As you may have already noticed, I started writing blogs based on weekly discussions recorded on Clubhouse. In the past weeks we have discussed experiences and managerial-related topics but this week was slightly different.

We opened a room to discuss if money brings you happiness and soon we had a lot of other speakers chime in with their two cents. It was interesting to see that most people agreed that having some sort of wealth does buy one’s happiness to a certain extent. However, we also heard from people who disagreed.

GENERAL MISCONCEPTIONS REGARDING MONEY

There is a saying that it is more comfortable to cry inside a BMW instead of crying by the roadside. That said, those who have actually cried inside a BMW can testify that being able to cry inside a luxury car means one has larger responsibilities and by scale, bigger problems.

Comfort aside, crying inside a luxury car could mean one is in deeper shit than those spilling tears by the roadside. In fact, I truly believe that owning a luxury car does not necessarily mean a person is happier or even smarter than the next guy.

People who assume earning a large salary equals having financial security clearly need to rewire their way of thinking. Big earnings mean bigger responsibilities and not everybody is prepared to handle the burden. The saying, be careful what you wish for, comes into play here.

Having a large sum of money means you start to spend them on more things. And like it or not, having things means more time and effort (sometimes more money) spent on maintenance, regardless of how small these things are. An example being indulging in tastier food can lead to health issues and therefore if one keeps buying and eating these high sodium or high fat, super delicious food, one may end up with hospital bills.

Another instance is owning gadgets. With the quick development of technology, owning gadgets means always having to upgrade these gadgets. Compare these maintenance issues with somebody who has fewer earnings and owns fewer things. That’s right, they do not have the same superficial headaches as the guy who keeps collecting material things.

On the other hand, the speaker Nabilah pointed out in the discussion that every human being, regardless of wealth status, has their own set of problems. A less fortunate person will have worries regarding where their next warm meal is coming from while a person with lots of money would worry about how not to lose their wealth and how to properly manage their spending. Ask a person in either situation, and they both view their predicament as a major roadblock in life.

Of course, Nabilah also points out that money opens you up to options like the best treatments when faced with health issues. In that context, yes, money does buy you happiness to a certain extent. She adds, "Not all problems can be solved with having money but a lot of problems can be solved with having money.”

RICH PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE TO WORK HARD

Speaker Hafiz weighed in on this part of the discussion based on his own experience. Coming from a humble background and building his business empire from the ground up, Hafiz agrees wholeheartedly that money does indeed buy happiness.

Even though he now has a lot more than what he used to have, Hafiz says he still works like a dog to continue collecting wealth and maintain this fancy new lifestyle. If anything, people with money work even harder than those without money. The only difference would probably be that wealthy individuals have more comfort in doing so.

According to Hafiz, he finds that he can now afford anything in life, and that includes love and relationships.

HOW MUCH MONEY IS TOO MUCH

Both speakers Hafiz and Azha agree that no amount of money is ever enough. "It is simply human nature to never be content with what they have," says Azha. The idea of a vision board is to always expand ones’ self and to continue the search for the next thing in life, she says.

Individual satisfaction and happiness depends on how a person utilizes their money. Regardless of what one’s passion is in life, be it food or collecting luxury cars, Azha says realistically, money is the key to fulfilling these needs that eventually lead to personal happiness.

At this point, Nabilah chimes in saying that just like money, there is no absolut with happiness. Different levels of happiness can be achieved with different amounts of money but just because no amount of money is ever enough, it does not equate to zero happiness. In fact, she says, having less money does not necessarily mean a person has less happiness in life.

What an interesting thought.

I decided to drill Hafiz on why he thinks no amount of money is ever enough. I wondered why he would not simply be content once he has reached his ultimate financial goals. To this, he replied, he is always striving to achieve greater goals. According to Hafiz, this is human nature, and he uses the conflict between Israel and Palestine as an example. Morals and ethics aside, at the core of it, human beings will always push for better things, like human rights, more land, more ownership, freedom and mobility.

The vision board is brought back into the discussion, as Hafiz says, people will constantly be on the look out for the next thing or next objective in life. Hafiz believes that the same applies in relationships. For as long as a person is not satisfied with their chosen partner, they will keep on pursuing the perfect fit.

DO LESS FORTUNATE PEOPLE HAVE LARGER PROBLEMS

As described by Azha, some less fortunate people tend to live within their means not because they do not desire an improved lifestyle but because they are influenced by their surroundings. The likelihood of being grateful and content with what they have is larger within these circles.

Some people may view this in a negative light, like who in their right mind would not want a more comfortable life, right? But you might be surprised.

Less fortunate people are not necessarily poor. They prefer to set aside their extra wealth for emergencies while keeping their day to day lives simple. As Azha says, the rich keep getting richer because they invest their wealth to create more.

Perhaps the new generation that come out of less fortunate families strive to leave their situation but their parents managed to live through it and still find pockets of happiness within what they own.

Hafiz weighs in with his own background growing up. His mother is a housewife and his late father was a firefighter. According to him, a firefighter can make approximately RM3,000 (USD700) a month at most and so he often found his father mending things around the house, instead of buying them new. When asked, his late father told him that he preferred it that way as compared to being cheated by people he would pay to get things done for him.

And as Hafiz said, that was their mentality as a less fortunate family. In fact, he would help his mother sell food at school and in front of their family home, but he observed that his parents never had a vision of scaling up the business. Without being exposed to the possibility of having an improved lifestyle, his parents were content with having enough to pay bills and raise their children.

Hafiz was once told by a former employer “Poor people continue to mingle with the poor and that is how they stay poor. Meanwhile, rich people mingle with the rich and that helps them grow wealthier.”

Hafiz took this as motivation to make something of himself and help improve the lives of his family members. He believes that the ecosystem of Malaysia as a developing country is slowly evolving the people into entrepreneurs. The generation is slowly seeking to improve their lifestyles.

IS HAVING A FAMILY A TRAP

I believe this depends on how you look at it. Sure, having a family costs a lot of money, especially if you are not living in a welfare country where the government provides for growing families.

But I feel like less fortunate families with plenty of children seem to have a long-term investment plan. With more kids, the possibility of having a larger number of them succeed in life is also bigger and this paves the way for a comfortable retirement, as compared to a family with less amount of kids.

Azha disagrees. She presents a case of a family of ten children with only three who succeed. This places the burden on the three to pull the weight of the rest, not only their parents. It is a matter of quantity versus quality and the mindset of the parents.

DOES MONEY DICTATE THE WAY ONE LIVES THEIR LIFE

Azha says yes. The goal here is to reach financial freedom. From my own personal experience, I was not a fan of living under the same roof as my parents only because I was often reminded that I had limited mobility for as long as they are providing for me.

I would not say I became a slave to money but I used success and wealth as a motivation to push me out of the house so I was able to make my own decisions to live my own life the way I want to.

Depending on which phase you are going through in life, money can dictate the way you live your life.

At this point, we hear from speaker Imran who does not agree money buys happiness. He says of course money can afford you anything from the smallest candy to even the affection of other human beings. Imran says however, this is a matter of personal taste as his own wife enjoys following rich people on social media.

She is amazed by how some people can maybe have wagyu beef for breakfast in Singapore and caviars for dinner in Tokyo, all on the same day. Meanwhile on the other hand, Imran is content with being left alone on weekends to just lounge on the sofa with absolutely nothing to do.

DOES EXCESSIVE MONEY ATTRACT CORRUPTION OR GREED

Imran says money is the root of all evil. It simply emphasizes who a person is fundamentally. A person who is good to the core, will only become a better human being with money, meanwhile a rotten human being can be lead down a corrupt path.

Hafiz does not think it is greed but it is the hunger to always reach one’s target. Once a target is met, you move on to the next.

Personally, I often question myself. Why is it that even though I have a fulltime job, I still engage in freelance work that comes with more stress, working more than eighty hours a week. I love having more money, so I am able to travel but why can’t I downsize? Perhaps be more flexible, so I do not have to go through the physical and mental anguish of always trying to gather more funds. Unfortunately I do not have the answer to this question.

Having had a comfortable life in Malaysia, Nadia moved to Denmark a married woman with responsibilities, budgets and finding her footing as a couple. She was suddenly faced with some lacking in the financial department. As she puts it, she is not less fortunate, but she was so spoiled by the financial freedom back in Malaysia, she now feels a constant need for money. In other words, greed.

EQUALITY FOR ALL

A Malaysian speaker currently living in UK (we shall call him Y) says he does not agree that money can buy happiness if the happiness cannot be had by all. He starts off by stating that you either need money to buy happiness or to survive. Through his own experience of using money for both purposes, he observed that survival money is usually just a small amount while happiness requires a large sum.

Y sees money as a means for social mobility and the idea that happiness can be bought is simply an illusion. He adds that once a person starts owning things, the cycle is endless. Y questions if it is morally right to own material things whilst denying others the same freedom of living. In agreement with Nadia, Y says the more money a person has, the greedier they become.

He strongly believes that happiness should be defined by a society’s measure of contentment instead of an individual.

We ended the discussion with everybody’s definition of having money. You can listen to everybody’s take on the podcast but my own definition is not having to think when I need something. In other words, freedom of choice and the freedom to be impulsive.

Can we all just agree that we love money?

These days, it is not uncommon to hear people use the term digital nomad. When you check the social media postings of a digital nomad, you will discover envy-worthy photos featuring a well traveled person who appears to be enjoying life without having to work.

So what exactly is a digital nomad and how are they financing this lifestyle?

HOW I STARTED DIGITAL NOMADING

Somewhere between five and six years ago, I was employed by an American company that operates 100% remotely. Their work culture was such that it does not matter where in the world their employees are, or what time their employees clock in and clock out. The only thing that mattered was that the work gets done on time.

I took this opportunity to head down to Machu Pichu in Peru and then to Barcelona in Spain to try my hand in being a digital nomad. The idea was to see the country while working remotely. I quickly learned to work for a few hours in the morning and then continue for a few more hours after my lunch break (which also lasted for a few hours hah).

Evidently there isn’t much of a work-life balance due to the fact that the scale is tipped more towards life but if you can manage your time efficiently and meet your deadlines, I say live life to the fullest!

It is worth mentioning that even though you are free to work from wherever you feel like in the world, a strong internet connection is an absolute requirement. It may seem obvious to you but somehow it did not cross my mind when I took that leap of faith and traveled to Peru. Luckily I managed to get my hands on some mobile data sim cards which came in very handy in the smaller cities of Peru.

PLACES I HAVE VISITED

Some of my most frequented places prior to the pandemic are Croatia and Serbia. I used to visit Croatia annually and spend between two weeks to a month and I would take one week off to travel exclusively. The break will be used to visit all the amazing islands in the south of the country.

I was told Dubrovnik is where they filmed Game of Thrones but unfortunately I have never seen a single episode of that hit show. That said, I can understand why the location was picked.

Otherwise, I love Croatia because the cost of living is low, making it affordable for me as a traveler who wants to spend a long period of time in the country. In fact the cost of internet is also low, which is a bonus for me. Not to forget their scenic beaches which are tranquil and perhaps an ideal spot for a digital nomad to get work done while getting their tan on. It may not be practical but it is most definitely possible.

Another favorite location of mine is a small remote village called Mokrin in Serbia. If you have been following my blog posts over the years, you will know by now that I am in love with the co-living space there called Mokrin House.

Similar to Croatia, the cost of living in Serbia is also low. So even as a Malaysian with an average salary, if you were to stay in Mokrin House for a long period of time, you can live like a king while there.

The wifi connection is strong at Mokrin House and you can have your own private living space, similar to hotel rooms with housekeeping daily or every other day. There is also a large dining area with a chef on standby to prepare your meals three times a day.

For those looking to get work done, there is a separate office building and then for recreational activities after work hours, there is a gym, a swimming pool, a big open field and a secret underground bar.

If you are a couch potato, there is a home theater area and a pool table. Basically, all your needs are provided for in this closed compound. It is the perfect spot for those who are looking to work or just to gain inspiration.

That said, if malls are your thing, the closest shopping center is located an hour and a half drive away. The idea is to disconnect and let your creative juices flow. I usually stay there for a whole month in a year.

MEETING PEOPLE

Back when I used to actively “digital-nomad”, I would switch locations every month. I chose co-living spaces to stay in while traveling and this allowed me to meet all kinds of people from all over the world. I was exposed to foreign cultures that I would never have been able to experience had I simply stayed in Malaysia and worked.

I met Jewish Israelis and as someone who comes from a country that has no diplomatic relations with Israel, I realized that certain things in this world are simply political propaganda. Jewish people are absolutely nothing like what I have been told growing up back home. They are just people, much like you and I. This taught me a valuable lesson that if you were to dislike policies, then you should say you dislike the government of a certain country, instead of the people of the country.

WHY BEING A DIGITAL NOMAD KICKS ASS

First and foremost, I love the freedom that comes with this lifestyle. You work to earn a living but you are not confined within a cubicle, looking at the same things every day, waking up at the same time, facing the same traffic situation day in and day out.

I am also afforded the freedom of time because my clients are results oriented. It makes no difference to them where I am and how I am getting my work done, as long as the work is completed to their satisfaction.

Next, I love the fact that being a digital nomad exposes me to so many cultural differences through meeting all sorts of people from around the globe. Instead of being stuck in an echo chamber, I get to listen to different opinions, ideologies and points of view from people who come from a completely different background from myself.

HOW SAFE IS IT?

Due to the fact that digital nomads tend to stay in Airbnb’s and co-living spaces, even as a single woman, it is pretty safe as compared to staying in hostels as a backpacker. However, tourist hot spots in any country come with their own set of dangers. From pickpockets to muggers, situational awareness is paramount.

I was once traveling to Rome, Italy with a tour group and a woman got mugged right in front of my eyes, in a public place. From that moment on, everybody in my group felt like we could not fully enjoy the rest of the tour as we were always focused on our surroundings and making sure nobody was trailing us.

Having said that, Italy is a wonderful country that everybody must experience at least once in their lifetime. As mentioned earlier, tourist hot spots in any country, in any continent can be dangerous for a foreigner.

Apart from touristy areas, some European countries are so safe that you will have no trouble walking around alone at three o’clock in the morning. Most important thing is to research the country you are traveling to and make sure to list down danger spots.

WHAT KINDS OF JOBS CAN BE CARRIED OUT AS A DIGITAL NOMAD

Most jobs can be carried out remotely. From software engineering to marketing, I have even met people who are attached to the HR and finance department who are running their work from the other side of the world.

The key here is a mutual understanding between you, a digital nomad and your employer. Not all companies have a full understanding and may have issues with remote work but more and more organizations are starting to jump on board the work-from-home bandwagon after experiencing it themselves during this pandemic.

These days even those employed as a sales person can work remotely, as long as they have a stable internet connection for online meetings. It goes back to the point of what your company’s work culture is like and if your employer or client is on board with working remotely. In my experience, startups are usually open to the idea of having remote workers.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Aspiring digital nomads need to be prepared for minor and major culture shocks. Minor ones range from silent train rides in some countries to seeing babies being left outside by themselves sleeping inside strollers. One thing that could possibly be categorized as a major culture shock for Malaysian Malays would be the unavailability of bidets in bathrooms. Be prepared to switch to toilet paper as soon as you can!

PEOPLE’S PERCEPTION

This whole digital nomad concept is modern and might not be widely accepted by your loved ones. A person who is employed full time by a company while digital nomading might be regarded as being more stable by their peers. On the other hand, a freelancer might be living paycheck to paycheck as they travel and this leads to family members worrying about them back home.

In fact this concept is so alien to so many people, when I first started traveling, my friends watched my journey on Instagram and started asking if I was dealing drugs or weapons!

Thankfully with more and more people working from home during this pandemic, people are starting to have a deeper understanding of what it means to work while not physically being in the office.

MAINTAINING A GOOD WORK/LIFE BALANCE WHILE TRAVELING

It is your own responsibility to manage your time as a remote worker. If you are unable to do this then perhaps being a digital nomad is not for you. For me personally, I will make sure I wake up in the morning, get breakfast and hang out for a few hours at my favorite cafe while getting work done.

I do not leave until all my tasks for the day have been completed. And then I will use the remaining hours of the day to sight see around the city I am currently at. This is the reason why I tend to spend a very long time in each location- because I am not visiting the city as a tourist who would have ample time to sight see.

The keyword is self-discipline.

FOOD

When staying in a foreign location for a long time, a sure fire way to save money is to cook your own food. This applies pretty much anywhere, unless of course you are a multi-billionaire with unlimited funds, in which case, get your private chef to serve you caviar on toast for breakfast!

Another trick is to avoid eating at touristy restaurants as they might have a much higher rate for foreigners. Unless of course, you learn the basics of the local language and use this to order in restaurants. Instead of handing you the tourist menu, you would probably be given the local menu with local prices.

Personally, I do not actively go out looking for halal food but if that is one of your concerns prior to traveling, you might be surprised that certain countries practice a high level of inclusivity, to the point of making halal meat available almost everywhere. Rule of thumb would be to research and perhaps find online forums with tips from Muslims living in the countries you are headed to.

GROWING YOUR NETWORK

Digital nomading is a fantastic way of growing your network. I have been lucky enough to be able to rub shoulders with high level executives during my travels and socializing with them have translated into gaining clients for my freelance work. If you are an introvert, fret not! So am I.

Digital nomads are generally warm and friendly people. They are open to accepting you into their circle while you are in the same location as them.

Initially I used to travel with this group called Hacker Paradise. I have blogged about my wonderful experience with them before and you can read about it here. Joining free walking tours on your travels will also allow you to meet new people from around the world.

YOU WANT TO BE A DIGITAL NOMAD. NOW WHAT?

First thing you need to do is figure out what online based jobs fit your needs and skills. Be mentally prepared for this adventure as it will be nothing like working in the office. It can be tiring as you attempt to balance both work and leisure but once you get the hang of it, it will be so worth it.

I chose SEO as my field because it has been my interest since young. The passion I have for my chosen field serves as a motivation on days where I feel like going astray and enjoying the sights and sounds instead of working. Therefore, it is pertinent that you really love your chosen field.

In order to convince foreign companies to hire you as a remote worker, you have to build your online persona. We spoke about this a few weeks ago and you can read about it here.

At the end of the day, everybody’s path is different but keep in mind that how ever you choose to do this, make sure you have a public persona and have confidence to sell yourself to potential clients.

The location of your workplace in the world plays a big role in determining your work experience. From allowances to co-worker relationships, there are as many differences as there are similarities.

Today we will look into the pros and cons of working with Asian and Western companies.

EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP

Unfortunately being yelled at by an employer or employee is a possibility in Asian workplaces. Shouting matches are counter-productive because it only adds fuel to the fire instead of unearthing solutions. Emotional maturity is still in its infancy within the Asian work culture with mindfulness seminars slowly gaining momentum.

That said, some modern Asian companies have started practicing civilized manners of dealing with issues, for as far back as twenty years now. Of course, emotional outbursts at the office does not occur in all Asian companies, but the possibility of it happening is there.

On the other hand, any type of voice raising towards co-workers is absolutely unacceptable on the western front. Instead of enforcing respect, it is gained through hard work and integrity.

CLIMBING UP THE CAREER LADDER

While “ass kissing” is not a common practice with either party, some amount of it can be found in both western and Asian companies. Some managers enjoy having their employees constantly trying to impress them, regardless of the managers’ background and education level. Regrettably it is a personality trait. That said, western employers may not be as apparent with this need in comparison to their Asian counterparts.

On the other hand, there is a bad habit that can be encountered in some Asian companies. As with wanting to be idolized by “ass kissers”, there is a negative personality trait in certain individuals who cannot help but bring others down on their way up the career ladder. This certainly leads to conflicts and back stabbing between co-workers. It does not exist in all workplaces but sadly it does happen.

INTERNSHIPS

As far as internship is concerned, the goal of both Asian and Western companies is to groom interns so they may flourish in their future careers, regardless of whether or not it is with the host company. Nevertheless, some companies employ interns simply to take advantage of their respective government’s tax benefits. While others take the entire process very seriously and train the intern in every skill that is related to their field of expertise. In general, this can happen with any company, unnecessarily related to where it is located in the world.

In fact, the hiring process of interns also do not differ too much. The only possible variation would be between industries. The bottom line is, an intern’s experience with their internship depends on the company they intern for and the mentor they are assigned to.

RELATIONSHIP WITH COLLEAGUES

The contrast between the relationship of Asian colleagues and western colleagues is undeniable. Employees in certain western countries tend to keep the professional relationship purely professional. The relationship ends at the office and there is no such thing as dinner invites to the homes of colleagues and more often than not, a life long friendship with your co-workers is not forged. You might be expected to attend coffee breaks in the pantry so you may socialize but it tends to end there. That said of course, this is a cultural thing and does not occur in every western company.

Meanwhile, Asian companies generally work the opposite way. You may be invited to your co-worker’s home to meet their significant other and in some instances, even their parents. You will be asked to attend to family birthdays and if you get along really well, you could be introduced to their own circle of close friends. You might even organize and take part in cultural and religious celebrations together and all this takes place outside of work. The practice is that after you have left the company, you still keep in touch by meeting up for drinks, dinners and parties.

Being an expat though, regardless of which company you work for, you tend to become friends because you are the odd ones out within the staff, on foreign land. Your similarities bring you together even if you are all from different parts of the world. That said, the bond is much stronger if you are from the same part of the world.

ALLOWANCE

More often than not, your allowance or benefits are based on your pay grade. In Asia, you may receive meal cards, food allowances, petrol allowances, so on and so forth. In Belgium where I am, most (if not all) companies provide meal cards to all employees. And these meal cards are not restricted to meals eaten during work hours but also to be used for groceries. On top of that, there is also the thing with eco vouchers.

Eco vouchers are provided by certain companies and can be used to purchase environmentally friendly products. So you are able to shop for anything from fridges to garden equipment, for as long as they fit a certain requirement.

HIERARCHY

Hierarchy is very important within Malaysian work environments. I will not generalize by saying this is an Asian custom but Malaysians have a practice of giving respect to those who are in a higher position. Similar to the knighthood in UK, Malaysia has the “Datukship” that is very important within Malaysian work environments.

Malaysian royal families awards Datukship titles to deserving individuals annually and these titles afford them a higher standing in society. It goes without saying that this extends to the workplace too. For instance if you have a title to your name, you might be placed in the VIP or VVIP section at a company dinner. Your names will be mentioned first in the opening speeches of any event and you will be regarded by your title in the workplace and in most instances, even outside of the office.

In contrast, regardless of your position while working with non-Malaysian companies, your name does not get a special mention at events, as a CEO, you still sit along all your co-workers at company dinners and you are addressed by your first name by everyone at your office. There is no special treatment and this creates a sense of equality. This also reflects in how business is run. Your position in your workplace means nothing if you have nothing to show for it. Again, respect is earned, not enforced.

HIRING PROCESS

It is not uncommon to see job postings in Malaysia which state that the company is specifically searching for an individual who can speak a certain language. Some people regard this as discrimination and despite constant complaints, it is still rampant.

In the company I work for, if we ever need a person with the specific skill to speak a certain language, we ensure to include context on the posting. For instance perhaps we need an individual who can speak Spanish fluently because they will be in charge of dealing with Spanish-speaking clients on behalf of the company. Biases or discrimination in the hiring process is highly frowned upon and is in fact illegal in many Western countries.

This entire process traces back to something as basic as filling government related forms. In contrast to Malaysia, you are not required to state your race or religion in such forms. These pieces of information should not determine whether you get hired for a job.

It is also worth noting that in Asian countries, your study qualifications are usually looked at during the hiring process. Of course, if you are being hired for a specific-skilled position like an electrical engineer or a brain surgeon, of course an in depth background check on your education is required. But there is a practice of requesting for specific qualifications that is not even remotely related to the job you are applying for.

Some government positions may need you to achieve an A in a specific subject that is not utilized in the job. Western companies may either focus on your skills or your ability to speak their native language. For instance, you could be a PhD holder but you cannot seem to get a job placement in Europe due to the fact that you are not fluent speakers of the native language. Or those who are highly educated but cannot ace the rigorous interview process. Your level of education does not take center stage. It is mainly looked at as a filtering process on whether you have the basic knowledge required for the job. In essence, having a certificate does not ensure you will be good on the job.

WORK CULTURE

Asians are generally seen as hardworking individuals due to the fact that competing to be the best and stand out has been drilled into us from a young age. But the dark side of this is an unhealthy work-life balance.

Asians normalize working overtime and bringing work home because we are constantly chasing deadlines. For some reason, near impossible deadlines is almost a lifestyle.

In certain western countries, it is illegal for your employer to call or text you after work hours. You are expected to manage your time wisely and finish your tasks within working hours and if you can't, you do not take your work home. If work-related messages are sent after office hours, there not expectation of an instant reply. In fact, you should only address the message once you are back at work the next day. The result of this is a fantastically balanced work-life situation.

Most times Asians struggle with shops and restaurants closing at 8pm in European countries simply because in Asia, you have eateries that stay open 24 hours and shops that close at 10pm. Asians may also find paperwork takes a long time to process in western countries because people do not work beyond their office hours.

Whereas in certain Asian companies, leaving work at the time you are supposed to, can create gossip around the office. Co-workers may brand you as being lazy or not a team player.

Of course, it goes without saying that where there are humans, there will always be gossip and this does not exclude the workplace, regardless of where you are in the world. That said, in most western companies, company gossip is just that, a rumor and nothing of the malicious nature or anything that will cost somebody their job for no substantial reason.

COMPETITION

You may find employees in certain western countries do not have the same competitive nature most Asians do. It might surprise Asians to see their western counterparts lacking ambition even. These countries have fantastic welfare benefits and therefore do not encourage such strong competition in life and in work.

Meanwhile, Asians are naturally competitive, as mentioned before, it has been drilled into us since young. Of course competition exists everywhere but the western definition of the word is unlike how the Asians perceive it.

It is usually a healthy one where co-workers encourage each other to strive to become a better version of themselves. With everything else mentioned above, there are of course pros and cons to this more laid back style of work.

To summarize, working anywhere in the world comes with its own benefits and downfalls and ultimately it is up to you to pick what suits your own personality and style of work.

As a client, you are often faced with the choice of either hiring an agency or a freelancer. In today’s post, we will dive deep into the pros and cons of hiring an agency or a freelancer.

ADVANTAGES OF HIRING AGENCIES

Agencies have a lot of experience from dealing with many clients from various industries and it goes without saying that they also have a set of proven frameworks. It can be said that agencies are experts in targeting your specific needs as a client.

Larger agencies can cater to you using different levels of skills amongst their staff. Hiring agencies also helps you save time on headhunting for the most suitable freelancer for your project. Unless you have an HR department to carry out the process for you, hiring an agency saves you a lot of trouble of filtering through hundreds of resumes and portfolios.

DISADVANTAGES OF HIRING AGENCIES

The biggest disadvantage of hiring agencies is definitely the cost. Hiring a freelancer directly or delegating internally can save you a lot of money. Apart from that, hiring an agency can mean that your project may not be prioritized.

There is a tendency amongst agencies to over promise or tell you what you want to hear because of course, you are paying them. My experience working with agencies is that they typically focus on clients who pay more. It is not necessarily a bad thing but I find it complicated at times.

On top of that, due to the fact that agencies work with a tight margin, competing with a lot of other agencies, you will have to be tied down with them for a long period of time. In Europe, the contract can range anywhere between six and twenty four months and if you somehow find out halfway that the agency does not jive well with your needs as a client, it can get really expensive to end the contract and source out a new agency.

Nonetheless, if you end up with an ideal agency, this will not pose a problem. But that said, you as a client need to take a lot into consideration before committing to a long contract with an agency.

It is also worth mentioning that turnovers are high within agencies so you may discover the account manager you are working with has suddenly left the agency and you are assigned a new individual halfway through your project. I find this process a waste of time as you will have to onboard the new account manager and update them on where you currently are.

SUITABILITY OF AN AGENCY

This depends on what you are looking for as a client but typically, marketing agencies provide three types of growth marketing services: Pay Per Click (PPC), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Content Marketing

Since I’m an SEO specialist, I usually use this option for marketing or I hire a freelancer to do it but since I am not as familiar with PPC, that is when I hire an agency to run the campaign.

Depending on the budget, a larger one usually affords me the ability to hire an agency. But when faced with a project with a smaller budget, a freelancer is the best bet.

Startups which are cash rich and looking to grow exponentially in a short amount of time can benefit greatly from hiring an agency. Having said that, large corporations can also enjoy the convenience of an agency, especially when starting a new project and not wanting to spend time looking for freelancers.

BUILDING A GOOD RAPPORT WITH AN AGENCY

I like to ask a lot of questions during the proposal stage, so I can be better acquainted with the team I am about to spend the next few months working with. Additionally, tasks can be smoother sailing when you have a healthy relationship with the agency.

Reading body language during meetings and observing their e-mails can also give one a better insight into who they are. It allows you to gauge if their identity as an agency fits well with your own company’s work culture.

Meeting with the agency’s team instead of just the account manager helps in building a solid relationship with the agency. It gives them a sense of who they are dealing with and perhaps even motivate them to do a better job for you.

I prefer doing video calls instead of e-mails because it enables me to read their facial expressions. They might tell me everything is going well but their expression may say otherwise.

ADVANTAGES OF HIRING FREELANCERS

Personally, I prefer hiring freelancers. To begin with, they are value for money because you are paying them directly as compared to paying the agency a commission fee.

Freelancers are specific in their skills so if you know exactly what you want for your project, work moves much faster. Communication wise, it is also not as time-consuming as dealing with an agency where you will have to go through the account manager to get your message across to the freelancer.

DISADVANTAGES OF HIRING FREELANCERS

As mentioned above, freelancers are specific in their skills, which can also work as a disadvantage in this case because the field of expertise is more narrow in comparison to hiring an agency.

Startups which do not have an HR department will struggle with the hiring process of freelancers. Filling a particular position may not be fast enough to meet your business’ demands or growth.

On top of that, because most clients prefer to hire freelancers, finding a good one can prove to be a difficult task. Most highly skilled freelancers have either been snatched up by other clients or fully booked for months or even years. An average-skilled freelancer might be easily available, but they will need a lot of guidance and this is time-consuming.

Highly experienced freelancers are more independent in a sense that you only need to provide them with a simple brief, and they can run the task with minimal supervision from your end.

PROCESS OF HIRING FREELANCERS

From an employer’s point of view, it can be a grueling task. What I like to do is ask for recommendations from my network of colleagues within the same industry. However, this option usually leaves me with a pool of freelancers who are already engaged in other projects for the next few months.

Another alternative solution would be to post my search on social media, mainly LinkedIn. On of the things to keep in mind when hiring via social media is there should not be any bias or discrimination when filtering through resumes and portfolios. What I personally do is I utilize a system that blocks out names, their social media details and other personal details that might influence my decision.

This leaves me with only a review of their answers on job related questions. Once a choice has been made, then and only then will I check out their LinkedIn profile, and personal details which are required in order to hire the individual.

DO FREELANCERS HAVE MORE INTEGRITY THAN AGENCIES

I would not say one is more trustworthy than the other. However, I prefer freelancers because I can get trusted individuals to personally vouch for their work, unlike with agencies.

On the other hand, people within my network might also recommend an agency but since the turnover rate is high, I as a client may end up being assigned an individual who does not reflect the agency’s integrity or work culture.

A FREELANCER’S POINT OF VIEW

Initially, I found working with agencies helped build my reputation as a freelancer and expand my horizon but after a few years, I discovered I could make more money dealing directly with clients.

Depending on where you are in the world, in certain countries, agencies have a tendency of handling freelancers without involving a contract. This is where the freelancers lose out. Agencies can simply quote a rate and the freelancer agrees without having it in writing. This leads to a lot of other problems for the freelancer.

On the flip side, agencies can offer freelancers a consistent flow of jobs, given that the freelancer is efficient and highly skilled.

BUILDING A REPUTATION AS A FREELANCER

Because you are your own agent and manager, freelancers need to put themselves out there in order for clients to discover them. Having a positive social media presence helps, especially on LinkedIn.

Having your own website allows clients to look you up and learn more about who you are both professionally and personally. Adding a blog and/or a podcast will enable clients to listen to your tone of voice whether in writing or audio. The key is to build your own brand and be your authentic self.

If like me, you are a marketing freelancer, having a blog really helps in connecting with potential clients. Having an online presence is key as a freelancer. In this day and age, your willingness to share knowledge online for free is an attractive trait in the eyes of clients.

I have also signed up to speak at conferences and organized private webinars, spreading my knowledge as an SEO specialist to those who are interested to learn more and also to potential clients.

IS IT MORE CONVENIENT FOR FREELANCERS TO BE MANAGED BY AGENCIES

When you are starting out as a freelancer, having an agency represent you will not only be convenient for you, but it will also teach you many valuable things. You learn to wear multiple hats, experience dealing with different people, and basically expand your know-hows within your industry.

Once you have accumulated enough knowledge, you can branch out on your own. Personally, I prefer working on my own because I am able to be flexible with my time and manage my own expectations. Whereas being affiliated with an agency means you will have to work around their set time and adhere to their culture.

HOW DO FREELANCERS MANAGE THEMSELVES EFFICIENTLY

When it comes to dealing with clients or agencies, it is of utmost importance that you protect yourself with contracts. Without a binding contract, you can face issues ranging from payment, being forced to deliver more than initially agreed upon, and in some cases even being blamed for things you never even consented to.

I am very firm when it comes to payment terms in my contract with a client or agency. If a payment is ever late, I will immediately cease work. In order to protect yourself, you need to know what you want, what you can deliver and not be afraid to state it. To be a freelancer, you need to know your worth. An important thing to remember here is that, you have the right to fire a client if they do not deliver.

FREELANCER ISSUES

Working for agencies can be hard work, for a lot less money. You can end up putting in twelve hours a day, depending on your type of business. On the other hand, venturing out on your own means you will have to handle a lot of paperwork yourself.

Depending on where you are in the world, filing taxes can prove to be a major headache. If you are to set up your own company and hire an accountant, it still means you need to manage everything on your own prior to handing them over to your accountant.

If you have read past blog posts, you will see that I have registered my company in Estonia and that has afforded me a lot of luxuries in terms of dealing with my efficient European based accounting company mainly online. Instead of having to collect every little receipt or invoice, I simply need to upload everything online and they will take care of the rest. At the end of the day, I just need to sign the papers, and rest easy.

SHOULD FREELANCERS ACCEPT FULL TIME POSITIONS

As time goes by and you become better at your field, you may run into clients who are willing to hire you full time. There are no handbooks for this but I would say, ultimately, it depends on what you want.

If like me, you value your freedom, ask the client if they are willing to work around your flexible time. Make sure that it is a win-win situation. After all, they are the ones who are chasing you. Better still, if they do not have a clause that says you cannot continue to take on freelance projects on the side, take full advantage of it. Given of course that you can handle the workload.

In some countries, clients may state in your contract that you are not permitted to take on projects or freelance work that is associated with their competitors. These are the little things that you need to take note of in your contract. As mentioned earlier, it is entirely up to you but make sure you are on the winning end.

Next, look into the company’s publicly available documents before signing on the dotted line. Some organizations look perfect on the outside but are crumbling where their finances are concerned. Also, speak to employees of the company so you can gauge whether or not this company is a good fit for you. Bottomline is, accepting a fulltime position should mean additional benefits for you, instead of losing your current status as a succesful freelancer.

CRITERIA CLIENTS LOOK FOR AGENCIES / FREELANCERS

Recommendations based on past performance is the number one thing most clients look for prior to hiring. Personally, I like to speak to companies which have ended their contracts with a particular agency or freelancer and find out why the contract ended. The contract may not have been renewed due to budget issues or organizational issues.

Finding out these things will not only help you gauge what can be foreseen in the future, but it can help you entirely avoid the problems altogether.

In this post, I will be sharing the second part of last week’s post about being an efficient manager. If last week we discussed a lot about the manager’s role, this week, we will touch more on how employees can benefit from a manager’s efficiency.

DEVELOPING EMPLOYEE CAREER PATH

One of the important things a manager should have as a personality is being approachable. An approachable manager makes employees more comfortable about opening up and once that is achieved, you as a manager will find managing your team or department, a much smoother ride.

An employee will naturally want management to think that they have long-term plans for staying within an organization but not all are being completely transparent. If your employees feel uneasy about coming clean, you will not have a clear idea of what their intentions are.

Of course, it goes without saying that your intention is not to hold them back from achieving their dreams or moving on to greener pastures but ideally, you would want every employee to feel valued and be loyal to your organization. This particularly applies if your employee possesses a special skill.

What you can do is put aside an hour a month on asking your employees specific questions. You may look at it as a reversed KPI. You can ask them what their long-term plans are and if they have any specific ambitions of moving up the career ladder.

USEFUL QUESTIONS

Some questions I like to ask are;

1) On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you in the company?

This question allows you to gauge their level of contentment and sometimes, you might discover things you have overlooked. Make sure that your direct reports never give you a ten because nothing is ever perfect. If they do give you a ten, it can be either because they are afraid of opening up to you, or they are simply trying to please you. Your employees must understand that you are trying to improve things for them and not punish them for being honest.

2) What do you want to spend more time doing?

The answer to this will give you an insight on what your direct reports strengths are. When they say they prefer to be given a bigger responsibility in regard to a certain task, it means they know they are good at it and will be more productive and perhaps even proactive when handling said task.

3) What do you want to spend less time doing?

Similar to the question above, this question reveals your direct reports weaknesses. It is a good manner of judging what tasks might create trouble for them and in turn, you may not get the best result out of their completed work.

Of course, you cannot always cater to their specific needs but at least you have a clearer idea on how to delegate tasks within your team or department in a more efficient manner.

4) How do you feel about your long-term career trajectory at the company?

This is where you ask your team what position they have their eyes on. Some may be eyeing a director level role within the next five years, while others may just be comfortable going with the flow. Let them know that what ever their plans are, you are not here to judge. Instead you simply want to be informed of the direction you can help steer them towards, when the time comes. You are after all, their manager and your job is to manage them, their tasks and their expectations.

5) Tell them what they are doing well.

It is crucial that your direct reports know what they excel at, so they are informed that they are on the right track, as opposed to blindly following orders, without any confirmation of whether they are carrying out their duties correctly. It also acts as a guide on how they can improve themselves.

Something that needs special attention to when giving feedback to your team is to pick the right moment. Your team may be going through some difficulties in their private lives and are not prepared to listen to non-positive feedback. The tip is to ask when is an opportune time for them.

6) What can I do better for you?

Many employees wish that they are able to give constructive criticism to their managers instead of only being on the receiving end. Nobody is perfect and you might be subconsciously doing things that do not sit well with your employees. The only way to find out is to listen to their feedback. Remember that your job is to facilitate them towards success so if there is any room for improvement, you are ready to hear it.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU CONDUCT THESE SESSIONS

The frequency of checking up on your team really depends on the size of your team or department. Ideally a weekly half an hour session should suffice. In this case, a general catch-up session will do, instead of asking them all six of the questions above.

Personally, I only ask the six questions on a once a month basis. My own manager conducts these career catch-ups with me once every quarter and because our sessions are less regular, the list of questions tend to be longer.

Essentially it depends on your availability, however a face to face session is always preferred. This is so you are able to read the body language and facial expressions of your team. There is only so much that words can express, and for others, you need to read cues.

HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THESE CATCH-UP SESSIONS

Although uncommonly practiced, these catch-up sessions are very effective in making team more proactive and motivated. These methods have been proven to work within my own workplace and I highly recommend it to others.

What it does is it basically gives team a sense of ownership which makes them want to do more for the overall success of the company. The bottom line is to keep your employees happy, so they will in turn, want to make you happy.

ENSURING THE HAPPINESS OF YOUR TEAM

There are many things that can be done to raise employee happiness level. Team building activities or courses lifts their spirits while also giving them a break from work. That said, of course these events are no longer possible during this pandemic era, however there are alternatives.

An example of this is the Airbnb Online Experience which allows you to design an online team building course that is both fun and engaging. Monthly and quarterly sessions of these little breaks from work can do a lot for both you and your team.

Also be open to suggestions from your team. If they are looking to organise these events themselves, then look into supporting them with a workable budget.

One of my favorite practices here at my workplace, HubSpot, is observing special events. Employee birthdays or special celebrations are noted with gifts or wish cards. With the recent Easter holidays, every employee was given a gift basket containing chocolates. These small gestures go a long way in reminding your team that they are appreciated and thought of.

MAKING YOUR TEAM COMFORTABLE OPENING UP

An emotional safety net is essentially something that makes your team comfortable in opening up to you. A manager should be able to provide a secure enough emotional safety net that results in employees willingly wanting to share their professional and personal problems if they feel the need to.

The idea is to let them know that regardless of what happens (within reason, of course), there will be no negative consequences. In fact, it should be common knowledge amongst your team that you have their backs and will do anything you can within your professional capability to assist them.

Yelling at your team is never an option. Not only is it uncivilized, it also results in loss of trust from your team. As a manager, your role is to ensure work is smooth sailing. You want respect, not fear.

An example would be how my workplace afforded emotional support for an employee who was going through a rough patch in their personal life recently. The company sent them to see a licensed therapist for ten sessions to work out their issues, ensuring that their burden was lessened. Needless to say, it helped greatly.

IS BEING TOO SUPPORTIVE A FORM OF SPOILING YOUR TEAM?

The way I see it, you as an employer are investing in the success of your team. You are not only hiring them to get things done but you want it done effectively. Support is a form of easing their journey towards achieving success for the entire organization.

CREATING AN EFFECTIVE PROJECT BASED WIP (WORK IN PROGRESS)

Out of the many techniques of ensuring a smooth running WIP, my personal preference is the GROW model.

As you can see from this diagram, each letter in the word GROW represents a step in managing a project.

“G” essentially represents goals.

In your weekly WIP meetings, ask your employee or your team “What is the goal(s) of this project and why is it important to you.”

Listen first prior to giving feedback. Interrupting before they are done may discourage them from being transparent with their answer. Their idea of the goal may differ from yours but the most important thing is you take their point of view into consideration.

“R” stands for reality (check).

The plan is to guide your team in prioritizing their tasks towards reaching their goal. If you find that they are disorganized, you can ask them what they are willing to change. If it is additional resources that they need, that is where you come in with assistance. Working overtime should never be an option.

“O” is for options.

Find out what their plan is. Asking your team about their options helps them think critically as opposed to being spoon-fed. Employees who are allowed to be in control of the plan will feel empowered. Even if the task is set by you, the journey towards the end game should be engineered by your employee or team. If hiring a freelancer is mentioned by your employee then it is your role to find out if the budget permits the extra hire. You are there to provide them with additional resources, if possible.

The question regarding what others have done in the past gives you an idea of whether your team member have conducted their research.

“W” represents will.

Allow your direct reports to tell you what milestones they plan to hit along the way of reaching their goal. If it is not what you expect, discuss it with them. That said, give assurance that you trust them to handle this and you are ready to assist in any way possible.

Asking your team what will happen if they are not succesful is basically a way of letting them know that they always need backup plans. You can secure the most airtight plan but you can never foresee what may happen in the near future.

THE PRACTICALITY OF THE GROW MODEL

The GROW Model implements structure in the handling of projects. It puts into perspective of where everyone is, prioritize tasks and identifies resources needed to move ahead. At the end of the day, problems are identified and recorded weekly and it can be used to improve the process in future projects.

At the end of the day, the GROW Model helps both your team and you as a manager in figuring out alternative methods of running a project.

Having said that, the GROW Model may not apply for near impossible deadlines. In fact, near impossible deadlines should not be normalized in any organization. It is unhealthy for everyone involved in the long run.

This is where we draw the line between the western work culture and their Asian counterpart. Westerners usually perceive Asians as hardworking but there is a fine line between being hardworking and being pushed to ones’ limits. This discussion is a whole other topic for another day.