differences...I always believe open discussions would stimulate ideas and encourage more innovative thinking...then only we can achieve the best decision...there's nothing wrong for being different anyway...being honest (not just kind and polite) is the key...no point having a meeting (many meetings) when members keep mum and only listen to what bosses said...avoiding responsibility is not a good culture if we want to move forward...just say what's in your heart but of course in a cool and good manner...that's what my mentor always remind me...it's hard to stay cool sometimes but I'm learning to...again this is just my 2 cents...one may agree or disagree...cheers
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...Teamwork3

...remember reading a book, a very interesting and a must read book... our iceberg is melting...a nicely written book by john kotter, HBS prof...even my boy enjoyed reading the book...the story is about a penguin colony in antartica where a group of beautiful emperor penguins live as they have for many years...then one curious bird discover a potentially devastating problem threatening their 'home', hence the urgent need to move to a safer place...unfortunately no one listens to him...like in our daily life, who wants to get out of their comfort zone anyway...jeng jeng jeng...then members of a newly assembled project team...comprises 6 very different, unique and crazy but passionate characters (one with leadership skills, credibility, communications ability, authority, analytical skills, and a sense of urgency) begin their heroic actions and clever tactics to overcome resistance to change and intractable obstacles...wanna know more? read the book then hahaha...lessons learned...teamwork is not just about forming a team...it is about a team of passionate and capable people who are ready to take up challenges and 'open to be different' while pursuing the same goals...'fight' if you have to but shake hands once its done...I'm not a management guru...far from it...I just love reading...and share my little experience and knowledge I have...like what my 2nd boss always said 'sharing is caring'... hehehe
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...Teamwork2

...talking about working in a team...agree that it is important...however, teamwork also has its negative side...i myself had several bad experiences...hmm ok 'bad' is a negative word...so lets change to 'not so good' experiences working in a team...few months ago we organized a big international event...the initial team comprised 35 members (mostly academics and assisted by few admin staff)...it looked very systematic with all the portfolios in place...though I think it was too big at that time but decided to keep mum...just wanna see whether its gonna work or not...most team members were just happy attending meetings and kept quite while giving their best smile...only few members 'contributed' by giving opinions...but that's the only thing they did though...after almost 6 months, the results were many meetings with no progress...time was running out...ok enough is enough can't wait no more...i then decided to dissolve the team, i mean the whole team...formed a new one, a much smaller team comprised only 4 members, assisted by 2 officer and sevral clerks and research students...alhamdulillah it worked and the event turned out to be a very successful and memorable one...in my welcoming speech, i said...'i hope the joy, sweats and tears in organizing this event will become a valuable experience for us all to become a wiser and humble person insyaAllah'...so i guess teamwork only works when all team members are committed and shared the same passion...sometimes what we need is just a few committed members to do the job...that's the lesson I've learned...gotta go now...feeling red already...
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...Teamwork

...tony fernandes is one of my idols...i just like a big dreamer and crazy guy like him...read his comments in The PEAK magazine...when asked about Air Asia success...he simply said...'too many people think that they are the reason for their success - it is rubbish. You only succeed with good people and if you do not have a good team behind you, you can forget it'...couldn't agree more with him...we can work alone to a certain extent only...when things get bigger we need to rely on people around us...teamwork...last week we were given a task...kinda mission impossible stuff...which normally takes about a month to be completed but we only have 5 days to do it...had no choice but to ask everyone in the office to do it together...its like a party...about 15 of us working 5 full days including weekend and thank Allah the Almighty we managed to complete the impossible task...lucky that I have a good team behind me...thanks a lot guys...really appreciate all your help and sacrifices...
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...Feeling RED

...today is d-day...Malaysia Cup 2012 Final, Kelantan versus ATM (red warriors versus gladiators)...no wonder I'm feeling red today hehe...the fact is I wasn't born in Kelantan though my parents and siblings are all kelantanese (my late father served in army @ ATM too)...so i kinda have both red warriors and gladiators blood hehe...and the fact that I only lived 6 years in Kelantan during my primary schooling can't deny me from considering myself as kelantanese...though rather unfortunately I can't buy land in Kelantan having carrying an ID with 06...all my kids are also born outside Kelantan...but they all speak kelantan dialect fluently...remember when we just came back from UK more than 8 years ago...the kids can only speak fluent english and kelantan dialect but not proper bahasa malaysia...anyway its gonna be fun tonite...doesn't matter who win...just have a good fight...both winning and losing are good lessons anyway...
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...Nasi kandar

Nasi kandar (search google if u don't know) is famous in Malaysia...but I don't really like it for various reasons (PM me if you wanna know why)...except one in Penang, the Kapitan Restaurant near Kapitan Keling Street...its clayport briyani taste marvellous...almost similar to the one I ate in Mumbai, though less spicy...enjoy it today with my beloved wife...but the topic today is not much about nasi kandar...we went to Japanese Consulate in Penang to apply for a visa to enter Japan...unfortunately we forgot to bring the copy of 2 documents...most offices in malaysia, while have photocopy machines, would still ask us to go to a photocopy shop somewhere and only come back once done, provoding the reason that they do not provide a photocopy service...but the lady at the consulate office was so kind, she kindly asked us which documents need to be photocopied and do it for us...and with a smile said its FREE...hmmm we save lots of time finding a photocopy shop in an area we're not familiar with...a big thank you to her...what a great service...remember my time in the UK when staff at the govt office there were kind enough to not just photocopied our documents but also helped us fill in the tax document we are not familiar with...hope govt offices in Malaysia can emulate the same...
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...Why leave?

Read an interview with anas zubedy, MD of a training consultancy company Zubedy...he previously worked with Nestle, a renowned MNC...he regards his experience with Nestle as the best...I like Nestle too...not much because of Milo or Nescafe haha but its effort in developing shared values principle...but when asked why he left when he regards his experience with Nestle as extremely happy...he said "the world is bigger than Nestle...I had dreams for myself and to actualise those dreams, I had to leave"...hmmm really like his answer...sometimes we have to make a decision, hard decision in our life...whether we're happy or not, if we have a dream or bigger agenda than go for it...
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...Can't sleep

Wanna sleep early but my brain keeps on working...past 12am now hmmm what to do...have my last cigarette and start updating blog and twit hehe...gonna have our strategic plan workshop next week...to chart our future direction for the next three years...can we be one of the top b-schools like harvard?...harvard is more than 100 years old, we are more than 1 year old...hahaha...but tony fernandes said...believe the unbelievable and dream the impossible...so can we make it?...I think the answer is no if we wanna be harvard...but the answer is yes if we develop based on our belief and uniqe ways...agree? Share ur thoughts with me...
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...What a day

Somehow I got back my adrenalin today after a frustrating week. Had 3 meetings today. Arrived KLIA airport 9.30am, then took KLIA express to KL Hilton to meet the Director of Sukkur Institute of Business Administration, Pakistan. Discussed about student & faculty exchange, research collaboration and joint development of case study. Then rush to Putrajaya for a meeting at the Ministry of Higher Education. We joint organize the first MOHE Entrepreneurial Award to be held on Dec 5th, still have to finalize few things. Then back to KL for a dinner discussion at Rebung Restaurant with our panel advisory member. He's a very experienced and wise guy. Need advice from him. Good dinner and nice chatting, learned a lot. Tough day but objectives achieved. Got to sleep early. Gonna have an early meeting tomorrow with another panel advisory member, chairman of a company at 8.30am. He's been helping us a lot in developing network with the industry. Another wise and cool guy, admire him a lot especially his confident and no worries style.. At 11am gonna meet another friend from industry before heading to airport to catch my flight back to alor setar at 1.25pm. Can't wait to meet and play with my 3 months old chubby son. That's all for 2nite guys...chiaooo
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...be different

London Business School Professor said, strategies that work during recession are counterintuitive to what managers believe...his opinion is similar to what Tony Fernandes said during his speech in UUM 2 years back...to have guts to challenge the status quo and do things differently...agree with him...we often hear people talk about out of the box thinking but in reality how many are actually dared to do so...contrary to the common belief, Asia Asia put on aggresive marketing during recession when no other companies dare to do so...crazy ain't it? Air Asia still flew to Bali to give support to Balinese people (after the terrorist attacked/bombing) when other airlines cancelled their flights...i also believe that at times, immediate outcome or profit is not the key thing...Air Asia's crazy way creates branding and loyalty, and of course long term outcome...we can see where Air Asia is now, the best low cost carrier in the world...not once but for 3 consecutive years...no matter what people said but they're the best...what's more amazing is neither Tony nor Dato Kamarudin the cofounder have a background in airlines industry...they're just a bunch of 'crazy' people with big dreams, who are willing to work hard and keep trying, and ready to go against the normal philosophy...hmmm...remember reading a quote sometimes ago that at times experience can be our worst enemy to move forward...nite everyone...
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...Gosh It Works

it really works...how cool technology is today (got to love my wife more now hahaha)...it is amazing to think how fast IT evolves over the past decades and how it has changed our lives and businesses...blog, facebook, twitter and many others are the play things...look at how top companies and b-schools like HBS make use of twitter...simple easy to use and very mobile, fast and effective medium to market products and update customers...also amazing to note how internet has helped many at various community levels to gain extra income including my beloved wife...wonder how IT gonna be in next 5 to 10 years time...but it also reminds us how far we are behind when it comes to IT...no choice but to keep up with the latest gadgets...
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...test

It has been many months since my last posting...past few months have been very busy and stressful... now found a new way of posting my thoughts via email...easy hah...with technology things are getting easier...you know who taught me this? haha my beloved wife who seems to be more IT savvy than me now...let see if it works...jeng jeng jeng
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...jakarta

...i was in jakarta about 3 weeks ago...giving a keynote speech at a conference there...it was about CSR and the role of business schools...i've also arranged a meeting with the CEO of 2 oil & gas companies in jakarta...asking for their participations and sponsorships for our Global Energy Management Forum to be organized in september in kuala lumpur...you know i have few good friends in jakarta and they know i was in jakarta...one of them invited me to bandung after the conference...he said '...lets go to bandung and stay overnight there, do some shoppings and then go back to jakarta the next morning'...i was a bit reluctant because i have 2 important meetings the next day...he however said, '...don't worry we have plenty of time and the traffic is not gonna be bad...this is not weekend bro'...i then said ok. the traffic flow was ok and we arrived bandung around 8pm...had some good foods and chit chat before heading to the hotel. the next day we managed to do some shoppings...for wife and kids...and headed back towards jakarta around 11am...traffic from bandung to jakarta was very smooth...so no worry about the meeting...i will be on time i phoned them...it took about 1.5 hours to reach jakarta (i mean the jakarta toll), but then i saw the road was packed with so many cars...we were just 10 kilometres away from the meeting place but somehow it took us more than 2 hours to reach it...i almost missed the first meeting...about 40 minutes late...then continued with the second meeting at the same venue...i headed straight to banten after the meeting...banten is about 25 kilometres from jakarta...i had another friend there who wanted to meet me...again, it took us more than 2 hours to reach banten...hahaha that is jakarta you can never predict the traffic flow there....

react versus respond II

...what is the difference between react and respond....i have learned many lessons in my life...many regrets too...used to be a very hot-tempered person (still do sometimes), in which i often react and do/say stupid things rather than think first and then respond...ok this what i've learned...'respond' means acting in a measured and thoughtful manner...one who take time to think through situations (and take a deep breath) before acting are able to respond in a reasonable and appropriate manner...hence fewer regrets...on the other hand, react means letting one's emotions drive the actions...and often behave in ways that are inappropriate...reacting often leads to regrets and apologizes...anyway, we all learn our lessons...

react versus respond

...yesterday, one of my PhD students came to my office to discuss his proposal...as always he's very enthusiastic about his work...explained all the improvements he has made over the past few weeks...yeah generally his work has improved...a lot really...but there are still few issues that need to be addressed...as usual i would give my comments, explaining areas that need further improvement...based on my observation, rather than listening carefully to what i said, he just can't resist from reacting to every comments i made...hmm i have my own ego...everyone has that i guess...i would prefer my students to listen and 'respond' whenever ask...remember my conversations with one of senior professors about the differences between react and respond...he said one should respond rather than react...to be continued....

...leadership

...read quite a number of leadership books over the past few years…but not many impress me or challenge my own beliefs and thoughts about leadership…i found most books are quite similar in contents and discuss about the same things…same tips same advises…but there is one book i like…the one authored by Dale Carnegie…the book is not about leadership but more about human relations…how to win friends and influence people…one does not have to show power or authority to lead…not all the time at least…like Mr Carnegie i also believe that leadership is about trust…a very simple rule…a leader needs to win the trust and confidence of his/her subordinates…especially people around him/her…without that one can never lead…but i recently notice the emergence of a new style of management…interrogation or mafia like…which make me feel really sick…probably one forgets one needs to 'gain' the respect…how do you feel when someone was rude to you and didn't hold you with much regard?...how did you feel?...annoyed?...peeved?...i think being authoritative and directive only show one’s lack of quality and idea...one just need to open one's eyes wider and listens more...being 'honest' or 'truthful' can't be the reasona for bad behavior...as there are better ways to say NO for example...like Warren Buffet's style...he just wrote a letter to his CEOs once a year reminding them of their responsibility to the shareholders...a good reminder to us all especially myself...cheers

...kids and human relation

...my family and i went to Hong Kong last month…of course the place we would not miss was Disneyland…i have four kids but the happiest one was my youngest daughter…she was so happy by the time we boarded the airplane…just can’t stop smiling all the way to HK…she was so excited and already planned to buy souvenirs to her friends and teacher…and to tell them about her exciting trip to HK…we especially the kids had real fun there…visited Disneyland and of course some shopping…my daughter was so busy when we visited souvenir shops…no worry as her dad will pay all the bills...these are for my friends and those good ones are for my best friends (she had 4 best friends) and favourite teachers…she thought they must be very happy to have those souvenirs…we flew back to Penang after 4 days and 3 nights in HK…we arrived home after mid night…instead of going to sleep my daughter was busy organizing the souvenirs to her friends, her favourite class teacher and of course her school books…she slept around 2am that night…however, when  i came back from work the next day, i saw her sad face…she did not greet as usual...i hugged her and asked why she looked sad…she then told me she gave all the souvenirs she bought in HK to her friends, best friends and her favourite teacher…but…she told me the teacher did not say anything to her …she just gave a plain look at the gift, took it and continued with her work without saying a word or showed any emotion of thanks…that’s very rude i said to myself…she should have at least smile and say thank you…i tried to calm my daughter by saying i’m sure she likes your gift and appreciate it very much…may be she’s busy with her work and forget to say thank you…at least all your friends are happy and appreciate your gifts… that event took her 3 days to forget…sometimes kids are better than grown ups when it comes to human relation ain’t it?…

...nasyid songs

...i was driving around jitra this evening when i heard a loud speaker playing popular nasyid songs by maher zain...i then realized that the songs came from an electronic shop offering sales items...i know the shop is owned by a chinese so i wonder why it played the nasyid songs...aha now i know...majority of population in jitra are malays (moslems)...i slowly passed through the shop...yeah majority of the customers are malays...so i guess its marketing strategy works very well...but its kinda like a chinese or non-moslem owned banks offering islamic banking products or a non-moslem insurance agents selling islamic insurance or a non-moslem company producing and selling halal products to moslems...weird ain't it? but please don't get me wrong...i am not blaming non-moslems...they also buy islamic banking and islamic insurance products...i just wonder where are the moslem entrepreneurs...

...meeting and waiting III

...i just looked at my schedule...hmm two meetings today...and three more tomorrow...great ain't it?...ever wonder why people like to hold a meeting?...team work or collective decisions kinda stuff?...nup you are wrong...so what's the answer?...hmmm probably your boss is just feeling lonely and he/she like to see and meet people hahaha...probably he/she would like to feel important and want to impress his/her subordinates...or probably he/she just hate making decisions alone...or donna what to decide actually kih kih kih...or he is just hungry and would like to share foods with you all huh huh kuh...what a waste of time yeah....how many of those meetings were worthwhile compared to the work that you could have accomplished in that same time?...so go tell your boss to shut up so that we all can go back and do our job...

...meeting and waiting II

...sometimes i wonder why we had so many meetings...i just hate meeting's'...its like we have nothing else to do than meeting...ok let me ask you...how many of you attend a meeting full with excitement and genuine wonderment?.. and how many of you guys walked out a meeting room feeling refreshed and energized?...ok you don't have to tell me cos i know the answer already...meeting is ok but not too many and not too long...especially when your boss keep on repeating the same old issues like we are all deaf and dumb stupid...it has become a norm for boss to come late for a meeting (yeah understand boss always busy) but to give a long and boring introduction after late arrival is a bit sickening...it has come to a stage where people would say 'oh no...not another meeting?'...meeting should be short and straight to the points...i mean important points...it is not a boring lecture session...a good meeting shouldn't last more than an hour...period.

...angry bird II

...being hot-tempered myself, i think i am a bit calmer than I used to be…have improved the way i deal with people even in heated and intense situations ( tho i still lose my temper at times)...age factor probably has played its role too…despite that i still believe that we sometimes need to be blunt and speak our mind to change things...some people may try to be kind to not hurt other people’s feeling which is good but at the same time they may not be honest not only with themselves but others too which is bad…agree with tom peters when he wrote…"stay furious and turn your fury into your next wow project"…

...angry bird

...received a text message from my buddy...who just reached his retirement age but still very active with his corporate world...a very friendly and entertaining guy he is...the message was quoted from tom peters' 100 ways to succeed..."stay angry, change the world, never give up, never give in, die trying, give a shit"..."give a shit" is not from tom peters but added by my dear friend...and i like it very much...then i jokingly asked my deputy if we can use 'angry bird' as our mascot...being an iron lady herself of course she agrees with the idea hahaha...

...meeting and waiting

 ...it is almost 2 months now since i last updated my blog...wanted to share many things but really have no time to write....but i am back today...taking the rare opportunity while waiting for my turn to present working papers to the university management...just wanna share my experience about meeting and waiting...both sound similar right?...had several meetings and presentations last week both with private and public sectors...first, my meeting with Group CEO and HR Director of Maju Holdings went smoothly...short, direct to the points and very fruitful...jobs done...however my meetings and presentations with the Ministry and another government related agency were a bit frustrating...not the results but the waiting time...my presentation with the Ministry was scheduled at 10am but we have to wait until after lunch time for our turn...then my meeting with another agency also started late...about an hour...waiting for people to come was one thing, then waiting for them take their sit and stop gossiping was another...what a waste of time yeah...then today at 10.30am i was called to stand by to present my papers...keep on waiting until 1.45pm when i get hungry and leave the waiting room for lunch....donno when they gonna finally call me…very inefficient...people just like to talk i guess...jobs not done...why can't we manage our time better?...feel really sick and tired...

Every Little Thing is Gonna be Alright

...today is the last day of January 2012...time is running so fast...almost no time for reflection...and to update my blog too...trying to gain back momentum after a week long Chinese New Year break...spending time with my family back in my hometown was really sweet...and Kelantan dishes were just irresistible...i will definitely put more weight if i stay there longer...2011 was probably the busiest year of my life...almost no vacation, managed to take only few days off my 30 days annual leave...played Bob Marley on our way back from Kelantan...really love the lyric "don't worry, every little thing is gonna be alright...don't know how but plan to manage my schedule better this year and take more vacations with my family...so cheer up bro...work will never end so enjoy your life more...

...feeling flat

...it's new year today 1.1.2012...so gone all the sweet and sour experiences of 2011...and i will be one year older (hopefully wiser too) on the 7.1...don't feel like working but today is a working day in Kedah...somehow i don't feel the PUSH...no adrenalin no enthusiasm just FLAT...then received a text message from my good old friend...like it very much...simple but a very important lesson for 2012...

before we speak - LISTEN
before we write - THINK
before we spend - EARN
before we criticize - WAIT
before we quit - TRY
and before we pray - FORGIVE

...so cheer up GG...

...Happy New Year 2012

...wish you all a very happy and prosperous 1433 Hijrah and 2012 New Year...thanks much for reading and supporting the blog...the blog is merely based on my personal journey and experience, thus my personal opinion...it has nothing to do with the organisation i work with...it all started in April 2011 when my dearest wife recommended me to write as a good way to release tension...kinda like a mind therapy she told me...never expect many to read it...and to have nearly 5000 visitors from various corners of the world in about 8 months is really something unexpected...hope i can continue writing and sharing new experiences in 2012...cheers

...little extra

...i gave my students 10 articles to read and discuss in class...every student is required to read and prepare a summary of the articles individually...the class is also divided into several groups comprising 2 or 3 students...each group is assigned an article which need to be presented to the class...the group is expected to lead the discussion of the particular article or case while members of the class are free to ask questions or to agree or disagree with the article/case...on average, i am satisfied with the level of participation of my students though few remain silents/shy...but what's lacking from either the presenter or members of the class...is the little extra...the ability to critically analyze the articles/cases given and the extra works done to support the discussions...i am hoping for the students, without being told, to do extra works/readings and relate to the articles to support their arguments...i believe those little extra would differentiate between ordinary and extraordinary students...wish them all the best...