CATEGORY:Knowledge - planning your learning curve

The Power Of Purpose

During the 1940s, Viktor E. Frankl, Austrian psychiatrist and author, was held prisoner in Nazi concentration camps. With all the agony and brutality, what kept Frankl from giving up his relentless fight for his life was purpose.

Dr. Frankl sought and found meaning in his struggle, and that gave him the power to survive unimaginable indignity and pain.

In his book, “Man’s Search for Meaning”, Dr. Frankl sums up his philosophy on how people were able to survive the camps, without losing the will to live.

“Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.”

Why Is Purpose Necessary?

First, purpose gives us hope. And hope gives us well-being. Hope gives us an increased ability to cope with change and disruption, enhancing our resilience and increasing our happiness.

Second, purpose enhances our self-esteem. Our self-confidence increases. We feel a sense of competence and achievement, and an enhanced ability to deal with difficulties and challenges.

Third, purpose is closely linked to ‘flow’ — the state of intense absorption in which we forget our surroundings and ourselves. A strong sense of purpose leads to more frequent experiences of flow. Flow is a powerful source of well-being. The more flow we experience, the happier we feel. (Please see Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness | TED Talk)

Fourth, purpose makes us less vulnerable to ‘psychological discord.’ This is the fundamental sense of unease we often experience, manifesting itself in boredom, anxiety, and depression. By focusing our attention and giving us a channel for our mental and emotional energies, purpose aligns thought, feeling and action, leading to a sense of ‘wholeness’.

Finally, having a purpose makes us less self-centered. We feel a part of something bigger, something outside ourselves, and this makes us less focused on our own worries and anxieties. So, our sense of well-being increases.

But, most of all, purpose gives us power.

Power over ourselves, our minds, our thoughts, our actions.

The power to aim for and to achieve more.

The power to contribute and create value.

Flashback # 1

She stood in her corner office. It was huge. Her desk was larger than most beds.

She walked to the wrap-around windows and gazed out at the cityscape. What an amazing view! She could see the faint outline of the hills far into the distance.

She had arrived. CEO of a billion-dollar group! Her lips curved into an involuntary smile.

Thank God for Subra, her mentor and boss from 15 years ago.

“Discover your purpose,” he had said.

“When you are clear about what drives you, about who you are, about what you really want, you will operate at full capacity, and you will achieve your potential,” he had reiterated.

“Once you know your purpose, you can align your performance with it, and you will become unstoppable,” he had advised.

So, she had done so. She had delved deep into herself and discovered her purpose.

“Build an engaged and happy workplace and inspire the motivated team to create success.”

She had lived this purpose for 15 years.

In doing so, she had found hope, optimism, happiness, well-being and untold joy.

Success followed her wherever she went.

Boards and bosses and teams wanted her.

Now, she stood on the pinnacle of success.

She looked at the wall at the poster with Napoleon Hill’s words,

“There is one quality that one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.”

The Power Of Performance

Two grains were lying side by side on the fertile soil.

The first grain said: “I want to grow up! I want to put down roots deep into the ground and sprout. And I dream to blossom and proclaim the coming of spring. I want to feel the warm rays of sun and the dew drops on my petals!”

This grain grew up and became a beautiful flower.

The second grain said: “I’m afraid. If I put down my roots into the ground, I don’t know what they will face there. If I will grow tender stems, they can be damaged by wind. And if I have flowers, they may be eaten by animals. So, I better wait for a safer time.”

As the second grain waited, a chicken that passed by pecked at and ate it.

Successful people who have attained amazing goals are not stronger, more intelligent or more fearless than you. The only difference is their self-belief and their sustained efforts in the direction of their dreams.

Why Is Performance Critical?

Nobody succeeds without hard work. Nothing spectacular comes without it. Getting organised is hard work. Setting goals, making plans to achieve them, and staying on track is hard work.

There’s only one way to the top: Performance.

Lasting success can only be achieved if you put in the work.

Stephen King once said “Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”

Henry Ford similarly said, “The harder you work, the luckier you get!”

Don’t wish it were easier. Work harder.

Hard work is challenging, painful and uncomfortable. But it is the only way to the top. In fact, the key to success is to learn to enjoy challenging work and to enjoy working hard at it.

Your idols and heroes worked hard and made careful choices before they reaped the rewards of success. They performed to their full capacity.

Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times while he was working on the light bulb and yet he never dreamed of giving up – this is the hard work and the determination that marks a true success.

Picasso worked ceaselessly through his long lifetime. The total number of artworks he produced has been estimated at 50,000, comprising 1,885 paintings; 1,228 sculptures; 2,880 ceramics, roughly 12,000 drawings, many thousands of prints, and numerous tapestries and rugs.

The greater your capacity for hard work, the more rewards fall within your grasp. If you have chosen a significant purpose for your life, it is going to require hard work to get there.

If getting to the top was easy, it wouldn’t be rare.

The importance of performance is a timeless truth. Rather than fight it, run with it and greatness and extraordinary success will be yours.

Flashback # 2

She walked to the 12-seater conference table on the far side of her new office. She ran her fingers against the polished mahogany.

How many tables, she thought. How many meetings and conferences and discussions.

The first few years after she discovered her purpose were a whirlwind of learning and doing and travelling and working, often starting  as the sun rose and ending much after it set.

How much joy from each successful deal, each new customer acquired, each plan completed on time.

What an amazing, fun 15 years it has been, she thought.

She looked at the other poster behind her desk, recalling when she first read Oprah Winfrey’s words, reveling in their wisdom,

“The big secret in success is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you are willing to work.”

Purpose + Performance = Power

When clear purpose combines with focused performance, you become unstoppable.

Purpose shows you who you are and what you want. Performance plays to your strengths and achieves your goals.

Together, they give you the power to live an unlimited life.

Together, they give you the power to lead an ‘intentional life’ rather than a ‘default life’.

A life that you control. A life that you wish for.

And when you lead an intentional life, you inspire and motivate. You become a natural leader, one who is heeded, heard and followed.

Your power extends beyond yourself to the world around you. You influence and mould others. You envision and drive change.

Flashback # 3

She picked up her bag and walked to the door of her office.

I shouldn’t be late today, she thought.

She was expected at the Global Diversity Forum. She was the Guest of Honor tonight.

Time to make a difference, she thought.

Time to put my power to work.

She strode confidently to her car, as her chauffeur opened the door for her.

She smiled at him and thanked him.

Time to change the world…

The Final Goodbye

Thank you for reading my articles.

Thank you for your likes, your shares, your responses, your discussions.

It has been an amazing ride.

But the time has come to say goodbye.

As Douglas Adams wrote in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”,

“The answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything is 42.”

Thus, with this 42^nd article, you have the answer.

Discover your purpose.

Perform with everything you have.

Generate the power you need to live the life you want.

This is the answer to all your questions. On happiness. About success. On satisfaction. About wealth.

Purpose + Performance = Power.

****

Cheers | Shesh | Singapore | 30 December 2020.

To survive a crisis and win, we need to master the “Five Weapons To Deal With The Post-Pandemic World”.

Rajat and Lynn knew about the Five Weapons.

Rajat ignored them.

Lynn honed them.

Storm On The Horizon

News item in September 2019 : Oil prices dip below US$ 40 per barrel

News item in December 2019 : IEA predicts flattening of global energy demand

Viral blogpost in December 2019 : China doctor arrested for posting video on ‘runaway virus’

News item in January 2020 : Wuhan locked down; virus rampages across region

News item in February 2020 : Thousands infected in Italy; virus sweeping into Europe

Having Sight, But No Vision

Rajat Chandra was a lucky man.

He had had a comfortable career so far. In his mid-thirties, Rajat was the Operations Manager in a reputed Maritime Services group headquartered in Singapore. He had just completed 5 years in the company, and was well thought off, by his management and his team-mates.

Rajat was good at his job, and knew enough to deliver steady outcomes. He was happy – he felt secure and stable.

A few months before, in November, the Managing Director nominated middle managers in Rajat’s company to attend a two day training seminar on career management. Run by two former CEOs, who were now professional coaches, the seminar addressed various career issues and concerns. One of the sessions was on the Five Weapons professionals needed to survive a crisis and thrive in the corporate world.

The session described and discussed the Five Weapons –

1. Situational Awareness
2. Flexibility & Mobility
3. Networking
4. Strategy & Planning
5. Continuous Learning

Rajat had enjoyed the seminar. He found the ‘Five Weapons’ session stimulating and fun, and the examples, both from historical and from current times, interesting.

But he also felt that he did not really need these weapons. The combination of security and stability had given birth to new feeling – complacency.

Famous Last Words

“Why would I need weapons?” Rajat thought. He was part of a good company, where the leadership took care of and invested in the employees. And, he was doing well, and had been promoted a year ago, and was hoping for another promotion within the next couple of years. He got along with his boss, and his numbers were looking good.

“These Five Weapons are more for executives and managers who are either in companies not doing well, or who are not doing so well themselves,” Rajat thought. In fact, he had shared this opinion with one of his colleagues  (and a good friend) Lynn Cheng.

“I don’t agree,” Lynn had replied, after hearing Rajat out. “I think all of us need to master these weapons. We have no control over the external environment, but we can prepare ourselves for the worst case scenario so that we can survive a crisis.”

Rajat had laughed. “Lynn, what worst case scenario? You know I read about global economics and finance all the time – the world is doing well, in fact never better! Why would I spend time mastering things I am never going to use?”

Lynn was insistent. “No, Rajat, those two CEOs were not fools. They did not sacrifice one-fourth of the seminar to focus on things that we would not need. Did you know that this is a newly incorporated session? They evidently see something we don’t.”

“No way,” Rajat scoffed, “We are doing great, and nothing is going to change that!”

Prepare For The Unexpected

Lynn Cheng had also had a nice life so far.

She was 31 years old and was Deputy HR Manager. She had been with the company for a little longer than Rajat. Lynn had started as an HR Officer, and had been promoted thrice in six years. She was that rare HR professional – trusted and liked by her colleagues.

Lynn was different from Rajat in one critical aspect. She knew that security and stability could be unpredictable and transient.

Lynn was completely energized by the career management seminar. Every session spoke to her, resonating with her own thoughts and opinions.

When she was younger, her father once quoted the then CEO of Intel, Andy Grove, to her :

“Success breeds Complacency. Complacency breeds Failure. Only the paranoid survive.”

The day after the seminar, Lynn started her journey to mastering the Five Weapons.

The Warrior’s Path

She first tackled Situational Awareness.

Lynn broke it into three parts – her company, her market and the general environment.

She read as much as could find about her company’s history, growth and performance. What she couldn’t find, she asked of her boss and colleagues. She spent some time with the CFO and understood the financial issues and stresses that the company was facing.

Lynn subscribed to various domain newsletters on the maritime sector. As she pored through these, she realized that the maritime industry was in bad shape. Hundreds of companies had closed down in the past few years, and even the remaining ones were financially teetering.

Then, she started browsing the internet on global issues – the increasing nationalism, the trade war between US and China, the struggles of emerging economies, the failures in world trade and cooperation.

Within two weeks, Lynn fully agreed with Andy Grove – “In such an environment, one definitely needs to be paranoid,’ she said to herself, “I will need to master the Five Weapons if I want to survive a crisis.”

Within four weeks, she realized that neither her nor Rajat’s jobs could be taken for granted. One misstep here or one change there, and the company would need to cut costs drastically.

In parallel, Lynn started planning her Strategy (and upgrading her Learning).

In her reading, she also learnt about the forces that were disrupting HR. During this, Lynn had come across a McKinsey article on how 40% of HR jobs in the future would be done by computers and bots. She agreed with the article – “Much of what we do is repetitive and patterned,” she thought, “So easy to digitalize.”

She realized that some parts of HR – talent management, performance management, employee engagement – would be difficult to offshore or digitalize. “If I want to continue in HR and survive a crisis, I will need to become an expert in these areas,” she said to herself.

Lynn looked for and joined two HR professional forums so that we could keep track of the state of the art and find avenues to learn and develop herself.

She visited a career counselor. “What areas, other than HR, can my current capabilities and competencies help me excel in?” she asked.

Lynn had always been good at Networking.

Now, she bumped it into high gear. Within 6 weeks, she had got to know and interact with more than 50 managers and leaders in the HR world through the forums.

A close friend advised her to develop her social media profile. With some help, she started writing a weekly blog on HR issues and inviting her friends, colleagues and acquaintances to contribute and engage.

Lynn also started a new initiative – she started calling on and meeting with HR and non-HR managers in the various organizations in her building. There were more than a 100 companies, and she planned to build at least one relationship in each company in the next 6-7 months.

Finally, Lynn evaluated her personal situation, to see how Flexible she really was. 

She totaled up her assets, calculated her monthly outgo, spoke to her parents about their needs, consulted a wealth manager friend. Lynn quickly learnt that she had not given her own financial security enough priority in the past. Being flexible, she realized, was to a large extent, an outcome of being financially independent.

Lynn calculated that she had enough to sustain herself for about 9-12 months. But that was not sufficient. To be able to survive a crisis, she needed to be able to sustain at least 24-26 months.

She sat with her (newly appointed) wealth manager and put in place a new approach. Together, they laid out specific goals to achieve and decided on a savings and investment plan to reach this soon. She also enlisted for an online course in personal investing.

By March 2020, Lynn was well on her way to achieving most of her milestones, if not her goals. She felt much more confident that she could survive a crisis now, but did not allow herself to become complacent.

Tragedy Strikes

On 15 April 2020, both Rajat Chandra and Lynn Cheng received notices of termination with immediate effect.

“The Company is unable to sustain its current operations, and regretfully needs to seek judicial protection,” said the letters.

Rajat was shocked and flabbergasted.

Lynn was saddened. But not surprised.

You Shall Reap What You Sow

Today, four months later, Rajat is at home, applying for jobs. His savings are gradually running out. He now suffers from hypertension and is on medication.

Meanwhile, Lynn is Talent Management Specialist in one of the top e-commerce companies in the world. She earns 30% more than what she did previously.

Lynn is not resting, however. She continues to hone her Five Weapons.

1. Situational Awareness
2. Flexibility & Mobility
3. Networking
4. Strategy & Planning
5. Continuous Learning

Lynn knows that success is never final. That she has to be armed and ready for the next shock, the next upheaval.

Lynn is not just a survivor. She is a winner.

As you can be, if you master the Five Weapons…

****

If you are more Rajat than Lynn, start learning how to wield the Five Weapons NOW. If you are more Lynn than Rajat, help me share these principles with your colleagues and friends, so that they may prepare themselves before it is too late. 

Do send your inputs to me, either as a comment or as a PM.

Cheers | Shesh | Singapore | 11 August 2020.

Post Script :

1. For other interesting CEO Chronicles click here.
2. Follow me so that you don’t miss the next issue of CEO Chronicles.

#BillionDollarLearnings #radicaladvice #ceochronicles #purpose #mentoring #careers #career #careeradvice #careerguidance #bestadvice #personaldevelopment

Five weapons to deal with the post-pandemic world? Really? Why do I need them?

Read on…

I am so sorry, but…

“…we have to let you go…”

“…we need to reduce salaries by 50%…”

“…we are out-sourcing your entire department to Philippines…”

“…the company is unable to meet its obligations, and going into liquidation…”

I truly hope and pray that you have not heard any of the above sentences.

But there is no guarantee that you will not hear these directed at you in the next five years..

Why?

Because disruption, change and transition are becoming the permanent feature of our lives, both in the workplace and out of it.

And because the markets are morphing faster than most companies can cope with.

Because ‘black swan’ events are becoming as common as white swans.

Because politicians and nations are tearing at the tapestry that has been painstakingly developed over the past 70 years, leading to nationalist bombast and global disconnects.

And because you are unprepared and do not have all the tools and weapons you need to survive and thrive in an uncaring, juggernaut world.

The world has changed beyond recognition in the last 6 months. An organism without intellect, form, strategy, or desire has rendered us fearful, cowering and suspicious of one another. It has stopped us from entering our workplaces, from travelling, from entertainment, from sports. It has rendered us humans, the most powerful of all species on earth, impotent.

Oh No! What Should I Do?

Prepare.

You need to prepare to survive and thrive in a situation where the odds are against you.

Prepare to fight forces that are much more powerful, and win.

And to prepare for the future, look to the past.

Hannibal and the Romans

The year was 218 BCE.

Carthage and Rome were at war.

Hannibal, Carthage’s general, realised that he was taking on the most powerful army in the world.

His first major battle in Italy at Trebia was an incomplete success as the Roman center broke free and escaped.

So, he changed his tactics. Deep in the forested hills of Italy, Hannibal planned to trap the entire Roman army. Taking advantage of the aggressive pursuit of the Roman general Flaminius, Hannibal led the Romans onto a narrow path between Lake Trasimene and the rolling hills.

Hannibal had set a small force at the far side of the lake with large amounts of baggage, fire and plenty of smoke. This was to make it seem that they were the rearguard of his army marching or preparing to march just over the next hill. Flaminius took the bait and sent his men in a pursuit column to quickly march along the narrow road between the hills and the coast.

Little did Flaminius know that the hills he was squeezing past contained the vast majority of Hannibal’s hidden army. Once Flaminius’ force had all been funneled into the gap, the Carthaginians charged down the hills, smashing into the disorganized Roman marching column. Nearly the entire 30,000 man Roman army was killed or captured. Hannibal won decisively.

The battle of Lake Trasimene remains, after 2,200 years, the biggest successful ambush in history.

What weapons did Hannibal use to succeed against a vastly superior force?

The Five Weapons

Hannibal was only 27 years old when he took over as general of the Carthaginian army.

He did not have the experience that Rome’s generals had; nor he did not have their massive armies; and he surely did not have their unending wealth.

What he had was five weapons. What he had was (AND SO CAN YOU!) :

Weapon # 1 : Situational Awareness 

Situational awareness is the study and perception of environmental elements and events, understanding them and their impact, and recognising their impact on the future.

It is critical to planning and preparing yourself for the changing, shifting world. It is necessary to ensure that we are not caught unawares, and find ourselves on the wrong side of any table.

Hannibal learnt everything he could about the countries and armies around him. He sent out spies, he built networks, he made allies – all to ensure that he was always situationally aware.

This allowed him to understand Rome’s military tactics and plan his own to counter them.

Weapon # 2 : Flexibility & Mobility 

Hannibal realized early the need to be agile, the need for speed, the ability to turn on a dime.

He recognized that inertia was a fatal flaw; that the tortoise wins only in fables and not in real life.

He trained himself and his armies in moving quickly. Legend has it that the entire force of 8,000 soldiers could set up or break camp in less than 6 hours. He developed the concept of redundancy – he not just had a Plan B, he had a Plan C, a Plan D and a Plan E – and he ensured that he could switch from one to the other at lightning speed.

Weapon # 3 : Networking 

Long before Facebook and LinkedIn, Hannibal knew the criticality of networking.

First, with his own army. Hannibal lived among his soldiers and worked alongside them. He knew his men well, and built amazing relationships.

Second, with adjoining kingdoms and countries. Hannibal realized that if he was going to war, he would need allies. He could not leave his back vulnerable while rushing forward. He built alliances, partnership and friendships across Europe.

Weapon # 4 : Strategy

Hannibal had a clear vision and strategy; but he did not cast this in stone. He knew, long before modern military strategists, that “no battle plan survives the first contact with the enemy”.

He had a broad overarching vision (he knew what he wanted to achieve), and multiple approaches and strategies that he could shift between, choosing the most optimal path for that moment in time.

By doing this, Hannibal always kept ahead of the situation unfolding around him.

Weapon # 5 : Learning

Hannibal is one of the earliest historical generals who is known to have been ‘a student for life’.

He realised that his knowledge needed to be continuously updated and refreshed. If it was not, his strategy would be out of date, his plans would become stale, his relationships would wither.

He would read and listen and ask questions and send out scouts and pore over maps and understand cultures and behaviours.

When he won, he spent time understanding why. When he lost, he did the same. Every day was a day to add to his knowledge, to his understanding, to his appreciation of the world.

The Art Of War

Hannibal, like you, lived in tumultuous and disruptive times. He, too, was young and ambitious. He, too, wanted to survive and win and succeed.

Let us be clear – you, like Hannibal, are at war. A different kind of war, but a war nevertheless. You are at war with political incompetence, corporate greed, geopolitical tension, black swans, climate change, morphing workplaces. Each of these can hurt you, render you and your family vulnerable and homeless, can cause you hurt and pain and suffering.

You, like Hannibal, need to arm yourself with these five weapons that will allow you to battle with and overcome the challenges that you face today and will face increasingly tomorrow.

What are these five weapons?

1. Situational Awareness
2. Flexibility & Mobility
3. Networking
4. Strategy & Planning
5. Continuous Learning

Armed with these five weapons, Hannibal took on the most powerful army in the world and won.

So can you.

****

If you fear the ‘I am so sorry… situation’ for those you care, help me share thse principles with them, so that they may prepare themselves before it is too late…

Please send your inputs to me, either as a comment or as a PM.

Cheers | Shesh | Singapore | 28 July 2020.

Post Script :

1. For other interesting CEO Chronicles click here.
2. Follow me so that you don’t miss the next issue of CEO Chronicles.

#ceochronicles #careeradvice #careers #bestadvice #hiringandpromotion #personaldevelopment #success #leadership #purpose #fulfilment

The Gang Of Four

(and the Mystery of the PERRfect Employee)

“Wow, I love this Japanese scotch,” said Chow Yen, “It is so smooth.”

“I am really glad.” said Anders. “I find it amazing, but I was not sure if you would like it, too.”

Faizal sipped on his orange juice. “Okay, whose turn is it today? And what is the problem we need to solve?”

“My turn,” I said, “and thanks for taking the time. Remember, when we last met, I spoke about recruiting a senior manager for our engineering services division? It’s been five weeks and almost 20 candidate interviews and we are still far from finding the right person.”

Chow Yen leaned forward. “20 interviews? Wow, that’s a lot!” Chow Yen was the General Manager of a logistics company, and ran a team of more than 500 people.

“I agree,” said Anders, “20 interviews means at least 200 candidates? That’s a lot of time and resource to fill one position.” Anders was the COO of a shipping company with operations across the world.

“I know,” I said glumly, “that is why I need the help of the Gang of Four.”

Faizal laughed. “You are not going to let that name go, Shesh?” he asked, “We sound like a set of B-movie villains!” Faizal was regional CEO of a global manufacturing company.

“If it was good enough for Sherlock Holmes, it is good enough for me!” I shot back.

The Gang Of Four is the informal group of four friends – Anders, Chow Yen, Faizal and I – which meets once every 5-6 weeks to catch up, and more importantly, to discuss issues and problems each of us was facing and to find approaches and solutions together. Today, we were in a rooftop bar just outside the CBD, enjoying the evening breeze.

The Perfect Employee

“Coming to the issue at hand,” I continued, “my question is this – what qualities make up a perfect employee? What should we be looking for and testing for? Somehow, all my recruitment policies and processes don’t seem to be choosing the right people. The ones we recruit are okay functionally, but behaviourally fall well below the bar.”

“If I have to answer this, I need at least 2 more drinks,” said Chow Yen, smiling.

“This is a good problem to solve, Shesh – what qualities make up a perfect employee!” said Anders. “I know the first quality I look for. May I start?”

“Of course, Andy, go ahead!” said Faizal, leaning back.

The Proactive Employee

“Whoever I hire has to be #proactive.” said Anders. “She must think ahead, take initiative and do things without being instructed or asked.”

“I agree 100%,” said Chow Yen. “I call this ‘self-management’. We must not need to tell the employee what is expected. He should know what needs to be done, do it and then after reporting completion, move to the next activity.”

“Wow,” said Faizal, “I think we are all brothers of different mothers! I feel the same way, though I call this quality ‘self-motivation’. Such an employee knows what his role is, and does what it takes. He is persistent, doesn’t get impacted by failure, and keeps moving forward towards his goal.”

“Such people are naturally positive, too,” said Anders. “They look for and at the bright side, constantly see opportunities rather than problems, and motivate and encourage the people around them.”

I was scribbling as fast as I could. “Proactive, self-managed, self-motivated, positive,” I wrote, and hoped that I would be able to read my writing later.

“I remember an amazing quote by a US Senator, #williamsprague,” said Faizal, “He said, ‘Do not wait to strike the iron when it is hot. Make the iron hot by striking it.’ That is what I call being proactive.”

“Thank you, this is great,” I said, “What’s the next quality?”

The Emotionally Intelligent Employee

“I look for people with high #EQ – candidates who are emotionally and socially aware,” said Faizal. “They tend to be more friendly, open, responsive and flexible.”

“Very true,” agreed Chow Yen, “An emptionally intelligent employee also knows how to adapt to different situations and teams, and so, tends to be much more versatile.”

“This is a tough one for me,” said Anders, “if I have to choose between IQ and EQ, I tend to go with the former. He may not be as flexible or adaptable, but he can deliver results.”

“So are you saying that you would prefer a competent jerk?” joked Chow Yen.

“No, no,” protested Anders, “no jerks, please! EQ is important in certain roles, and less necessary in others; IQ is critical in all roles.”

“I am not so sure,” I said, “I understand where you are coming from, Andy, but in my experience, average intelligence + hard work + EQ makes for a very trainable and competent employee.”

“Fair enough,” said Anders as he digested this input, “I get where you guys are coming from.”

“I agree,” Chow Yen said, “I remember reading that ‘Emotional Intelligence is not the opposite of Intelligence. It is not the triumph of heart over head – instead, it is a unique intersection of both.’”

“Thanks, guys,” I said as I finished writing, “may I share what I believe is a really important quality?”

The Reliable Employee

“The most important quality in any employee,” I said, ‘is #reliability. The candidate needs to his team and his colleagues can depend on.”

“Absolutely,” said Anders, “this is a critical quality. An employee who does not keep his commitments, or misses deadlines, or arrives late to meetings and appointments is a serious menace to his team and the organisation.”

“No disagreements here!” exclaimed Faizal. “This is a baseline requirement, especially for senior and top management. I do not promote anyone who is not known to be dependable and consistent.”

“Agree wholeheartedly,” said Chow Yen. “a reliable colleague is far more valuable than a smarter colleague who is not as reliable. A couple of months ago, I had to let one of my business managers go because he was always delivering less than he promised.”

“Have you guys heard of Wolfgang Schauble?” asked Anders. “He is one of Germany’s most senior politicians. He has often said, ‘Reliability is the pre-condition for trust’. And I think he has hit the nail on the head. I cannot trust someone who I cannot rely on.”

“That’s a great quote!” said Chow Yen. “I am going to put it up on my wall.”

The Resilient Employee

“If we are done, may we move on to the next?” asked Chow Yen, after having ordered his next drink. “I have one quality that I look for carefully : #resilience. Every employee, especially in today’s crazy world, needs to be resilient. This is not a quality that is talked about much, or even understood much.”

“What do you mean by ‘resilience’?” asked Faizal, leaning forward.

“Resilience is the ability to adapt,” said Chow Yen, “a measure of a person’s mental and emotional plasticity.”

“Yes, and the ability to get hit and then get up and keep fighting,” said Anders, who is a big MMA fan.

“I agree,” I said, “Resilience is a rare and amazing quality to have. To me it connotes adaptability and agility. A resilient employee is usually a dependable and proactive one.”

“Now, I get it.” said Faizal. “And I agree – this is a great quality to have. I must note this down.”

“My Finance Director’s office has a great poster that moves me everytime I see it,” said Chow Yen, “it says, ‘My roof collapsed in last night’s storm. Now I can see the moon when I look up’.”

“Oh wow, that is beautiful!’ I said.

“Amazing quote,” said Anders, as he rose and stretched. “Gentlemen, I have to take your leave. Thanks for a wonderful evening. Shesh, will you share a recap of our discussions?”

The PERRfect Employee

From: vshesh@radicaladvice.net
To: anders@shipco.com; faizal@manco.com; chowyen@logco.com
Sent: Friday, January 9, 2017 10:55 PM
Subject: The Gang of Four : meeting #11

Gentlemen,

A quick recap of our discussions this evening.

The main question : ‘What qualities make up a perfect employee?’

All of us agree that the four main qualities (of a PERRfect employee!) are –

• Proactivity
• Emotionally Intelligence
• Reliability
• Resilience

Please prepare yourselves, when we meet next, to discuss this further. How do we test for these qualities? How do I, as a prospective employee, develop these qualities?

Have a great weekend!

Best regards…

****

If these four qualities of the ‘PERRfect Employee’ resonate with you, click 👍🏻 below, and shout out “YES!” in the comments.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this instalment of CEO Chronicles. As always, I look forward to your feedback and suggestions! Please send me a message or write to me.

Cheers | Shesh | Singapore | 14 January 2020.

Post Script :

1. For other interesting CEO Chronicles click here.
2. Follow me so that you don’t miss the next issue of CEO Chronicles.

#ceochronicles #careeradvice #careers #bestadvice #hiringandpromotion #personaldevelopment #success #leadership perrfect employee perrfect employee

WHAT DO I CHOOSE?

Hi, Shesh, the article, “Victim to CEO” was truly inspiring. I am at a career crossroad, and there are pros and cons to which ever path I take. How do I choose?

CONVICTION OR COMPROMISE

Hi, Selwyn!

You (and all of us) always have two choices.

One, you can abide by your conviction. Or, two, you can make a compromise.

Conviction is the more difficult option. Usually this means that there is immediate or short-term risk or pain. We may have to step on some toes. Also, the future is difficult to predict, so how can we be sure that taking this path will necessarily be right?

Compromise is the easier option. By compromising, we are minimising present risk in some form. We are probably making someone else happy. Here again, the future is far away, and can be put out of one’s mind.

Both choices have consequences.

Conviction, in the long run takes you where you want to go.

Compromise, in the long run, tends to lead to further compromises, till your path is as twisted as a bundle of yarn.

I know that I have always leaned towards conviction. I have always believed in myself, walked my own path. It has been rewarding and meaningful.

****

What would you choose? Conviction or Compromise? Please share your choice in the comments.

If this post resonates with you, please click 👍🏻 below and let me know!

#radicaladvice #ceochronicles #businessadvisory #careeradvice #mentoring #purpose #success #fulfilment #satisfaction #freedom