Saturday, October 28, 2006
Apprentice
Veronica , David Trump’s daughter mentioned how his father chooses his apprentice in the last week of Apprentice series. Trump pick his apprentice base on:
- Solid character
- Tough character
- Integrity
- Passion
Integrity is the most important element. In my younger days, I tend to think integrity is sort of common sense and something serious. It's about respecting the law, guidelines and principles of professional associations. Just like when I sit for CFA examination, there is a module called "Ethics" and basically tested our knowledge on the guiding principles being a financial analyst. But now, my mind changed quite a bit. Integrity is a bit more than respecting the law or the guideline. Integrity is also about my personal respect to my work, my associate and my company. It is also about our professional attitude on our work. How do we take our responsibility and face failure without blaming other colleagues, saying that it’s their problem and not my oversight?
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Meeting Styles
Some people will like to contribute and get involved in the meeting. They are willing to listen and interact. Some people like to sit quitely and watch the show. They do not want to get involved as it may mean more responsibilites or may offend others. It is not my business. Some people may have split personalities. They will speak up when there are senior managers presented, while keep silent when no senior managers there. Some may join part of meeting that are related to them and some may choose to stay and participate throughtout the meeting. Some prefer to interact with PDA, mobile phones or personal notes and some may choost to stay alert throughout the meeting even though it's not my business. Some prefer to walk away immediately after the meeting and some will stay to follow up and want to make the next meeting better. Some prefer to dominate and lead the meeting while some prefer to follow passively.
Which types of style do you belong to when you are in the meeting?
Some people will like to contribute and get involved in the meeting. They are willing to listen and interact. Some people like to sit quitely and watch the show. They do not want to get involved as it may mean more responsibilites or may offend others. It is not my business. Some people may have split personalities. They will speak up when there are senior managers presented, while keep silent when no senior managers there. Some may join part of meeting that are related to them and some may choose to stay and participate throughtout the meeting. Some prefer to interact with PDA, mobile phones or personal notes and some may choost to stay alert throughout the meeting even though it's not my business. Some prefer to walk away immediately after the meeting and some will stay to follow up and want to make the next meeting better. Some prefer to dominate and lead the meeting while some prefer to follow passively.
Which types of style do you belong to when you are in the meeting?
Monday, October 23, 2006
Google Record Strong Growth in Q3
Google announced its Q3 profit double to US$7 billion, with sales increased over 70% compared with Q2. Google.com and Google News brings in revenue US$16 billion, with Y-Y increase over 80%. Total revenue reached $US26 billion. It breaks the rumor that Google Ad business is going to saturate. This year Google allocate additional development expenses on new software, multimedia ads, movie and printing business.
Details
Google announced its Q3 profit double to US$7 billion, with sales increased over 70% compared with Q2. Google.com and Google News brings in revenue US$16 billion, with Y-Y increase over 80%. Total revenue reached $US26 billion. It breaks the rumor that Google Ad business is going to saturate. This year Google allocate additional development expenses on new software, multimedia ads, movie and printing business.
Details
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Friday, October 20, 2006
Teset
Learn to Negotiate
It is not easy to be a good negotiator. My boss has taught me some important principles:
1. Be confident with ourselves and our company!
We’re working in a very prestigious company. During negotiation process, our belief may be weakened but we need to reassure our values. Never be little!
2. Always set a high position!
You may end up get a lower target, but not the bottom one if your target is high enough.
3. Negotiate for the interests of our company! Never give in easily
4. Protect our company interests (and away from risks)
5. Clean up any unnecessary and unclear terms in legal contract
It is not easy to be a good negotiator. My boss has taught me some important principles:
1. Be confident with ourselves and our company!
We’re working in a very prestigious company. During negotiation process, our belief may be weakened but we need to reassure our values. Never be little!
2. Always set a high position!
You may end up get a lower target, but not the bottom one if your target is high enough.
3. Negotiate for the interests of our company! Never give in easily
4. Protect our company interests (and away from risks)
5. Clean up any unnecessary and unclear terms in legal contract
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Writing a Blog
Guy Kawasaki has some tips for blogger who want to increase the traffic to his or her blog:
Guy Kawasaki has some tips for blogger who want to increase the traffic to his or her blog:
- Imagine there is a group of viewer (in certain attributes and characteristics)
- Write for them
- Capture my thoughts, especially those are strgguling in my brain pipeline
- Memorize happy and unhappy moments
- Consolidate my learnings
- Share my feelings, update and photo with my friends
Friday, October 13, 2006
Childhood Experience
I’ve joined a communication workshop on Friday. The coach mentioned our characters are pretty much defined in our childhood at age 3-4.
The coach mentioned her friend is an amiable-type person because he used to live a small apartment with 5 brothers and sisters together. His parents kept reminding him be considerate and not to make too much noise and it will affect other people. That was one of the strong foundation elements of his amiable character. He always want to be considerate and cannot make quick decision.
I try to recall my childhood experience, which I have little memory indeed. With my parent’s pushy, dominant and controlling characters, my elder sister and me develop a contrasting and unique type of independent driving character, mixing with analytical minds to figure out what is right and wrong by myself, whereas my brothers are relatively more passive and amiable. Most people will be surprised to know that I am not the eldest one but the last little child in my family.
Benefits come with costs. There is always the other sides of the coin, Right? Our strengths are our weaknesses. My driving style means I am impatient with slowness my task oriented personality and did not exercise much people skills.
There are lots of things to learn today:
- Never attempt to change others
- Remember to learn to speak in French to the French!
- Learn to appreciate others and all the tiny little things around you!
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Make it like a habit!
Psychologist said if we keep doing something repeatedly for 21 times, it will become our habit. For example, if we want to wake up earlier, set our alarm clock 30 minutes earlier for 21 days consecutively, this will become our regular habit and we have no hurdle to wake up 30 minutes earlier in Day 22. Indeed, we will wake up 30 minutes earlier even though we forget to set up our alarm clock yersterday night.
Imagine if we put them into habits...
There is no limitation, as long as we have the drive and efforts to make them as our habits! What are your wishes?
Psychologist said if we keep doing something repeatedly for 21 times, it will become our habit. For example, if we want to wake up earlier, set our alarm clock 30 minutes earlier for 21 days consecutively, this will become our regular habit and we have no hurdle to wake up 30 minutes earlier in Day 22. Indeed, we will wake up 30 minutes earlier even though we forget to set up our alarm clock yersterday night.
Imagine if we put them into habits...
- Develop ourselves to be a better person
- Learn a new language
- Play a music organ
- Write a blog
- Travel to a strange world
- Find a job
- Get to know more friends
- Learn a new subject
- Invest in the stock market
There is no limitation, as long as we have the drive and efforts to make them as our habits! What are your wishes?
Monday, October 09, 2006
Undergraduate Friends
It is just so……good to chat with undergraduate classmates. We have different career paths and the paths may cross and overlap together. It may be a short overlap, yet, we trust each others, we share our thoughts and feelings and we have same aspiration - the commitment to achieve, deliver and succeed. Thanks Clare and Sara for the inspiration and encouragement! Add oil !
It is just so……good to chat with undergraduate classmates. We have different career paths and the paths may cross and overlap together. It may be a short overlap, yet, we trust each others, we share our thoughts and feelings and we have same aspiration - the commitment to achieve, deliver and succeed. Thanks Clare and Sara for the inspiration and encouragement! Add oil !
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Mandarin Week
This week is bit busy with Mandarin exam preparation. I treated it seriously and have been using the week's lunch time to prepare. I really hope that I could actually take away something, at least memorizing some more vocabulary and pronunciation. As the mandarin class and tennis class complete, I could reschuffle my time schedule to better reflect my new priority in life.
This week is bit busy with Mandarin exam preparation. I treated it seriously and have been using the week's lunch time to prepare. I really hope that I could actually take away something, at least memorizing some more vocabulary and pronunciation. As the mandarin class and tennis class complete, I could reschuffle my time schedule to better reflect my new priority in life.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Role of Manager
A competent executive need to be a all-rounded manager in managing tasks and people. Check out any business textbook and will find a long long manage to-do list. To me, the "five" most important tasks are:
(1) Plan for strategy and future development
- It matter most but manager always put aside. It actually relate to the survival of a department and even a corporate.
(2) Ongoing management by setting clear targets and monitoring progress
- It is the traditonal role of a manager managing projects, but in essense managing the performance of the teams.
(3) Make decision (and problem solving)
- A manager have to make decision and solve many problem everyday. He or she can rely on limited information to make the business decision in most of the day. In essence, he or she need to build a team with business judgement to provide recommendation or to provide analysis to the problem.
(4) Communicate with senior management, stakeholders, internal teams and external departments or customers
- Communication skill is the most important skills to deliver the sales message, manage politics, motivate staffs and resolve conflicts.
(5) Team building and motivation
- At the end of day, a manager need to be supported by his / her team. How to delegate the tasks to the right persons? How to drive his / her team? How to manager his / her people?
A competent executive need to be a all-rounded manager in managing tasks and people. Check out any business textbook and will find a long long manage to-do list. To me, the "five" most important tasks are:
(1) Plan for strategy and future development
- It matter most but manager always put aside. It actually relate to the survival of a department and even a corporate.
(2) Ongoing management by setting clear targets and monitoring progress
- It is the traditonal role of a manager managing projects, but in essense managing the performance of the teams.
(3) Make decision (and problem solving)
- A manager have to make decision and solve many problem everyday. He or she can rely on limited information to make the business decision in most of the day. In essence, he or she need to build a team with business judgement to provide recommendation or to provide analysis to the problem.
(4) Communicate with senior management, stakeholders, internal teams and external departments or customers
- Communication skill is the most important skills to deliver the sales message, manage politics, motivate staffs and resolve conflicts.
(5) Team building and motivation
- At the end of day, a manager need to be supported by his / her team. How to delegate the tasks to the right persons? How to drive his / her team? How to manager his / her people?
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Marcus Buckingham “First Break all the Rules"
I have purchased the book “First Break all the Rules” – What the World’s Greatest Managers Do differently by Marcus Buckingham in the Book Expo 2006. I haven’t started reading it but caught by the book review on SCMP last week. Buckingham has done extensive research with Gallup Organization in the last 25 years. Some snapshoot insights are worth to mention here:
The brightest and best managers distinguish themselves in terms of their discipline, focus, trust, and above and beyond all other characteristics, their willingness to individualise.
Simplicity, frequent interaction, focus on the future and build the foundations for self tracking a successful performance management routine, which should be followed on a regular basis. However, the routine should be simple and frequent. This helps you define the right outcomes, focus on strengths and help each person find the right fit.
A performance management routine is extremely important, not only for the performance of works and contributions to the company, but also to our own development. Are we a better manager today than yesterday?
Monday, October 02, 2006
What do you regret most?
Once upon a time, three university graduates started their first job in the same pubic institution. Few years later, one young man left because he could not stand his manager’s working style. Another young man left a few years later. The last young man continued to work in the same public institution.
Another few years gone, the three young men gathered together to share their experience. The first young man went into a private business and now working as the general manager or the company. The second young men quit and started his own business. The third young man were still staying in the public institutions, regretting that he should not get satisfied with the stable monthly salary earned in the first few years.
Many people look upon high and stable income when starting their career, expecting promotion with higher salary and benefits when times move on.
Without pressure, one will stay in the comfortable world, not willing to pay the efforts to stand up, walk outside and move forward. Pressure is the best motivating factor to drive one to grow and move forward.
We have to put in extra efforts if we want to achieve more. Some people choose to have fun, rest and sleep, while some choose to work harder and better. We have to be responsible for ourselves. It is our perspectives limited our development, not companies nor boss.
“Quoted from article shared by my friend”
Once upon a time, three university graduates started their first job in the same pubic institution. Few years later, one young man left because he could not stand his manager’s working style. Another young man left a few years later. The last young man continued to work in the same public institution.
Another few years gone, the three young men gathered together to share their experience. The first young man went into a private business and now working as the general manager or the company. The second young men quit and started his own business. The third young man were still staying in the public institutions, regretting that he should not get satisfied with the stable monthly salary earned in the first few years.
Many people look upon high and stable income when starting their career, expecting promotion with higher salary and benefits when times move on.
Without pressure, one will stay in the comfortable world, not willing to pay the efforts to stand up, walk outside and move forward. Pressure is the best motivating factor to drive one to grow and move forward.
We have to put in extra efforts if we want to achieve more. Some people choose to have fun, rest and sleep, while some choose to work harder and better. We have to be responsible for ourselves. It is our perspectives limited our development, not companies nor boss.
“Quoted from article shared by my friend”
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Yamaha Shop at Tokyo ヤマハミュ?ジック東京 銀座店
Just by chance see the Yamaha shop at Tokyo Ginza. It is a memorable experience to see so many expensive guitars on the display. Can’t imagine, the Yamaha GC41 worth Yen$1.4M, almost HK$100K. Of course, I do not have the chance to touch these expensive musical equipments. They’re just siting peaceful on the window showcase.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
