Building a solid house can only be done through reflection.
“Keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll get what you are getting. If that is good, great. If it’s not, you better change.” – Ang Hui Ming
A FEW years ago, I heard about an elderly construction worker who wanted to quit. He told his boss of his plans to leave. His boss was sorry to see such an excellent worker go and asked him to build one last house as a personal favour.
The construction worker said yes, but his heart was not in his work. There was no passion left. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials, cutting corners to get the work done.
Finally, when the house was finished, his boss handed him the keys to the house saying, “This is your house. It’s my gift to you.” The construction worker was stunned and full of regret as he knew he was sloppy working on it. If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
Isn’t it the same with us? Often we work hard but after a point in time, we dish out less than stellar performances. Our attitudes differ but we console ourselves by saying it doesn’t matter. But in most cases, it does matter.
Each day, we build our lives, one transaction at a time. Each day counts as we build our life’s building. When I worked at General Electric (GE), people always spoke about the “house that Jack built.” Jack Welch, painstakingly, for more than 20 years, built the foundation of GE, then its rooms, its roof and finally completed a remarkable turnaround. This took patience, time and years.
When we don’t get the promotion we crave, or we fail to get what others get, we are surprised. Could it be because the house we built doesn’t have strong foundations or good materials? It’s not just last year’s performance or last week’s deal that counts – it is your cumulative effectiveness on a daily basis.
So, how does one ensure that you are effective daily? Based on our research, it requires an equilibrium of action and reflection. While most leaders are biased towards action, the best leader balances contemplation and action, creating daily solitude for effective action.
Ineffective leaders
Most leaders say the resource they lack most is time. But if you really observe managers for a day, you will see them rushing to meetings, constantly checking their Blackberry, dodging fires, believing they are attending to important matters.
For 10 years, Bruch and Ghoshal observed behaviours of busy managers, and their conclusions: 90% of managers squander their time in all sorts of ineffective actions and activities. A mere 10% of managers spend their time in a committed, purposeful, and reflective manner. These 10% are usually classified as great leaders.
Worst still, psychiatrist John Diamond found that 90% of people “hate their work.” They come to work to punch their time clock and can’t wait to go home. The difference between leaders who love their jobs and those that don’t – they take time daily to re-energise themselves and focus through reflection.
Reflection
The practice of reflection goes back centuries and is rooted in numerous institutions including the Japanese samurai. Ben Franklin, one of my leadership heroes, had a rather systematic approach to reflection, which was a fundamental part of his daily life. He developed a list of 13 virtues and each day he evaluated his leadership relative to these virtues.
A sincere examination of ourselves is never easy. It involves the willingness to face and acknowledge our mistakes, failure and shortcomings. Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Prize winner, believes reflection in life is critical to leadership as it allows you to take into “account what you have neglected in thoughtlessness.”
Interestingly, a key step in the Alcoholics Anonymous programme asks participants to make a probing and courageous moral inventory. Steve Jobs went to India to reflect prior to starting Apple.
In business, reflection provides an opportunity to consider the ramifications of the services they provide and how to keep raising the bar. Business grows when they look within.
So, what does one achieve by reflection and contemplation? Productive action relies on a combination of three traits:
1. Focus – the ability to zero in on an objective and see the task to completion
2. Energy – the vitality that comes from concentrated personal commitment.
3. Learning – the ability to correct past mistakes and improve oneself
Focus without energy results in lethargic execution or burnout. Energy without focus leads to aimlessness or artificial busyness. And not learning from your mistakes ensures you repeat them.
All three pieces can only be obtained through reflection. Procrastinators are usually people with low levels of energy and focus. Leaders with high focus but low energy never inspire and generally end up ostracising the troops. Managers with high energy but low focus confuse their employees with chaotic activity.
Reflective managers are purpose-driven with high energy levels, learning from their mistakes. They start their day in reflection to ensure purposeful execution and action.
Focus
Confucius once said, “A man who chases two rabbits catches neither!” In Star Wars Episode 1, Qui-Gon says to the young Jedi Anakin, “Always remember, your focus determines your reality.” There is an ounce of truth in that Jedi wisdom. A focused person usually attains his/her goals.
At the end of a tiring day, if we focus on how tired we are, generally we will remain tired and end up vegetating in front of the TV set. If we re-focus the mind from being tired to needing to be healthy, there is a bigger likelihood we will exercise.
It is easy to stray with all the distractions, TV, Internet and mobile devices that we have today. These distractions can lead us off-tangent, stealing our focusing power. Reflection corrects that.
Energy and passion
Reflection generates passion and energy. Energy comes from passion. Passion is self-generated as you can motivate yourself to be excited about what you do.
Author Bill Strickland writes: “Passions are irresistible. They’re the ideas, hopes, and possibilities your mind naturally gravitates to, the things you would focus your time and attention on.”
Strickland believes that only by following your passion will you unlock your deepest potential. “I never saw a meaningful life that wasn’t based on passion. And I never saw a life full of passion that wasn’t, in some important way, extraordinary.”
Learning from mistakes
Reflection allows us to learn from mistakes. We all make mistakes – I have done so spectacularly at times. We have all been in situations where things don’t go exactly to plan. But how often do we take the time to sit down to reflect on where it all went wrong?
Plato’s great words “know thyself” implies that a lifetime of self-investigation is the cornerstone for knowledge. John Dewey states, “We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.”
In fact, the Kolb Learning Cycle, is based on the belief that learning for real comprehension comes from a sequence of experience, reflection, abstraction, and action. All learning can come only through reflection.
Check your attitudes daily
Living an extraordinary life is done internally through the daily positive alignment of your attitude. Your attitudes and the choices you make today build the house you live in tomorrow. Build wisely! Build with commitment, pride, joy, love and passion.
Your attitude is contagious and sets the mood for those around you. Your employees get excited when you are excited. They are energised when you are.
Plato opened up The Academy in Athens at the age of 40, when life expectancy was 36. He ran this first university, training Aristotle and others, until he was 80. Pursuing focused positive dreams arms one with high energy and leads to an extended, rewarding life.
I don’t have time to think!
This is a pretty common reaction: I don’t have time to reflect.
Which begs the question: Do you have time to make the same mistakes over and over again? Or to remain unfocused, running around like a headless chicken? Or lack energy to fulfil your dreams?
I remember an old boss once told me that I was not paid to sit around and think. On hindsight, that was probably the worst advice I received. Leaders should spend at least a quarter of their time thinking about the future of their company and reflecting on the past. It may seem ludicrous to spend time reflecting but “real work” can only be done right when you know where you are going and have the energy to get there.
Final thoughts
If we could do things over, we probably would do many things differently. And better. But the problem is, we cannot go back. We are just like the construction worker. Each day we hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall in our career, family and lives. Are you doing it with focus and energy? Are we improving ourselves by learning from our mistakes?
If the fire in our eyes has diminished and we are going through life in auto-pilot, with the joy of life seemingly leaked out, it is time to take stock of life and reflect.
Socrates, Ben Franklin and most great leaders believed that reflection led to a productive and fulfilling life. And don’t say you don’t have time. After all, as Buddha aptly puts it, “All that we are is the result of what we have thought.”
April 26, 2011
CEOs need to lead by example
Leading the way in good corporate behaviour is a top mangement challenge. At the recent StarBiz-ICR Malaysia CR Exchange – a forum on CR In the Workplace: Issues & Best Practices – past winner Guinness Anchor Bhd human resources director R. Sujitha Rajaratnam and finalist Lafarge Malayan Cement Bhd president and CEO Bi Yong Chungunco – both in the workplace category – shared their views and strategies on how to ensure a sustainable CR programme. Leaderonomics founder and CEO Roshan Thiran also shared his insights on the importance of a long-term CR plan. The forum was held in conjunction with the StarBiz-ICR Malaysia Corporate Responsibility Awards 2010.
CEOs and top executives must be seen to practise the corporate responsibility (CR) initiatives implemented by their companies, if they expect their employees to take those measures seriously.
“Top management must walk the talk and practise what they preach in the CR initiatives implemented by their companies.
“If top management does not practise the CR initiatives as set out, can they really expect their employees to follow?” Leaderonomics founder and CEO Roshan Thiran said.
Roshan, who was a guest speaker at the StarBiz-ICR Malaysia CR Exchange last Monday, observed that there were a number of local companies (listed and unlisted), including those at top management that do not fully appreciate the CR agenda and the benefits derived from good CR initiatives.
Lafarge Malayan Cement Bhd president and CEO Bi Yong Chungunco
“CR today is beyond philanthropy and charity work. It is, in fact, a critical element in the development of a sustainable business model to enable companies to remain competitive globally,” he told StarBiz.
Roshan said CR encompassed many factors ranging from initiatives taken to retain and attract talent, appropriate and sustainable raw material sourcing as well as having a “social mission” in business.
He said companies must not only have a profit mission but also a social mission that involves giving back to the community.
Roshan predicted that in 20 to 30 years, all businesses would need to have a social mission to remain competitive and profitable.
He said: “Organisations that don’t have a social mission will not be around long-term, as CR creates shareholder value and makes business sense.”
He cited several companies, including AirAsia Bhd and General Electric Co, as exemplary companies that had a social mission imbued in their businesses, beyond being profitable.
“AirAsia’s famous tagline “Now everyone can fly” underscores the airline’s mission to open up opportunities for air travel to more people globally,” Roshan noted .
In the case of General Electric, he said the company had a strong commitment to engage the communities with programmes such as “ecomagination challenge” while PepsiCo Inc, a soft-drink manufacturer, had now moved towards providing more health-based drinks.
Roshan said successful companies with good CR were able to attract talent and also to get the community’s trust and support. This is a win-win situation as when communities thrive businesses will also thrive,” he said.
Not marketing gimmicks
Roshan said some people might view such CR exercises as marketing gimmicks but the top management of companies, especially those in leadership position, must believe in it (that CR initiatives provide tangible long-term benefits) and take proactive steps to resolve issues, even if short-term losses occur in their businesses.
He said CR should be led by those at the top and they must also learn to be more engaging with employees.
“Senior management must be seen to not only talk about CR but must actively take part in such initiatives to show colleagues of their commitment to the CR cause,” he added.
Lafarge Malayan Cement Bhd president and CEO Bi Yong Chungunco, another guest speaker at the forum, said an area in which Lafarge had promoted CR in the workplace was through the health and safety aspects.
She said logistics safety was an important area for Lafarge as the company transported almost all cement sold in the peninsula.
“We believe companies cannot achieve “excellence in business if they cannot achieve excellence in safety. This is why the safety and health aspect are emphasised in Lafarge,” Chungunco said.
She added: “Lafarge conducts health and safety engagement every year where we revisit and re-state the policy and commit ourselves by signing the policy in every country where we are present.”
Chungunco said Lafarge involved the spouses of employees, who were mainly male truck drivers, to appeal to their sense of responsibility on the road, where they were often driving alone.
“We ask the wives to tell their husbands to come home safe, that their families need them. In fact, we make them hold hands at our Transporters’ Safety Day and make that a commitment,” she said.
Other CR commitments include provision of reflector safety belts and GPS systems in the trucks to better monitor the drivers.
Lafarge Malayan Cement was a finalist in the StarBiz-ICR Malaysia awards in 2008 and 2009 under the workplace category.
Guinness Anchor Bhd (GAB) human resources director R. Sujitha Rajaratnam emphasised how the company engaged employees by giving them opportunities to reach their full potential.
“Each employee will have a career development plan encompassing training and development aimed at encouraging and enabling their growth,” she said.
Other initiatives in GAB, a StarBiz-ICR Malaysia award winner in 2010 under the workplace category, included a responsible drinking policy and healthy living.
The company encourages a work-life balance where flexi-time is practised, with a “home early” programme in the pipeline.
The investment in GAB employees is paying off. “We’ve delivered nine consecutive years of growth in revenue, profit and market share,” she said.
CEOs and top executives must be seen to practise the corporate responsibility (CR) initiatives implemented by their companies, if they expect their employees to take those measures seriously.
“Top management must walk the talk and practise what they preach in the CR initiatives implemented by their companies.
“If top management does not practise the CR initiatives as set out, can they really expect their employees to follow?” Leaderonomics founder and CEO Roshan Thiran said.
Roshan, who was a guest speaker at the StarBiz-ICR Malaysia CR Exchange last Monday, observed that there were a number of local companies (listed and unlisted), including those at top management that do not fully appreciate the CR agenda and the benefits derived from good CR initiatives.
Lafarge Malayan Cement Bhd president and CEO Bi Yong Chungunco
“CR today is beyond philanthropy and charity work. It is, in fact, a critical element in the development of a sustainable business model to enable companies to remain competitive globally,” he told StarBiz.
Roshan said CR encompassed many factors ranging from initiatives taken to retain and attract talent, appropriate and sustainable raw material sourcing as well as having a “social mission” in business.
He said companies must not only have a profit mission but also a social mission that involves giving back to the community.
Roshan predicted that in 20 to 30 years, all businesses would need to have a social mission to remain competitive and profitable.
He said: “Organisations that don’t have a social mission will not be around long-term, as CR creates shareholder value and makes business sense.”
He cited several companies, including AirAsia Bhd and General Electric Co, as exemplary companies that had a social mission imbued in their businesses, beyond being profitable.
“AirAsia’s famous tagline “Now everyone can fly” underscores the airline’s mission to open up opportunities for air travel to more people globally,” Roshan noted .
In the case of General Electric, he said the company had a strong commitment to engage the communities with programmes such as “ecomagination challenge” while PepsiCo Inc, a soft-drink manufacturer, had now moved towards providing more health-based drinks.
Roshan said successful companies with good CR were able to attract talent and also to get the community’s trust and support. This is a win-win situation as when communities thrive businesses will also thrive,” he said.
Not marketing gimmicks
Roshan said some people might view such CR exercises as marketing gimmicks but the top management of companies, especially those in leadership position, must believe in it (that CR initiatives provide tangible long-term benefits) and take proactive steps to resolve issues, even if short-term losses occur in their businesses.
He said CR should be led by those at the top and they must also learn to be more engaging with employees.
“Senior management must be seen to not only talk about CR but must actively take part in such initiatives to show colleagues of their commitment to the CR cause,” he added.
Lafarge Malayan Cement Bhd president and CEO Bi Yong Chungunco, another guest speaker at the forum, said an area in which Lafarge had promoted CR in the workplace was through the health and safety aspects.
She said logistics safety was an important area for Lafarge as the company transported almost all cement sold in the peninsula.
“We believe companies cannot achieve “excellence in business if they cannot achieve excellence in safety. This is why the safety and health aspect are emphasised in Lafarge,” Chungunco said.
She added: “Lafarge conducts health and safety engagement every year where we revisit and re-state the policy and commit ourselves by signing the policy in every country where we are present.”
Chungunco said Lafarge involved the spouses of employees, who were mainly male truck drivers, to appeal to their sense of responsibility on the road, where they were often driving alone.
“We ask the wives to tell their husbands to come home safe, that their families need them. In fact, we make them hold hands at our Transporters’ Safety Day and make that a commitment,” she said.
Other CR commitments include provision of reflector safety belts and GPS systems in the trucks to better monitor the drivers.
Lafarge Malayan Cement was a finalist in the StarBiz-ICR Malaysia awards in 2008 and 2009 under the workplace category.
Guinness Anchor Bhd (GAB) human resources director R. Sujitha Rajaratnam emphasised how the company engaged employees by giving them opportunities to reach their full potential.
“Each employee will have a career development plan encompassing training and development aimed at encouraging and enabling their growth,” she said.
Other initiatives in GAB, a StarBiz-ICR Malaysia award winner in 2010 under the workplace category, included a responsible drinking policy and healthy living.
The company encourages a work-life balance where flexi-time is practised, with a “home early” programme in the pipeline.
The investment in GAB employees is paying off. “We’ve delivered nine consecutive years of growth in revenue, profit and market share,” she said.
April 25, 2011
April Special
April was the second month in an early Roman calendar, but became the fourth when the ancient Romans started using January as the first month. The Romans called the month Aprilis. It may come from a word meanting 'to open', or it may come from Aphrodite, the Greek name for the goddess of love.
Small animals that hibernate are usually coming out of their burrows in April. The birds fly back northward or they settle down to have their families. The bees and butterflies begin to gather nectar from the first flowers of the season.
In some parts of the world, it's planting time. In other parts, it's the harvest season. Professional baseball begins in April. Then the amateur athletes begin to go outside in the warm weather. Spring cleaning starts and people start mowing their yards again.
Special days celebrated in April begin with the first day of April, when children and grown-ups play jokes on one another on Aprill Fools.
Month of April always close to my heart ..since it carry mine ,my wife and my elder son birthday. This year it means a lot since I join Maybank Berhad as Business Analyst on IT Transformation Programmed on 19 April 2011.
Happy Birthday Fawwaz
Happy Birthday Sherry
God Bless u
Small animals that hibernate are usually coming out of their burrows in April. The birds fly back northward or they settle down to have their families. The bees and butterflies begin to gather nectar from the first flowers of the season.
In some parts of the world, it's planting time. In other parts, it's the harvest season. Professional baseball begins in April. Then the amateur athletes begin to go outside in the warm weather. Spring cleaning starts and people start mowing their yards again.
Special days celebrated in April begin with the first day of April, when children and grown-ups play jokes on one another on Aprill Fools.
Month of April always close to my heart ..since it carry mine ,my wife and my elder son birthday. This year it means a lot since I join Maybank Berhad as Business Analyst on IT Transformation Programmed on 19 April 2011.
Happy Birthday Fawwaz
Happy Birthday Sherry
God Bless u
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