Saturday 15 June 2013 - Leaderonomics.com · 2 mystarjob.com, saturday 15 June 2013 CareerTips...

Saturday 15 June 2013

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Do what you love

YOUR ULTIMATE CAREER& TALENT RESOURCE

Pg 06

SOLVE YOUR ANGERand stress issues toincrease your personaleffectiveness

PERSONAL BRANDINGplays an importantrole in your careerdevelopment

Pg 14

Buildingfor lifeA Day in the Life of aconstruction manager. What isactually involved?

Pg 5

how to create a winning teaMPageS 8-9

SuPer teaMaSSeMbling a

Pg 07

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOWif you are a young professionalwanting to build a successfulcareer

mystarjob.com, saturday 15 June 20132

Career Tips

EDITORIALAdviserRoshan ThiRanEditorLiLy Cheah

evaChRisTodouLou

Contributing EditorPRemaJayaBaLan

Operations Leadhyma PiLLay

Sub EditorLee KaR yean

Layout, Art & DesignTung eng hwamohd izudin ismaiLzuLhaimi BahaRuddinahmad fadzuL yusofadznam saBRi

mohd KhaiRuLhafis idzLamuhd hafeezRazziahshawn ngLisanne yeoh

Writers & Contributorsangie ngsRi haLeeLaviCToR LohKhoi Tu

RadhiKa CheLLiahTeRRy smaLL

Sales Managerian Lee

If you have any suggestions or feedback on our content, get in touch with the Leaderonomics team at [email protected] you are an organisation and believe you have a great story to share with our readers, contact [email protected] - 016 974 7087

LiLy says

The opinions expressed in this career guide are those of the writers orthe people they quoted and not necessarily those of Leaderonomics.

From F&B togrooming leadersManaging director of TheConference Board for AsiaPacific, Nick Sutcliffe’scareer journey. Pg 3

Rock-solid foundationHard work and diligence

are the key ingredients fora construction manager’s

success. Pg 5

Pave your successMake your career journeyphenomenal by followingthese steps. Pg 7

You areyour brandGiving attentionto personalbranding putsyou ahead ofthe race. Pg 14

Curb that temperFind out how you caneffectively manage angerand stress and increase yourpersonal effectiveness. Pg 6

FacebookaddictionIs Facebook takingover our livesand affecting ourcommunication skills?

Pacific, Nick Sutcliffe’scareer journey.

LAST month, I watched the Jurassic Park again (after almost 20years). Whilst the Tyrannosaurus-rex used to be my “dinosaurof choice”, I was especially intrigued this time around by thevelociraptors. At the beginning of the movie, a little boy tellsDr Alan Grant (played by Sam Neill) that they’re just “six-foot

turkeys”. Grant then promptly describes to him how these “turkeys”,who move in packs, would easily corner him and tear him apart. Theboy whimpers and agrees to talk about the creatures with a littlemore respect.

A velociraptor is much smaller than the T-rex, yet in the movie,seemed just as fearsome because of the fact that they move andhunt in numbers. Once they lock their sights onto a target (like thetwo raptors in the kitchen scene where they chase the children), theywork together as a team to achieve their mission. If you run fromone, the other will surely be waiting on the other side.

Teams that know how to work together can be fearsome andawesome combinations. In our work places, working in a team set-ting is inevitable. But I wonder whether we recognise the awesomepotential of our “powers combined”. How intentional are we aboutmaking our teams great, and are we even excited about the teamswe work in?

In this week’s Career Guide, our centrespread dives into the topicof teamwork, with Khoi Tu sharing the secrets of assembling a superteam. In page 11, Eva Christodoulou lists out the different charactersin every successful team – some are innovators, others are co-ordina-tors and team-builders. Which one are you? Have a read to find out.

In A Day in the Life on page 5, we feature the winner of this year’sA Day in the Life videography competition. Choong Kun Loong, aconstruction manager, shares his world of construction with us.The accompanying video is well worth the five minutes- iSnap it, orcheck it out on leaderonomics.tv/adil.

Our resident brand and image consultant Wendy Lee talks aboutpersonal branding in Image Matters, complete with a simple exerciseto identify your internal and external brand. You may be surprised tofind out that others don’t perceive you the way you see yourself. Butyour personal brand plays a big role in your career progress. Turn topage 14 for more.

I hope this week’s pages enlighten you in some way on things

a paCk paCks

a punCh

Career Tips

EDITORIAL Assistant Editor Operations Lead Layout, Art & Design

and affecting ourcommunication skills?Pg 13

I hope this week’s pages enlighten you in some way on thingsI hope this week’s pages enlighten you in some way on thingsyou may be facing in your career development journey. If you have ayou may be facing in your career development journey. If you have acareer issue that you could like to see addressed in our pages, pleasecareer issue that you could like to see addressed in our pages, pleasewrite to us atwrite to us at [email protected]@leaderonomics.com. Comments and feed-. Comments and feed-back are also most welcome.back are also most welcome.

Have a great week ahead.Have a great week ahead.

Until next Saturday,Until next Saturday,

LiLY CheahLiLY CheahEditor, myStarjob.comEditor, myStarjob.com

Creating the perfeCt team

GO FOr DiVersiTy When hirinG As an employer, hire people with different personalities.If everyone in the company has the same personality, employees may have similar strengths andweaknesses. A combination of various strengths is best.

nurTure a CuLTure OF TrusT Earn the trust of your team. Treat everyone with the samekind of respect and make decisions without letting prejudices get in the way. The support of employeesand trust within the team are very important for performance.

reLease The TensiOn Establish some ways to express inevitable anger, frustration and tensionthat may arise in the team. Humour and playfulness are some ways to defuse tension. Let employees venttheir anger in a creative manner. You could even install a dart board in a corner where they can take aimand focus their frustrations on the target.

Be an eFFeCTiVe TeaM pLayer Set the example of what a great team player should be. Bereliable, demonstrate commitment to the team and company, and leverage on the strengths of individualswithin the group. Set the tone, and trust the rest to follow.

inCOrpOraTe a sTrOnG sense OF BeLOnGinG Spend more time getting to know theteam better, not just in terms of work. Build a sense of community and camaraderie. When there is a bondbetween team members, it will be easier to perform tasks, work together and also be more honest witheach other.

mystarjob.com, saturday 15 June 2013 �

By ANGIE [email protected]

BRITISH Nicholas Sutcliffebelieves in seeking outnew adventures and chal-lenges in his career, whichexplains why he has opted

to be based in Asia for more than adecade now.

Despite being persuaded by hisparents to study medicine, theIreland-born lad knew early on thathe “personally did not have whatit takes to treat sick people”, andgraduated with a Bachelor of Scienceinstead.

Not many people may knowthat the managing director of TheConference Board for Asia-Pacificstarted out his career working fora global conglomerate of bever-age and catering business, GrandMetropolitan, in the early 1980s.

During his four year stint at GrandMetropolitan, Sutcliffe learned theropes about leadership and manage-ment skills.

“My first real job was as amanagement trainee with GrandMetropolitan which later mergedwith Guinness to form Diageo,” heshares with myStarjob.com.

Recalling his first job days,Sutcliffe says the job responsibilitieswere varied; from working in mar-keting through to the most basic ofjobs in the catering industry – clean-ing plates.

In his first two years in the com-pany, he worked in various capacitiesfrom accounting, business develop-ment marketing to project manage-ment.

He stayed on with GrandMetropolitan for another two yearsstudying restaurant concepts acrossEurope and introducing them to theUK.

Sutcliffe says working in multiplepositions taught him to be agile inhis thinking.

“Every day was a milestone, andthe training and development pro-gramme was mostly stick ratherthan carrot. The highlight of my stintthere was to survive the programme.Along with the other trainees, welearned to persevere and to beproactive rather than reactive.”

“However tough an environmentmay be, we can make it work if wemake a resolve to succeed. Toughenvironments will make you moreresilient and strengthen your resolveas a person,” Sutcliffe says with con-viction.

He says the three things that wereenduring about his first job werethe incredible competitiveness ofthe trainees, the high turnover rate– “it was like The Apprentice series; ifyou did not succeed you were fired”,and his first international posting to

Antwerp, Belgium.Despite not liking the tough

and competitive training at GrandMetropolitan, Sutcliffe is still appre-ciative of having the chance to buildup his resilience. He is also apprecia-tive of the many worthy manage-ment skills that he has learned whilewith the company.

“Frankly, the processes learnedthere, are probably of no use at allto my career path now, as many ofthe processes were unique to GrandMetropolitan. But the attention todetail required in the job still helpstoday,” he says.

RAISING THE BARAfter Grand Metropolitan,

Sutcliffe joined business-to-business media com-pany, SPG Media GroupLimited to head its BusinessDevelopment Unit from2002 to 2004, and Sales andBusiness Intelligence from2004 to 2006.

While there, he wasresponsible for establishinga knowledge processing out-sourcing centre in India fora UK-based media company.As the leader of all key activi-ties, he established a 300-strong research centre thatfocused on business opera-tions and strategies acrossseven vertical industries.

In August 2005, Sutcliffejoined the New York-based TheConference Board as the managingdirector for Asia-Pacific.

His role is to grow the organisa-tion’s business and practices in theregion, which has seen a revenuegrowth of more than 20% a year.

He is responsible for the strategicdevelopment and growth of TheConference Board operations withinAsia-Pacific and also shares respon-sibility for enhancing the organi-sation’s stature and reputation asa relevant, objective, and ethicalinstitution serving businesses andsociety.

Having worked internationallysince 1994, Sutcliffe says he hasgained a deep understanding ofboth the cultural and social issuesthat affect the region, and in par-ticular he has a passionate interestin Chinese and Indian business rela-tions and cultural drivers.

Explaining his mission goingforward, he says: “Whilst we aredriven by the key business issues,we have to maintain a focus onsome of the key societal issues andthe impact business decisions canhave. So vocationally I am focusedon defining and developing researchthat helps business operate in Asia,which includes a focus on diversityof culture and diversity of business

type.”Founded in 1916, The Conference

Board has been advancing businesspractices across multiple areas thatinclude human capital, macroeco-nomics and boardroom issues.

Its mission is to provide theworld’s leading organisations withthe practical knowledge they needto improve their performance andbetter serve society. It has officesin Brussels, Beijing, Mumbai, HongKong and Singapore.

LEADERSHIP BUILDING“We conduct research and con-

vene business leaders in forumslarge and small, public and private.The insights captured through ourextensive network feed directlyback into our research and meetingagendas, ensuring that our activitiesremain sharply focused on the keyissues of the day,” Sutcliffe explains.

The Conference Board willbe organising The Future AseanLeadership un-Conference from June25-26 in Kuala Lumpur. The interac-tive event has set out to harnessthe value of co-creation and crowdsourcing by working with attend-ees to create cutting edge researchthat will define the skills needed byfuture leaders – “Asean Leader 2.0”.

Having such an illustrious

career, is he looking to assume othernew roles and responsibilities?

“I am still very driven and enjoythe challenges of the business,”Sutcliffe confesses.

His career that spans morethan 20 years has taken him to 20countries that cover various Asiancities, the Middle East, India, NorthAmerica, and Europe.

He has held multiple roles,the majority of which dealt withbusiness information in variouscapacities of publishing, events andresearch.

His specialties include businessdevelopment, strategy, people riskand operational excellence. And hisbiodata includes an extensive trackrecord in global media solutions andresearch for C-suite executives.

Married with two children,Sutcliffe and his family have settledin Asia since 1999 and his latestbase is Singapore.

Sutcliffe professes that he wouldlike to assume advisory roles ornon-executive roles with Asian com-panies as he believes the value ofpeople in the region is under repre-sented at board level.

“People are a company’s greatestasset, yet many boards do not havethe expertise to understand thedevelopment process and the need

for planning the people require-ments going forward,” he says.

On the personalities who inspirehim, Sutcliffe says: “I admire the sin-gle-mindedness and creativity of thelate Steve Jobs, the entrepreneurialspirit of Sir Richard Branson and DrLee Suk Chae of KT Corp for his focuson people.”

True to his global citizen spirit,Sutcliffe advises the younger genera-tion of the need to embrace changeand to be mobile.

“Increasingly young employeesare going to have to be agile learn-ers; never stop learning and bemobile. Do not be afraid of thoseoverseas opportunities.

“But remember that where everyou may be, you are a guest. Treatpeople with the respect that youwould expect to be treated with,” hesays encouragingly.

n The Conference Board is organisingthe 2013 Future ASEAN Leadershipun-Conference on 25-26 June, a newtype of interactive event, harnessingthe value of co-creation and crowdsourcing to create cutting-edgeresearch that will define the skillsneeded by future leaders. For moreinformation, visit www.conference-board.org and search un-Conference,or email [email protected]

DrivEn to facEchallEngEs

sUtcliffE isPassionatEaboUtgrooMingasianlEaDErs

Sutcliffe with his wifeCatriona at their homein Singapore.

Sutcliffe, a F1 fan, at thePetronas LeadershipCentre in Kuala Lumpurrecently.

ALeader IsA TeamPlayerHaving won the FIFA World Player of the Year

Award in 2009 and subsequently the UEFA

Best Player in Europe Award in 2010-2011,

Lionel Messi is arguably one of the best football

players in the world. Messi however would be

hard-pressed to work his magic without the

support of his teammates.

Great leaders are team players. Michael Jordan,

Walt Disney and Akio Morita all achieved great

success because of the teams they worked and

played with. They know that successful teams

do and achieve more together. What would a film

be like without its extensive team of directors,

producers, artists and cast? The greatest scientific

discoveries to date are all also based on a pooling

of knowledge and resources.

Exceptional teams deliver brilliant work. A leader

recognises this and believes that everybody

wins when they work together.

Be A Leader.

We can help your organisation develop leaders. Write in to: [email protected] or call 6012.343.7716

www.leaderonomics.com

myStarjob.com, Saturday 15 June 20134


A SOLID FOUNDATION

By PREMA [email protected]

MY father has always told me thatthere is no such thing as smalljobs, only small people. Eachjob has its own importance andsignificance. You reap what you

sow, so the final outcome is from your doings,”says Choong Kun Loong, reminiscing his oldman’s words.

Choong has diligently followed the wisewords of his father, which have made him whathe is today – a successful construction manager.

The eldest in the family and with four sib-lings, Choong managed to only obtain educationuntil he was 13 years old because the family waspoor.

He dropped out of school and started work-ing as a car-seat maker for three years to earnincome for the family. He then joined the familybusiness and started learning about construc-tion work.

Once he has mastered the trait, he startedtaking on his own projects and started his owncompany in 1998. According to Choong, he gotsteered into this profession due to the influenceof his family and his background, where every-one was involved in the construction business.

As a construction manager, Choong hasmultiple tasks to handle at any given time.There aremany things that come together whilemanaging a construction project and multipleaspects to look into.

“Firstly my job consists of getting ideas andunderstanding what my clients want. ThenI convey these ideas to my employees. Next,I have to manage my team well. The teamincludes the plumber, constructor, technicianand workers that I hire for each project.

“My job doesn’t stop at just hiring them; Ihave to supervise them as well. Sometimes,they may have problems which I have to lookinto and solve. I have to always make sure that Ihave hired enough workers as there are a lot ofdivisions in construction which need manpower.My main job is checking on the progress of myprojects, which are usually at multiple locations.

“I also meet up with my clients to discussthe current progress of their houses or offices. Iusually give them suggestions especially whenit comes to the interior design and the look andfeel of the building.”

The daily advenTureChoong’s day starts at 5am when he sends his

children to school. After that, work begins. Hetypically arrives at the construction site between7:30am and 8:30am, depending on the location,and starts by checking on the progress of work.

Here, he also discusses with his workers anyissue they may be facing in the project. It’simportant for Choong to make sure that noerrors occur as he cannot afford to have mis-takes at work. Everything has to follow a planas designed, and the execution of it must besmooth. In times when unexpected changesoccur, Choong has to come up with a quick andeffective solution to settle the issue.

Afternoons are mostly spent with his clients.“I allocate this time for them so that they can

discuss their opinions, thoughts and apprehen-sions with me. Some mayt have ideas that theywant in their projects, others will want to getupdates on the work being done.

“Some may even have complaints aboutcertain aspects which I will discuss with themto rectify the matter. I also meet up with newclients who have projects for me to work on dur-ing this time.”

Once he is done meeting with his custom-ers, Choong heads to the other locations where

his projects are progressing. Once all these aredone, Choong calls it a day and heads for homeat around 6pm.

Challenges of The roleChoong’s profession is not entirely smooth-

sailing. Just like any other job, he faces his fairshare of challenges as well.

“The main challenge is the interior design.Having an array of clients equals to varioustypes of tastes, and clients are always demand-ing for different types of interior design. So Ihave to have knowledge of interior design inorder to cater to their needs.”

“Sometimes, there might not be enoughmanpower on site. On these days I have to dothe job myself. So, it is not just about supervis-ing. There are times when I have to do the hard,manual work as well.”

“Then there is the pressure from some dif-ficult clients that have to be handled in a veryprofessional and tactful manner,” explainsChoong.

On top of all these challenges, Choong has tobe alert about safety measures as constructionis a dangerous job. One has to climb high places

to get the work done and injuries are quite anorm on site. Nevertheless, work has to go onregardless of whether it is a scorching hot day orif it is raining cats and dogs.

Despite all this, Choong loves what he isdoing as he gets the opportunity to explorevarious aspects ranging from the technicality ofconstruction to understanding clients’ thinkingand design preferences.

“To be in the construction line, there is no agelimit and you don’t need to have professionalqualifications. However, you need to be system-atic and have good leadership skills as well ashave a sense of responsibility. Only then will yoube able to execute your projects and manageyour workers well.

“Effective time management is also essentialas you need to juggle various projects simulta-neously. You need to have a very strong mindand will in order to succeed. You will face a lotof problems in this profession but you shouldnever succumb to pressure. Stay calm and try tofind solutions as your previous experiences arebound to see you through.

“Everything is about experience; the more youhave of it, the lesser problems you will face. Andalways remember to work hard as hard workalways pays off in the end.”

For Choong, his moment of delight comeswhen he sees the finished product. Looking atthe beautiful outcome and witnessing his cli-ents’ happiness makes it worth all the hard workput into the projects.

Choong is very happy with what he is doing asit has helped him provide a decent and comfort-able life for his children. He is able to give themall that he did not receive while he was growingup, and this gives him immense pleasure.

“I am happy with my business and thankfulthat it is flourishing. I would love it when oneday my children and grandchildren will proudlyacknowledge me as a successful constructionmanager.”

n The video for this story won first prize in theLeaderonomics A Day in the Life competition2012. To view this video and other entries, visitwww.leaderonomics.tv/adil

The JOUrNey OF A CONSTrUCTION MANAger

iSnap me for a video > http://thestar.com.my/isnap

“Everything isaboutexperience. Themore you haveof it, the lesserproblems youwill face.”

Choong typicallyarrives at theconstruction sitebetween 7:30amand 8:30amdepending onthe location, andstarts bychecking thework progress.

My FATherhAS ALwAySTOLD Me ThATThere IS NOSUCh ThINg ASSMALL JObS,ONLy SMALLpeOpLe.

mystarjob.com, saturday 15 June 2013�

By TERRY [email protected]

HOPE is important for your brain.Neuroscientists are investigating

the science of hope. It turns out thata feeling of hopefulness changes yourbrain. Your brain pumps chemicalswhen experiencing the sensation ofhope. These chemicals can block painand accelerate healing.

Hope, which involves belief andexpectation, causes the brain to releaseneurochemicals called endorphins andenkephalins which actually mimic theeffects of morphine. The result is thatthe brain can overcome hurdles andmove to a place of recovery. In scientificterms, hope and recovery are not caus-ally connected, but they are correlated.

I believe hope is as vital to the brain asthe oxygen we breathe. Times are diffi-cult these days. A feeling of hopefulnesscan make a real difference! What do I dofor my brain? I feed my brain stories thatpaint a clear picture of hope.

Stories are the No. 1 brain statechanger on the planet! Stories do farmore than entertain. Neuroscientistsbelieve that our brains are wired forstories. Stories captivate the brain. Theyrelease emotions that are inextricablytied to those of the story’s characters.Brain scientists call this “narrative trans-port”.

I believe storytelling has become acasualty of our busy, hectic pace of life.Parents, leaders, teachers... everyoneshould tell more stories. Remember: astory is not a story until it is told.

Here is a great story of hope. Take thetime to read it. You will be glad you did.

The Science of hope

Team hoyT“I try to be a good father. Give my

kids mulligans. Work nights to pay

for their text messaging.

But compared to Dick Hoyt....

Eighty-five times he’s pushed

his disabled son, Rick, 16.4km in

marathons. Eight times he’s not only

pushed him 16.4km in a wheelchair,

but also towed him 1.5km in a din-

ghy while swimming and pedaled

him 70km in a seat on the handle-

bars - all in the same day.

Dick’s also pulled him cross-coun-

try skiing, taken him on his back

mountain climbing and once hauled

him across the United States, on a

bike. Makes taking your son bowling

look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his

father? Not much-except save his life.

This love story began in

Winchester, Massachusetts, 43 years

ago, when Rick was strangled by the

umbilical cord during birth, leaving

him brain-damaged and unable to

control his limbs.“He’ll be disabled the rest of his

life,” Dick says doctors told him and

his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine

months old. “Put him in an institu-

tion.”But the Hoyts weren’t buying it.

They noticed the way Rick’s eyes

followed them around the room.

When Rick was 11 they took him

to the engineering department at

Tufts University and asked if there

was anything to help the boy com-

municate. “No way,” Dick says he was

told. “There’s nothing going on in his

brain.”“Tell him a joke,” Dick countered.

They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a

lot was going on in his brain.

Rigged up with a computer that

allowed him to control the cursor by

touching a switch with the side of his

head, Rick was finally able to com-

municate. First words? “Go Bruins!”

And after a high school classmate

was paralysed in an accident and the

school organised a charity run for

him, Rick pecked out, “Dad, I want to

do that.”Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-

described “coach potato” who never

ran more than one kilometre at a

time, going to push his son 5km?

Still, he tried. “Then it was me who

was handicapped,” Dick says. “I was

sore for two weeks.”

That day changed Rick’s life. “Dad,”

he typed, “when we were running, it

felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore!”

And that sentence changed Dick’s

life.He became obsessed with giving

Rick that feeling as often as he could.

He got into such hard-belly shape

that he and Rick were ready to try

the 1979 Boston Marathon.

“No way,” Dick was told by a race

official. The Hoyts weren’t quite a

single runner, and they weren’t quite

a wheelchair competitor. For a few

years Dick and Rick just joined the

massive field and ran anyway, until

they found a way to get into the race

officially: In 1983 they ran another

marathon so fast they made the

qualifying time for Boston the fol-

lowing year.Then somebody said, “Hey, Dick,

why not a triathlon?”

How was a guy who never learned

to swim and hadn’t ridden a bike

since he was six going to haul his

50kg kid through a triathlon? Still,

Dick tried.Now they’ve done 212 triathlons,

including four grueling 15-hour

Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a

buzz kill to be a 25-year-old getting

passed by an old guy towing a grown

man in a dinghy, don’t you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see

how you’d do on your

own? “No way,” he says.

Dick does it purely for

“the awesome feeling”

he gets seeing Rick with

a cantaloupe smile as

they run, swim and ride

together.This year, at ages

65 and 43, Dick and

Rick finished their 24th

Boston Marathon, in

5,083rd place out of

more than 20,000 starters. Their

best time? Two hours, 40 minutes in

1992 - only 35 minutes off the world

record, which, in case you don’t keep

track of these things, happens to be

held by a guy who was not pushing

another man in a wheelchair at the

time.“No question about it,” Rick types.

”My dad is the Father of the Century.”

And Dick got something else out

of all this too. Two years ago he had

a mild heart attack during a race.

Doctors found that one of his arteries

was 95% clogged. “If you hadn’t been

in such great shape,” one doctor told

him, “you probably would’ve died 15

years ago.” So, in a way, Dick and Rick

saved each other’s lives.

“The thing I’d most like,” Rick

types, “is that my dad sits in the chair

and I push him once.”

(author unknown)

By HYMA [email protected]

PERSONAL effectiveness is not simplyabout achieving our goals; it is aboutmaking the best use of the resourcesand time available to us to achieve ourgoals in the most efficient way, while

still keeping our personal values in check.How do we increase our personal effec-

tiveness? We have to start by having aclear understanding of our goals, and identify-ing the skills that are required to achieve thesegoals. Then, figure out how to reach these in themost cost and time effective way.

Once we have done this, we need to thenacknowledge the negatives that may hinder ourefforts to be personally effective. We do this byaccepting our weaknesses, and I don’t mean justsaying that weaknesses are part of who we areand then doing nothing about it. Accepting ourweaknesses means acknowledging that theseare the points in our life which we can improveon.

Let’s talk about anger and stress. These arereally strong emotions, and most of us haveaccepted anger and stress as part of our dailyroutine, failing to see how much they affect ourproductivity.

Understanding angerAnger is a coping mechanism in our brain

which functions as our “go to” reflex when ourgoals are frustrated. It is not necessarily a badthing; sometimes it enables us to think andrespond quickly to situations.

However, responding negatively to anger andstress can cause damage to our personal brand-ing. The key is to find the right techniques tomanage these emotions in a constructive way.

l Count to 10 and breatheFirstly, understand the symptoms. If you feel

your heart beating faster, and you start breath-ing heavier, this probably means you are in astressful situation. When this happens, slowlycount from one to 10, and keep breathing in andout slowly. We usually breathe in more when weare tense, but it helps to breathe out longer.

By doing this, you are now shifting your focus

from thecause of thestress to countingand breathing.

Studies have shown thatdeep breathing relieves stress andanxiety due to its physiological effect onthe nervous system. Breathing slowly activatesthe hypothalamus, which is linked to the pitui-tary gland in the brain to launch neurohormonesthat constrain stress-producing hormones andactivate our body’s relaxation response.

Once you have reached a more calm state ofmind, you would be able to think clearly andrespond better to stressful situations.

l Find and eliminate angerand stress triggers

It is much easier to deal with anger and stressif we can identify what is it that is pushing thesebuttons. Sometimes frustrations can be triggeredby something as simple as sleep deprivation. Trywriting down and keeping track of the times youfind yourself in a situation where your blood is“boiling” and you just feel like screaming at thewall.

Once you have discovered your anger andstress triggers, you can start eliminating them. Ifyour lack of sleep is giving you anger fits, make ita point to go to bed earlier. Studies have shownthat people who sleep between 6½ and sevenhours a night live healthier and longer comparedto those who sleep less than six hours.

If you find that your work environment iscontributing to anger and stress, try speaking toyour managers and explaining to them what theissue is. If nothing changes, maybe it’s time to

look for a betterworking environ-ment which would not betoo overwhelming for you.

l Let it all outAt times, our anger and stress levels build up

more rapidly due to the pent up frustrations wehave been keeping to ourselves. It is always goodto vent out frustrations. Talk about it to a trustedcolleague, friend or family member. You can alsotry writing it down.

Writing helps because when you are ventingon paper, you are not restricted by how much orwhat you can say. Writing enables us to channelour anger properly instead of just sitting aroundand letting the anger build up.

Let me give you another tip that helps. As sillyas it may sound, try screaming out at the top ofyour lungs. Screaming lets you feel that you areemptying all that frustration and negative emo-tions that have been building up.

l Don’t let the situations get to youIt is not entirely easy to stay out of stress-

ful situations. Some of these are unfortunatelyunavoidable. Roshan Thiran said, “it’s not what

happens to people that’simportant. It’s what they do

about it”. If you can’t changethe situation, change yourself.

You can adapt to stressful situa-tions and regain your sense of con-

trol by changing your expectationsand attitude.

Reframe the problem by taking on amore positive perspective on the situa-

tion. Ask yourself if it is something worthgetting upset and worked up over. If your

answer is “no”, then focus your energy andemotions on something else instead.

Lowering your expectations is also a great wayto reduce stress. Don’t set yourself up for failureby demanding perfection in everything you do.Be reasonable with the standards you set foryourself and you may over-deliver thus givingyou a better sense of satisfaction.

Anger and stress are natural experiences to us.The way we manage these emotions can makethe difference between experiencing healthy andunhealthy levels of anger and stress. We can’talways prevent it from happening, but managingit well neutralises the effects it has on our per-sonal effectiveness.

As long as we follow the right steps to dealwith anger and stress instead of bottling theminside us, these emotions will be the least of ourproblems. Here’s to increasing our personal effec-tiveness levels!

managemenThappens to people that’s

important. It’s what they doabout it”. If you can’t change

the situation, change yourself.You can adapt to stressful situa-

tions and regain your sense of con-trol by changing your expectations

and attitude.Reframe the problem by taking on a

more positive perspective on the situa-tion. Ask yourself if it is something worth

getting upset and worked up over. If youranswer is “no”, then focus your energy and

increaSing perSonaleffecTiveneSS

angerSTreSSand

managemenT

So...if you took the time to share inthis story your brain is different. Share itwith everyone you know.

And always remember: “You are agenius!”

Enjoy your brain.

n Terry Small is a brain expert whoresides in Canada and believes thatanyone can learn how to learn easier,better, faster, and that learning tolearn is the most important skill a per-son can acquire. To interact with Small,email [email protected]


By VICTOR [email protected]

Ideal with a lot of youngprofessionals in my workand business. A ques-tion that I often hearis: “what does a young

professional need to knowand do to set himself upfor career success?”

It’s a question that manyreaders will likely have,so here are 10 things thathelped me move up the cor-porate ladder faster, whichwere also instrumental in mycareer transition to an entre-preneur who manages severalbusinesses.

1 Take charge ofyour career...

and desTinyIt always surprises me that peopleare happy to hand over the reinsof their careers to a talent man-ager or HR executive when theyshould be actively managing itthemselves. The fact is, even withthe best companies and/or man-agement programmes, who hasyour best interest at heart morethan, well, you?

Initiate regular engagementswith your HR or line managerabout your position, prospects andfuture in the organisation insteadof waiting for a yearly review orrandom opportunities to movethings forward. With the war ontalent raging wildly, demand yourcompany to make good on its tal-ent management promises.

2 keep improvingWhatever your academic cre-

dentials, you are never done learn-ing. To quote business magnateDonald Trump, “You can’t know itall. No matter how smart you are,no matter how comprehensiveyour education, no matter howwide ranging your experience,there is simply no way to acquireall the wisdom you need to makeyour business thrive.”

Take every opportunity to devel-op your knowledge and skills. Anddo explore learning programmesbeyond your job scope. Enrichingyour life with knowledge has a wayof paying back at work and more.

3 choose passionover money and/

or posiTionBefore she hit jackpot with The JoyLuck Club, Amy Tan paid the bills ina technical writing business. Shewasn’t even a writer; Tan was incharge of account managementbecause her partner thought herwriting skills were weak. But Tandreamed of more so she mutiniedand got fired.

Trading job security for herdreams of creative writing, shestruggled as a freelance technicalwriter by day and a fiction writerby night. The result? The best-selling novel The Joy Luck Clubfollowed by more beloved novelslike The Kitchen God’s Wife and AHundred Secret Senses.

Follow your heart. It almostalways pays off – even if not in thesame magnitude as Tan’s, more

often than not you will find a defi-nition of success that will makeyou happier than if you choose notto step out.

4 iT’s never Too laTefor a change

Never get caught in the limitingbelief that you are already too farinto a career path or company tostart afresh. Consider this: RonaldReagan, one of America’s mostpopular presidents, took publicoffice only at 55 after a successfulacting career.

Tim and Nina Zagat, the hus-band-and-wife team behind thepopular Zagat dining survey wereactually corporate lawyers beforetheir restaurant guides got sopopular that Tim had to begin asecond career at 51 – an age whenmost people are looking forward toretirement. So if you would ratherbe teaching English in Boliviainstead of preparing tax returns orwork onboard an oil rig instead ofbehind a desk, do it!

5 seTbacks can beseT-ups for success

When Salomon Brothers, aninvestment bank, was acquiredby Citigroup in 1998, MichaelBloomberg was let go as a partner.The boot came with a generousseverance cheque which he theninvested into starting his epony-mous financial services company.Today he’s the 18th richest per-son in United States and alsothe mayor of New York City.

Take heart when youencounter bumps in yourcareer; you are in goodcompany. The likes of WaltDisney, JK Rowling, AnnaWintour and Oprah Winfreyhave been told they cannotcut it. But each of them wenton to find phenomenal suc-cess. In fact, Winfrey’s startin daytime television is a

direct result of being booted outof evening news for being tooemotional. You know the rest ofher story.

6 pay yourdues firsT

We live in a world of quick fixesand instant gratification. So itcomes as no surprise that wewant promotion, advancementand recognition to come indouble time at the work placetoo. I have always been onewho believes in the best man orwoman for the job regardless ofseniority, age or tenure, but thisdoes not preclude earning thatsuccess.

It is not the same as first job-bers and young MBA holdersshunning tasks deemed beneaththem or demanding to be undulypromoted or rewarded. Nothingcomes easy; don’t expect successto be served up on a silver platter.

7 find a menTorHelen Keller had Anne

Sullivan; Denzel Washington,Sidney Poitier; and Henry DavidThoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson.Even Harry Potter sat at the feetof Professor Dumbledore whileLuke Skywalker discovered what itmeant to be a jedi under the tute-lage of Obi-Wan Ben Kenobi.

What am I going on about?Mentors, of course! Take a shortcut to success by learning fromthose who have been where youwant to go. It is a relationship thatfast tracks your learning, avoids pit-falls, taps important connections,builds meaningful relationshipsand so much more. It’s a brilliantwin-win, really.

8 TreaT people wellThe story goes there was a

professor in the medical fac-ulty who set the most cripplingexamination papers. His stu-dents entered the hall anticipat-ing the worst. But he handed outa single piece of paper each withjust one question: What is thename of the lady who cleans thishall after every lecture?

He wrote at the bottom of thesheet, “You will graduate with allthe necessary knowledge to bea competent doctor, but to be agreat one, you need to pay atten-tion to people, care for them,love them. If in the last semester,you have not once botheredto ask after Mrs Rosie or thankher for her efforts then you arenot ready to be an outstandingmedical professional.”

The tea lady, receptionist,dispatch boy, delivery guy... theyall deserve the same respect asyour cubicle mate, manager andCEO. Make it a habit to treatpeople well from the start ofyour career. This will separateyou from the rest.

9 masTer The arT ofself-selling

I reckon nine out of 10 resumescompletely miss the mark. Let meput it this way: Your resume is anadvertisement, not a fact sheet.Likewise, the job interview is anaudition, a speed date. The endgame is to sell, sell, sell!

Unfortunately, the vast majoritysimply do not know how to do this.Some years back I coached a groupof banking executives who werestuck in a rut career and pay-wise.We zeroed in on their resumes andinterview skills. Within the sameyear, they all landed better jobswith increased pay, the minimumof which was double their previ-ous salary. The “star” of the groupmade two strategic moves andincreased his salary by five times!

10 relaTionshipsare imporTanT

This will not sit well with mostbut the truth is in business andcorporate life, who you know isoften more important than whatyou know. This is not necessarilyas insidious as it sounds. Thingscan remain perfectly above boardand the right connections can stillcount for more than degrees.

The good news is: relationshipscan be cultivated. And you don’thave to know every Tan Sri in townto get things done; sometimesknowing the secretary can, literally,open doors.

In my first job I befriended thesecretary of the CEO and untiltoday, long after she has stoppedworking for him, she can still becounted upon to help me get intouch with her well-connectedformer boss for deals.

Start building relationshipsnow while you are at the start ofyour career and make the effort tomaintain them. Even if they don’tturn into business deals, you ben-efit from rich friendships.

cate for life skill education for

also a best-selling author,award-winning marketer,

entrepreneur. To engage

your organisation emailpeople@leaderonom-

professionals in my work

were also instrumental in mycareer transition to an entre-preneur who manages several

Take charge of

It always surprises me that peopleare happy to hand over the reinsof their careers to a talent man-ager or HR executive when theyshould be actively managing itthemselves. The fact is, even withthe best companies and/or man-agement programmes, who hasyour best interest at heart more

What every young professional

needs to knoW

work onboard an oil rig instead of efit from rich friendships.

Victor Loh is a passionate advo-cate for life skill education for

youth and children. He isalso a best-selling author,award-winning marketer,

entrepreneur. To engage

your organisation emailpeople@leaderonom-

seTbacks can beseT-ups for success


Take heart when youencounter bumps in yourcareer; you are in goodcompany. The likes of WaltDisney, JK Rowling, AnnaWintour and Oprah Winfreyhave been told they cannotcut it. But each of them wenton to find phenomenal suc-cess. In fact, Winfrey’s startin daytime television is a

seTbacks can beseT-ups for success


encounter bumps in your

company. The likes of WaltDisney, JK Rowling, AnnaWintour and Oprah Winfreyhave been told they cannotcut it. But each of them wenton to find phenomenal suc-cess. In fact, Winfrey’s startin daytime television is a

n Victor Loh is a passionate advo-cate for life skill education for

youth and children. He isalso a best-selling author,award-winning marketer,corporate trainer andentrepreneur. To engagehim for the benefit ofyour organisation email

[email protected]

setting yourself up for success

take a short cutto success bylearning fromthose Who havebeen Where youWant to go.

hoW do you setyourself up for asuccessful career?

How to create

mystarjob.com, saturday 15 June 2013� mystarjob.com, saturday 15 June 2013 �

Lessons from pixar, tHe britisH red cross and tHe roLLing stonesBy KHOI TUmystarjob.leaderonomics.com

TEAMWORK can sometimes be hitor miss – you’re either on fire ora complete washout. Actually, formost of us, it’s usually somewherein the mediocre middle. But it

doesn’t have to be this way; high-performingsuper teams do exist and you can learn greatthings from them.

In fact, I’ve discovered seven in all walks oflife, including animation wizard Pixar, globalaid agency the British Red Cross and sexage-narian rockers the Rolling Stones. What dothey know that the rest of us don’t? And canwe sprinkle some of their fairy dust onto ourown less than super teams?

First things first: if you want a great teamyou need talented individuals. In the pastdecade, there has been perhaps no individualin business more celebrated than Apple’sSteve Jobs. But the brilliant Jobs also had adark side when it came to working with col-leagues.

In the early part of his career he wasinfamous for what became known as hismanagement by character assassination.He routinely and regularly referred to peo-ple in his own company as “shitheads whosuck”. He fell out with everyone, includinghis co-founder Steve Wozniak and his ownappointee CEO John Scully.

His bad behaviour at Apple eventuallyled to him being stripped of all power andresponsibility and forced to leave the com-pany. He may have had the vision and anobsession with simple elegance, but hisinability to work in a team meant that hefound himself alone and on the outside,unable to realise his dream.

Jobs had to learn the impor-tance of teamwork the hard way;something that was reinforcedafter he acquired the graphicsdivision of Lucas film from GeorgeLucas and created Pixar.

Pixar co-founder and head of animationJohn Lasseter’s short movie Luxo Jr inspiredJobs to refine Pixar’s vision. As he watchedLuxo Jr, a story about the relationshipbetween father and child standard lamps, alight went on, both on the screen and in hismind.

He admitted, albeit in private, that hisvision for Pixar to be a software and hard-ware graphics company was wrong. Helearned and adapted through the team,adopting their dream to make computer-ani-mated feature films.

Yet, while Jobs understood that he couldbe inspired and influenced by the team, Pixarnearly stumbled when it tried to make a filmby committee.

At a screening of the first half of the origi-

the characters were no longer convincing.Disney wanted to shut down the produc-

tion, but Lasseter managed to negotiate afortnight’s extension. Storywriter Joe Ranftsaid: “It was do or die time: the Grim Reaperwas in the room.”

All the Pixar team’s work was in jeopardy.They launched themselves into a fortnight ofhyper-intense activity, of physical and mentalstress, dealing with the issues with brutalhonesty. The threat powered them onwards.

In that brief, two-week reprieve, theyreshaped the opening third of the movie,trusting their instincts, trusting each otherto be constructively critical. It worked. Disneywas impressed and the Pixar creatives,emerging as a superteam, applied much ofwhat they had been through and learnt to

Haiti earthquake of January 2010, the teamranged from frontline disaster specialists onthe ground in Haiti to volunteers in charityshops across the high streets of the UK.

Thousands of workers, volunteers andsupporters were mobilised into a communityof purpose. The British Red Cross ensuredthere was a clear line of sight between themany individual actions and the movement’soverall goals. The volunteers in the shopswere totally committed: they could see theirwork selling second-hand clothes in terms ofrelieving suffering and saving lives.

For most teams, there will be less of avisceral crisis to respond to, but there shouldstill be a sense of meaning in their work. Fora team’s purpose to be potent it needs tobe compelling to its members. You need to

left hand. If the tempo ever drags, one glance

ways, the rock to Richards’ roll.

Of course, each of the Stones is a talentin his own right, but it is the multiplyingeffect the band has on each of them thatworks best, as the comparative lack of com-mercial success of their solo music projectshas proved. Being part of the Rolling Stonesremains the best way for each member toachieve his individual goals.

The magic is in the mix. Individual excel-lence within a team remains vital, but it isthe chemistry of combining those talentsthat delivers a superteam. The best teammembers are those who combine individualdrive with the wisdom to understand theimportance and power of the team.

The ingredients of the Stones’ creativity,and in particular the dynamics betweenRichards and Jagger, could also drive theband apart. Over the years this conflict haspushed the team close to breaking point.

The challenge of several artists all trying topaint on the same canvas at the same timecan force teams to fragment, sometimesexplosively. As Wood wryly notes: “You knowwhen Richards disagrees. He normally pulls aknife on you.”

Teams need healthy abrasion and compe-tition to fan the sparks of creativity withoutburning down the entire edifice. Rather thantrying to avoid conflict and dulling theircreative edge, the Stones make the most ofdiversity without letting it divide them. Theyhave discovered ways of building cohesion,the magnetic force that binds teams togeth-er, and harmonising diverse skills withoutaveraging them.

In the early days, the band was insepara-ble. They shared a flat, the back of their van

with their kit, and even the occasional girl-friend. The stronger the shared experience– and their early writing and tours are thestuff of rock’n’roll legend – the strongerthe bond. Teams develop cohesion byspending real time and having sharedexperiences together.

These days, the Stones’ cohesion andstaying power are equally based on the timethey now spend apart. The team forms onlywhen it has to.

When they are not writing and touring,they tend to lead separate lives, retreat-ing to their French chateaux or Caribbeanhideaways and indulging their own outsidepursuits. Wood paints and presents his radioshow, Jagger has a film production company,Watts plays jazz with his own big band.

These gaps allow for a sense of occasionto build and audience demand to swell.The space helps keep the group together.When they reconvene they compare to it awar veterans’ reunion, battle-scarred but re-energised by the prospect of going out andmaking music together again. “The RollingStones is a vehicle that only works when weput it in motion,” says Wood.

No team is the same, but every teamsucceeds when it masters the tasks of team-building and teamwork. Every team needsa clear purpose to inspire and commit great

individuals to a common cause.Teams need to invest in building cohesion

and mastering conflict to get the benefit ofcreative abrasion while keeping the teamtogether. As a team, you need to define yourown protocols for the most vital areas of col-laboration and practise them together untilthey become second nature, a high-perform-ance habit.

And this is the real secret that can help allteams become superteams: the essence ofteamwork is hard work. There is no substi-tute for the ongoing commitment and meas-ured practice required to build better teams.

n Khoi Tu is a leadership and teamworkconsultant who helps organisations buildbetter teams. His book Superteams: TheSecrets Of Stellar Performance From SevenLegendary Teams, is an Amazon.com bestseller and is published by Penguin. This articlewas originally published in the UK edition ofManagement Today.

Forge a common purpose:A clear and compellingcommon purpose is essentialto attracting the right talent,inspiring them to want to dogreat work and do it together.

Lead the team:All teams need leadership andthe best teams are well led.The starting point is a formalteam leader. The goal is a teamof leaders.

Pursue a quest for the best:Individuals are the buildingblocks of teams. Buildingbetter teams means havinga focus on selecting the rightcalibre and the right mix ofteam members.

Create an environmentfor success:Creating the conditionsfor better results meansstructuring the team in termsof its size and roles andmanaging the resources andrelationships it needs to besuccessful.

Build cohesion:Cohesion is the magnetic forcethat binds a team togetherand enables it to performeffectively as a unit. Trust isthe most important currencyin a team that wants to playtogether and stay together.

Master conflict:Creative abrasion is necessarybut too much friction betweenmembers can cause progressto grind to a halt. The abilityto master rather than avoidconflict and channel theenergy that it creates is a vitalpart of becoming a betterteam.

Adapt or die:Excellence is a moving targetand teams must constantlyidentify the most vital areas ofcollaboration and adjust theirshared approach to stay ahead.

tHe secrets of

your ownsuper team

for a team’s purpose tobe potent it needs to be

compeLLing to its members.

tHe stones’ successcomes from eacH memberHaving distinctive butcompLementary roLes.ricHards is tHeir spirituaLLeader, wood tHemediator, watts tHe band’sbackbone, wHiLe Jagger isin controL of everytHingHe can be, a cHief executivein many ways, tHe rock toricHards’ roLL.

super teamsFirst things first: if you want a great teamyou need talented individuals. In the pastdecade, there has been perhaps no individualin business more celebrated than Apple’sSteve Jobs. But the brilliant Jobs also had adark side when it came to working with col-leagues.

In the early part of his career he wasinfamous for what became known as hismanagement by character assassination.He routinely and regularly referred to peo-ple in his own company as “shitheads whosuck”. He fell out with everyone, includinghis co-founder Steve Wozniak and his ownappointee CEO John Scully.

His bad behaviour at Apple eventuallyled to him being stripped of all power andresponsibility and forced to leave the com-pany. He may have had the vision and anobsession with simple elegance, but hisinability to work in a team meant that hefound himself alone and on the outside,unable to realise his dream.

Jobs had to learn the impor-tance of teamwork the hard way;something that was reinforcedafter he acquired the graphicsdivision of Lucas film from GeorgeLucas and created Pixar.

nal Toy Story, it became obvious to both thePixar team and the Disney studio produc-ing the film that the movie had lost its way– the storyline hadbecome unfo-cused and

their daily way of working from that pointon.

Importantly, the Toy Story crisis forced theteam to be more self-confident as individu-als but also less ego-driven for the team.The team members put their own best ideasforward, without being fearful of what oth-ers might say or think. Equally, they wereprepared to criticise and voice their concerns,trusting in each other to take notes posi-tively, focused solely on improving the film– literally looking at the bigger picture.

A clear and compelling common purposeis essential to attracting the right talentand getting them to want to do great work

and to do it together as a team.When the British Red

Cross ramped up intoimmediate action

in response to thedevastating

inspire your team with a vivid picture of abetter future, and help them see that inac-tion will be worse.

Your aim is to connect the team’s work toan exciting, meaningful outcome, a resultthat everyone finds personally worthwhile.Often, that means looking beyond day-to-day tasks towards the ultimate benefit oftheir work and whom it helps.

But, if you want excellence to become ahabit, you need to define a shared approachto working together and practise it over andover until it becomes second nature. Eventhough the Rolling Stones (Mick Jagger, KeithRichards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood)have played to more people in more placesthan any other band, they still recognise theimportance of practising together.

They typically commit two months torehearsing before every tour and relish theopportunity to reconnect with their collec-tive rhythm. The practice enables the bandto perform with almost telepathic commu-nication.

Richards states that he knows exactlywhat’s happening simply by watching Watts’left hand. If the tempo ever drags, one glancefrom Richards to Wood speaks volumes.Together they will then step up the pace.The band performs as a seamless unit, eachindividual listening and responding to the

others in what Wood calls “a conversationthrough music”.

In the most ephemeral of industriesthe Stones have achieved their purposeof being the world’s greatest rock’n’rollband. They provide a great example of

cohesion and performing at the highestlevels for 50 years and counting, still writ-ing new material and once again back on

stage.The Stones’ success comes from each

member having distinctive but complemen-tary roles. Richards is their spiritual leader,Wood the mediator, Watts the band’s back-bone, while Jagger is in control of everything

he can be, a chief executive in manyways, the rock to Richards’ roll.

tHe toy story crisisforced tHe pixarteam to be more

seLf-confident asindividuaLs but aLsoLess ego-driven for

tHe team.


By PREMA [email protected]

HIS relaxed and laid-back demeanourwith a dash of humour makes con-versations with him a real pleasure.His knowledge on investing andshare markets around the world can

put one in awe. His detailed explanations oninvestments can enlighten many. That is Dr MarcFaber, the renowned Swiss investor.

Born in 1946, Faber is a famous investor guruand director of Marc Faber Ltd, an investmentadvising and fund managing organisation. Faberis also the publisher of the Gloom Bloom &Doom Report newsletter and author of the best-selling book, Tomorrow’s Gold. In addition, he is adirector and adviser for a number of investmentfunds and frontier markets.

Faber was born in Zurich and went to schoolin Geneva, Switzerland. During his time there,he was also on the Swiss National Ski Team.He studied Economics and received his PhD inEconomics when he was only 24 years old. Fabermoved to Hong Kong in 1973 when he took upa job with White Weld & Co Ltd, and has been inAsia ever since. He now runs his business fromChiangmai, Thailand.

Faber has many private, wealthy clients whomhe is fund manager for. He also gives talks on

investments and is often quoted in the financialpress for his non-conformist viewpoints andalternative investment philosophies.

According to Faber, investors frequently over-look the fact that there is no such thing as agood investment and a bad investment. “Be itstocks, bonds, real estate and diamonds, there isa price where it is a good investment and there isa price where it becomes a bad investment. Onehas to always relate to what the price of an assetis at a particular time. We are in a constantlymoving world where changes always take place,”says Faber.

The investment guru believes that a personshould not buy anything at all if he/she can’thandle 30% downside volatility because that ishow much it could go down first before goingup five times the original price. What investorsthink is irrelevant as they are merely operatingin the market, he says. They are just one of theparticipants amongst a zillion others. Therefore,

what they believe in is not relevantto what exactly will happen in themarket.

“For me, the best way to investis to diversify your assets. You haveto have real-estate, equities, cash,bonds and gold. Besides that, thenext way to go is investing in lowleverage. This means don’t borrowto invest or borrow really little ifyou have to. This will ensure youlead a happier life. With invest-ments, you can never be absolutelysure as the market can go downanytime. Try to go through lifewith minimal borrowing. The worstinvestment you can ever make is to loan moneyto your friends.”

To all out there who aspire to be successfulinvestors, Faber’s advice is to work hard and todo the right things when required such as fur-thering one’s studies and reading a lot to gainlots of knowledge.

“I believe that you should always aim to

interact with the right types of people. Constantinteraction enables you to learn a lot of newthings and widen your knowledge and experi-ences.”

n To access the full interview of Dr Marc Faberand to access other videos of inspirational per-sonalities, visit www.leaderonomics.com/thelea-deronomicsshow

TheShow

WHO would not want to invest his moneyin a potential business and get fantasticreturns? Properties, equities, bonds orpotential businesses, everyone is keeping hisor her eyes open for a promising entity topump cash into.

Company stocks and shares are often anattraction for investors who are on the look-out to make some money. When it comesto new investors, they tend to get excited atthe prospect of investing and may overlookthe details that need to be researched priorto investing. Some may not even knowwhere to begin when it comes to recognis-ing a good investment.

Below are guidelines to assist you when itcomes to scouting for a good investment:

1 The cosT of Thewhole company

While conducting research, many tendto look at the current price of a company’sshare to see how it is faring. True, this isimportant, but don’t forget the wholepicture. The cost of an entire company is

referred to as market capitalisation. Marketcapitalisation is calculated by multiplyingthe price of all outstanding shares of com-mon stock with the price quoted per share.This test will help prevent you from payingtoo much to obtain a stock.

2 Reasons foR invesTingin a company

Question yourself on what are the factorsthat have enticed you to invest in a particu-lar company prior to buying its stock andshares. If the factors are the good founda-tion of the organisation, consistent profitnot to mention the reliable and efficientmanagement, then you are on the righttrack.

However, if you are investing in a com-pany solely because you personally like thepeople there or following your peers to doso, be careful. Decisions should be madebased on facts and data.

Do thorough research to gain as muchknowledge as you can about a companybefore investing in it. This requires a lot of

patience as you can’t just jump the gun.Remember; never make decisions based onemotions. Always use your intelligence andrationale.

3 willingness To haveowneRship of shaRes

foR aT leasT a decadeIf you can accommodate owning stocks

in a company for the next 10 years, then goahead and invest in them. However, if youare not willing to and can’t hold your stocksfor that long, then reconsider buying shares.

In order to make a profit and succeed inyour investments, select a great companywhich shows prominent potential for futuregrowth.

Then, pay the least amount for the initialstake. The next move would be reinvestingthe dividends gained and leave that stockalone for several years.

4 ReducTion of The amounTof ouTsTanding shaRes

Always check if the company is buyingback its shares. If it is, then it is a good firm toinvest in. As a shareholder, you should alwaysfavour companies who have policies thatreduce their outstanding shares if the compa-ny’s alternative uses of capital are not appeal-ing. This method will automatically make aninvestor’s share in the company much bigger.

In a layman’s term, imagine you areinvesting into a huge round chocolate cake.Each slice cut, refers to a share of stock. Nowwould you like the slices to be less or more?The cake with less slices is much better aseach slice is huge and laden with more richchocolate compared to the cake with moreslices. This is the same in business. Whenthe company’s share is cut to less slices, eachinvestor gets a higher percentage of returnwhich equates to a good investment.

Things To Look ouTFor BeFore invesTing

invesTmenTmaesTro

insighTsFrom an

iSnap me for a video > http://thestar.com.my/isnap

ConToh

By EVA [email protected]

CONSIDER Hollywood film Ocean’sEleven: What was it that madethe team that Danny Ocean puttogether so strong? Aside fromtheir “passion” for what they

did and their loyalty to Danny, they all haddiverse skills that led them to work besttogether and complement each other.

You have the casino security expert, thecasino black jack dealer, the detonationexpert, the acrobat, the strategy planner,the ‘destruction’ twins, the man who canplay the foreign billionaire, and the smartkid that can do a bit of everything.

Similarly, in the ‘legal’ work environ-ment, a smart manager should build ateam with members that can complementeach other and make sure that they find away to work together despite their differ-ences in skills and character.

A successful team consists of memberswith a variety of types and strengths.Meredith Belbin, a British researcher andmanagement theorist best known for hiswork on team management has identifiednine different roles that he found presentin successful teams.

PLANT (INNovATor)Strength: Generating new proposals and

solving complex problems.Plants are often needed in the initial

stages of a project or when serious obsta-cles need to be overcome. They usuallyend up being founders of companies ororiginators of products. They relate wellwith Chairs, Team-Workers, and Monitors,and could potentially conflict with all otherroles except Team-Workers.

Plants are ideas people. They are crea-tive, intelligent, independent, and at timesmay be seen as loners. They may beintense, inhibited, dominant, and sociallybold. At the same time, they may haveissues with time management, and reactstrongly to criticism and praise. They mayfind it difficult to communicate with oth-ers that are on a different wavelength, andmay prefer to work with some distancefrom the rest of the team.

CHAIr (Co-ordINATor)Strength: Managing a team of people

with diverse skills.Chairs perform better when dealing with

people of near or equal rank rather thaninstructing juniors. They have the ability tointervene decisively in moments of crisisand pull the team together.

Chairs may conflict with Shapersover leadership of the group and overa contrasting management style. Theyrelate well with all members of the team,although they may need to pay particularattention to relationships with Plants andMonitors.

Co-ordinators steer the team. Theyare stable, dominant, extroverted, calm,confident, controlled and organised. Theyare quick to spot individual talents anddelegate work accordingly in order to max-imise potential. At the same time, they canbe domineering and bossy.

SHAPErStrength: Managing teams and tasks.Shapers generate action and thrive

under pressure. They are excellent at liv-ening up the team, and are useful whenpoliticking gets the best out of members.Shapers do not mind taking the unpopulardecisions.

They try to impose some shape or pat-tern on group discussions and activities,and are probably the most effective mem-ber of the team in guaranteeing positiveaction. Shapers usually relate well withTeam-Workers and Resource Investigators,whereas they may conflict with Plants,Chairs and Monitors.

Shapers are task leaders; they are domi-nant, outgoing, and are the driving forceof the group. They have a strong need forachievement, and by leading from the

front, they push others into action. Theylike challenges, want to always win, andmake things happen.

However, they are easily frustrated, andprone to overreacting to disappointment.They can be a destructive force in thegroup, as their single mindedness may blurtheir interpersonal understanding.

CoMPANY WorKEr(IMPLEMENTEr)

Strength: Reliable and competent.Company Workers tend to succeed

because they are efficient and have a goodsense of what is feasible and relevant.

They have the ability to convert ideasinto manageable projects and definedtasks. They can work well with Chairsand Finishers, but could potentiallyconflict with Plants, Team-Workers andInvestigators.

Company Workers are tough-minded,impartial, self-controlled and disciplined.They identify with and work for the groupand organisation rather than themselves,and are the controllers of knowledgewithin a team. They may, however, appearto lack flexibility and imagination, and mayfind it hard to inspire and motivate others.They do not like sudden changes and toomuch uncertainty.

rESoUrCE INvESTIGATorStrength: Exploring and reporting back

on ideas, developments, and resources out-side the group.

Resource Investigators are great atprobing others for information, setting upexternal contracts and negotiating. Theytend to relate well with most membersof the team, but could potentially conflictwith Finishers, Company Workers, andPlants.

Resource Investigators are diplomats.They are enthusiastic, opportunistic,resourceful, sociable, extroverts.

They meet a lot of people, see new pos-sibilities, have masses of contacts, and pre-vent the group from stagnating. ResourceInvestigators can be lazy and complacentthough, unless working under pressureor unless they remain stimulated by oth-ers. They can lose interest once the initialenthusiasm passes.

MoNITor-EvALUATorStrength: Analysing problems and evalu-

ating ideas, suggestions and options.Monitor-Evaluators thrive in strategic

posts and high level appointments requir-ing critical decisions on which success orfailure hinges. They tend to get on very wellwith Plants, and could potentially clashwith Shapers, and Resource Investigators.

Monitor-Evaluators are analytical,prudent, quality controllers. They provideshrewd judgments and are hard headedand impartial. They never get over-enthu-siastic, are intelligent, serious, and are slowin making decisions.

They usually have a high critical abil-ity and are seldom wrong. They ensurethe group does not make mistakes, andtheir soundness of judgement does notget affected by emotions, personality orprejudice. They may appear aloof, dry,

boring, over-critical and pessimistic, andmay become isolated in the team if a goodrelationship with the Chair and Plant is notestablished.

TEAM-WorKEr (TEAMBUILdEr)

Strength: Promoting unity and harmonywithin the team and good interpersonalcommunication between members.

Team-Workers boost the team spirit, andcope well with awkward people and dis-putes. Their diplomatic and perceptive skillscome in handy, and act as a lubricatingfactor to the team. When Team-Workersare around, morale is better. Team-Workersrelate well with all members of the group,but could potentially conflict with an over-domineering Chair.

They act as mediators, are uncompeti-tive, popular, and the most supportivemembers of any team. They are under-standing, aware, and concerned aboutothers. They despise friction and confronta-tion, and they play the role of a cementer.

Team-Workers lead the team frombehind. They operate with sensitivityand calm, and are most noticed in theirabsence. They may be indecisive though, asthey take in all viewpoints and are percep-tive to informal/hidden/personal issues.

CoMPLETEr-FINISHErStrength: Invaluable in tasks that

demand concentration and a high degreeof accuracy.

Completer-Finishers ensure the groupmeets its obligations and delivers on time.They foster a sense of urgency, and makesure no time is wasted. They ensure thatnothing is overlooked, and set high stand-ards. They are known for their precision,attention to detail and follow-throughabilities. Completer-Finishers relate wellwith Plants, but could conflict with Chairs,Monitors and Team-Workers.

They are unlikely to start something thatthey cannot finish, and are motivated byinternal anxiety. They are very conscien-tious and meticulous, and are typicallyintroverted and require little externalstimulus.

They are often very weary of delegatingtasks, and would rather do everything ontheir own. They are very impatient withthose that adopt a more casual way of per-forming their tasks, and tend to worry.

EXPErT/SPECIALISTThis is not really a typical member of a

team, but may be brought in at times tocontribute a specialist skill or knowledge.Such individuals are needed only for certainskills, on occasion.

By understanding these different char-acteristics and by identifying the onesthat correspond to yourself, as well as yourpeople, you can ensure that you build asuccessful team; one that its memberscomplement each others’ strengths andweaknesses. Furthermore, understandingwhy certain people react a certain way,makes it easier to avoid friction in theteam, and allows for a more harmonious,efficient collaboration.

mystarjob.com, saturday 15 June 2013 11

Building

Putting thought intothe ‘i’s that make the team

a strongerteam

a successful teamconsists of memBers witha variety of tyPesand strengths


By M [email protected]

PRESS releases will be published ifthey have newsworthy elementsin their headlines and content. So,if you want the editors to use yourpress release, you must have a

newsy angled, attention-grabbing headlineand content.

Your headline should sell the news storyinstantly. Imagine you reading the newspa-per: a boring headline will not excite you toread the story and you will most likely skip it.Similarly, editors and reporters will pay atten-tion to exciting news headlines.

If your press release is not good, thereporter or editor will quickly press theDELETE button. If you are not sure how towrite exciting headlines then spend sometime reading headlines and the introductoryparagraphs in the various newspapers. Do itas an exercise and note the exciting head-lines.

Look at the front page of any major news-paper or magazine worth its salt on anygiven day to get samples of good headlinesand news stories. You can tell when some-body takes the time to write a great headlineand exciting introduction in the first para-graph.

What’s a press release or statement?A press release is a written statement tothe media and in this the company canannounce new discoveries, an exciting newsevent, staff achievements, scheduled events,personnel promotions, awards, new productsand services, sales accomplishments and lotsof other exciting news stories.

A press release can also be used to gener-ate a feature story. Reporters are more likelyto consider a story idea from a press release.A feature story is a slightly longer article andmore in-depth.

If there is a great picture that tells yourstory, discuss with the editor or a good publicrelations friend. Nowadays, there are alsocredible press release distribution agenciesthat have a long mailing list if your newsrelease is for the general public. Press releas-es can be sent to targeted media if they area business related press statement. So targetonly the business media.

NEWSWORTHYJournalists and editors often look out for

well written press releases that are newswor-thy minus the public relations fluff.

Challenging and rewarding as it may be, agood press release is the hallmark of a hard-working corporate communications official.What makes great news or business story isthe groundbreaking research and investiga-tion, discovering documents and this is whata press release must highlight. The followingare some FAQs on writing a press release.l What, why and how does the editorchoose one press release from another?

Daily, publications receive hundreds ifnot thousands of faxed and electronic pressreleases. Anything newsworthy will make tothe news.l What do you mean by newsworthy?

Newsworthy means anything of newsvalue like the announcement of a govern-ment policy or issue that will be of interestto the public. So in your press release youshould tell the audience how the policy willserve or benefit them.l What is a press release?

A press release, also known as a newsrelease, is simply a written statement tothe media. It can announce a range of newsitems: scheduled events, personnel promo-tions, awards, new products and services,sales accomplishments, etc. It can also beused in generating a feature story.l What does one say in the press release?

Start with a brief description of the news,then distinguish who announced it, and notthe other way around. Ask yourself, “How arepeople going to relate to this and will theybe able to connect?” It is important to knowwhat the media wants.

Make sure the first 10 words of yourrelease are effective, as they are the mostimportant and avoid excessive use of adjec-tives and fancy language. The first paragraphneeds to grasp the reader’s attention andshould contain the relevant information toyour message such as the five W’s (who,what, when, where, why).

The main body of your press release whereyour message should be fully developed.Deal with the facts and this can be learnedthrough good media relations or successfulPR strategies.l So, what are the successful PR strategies ingetting your story in the media?

The name of the game is to pitch or hookan angle in a unique way that the media willbuy your idea and publish or broadcast it. Forthis to happen, tell a compelling story in anexciting way. Over 90% of all press releasesare discarded because they are boring andare not creative in spinning a story to attractor excite readers, according to editors andreporters.l Is it wrong to dine and wine with journal-ists or editors to discuss your press release?

There is nothing wrong in meeting upwith media personnel to discuss and proposestory ideas of a press release you are consid-ering to send. The media is on the lookoutfor good stories. Most of all, communicatewith journalists or editors effectively on theirterms, and it’s not a sin or crime to have cof-fee or dine with them.

When you meet and dine with themeditorial contacts are developed, networkingoccurs and relationships are built. Simplybecome their friend so that when you, as thecorporate communications chief or CEO call,they will remember you. Therefore, it is cru-cial you maintain your company’s perform-ance on a high profile through your efficientskills in dealing with the media.l What is social media and how can weengage them?

Today, with the internet and social media,and understanding publicity tools such asWord of Mouth, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook,websites and e-mails, the right strategiescan be adopted to promote products andservices.

By attending short courses on media rela-

tions and social media, one can empoweroneself to convince people, stakeholders andopinion leaders through the social media.l How can a person master the art of writ-ing a press release?

After attending a media relations pro-gramme, participants will be able to learnand get practical knowledge on writing apress release. Experienced trainers will guideyou through the process.

Thereby you will be empowered with newtechniques on how to write a press release.Through enhanced understanding you willbe confident in writing press releases. Thiswill encourage you to seize the opportunityto publicise company news.

KEY POINTS IN WRITINGA PRESS RELEASEl Don’t forget the importance of headlines.l Include statistics and tell a story or relate

it an attention grabbing statement.l Keep it short to about 500 words. Give

them the high points, and they’ll contactyou for more information should the needarise.

l Write it like a news story. According tothe inverted pyramid style, answer who,what, why, when, where, and how in thefirst paragraph or two.

l It is good to use bullet points to break upinformation in a snappy style.

Pitching the news is an art and discussingwith a pal who is an experienced reporter,editor or public relations consultant will helpto ensure the publication of a press release.

PITCHING THE NEWSThe pitch has to be unique. You have to

ask: “Is the story going to attract tourists andrevenue with it? How unique and relevant isyour news? .

The pitch has to be concise. The mediagets so many e-mails. It’s got to capture theidea and the readers’ interest in just a hand-ful of words.

The pitch has to be timely. The media islooking for people to provide relevance. Lookat current tourism trends in Malaysia.

n M Krishnamoorthy is a freelance journalist,media relations trainer and local coordinator

How to get

publisHed

media relations trainer and local coordinatorfor CNN, BBC and several other foreign televi-sion networks. He was formerly a journalistwith The Star and New Straits Times and hasauthored four books.

publisHedpress releases

tips for writinga press release:l Mark NEWS RELEASE clearly at

the top – plus your campaignname, phone number and logo.

l Put date of issue and mark “FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE” unless it isembargoed (see below). Whenpublicising an event, make surethe press release is out well inadvance.

l Use a snappy headline.

l Include a summary of the mainfacts in the first paragraph,including WHAT is happening,WHERE, WHY, WHEN and byWHOM. It needs to immediatelygrab an editor’s attention or itwill be binned.

l The press release should beshort, factual and well-written.Avoid opinionated rants and jar-gon.

l Use short paragraphs and sim-ple sentences. Keep to one or, atmost, two pages.

l Use a quote by an identified per-son to tell your side of the story.Use pseudonyms if you do notwant your name in the newspa-per.

l Write ENDS at the foot of thepress release.

By RADHIKA [email protected]

DID you know thatMalaysians have the mostnumber of Facebookfriends in the world? ABritish research agency,

TNS, revealed that on averageMalaysians have 233 Facebook friendsand spend roughly nine hours a weekon Facebook. What a lot of timeindeed!

Before proudly shouting MalaysiaBoleh!, think about what this actuallymeans. Facebook has become an inte-gral part of our lives like nasi lemak,hence we need to fully understandits consequences before it becomesan enemy. Only a fraction of yourFacebook friends are your actualfriends.

It has become to easy to beFacebook friends with anyone. Thelist includes your neighbour’s bestfriend’s sister whom you once metat a Christmas party. The time spenton Facebook per week is disturbing.If today’s youth spend hours com-municating online, what is the impacton their real life communication andsocial skills?

THE PERILS OF FACEBOOKAs we all know, online com-

munication is a distant, disfiguredcousin of face-to-face communication.Communication is a delicate tool withmany layers to it.

To start off, there is verbal and non-verbal communication. This consists ofspoken words, pauses, hand gestures,facial expressions, body language,vocal variety and intonation.

Facebook, like many other platformsof online communication, is a differentball game altogether. An entire conver-sation can take place without even asingle properly constructed sentence.For that matter, an entire conversationcan take place with just emoticons!

This has resulted in a generationwho lack basic communication skills.There are so many people who canhave hours of online conversations butcan barely have a decent five minuteface-to-face chat. In the real world,conversations cannot entirely consistof LOLs and smileys.

IMPAIREDCOMMUNICATION

In reality, making new friends andmeeting new people does not happenwith a literal click. It takes time to buildrelationships and get to know people.Now, it is possible to be someone’sfriend on Facebook without even hav-ing a single conversation or interactionwith that person.

This destroys the natural flow ofhuman interaction. Communicationhas been watered down thoroughlyindeed. This evolution indicates theebb of human communication skills.

Besides that, on Facebook, we areunable to observe the other party’sbody language. This leaves a gapinghole in the communication flow, as

body language makes up fornearly half of non-verbal com-munication.

Consequently, youngsters whomare major Facebook users are insensi-tive to body language responses of theother party. This will ultimately resultin poor communication skills as youthsare unable to decipher the non-verbalresponse of the other person.

It is also a common trend amongstthe youth to respond to text/chat mes-sages first rather than to the personspeaking in front of them.

With electronic communicationgaining preference over actual con-versations, it is a common sight atgatherings to see people busy textingor tweeting instead of talking to thepeople at the party.

Our minds are tuned to preferonline communication, alienatingtraditional chit chat. It is a rather rudecompulsion to respond to your beep-ing phone first as opposed to a persontalking to you.

“SO WHAT?”The inevitable “So what?” will echo

from Gen-Y. Arguably, this is progres-sion thanks to technology. Again, theage-old debate of whether technologyis a bane or a boon. Using Facebook asan example, technology has createdone-dimensional communicators.

There are a few scenarios to con-sider, the first being a job interview.Employers are invariably complainingabout how job applicants are unableto hold a proper discussion despitescores of degrees and higher qualifica-tions.

While they may have the knowl-edge, they are unable to communicatetheir ideas effectively. This is a careercrutch, so to speak, because beingable to shine in the workplace requriessolid communication abilities. In this

era, communication skills are a goldenticket to securing that job.

Another scenario would be network-ing events as traditional networkingstill plays a role in our personal andprofessional lives. Be it birthday par-ties, industry launches or universityevents, human interaction is muchneeded!

It is wrong to assume that beingable to communicate and network skil-fully online automatically translatesto good face-to-face communication.Learning the art of networking canlead to obtaining valuable contactsand forging important relationshipsthat will go a long way. Savvy commu-nication skills will snag you a potentialclient or that really hot date.

As always, practice makes perfect.Thus, actively participating in such

events instead of being physicallythere but virtually not (pun intended)will lead to better communicationskills. We need to be able to sit downand enjoy a good old fashioned chat.

Another challenge young peopleface is to communicate with peopleof different generations, somethingyou would not usually encounter onFacebook. While online, you tend tomingle with people of your age, withsimilar interests but in reality it is auseful skill being able to talk to anyoneand everyone.

A sad scenario nowadays would bea family out for dinner but everyoneis glued to his or her smartphone andtablets. Again, there is minimal inter-action, defeating the very purpose ofhaving dinner together.

THE PHONESTACKING GAME

There is a popular game to combat

this issue; the stacking game.Commonly played with friends,it requires everyone to stack

their phone in the middle ofthe table and the first person who

reaches for the phone has to footthe bill. This ensures there is properconversation and interaction betweeneveryone present, with less virtualdistractions.

So, be proactive about the situation.Consciously monitor your online andoffline communication. Ensure youhave sufficient skills to hold a conver-sation with just about anyone for areasonable duration.

Realise that while online communi-cation is good, offline communicationwill take you a long way especially interms of career and relationship build-ing. Take the initiative to practise andsharpen your communication skillsbefore it is too late.

There are many organisations outthere dedicated to improving com-munication skills such as ToastmastersInternational. Find out how you can bepart of it.

Should we deactivate Facebook?Admittedly it is a little too harsh, butstriking the right balance between ouronline and offline communication isthe key.

Undeniably, Facebook has becomepart of our lives. Just like McDonald’s,the key is moderation. A good practiceis to engage with people when withcompany instead of communicatingwith someone else online. Learn to bemore articulate and expressive whenspeaking as there are no emoticons!Let us work together to ensure tech-nology does not cause the annihila-tion of proper communication skillsamongst us.

By EVA [email protected]

“WE never keep to the present. We recall thepast; we anticipate the future as if we found ittoo slow in coming and were trying to hurry itup, or we recall the past as if to stay its too rapidflight. We are so unwise that we wander about intimes that do not belong to us, and do not thinkof the only one that does; so vain that we dreamof times that are not and blindly flee the only onethat is.”

So writes Blaise Pascal on Human Happiness,the French philosopher who lived in the 1600s.

A bit of an existentialist realisation really, thatpeople are never happy with what they have andwhat they do at any given time, and constantlyseek refuge to imagining a better future orremembering the moments of the past.

What is it that makes us all so unhedonic – sounable to enjoy the moment until it’s gone? True;we have to plan for the future. We have to ensurethat we rush things and complete our work in thepresent in order to have a better tomorrow.

But what about making the most of ourpresent? Time flies. And if we do not make a con-stant attempt to live the present, to soak in allthe lessons, the thoughts, the sights, the smells,

and the images of it, we will not reach the desti-nation we want to in the future.

Every passing moment can enrich our lives – beit career wise or in the personal experiences wehave. Don’t let these moments go by withoutpaying due attention.

Don’t let opportunities for fun, a new lesson, anew experience flee. Because when you do, youwill not be happy with the future that will even-tually come.

n Eva hopes that everyone learns to lead a mean-ingful life and make every moment count. Don’tlet the past haunt you or the future drown you.

FacebookYourDeactivate

Live thepresent

our MinDs are tuneDto preFer onLinecoMMunication,

aLienating traDitionaLchit chat.



By WENDY [email protected]

MY 70-year-old mother-in-law threw a fit theother day, becauseshe was chargedRM11.50 for a glass

of iced lemon tea at a small café. Inher words, “Why charge me so much?The chair no cushion, place no air-con,even the girl not pretty!”

The intriguing thing was, she didn’tcomplain about the actual product.

In fact, when I asked her how herdrink was, she said, “ok lah… cantahan”. My mother-in-law is not edu-cated, so to her, it didn’t matter whatbrand name the café carried. All sheknows is that if she has to fork outthat much for a glass of tea, she hasto feel different, and experience some-thing special.

The wind of changeWhile we can’t pinpoint the exact

time and date people start charg-ing exorbitant prices for a cup of teaor coffee, the world has changedso rapidly, we have moved from aknowledge-based economy into anexperiential economy without realis-ing it. Once, consumers were hungryfor knowledge and information aboutgoods and services. Now, we want to“feel and experience” the goods andservices.

And so as we see companiesprogress to cultivate their brandsthrough experiential marketing, wetoo, should be doing the same forourselves – cultivating our personalbrand, so that people can see us, hearus, and experience us in a way wewant them to.

whaT is personalbranding?

Your personal brand is basically theway you market yourself to the world,or how the world experiences you. Inreality, personal branding is unavoid-able. Our brains are wired to recognisepatterns and form associations. Whenyou interact with people, each indi-vidual forms a mental association and

label you.The way you dress, what you say

and how you behave will contrib-ute to your brand. The labels peopleassociate you with will become yourpersonal brand.

To have a distinctive personal brand,is to be able to identify your uniquequalities – your strengths, skills, values– and then using them to separateyourself from your competitors, andput yourself ahead from the pack.Simply put, personal branding is thebusiness of marketing the brand called“you”.

is personalbranding for me?

If you are still debating on whetherit’s important for you to become a per-sonal brand, let me enlighten you:

No matter where you are on thecorporate ladder – starting out, arising star or an established leader– personal branding is absolutely vitalto your success. After all, numerousothers may have your job title, butonly a few may share your vision andunique talents. If you are able to con-nect with the individuals and compa-nies that value your “mission” in life,you will have a much greater chancefor success, be it in career, business orpersonal life.

And if you are in business – whilstyou are putting in millions of dollarsstrategising on your marketing cam-paign just to beat competitors, thinkabout this: If you focus on just build-ing your corporate brand and forgetabout your own, should your companyfail in the first few years, you willregress with it.

Your trade secrets can be stolenfrom you, technology will change,patents will eventually expire. But theone thing your competitors can’t takeaway is – you. You can attract custom-ers, hire more talents, grow your com-pany, just by having a strong brand!

so where are you now?The realisation of how others per-

ceive you, is the first step to build yourpersonal brand. Here’s a simple brandaudit that you can do now to see

GET PERsonal UnlEash YoURown BRand!

What Do You Think Of Me? Please circle 3 words

Professional High Energy Powerful Funny

Competent Wealthy Warm Ambitious

Original Intelligent Creative Persistent

Calm Elegant Dependable Mischievous

Happy Attractive Fun Loving Tough

Easy Going Meticulous Expressive Direct

where your current brand is.> Pick three words which you think

best describe yourself.> Get five of your close friends

to give you three words to describewhat they think about you.

whaT iT means> The words you have picked, is

a representation of how you thinkabout yourself, or what is known asyour internal brand.

> The words that your friends havechosen, is a representation of howyou portray yourself to the world,or what is known as your externalbrand. To the world, this is also a rep-resentation of your personal brand.

> Tally your findings with theirs.Are the words you chose similar tothe ones ticked by your friends? Isyour internal brand in congruent withyour external brand/personal brand?

You will realise that a simple exer-cise like this helps you to identifyblind spots, and do a cross-check onwhere you stand now as far as per-sonal brand is concerned.

Notice that there may be certainwords which you did not choose,but all your other friends picked thatword for you. This is how you reallyappear to be in the eyes of everyoneelse. Once labeled, you know itcan be difficult to change people’smind and their perception of you.

Now that you know where you

stand, think about whether you haveestablished a strong personal brandin the eyes of others or if there isstill room for improvement? Given achoice to change the words, wouldyou do it?

Remember: Your personalbrand is your promise andunique proposition to theworld. Your personal brandhelps you put yourself aheadof everybody else. Take yourpersonal branding seriously,and make personal brandcount!

n Wendy Lee is president ofMabic (Malaysian Associationof Brand & Image Consultants)and a director of BII (BrandImage International Institute).She is a firm believer thatwith Style... there must beSubstance!

ThE waY YoUdREss, whaTYoU saY andhow YoUBEhavE willconTRiBUTE ToYoUR BRand. ThElaBEls PEoPlEassociaTEYoU wiTh willBEcomE YoURPERsonalBRand.

Bill

Capital FM, the radio station for womeninvites you to its first Life Class workshop this22 June. Ladies, if you’re looking to enhanceyour personal brand, join the workshop whichwill equip you to create a positive professionalimpression. For details, visit www.capitalfm.com.my or tune into 88.9FM in Klang Valley.

no maTTER whEREYoU aRE on ThEcoRPoRaTE laddER- sTaRTinG oUT,a RisinG sTaR oRan EsTaBlishEdlEadER - PERsonal

BRandinG isaBsolUTElY viTal To

YoUR sUccEss.

whilE wE can’T PinPoinT ThE ExacT TimE and daTE PEoPlEsTaRT chaRGinG ExoRBiTanT PRicEs foR a cUP of TEa oRcoffEE, ThE woRld has chanGEd so RaPidlY, wE havEmovEd fRom a knowlEdGE-BasEd EconomY inTo anExPERiEnTial EconomY wiThoUT REalisinG iT.


WE have four experts on career management, HR and office issues who will address your questions weekly. We refer to them as Careernomers - experts incareer matters who will help you in your career journey. So if you have burning questions, send them to [email protected].

This week, Johan Merican, CEO of TalentCorp, and Datin Nancy Lim, senior vice-president and head of human capital of Great Eastern Life Assurance (M)Bhd answer Yasmin’s question.

Dear Careernomers,I am 29 years old and married with two young chil-dren. I am lucky to have had a colourful career since Istarted out nine years ago.

Although armed with only a diploma (broadcast-ing) from a local university, I was fortunate to have acareer in production at a local private TV station forfour years before I decided to join my family businesswhich deals with public relations (PR) and marketing.Life has been kind to me as I was given the oppor-tunity to host a few TV shows in the past six years.This eventually made me realise that I have a strongpassion for a career in corporate communicationsand PR.

Last year, my family business was not doingso well especially after my mother passed away. Idecided to join the corporate world again looking forsomething that will best utilise my skills. I found ajob in a small manufacturing company as a sales andmarketing manager, but sadly, my current companylacks financial strength and knowledge manage-ment. I am open to a new position that will lead tocareer progression.

I am at a crossroad; in the last couple of month,sI have managed to secure a few interviews in man-agement positions but I also received an invitationfrom the Public Service Department for an interview.

I have been a driven person since I started workingbut the fact that I have a family that depends on mefinancially makes me more afraid to take the risks ofjoining any organisation.

Please help me make an intelligent decision thatwill lead to career progression and financial stability.

Yours truly,

Yasmin

Dear Yasmin,I have read your question and

appreciate your dilemma. Essentially, Iwould summarise your current situa-tion as follows:

a) You have spent a fair number ofyears in the field of communications(media broadcasting and PR), andalso acquired some skills in sales andmarketing. You have worked in threedifferent industries.

b) You now have a potential jobinterview with the Public ServiceDepartment and is considering acareer change with the government.

c) You have a young family.

Yasmin, here are my thoughts:

With nine years of work experienceand having gone through three differ-ent industries, you have now stayedan average of three years in each role.While you may have deviated slightlyfrom your field of study, the experi-ence that you have acquired is limitedto local organisations. I get the hintthat you must have gone throughsome life challenges recently, i.e. rais-ing two young kids, the passing ofyour mother and also changing jobs,and having no security of income.However, the experience in the variousroles must have made you a street-wise person by now.

My advice would be limited to whatyou have shared, and here are somepossible views on how to make thatnext big step in your career.

1 Do analyse whether your per-sonality and current life status

permits you to work in this sales andmarketing role in the manufacturingcompany. Are you finding it toughachieving sales targets, attracting andmaintaining a sales team and also

juggling time with the kids? Are youworking too long hours that you feelthat you have no work-life balance?Has your husband being complainingthat the kids are neglected?

2 Do you want to go back into afield that can tap on your past

experience in communications? Is thiswhat you want to do in the short andmedium-term? Is this what you dobest and do naturally?

3 Do you feel financially chal-lenged and drained and that

the government job can provide youwith financial stability and also moretime with your growing children?

If the answer is “yes” to all theabove questions, then I would suggestthat you work hard towards winningat that first interview with JPA andalso impress upon them the variousministries in which you think you canexcel best and add value. If you are indoubt, you should try and assess if youshould stay in your current role andassess the pros and cons of that.

The other advice that I would like tooffer is to avoid job-hopping and tryand stay with your next job or currentjob. If you keep changing jobs, you putyourself at risk of gaining stress whichis added on through job change andalso change of bosses, learning newskills, gaining trust and making newfriends. In addition to that, you alsoneed to ensure that you do not endup losing out in terms of bonuses andincentives, as well as seniority andopportunities to attend training.

The other risk which you need tobe cognizant of when taking up agovernment role is that you couldbe compelled to transfer to anothertown and also changes in ministries.As you climb up the ladder, you would

also be assessed academically. Thus,while you might have a more stableincome, more time with the children– you would however need to ensurelifelong learning to enable you to getahead.

I hope this helps in appreciatingyour situation a bit better. All the bestin your job hunting.

nanCY Lim

Dear Yasmin,Thank you for writing in. Your

predicament reflects a commondilemma, especially for young workingmothers – having to choose betweencareer progression and family commit-ments.

Call me a pragmatic idealist but Ibelieve one should aspire to have it allbut yet, seek practical compromisesto meet your different needs. I wouldlove for you to be able to follow yourpassion and at the same time, balancewith family obligations. This is impor-tant for you to be ultimately happy.

You mentioned you are a drivenperson. I want to share Pauline Ho,head of assurance at PwC relatinghow fulfilling her personal ambitions,hence a “happy professional” trans-lated in being a ‘happier mother’ andvice versa, ensuring her job supportedmeeting her obligations at home, iebeing a “happy mother” supported herprofessional effectiveness ie ‘happierprofessional’.

Of course, it’s not as easy as itsounds. For many successful work-ing mothers, it is a lot of hard work,continuous stress and sometimesguilt juggling work and family com-mitments. Having said that if in yourmind, you choose to sacrifice yourcareer satisfaction for family, you

may end up unhappy subconsciouslyresenting them for it.

In trying to have it all, I picked upthree key factors from your letter: first,you have a strong passion for a careerin corporate communications andpublic relations; second, your familydepends on you financially hence theattraction of the benefits and stabilityof a job with the Government; third,the negative experience of your cur-rent employer lacking both financialstrength and knowledge management.

Please pursue your passion!Corporate communications is a chal-lenging and dynamic field of workhighly sought after in both the privateand public sector today. Additionally,the area of corporate communica-tions is particularly exciting given thetransformation of media, particularlythe emergence of social media andthe need for organisations to respondaccordingly.

Malaysian organisations need drivenand good corporate communicators toensure that the right messages reachthe public and to maintain the repu-tation of the organisation, whetherpublic or private sector. It is howeverimportant to find the right organisa-tion for you to ensure you are able todevelop, learn and grow as a corporatecommunications professional.

Do not join the Government for itsbenefits! Don’t get me wrong, many ofus in the Government find it a fulfillingand satisfying career. However, it is notfor everyone. You should only join theGovernment if you have a strong pas-sion and perseverance to contributeand make a difference for the country.

If you do, there are communicationsroles in the various government minis-tries in addition, to a variety of statu-tory bodies and agencies. TalentCorpis a Government agency and my headof communications was previously

from Securities Commission. Statutorybodies include the likes of SME Corp,MCMC or EPF, all of which you wouldhave to apply to directly and not viaSPA.

Do not be discouraged by your expe-rience with your current employer. TheMalaysian economy is growing strong-ly, fuelled by solid fundamentals, theeconomic transformation and drivenby many strong companies.

In such an environment, you shouldbe confident in being able to findfinancial stability amongst manyprivate sector employers, especially inMalaysia’s key economic sectors likefinance, oil and gas as well as profes-sional services. Look for companiesthat are competitive in their field andgrowing, as this provides both finan-cial stability and opportunities to growas a professional.

Furthermore, as a working mother,you should also explore job opportuni-ties at companies that understandyour needs. Increasingly, there areMalaysian employers that offerflexible and supportive workplaceenvironment to enable their staff tobetter balance their work-life commit-ments. These include flexible workingarrangements and on-site childcarefacilities. For a start, you can visitTalentWanita (www.talentwanita.my),a portal that aims to connect womenwith job opportunities at companiesthat offer flexible and supportiveworkplace environment.

I wish you all the best with yournext job. May you have it all and findhappiness at work and at home!

Johan meriCan

n The opinions expressed are those ofthe authors and not necessarily thoseof myStarjob.com

Coming up in next Saturday’s issue . . .mystarjob.com, saturday 15 June 2013

Also next week

Liu Ching-An fromKanebo CosmeticsMalaysia shares herjourney frombanking to PR

Survey reveals themost pressingconcerns forCEOs today

Good news: charismacan be nurtured

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