V's Inspiration

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:45:00 +0000

For so many years up to now, I have been trying to make new year resolutions here. Somehow I feel habituated, perhaps even obliged, to continue doing so. Again, naturally, a review of the past year should come first.

A few pictures may do the job far better than plain words, and will surely and quickly refresh my impression of the year when I shall happen to look back in time in years ahead.

A plant is not just a plant, particularly one that I have resurrected from near extinction and since closely associated with in heart and soul.

Admiring it in awe now, it is hard to imagine that it was once withering to such a deplorable state that all branches and leaves were draping down earthwards looking like a phantom. Coincidently and sadly, it was like a mirror image of myself - by feel if not exactly in look - at the time over one and half years ago.

Ironically, I was largely responsible for the dilapidated plight of the plant - as I was for the despondent outlook of my own self - in one simple word: ignorance. For the case of my poor plant, I had been simply and persistently depriving it of water - the basic spring of life - for the naive fear of rotting its roots and drowning it! For the case of myself, misery resulted largely from my misconception about how the world around me actually worked, and the subsequently painful awakening.

But then, as Proust advocated even from centuries ago, there is no true learning in life without suffering. Infirmity alone makes us take notice and learn, and enables us to analyze processes which we would otherwise know nothing about. Indeed I suffered successfully and, with enlightenment through trials, I have been assiduously attending to watering my lovable plant with the right frequency with much zeal, even talking to it tenderly, eventually to miraculous rejuvenation. Gradually and steadily, it rose and blossomed; joyfully, branches overshot the pole.

Likewise, I have learnt my lessons at work and steer on, though not as straight-forward as watering my plant. My spirit is raised after all. Of course, a plant is but a plant.

With my beloved family, I am blessed. It is destiny calling that we are bonded. I feel consoled that I may have my two children at my deathbed when my time eventually comes to pass, and that they will be there to support each other for their days with no more parents.

For now, with my enlarged family, I have found peace in our new found environment of inspiration and joy, and treasure all the moments that we are having.

But it is also another precious and life-long learning opportunity - for patience, communications, counter-intuition, forgiving and, after all, the meaning and reward of unconditional giving.

Perhaps for the 25th time so far, I have, once again, moved home in the middle of this year. Believing in Feng Shui or otherwise, it feels far more cozy and homely than our previous one.

But then I may be living my nomadic life again before long. Why not, life is boring without adventures!

And life certainly feels like dead wood without continuous learning. While I cannot avoid the degenerating process of physical aging, I have chosen to humble and enlighten myself with further education - notwithstanding the costs of money and time.

I am indeed enlightened, not just with all sources of intellectual stimulation, but the network of friendly comrades of elite pedigree - and our ongoing initiatives of social enterprise and fun.

Otherwise, during the eventful year of Rabbit, I travelled to Milan for the first time (Bvlgari hotel is really nice), re-visited Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Shanghai, Penang and Jakarta - catching up with old friends from afar; attended a couple of wedding receptions and three funerals; picked up the long-lost hobby of guitar playing; played one round of golf after a long pause of over one and half years; sustained my daily rituals of push-up; by and large, learnt to better appreciate the merit of marriage by aging together.

I have also enjoyed the bonus of watching my beloved daughter starting to play piano - and being entertained with her progressive practices. Her sudden diligence in conquering her disliked subject of Kumon also delighted me a great deal.

Perhaps by way of my paternal coaching - no, not claiming credit - or her own enlightenment through other means I am not aware of, she has become very mindful of her homework commitment and the importance of time management. She brought along her homework during our Christmas holiday and took her own initiative to occupy herself with it in the hotel rooms in the evenings.

With all the blessings that I have had, despite the far from cheerful world economic outlook, I look forward to embracing 2012 with the promising opportunities ahead for the creation of more happiness.

If I am to make my specific resolutions for the new year (why not!):
1) Make all encounters pleasant, constructive and rewarding;
2) Become proficient in writing and typing in Chinese;
3) Pass and do well in all examinations;
4) Resume my gym rituals;
5) Improve my guitar playing skills - with at least 10 songs;
6) Keep in amicable touch with my friends;
7) Endeavor to launch our private membership of social enterprising and fun.

No point to over-stretch the list, that's it, though writing is good.

Happy New Year!

Guaranteed Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 13:44:00 +0000

On my way back home on bus, I was reading "The Social Entrepreneur's Handbook" - which my friend has just bought from Taiwan but was so kind to offer me to read it first - while listening to Taylor Swift's "Tied together with a Smile". It suddenly dawned on me that the two things which will always make me happy are the capacity to make other people happy and music.

It follows that I can surely be happy when I can really make other people happy by realizing my capacity to do so, and play music with self-efficacy - and, better yet, band ecstasy.

Encounter

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:07:00 +0000

Today I have met someone who is keeping six blogs. Upon my enquiry, he claims that he manages to post daily on each of them.

That is admirable, but also makes me wonder the objectives and impact of his effort. Far from doubting it, I actually find it resembling the presence and participation in multi boards of companies - private or public or even NGO - of someone with a honourable standing in the society, as his namecard will impressively demonstrate.

Indeed someone of such pedigree told me in a recent conversation that once you are in such a position of recognized qualifications and competence, you would always be in demand to contribute yourself to do something good for the society. Your intent to do good will be naturally reinforced.

This conversation suddenly reminds me of another thought - that the happiest kind of persons are not necessarily those who enjoy perfect so-called work-life balance, but those who are dedicating themselves to causes which they believe mean something for the world, despite challenges and stress.

Suddenly I also feel like putting some jigsaw pieces together: financial return, value, intent of virtue, good faith, impact, competence, luck, encounter, crossover and happiness.

We cannot afford to be blind to the financial return of what we do. But it is certainly not the end of it. Beyond the threshold of financial stability, what value is to be created out of what we do depends on our intent of virtue and our good faith in dedicating our effort to such intent.

Of course, however virtuous, an intent does not always guarantee an impact. Amongst many other things, it depends on ones competence and, after all, luck. Besides, every encounter may count towards creating the desirable impact. The further, higher and deeper one may reach out and even crossover to touch hearts and souls, chances are that ones effort will be more impactful.

However, beside dreams - night or day - and seclusive thoughts, life is made up of nothing else but encounters. While we may dream and imagine ourselves to be happy, we may have far better chances statistically of achieving the sensory return of pleasure and joy through interacting with others. More often than not, even private thoughts in solitude involve other people. So indeed every encounter counts - not only for any desirable economic and/or social impact, but ones own happiness.

It's simply life to enjoy every encounter. Otherwise, cut it - the encounter - short.

Long Tails

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:27:00 +0000

Indeed the cyberspace has allowed many online businesses to achieve scale economies by fulfilling so-called long tails of product offerings. Once the constraint of physical space is eliminated, consumers can truly enjoy the benefits of abundance - not so much abundance in volume as in choice.

Perhaps other ways to describe long tails are infinite small delights or trivial pursuits. No matter how unpopular our tastes in certain products are - particularly in music, books and movies - chances are that supplies could be readily sourced online.

The long tail phenomenon is truly amazing in that it is nothing short of an impact of revolution - that it significantly expands our vision beyond the so-called mainstream offerings and popular hits - although evolution may be more like it when we come to think of how those online companies manage to reach such scale to reap from such revolutionary impact. They certainly don't achieve it overnight.

I cannot help but wonder whether any long tail of corporate solutions or even social solutions could be found for addressing business problems as well as societal problems. Intuitively, while needs could be as diverse - or generic - as problems, if long tails of products could be offered to satisfy seemingly unlimited forms of need, why not for solving problems.

The difficulties, of course, lie in both the complexity of problems and the form of solutions. Solving a problem could be a far more sophisticated process than simply satisfying a need by way of consuming a product. Buying a book or software or reading off-the-shelf problem-solving guides could hardly mean delivering a solution to a real-life problem.

But searching relevant information and forming perspectives could form part of the solution, as does the process of sharing - particularly sharing of best practices in well-organized forums. In our contemporary age of radical changes - where normalcy is increasingly harder to define and depend upon - in all walks of human endeavors, perhaps we need good will and good faith in constructing dialogues more than anything else in solving problems.

We also need creativity, as well as innovative ways of stimulating creative ideas and putting them together for good uses. That's why we need long tails of business and social - if not political and economic - solutions.

Perhaps those are practically what the educated and enlightened mind has got to offer.

The Paradox of Excuses

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:51:00 +0000

I wrote that "excuses suck" not too long ago. But as life is so full of paradoxes, excuses also serve some practical purposes - allowing people to step down from situations of predicament not too awkwardly.

We see that so often in politics, in the corporate world, as well as in private life.

People with true wisdom of course don't need excuses to conceal mistakes. They simply live up to who they are. But then they may also have to deploy clever excuses to help conceal the mistakes of others and steer them to see things in the correct light.

Indeed a person needs not tell someone else is wrong explicitly even though the truth - assuming there is the truth - clearly says so. More often than not, accusation will only invite defense, which immediately inhibits any possibility of learning. It's always better to start with acknowledging the others thinking, warming up the context, ensuring all hatchets down, before spreading your own bandwidth to induce alignment.

By nature of psychology, of course, there are always people who simply see themselves as victims of other people's faults whenever problems are encountered. They spontaneously need excuses to evade from all senses of responsibility. Applying the same logic of no accusation, when you happen to be at the receiving end of such an abusive excuse, counter-intuitively, don't fight but embrace it and help the person out - both from the situation of predicament and the trap of ignorance.

Truth

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:52:00 +0000

Everyone who stands trial before the court has to put one hand on the Bible and swear to speak the truth, nothing but the truth.

Of course he can only mean that he speaks what he thinks and believes to be the truth. Because he cannot possibly know the absolute truth of everything that he speaks of.

Besides, more often than not, a person tends to speak either more or less than one really knows or feels. It is almost impossible to speak just absolutely accurately of what one exactly knows or feels.

In a person everyday's life, to what extent does he really know the truth of everything that is directly related to him - not to mention anything beyond what is relevant?

Objective facts can perhaps be ascertained to a large extent. When judgment and sentiments are involved, however, the reality may become more obscure.

People tend to interpret the truth selectively, choosing to believe in what suits ones agenda, particularly during testing times. We only have a supreme judge in our cognitive system, but no grand jury.

But the truth is not only founded on what was said and/or done, also what was not said and/or not done. Sometimes it is the latter which tells more of the truth.

Indeed, paradoxically, the hardest part of everything to find and face in life is the truth of everything.

But only those with the courage to find and squarely face the truth - however scary and undesirable it might be - could be truly enlightened and inspired for what could possibly make a better world, even by just a little.

Typhoon & Innovation

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:31:00 +0000

Out of all bad things about typhoon, one good thing from it is that today I have done a lot of homework and even find time to put down pent-up thoughts into a short blog post - particularly on the subject of innovation.

For all the buzz and hypes about innovation, why is successful evidence of true innovation - those which involving cross-over of boundaries between industries or doctrines - so hard to earn and come by in the corporate environment?

From my experience, the simple yet true answer is that nobody is ever comfortable with new information beyond ones bandwidth of knowledge, particularly if it is clearly outside ones scope of responsibility - a clear disincentive to learning. More often than not, the general response to initiatives calling for any departure from ones comfort zone is no response.

Paradoxically, the other reason is that, as in journalism, people tend to be more reactive to bad news than good ones - as long as it doesn't concern themselves directly. Sadly, it is often the former which provides the content for gossips and slanders - what give people the entertaining, if not cynical, kick of their monotonous or stressful days.

After all, innovation (and entrepreneurship) breeds corporation, not the other way round.

Karl Popper Academy

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:23:00 +0000

It amazes me that the post with the title "Karl Popper" has been commanding the highest number of page views not long after since it was published, surpassing the next most popular post by almost four times. It hence excites me with the apparent intellectual curiosity about the philosopher and his thinking from around the world.

If only there would be a local academy of Karl Popper studies - the like of the Peter F.Drucker Academy - I will definitely sign up for it. But it will certainly require way harder work towards enlightenment!

The Outsider

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:30:00 +0000

"Lying is not only saying what isn't true. It is also, in fact especially, saying more than what is true and, in the case of the human heart, saying more than one feels. We all do it, every day, to make life simpler."

As such, not many people - perhaps not even a single person - truly refuse to lie. Because to do so would mean saying exactly what one thinks and feels. People would immediately feel threatened.

Though disturbing, this is a thought-provoking revelation of human nature.

Read this: Albert Camus' "The Outsider".

Cultivation

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:42:00 +0000

Remember this 1990 blockbuster: Flatliners ?

The key message? Everything a person does matters in and even after life.

As such, there is actually a strong though implicit element of Buddhism in the film: the law of causality.

Accordingly, whatever situation you are living in today is entirely due to your own past action, but not anybody's, let alone any mysterious causes from heaven or earth.

Paradoxically, Buddha's cultivation is about changing rather than accepting destiny. I read that it is fundamentally about eliminating any wandering thoughts from ones mind - such that ones life will no more be susceptible to any prophecy of fortune-telling.

It may not be readily understandable. But simply put, if cultivation is primarily about being mindful of ones own thoughts and actions so as to avoid any unnecessary mistakes, there is actually nothing mysterious about it. It is indeed a virtue.

Unbound

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 03:42:00 +0000

I have honestly thought of that - an open-sourcing approach to story-writing.

Now, Unbound - a British effort to "crowd-fund" books, as how the Economist describes it - is even far cleverer and more inspirational and, indeed, a novel idea.

Sublime Sutra of Golden Light

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:25:00 +0000

This evening I opened the Sutra which I have been keeping for three years:

Sublime Sutra of Golden Light

Thank you.

Ignorance

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:51:00 +0000

It suddenly occurs to me that one fundamental challenge in life is about how to cope with ones own ignorance. The problem is not really about not knowing enough, as a person at any particular place and time indeed can only know so much - insignificantly little - in the infinite universe over an untraceable time span. It is not even about not knowing what I do not know in general. It is about wrongly believing that I know what I actually do not know in particular, and the consequence can be unimaginably detrimental.

Anyone can readily browse over history and cite examples of catastrophe of great characters inflicting huge damages - to themselves and many other people far beyond - because of the universal cause of ignorance. But what is scary and the truth is that one may not have the benefit of hindsight of everything until it is too late.

That's why we need education and wisdom but, most importantly, humility.

iZense

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 06:29:00 +0000

iZense:

A quintessentially contemporary success story of riding new wave!

Also an outcome of
contemporary knowledge,
survival wisdom,
vision to success,
perseverance,
conventional sales techniques,
social networking skills and, of course,
luck
combined over time.

A start-up and founder to watch!

Whims

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Sun, 15 May 2011 16:27:00 +0000

If only one could live every moment to make sure each and every thought and motion is contributing to the next big thing, one would seemingly be living life to its fullest potential and maximizing life's utility.

The problem is that one wouldn't necessarily have a definitive view on what the next big thing should be at any particular moment in life. As such, I wouldn't mind to be simply living every moment being completely at ease with myself.

If only one could have all the brain power possible for learning any kind of knowledge at ease, one could seemingly be the cleverest person and achieving the greatest things on earth.

The trouble is that one wouldn't always be sure what is most worth ones time learning. For me, I would first want to master music - in particular, the art of an instrument or two. Indeed I wouldn't mind just to master music - if nothing else at all - to superlative proficiency.

Swing Change

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 06:47:00 +0000

When he was at the pinnacle of winning, his swing was considered perfect from all angles of view. When he is not winning now, so-called pundits tear his posture, mechanics and everything conceivably related to his swing into pieces, and separately come up with various convincingly sounding analysis of enlightenment.

However plausible their theories may sound, they are more self-serving than enlightening (perhaps like blogging)! Commentators can, by and large, say anything they like. The audience can judge for themselves. But for the golf coaches, I cannot help but cynically wonder how good they could really be if they ever participate alongside their students at any PGA tours. If someone is really that good, why doesn't he go play himself and aim to be the coveted number 1 player in the world ranking - instead of wasting time teaching other people competing for it?!

Of course there is always some discrepancy between theory and practice. No golf coach is naive and stupid enough to claim to be the best golfer himself; nor would he ever be expected to be so. But he must have some track record on which to build his credibility. He must be able to at least convincingly demonstrate the direct cause and effect relationship between his teaching and the expected outcome.

The problem with something as elusive as golf is that a cause and effect relationship between ones effort and outcome is hard to be absolutely and consistently ascertained. In order to translate what goes on in the mind, through a complicated coordination of various bodily muscles functions, into a particular ball flight and a specific landing spot on the golf course, it is far far remote from a simply button-pushing mechanism. Otherwise, why would the world top golfers in the right mind ever want to try any swing change? One no doubt only wants to do so in the desire, wish and faith to change ones effort for better outcomes.

Fundamental skills aside, indeed I think it is a matter of faith more than anything else. Golf coaches and commentators can tear down a golfer's swing to pieces. But only the golfer himself can truly, if not accurately, feels for the cause and effect relationship.

After all, no matter how "textbook", superb or cool a golfer swing is, it is the result which counts. But, more often than not, particularly at the superlative level of competition, the difference between outcomes of the top golfers only boils down to their putting strokes. Why do commentators like to make a big fuss out of swing changes?

Of course, that's because we like golf, and its spell!

Change

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 16:42:00 +0000

For good or bad, relationship changes over time. It sounds obvious enough, since all things change over time. But we tend to believe, assume or even pretend that relationship is something which can be kept steady; and when it becomes blindingly obvious that it has changed, the awakening hurts.

That's what I felt when I was convinced that a two decade old - approaching three - relationship has reached a turning point, sadly, for widening divergence - if not forthright termination. The awakening came when a well-intended phone call of simply getting in touch was rewarded with pointless spitefulness. It was the last straw which broke the camel's back; the last drop of water which spilled the glass.

It is sadly true that the older one gets, the harder it is to make new friends. So it is sadder still that old relationship may turn sour. But then age is not what matters most in a relationship, which cannot genuinely last in the absence of goodwill and respect.

When it comes to companionship - for fun, comfort, encouragement or sharing any other sentiments, or simply staying in touch, or doing whatever for keeping the friendship alive - the last thing I need is pointlessly crude judgment.

But I put up with it - as I have been putting up with it over the years - and in face of which, I naively began to think and believe that humbleness was the best way out. Ironically, there is just a fine line between humbleness and hypocrisy in terms of how it is perceived, although - as far as I am concerned - clearly distinguishable in terms of how it is intended. So even if staying humble doesn't work, and when I was perceived as the one having changed, that's it.

C'est la vie!

Imagine

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:30:00 +0000

While there are people fighting desperately to save life in one part of the world, there are others who are fighting vehemently to kill each other in another.

However destructive natural disasters can be, history readily testifies that mankind is more than capable of bringing no less destruction on themselves.

Hub Premium

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 07:59:00 +0000

Some once thought that Internet would wipe out the middlemen, leaving no role for agents. Now, one needs to look no further than Expedia, Priceline, Amazon or e-Bay, and realizes how wrong such no-agency conjecture turns out to be.

Not only does Internet not kill the middlemen, it allows the smart agents to create and add value in ways and scales which, counter-intuitively, surpass those higher up in the food chain.

For example, check out the public financial information on Ctrip's website - an online travel portal focused at China - one readily works out an operating margin of over 34% for 2010. I doubt very much how many airlines or hotels came close to achieving that, though an airport might.

How could an agent possibly add more value than its principal in the chain? I guess because an agent in cyberspace is not just an agent anymore, but can become an enormous aggregator which facilitates an abundance of informed choices. It is its hub status which enhances the bargaining power of an aggregator and enables it to capture a substantial part of the premium from its suppliers - another winning game of convergence.

A Toilet Inspiration!

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:46:00 +0000

Science and technology has been enabling human inventions meant for incessantly making life better for mankind. Yet there remains perpetually unresolved riddles which keep us yearning for the magical solutions to come, like the cure for cancer or AIDS or any other incurable diseases, even including hair loss and impotence.

But if we are less ambitious than tempted to fight nature, and just focus on improving the convenience in ones daily life, or eliminating undesirable but inevitable routines, how about coming up with some clever device to seamlessly, hygienically and thoroughly wipe and/or clean ass after every excretion - covering also the disposal or any replacement mechanism - all to be comfortably and efficiently fulfilled at the simple click or touch of a sensor or button or something, therefore, saving time, toilet papers, water and avoiding filth, revulsion and frustration. How nice!

Culture & Technology

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:25:00 +0000

What's the major difference between the two?

Culture sustains behaviour: Think of any festival customs of any origins.

Technology shapes and changes it: Think of any Apple products of the latest generation.

Which is more powerful?

It's like asking which is stronger: the spear or the shield?

In reality, it depends on which specific spear and which particular shield are in question. While Internet, digital information and mobile devices are changing music, reading and socializing habits, it's inconceivable that Lion Dance, Lai See or temple visits will ever be obliterated by any man-made invention to come.

But both culture and technology rest on the same generic psychic: well wishes for a better future.

Kung Hey Fat Choi! May the Metal Rabbit bring us an abundance of happy returns!

Excuses Suck!

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:24:00 +0000

Yesterday I found what I wrote over two years ago in one of my little note pads, dated 21 Apr 2008:

Why do people lie? More specifically, why do golfers lie about the number of strokes? Of course I know the answer. I can feel for it, because I did the same every now and then.

The simple answer is that, subconsciously, we believe that we should be somebody better than who we really are. By discounting the number of strokes consumed for a disastrous hole by one or two, for example, one naively believes that the cruel reality was simply a distorted reflection of ones true self and should, therefore, be arbitrarily rectified. As the shame of failure to live up to ones expectation outweighs the guilt of manipulating the outcome of performance, one is prepared to be indulged in illusion and false redemption.

In fact a person's subconscious and inherent sense of his ideal self can be so profound that he spontaneously manoeuvers outcomes to suit himself, even in the absence of any onlooker - like a lone golfer counting and recording strokes on his score card which should have been, instead of what really is the case.

Actually, I have edited my original thoughts somewhat. All the same, I feel refreshed.

We hate it when we made mistakes. Intuitively, we refuse to accept reality and, spontaneously, we gear ourselves up with finding excuses. We get hung up with the ideal outcome and find it hard to let go of what should have been.

The problem with denial and self-delusion is that they are prohibitive of learning. Deception drains energy and blurs focus, which should be fixed on understanding why the mistakes were made in the first place and how they could be avoided in the future, i.e., learning the true lesson.

The lessons:
Don't just see what you like to see. Face up to the objective reality - as defined by indisputable facts - for good or bad, beautiful or ugly.

Stop beating yourself to death over mistakes which you think you should not have committed. It's done, learn it, move on. (Of course, in case of any serious damage, one should also make amend before moving on.)

Words of Wisdom

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 11:34:00 +0000

When is politics revolting?

When you see someone clearly pursuing self interests in the name of some common good or some tall order - which is understandable - but blatantly denying it, simply looking ugly.

When is politics enlightening?

When you read or hear words of wisdom which make you wonder that, perhaps, there is room for humility and possibly integrity in politics after all, words like:

But at a time when our discourse become so sharply polarized - at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do - it's important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we're talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds.
(The speech)

Random Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:48:00 +0000

How would a cost-conscious company possibly fall into a situation where it had to readily and helplessly endorse five or more times of increase in overheads and infrastructural costs for ongoing activities, with hardly any ascertainable added value in the making?

What has possibly gone wrong in the governance process? Where is the check and balance?

In a generation of localization for cost effectiveness, what convincing reasons are there to drive mass exodus and termination of local staff, only to invite replacements on exuberant expatriate terms.

In a tumultuous era where industrial squabbles surrounding one percentage point or two of pay rise readily turn ugly and spill vengeance on the one hand, what explains the steady addition of presumably professional and handsomely paid personals with superfluous roles of questionable added value on the other - in the same company?

Of course no one is in a position with access to the truth of all things and, therefore, to pass absolutely fair judgment on anything. Nevertheless, the winners from any corporate games are no doubt those who best adapt to changes, and the biggest winner of all is surely the one who successfully creates changes - the rain maker.

"The best way to manage change is to create it." Peter Drucker quintessentially is the father of management.

Mr Jackson also knows it all.

But it is perhaps grossly unfair to deny Mr Jackson of any value he may possibly have brought to the party and conveniently label him as simply a sucker. He may well turn out to be more a saviour than savage.

The problem with change is that, as time goes on, it may make it hard for people to find anchor to any convincing truth. Winston Smith of George Orwell's 1984 struggled to remember how life once was before the rule of the Big Brother - for better or worse.

We do not know of what we don't know. Unless one can make rain, one better resorts to humility to steer clear of danger.

Better

noreply@blogger.com (V) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 11:57:00 +0000

I just have to publish one more post to better the number I have done last year.

What better way to do it than to give well wishes!

May all those who drop by here experience a marvelously wonderful new year and become healthier, richer and happier!