Saturday, December 28, 2013
Joy of Cooking
For the final article of this year, I would like to share
this story. Hope we learn something out of it …
Once upon a time, before I went to college, my mother
worried. I didn't know how to prepare what she called ‘any decent meals.’ So
she bought me a copy of ‘Joy of Cooking’, and sat me down to watch and
learn. She opened the cookbook to a favorite recipe and began to show me how
to make it.
“Have it says use vegetable oil, but I always use olive
oil.” And then “here it says use chili peppers, but I always leave those out,
because the dish gets too spicy.”
And on it went. Just like that.
“It says here to add salt, but never do that … salt is bad
for your heart.”
After some time, I interrupted the process.
“What is the point of the recipe if you do whatever you want
anyway?” I asked.
And then, as sometimes happened in my mother’s bright green
kitchen, a pearl of wisdom was passed down to me in the uniquely memorable way.
“Listen to your mother. A meal becomes good by starting with
quality instructions. It becomes great when you add a quality chef.”
Since the day more than twenty years ago, I've come to
understand my mother’s teaching as a proverb that applies far beyond cooking.
Actually, it applies to every important activity in our lives.
In negotiating the highways and byways of life, recipes can
take us only so far. Beyond getting the right ingredients or dutifully
following instructions, to become a ‘quality chef’ … in cooking and in life, we
need to reach beyond the fundamentals and learn to adapt, improvise, and
innovate as life demands.
We need to use not only our utensils, our ‘best
practices’ and techniques but also our inner strengths and deeper wisdom.
The key to mastery, to achieving greatness, in the kitchen
or in life, is not your toolbox. It’s you.
Tata 2013.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
A King and His Slave
A king once had a slave who, in all circumstances said: “My
king, do not be discouraged because everything God does is perfect, no mistakes
…”
One day, they went hunting and a wild animal attacked the
king, the slave managed to kill the animal but couldn't prevent his majesty
losing a finger.
Furious and without showing gratitude, the King said; “if God was good, I would not have been attacked and lost one finger!” The slave replied: “Despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good and everything he does is perfect, He is never wrong!”
Furious and without showing gratitude, the King said; “if God was good, I would not have been attacked and lost one finger!” The slave replied: “Despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good and everything he does is perfect, He is never wrong!”
Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his
slave.
Later, he left for another hunt and was captured by savages who use human for sacrifice. In the altar, the savages found out that the king didn't have one finger in place so he was released because he was considered not “complete” to be offered to the gods…
Later, he left for another hunt and was captured by savages who use human for sacrifice. In the altar, the savages found out that the king didn't have one finger in place so he was released because he was considered not “complete” to be offered to the gods…
On his return to the palace, he authorized the release of
his slave saying; “My friend, God was really good to me! I was almost killed
but for lack of a single finger I was let go! But I have a question: if God is
so good, why did He allow me to put you in jail?”
He replies: “My king, if I had gone with you, I would have
been sacrificed for you because I have no missing finger.”
MORAL LESSON:
Remember, everything God does is perfect, He is never wrong … often we complain about life, and the negative things that happen to us,
forgetting that nothing is random, and that everything has a purpose.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Let's Roar
What are you waiting for?
Life is too short. Let's make a difference in life.
Life is too short. Let's make a difference in life.
Let's Roar!
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Adam McKenna
Saya pernah menceritakan mengenai Adam dalam cerita blog
saya tahun lepas. Mula mengenali beliau semasa satu majlis anjuran Teach For
Malaysia (TFM). Since then, kami jadi baik. I guess we have mutual respect.
Saya tertarik dengan young man ini kerana visi hidupnya. Hebat sekali!
Semalam, kami went for breakfast somewhere near Mercu UEM.
Bukan apa, hanya nak celebrate bahawa Adam akan melanjutkan pelajarannya ke
University of Victoria, Canada. Hari ini, beliau berangkat ke sana.
Saya tanya Adam apa pelajaran utama yang beliau perolehi
semasa bersama TFM. Saya suka dengan respon beliau. Kata beliau, disamping mesti
mempunyai gambaran besar tentang apa yang hendak dilaksanakan, TFM menekankan
soal effective implementation. Ini satu soal yang menarik kerana banyak
organisasi yang mempunyai masalah dalam hal ini. Tambah pula TFM ini dianggotai
Gen Y (mereka yang berumur bawah 33 tahun).
Baru-baru ini, semasa satu sessi discussion dengan
segolongan Pengurus-Pengurus Kawasan TNB Distribution, soal Gen Y ini telah
dibincangkan. Dalam discussion ini, saya lihat ramai yang mempunyai cabaran
untuk mempengaruhi Gen Y ini untuk beri yang terbaik dalam tugas mereka. Ini
berlaku kerana pada pandangan pengurusan ini, Gen Y mempunyai characteristic
yang unik berbanding keperluan menjadi seorang anggota kerja yang berkesan
dalam tugas. Yet, Gen Y dalam TFM ini hebat sekali sokongan mereka dalam kerja
mereka.
So, saya tanya Adam, apa yang diamalkan oleh TFM yang pada
penglihatan saya berjaya membuatkan anggota kerja TFM ini melaksanakan segala
implementation dengan mudah. Adam beritahu saya bahawa, sememangnya wujud
seribu satu masalah dalam soal implementation ini, namun anggota kerja ini
sentiasa mengamalkan ketelusan (transparency) dalam tugas. Ketelusan yang bagaimana?
Pertama, TFM benar-benar membawa anggota kerjanya agar benar
memahami apakah visi dan misi TFM. Visi bermaksud kemana maksud akhir TFM dan
misi bermaksud bagaimana TFM mahu mencapai visinya. Penerangan ini dilakukan
secara informal maupun secara formal bermula semenjak temuduga anggota kerja
lagi.
Kedua, TFM sentiasa menggalak ‘active discussion’ semasa
berdepan segala cabaran melaksana tugas. Anggota kerja digalak untuk memberi
pendapat bagaimana untuk mengatasi cabaran yang dihadapi dari hanya mengharapkan
apa keputusan dari ketua mereka.
Bagi saya, ini merupakan ‘crucial conversations’ yang amat
perlu ada dalam sesuatu organisasi itu bagi memastikan engagement dari anggota
kerja organisasi ini. Tambah pula bila berdepan dengan mereka dari Gen Y ini.
Satu realization datang pada saya dalam bentuk begini;
Gen Y = Gen ‘Why’
Ini sesuai benar dengan kenyataan seorang ahli psikologi
barat, Victor E Frankl dalam bukunya ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ iaitu ‘People
have enough to live, but nothing to live for; They have the means, but no
meaning’.
Dalam kata lain manusia zaman sekarang memerlukan
makna(meaning) yang jelas dalam membina commitment mereka melaksana sebarang
tugas itu. Sememangnya ini amat benar bagi mereka dari kalangan Gen Y ini!
Disini saya inginkan utarakan beberapa quotes yang terbit semasa
perbualan Adam dan saya untuk kita sama-sama renungkan;
1) Everyone should have an equal access to create
in whatever fields of life.
2) We in a business to create values for our
customers.
3) Our products or services are merely our
instrument to create better and brighter life.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Better.Brigher!
Beberapa minggu lepas, aku telah diminta untuk merancang dan
melaksana satu program bagi meningkatkan kesedaran di kalangan anggota kerja
TNB bagi menyokong dan mendokong segala aspirasi yang telah dibangunkan oleh
pengurusan TNB bagi menghadapi dunia yang semakin mencabar.
Bila aku lihat scenario dalam TNB ini, sebenarnya terdapat
banyak slogan, inisiatif dan rancangan yang telah disampaikan kepada anggota
kerja TNB ini. Sudahnya apa yang berlaku? Aku lihat ramai anggota kerja ini
yang confuse. Confuse kerana tidak nampak bagaimana segala slogan, inisiatif
dan rancangan ini berhubung kait dan apakah peranan yang mereka perlu mainkan
bagi menjayakan ini semua.
Aku fikir, langkah pertama yang paling penting untuk
dilaksanakan ialah membina satu gambaran menyeluruh bagaimana semua ini
berhubungkait di atas satu muka surat. Hasilnya? Cuba tuan puan hayati gambaran
besar dibawah ini …
Soalan berikut yang harus aku fikirkan ialah bagaimana
anggota kerja TNB ini samada secara individu maupun secara berkumpulan mampu
menyokong gambaran besar ini. Fikir punya fikir, aku fikir, kita perlu
memulakan hasrat ini dengan memberi satu pendedahan untuk bagaimana kenal diri.
Ini adalah soal yang paling asas.
Untuk itu aku telah ketengahkan konsep ‘Stick Person’, satu
kaedah mudah untuk mengetahui bagaimana diri beroperasi dalam menghasilkan
sebarang hasil dalam hidup ini. Bila mereka punya pengetahuan tentang hal ini,
mudah bagi mereka untuk memperbaiki sebarang kepincangan dalam diri.
Hasil dari ilmu kenal diri ini, diharapkan anggota kerja TNB
ini mulai menyedari betapa berharga diri masing-masing. Sudah semesti diri
tidak boleh dipersia-siakan. Jadi bagaimana untuk mereka menghargai diri? Bagi
menjawab persoalan ini, aku harus menekankan kepada mereka bahawa mereka perlu
mempunyai matlamat diri dan kemudian sebokkan diri cuba mencapai matlamat
tersebut.
Bagi membantu mereka menetapkan matlamat, aku ketengahkan
alat S.W.O.T. Sebagai permulaan, aku akan usulkan kepada mereka agar tetapkan
matlamat dalam tugas masing-masing dan matlamat peribadi dalam tugas itu pula
mesti sejajar dengan apa yang organisasi mahukan dari mereka. Jika tidak,
mereka akan hanya ‘syok sendiri’!
Berbekalkan kepada pendekatan di atas, maka wujudlah program
Better.Brighter (B.B). Pilot program ini telah disampaikan kepada sebilangan
anggota kerja TNB Rawang. Hasilnya? Amat membanggakan. Rata-rata menyetujui
B.B. ini telah membuka mata mereka dan faham jelas bagaimana mereka secara
individu maupun secara berkumpulan boleh membantu mencapai hasrat TNB itu.
Bukan itu sahaja, mereka telah mengesyorkan agar B.B ini
dikongsi khasnya dengan anggota kerja TNB Rawang yang lain dan amnya dengan seluruh
anggota kerja TNB bagi mempengaruhi mereka untuk menyokong dan mendokong
transformasi yang mahu dilaksanakan. Ini satu permulaan yang sangat mengujakan.
B.B ini bukan tamat dengan terlaksananya program 3hari 2
malam ini sahaja. Akan ada ‘homework’ dan program susulan yang perlu
dilaksanakan oleh peserta program B.B ini. Ini bagi memastikan hasil akhir program
B.B. ini boleh dicapai. Apapun, aku mesti salute dengan anggota kerja TNB
Rawang ini. Mereka telah memberi komitmen yang cukup tinggi semasa menyertai program
B.B. ini.
Sememangnya, TNB Rawang Better.Brighter!
Thursday, December 12, 2013
The Dash
Dear Readers,
Ponder on this video. It is such a beautiful lesson. Hope you enjoy it and may it brings joy to you. Cheers!
The Dog in the Well
In old times, there was a village having only one well for
drinking water. One day a dog fell down in the well and died. The water became
filthy and undrinkable. The worried villagers went to the old wise man for
advice.
They were told to take 100 buckets of water from the well so
that clean water come to the surface of the well. The villagers took 100
buckets but water status was same.
They went to the wise man again. He suggested taking another
100 buckets. The villagers did the same but to no avail.
They villagers tried third time to take another 100 buckets
as per the advice from the wise man but water was still impure.
The wise said, “How come the whole well is polluted even
removing this much considerable amount of water. Did you remove the dog body
prior to taking 300 buckets of water?”
The villagers said, "No sir, you only advised us to
take water out, not the dog body!"
Reflection:
Several times in life we try to resolve our problems without
considering the root cause of the problems. We believe that we are resolving
the problem whereas in actual we are working on the side effects of problem not
the problem itself.
We don't see the big picture to understand the root of the
issue. We take advice from our well-wishers but do not use our brain to think
logically to analyse the advice and then decide, instead, we start acting
blindly on the solutions suggested by others.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Negative Thanksgiving
A young woman was sitting at her dining table, worried about
taxes to be paid, house-work to be done and to top it all, her family was
coming over the next day. She was not feeling very thankful at
that time. As she turned her gaze sideways, she noticed her young daughter
scribbling furiously into her notebook.
“My teacher asked us to write a
paragraph on “Negative Thanksgiving” for homework today.” said the daughter,
“She asked us to write down things that we are thankful for, things that make
us feel not so good in the beginning, but turn out to be good after all.”
With curiosity, the mother peeked into the book. This is
what the daughter had written:
“I’m thankful for Final Exams, because that means school is
almost over.
I’m thankful for bad-tasting medicine, because it helps me
feel better.
I’m thankful for waking up to alarm clocks, because it means
I’m still alive.”
It then dawned on the mother, that she had a lot of things
to be thankful for!
She thought again…
She had to pay taxes but that meant she was fortunate to be
employed.
She had house-work to do but that meant she had her own home
to live in.
She had to cook for her family but that
meant she had a family with whom she could celebrate.
Moral :
We generally complain about the negative things in life but
we fail to look at the positive side of it. What is the positive in your
negatives?
Look at the better part of life this day and make it a great
day.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Love is Pure
A very poor man lived with his wife.
One day, his wife, who had very long hair, asked him to buy
her a comb for her hair to grow well and to be well-groomed.
The man felt very sorry and said no. He explained that he
did not even have enough money to fix the strap of his watch he had just
broken.
She did not insist on her request.
The man went to work and passed by a watch shop, sold his
damaged watch at a low price and went to buy a comb for his wife.
He came home in the evening with the comb in his hand ready
to give to his wife.
He was surprised when he saw his wife with a very short
haircut.
She had sold her hair and was holding a new watch band.
Tears flowed simultaneously from their eyes, not for the
futility of their actions, but for the reciprocity of their love.
MORAL: To love is nothing, to be loved is something but to
love and to be loved by the one you love, that is EVERYTHING. Never take love
for granted.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Vision n Strategy
The young boy asked the old man, "why a fast running
horse is better than the slow running horse"? The old man said, "It
has developed the habit to produce more power so that it can run up to ten
times faster than the slow horse"
The youngster asked, "And what if the horse is running
in the wrong direction?" The old man smiled and said, "Then
definitely it has the proportionate factor for wasting the efforts ten times
quicker than the slower horse"
The young man asked, "And what if other horses are
following him too?" The older man said, "Off course it will mislead
all those horses too!"
The young man asked again, "Then why all other horses
follow the faster horse?" The older man said, "Because that attracts
them but all that glitters is not gold sometimes."
Lesson learned
Vision is one of the most critical traits of current and
emerging leaders because strong vision results establishing better strategy to
ensure success. In its basic definition, the vision is to see (visualize) the
future at present moment and then aligning the strategies including but not
limited to policies, procedures and action plans in order to ensure success
without any setbacks.
Below 8 Ps elaborate the concept of Vision and Strategy
altogether:
1. Picking
the Right Battle
Effective leaders ponder well enough to choose the right
course of direction (the mission) which can lead them towards success with
higher success probability and greater efficiency. This does not means that
they select easy targets instead sometimes they select more challenging grounds
with their gut feeling of success. However they are careful in making their
choices because of being the captain of the boat. If the leader succeeds, the
boat sails; if leader drowns the whole boat gets collapsed.
2. Perspective
How a leader sees the future is very sensitive matter. No
matter how genius team members he/she possesses; his own vision is highly
important. It is said that an army of dears lead by a lion is far better than
any army of lions lead by a dear. The leader's vision depends on the level of
mental comprehension of industry, current statistics, near future and long term
forecasts/trends, overall knowledge and experience of associated domains, a lot
of study and observation about market and expectation of stake holders.
3. Present Position
The leader must define the baseline because this will be the
reference to be compared when measuring performance and progress at later
stage. The visionary leader must clearly define the Key Performance Indicators
(KPIs); the current values of KPIs, bench marking in line with industry
standards, the measurement criteria and measurement frequency.
4. Policies
and Procedures
The review of current and finalization of policies for
concrete results should be done prior to kick off the execution phase. Yet a
leader should be smart enough to closely monitor and tweak the policies and
procedures in case something is putting the projects/programs in jeopardy. The
market dynamics demands consistent focus and a lot of iterations in companies'
strategies.
5. Plans
Failing to plan is planning to fail. The leader would define
high level goals; the goals which are SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achievable,
Realistic, Time bound) Once defined, the
leader assigns these to the team of managers which in turn use the RACI model
for further low level implementation. (RACI tool is used for defining
Responsibility Matrix; RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and
Informed respectively)
6. Pattern
Although Low level micro tasks is not a specific leaders'
responsibility but it becomes very effective if leaders take active part few
times during the life cycle of the project; especially when WBS (work breakdown
structures) are prepared by the associated Project Managers. Sometimes his/her
vision and experience can make big difference when reviewing WBS with the PM.
7. Progress
Performance
Consistent progress and performance measurement against the
baseline must be ensured by the leaders. This also requires risk
identification, risk analysis and risk mitigation. The project becomes orphans
if the leader does not review its performance periodically.
8. Power
Plug
Last but not the least; he becomes the consistent source of
inspiration, fuel and energy for his team members. By this act he ensures that
the 'batteries' (employee's working potential) are charged throughout the life
cycle of the project.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Three Differences Between Managers and Leaders
A young manager accosted me the other day. "I've been
reading all about leadership, have implemented several ideas, and think I'm
doing a good job at leading my team. How will I know when I've crossed over from
being a manager to a leader?" he wanted to know.
I didn't have a ready answer and it's a complicated issue,
so we decided to talk the next day. I thought long and hard, and came up with
three tests that will help you decide if you've made the shift from managing
people to leading them.
By contrast, leaders focus on creating value, saying:
"I'd like you to handle A while I deal with B." He or she generates
value over and above that which the team creates, and is as much a
value-creator as his or her followers are. Leading by example and leading by
enabling people are the hallmarks of action-based leadership.
Circles of Influence vs Circles of Power. Just as managers
have subordinates and leaders have followers, managers create circles of power
while leaders create circles of influence.
The quickest way to figure out which of the two you're doing
is to count the number of people outside your reporting hierarchy who come to
you for advice. The more that do, the more likely it is that you are perceived
to be a leader.
Leading People vs Managing
Work. Management consists of controlling a group or a set of entities to
accomplish a goal. Leadership refers to an individual's ability to influence,
motivate, and enable others to contribute toward organizational success.
Influence and inspiration separate leaders from managers, not power and
control.
In India, M.K. Gandhi inspired millions of people to fight
for their rights, and he walked shoulder to shoulder with them so India could
achieve independence in 1947. His vision became everyone's dream and ensured
that the country's push for independence was unstoppable. The world needs
leaders like him who can think beyond problems, have a vision, and inspire
people to convert challenges into opportunities, a step at a time.
I encouraged my colleague to put this theory to the test by
inviting his team-mates for chats. When they stop discussing the tasks at hand
and talk about vision, purpose, and aspirations instead, that's when you will
know you have become a leader.
Agree?
Friday, November 22, 2013
Semuanya Sudah Terbalik
Seorang guru wanita sedang bersemangat mengajarkan sesuatu
kepada murid-muridnya. Ia duduk menghadap murid-muridnya. Di tangan kirinya ada
kapur, di tangan kanannya ada pemadam. Guru itu berkata,
"Saya ada satu permainan ... Caranya begini, ditangan
kiri saya ada kapur, di tangan kanan ada pemadam. Jika saya angkat kapur ini,
maka berserulah "Kapur!", jika saya angkat pemadam ini, maka katalah
"Pemadam!"
Murid muridnya pun mengerti dan mengikuti. Guru
berganti-gantian mengangkat antara kanan dan kiri tangannya, semakin lama
semakin cepat. Beberapa saat kemudian guru kembali berkata, "Baik sekarang
perhatikan. Jika saya angkat kapur, maka sebutlah "Pemadam!", jika
saya angkat pemadam, maka katakanlah "Kapur!".
Dan diulangkan seperti tadi, tentu saja murid-murid tadi
keliru dan kekok, dan sangat sukar untuk mengubahnya. Namun lambat laun, mereka
sudah biasa dan tidak lagi kekok. Selang beberapa saat, permainan berhenti.
Sang guru tersenyum kepada murid-muridnya.
"Murid-murid, begitulah kita manusia. Mulanya yang benar itu benar, yang salah
itu salah. Kita begitu jelas membezakannya. Namun kemudian, akibat kelalaian,
kita menukarkan sesuatu, dari yang benar menjadi salah, dan sebaliknya.
Pertama-tama mungkin akan sukar bagi kita menerima hal
tersebut, tapi kerana terus tenggelam dengan godaan hidup, akhirnya lambat laun
kita akan terbiasa dengan hal itu. Dan anda mulai dapat mengikutinya.
"Keluar berduaan, berkasih-kasihan tidak lagi sesuatu
yang pelik, zina tidak lagi jadi persoalan, pakaian seksi menjadi hal yang
lumrah, tanpa rasa malu, sex sebelum nikah menjadi suatu kebiasaan dan trend,
hiburan yang asyik dan panjang sehingga melupakan yang wajib adalah biasa,
materialistik kini menjadi suatu gaya hidup dan lain lain."
"Semuanya sudah terbalik. Dan tanpa disedari, anda
sedikit demi sedikit menerimanya tanpa rasa ia satu kesalahan dan kemaksiatan.
Paham?" tanya Guru kepada murid-muridnya. "Paham cikgu..."
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Determining Your True Path
A master was strolling through a field of wheat when a
disciple came up to him and asked, “I can’t tell which is the true path. What’s
the secret?”
“What does that ring on your right hand mean?” – asked the
master.
“My father gave it to me before dying.”
“Well, give it to me.”
The disciple obeyed, and the master tossed the ring into the
middle of the field of wheat.
“Now what?” – shouted the master.
“Now I have to stop doing everything I was doing to look for
the ring! It’s important to me!”
“When you find it, remember this: You yourself answered the
question you asked me. That is how you tell the true path: It is more important
than all the rest.”
Saturday, November 16, 2013
I’ve learned ...
I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you
can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.
I’ve learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only
seconds to destroy it.
I’ve learned that it’s not what you have in your life but
who you have in your life that counts.
I’ve learned that you should never ruin an apology with an
excuse.
I’ve learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best
others can do.
I’ve learned that you can do something in an instant that
will give you heartache for life.
I’ve learned that it’s taking me a long time to become the
person I want to be.
I’ve learned that you should always leave loved ones with
loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I’ve learned that you can keep going long after you can’t.
I’ve learned that we are responsible for what we do, no
matter how we feel.
I’ve learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a
relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something
else to take its place.
I’ve learned that heroes are the people who do what has to
be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I’ve learned that my best friend and I can do anything or
nothing and have the best time.
I’ve learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick
you when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up.
I’ve learned that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right
to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.
I’ve learned that true friendship continues to grow, even
over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I’ve learned that just because someone doesn’t love you the
way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.
I’ve learned that you should never tell a child their dreams
are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy
it would be if they believed it.
I’ve learned that your family won’t always be there for you.
It may seem funny, but people you aren’t related to can take care of you and
love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren’t biological.
I’ve learned that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by
others. Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.
I’ve learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the
world doesn’t stop for your grief.
I’ve learned that our background and circumstances may have
influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I’ve learned that a rich person is not the one who has the
most, but is one who needs the least.
I’ve learned that we don’t have to change friends if we
understand that friends change.
I’ve learned that you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a
secret. It could change your life forever.
I’ve learned that two people can look at the exact same
thing and see something totally different.
I’ve learned that even when you think you have no more to
give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
I’ve learned that credentials on the wall do not make you a
decent human being.
I’ve learned that the people you care about most in life are
taken from you too soon.
I’ve learned that it’s hard to determine where to draw the
line between being nice and not hurting people’s feelings, and standing up for
what you believe.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Agenda
Satu pagi itu, saya duduk berbincang dengan seorang Datuk
ini mengenai apa yang perlu dilaksanakan bagi menjayakan program pembangunan
kepimpinan untuk satu organisasi besar di negara ini.
Saya ‘bombard’ Datuk ini dengan pelbagai soalan dan syor untuk
program ini. Saya lihat Datuk ini ‘deep’ memikirkan sesuatu sebelum dia senyum
merenung saya.
“Betul Mior, there are so many things to be done to realize
all these program. Actually at the moment I sedang membaca buku karangan
seorang Professor Harvard ini. Professor ini sebenarnya merupakan seorang pakar
dalam bidang ‘negotiation’.
Dalam buku ini, she said, dalam kepala kita ini ada
macam-macam agenda yang mahu kita laksanakan. Kita perlu ada ability untuk
negotiate dengan diri kita apakah agenda utama yang perlu kita lakukan.
Jika kita tidak berupaya negotiate dengan diri kita, pasti
kita akan rasa overwhelmed dan sudahnya nothing happen. Even at this point of
time, I pun rasa overwhelmed sebab demand yang tinggi dari customer. But I know
I have to establish apa agenda yang perlu dilakukan terlebih dulu. Jika tidak,
huru hara.
Actually Mior, itu baru antara I dan diri I. Belum lagi cuba
nak negotiate agenda dengan orang lain. Lagi havoc. But somehow, selepas kita
tahu inilah realiti keadaan kita, we have to accept the situation dan move on.
Yang penting whatever yang dipilih, we have to be responsible and accountable
to it.”
Termenung sebentar saya mendengar kata-kata Datuk ini. Saya
terasa benar the gravity of the issue yang diketengahkan oleh Datuk ini.
Bila kita lihat kehidupan kita ini, saban hari kita terdedah
dengan beraneka agenda untuk kita pertimbangkan. Namun bagi mereka yang
berjaya, mereka sebenarnya mampu ‘lock in’ kepada satu agenda dan kemudian make
it happen. Mereka tidak mudah digugat dengan agenda lain. Itu sebab mereka
berjaya.
Teringat saya kepada quote ini … ‘If you do the little jobs
well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves’.
Di waktu ini, hasil selalu menjadi keutamaan. Sesiapa yang
berupaya menghasilkan hasil, beliau akan dijulang. Jika beliau gagal
menghasilkan hasil, beliau akan dilupakan. Mana mungkin kita berupaya
menghasilkan hasil jika kita tidak ‘lock in’
kepada satu agenda.
Moga Tuhan beri saya kekuatan untuk amalkan apa yang
dikongsi oleh Datuk ini.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
What Really Matter
Pertama kali saya saksikan video clip ini memang buat saya teruja. Memang video ini mampu menceritakan segala intipati (essence) dalam program yang saya bawakan iaitu Sedia Untuk Berjaya (SUB). Mari kita sama-sama saksikan video ini ...
Agar hidup ini penuh bermakna, pertama sekali mesti kita ketahui apa ilmu dan skill yang mahu kita bina dalam diri kita. Itu sebab satu alat bernama S.W.O.T. digunakan bagi mencapai maksud ini.
Namun tak mampu kita guna diri untuk mencapai segala matlamat jika kita tidak tahu bagaimana diri beroperasi. Itu sebab satu alat yang dinamakan 'Stick Person' digunakan bagi mencapai tujuan ini. Bila kita tahu bagaiamana diri beroperasi maka lebih mudah kita memperbetulkan diri bilamana timbul sebarang cabaran.
Bagi memperkuatkan diri agar kukuh dalam perjalananan kita untuk capai matlamat tersebut pula, kita harus tahu apakah nilai yang boleh dibawa oleh matlamat kita itu. Tanpa mengetahui nilai ini terutama bagaimana ianya bernilai pada orang lain, kita mungkin terjerumus kedalam satu mindset yang bernama 'syok sendiri'. Itu sebab satu alat bernama 'Business Model Canvas' digunakan bagi mengenalpasti dan membina nilai ini.
Jika segala aktiviti di atas kita hubungkan kepada niat diri kita untuk beri yang terbaik dalam hidup sebagai tanda syukur kita terhadap apa yang Tuhan berikan kepada kita, dengan izin Tuhan, hidup kita sentiasa diberkati dan dirahmati.
Moga dengan bantuan dari tiga alat ini, kita mampu mencapai maksud dari video di atas. Wallahu'alam.
Insya Allah akan saya masukkan video clip ini dalam SUB.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Erti Kepimpinan - Satu Cara Pandang
Adakah anda mempunyai keupayaan untuk mempengaruhi …
Pelanggan Anda
Penyelia Anda
Rakan Anda
Orang Bawahan Anda
Diri Anda
… bagi mencapai apa yang anda mahu capai?
Bukankah bila kita mampu laksanakan perkara di atas, dengan sendirinya
kita menjadi pemimpin yang berkesan?
Inilah yang telah disuarakan oleh seorang General Perang
Dunia Kedua dahulu. Saya rasa General ini tahu apa yang dicakapkannya kerana
beliau perlu memimpin/mempengaruhi askar-askar beliau yang perlu mempertaruhkan
nyawa mereka bagi mencapai hasrat General ini. Fikirkan …
Segala kompetensi seperti merancang, berkomunikasi,
mendeligasi, coaching, mentoring, memotivasi, berinovasi, mengurus konflik,
mengurus masa dan problem solving merupakan antara elemen penting yang perlu
ada pada seorang pemimpin untuk berupaya mempengaruhi dengan berkesan.
Bukan itu saja, agar mampu memimpin/mempengaruhi dengan
berkesan, seorang pemimpin mesti juga mempunyai nilai-nilai murni seperti
berintegriti, prihatin, berkomitmen, bersemangat tinggi dan bertanggungjawab.
Apa kata kita jadikan keupayaan untuk mempengaruhi ini
sebagai ‘The One Thing’ yang perlu kita fokuskan dalam hasrat membina leaders
dalam organisasi kita? Dalam kata lain, segala usaha membina leaders perlu
bermula dari titik ini iaitu keupayaan untuk mempengaruhi.
Kita jadikan ini sebagai ‘Our One Common Language’ bila
bercakap mengenai Kepimpinan. Rasanya ini membuatkan kita semua senang fokus
dalam membina kepimpinan di kalangan kita.
Bukan apa, apabila saya berjalan dalam satu-satu organisasi
itu, saya lihat pemimpin-pemimpin organisasi itu mempunyai pelbagai takrif
untuk kepimpinan. Masalah bila kita mempunyai pelbagai takrif kepimpinan dalam
satu-satu organisasi itu ini ialah kita sukar untuk menyatu-padukan segala
usaha membina pemimpin. Banyak sangat kepala. Sudahnya nothing happen. Fikirkan
…
Saya mengimpikan agar satu masa nanti ada organisasi di
Malaysia ini akan menjadikan slogan di atas sebagai ‘The One Thing’ mereka
dalam membangunkan kepimpinan dalam organisasi mereka. Insyaallah.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Tindakan dan ‘Passion’
Ramai yang mahu capai matlamat masing-masing. Dari
ramai-ramai orang itu, hanya segelintir yang mampu capai matlamat. Ini adalah
kerana ramai diantara kita tiada kekuatan untuk mengambil tindakan. Tindakan membezakan segalanya. Tapi bukan itu
sahaja, dalam zaman serba moden ini, tindakan kita perlu mempunyai dua ciri.
Pertama segala tindakan perlu laju. Jika tidak sudah tentu
kita ketinggalan. Teringat kata-kata seorang sahabat ini,
Fast Action, Fast Result
Slow Action, No Result!
Berbeza jauh dengan apa yang biasa saya dengar semasa
kecil-kecil dahulu, ‘Biar Lambat Asal Selamat’. Sudah tidak boleh dipakai lagi
pepatah ini.
Kedua, segala tindakan kita perlu dibuat sehingga selesai.
Ramai yang bertindak dengan begitu semangat pada mulanya tetapi makin lama
langsung ditinggalkan begitu sahaja. Tindakan yang separuh jalan tidak akan
membawa kita mencapai matlamat kita.
Beberapa hari lepas, semasa memfasilitatorkan program ‘Young
Executive Forum’ untuk Bahagian Penghantaran, TNB, saya mendapat satu ilham
bagaimana untuk membina ‘passion’ dalam apa yang kita kerjakan. Bagaimana? Ini
penjelasannya …
Setiap satu kerja itu bila kita ambil tindakan, lama
kelamaan akan menwujudkan ‘suka’
terhadap kerja tersebut. Dan jika kita terus mengambil tindakan terhadap kerja
tersebut, ‘suka’ itu akan bertukar pula menjadi rasa ‘passion’ terhadap kerja
tersebut.
Rahsia merasai ‘passion’ itu rupanya berdasarkan kepada
tindakan berterusan walaupun pada mulanya kita mungkin tidak menyukai kerja
tersebut. Kenapa bila kita ambil tindakan boleh menwujudkan rasa ‘passion’ pada
akhirnya?
Ini adalah kerana bila kita mengambil tindakan, dua perkara akan berlaku,
1) Mampu melihat perkara-perkara baru mengenai kerja tersebut.
2) Mampu melihat kerja tersebut dari satu sudut pandang baru.
Mana mungkin seorang yang tidak mengambil tindakan itu mampu
terdedah kepada dua perkara di atas? Perasaan yang timbul ini mudah
digambarkan seperti ceritanya dalam lagu berikut. Renungkan kata-kata lagu
tersebut.
Saya harap anda mampu nampak apa yang saya nampak mengenai
bagaimana rasa ‘passion’ itu mulai wujud dalam diri kita. Moga selepas ini kita
mempunyai sebab yang kukuh untuk mengambil tindakan.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Monday, October 28, 2013
The Brooklyn Bridge
This is a real life story of engineer John Roebling building
the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, USA back in 1870. The bridge was completed in
1883, after 13 years.
In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was
inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the
Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that
this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could
not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.
Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of
this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart
that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After
much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up
and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
Working together for the first time, the father and son
developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could
be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild
challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream
bridge.
The project started well, but when it was only a few months
underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling.
Washington was also injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage,
which resulted in him not being able to talk or walk.
“We told them so.” “Crazy men and their crazy dreams.” “It’s
foolish to chase wild visions.”
Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the
project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how
the bridge could be built.
In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged
and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as
sharp as ever. He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his
friends, but they were too daunted by the task.
As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight
streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains
apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just
a moment.
It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up.
Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to
make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of
communication with his wife.
He touched his wife’s arm with that finger, indicating to
her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same
method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish
but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his
finger on his wife’s arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the
spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph
of one man’s indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by
circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and
to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too
as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long
years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what
to do.
Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die
attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible
goal.
Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our
hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The
Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realized with
determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Terbaik!
Selalu saya lihat di waktu ini ramai yang suka menyebut
slogan ‘Terbaik’ bilamana bertemu dengan sebarang perkara yang mengujakan diri
masing-masing. Ada yang menyebutnya sebagai ‘Terbaek’ atau ‘Terbayek’. Kelakar
juga tengok gelagat-gelagat mereka. ;)
Apapun, kita fahamkah bagaimana kita boleh jadi terbaik
dalam hidup ini?
Secara peribadi, terbaik boleh kita capai jika pada mulanya
kita jelas apa yang mahu kita capai dalam ruang masa hidup masing-masing. Mana
mungkin kita boleh beri yang terbaik jika kita tidak passionate dengan apa yang
mahu kita capai?
Itulah, langkah awal untuk jadi terbaik ialah kita mesti jelas
sejelasnya apa matlamat kita dalam hidup ini. Saya tak nampak cara lain yang
lebih praktikal bagi mencapai tujuan ini. Fikirkan …
Kenapa kita perlu jadi terbaik? Mudah sahaja. Hidup kita ini
sementara dan singkat. Itu sebabnya. Kalau hidup kita ini kekal dan panjang,
kita mungkin ada sebab untuk tangguhkan jadi yang terbaik. Fikirkan …
Hidup memang tidak sunyi dari masalah dan dugaan. Kadang-kadang
kita rasakan segala masalah dan dugaan itu semacam tidak masuk akal. Kita rasa
pelik macam mana masalah dan dugaan itu boleh hinggap pada diri kita. Bak kata
satu quote yang yang terbaca baru-baru ini;
“Life has a way of testing a person's will, either by having
nothing happen at all or by having everything happen at once”.
Tapi itulah kehidupan, walau apa juga masalah dan dugaan
yang datang, pasti ada hikmahnya Tuhan berikan kepada kita. Hidup kita akan
mudah jadi hilang punca jika diri begitu tertumpu kepada masalah dan cabaran.
Ini pasti akan mencuri masa kita yang
sifatnya sementara dann singkat itu.
Jika kita tidak berhati-hati kita akan jatuh hanyut dalam
hidup ini. Itu sebab untuk kekal terbaik kita perlukan matlamat. Kerana
matlamat adalah ibarat ‘light house’ dalam hidup kita. Walau apa juga badai
yang melanda kita, dengan izin Tuhan, matlamat mampu bantu kita untuk terus jadi yang terbaik.
Segala apa yang kita lalui di masa lepas hanyalah merupakan
satu peninggalan kita. Jika peninggalan itu terbaik, puaslah kita. Jika
peninggalan itu sekadar ala kadar sahaja, termenunglah kita. Apa pun perjalanan
bernama hidup ini perlu diteruskan. Selagi Tuhan beri kita masa, mari sama-sama
kita usahakan jadi yang terbaik pada segenap ruang masa itu. Mengapa ini perlu? Renungi quote dibawah ini;
“You have the power to be somebody’s hero — not for the
glory of it, or to call yourself a hero, but to take with you an amazing deed,
‘cause that’s all we can take forward in our lives: the deeds that we do, and
the doas (prayers) that we get.”
Walau macam mana senang kita atau walau macam mana susahnya
kita, semua susah senang itu hanya sementara. Hidup perlu diteruskan. Rugi
sangat jika terus bertangguh terutama untuk jadi yang terbaik. Yes. ‘Terbaik’
we must! Satu ‘equation’ untuk jadi terbaik;
Niat + Ilmu + Usaha + Ikhlas + Tawakkal + Redha = Hidup
Terbaik.
Saya melihat equation diatas bukan semata-mata satu teori
tetapi lebih kepada satu cerita perjalanan bagaimana terbaik boleh kita capai
dalam hidup kita. Setiap komponen disebelah kiri equation ini perlu hadir dalam
hidup kita untuk mencipta ‘Terbaik’ itu. Renungkan …
Moga-moga dengan berpendirian begini, Tuhan akan meredhai, merahmati
dan mengampuni dosa-dosa kita. Kita berhak jadi Terbaik! Ameen.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Don’t Hope, Decide!
While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in KLIA, I
had one of those life-changing experiences that you hear other people talk
about — the kind that sneaks up on you unexpectedly. This one occurred a mere
two feet away from me.
Straining to locate my friend among the passengers, I
noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next
to me to greet his family.
First he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old)
as he laid down his bags. They gave each other a long, loving hug. As they
separated enough to look in each other’s face, I heard the father say, “It’s so
good to see you, son. I missed you so much!” His son smiled somewhat shyly,
averted his eyes and replied softly, “Me, too, Dad!”
Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son
(maybe nine or ten) and while cupping his son’s face in his hands said, “You’re
already quite the young man. I love you very much, Zach!” They too hugged a
most loving, tender hug.
While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or
one-and-a-half) was squirming excitedly in her mother’s arms, never once taking
her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father. The man said,
“Hi, baby girl!” as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed
her face all over and then held her close to his chest while rocking her from
side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and simply laid her head on his
shoulder, motionless in pure contentment.
After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest
son and declared, “I’ve saved the best for last!” and proceeded to give his
wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. He gazed into
her eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed. “I love you so much!” They
stared at each other’s eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding
both hands.
For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by
the age of their kids that they couldn’t possibly be. I puzzled about it for a
moment then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful display of
unconditional love not more than an arm’s length away from me. I suddenly felt
uncomfortable, as if I was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my
own voice nervously ask, “Wow! How long have you two been married?
“Been married for fifteen years.” he replied, without
breaking his gaze from his lovely wife’s face. “Well then, how long have you
been away?” I asked. The man finally turned and looked at me, still beaming his
joyous smile. “Two whole days!”
Two days? I was stunned. By the intensity of the greeting, I
had assumed he’d been gone for at least several weeks – if not months. I know
my expression betrayed me.
I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with
some semblance of grace (and to get back to searching for my friend), “I hope
my marriage is still that passionate after more than 20 years!”
The man suddenly stopped smiling.
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