Avvanz Pte Ltd

Provide  advice and inputs including domain knowledge

Member,  Council of Advisors

Institute for Advanced Studies in Complex Choices

Advice and inputs on individual choices in developed or emerging markets and public policy choices for regulation of economic activity in given market.

Member Of The Board Of Advisors

Sinarmas Agribusiness and Food

Grow sustainable leadership pipline to fill critical positions

CHRO at sinarmas agri and food, and Chief Talent Officer for sinarmas group

ICLIF

Research and delivery of leadership curriculum. Also served as head for marketing and communication.

Director,Research & Curriculum

Global Chief Learning Officer

General Electic

Responsible for developing and delivering leadership curriculum,
Customised Programs for GE customers and 
Organisational Team Interventions

Head, Crotonville, Asia Pacific leadership development

National productivity board

Director

I define success as if I am a 10-year old whose only responsibility is to make my world a better place for those I care about and for me. 

One of my staff always leaves work at 5pm sharp. It did not matter to me what time they left so long as the job got done. In fact, I would worry if my staff stayed late because of too much work or to impress me. 

"Too much work" signals a problem that needs to be solved and "Staying to impress me" doesn't work because I  leave at 5.

If you work for a boss, leaving at 5 means you are a slacker cause boss only counts hours, not output. 

If you work for a leader, leaving at 5 is normal because it confirms you're on top of things. 

Agree?

David Wee

Early in my career, I reported to a manager that was smart, demanding and technically sound. I work hard to get into his good books. But he valued traits I was lacking - an eye for detail and clear, error-free report writing. I couldn't consistently meet his standards and my confidence waned as did my motivation. 

I got a transfer. I now reported to a manager who assigned work based on my strengths, thus downplaying my weaknesses. She was a coach, encourager, and just as demanding as my previous manager. I flourished under her leadership.

I learned important lessons that shaped the way I develop people. 

1. People perform best when they have Ability and are Motivated to give their best. Leaders understand this and take the time to understand the employee's ability and motivation. No point asking them to do something they hate even if they can do a decent job of it. It's like asking a monkey to swim when they are at their best swinging in the trees. 

2. Leaders do more than raise performance. They improve the lives of people. How? Their people do not go home and talk about their miserable days at work. Instead, they speak with pride about the difference they make, how they are helping others and how they are learning and getting better. All these are more likely to happen when they are led by leaders.

3. It's never about lowering standards and demands. It's always about understanding what people are great at and want to do. Leaders understand first then help people realize their potential How? First by letting them dream what they do when they are at their best? Second, getting them to set targets to make the dream come true. Third, helping them stay focus on the targets instead of worrying about whether the dream can happen. The former focus on the here and now, the latter paralyse them with unfounded fear and derails them from their path. 

4. The difference between a manager and a leader - A manager helps the employee meet standards. A leader unleash the employee's potential.

How do you develop others?

I had to let him go. 

Not because of performance or any negative reason but because of a cost cutting exercise. I explained to him (let's call him John) and remembered John's response. "I understand. News get around. People talk. It's not a big surprise. I wish it wasn't me caused I learned so much here and this is a great place to work. Don't worry. I will land on my feet." 

John went on to say his goodbyes to his colleagues in the spirit of someone who is calm, confident and knows he will bounce back. 

A few months later I was drafting a reference letter in response to John's request. I remembered his last days and made sure his potential employer knew what a classy guy John is. 

Some words and behaviours can't be forgotten. Nasty comments don't stay underground and classy behaviour gets shared around too. 

What you say and do will get around and can affect references, referrals, and relationships for a long time.

When you have to go, leave with class.

Don't burn bridges. 

Agree?

Dear Hiring Managers 

I get you are anxious about filling the role with the best person. But your anxiety is nothing compared to someone who has been job searching for some time. They are trying to pay bills whilst hurting repeatedly from the stings of rejections. Each failure makes it tougher to get back on one's feet. 

It's OK to reject candidates. 
It's never OK to leave them hanging. 
Better a clear 'no' than an untruthful 'maybe'. 
Rejection is the 2nd most painful cut. 
False Hope is the deepest cut of all.

Agree?

We are in Tasman, New Zealand and plan to leave our friend's home to begin a 5 day hike, tomorrow. Lodgings are booked, meals ordered and exercises completed, so we are ready for the rigours of the trail. But what we were not ready for was our friend unexpectedly falling ill.

We decided to cancel our hike because his wife was abroad. We would drive him from Tasman to Christchurch, a 5 hour drive, to see a specialist plus prepare meals and offer good company for the next several days. 

I expected to feel disappointment because we had invested much into the hike. But to my surprise, all I felt was gratitude that we are here for him.

Being a friend is one of the best feelings in the world. 

Agree?

Breathtaking view from his living room...Staying longer in his home has its benefits!!!

I am not a fan of staying "young at heart" because it infers older people don't have anything better to fill their lives with than reliving their youth. 

That is just so wrong.

When I was in my 40s, I feared getting older and its consequences - the lost of beauty, unable to kick a ball hard, and fading cognitive agility. But most of all I feared that I'd lived my best years, achieved my biggest goals, and fulfilled my greatest ambitions. What's left? Slow and eventual decay?

But I’ve changed my mindset from not wanting to age to taking steps to age naturally and healthily. 

I want to be healthy so Aleth and I can do the things we always wanted to do together - farming plus hiking and eating our favourite meals, and doing all these in new lands. 

So health is purely functional and I do not care if I can run the 10km in record time. But I do care about making sure that with each passing year my mind and body can continue to create shared experiences and memories we are proud to leave behind.

So how do I earn good health? I can't get younger but research has taught us how to live longer and lengthen our health span. That's why I stopped smoking, ate better, exercised consistently, am socially active with family, friends and acquaintances and involved with Linkedin for the last 7 years. 

So how do I age well?  I learned that as I grew older, my values changed. I was surprised that the call of my family could make me walk away from my biggest career success. I gained clarity on what is most important. But knowing what to do and doing it are two different things. I had to wait a few years so that at 56, I could find the courage to hand in my resignation and begin life 2.0- Life without work. (My wife, Aleth, had greater conviction and retired several years earlier, at 51, and never looked back.)

When I gave up my job, I also gave up a big part of who I am. But this also made it easier to let go of stuff I did not want to bring along and savour meaningful pursuits like spending time with our family and friends, serving a personal purpose and doing community work.

Today I am much more relaxed about the future not because I am wiser. or lack ambition, or know how it will all turn out but because I look forward to it.
I am glad to be 65, grateful to be in good health and privileged to be living life on my terms and discovering new experiences with the person I love by my side.

We’re all living longer.
Don't cling on to our youth.
Better to age well.
The best is yet to come.
Agree?

I believe everyone has an innate desire to make a difference. And if you recognise and reward their contributions, they want to do more.

This is why I bet on people. It could be the 20-something who is judged too young for a big job or the 65-year-old who wants to shine in a new role.
Age does not matter. Neither does gender, race, religion or the school they attended. 

The only thing that should matter is AMP -  the Ability to succeed, the Motivation to give their best, and the Potential to do more.

When I bet on people, they know I believe they are winners. This belief is infectious and offers them the extra oomph to think and act like winners.
I offered one staff in Japan a job beyond his current pay grade. It was a 'battlefield commission"- his manager had left suddenly. He said he was only 80% ready and lack confidence. I agreed. But I still wanted him to take the job. Why? Because he had AMP -
1. Ability, building relationships with stakeholders, and was operationally excellent
2. Potential to do more because of high learning agility.
3. The only missing quality is Motivation because of a lack of self-belief.

"I believe in you." I told him and asked him "Will you bet on yourself?" He did.

To grow self-belief, I gave detailed instructions and ensured compliance on two "can get you fired" areas that he had never done before.

If that sounds like Micro-Management, you are right. After a 1st try, I shared what he did right, what needs to change and how to do it. This ensures he knows exactly what and how to do this new task and is given a safe zone where he could make mistakes.

When he started getting better, I switched from MICROMANAGING to COACHING- "Tell me how you did."

We also discuss how ASKING FOR HELP is not a sign of weakness but a demonstration of trust in our relationship. I had to trust him to do the job on his own and that he would seek help if needed. He had to trust that I was guiding him correctly and had his back if he messed up.

As he grew more skilled, I DELEGATED, trusting him to get the job done and ASK FOR HELP if he needed it.

This process - MCDA (Micromanage, Coach, Delegate, Ask for help) - takes time and requires trust from both parties. It also teaches skills and grows a bond based on trust and shared experience between manager and employee.

After some teething pains, he went on to excel in his new role. Soon he got a bigger job and continued to thrive. A few years later, he accepted a role in Microsoft.

Today he is founder & CEO of a thriving business. We continue to be good friends and I remember fondly the time our families met in Kyoto for a wonderful evening of good company, good food and good sake.

So to all the people champions - Keep betting on people. Don't empower a person who is not ready. Coach them, and when they are 80% ready and let them fly, fly, fly.

It doesn't get any better than this!

BTW The only time I would reject a candidate with AMP is when they lack _____?

Some managers don't release their staff, not even for bigger roles, because they are "indispensable". But after a few years, indispensable employees stop growing because they are doing the same task again and again. Eventually, boredom and complacency drag people down - from being great they become downright mediocre.

I call these managers Talent Hoarders. They are selfish and destroy talent. 

And then there are managers who attract the best talent because talents want to work for the best. These managers demand hi performance from their people and enable them through coaching and empowerment. They know their ambitions and their strengths, and give them the support they need to realize their potential. They are delighted when their people get promoted and leave for  bigger jobs. 

I call these managers Talent Masters. They grow and champion talent. 

When I do the Country reviews as the HR Head of the company, I want to know who amongst the leadership team are Hoarders and Masters. 

So I meet them one one-on-one and have a conversation. 
I ask them if they have a successor.
If yes, is the successor ready to take over? 
And if no, will they identify one? 

This can be the beginning of a powerful and revealing conversation.

Tomorrow, we will begin a 25 day trekking and gastronomic trip to Australia and New Zealand. We visited both countries more than a few times but must go back again because of:

a. Romance. Twenty one years ago, in June, Aleth and I had 'just the two of us' time and enjoyed a magical night in Sydney. The waiter (we can't recall his name) was originally from Canada and very knowledgable and helpful. He paired our wine and guided us through the dinner menu, engaging us with his knowledge and suggestions. And (this is my version of the event) my wife enjoyed a plate of oysters, drank too much, and later took advantage of me. I did not protest. So yes, we will spend a couple of nights in Sydney and am hoping at least one, and better still, both of us will drink too much!

b. Friendship. I known FC since I was 18. I first thought he was brash, boastful and walks with a swagger. And I was right. But spending many months together in National Service - which means living in close quarters and in stressful circumstances - reveals the complete character of any person. He is extremely loyal to his values and friends, generous, resilient, and is a pragmatic risk-taker with a big heart. Catching up in person, requires effort because he is in New Zealand. But after his health scare which turned out to be a scare and nothing else, I put procrastination aside. I asked him what I can bring over. If you guess Ya Kun Kaya - ding, ding ,ding!!! 

c. The Bucket List. We drove along the Great Ocean Road in Australia a few times and did not know we wanted to hike it because we were not hikers then. We know better now and in about 2 weeks we will start our 5 day walk, beginning from Apollo Bay and ending at the Twelve Apostles. The last time we were at the Great Ocean Road all the Apostles were intact and our 3 girls were with us, screaming like banshees or sleeping like angels in the car. This time it's just Aleth and me minus an Apostle or two - casualties of ceaseless storms and waves. We will miss them - the girls, not the Apostles - but it's also nice knowing that its "just the two of us".

I will continue to be active on Linkedin because I gain so much from posting and many look forward to my posts.  Posting is my mental exercise and good deed for the day and that's more than enough reason for me to show up 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year, for the last 7 years and 12 days.

See you on the other side.

I arrived home late. The kids were already asleep. It happens. It doesn't mean I love my work more than the kids. It just means today's work was more urgent than kissing the kids goodnight. I'll be back for dinner and storytime tomorrow. 

Work-Life balance does not mean 50-50 all the time. It is driven by the stage of life we are in. When we are starting off in our career, work tends to come first and the balance could look like 70 Work-30 Life. And when we start a family it could be the converse: 30 Work-70 Life. 

Getting the right balance is about knowing what is most important to us and making the right choices that reflect our priorities. 

This could mean taking an employment break to care for an ailing loved one or relocating the family to another country to advance a career. 

Work-Life balance is like a boat that sways to the right and then to the left, moved by the current of life. 
Don't be led by a timetable, by what your boss want, by what others say is good for you.
And if you get distracted or derailed, recognize it happens.
Circle round and find your path or a new trail.
Be led by purpose, and the people you love.
Be led by Life.

Agree.

We love living in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. We hardly ever drive and would walk anywhere within 10km. Aside from the benefits of walking (which includes managing stress because driving in the city would make me crazy), the views are incredible at the street level.

Here are some pics I took. Got captions to go with the pics. See if you can match them. Opps I have more pictures than captions so feel free to make up some of your own.

Captions...
1, Generous KL - Drinks on the house!
2. One reason why I don't bother to wash my car.
3. When bags die, they go to KL and live happily ever after.
4. Everyone drives in KL including kids with the coolest cars.
5. Two reasons why the food in KL is so gooddddddddd
6. KL got attitude!!
7. All dogs go to heaven and move to KL.
8. The freshest durians in the world!
9. Air conditioning in KL's malls is really, really cold.
10. See what you can afford when you save on parking?
11. After exercising...we eat!
12. After eating...we think about exercising.

Side note: Our friends brought us on a city tour. My first reaction was - Come on, I know KL but was too polite to protest. So glad I kept an open mind because we visited the places he grew up and shared stories that let me know a side of him I didn't. Priceless.

Happy Weekend everyone!

Since 21 March 2017, I kick off most of my days by publishing my post on Linkedin typically between 5 to 7am for 5 days a week, for around 50 weeks a year, for 7 years and 9 days. 

Publishing my post is one of the favorite parts of the day because I know there are people who look forward to it. A few posts go viral, all get some engagement and I like to think they make a difference to someone who took the time to view, and share their appreciation or disagreement with me. 

Even though most of the comments are appreciative, I used to be fixated with the ones which contained rude remarks and felt compelled to rebut! But now I do two things- 

1. assess if the sharp comment has merit and learn from the truth it offers 
2. accept that everyone can say anything they want so long as they do not cross the line of civility and make disagreements personal and antagonistic. If they do, I disconnect, block and when apt, report. 

Posting allows me to be helpful to another, provide stimulation and I get to learn as much as I share. It also sharpens my thinking and writing skills and provides the desire for me to keep up to date on the topics I write about. And importantly, it allows me to contribute  and learn from others and reminds me that, in a small way, I make a difference to many. 

Posting in LinkedIn is my mental exercise and good deed for the day. 
Another reason why I show up 5 days a week for 50 weeks a year for the last 7 years and 9 days. 

Thanks for your support and encouragement. I appreciate it.

I published my first Linkedin post on 14 March 2017. The post had only 2 likes and one was from my wife. And despite my finest efforts, my next 10 posts performed just as badly. 

When you keep failing you either keep going or fall off. I decided to keep going. My first 30 posts got poor receptions. But my 31st post about Incompetent Bosses hit the right note, generated engagement, and gave me the confidence to keep going and going. 

As each year pass, Linkedin changed, changed and changed again. Communities got more influential, short video became a credible piece of content, micro influencers flourish, personal branding and social selling are now foundational activities. 

By a stroke of luck, some perseverance and importantly support from connections, I managed to navigate through the changes. I kept posting 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year for over 7 years.

I started posting on LinkedIn when I was 57. Today, I am 65 and have well over 100,000 followers, completed more than 2000 posts and articles, attracted more than 70 million views, and wrote a book with Handi Kurniawan comprising of our posts. 

Have I thought of giving it up? 

When the question comes up,  I take a coffee break and ask WHY am I doing this. And if I can’t find the answer, I’ll let the question simmer until it’s time for wine!

And by then I figured out it's not about generating businesses, referrals, and contacts. And it isn't about earning popularity and credibility. All are worthy of effort. But for me, I just want to learn and share.

You can call this my purpose. 
It's what I have done since I was 16. 
My mantra whilst I was working. 
What I continue to do after I retired,
and what I expect to be doing till I am 6 feet under. 
I wouldn't want it any other way. 
Thank you for keeping me going.
I couldn't have gone this far without you.
The best is still to come.

I am not advocating settling for a job, especially one that you dislike. But whilst you are at work, seek to profit from your endeavours and better still, enjoy it. 

Enjoy work? How? 

Here's what works for me... 

1. Find out how my company is helping and contributing to the community. Consider getting personally involved. 

2. Take a moment to enjoy and have pride in completing a task. This can include solving a complex problem,more acquiring new skills so the task can be completed. The greater the effort and the sacrifice, the greater the satisfaction and pride from a job well done. 

3. If my manager assigns difficult work, see it as a sign of trust and an opportunity to learn. Perspective matters.

4. Develop relationships with colleagues. Get to know them, their gifts, their passions. Help them be successful. They will do the same for you.

5. Look for purpose in the job, much like the NASA janitor who told President Kennedy that his janitorial job is “helping to put a man on the moon." 

Do these well, and you will enjoy, learn and find success too! 

The alternative? 

You can quiet quit. Watch the clock, do the bare minimum, learn nothing, be bored at work, and have zero accomplishments you can share with your family when you return home from work.

You deserve better! 

Work doesn't give you Purpose. 
YOU give Purpose to work. 

Agree?

I was never active on any social media platform until 7 years ago when I started posting on Linkedin.

I hesitated because I feared people would disagree and criticise my posts. But I decided to push ahead because I did not want to regret not trying.

So I started posting and found that when people disagree with me, typically one of these happens.

1. We agreed I got it wrong. So I got smarter and improve.
2. We agreed I got it right. So I got validated and more confident.
3. We could not agree. So we agreed to disagree and I learned to respect different perspectives,
4. We could not agree and have nasty exchanges. I learned these were less than 1% of all comments and I could ignore their comments plus do away with the exchanges by disconnecting, blocking and/or reporting.

I learned that most of my fears were only real in my head, and disagreements had positive outcomes because I learn. Even when the disagreements were nasty, it was a win-win. Because I blocked, the critic did not have to tolerate my post, and I did not have to tolerate their comment.

For those of you thinking of posting but are afraid, stare fear in the face, say boo, and remember, you are very cool!

Bosses vs Leaders 

Bosses BELIEVE people are lazy and hence need to be constantly watched. And because they are looking to catch people doing wrong, they will miss all the things people do right. Do this long enough and people will fulfil the bosses' expectations and do things wrong. But it's not because people are lazy. It's because their bosses manage everyone as if they are lazy. 

Leaders BELIEVE people want to make a difference. That's why they demand high standards. That's why they empower people by providing skills, tools, and authority! Do this long enough and people will fulfil the leaders' high expectations and do things right. But it's not because people work harder. It's because their leaders manage everyone as if they are high performer

Agree?

Those who talk about how many meetings they attended and how much work they managed are sometimes also the ones who contribute the least. When they deliver one project successfully everyone will know about it and may think it's a big deal because they make it a big deal.

The ones who consistently submit quality work are sometimes also silent about their accomplishments because they focus on getting the work done and not on self-promotion. On the rare occasions when they fail to deliver it's often because they are overworked but stoically kept going against the odds. They offer no excuses and take responsibility. 

One brags too much and the other announces too little. 
While self-promotion is a legitimate career development tool, it must be accompanied by performance and accomplishments, otherwise it's just a lot of self serving bragging.

And whilst doing great work matters, it still needs to be shared with the right leaders so 'quiet' and deserving talents can be recognised, promoted and rewarded. 

So for those who say a lot and do little, know that sometimes it is better to under-promise and over-deliver. 

And those who say too little but do a lot, great work if unnoticed, cannot help you get what you deserve. 

All can adjust, all do better!

Agree?

If you are born into a privileged family, you can relax since you are on Easy Street or Strive to become the best person you can be. 

If your manager gives you a challenging, high-profile task, you can complain that he is out to get you or Be excited about the opportunity to shine. 

If you get fired, you can blame the boss, the gods, the company, and the economy too or You can look for new opportunities. 

If you are promoted, you can wonder why others are not as smart and ambitious as you or Look for ways to help others succeed. 

If you are retired, you can look forward to the remainder of life or Get excited about creating life 2.0. 

So much of our fulfilment depends on how we choose to look at the world.

Agree?

It's 49 years since Steve Kerr who left academia to become General Electric's Chief Learning Officer, addressed the issue of rewards and behaviours in a classic paper titled “On the Folly of Rewarding A, While Hoping for B.”

As Kerr puts it: “Managers who complain about lack of motivation in their workers might do well to consider the possibility that the reward systems they have installed are paying off for behavior other than what they are seeking.”

Think about it. How often do leaders encourage their followers to set stretch goals but not tie their accomplishments to promotions and bonuses? This only encourages employees to set easier goals to avoid the risk of losing rewards.

Leaders make these mistakes all the time.
They hope for teamwork but provide incentives for individual performance.
They hope employees show initiative but punish them when initiative don't pan out.

Three takeaways from the article
1. Leaders need to take a step back and ask, with an open mind,  why their followers are not behaving in the way they hope for.
2. The best way to encourage others to reflect and change begins with leaders doing the same themselves. 
3. The best way to make sure employees don't do what the company hope they would is to "Reward A, while hoping for B.

Leaders lead by example.

Agree?

Juliana Chan, PhD sharing of a classic Harvard article, "Who's got the monkey?" triggered my memory of another classic written by my former boss almost 50 years ago. One thing led to another and presto - this post. Thanks for the spark, Juliana.

If you want to read Steve Kerr's paper, I attached a link in first comment. It blew my mind. Another reason why I was proud to work alongside him for five years in GE.

The last time I did serious gardening was when I was retrenched and on garden leave. Ironic right!

Then I did not have a green thumb so I scan through YouTube to gets tips and advice. I did not have a good experience. A number of content creators made ridiculous claims that defy the laws of nature. Like planting a sun loving sapling in a shaded space in the house. Some who are more charitable may give their method a try but I would not give them a second of my time. They are charlatans - individuals claiming to have experience and skills when In truth they have neither, and nor can they deliver on their promises.

Unfortunately, there are charlatans in Linkedin too. If you think the word "charlatan" is too harsh then another way of defining them is hopeful individuals who may genuinely believe they can do something they have never done before and charge us for their hopeful thinking and irresponsbile behaviour. 

So how can one differentiate between a genuine provider and a charlatan. Get to know them...
1. What are your credentials?
2. Who are your affiliations?
3. What experience do you have with clients like me?
4. Describe your methodology/process.
5. What are your accomplishments?
6. Tell me more about your charges.

No one I know would hire anyone without looking at their resume and talking to them. So don't feel uncomfortable asking questions as long as you are genuine about using their service and are respectful of their time.

The good news is there are many credible service providers who deliver what they promise.

And then there are wolves in sheep clothing.

Caveat Emptor

Picture credit :Pinterest

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