MAKING SUCCESSION PLAN WORK

I read an article recently published, how Dr. M created the Vision 2020 and he is the destroyer to the plan.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/02/21/musa-hitam-dr-m-is-creator-and-destroyer-of-vision-2020/

I will let this record just stand as there are a lot of ideas, opinions and people who would want to comment on the subject matter.

Myself, I had been involved in several succession plans for family businesses. Instead let me offer what I think is useful to make succession plan work.

First of all, we are not immortal.

The word, "immortal" does not mean we cannot die. It means it will take extraordinary period for the person to expire. Be it, 200-500-9,000 years old. Please don't expect us to be cemented, with our eyes moving around, when our body decayed.

Second, succession is a form of open communication.

Parents love to see their sons and daughters to be as they are or better than them. They prefer their own children to inherit the plan than outsiders.

Stop that.

It is better to discuss out openly with the children what they want to be, how they want to be and see how the plan - can be succeeded. The children too must have that skill, capability and abilities to inherit the plan. The main thing is, the plan must be bought - 100% or none at all.

At times, other than children can do it better and they are better inheritors.

McKinsey & Co. is the world's number 1 - professional firm, not because of McKinsey who was a very fine, educated and intelligent man but because he treated people right, and a group of his staff bought the company and retained the name - and made it as they had envisioned.

Third, start early.

Train up successors early. Teach them how to fish, cook char keow tiau etc.

Examine from time to time to see if they are passionate about what they are doing and not doing for the sake of being asked to do something. If they are not interested or don't have the knack in being you, try Plan B and who knows over time, the passion of doing what you do for living, attracts them.

Timing is important.

Fourth, respect.

Stop puppetting your potential successors. They are not your personal assistants, your "mini-me"s, your yes-men or -women. They have their own pride and personalities.

Also they need not be in your image.

Already the new CEO of Microsoft was said to have surpass Bill Gates in terms of achievement. Though a lot of analysts and shareholders are willing to give him more years to make some mistakes and not expecting perfection, but they are happy currently.

"Satya Narayana Nadella is an India-born American business executive. He is the current chief executive officer of Microsoft. He was appointed as CEO on 4 February 2014, succeeding Steve Ballmer."

http://money.cnn.com/2015/12/01/investing/microsoft-stock-satya-nadella-cloud/

Last - above all else...

The Agreement. You must have absolute agreement, not a trial, not a test, maybe it will work, it will not work.

An original plan need not be a "dead" plan. It can be adjusted to suit all parties, the different generation and ideas. A plan that worked 20 years ago, may not work today and therefore improvements have to be made to the plan. A goal can be achieved timely if the line of successors are very clear on objective and delivery. Unfortunately no one can think alike often - therefore changes in successors are choice-less.

The main thing is getting the agreement first, before passing the torch. Make sure there are witnesses.

Should the other back on his/her words, then its ok- move on. Find something else that will keep you happy.

You've done your best.

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If you wish to add ideas here, email us at mienspg@gmail.com.

The MANCHUNIAN THEORY

The best time to do reflection, is the Sundays. Its also the day where Football teams battle it out to guts, cups and glory.

My dad, he sticks through thick and thin for Tottentam until today. Which makes no sense - as one time, they were stuck at being no. 8th team for most of the time. Me, I'm always for the ol' swashbuckling type of Manchester United - the Dream Team, that once nearly got wiped out entirely due to an off-field incident (air disaster) and rose to fight another day, another time.

Once, I was called a "plastic fan". Realising its a generic term for those were joining in late - I am not a glory-seeker.

One shouldn't buy instant successes. For a very, short limited time, yes but it will not augur well and its way too expensive.

So did LvG do well? How about comparing LvG vs. Mourinho, today and not yesterday. Did Welbeck and Falcao do well? Or did we offload the "right" people?

Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United had been changing their key management. Everyone loves winners - the question is at what expense.

I rather stay root for a Manager that will build successes and continuing successes in years to come.

HOW MIENS PREDICTIONS WORKED

Daisy Kee​, Dennis Prem Kumar Chandran​

The talk provided @ Intel in exactly 5 years ago, and culmination to predicting on the downfall of Jose with 20% respondents did not know who Jose is.

Over his two spells at Stamford Bridge, he has won 140 of his 212 matches and has the best points-per-match ratio of any manager to have taken charge of at least 15 fixtures (2.19 points per match).

Now with the lowest at 0.94 per match despite being a champion last year with the best players with little or no injuries.

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/2015-16/dec/171215-chelsea-part-company-with-manager-jose-mourinho.html

https://gyazo.com/8069063a9af52f5de1ee05176a264aee

AIM

                                                           

To acquire an understanding of your position at work, to hold your fort and the possible methods of winning through tough battles in life.

	SPECIFIC  OBJECTIVES

 

At the end of the one day seminar the participants will be able to

                  Compare through sharing of common failures and problems in life.

                  Learn the virtues of patience and reducing work stress.

                  Practice strategies to be an effective role model at work.

This programme is tailor-made for the groups of staff in need of total new approach in dealing with life at work and off-work who have been identified by the management of Intel.

Erasmus Koay Khhin Lung is a strategy adviser, quality consultant and corporate trainer for the business and social organizations. He has established MIENS in 1999. In 2006, he appeared live in a TV2’s Hello On Two touching on Quality System in Malaysia. He had lectured on Organizational Behavior and Business Economics at PTPL College, actively promotes the in-house “Retail Management Talk Series” and co-authors a leadership book together with USM, School of Management senior lecturers. He was the National Sponsorship Director of the JCI Creative Young Entrepreneur Award (2007). and the Chairman of the 50^th Golden Anniversary Dinner of ANZGAM (2008). He served and represented some 20-odd organizations.

Dr. Daisy Kee Mui Heng is a senior lecturer of management at University of Science, Malaysia. Her areas of interests are in Human Resource Management, Organisational Behaviour, Gender and Leadership. Her current program of research focuses on HRM and LMX. She holds a PhD in Business and Management from International Graduate School of Business, University of South Australia. She was the Secretary of Management Case Study Journal, Australia (2004-2006). She has been voted one of the Most Outstanding Malaysian university students in South Australia by former South Australia Governor Sir Eric Neal (2006). She earned her MBA from School of Management, USM. She was awarded Dean’s List for being one of the top MBA students (2003).

GO HOME, AND THINK ABOUT IT.

FOR MIENS AND BDSMCO. WEBSITES.

GO HOME, AND THINK ABOUT IT.

To a good question by Azu, has internet business (IMVU or otherwise) work for you?

To be very honest, business whether in IMVU, internet or otherwise – hasn’t been really kind to me. There were years where business were going up but never really been what I would’ve wanted. Those years, we call it – learning years and whatever that went out, we called it learning fees. That years, had gone by very quickly.

In terms of internet doing-business on the whole, there are more losses compared to gain in terms of financial resources, time and people. Seldom will I work with the same people whom I achieved abject results. Reason being, we have been there and it had been painful existence.

So, why BDSMCo. and what sort of “achievement” or “outcome” do you wish for?

BDSMCo. had always been part of the good plan within MIENS (Mien Universal Services). To charge at reasonable figure, in some cases – premium for excellent ideas with people that can make things work. Out of the ordinary.

For example,

I used potted plants as an idea for security deterrent instead of just hidden cameras in a jewellery shop. It’s simple, aesthetic and nondescript. By understanding through general observation of the flow and motion of human, speed and common-sense, we look towards solutions that can be long-term, easy to maintain and workable.

The achievements and outcomes I hope to achieve is putting the right people, at the right place for the right fee. And getting the right results that we all want.

For the new BDSMCo. people.

There are three kinds of failures, to work.

1.       Orientation.

2.       Commitment;

3.       Discipline;

OCD – Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

I have worked in KFC, Citicorp Nominees, 3 small-medium size accounting firms, owned an incorporated business which eventually I took over the 51% shares, own my own firm and worked as a General Manager for a Finnish IT group of companies.

Staff are happy, staff are unhappy, staff couldn’t care less, people that care.

Because staff is staff – be it two, four, twenty or two hundred. Humans are emotional animals, humans are political animals (Aristotle) and humans have needs and wants. But when a person who leads 2 to 200, have to think for the lives of more than himself or herself instead of his or her own or his or her own family, don’t lead, be a follower or go alone. Point here: more people, less work, less thinking. Else - automation.

For reasons, very rarely did my ex-bosses invite my ex-colleagues or me to their homes. They were bosses. One day, out of my 20 over NGOs, I invited a group of rich men to my home for a meeting – they were very uncomfortable siting almost 10 of them in cluster at a small hall with a flipchart. Simple, you want this and that, and this is what I have to start with. Modest place, but if my place is uncomfortable compared to the 2,000 to 12,000 sq. ft. of homes they each have at prime location, think of the less fortunate ones.

1.       Orientation

The people who usually works with me, are smart arses. Because I don’t need someone who kowtow to me just because I pay their salaries and taxes. I want to know – what makes things work and what make things fail, and where they were at each point – or – do I need to handle it myself.

Secondly, just because I give allowances to be yourself, respect comes two-ways. There’s no reason to be obnoxious or rude about things just to get your message across. Other people, like yourself – have brains.

Finally, usually answers come in threes, not one, not two. If you can only give ONE answer, why do anyone need a consultant? People need alternatives. Choose 1, why, choose 2, why and choose 3, why.

2.       Commitment

Stop making up excuses for yourselves.

Stop pointing fingers at other people’s weaknesses, to deflect your own critical failures.

This friend of mine, is an intelligent man. Was young and brash. No longer young and still brash. Honestly, when he has money, he knew what to do with them. When he had nothing, he proudly announced to the whole wide world. Twice a divorcee and they say third time, a charm. The only think I can say is, he is not me.

Someone – a man or a woman, may not want anything of you when you don’t have the means. They want the best for you. No worries, no sickness, money etc. They will even split up with you, so that you can have your piece of mind. Most of all, they might not want things outright, they do wish to be given “something”, “anything” – that’s of value and can be treasured, physically and mentally.

You have emo-, I have emo- everyone has emo-. Question, when one does has emo- for their work, office and people who counts on them, today and in future. When the f*** is that? As and when? One has the mood for it? Then, there’s one emo- for that – its call, the way out.

from: http://poemaboutlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/poem-about-life-300x169.jpg

3.       Discipline

No, I don’t have it too.

The only discipline I do have, is talk business, do business and think business.

My ex-wife used to say, you are indeed different from others. In the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs – you start at the top – Self Actualisation with a silver spoon. Whereas the whole world starts from the bottom, surviving and basic needs. Honestly, I did not start with a silver spoon though granted I’m luckier than a lot of people.

I started by helping others and not myself. I cannot say it’s wrong. But at the back of my mind, my ex-wife’s statement is correct: one should help themselves first, before others. Or shouldn’t it? That, I’m afraid – I am still discovering for myself. This is my personal journey. It has not ended.

Where are you in your own current journey? I do not know, you will have to think for yourself. And whether we will cross-path and do well together? I do not know, I intend to but the rest, is up to you.

Do your own homework and don’t expect others to do it for you.

Tough Year for SMEs this 2015

A plate of curry noodle costs RM 3.50 in Penang and that is already considered "expensive" by local standard. Now imagine, in 24 hours, it had gone up to RM 5.00, because that's what just happened.

"SMEs are facing rising costs on several fronts. They include the government's subsidy rationalisation programmes, TNB's tariff hike and even, higher, sugar prices. SMEs have also had to meet minimum wage requirements. All these have contributed to increased costs. We saw the depreciation of the ringgit in 2Q2014." are some of the explanations offered by SME Association of Malaysia National Presient Teh Kee Sin as reported in The Edge, June 8.2015.

Along with other factors are the Goods and Services Tax, which came into force on April 1, and it is expected to be tough on the 650,000 SMEs in Malaysia.

Already large organisations are coming out in numbers to ask the regulators to ease up on SMEs given that over-regulation can kill the goose that lays the golden egg. E-Commerce for example in South East Asia only made up 1% of total retail, unlike 8% in China and over 10% in US and UK economies.

What is also severely lacking include the human capital development that includes retention rate and generation gap trends.

"SMEs are generally reluctant to send their employees for training due to fear of disruption in work activity and staff pinching by other firms. They also face difficulty in attracting and retaining workers due to perceived low remunerations and non-competitive rewards and benefits," says SME Corp Malaysia CEO Datuk Hafsah Hashim.

The good news are our early investigation into Enterprise 50 companies stretching since 1998 to present day revealed that though almost 20% to 33% companies were no longer in existent, those that are still around are making good of their revenues and organisational growth. 

Nevertheless we are keen to study on net profit and positive cash flows to be able to understand more of survival rate in volatile market conditions.

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MIENS is currently assisting with mergers and acquisitions, towards IPO and also following the regularisation of Crowd-fundings.

The Beginning of Religious Man, a new Migrant People?

Of recent I have been receiving questions from friends within the country and in overseas on dealing with multiculturalism. It is a chapter of studies itself at the university level and in many aspects of education.We have to study about other races. (Although I cannot recall whether it is a compulsory study but management studies were compulsory for 1st year)

Since 2008 many nations were economically deprived of their source of income. Some inhabitants chose to change their jobs or migrate to a new land.

There are 232 million migrant workers worldwide and therefore logically we shouldn't have workers or employees shortage.1. That is not the case. What we are short of, are skilled and knowledgeable workers.

To compound business interest on global scale such as China and South Korea, the vast movements from African continents, Middle East and some East Asia basin due to war-torn nations to Australiasia, many of these displaced people brought along their systems of believes. 

Most employers are quite responsible and adaptive towards the changes, but not all are fast enough, and on larger scale, cool-headed to deal with the changes - such as 300-400 employees of two factories clashing over misunderstanding. This then create an atmosphere of distrust among the residences and the factory management.

New Surau just built on extended factory - Kedah

3 Quick Ways to manage new migrant labours.

1. Respect.

Always treat the workers with reasonable respect on the practical side with overall security in mind. For example, would one allow Voodoo-shamans? What about setting up religious halls? Normally there will be the appropriate Government agency to provide advice to setting up community villages.

If the decision is to be setup, then the management will do well to steer away from commenting further, that such a decision- is a business loss. Consider this as an opportunity as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Global Citizenry.

2. Recognise migrant labour rights.

International policies may not work well at local climate. They are for protecting workers rather than employers.

3. Education and Awareness.

Factory managers and supervisors have to recognise the types of leaderships in play. Those granted within the migrant community and that of the employers. One must find a balance to setup a leadership group that reduces chances of mis-communications.

Having some form of leadership and management education and awareness campaign would create a better glue to get people moving in one direction.

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And the  best way to get things started is to first, listen to the new migrants even if a translator is needed to be hired.

Visiting P. F. Drucker

Peter Ferdinand Drucker an Austrian-remade American management consultant, educator, and author, whose writings contributed to the philosophical and practical foundations of the modern business corporation 1, 

Drucker's credo, "Know Thy Time" are of little use to Generation Y aka "Millenials", that existed three (3) American generations above his; the Silent Generation that had fought in Korea and Vietnam, the Baby Boomers and the Generation X.

Drucker came from the so-called American's "The Greatest Generation" or the G.I. Generation that fought in World World 2, undoubtedly much of the larger contributions went to computer age, mechanization of air-crafts and ships which later on lead to the space exploration age.

He was not around to see or to predict what I would call, "The Beginning of the Religious Man", where migrants around the world would have much the impact on managing industrial-wide of workers.

Drucker rightly recommended, 

"A man should never be appointed to a managerial position if his vision focuses on people's weaknesses rather than on their strengths."

Sweat and soul, were the old Spartan way of life, The Greatest Generation time but not this time where Generation Y flexes their backbone with a yawn; where one need not figure how to change a plug-socket head when you can buy and replace a plug for 99 sen, to figure out how hand-phone works when they came in all shapes, sizes at an affordable price and how the Internet works, it just does!

DOTA, Cybercafe games are the in-thing, Alibaba is a stock giant, not 1,001 Arabian Nights and whether it makes profit or not, is not really the question, its popular (and seemed to be the only one viable to trade in this dour time)! Times have really changed and so are the mindset of the "labour market" where the Generations before trying so hard to protect only for labour to go on individualistic rampage.

But at the end, the World and the Individuals must recognise what Drucker had written and talked widely on:

Managing By Results.

All talks, no action, makes Jack and Jill - are over-excess necessity that any organisations should cut down on and getting the goal realized.