T: 03 7966 8388 F: 03 7955 3355

Do what you love

YOUR ULTIMATE CAREER& TALENT RESOURCE

IS CREATIVITY DEAD?Harnessing the creative capacities in the young

Pg 15

TALENT IS NEVER ENOUGHDestiny is determined by our choices

Pg 14

MULTIGENERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITYGen-Y job-hops: more than meets the eye

Pg 13

CELEBRATING HR EXCELLENCEADVOCATEs Of BEsT HumAN REsOuRCEs PRACTICEs

PAGEs 4-7, 10-12

sATuRDAy 6 DECEmBER 2014

“I’m quitting...” Rule of thumb before you make the ultimate move

Pg 3

mystarjob.com, saturday 6 December 20142

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

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“If you fulfill the wishes of your employees, the employees will fulfill your visions.” – Amit Kalantri

“The idea flow from the human spirit is absolutely unlimited. All you have to do is tap into that well. I don’t like to use the word efficiency. It’s creativity. It’s a belief that every person counts.” – Jack Welch

“People who succeed have momentum. The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed.” – Tony Robbins

“Human resources are like natural resources; they’re often buried deep. You have to go looking for them, they’re not just lying around on the surface. You have to create the circumstances where they show themselves.” – Ken Robinson

“Investment is Human Resources capable of Implementation of Ideas.” – Talees Rizvi

pEoplE-CENtriCBy SARAH TANeditor@leaderonomics.com

YOU don’t even have to read very closely to know that the running theme in today’s pullout is the importance of put-ting people first to create a sustainable and successful company.

Simply summed up by BerylHealth, a healthcare call centre in Dallas, its equation, which it calls “The Circle of Growth”, is simple: valuing your peo-ple will drive employee loyalty, which will lead to customer loyalty, which will eventually bring about a profit-able business.

So, how should leaders act in order to turn their organisations into a more sus-tainable, people-centric businesses?

Here are a few methods:

1 Be a mentorAn important step that can even

be practised by those who are not necessarily in leadership positions, mentorship can be extremely benefi-cial to both parties.

Mentors get satisfaction from impart-ing their knowledge, and mentees are able to learn from the experienced people.

2 Provide BenefitsAs we read on, there are many

companies out there that are eager to ensure that their employees are com-fortable in the workplace.

One of the many methods is proivid-ing benefits – with the popular ones being flexible hours, job rotations, and even providing holiday packages.

3 set comPany valuesCompanies and their leaders play

a significant role. Companies who make the time and

effort to set in place values that they believe in can attract employees who are looking for something more than financial satisfaction.

Leaders should be encouraged to actively reflect and practise these val-ues, as action speaks louder than words.

4 Build trustAs leaders and team members

gain mutual respect in working togeth-er, trust is built.

Furthermore, leaders are able to entrust more tasks to their team mem-bers once there is trust, thus empow-ering them.

Strong trust in business relationships automatically expels negative presump-tions, which boosts productivity and efficiency within a team.

Companies should do their best to accommodate the needs of their employees – while striking a balance between not giving in to their every whim and fancies and having satisfied customers as well as a profitable busi-ness.

EdiToR’s noTE: As Sarah rightly says, people come first, and this week I must give a shout out to Lim Lay Hsuan and Prema Jayabalan who worked endlessly to put together the MIHRM HR Awards special edition. Thank you team extraordinaire!

oF MotiVatioN aND rECoGNitioNRECOGNITION. Often something we expect from our HR (human resources) people, but this week, all the recognition is heaped instead on our HR colleagues! And deservedly so. We feature the winners of the 14th Malaysia HR Awards 2014 held recently and their journeys to success.

In our regular column Be a Leader, Roshan Thiran turns the adage “Winners never quit, quitters never win” on its head, offering interesting insights on when it makes sense to leave a job. Ultimately, the key to a successful career is constantly learning and growing.

Millie Ong offers yet another interesting perspective – asserting that we should consider ‘learning to unlearn’ rather than be mired in stagnated knowledge in the face of changing times and a world of uncertainty.

While Lee Hwai Tah poses the question ‘Are you proud of your work?’ and zeroes in on what motivates us, Elisa Dass asserts that it is important to realise that Gen-Y is not a group defined by having exactly the same needs and aspirations.

Rather, Gen-Y consists of key groups with distinct differences in their mindsets and motivations, and an understanding of these differences is necessary for employee retention.

In Learn from Books, Koh Earn Soo reviews Talent is Never Enough by John C. Maxwell on the topic of how one can become a talent-plus person?

Also on talent development, but starting younger, Sarah Tan highlights points made by Sir Ken Robinson on the possibility of a bleak future should we not address gaps in education of the young that currently suppress rather than develop creative capacities.

Last but by no means least, we hear from Mike Sosin who very interestingly draws lessons from concert photography for effective communication with employees, with regard to compensation and benefits.

Have a fantastic weekend all!

KAREn nEoHEditorleaderonomics.com

mystarjob.com, saturday 6 December 2014 3

Knowing when to giVe UP

ARe QUitteRs

By ROSHAN THIRAN roshan.thiran@leaderonomics.com

VINCE Lombardi once said, “Winners never quit and quitters never win.” I per-sonally think that he is absolutely WRONG!

Winners quit all the time. Nelson Mandela fought and persevered in a prison cell for 27 years. He became President of South Africa and he quit after a term.

Many great business leaders cut their losses and move on. They quit and refocus on areas they can win. Leaders quit often but they quit at the right time and for the right reason.

Some years ago, I had a long discus-sion with someone frustrated with her job. Low pay, long hours and a horrible boss pushed her to the brink of col-lapse. She really wanted to quit and came to me for advice.

Some of us may also be at a point where you are thinking “maybe I too should quit and move on”. But are you sure quitting is the best option? Sometimes, it may be better to stay on and grow. I remained at General Electric for more than 12 years, grow-ing significantly each year.

So, how do we know when the right time is for us to quit a job and move on?

My two-year ruleWhen you ask, “Should I quit my

job?”, my first question to you would be, “Have you served at least two years in your current role?” Ideally, it would be three years.

My rationale for this two-year rule:l It takes at least six months

before you understand your role, the process behind it and being able to make sense of your division or business unit.

l You will need at least another six months to start identifying areas where you can improve and drive change.

l It will take another six months before you start to execute, make changes and drive impact.

l You then need another six months to see the results of your execution and to see if the changes you implemented worked and to rework it if nec-essary.

According to research by Anders Ericsson, you will learn your job and be extremely competent after 10,000 hours. Based on a 12-hour work day, you will hit 10,000 hours of work after you spend three years in a role.

If you have at least served that long, then it’s fair to ask “Should I quit my job?” or consider moving to a new role

in your current organisation.But there are some exceptions to

the rule. If you find yourself marginalised, or

you dread the work, cut the loss and move on. Your job should bring out your passion and should not be dreary and energy-sapping.

Ideally, never leave a role before two years unless you are extremely clear this role or company is not for you.

Staying can be good too!

When you have feelings of restless-ness and discontent, you may believe that it is a sign to move on and quit. But don’t bail at the first glimmer of dissatisfaction – just as you should not quit your marriage after a spat with your spouse.

If you plan to quit your job because of conflicts you are facing at work today, remember that these problems will reappear in your next role if you don’t take the time to at least exam-ine what’s wrong at your current role.

Leaving your current role without resolving this conflict is bound to cre-ate the same issues in your next role. So, resolve these conflicts before you leave.

When I worked at NBC, a TV company in New York City, I was extremely frustrated with my boss. I thought she hated me as she gave me meaningless work and made me work on trivial matters.

I started sending out my resume to other media organisa-tions. I even went for interviews. But I had a great mentor at NBC who advised me to have a frank discussion with my boss.

I began an open, non-confron-tational dialogue with her. Things improved vastly as she had made some wrong assumptions about me.

I was not only able to stop a problem that persisted for a couple of months, but I ended up doing some impressive work at NBC and winning a number of awards in the process. I ended up staying and it did my career a world of good.

Staying in your role may have some practical benefits too. For example, seniority has its merits: it’s harder for an employer to let go of someone trained with deep job knowledge.

That’s not to say you should stay at all costs. I do believe that movement is good, especially if it enables you to grow and be outside your comfort zone. But quit for the right reasons.

Remember, most people who suc-ceed in the face of seemingly impos-sible conditions are people who simply don’t know how to quit.

LoseRs?when Should i quit?

How do you know exactly when to quit? Here are some pos-sible reasons:

1 Your company has lost its purpose and you are no long-

er proud to be an employee. Quit as you will be doing both yourself and the company a favour.

2 Your relationship with your manager is damaged beyond

repair. You have tried really hard to mend the relationship to no avail. Where possible, leave on good terms.

3 Your life situation has changed. Perhaps you just

had a baby, and the work culture does not suit your new lifestyle. Or perhaps your aspirations have changed.

4 Your values are at odds with the company’s values and

culture, or if you are being ethi-cally challenged.

Whatever the issue, don’t stay in an organisation where your val-ues or integrity are compromised.

5 For whatever reason, you have behaved improperly

at work. Or you’ve burnt bridges with peers. Or developed the rep-utation of a loser. That reputation, once earned, is unlikely to change, so you might as well move on, whilst you have the opportunity.

6 Your stress level is so high at work that it affects your

health and relationships. If you are feeling burnt-out, find out first if the demands of your job have increased with fewer resources.

You may just be drained out, in which case, it’s an issue of managing resources, not finding a new job.

7 You find yourself marginal-ised. Your manager, for rea-

sons unbeknownst to you, treats you like an invisible person, not including you in important con-sultations or decisions.

Don’t do anything until you talk to your boss to find out what’s going on. Your boss may also be silently urging you to leave, so if that’s the case, maybe you need to take the hint.

8 You’ve stopped having fun at work. Find out the real

reason you dread going to work. Is it boredom? Lack of challenge? Or have you changed?

Don’t leave just because you are bored. Try re-inventing your role. Leaving should be your last resort. But if you still cannot rediscover your love for the job, quit!

root cauSeQuitting your job over unhappiness

is a big no-no. If you are unhappy with other aspects of your life, it is easy to blame it on work.

Do not expect work to bring you happiness if other aspects of your life are just calamitous.

Sort out the real reason for your unhappiness and your job may turn great again. If it is really true that your unhappiness is caused by one of the eight reasons I outlined, then quit.

Otherwise, fix the real issue. There is a saying, “Age wrinkles the body but quitting wrinkles the soul.”

If you do work for a boss that pro-vides toxic leadership and is a tyrant, and you are drained by the cut-throat and back-stabbing environment caused by his/her lack of leadership, then it is one big reason to quit.

Business isn’t a democracy and you cannot change your boss. Quitting then is probably the right response.

That said, quitting should be an exception, not the rule, in your career. Gaps on your resume are a red flag to employers.

First, try meeting a career mentor, talking to human resources, or trans-ferring to another position at your company. Bear in mind that once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.

Final thoughtSAt the end of the day, the key to a

successful career is constantly learning and growing.

So, whenever you make decisions to quit, make sure the new role will provide you significantly bigger chal-lenges for growth and learning. If it’s the same role and you are just leaving for money, beware of the pitfalls.

When you do quit, don’t burn bridg-es. As good as it would feel to re-enact The Devil Wears Prada scene in which Anne Hathaway’s character chucks her phone with her boss still on the line, it’s a small world and you should try to leave on good terms.

Address your reason for leaving professionally and be sure to thank your boss for the opportunities you’ve received and to help transition your responsibilities.

n Roshan Thiran is CEO of Leaderonomics, a social enterprise. Roshan believes there is a time for everything, including quitting. Roshan laments the fact that most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. They give up at the last minute of the game, one shot away from a winning goal. For more Be a Leader articles, visit www.lea-deronomics.com

mystarjob.com, saturday 6 December 20144

A HR AwARd nigHt to RemembeRCeLebRAting HR eXCeLLenCe! Objectives and purpOse

The Malaysia HR Awards serves to recognise and acknowledge individu-als and organisations/corporations in the HR community for their relentless effort in advancing the HR sphere, including developing talent, advocat-ing best HR practices and trailblazing new HR initiatives.

The awards ceremony also serves as an excellent platform for the HR com-munity to share and exchange ideas, as well as learn from one another.

Organisations with this accolade can boost their corporate profile and that of their HR leaders.

It also ensures peer recognition in the HR community for the commend-able work of HR leaders in managing one of their greatest assets, i.e. the people in their respective organisa-tions.

n For more information about MIHRM and what it offers, please visit http://www.mihrm.com

THE highly-anticipated and celebrated 14th Malaysia HR Awards 2014 ended with a bang on the grand evening of Nov 13, 2014 in

Kuala Lumpur. Held annually since 1999, the

coveted human resources (HR) event was organised by the Malaysian Institute of Human Resource Management (MIHRM) in partner-ship with a leading online job portal.

The globally recognised HR Awards ceremony was graced by the Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Haji Ismail bin Haji Abdul Muttalib, top HR leaders across industries as well as other dignitaries.

There were eight HR award categories (See Table 1 for award categories and award winners), with winners awarded grand, gold, silver and bronze.

A panel comprising 10 members (selected from the Council of MIHRM, HR practitioners from the industry, and academicians) makes the initial ratings and scores for each category of awards, and shortlists five finalists for the top award in the relevant category.

A panel comprising eight members (selected from the senior fellowship of MIHRM, senior representatives from past winners and invited senior managers of organisations) deliberates and confirms the ratings, and shortlists three finalists in the relevant identified category.

l A panel comprising eight members (selected CEOs of organisations from past winners and invited CEOs) deliberates shortlisted finalists and selects the top winners in the relevant identified category.

l The finalists may be invited to present their achievements.

l The panel comes to a collective decision on the winners.

stAg

e 1st

Age 2

stAg

e 3

Award recognition

Grand

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Achievement

Best among the “Gold” recognition

Very good rating

Good rating

Satisfactory rating

AwAR

d win

neRs

Award category

Employer of Choice

HR Innovation

sME Best Employer

HR Best Practices

HR Leader

HR Manager

HR specialist

HR Best student Project

Name of organisation / individuals

RHB Banking Group

samsung Malaysia Electronicsscicom (MsC) BhdGeneral Electric International IncMondelez Malaysia sales sdn Bhd

Continental Malaysiascope International sdn BhdJohor Port BhdPuncak Niaga (M) sdn BhdHewlett-Packard Multimedia sdn BhdEncorp BhdDimension Data (M) sdn BhdDutch Lady Milk Industries BhdDell Global Business Center sdn Bhd

Gleneagles Hospital Kuala LumpurWorldwide Holdings Bhd

segi Value Holding sdn BhdDanfoss Industries sdn Bhdi-Talent Management sdn Bhd

[Winner undisclosed]

Berjaya starbucks Coffee CompanyPremiere Conferencing (Malaysia) sdn Bhd

BAsF (Malaysia) sdn BhdNu skin (Malaysia) sdn BhdBangkok Bank BhdMah sing Group Bhd

Geh Thuan Hooi (formerly from Mah sing Group Bhd)

sugunah Verumandy(General Electric International Inc)

Cherry Choy Pooi Yee (Premiere Conferencing (Malaysia) sdn Bhd)

Rebecca Khor Ying Ying (Bangkok Bank Bhd)

[No contenders]

[No contenders]

Award

Grand

GoldGoldGoldGold

silversilversilversilversilversilversilversilversilver

BronzeBronze

silversilversilver

GoldGold

silversilversilversilver

Gold

Gold

Gold

silver

Table 1

The proud organisers of the Malaysia HR Awards 2014

Group photo for Employer of Choice category: (L-R) Aresandiran J (president, MIHRM), Lim Chee Gay (Samsung Malaysia Electronics), Sugunah Verumandy (General Electric International Inc), Datuk Seri Haji Ismail (Deputy Human Resources Minister Malaysia), Shanti Jacqueline (Scicom MSC Bhd), Grace Munsayac (Mondelez Malaysia Sales Sdn Bhd), Suresh Thiru (COO, Jobstreet.com)

Group photo for HR Leader category: (L-R) Johan Mahmood Merican (CEO, TalentCorp Malaysia), Sugunah Verumandy (General Electric International Inc), Geh Thuan Hooi (formerly from Mah Sing Group Bhd), Dr Henry Yeoh (deputy president, MIHRM)

Group photo for HR Best Practices category: (L-R) CM Vignaesvaran (CEO, HRDF), June Beh (Berjaya Starbucks Coffee Company Sdn Bhd), Cherry Choy (Premiere Conferencing Malaysia Sdn Bhd), Dr Marzuki Ujud (vice president 1, MIHRM)

The grand award winner in the Employer of Choice category: RHB Banking Group (L-R) Aresandiran J, Datuk Seri Haji Ismail, Chew Gaik Kim (RHB Banking Group), Suresh Thiru

www.mihrm.com

mystarjob.com, saturday 6 December 2014 5

RHB Banking gRoupR

HB Banking Group has a history of over 100 years. Established through a series of significant mergers and acquisitions, the Group’s

history has provided a strong foundation that has allowed the Group to emerge stronger as it strives for further growth.

It is today the fourth largest fully integrated financial services group in Malaysia, and the Group’s core

businesses are streamlined into three main business pillars, namely: ◆ Group Retail and Commercial

Banking. ◆ Group International Business. ◆ Group Corporate and Investment

Banking.The Group’s regional presence

now spans nine countries: Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Laos.

Our Culture. Our Values. Our rHB Way

What sets RHB Banking Group apart from the rest is the dynamism of the people that make up RHB.

The RHB team takes pride in everything they do, guided by the principle of delivering the best – best in service and in practice in order to be the best financial services provider. The Group is where it is today because of its people.

Guided by P.R.I.D.E, which stands for their core values (Professional, Respect, Integrity, Dynamic and Excellence), it is the driving force of RHB-ians at the workplace.

Embedding the Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Dynamism and Excellence among all employees is the RHB way – managing its people by treating them not just as an employer but as a partner in ensuring employees experience fulfillment and holistic development at the workplace.

tHe PeOPle agenda – a lOng jOurney aHead

The RHB Banking Group, in its strategy or people agenda, aspires to be a prominent employer of choice within the region. This is in tandem with its aspiration to be a leading multinational financial services group.

To this end, the Group has put in place various initiatives to engage, develop and nurture its people including:

◆ people engagement – tHink, Feel and act

It is known that an organisation is made up of its people. At RHB, it is about engaging its people to think, feel and act as one.

In promoting this and ensuring the impact spreads across the organisation, steps were taken to align its operating structure, values and mission.

The leadership team within RHB underwent their own personal alignment. Anchored by its P.R.I.D.E core values, the changes slowly but surely made an impact on its people.

◆ communications – togetHeRness in aspiRations

Internal communications were increased with RHB leaders making an increased effort to communicate and stay in touch with their colleagues and team members through roadshows, town-halls, and coffee and breakfast sessions, where aspirations are shared to motivate and nurture the RHB family.

◆ dynamic WoRkplace – gRoWing togetHeR WitH us

At RHB the focus is on creating a dynamic workplace. The approach of “Hire for Potential” is applied in their hiring and selection process.

Through its Competency Based Talent Management Framework, RHB ensures that the best talents become a part of the RHB team.

RHB also ensures that the performance of its people is measured regularly and applies the Balanced Scorecard as its performance measurement tool.

Applying stretched KPIs (key performance indicators) and challenging targets is a normal practice within the organisation. In return, high performers are rewarded accordingly.

The organisation also prides itself in ensuring that its rewards practices are competitive and on par, if not superior, to the practices of the industry which are performance-based, holistic and place emphasis on the interest of their employees.

◆ igniting youR potential – today is tHe FutuRe

Career Discussion has also been introduced as part of RHB practice in managing career aspirations.

RHB empowers its people to take charge of their own careers and set their own career paths, and assists by enabling the right environment and tools to facilitate their career aspirations.

RHB also applies forward thinking in its approach as the talent market increasingly becomes dominated by the Gen-Y.

In managing such market shifts and changes, RHB has taken steps to introduce its research findings and has shared with all its leadership team a guide entitled Managing a Multigenerational Workforce for High Performance as an enabler to assist its people managers.

◆ RHB Way – gReat teams, dynamic WoRkplace

RHB is constantly looking at the various aspects of talent management to build a high-performing regional ready workforce and this includes transforming its human resources operating model, enhancing talent development platforms and putting in place an enterprise-wide human resource and client management system.

◆ moving FoRWaRdThe Group believes that striking the right balance

between organisational demands and employee needs is vital and that it is crucial to ensure sustainability throughout all aspects, be it in business operations, people performance or productivity.

RHB recognises that employee needs at the workplace are individually different and they strive to build an environment in which employees are fully engaged and committed to business success.

It is also committed towards building a work environment that is conducive with a culture that cultivates commitment towards a common objective.

Going forward, the RHB Banking Group will continue to strive towards being a high-performing organisation and position itself as a preferred employer across the region.

◆ Best in class – tHe Way FoRWaRd

Over the last few years, RHB has shown significant improvements as an employer in various areas. This continues to be acknowledged by the industry with the various awards and recognitions garnered, including the MIHRM Grand Award for Employer of Choice, HR Asia Best Companies to Work for 2014, GRADUAN Brand Awards Top 50 Companies and the Malaysia’s 100 Leading Graduate Employer.

◆ gReat teams – nuRtuRing FoR success

Great teams are made up of a combination of various strengths of its members. At RHB, these teams work towards nurturing and developing each member’s strengths to his/her fullest potential.

Development in areas of leadership, technical and functional competencies are already in place. Training platforms such as online learning has been made available for its people since 2011.

High potential talents are provided with a structured development programme across the organisation, and fresh talents are enrolled in its Structured Management Associates Programme.

you are herenavigating your career

LateraL transfer

finance

insurance

investment

retaiL Distribution

it

Job enrichment

Promotion

Job rotation

regionaL mobiLity

JouRney toWaRds a HigH-peRFoRming oRganisation HR aWaRds 2014malaysia

n If you are interested in pursuing a career with RHB Banking Group, visit http://www.rhb.com.my/corporate_profile/career/

STARBUCKS set out to be a different kind of company. One that not only celebrates coffee and the rich tradition, but that also brings a feeling

of connection.

Our missiOn To inspire and nurture the human

spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time.

HOw are we different? Our partners are our biggest assets

and we take pride in taking care of them, making them an integral part of the company. We manage our busi-ness through the “lens of humanity”.

We do not call our people “employ-ee” or “staff” but we call ourselves partners. As a partner, we believe that your spirit deserves to be inspired and nurtured too.

We do this by striving to be a great company to come to work for, and to continue working for.

emplOyer brandingBranding has always been one of

the most essential elements for our business success. At Starbucks, we give our partners an opportunity to be more than an employee.

Our Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is aimed to retain, engage and motivate employees in exchange for their productivity and performance.

In our term, it’s known as provid-ing the “Starbucks Experience” which includes extrinsic (rewards and ben-efits, opportunities for career develop-ment) and intrinsic elements (man-agement style, work environment and culture).

To align our EVP with our employ-ment and corporate brand, the Starbucks Global Employer Brand Team has launched an employer brand campaign with narrative con-cepts, revolving around “opportuni-ties”.

We strategically support our EVP with our Talent Attraction Channel where we plan, attract, select, hire, and provide great compensation and benefits.

partner develOpment Setting expectations is a norm at

Starbucks. By knowing what to expect, we empower partners to chart their own path and manage their own success. We provide learning and development programmes to support our partners in their structured career pathways.

Aligned with our Starbucks mission, we strive to engage and inspire our partners to achieve their personal best every day by engineering internal pro-motion opportunities.

Our partners are our customers. The most inspiring moments is to know that there’s always opportunity to grow with the company. Internal pro-motion directly supports our key busi-ness objective which is store growth in Malaysia.

We are also committed to both the professional and personal develop-ment of our partners. We believe our partners can develop themselves by developing others.

Starbucks facilitators and coaches are store managers selected based on their passion for training, expertise in their role and store operations, and their ability to engage learners in a positive way while ensuring learning

objectives are met. The sustainability of a company

often relies on the speed of knowl-edge and information distribution and this can be achieved through best practices sharing.

To optimise on best practices shar-ing, Starbucks Malaysia is actively connected with both our local and overseas networks.

Starbucks introduces formal and informal, planned and spontaneous, tangible and intangible recognition; focusing on acknowledging our part-ner’s desired behavior, efforts and achievements.

With majority Gen-Y in the work-force, the recognition and award system is shifted to become more personal and situational and it has proven to be the top motivator of employees’ performance.

COffee and Culture It is Starbucks’ main goal to culti-

vate a coffee culture. As such, we gen-erously share coffee knowledge with all partners to empower everyone to become a brand ambassador.

We strive to develop our partner’s passion in coffee and to enhance their coffee expertise. The more they know about the product, the more confi-dent and pride they gain.

For Starbucks partners who want to elevate their coffee passion, we provide the following two platforms: Coffee Master Programme and Latte

Art Programme. In Starbucks, we provide

opportunities for our part-ners to go back to where it all started, the Coffee Farm. The Origin Experience programme is an immersive coffee-education trip that allows Starbucks partners to experience, with all their senses, coffee-growing ori-gins from different parts of the world.

Empowerment is our cul-ture. We are known for our coffee at Starbucks, but our people make us famous.

Starbucks partners are empowered to own their actions and are trusted to

create highly satisfied customers. Our responsibility to ensure moments of connection empowers us to act.

We create inspired moments in each customer by providing the best customer service possible and doing what it takes to ensure the customer leaves highly satisfied with his/her experience.

Humanity and lOve The Starbucks Malaysia CUP Fund

(CUP simply means Caring United Partners) was inspired and created in Jun 22, 2007.

This programme empowers part-ners to help each other when expe-riencing significant hardship due to catastrophic circumstances, including natural disasters.

All partners are eligible to apply for assistance. This programme is funded solely by partners’ monthly contribu-tions and fundraising activities.

Starbucks takes pride in human connection; not only with customers but internally with our partners.

We encourage partner engagement and we have an operations services team that creates the best in class operations by enhancing customer and partner satisfaction and engage-ment.

Starbucks organises fun, relevant and engaging activities for partners all year round which includes local and overseas leadership conferences in Asia-Pacific countries.

mystarjob.com, saturday 6 December 20146

Starbucks partners doing their part for the community during GMoS 2014.

Sydney Quays, managing director June Beh, senior partner resources manager

OppOrtunity tO be

ChampiOning the COmmunitySTARBUCKS not only celebrates coffee but

also the human connection. We want to

bring together our partners, customers and

community. Every Starbucks store is part of a com-

munity and we believe in contributing to the

neighbourhood wherever we do business.

As good neighbours, we get involved with

local efforts to bring people together and

create positive change whenever we can

through the following four initiatives:

l Community Grant.

l Global Month of Service (GMoS).

l MY Community.

l Connecting Communities Project.

Starbucks partners lead community service

projects focused on the individual needs of the

neighbourhoods where they live and work.

Malaysia is the highest contributor of

CSR hours among the Starbucks Asia-Pacific

region. In April, Starbucks Malaysia achieved

18,990 volunteer hours, completed 32 com-

munity service projects that involved 1,016

partners, 2,500 customers and business

partners. To celebrate 15 years in Malaysia,

Starbucks Malaysia launched the Connecting

Communities in Malaysia project, a scalable

community project that contributes to small

villages that focus on local farming/sourcing.

mOre than an emplOyee

182 stores throughout Malaysia.

Starbucks has 3,200 partners.

113 store managers and assistant store managers

promoted in 2014.

100% of our operations leaders are internally promoted.

72,000 training hours through structured learning & development.

Total community service hours contributed: 43,000 hours.

faCts & figures:

hr aWarDS 2014malaysia

FROM its first sales and service centre in 1975, GE Malaysia has grown in terms of pres-ence, operating mainly out of their headquarters in KL

Sentral, an aircraft engine mainte-nance, repair and overhaul centre in Subang, as well as several key cus-tomer sites throughout the country supporting many leading Malaysian companies across various industries.

Malaysia remains an important market for GE’s ASEAN growth strat-egy, as it offers significant opportuni-ties for growth and innovation due to its strategic location, strong infra-structure and supportive government policies.

GE Malaysia has a workforce of over 700, of which 90% are Malaysians. They also hold positions supporting GE’s operations worldwide.

Global innovation ecosystem

Innovation is a major thrust of Malaysia’s development plan to move the economy up the value chain, shift-ing wealth creation away from the traditional drivers of economic growth (land, labour, and capital) towards knowledge, technology and innova-tion.

GE is committed to supporting the growth of Malaysia’s innovation ecosystem through collaboration with local government agencies such as Agensi Inovasi Malaysia and Malaysian Green Tech Corp through public awareness campaigns, joint market development and open inno-vation initiatives.

nurturinG talents and GrowinG leaders

Relentless in its effort to grow its people, GE became No. 1 in the world in the Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders survey 2014.

l Leadership training and development

To develop Malaysian talent, GE conducts various training and develop-ment programmes, for its employees, at all levels.

GE also collaborates with local partners like TalentCorp to address key

issues on talent management, as well as with local universities and colleges on internship and outreach programmes.

From the outset, GE has had a number of entry level programmes such as the Graduate Engineering Management and the Financial Management programmes whereby fresh graduates are hired and rotat-ed in stretched roles with assigned coaches.

Some of the new leadership programmes introduced across GE are EMERGE and RISE, which are unique to senior most levels, taking a dynamic approach for the challenges of today’s business environment.

l Supplier system and SME develop-ment

GE’s operations in Malaysia support

the growth of supply chains, increas-ing the competitiveness of local sup-pliers and contributing to job creation for Malaysians in the healthcare, oil and gas, and aviation sectors.

Globally, for every GE job created, an additional six to seven jobs are created in the supplier industries GE works with.

In Malaysia, there are more than 2,000 vendors supplying services and products to GE across various busi-nesses, with an estimation of over 400 Malaysia-based suppliers.

Aside from purchasing directly from Malaysian suppliers which supports local job creation, GE also shares global best practices and technological know-how to help the up-skilling of local talent and enables local companies to become more competitive.

technical and operational skills capacity buildinG

The iCenter is GE’s global centre, set up to ensure 24/7 monitoring and diagnostics services for GE’s installed fleet of turbo machinery for oil and gas customers throughout the world.

The iCenter in Kuala Lumpur is managed by local diagnostic engineers, who can call upon over 11 million hours of machine data from around the globe. Allied with big data and analytics, they are able to provide customers with recom-mendations to ensure that their equipment is perform-ing at optimum levels.

mystarjob.com, saturday 6 December 2014 7

Driving a culture oF innovation

A diverse workforce culture at GE facilitates a conducive environment to drive innovation and inspiration.

Doing things that matter

n To know more about career prospects at GE, visit www.ge.com/my/careers

“as part oF growing employees, leaDers are encourageD to invest a thirD oF their time to Develop the next generation oF ge leaDers.” – Stuart Dean, CEO of GE ASEAN

VIKRAM Cardozo, senior human resources (HR) director for GE ASEAN, sums up GE’s leadership philosophy:l Meritocracy-based company whereby

great results and deliverables are vital.l Collaborative and teamwork-based com-

pany whereby there is no “me” but “we” in the organisation.

l Experiential company whereby GE employees learn from 80% on-the-job stretched assignments and 20% from formal trainings.

ge’s leaDershipphilosophy

“Developing people is embeDDeD in our culture anD integral to our growth. it’s how we have globally sustaineD a 130-year recorD oF inno-vation anD replication For leaDership anD how we solve the worlD’s toughest challenges.

“we believe that everyone at ge is a leaDer. when one person grows, we all grow anD together, we all rise. we grow our leaDers to have a multiplier eFFect to Drive better outcomes.” – Vikram Cardozo, Senior HR director for GE ASEAN

WHEN asked what distinguishes a true HR practitioner, Sugunah Verumandy, HR director for GE Malaysia who recently received the gold award for HR Leader in the 14th Malaysia HR Awards responds, “It is someone who is humble, approachable and demonstrates a genuine interest to connect with all levels of their people and help them to grow.”

transforminG the culture of orGanisation

“We continue to transform as an organisation, driv-ing towards better decision-making and delivering bet-ter outcomes for our customers.”

“We recently introduced GE Beliefs which offers a new mindset, spirit and behaviour to help us work together to define a new way to deliver on our compa-ny’s strategy of simpli-cation and exceeding of customer expecta-tions.”

“There are diverse career opportunities for you to explore and grow professionally in GE. With GE, we are constantly evolving to changes in the market, and we encourage our talents to adapt, and go above and beyond. In fact, GE is known to grow leaders who are ambidextrous and can successfully strategise and execute ideas.”

work-life flexibility

“We acknowledge that there are often no clear cut lines of work and personal life. At GE, we want to create an environment that enables flexibility and support.

Besides practising flex-ible work arrangements and benefit options, we also have an employee coaching programme for employees to utilise depending on their individual needs, and it extends to family members living under the same roof, should they need assistance or guidance in their personal or professional life.”

hr awarDs 2014malaysia

mystarjob.com, saturday 6 December 2014 9mystarjob.com, saturday 6 December 20148

By MORAG BARRETTeditor@leaderonomics.com

SHARING our strengths and the value we bring, whether at home or work can be a fine balancing act.

Share too much and you will come across as a braggart. Share too little, and well, you won’t come across at all.

“Without promotion something terrible happens – nothing.” – P.T. Barnum

Here are six approaches for tooting your own horn without blowing it and ensuring others know what you have been up to:

1 “How’s it going?”Instead of the trite “fine” the

next time someone asks you how it’s going, brag it up a bit.

“Going great, thanks! I’ve just fin-ished (insert accomplishment/result).” Pay particular attention when you are talking with the boss.

I was coaching a manager one time who was asking, “Why doesn’t my team share their successes? All they seem to bring me are problems!”

Keep in mind that others do want to hear your good news.

What you can do: The next time someone asks you how you’re doing, do the unexpected. Share your good news.

2 Keep a file of people’s feedbacK

Many of us, especially women, often dismiss positive feedback or compliments. We shrug them off as if they mean nothing.

Well they don’t mean nothing. They mean everything! Especially on our toughest days when things don’t seem to be going well, having sight of our strengths can help us successfully navigate our challenges.

What you can do: Create a file to keep a record of positive comments you receive, as well as your accom-plishments.

If you have completed a 360-feed-back, keep the positive comments and refer to them. The people who shared them recognise these as your strengths, so you should too!

3 speaK your trutH

During our emotional intel-ligence workshop, I will ask participants to write down their top three

strengths, and to keep this list visible for the next month.

Whether you put on the fridge, bathroom mirror, at your desk – the choice is yours.

What you can do: Recognise and celebrate your strengths. If you don’t know what these are, how can you expect others to?

4 Keep it simpleAvoid embellishing your con-

tributions or spinning a tall tale. You don’t need to be clinical in

sharing your good news. Just stick to the facts.

If you are known for the “one that got away” or “the fish was THIS big”, then you will rapidly lose credibility.

What you can do: Share the facts, what the problem was, what you did to help resolve it, what the final out-come was (even if it slightly missed the mark).

5 put your best foot forward

Get involved, whether at work or organisations you belong to, outside of the office. Being visible is a way to demonstrate your strengths without having to overtly toot your horn.

If others can see you contributing in ways outside of your job description, it will stop you being type-cast or overlooked for future opportunities.

What you can do: Volunteer for projects or committees – to prepare the presentation or coach the new employee.

6 stories sellStories paint a picture, one

that others can remember. Instead of starting with the punchline try a dif-ferent tack.

A story is a great way to demon-strate how you overcame an obstacle or solved a specific problem. Sharing your story helps others to learn from your approach and get to know you a little better along the way.

What you can do: Whether you are the hero(ine) who saves the day, or your story is where you messed up – share what you learned, how you moved forward and show others the story of success.

“Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade?” – Benjamin Franklin

Do it now! Don’t be shy! What’s the “awesome-sauce” that makes you special?

Toot your horn and let’s celebrate what makes you special!

n Morag Barrett is the best-selling author of Cultivate: The Power of Winning Relationships and CEO of SkyeTeam (www.skyeteam.com), an international HR consulting and leadership development company. Morag’s experience ranges from senior executive coaching to developing leaders and teams across Europe, America and Asia. For more articles on leadership and personal development, visit www.leaderonomics.com

A different bAll gAme to get people to promote you

By JONATHAN YABUTeditor@leaderonomics.com

WE all aspire to get pro-moted at one point or another in our corpo-rate careers. We want it not just because

it means better salaries and bigger responsibilities, but more so because it validates our worth in the company. After all, most of us thrive by recognition and praise.

However, how do you nail down that coveted position when you are already working at your hardest? How do you ensure that this role will be given to you?

Missing a promotion that you think you deserve is painful (it is also a typical reason for people to leave their jobs).

Remember, working at your hardest to get that promotion should be easy. On the other hand, getting people to promote you is a different story.

If you are that high-flyer who thinks that your option is to get a promotion, here are some “unspoken” pointers that you may need to seal the deal:

1 sHow tHat you want it

My first call to order with my boss every time I land a new role is to

vocalise my aspirations in the company: why I am here, and

what’s my goal in the next three, five and 10 years.

I clearly state during my first one-on-one

discussion that I’m the

most

absorbent sponge my employer will ever use, and that’s because I’m keen to climb the corporate ladder.

Indeed, the first step to getting pro-moted is to make your boss fully aware that you are expecting it. Just like any marriage or business contract, the key is to be clear with what you want from the very start.

When you show that you want something and work hard for it, people around you will behave with it in mind. They will pave the way, and the universe will happily conspire.

Of course, the conservative Asian workplace setting is not a big fan of people who vocalise or assert what they want.

In some companies, people may find you too competitive that you start becoming a threat to them. There is a clear line between being “desperate to be promoted” versus “deserving to get promoted”.

In these occasions, be mindful to work even closer with your team because you will need them. Offer a helping hand to your counterparts when needed, and never keep information all to yourself.

You want people who will support your promotion campaign, not people who will give you bad feedback when the human resources (HR) people ask.

Finally, if you’re stuck in companies that promote people based on nepotism or favouritism, channel the “Harvey Specter” in you and show your boss that you’re his or her ally in getting the same thing he or she wants – to also get pro-moted.

Good talent will never be easily brushed aside no matter how bad a company is. People will notice what you’re up to, and if your boss realises

that he or she can only get the job done thanks to you, then the battle

is already half won.

2 agree on your

deliverablesYou’re fortunate if

you work in world-class multinational companies

that have advanced structures which quantify soft skills (leader-

ship, influence) and hard skills (busi-ness acumen, achievement of sales targets).

They use a point system that grades competencies from a junior to a senior role. However, if you work for a start-up company that doesn’t have a formal employee appraisal, you will likely need to set that up yourself.

In my personal experience, I engage my boss (I see myself growing in this company and I’d like to know what it will take to get to a senior role) and agree on a contract (If I excel in No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 deliverables, then I can be consid-ered for promotion).

But don’t just stop with a one-time, big-time discussion. Catch up with your manager ideally every three months to check your progress.

Are you meeting his or her expecta-tions? What do your other colleagues think about your work output?

Always keep score because it’s better to know early what needs to get fixed before it’s too late.

3 don’t just be good today; sHow tHat you

can be good tomorrowThe “Peter Principle” is a manage-

ment theory by Dr Laurence Peter which claims that a good-performing employee will keep on getting promoted up to the point that he or she becomes incompe-tent in the new position.

Let’s take Matthew, a hard-working designer dubbed as the most creative in the company and is well-loved by clients, for example.

The company promotes Matthew as a team manager but realises months later that he is failing in his role.

Matthew is a design deity, but he lacked leadership and business acu-men which are required of managers, and not necessarily of designers.

Managers today are aware of the Peter Principle, and their goal is to stop that from happening. They promote employees not just because they are brilliant in their current job, but because they are ready for a bigger role.

Promotable employees initiate tasks beyond what is needed, and with minimal supervision. They start showing signs that they can strategise, and not just execute.

They start exhibiting behaviours of a leader, and not just of a doer. In every bit of their actions, they start wearing a corporate hat and think about the com-pany’s welfare, and not just their own careers.

When vying for a promotion, your message should be clear: I am ready for the unknown.

4 manage tHe politicsYour promotion doesn’t rest

solely in your boss’s hands, especially if you are in a big company. The boss of your boss will need to approve your promotion. The boss of the boss of your boss will likely need to approve it too.

Representatives from the HR depart-ment will also be there on the day of deliberations (and yes, most companies have promotion boards in which depart-ment heads or managers deliberate and loosely vote).

Ask yourself: How much do these guys know about you? Do they know that you’re the department’s rockstar? Do they know that you’ve been managing your team well whenever your boss is on leave?

These things matter because promotion boards decide largely on anecdotes – events you were involved in the past that indicate your readiness to take on the new position.

When aiming for the prize, make sure your visibility and presence are felt in the organisation consistently.

You don’t need to spread your peacock feathers to get yourself known, but take a proactive role to engage your leaders when the moment is apt.

Those times when you had the oppor-tunity to reply to an e-mail, or contribute meaningful ideas during a meeting – will helpfully remind them why you’re worth it.

5 Keep your boss accountable

I personally believe that there are two reasons why an employee fails to get promoted even when the time is due: the employee’s manager failed to devel-op him or her, or he or she was wrongly hired. The first case happens more often than not.

Here’s the gist: your boss should know if you’re ripe for promotion, but that doesn’t mean he or she is just going to sit around and watch you grow.

Ultimately, your boss is responsible for your learning and development journey. Just like Hollywood, your boss is a talent manager and you are the star. You are “Luke Skywalker” and he or she is “Obi-Wan Kenobi”.

Your boss should be able to identify your strengths and weaknesses.

He or she should be exposing you to projects that will stretch your abilities so that you are ready for a bigger role and so that you don’t become a victim of the “Peter Principle”.

Your boss should be increasing your visibility in the company. Did you help him or her make some slides for a presentation?

Your boss should be tasking you to present them so that your boss’ superior will finally get a taste of your brilliance.

The next time you have a one-on-one discussion with your boss, ask him or her about a development plan and the time frame. It’s an altogether different story (and different article) if he or she doesn’t.

in tHe final analysisNever feel ashamed to talk about a

promotion because it is your right and responsibility to manage your career.

Remember, you’re not asking a favour from your company to get pro-moted.

You are simply reminding the responsible parties that you deserve career development.

You deserve the credit for what it’s worth. And when you do get promoted, don’t forget to pass it on to the one next in line.

5 unspoken rules to

promotion

How to toot your own Horn witHout blowing it

n Jonathan Yabut is the winner of The Apprentice Asia, and is based in Kuala Lumpur with a leading airline. He also engages in motivational talks about youth and leadership across South-East Asia. Jonathan recently launched his book, From Grit to Great, on his inspiring journey in winning the show. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanYabut. For more information, email editor@leaderonomics.compeople will notice wHAt you’re up to, And if your

boss reAlises tHAt He or sHe cAn only get tHe job done tHAnks to you, tHen tHe bAttle is AlreAdy HAlf won.

mystarjob.com, saturday 6 December 201410

Commendable HR initiatives by bangkok bank

key HR best pRaCtiCes at bbb

an avenue foR RejuvenationBeing a strong purveyor of work-life balance, BBB Sports and Recreational Club (SRC) was established for the sole purpose of nurturing a spirit of camaraderie among employees. It is an avenue for relaxation from work-related stress.

Besides cultivating team spirit through fun activities such as sports tournaments, family days and treasure hunts, SRC is also involved in community-based activities as part of their CSR initiatives such as blood donation drives and visitations to orphanages and retirement homes.

small steps tHat lead to big positive CHanges

REBECCA Khor Ying Ying, vice-presi-dent and head of human resources at BBB, was recently accorded the silver award for HR Manager in this year’s edition of the Malaysia HR Awards for her relentless effort to transform BBB’s HR management from an operational to a strategic one and now, a human resources corporate strategy (HRCS) function.

Under Khor’s leadership, the HRCS unit has successfully imple-mented some sustainable steps to develop, engage and retain BBB talents. These include:l Implementing BBB’s group-

wide performance manage-ment system aligned with the bank’s global practice.

l Managing employee retention strategies by understanding their skills and competencies.

l Developing comprehensive succession planning through manage-ment development and leadership awakening programmes.

BANGKOK Bank Ltd, Kuala Lumpur (KL) branch was established on Jan 23, 1959 offering a full range of com-mercial banking services.

Bangkok Bank Bhd (BBB), incorpo-rated on May 12, 1994 to take over the operations of the KL branch, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of parent bank Bangkok Bank Public Co Ltd with an authorised and paid-up share capi-tal of RM400mil.

BBB can take pride in its double silver wins at the 14th Malaysia HR Awards, namely in the HR Best Practices and HR Manager categories.

With the wins, BBB is very much aligned with its aspirations to: l Become the leading relationship

foreign bank in Malaysia.l Add value to its customers’ busi-

ness by providing quality products and excellent service.

l Deliver comprehensive financial solutions to meet customers’ busi-ness requirements.

Even though BBB is often perceived as a small overseas bank in Malaysia, its human resources (HR) initiatives are highly commendable and on par

with other banking institutions. Holding steadfast to BBB’s core

vision, mission and values, HR corpo-rate strategies are integrated in such a way to empower its HR to support the bank’s competitive edge and growth.

Today, BBB has five branches in Malaysia, located in KL, Klang, Penang, Johor Baru and Muar.

n For more information about what Bangkok Bank Bhd has in store for your career, go to http://www.bangkokbank.com.my/contact.php

Development of human capital

Retention of cRitical skills anD key ResouRces

cReation of a high peRfoRmance cultuRe

objectives initiatives

“I have relied on Rebecca to ensure that the HR function remains at the forefront to support the business strategies of the bank. This includes the for-mulation of an all-encom-passing HR programme that is aligned to the business requirements of the bank.” – Robert Loke, executive director and CEO of BBB.

“Rebecca has transformed the HR department to be the most efficient and effective department, with a proper set of guidelines, procedures and several initiatives that she and her team have implemented over the years for the bet-terment of employees of the bank.”

– Amar Jauhari Abang, senior vice-president and head of operations department.

“Various new ideas and employee development pro-grammes were introduced by the HR department, thanks to Rebecca and her team, to retain talents and enhance employee welfare. That helps to reduce the staff turnover rate in the bank.”

– Ng Wai Hoy, senior vice-president and head of business banking.

l To benchmark and bring culture alignment initiatives to increase job satisfaction, commitment and employee engagement.

l To enhance competency-based recruitment processes to ensure right potential candidates.

management processes and systemsl Competency and behavioral-based recruitment process.l Periodic review of Performance Management System.l Robust recruitment exercise.

values and culturesl Corporate Orientation Programme.l Employee engagement programmes and CSR (corporate

social responsibility).

Work processes and systemsl Intranet project on HR system and processes.l Employee retention programmes.l Channels of access to information.

l To position the bank as the employer of choice by offering competitive total reward packages.

l To address concerns affecting employee rewards, quality of work, work-life balance, personal values and cultures.

Reward, recognition and retention programmesl Pay for performance/competency reward system.l Periodic review of reward package.l HR framework on job levels, titles and hierarchy.l Retention initiatives under human capital development.

l To ensure management levels acquire effective leadership and management skills.

l To leverage its competency model to improve workforce competency.

l To improve capability and work quality.

leadership and people managementl Structured leadership and people management programmes.l Management development programmes.

individual and team competencyl BBB competency model.l Job rotation, top talent programme, top star award.l Job quality training, work processes training.

31

2

3

due ReCognition foR a tRansfoRmative HR leadeR

Team BBB (from left) Theam Yuen Wai, Desmond Cheang, Ng Wai Hoy, Datuk Seri Haji Ismail Haji Abd Muttalib (Deputy Minister of Human Resources Malaysia), Rebecca Khor, Calbert Loh, Laura Wong, Yee Chiea Hung and Mohd Zaki Yusoff.

Khor receiving the HR Manager award from Johan Mahmood Merican, CEO of TalentCorp, witnessed by Dr Henry Yeoh, deputy president of MIHRM.

HR aWaRds 2014malaysia

By SARAH TANeditor@leaderonomics.com

Trust, passion to win, free-dom to act and employees being there for one another – these are the key wordsthat summarise the corpo-

rate culture of Continental Malaysia.Set up as a joint venture in

Malaysia in 2003, the leading auto-motive supplier worldwide, goes the extra mile to ensure a people-orient-ed environment for its employees and clients.

In recognition of its tireless efforts, Continental Malaysia won the silver in the Employer of Choice category at the 14th Malaysian Institute of Human Resource Management HR Awards.

EvErybody mattErsIn a recent interview, Ahmad

Kamal Samsuddin, head of human resources (HR) in Malaysia and Indonesia, and Priscilla Prasena, com-munications manager, explain that the company holds its employees in high regard.

One way to ensure success is to listen to them. This is evident through initiatives such as an open door policy, a return employment programme, an internal HR portal for employees’ 24/7 access and many more.

Ahmad says that the company places emphasis on internal commu-nication – not just having messages passed from top down, but from bot-tom up.

“Since 2013, we have established a communication department in order to ensure a good flow of information in the company.”

The welfare of employees and their families are of utmost importance to Continental.

The company has flexible work arrangements for the employees in view of the importance of work-life balance.

“We are planning more pro-grammes for our employees and their families,” Ahmad says.

Best employees (selected quarterly) are rewarded by the company’s “A Day Away” programme where they and their families are given a holiday package.

The company also has a monthly internal newsletter.

“We share our common goals, focus on improvements and also our suc-cesses, small or big.

“We celebrate with our employees and make them feel proud of them-selves,” Ahmad says.

“I hope that their families will be proud to have one of their family members working here,” Ahmad says.

training thE youngContinental provides training and

development programmes to its employees. One of the many initia-tives that stands out is the Trainee Pool programmes, where young peo-ple are trained for one year.

“During their first six months, they will be sent to Germany,” he said.

The trainee pool programmes are sponsored by Continental.

“After the six months, they will go back to the market for plant stay where they rotate between differ-ent roles to gain an overview of Continental.

“Upon completion of the pro-gramme they will be placed based on their performances.

“We are looking for the best can-didates in the market – young, fresh graduates – to join this training pro-gramme,” he says.

What’s nExtWith many exciting things ahead of

them, Ahmad shares that the compa-ny’s main aim is creating a better plat-

form to engage with its employees. The initiatives are the Mission

Directed Work Teams (MDWT) pro-gramme and employee exchange sessions.

The first stage of the MDWT is held between the shop floor operators and their team leaders or shift managers.

The second meeting is held between team leaders and heads of departments, where they bring out issues which couldn’t be resolved in the first stage of the activity.

In the employee dialogue sessions, a small group of employees get a chance to meet with the heads of departments to discuss various issues.

“We are open to criticisms or nega-tive input,” Ahmad says. “That’s the kind of culture that we would like to have.”

n For more information about the organisation, check out www.conti-online.com

mystarjob.com, saturday 6 December 2014 11

Learning to UnLearnBe agiLe of the Unknown

By MILLIE ONGmillie.ong@leaderonomics.com

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn,

unlearn, and relearn.” – Alvin Toffler

SO you’ve graduated after spending the last three to four years of your life absorb-ing an inane amount of knowledge.

Congratulations! The job search went well and here you are at your first-ever job, ready to practise all the things that you learnt in class. First task on the job? Learn to unlearn.

Wait… What? Yes, it’s essentially time to forget every-

thing you know and start afresh. It’s not that what you learnt was wrong.

In fact, it will be extremely useful to you at many points in your career. But it can also hold you back.

Relying on what we are sure of and what

we have learnt can be comforting against the multitude of uncertainties in life.

It’s the comfort zone that we fall back on when we need assurance. Instead of embracing change or new things, it is sim-ply much easier to just focus on what you know and go from there.

WhEn uncErtainty is cErtain

However, the workplace is often uncer-tain and constantly changing, requiring the ability to adapt in order to be successful.

A key leadership characteristic often cited is learning agility – being open to alternate ways of thinking, and the ability to learn continuously.

There will always be new ways of doing things, and revisions to prior understand-ings of the world. That means there is a need to be able to keep up with learning new things.

Old habits may be hard to let go, and we can become entrenched in old ways of thinking that may restrict one’s agility for learning.

Unlearning what one knows does not

mean that your prior knowledge is wrong, but merely that it may be unsuitable for the present situation.

It requires an amount of humility to be able to recognise this, and to be open towards learning new things that would be able to aid you.

changing timEsMany of the jobs and competen-

cies needed in today’s workplace did not exist five years ago, meaning that all who were suc-cessful in them had to unlearn and relearn at some point in their careers.

Being willing and able to unlearn leads to one being more open towards new ideas, perspectives and knowledge. Even if your prior knowledge and skills were able to lead you to suc-cess in your present, the success of your future is vastly different.

So, take a step back and begin again – you never know what else there is outthere.

n Millie is always learning, unlearning and relearning leadership values from the animal kingdom. For Terrific Thursday Tails articles by her, visit www.leaderonomics.com. To engage with Millie, email editor@leaderonomics.com

going the extra MiLetech-driven: a steady presence of continentaL

hr awards 2014Malaysia

Team Continental Malaysia giving the thumbs up at the HR Awards night.

Continental Malaysia head of human resources Malaysia and Indonesia Ahmad Kamal Samsuddin (2nd from right), receiving the silver award for Employer of Choice.

By PREMA JAYABALANprema.jayabalan@leaderonomics.com

IT may have started out as a hum-ble call centre in 1997, but today, Scicom (MSC) Bhd stands proud as a renowned business process, outsourcing avenue which sup-

ports customers from 89 countries globally.

This enterprising entity with a work-force of 3,000 employees has been listed in the Global Services Top 100 Companies for six consecutive years.

Catering to a diverse group of cli-ents, Scicom’s services comprise inte-grated outsourcing (business process outsourcing and knowledge process outsourcing) solutions, IT outsourcing, software application development, e-commerce solutions, strategic opera-tional consulting and marketing ser-vices, back office processing and a host of training and education products in customer and service management.

“We strive to provide top-notch quality services to all our customers from all parts of the world.

“In line with this, we are focused on moulding a capable and innovative workforce that will be able to take our customers by storm in ensuring a fulfilling and satisfying journey with Scicom,” says Shanti Jacqueline, sen-ior vice-president, human resources, learning and development and total quality management.

EMPLOYEES COME FIRSTHaving won the Best Employer cat-

egory (gold) at the recent Malaysian Institute of Human Resource Management HR Awards, Scicom attributes its third win as “Employer of Choice” to its belief that in addition to robust strategies, leading edge IP and inspiring leadership, its sustained business performance and growth

are driven by capable people who are motivated to make a difference every day.

“Our culture, values, policies and people programmes all consistently demonstrate our acknowledgement that employees are critical contribu-tors to the success of our organisa-tion,” explains Shanti.

“At Scicom, a career opportunity is available as soon as you graduate. We

believe that everyone has his or her own special skill set and all you need to do is find it with us.

“With us, you can embark on an interesting and fulfilling career that will provide you opportunities to excel in various functions of the business. First preference is always given to employees with the right skills and attitude, whenever there is a vacancy.”

According to Shanti, once an employee has completed a tenure of 12 months in a role, he or she can explore opportunities in other roles across the organisation.

“All our young graduates want to be successful, however, the road to suc-cess may not always be a clear, straight one. Many of them need to be steered towards the right direction and with Scicom’s structured career pathway, our employees are equipped with the necessary skills and mindset to embark on their successful journeys.”

mystarjob.com, saturday 6 December 201412

What’s Your Motivation?

are You Proud of

Your Work?

an enriChinG start

By LEE HWAI TAHeditor@leaderonomics.com

I caught a TED Talk by Dan Ariely some time ago on what motivates us at work, and I thought of sharing a few useful insights.

“We really have this incredibly sim-plistic view of why people work and what the labour market looks like,” said Ariely, who is a behavioural economist.

When you look carefully at the way people work, you find that there’s a lot more at play and a lot more at stake than money.

MORE Than juST MOnEYDuring the talk, Ariely provided evi-

dence that apart from money, we are also driven by the following:l Meaningful work

Seeing the fruits of our labour makes us even more productive. We enjoy reaping the results.

l Approval, acknowledgement and appreciation from others

Positive reinforcement that makes us feel valuable, validated and sig-nificant.

l The amount of effort we’ve put in: the harder the task is, the prouder we are

We enjoy and relish challenges; we naturally will rise up to meet them. We’re proud of “tough” achievements.

l Knowing that our work helps others or serves the greater good

There is a good feeling knowing that our works serve the world and the people out there.

It’s a good reminder for leaders that your people are not cogs in the factory machine or slaves for money.

There’s a deeper motivation behind why they do what they do – the sig-nificance of what they do. It’s not just about the money.

COaChIng quESTIOnS1) What motivates you at work?2) What makes your people work hard-

er and better?3) What is missing at work right now?

n Hwai Tah is the founder of Coaching-Journey.com and a certified professional coach and associate certified coach with ICF (International Coach Federation). You can contact him at editor@leaderonom-ics.com. For more articles on leadership and personal development, visit www.leaderonomics.com

sCiCoM WelCoMes fresh Graduates Who Want to Make a differenCe

Shanti Jacqueline, senior vice-president, human resources, learning and development and total quality management.

Team Scicom celebrating their win at the Malaysian Institute of Human Resource Management HR Awards 2014.

Shanti receiving the award for the Best Employer category (gold) on behalf of Scicom.

ThE 3CS PEOPLE PhILOSOPhY

Scicom has a unique people philosophy – the 3Cs which stand for care, career development and compensation – that provides employees with a nurturing and enabling environment to bring out the best in them as an indi-vidual and a professional.

Some of the key 3C-based ini-tiatives are:l Robust and transparent HR

policies and procedures.l Market-competitive salaries

and benefits.l Objective/KPI driven per-

formance and reward pro-cess.

l Structured employee communications pro-grammes.

l Talent assessment, rec-ognition and develop-ment programmes.

l Equal employment opportunities.

l Job rotation and enrichment pro-grammes.

l People manage-ment work-shops.

l Technology ena-bled HR tools.

l Caring, enabling and rewarding culture.

MaD FOR SCICOMAt Scicom, all employees are aligned

to a common framework based on the philosophy of Making A Difference (MAD). This framework enables all of its people to speak one common language, share common values and establish a common purpose of being which eventually drives value creation in the areas of profits, service delivery, capability building, employee engage-ment and social responsibility which guides them towards achieving the company’s goals.

With its vision of providing “Total Customer Delight”,

Scicom is committed to building a dynamic, robust

and skillful workforce that will build a solid and lasting relationship with its wide range of

clients throughout the world.

n To explore a career with Scicom email careers@sci-com.com.my or visit

http://www.scicom-intl.com

hr aWards 2014Malaysia

mystarjob.com, saturday 6 December 2014 13

JOB-HOPPING PHENOMENONA MULTIGENERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITYBy ELISA DASS AVINelisadass@leaderonomics.com

DID you know that 91% of Gen-Y employees leave their jobs in less than three years? (Multiple Generations @ Work sur-

vey by the Future Workplace®). If you speak to some friends (or

Google) about this, most of them would attribute these – one to two years’ work stint to the same reason – the “disloyal” Gen-Y!

While many stated reasons are undoubtedly true, let’s explore other factors that have also contributed to this phenomenon, and see if we can minimise this culture and effects of job-hopping in the coming years before we welcome in the Gen-Z graduates.

What’s commonly read of job-hopping is that it is done for career growth, quick salary increments and a lack of company loyalty.

While that may be true in some cases, many fail to see that Gen-Y consists of key groups with distinct differences in their mindsets and motivations.

These are some key groups of Gen-Y in the current business world:

l The driven Gen-Y These are the Gen-Ys who probably

have Travie McCoy’s Billionaire as their life’s theme song. Their vision board is flooded with dreams of retiring by 35, fancy cars, and dream holidays.

They will likely be the ones who will move from one job to another if the “price is right”. They work and play hard, but their underlying motivation is to be a high-income earner in the shortest time possible.

l The life-loving Gen-Y These are the Gen-Ys who believe in

having meaning in what they do and who they do it with. Hence, company values and team dynamics are impor-tant to them.

According to Johnson Controls’ Gen-Y and the Workplace Annual Report, Gen-Ys look for a professional community place that they can emo-tionally engage in and that positively supports their wellbeing.

Their underlying motivation is hap-piness, work-life balance and being able to contribute to society at large.

l The learning Gen-YThese Gen-Y executives believe in

lifelong learning experiences. In the same research, Controls found that the top deciding factor for choosing a company for them is the opportunity for learning.

They look forward to continuous opportunities to learn as well as peri-odical challenges to their job so that it does not become monotonous.

The underlying motivation of this group of Gen-Ys is to avoid monotony and a lack of growth. They believe that if you stop growing, you wither.

With these motivations driving the Gen-Y, job-hopping can sometimes bring a lot of short- to middle-term fulfilment and results.

MANY fAIL TOSEE THAT

GEN-Y cONSISTS Of kEY GROUPS

wITH dISTINcT dIffERENcES

IN THEIR MINdSETS ANd

MOTIvATIONS.

n Elisa Dass is a borderline Gen-Y. She believes job-hopping is a phenomenon that can be minimised through a better understanding of motivations, deliberate career planning and knowing who you hire. She heads the learning and acceleration division in Leaderonomics to help companies better understand the motivations of the Gen-Ys they are hiring or have hired! For more insights, visit www.leaderonomics.com

Let’s look at how different groups of people can help minimise job-hopping.

1 Gen-Y emploYeeThe buck eventually

stops at Gen-Ys themselves in their decision to stay or leave. Asking the right questions during an interview related to their underlying motivation will help ensure a better culture fit in the company and among employees.

For driven Gen-Ys, having a good understanding of their compensation, reward and career growth will help them decide if the company’s career advancement and remuneration pack-age is aligned with their expectations.

For the life-loving Gen-Y, asking the right questions on the cul-ture of the company can be beneficial.

And for the learning Gen-Y, ask about their learning/mentoring programmes and opportunities for additional projects outside their job scope.

While these Gen-Ys chase their dreams, it will help to ensure that each step they take is heading towards a workplace that is aligned with their dreams, to avoid being left disappointed and having to leave the company in less than two years.

2 The emploYer (usuallY The Gen-X)As many reports have shown, Gen-Ys look for fair and justified

compensation, work-life balance, continuous growth and flexible work arrangements.

While many companies in Malaysia have extensive training pro-grammes in place, much more can be done.

In line with the three groups of Gen-Ys that we are addressing in this article, perhaps companies can do more:

l Stretched goal setting with justified rewards for the driven Gen-Y. If they are looking for rewards, then help set them up for success. Managers of these employees can set stretched goals together with a clear definition of deliverables and rewards that follow.

l Know your company culture and represent it well in interviews, websites and other communication channels. This will help the life-loving Gen-Y decide if this is the work cul-ture they wish to be a part of.

l Individualised learning opportunities for the learning Gen-Y. Allow them to look for opportunities to grow their scope of work or be involved in cross-functional projects to ensure continuous learning. Provide developmental feedback for these employees to help them see their blind spots. They are usually very open to receiving feedback if it helps them grow as a person.

3 The ever supporTive parenTs (usuallY The BaBY Boomers)

To the parents who cast a safety net over these Gen-Ys, stop! They will have to mature, grow and be responsible for the decisions they make.

Some Gen-Ys have the luxury of leaving a company before securing a job in another because they have a “piggy bank” that never goes empty at home.

The Gen-Xs have been loyal to their companies in the previous years as they fear the loss of income that

may affect their family. This commitment to providing for their Gen-Y chil-

dren’s education, needs, and eventually marriage, is sometimes detrimental to the grown-up children.

As parents, teaching them to be responsible adults who bear the burdens of their decisions is more crucial than cast-

ing the safety net for a wishy-washy employee. Once this “fortunate” group of Gen-Ys know that they can

no longer land safely, then the decision to take on a job and stay with it becomes a more deliberated one.

Regardless of which stakeholder of this job-hopping phenomenon you fall in – the Gen-Y employee, employer or the parent – we all have a role to play.

By KOH EARN SOO AND TEAMeditor@leaderonomics.com

ALTHOUGH John C. Maxwell believes in the importance of talent, he also believes that tal-ent is never enough.

Maxwell quotes Peter Drucker, the father of modern manage-ment, who said, “There seems to be little correlation between a man’s effectiveness and his intelligence, his imagination, or his knowledge.… Intelligence, imagination, and knowledge are essential resources, but only effectiveness converts them into results.”

Maxwell helps to put talent into per-spective by emphasising that it is not to be minimised. We should still be amazed at people’s giftedness which enables them to accomplish extraordinary things and contribute much to the development of society.

We must also, however, learn to sepa-rate what people can do from who they are. Oftentimes, a person’s talent is great-er than the person and it overshadows other important attributes like character and commitment.

Although talent gets you ahead of oth-ers, it is only a starting point. A lot of hard work is still needed to develop the talent; else your success will be short-lived.

Maxwell believes that we should aim to develop the talents we have, not those we desire to have. Drucker believes that it is the choices we make, apart from our natural talents, that set us apart from those who depend on talent alone.

In his book, Talent is Never Enough, Maxwell shares 13 key choices to maxim-

ise our talent and become a “talent-plus” person. He says, “If you have talent, you stand alone. If you have talent plus, you stand out.”

Here are two of tHe key cHoices:

No.1 Belief lifts Your taleNtBelieve and trust in your-

self. Don’t set self-imposed limitations on yourself and your abilities.

When you do, you are unable to unlock the power and potential that is in you. Having talent in itself is never enough; you need to believe in your best.

Often, we fall short of our true poten-tial because we either don’t see it or are unable to seize it.

Maxwell quotes industrialist Charles Schwab, “When a man has put a limit on what he will do, he has put a limit on what he can do.”

So, don’t live a life of tragedy by never reaching your real potential. Instead, be determined to live beyond average.

Believing in our mission is the next important thing to lift our talent. When we believe in what we seek out to accom-plish, it empowers and encourages us.

The more we believe in our potential, in ourselves and in the mission set before us, the more we will be able to achieve.

Maxwell emphasises that our mission must include people because only a life lived for others is worthwhile.

Talent + Belief = A Talent-plus Person

How does oNe Become a taleNt-plus persoN? Maxwell believes in three steps in put-ting the talent-plus formula into action:

Belief determines expectationsIf talent is to be lifted to its highest level, don’t start by focusing on your talent. Instead, begin by harnessing the power of your mind by having a posi-tive belief system.

expectations determine actionsMaxwell says that we cannot live in a way that is inconsistent with our expec-tation of ourselves. According to a lin-guist, the word “belief” is the same as the word “do” in 20 of the world’s most primitive languages. In other words, we should end up doing what we believe in, hence our actions.

actions determine results We all know that results come from actions. Having hope in itself is not a strategy; we need to act.

No.2 passioN eNergises Your taleNt

Passion is the fuel that makes people take risks, go the extra mile and do what-ever it takes to achieve their goals.

For such people, it doesn’t matter how many times they fail or fall; they just keep going until they succeed. These are talent-plus people.

Rueben Martinez was one such person. Growing up in Miami in the 1940s and 1950s with parents who worked in the mines, there wasn’t much to do.

But soon, he found his passion in

books, though it was a difficult passion to pursue in a small town that did not even have a public library and with parents who were not readers.

Finally, at 17, Martinez moved to Los Angeles and was attracted to the idea of attending a barber college.

Martinez then opened his own bar-bershop in the 1970s but never lost his passion for reading. He really wanted to pass the passion on to others, espe-cially to young people.

Martinez started out by lending volumes from his own 200-book col-lection to customers who were waiting for a haircut. However, he realised he was losing books because his custom-ers often forgot to return them.

So, in 1993, Martinez decided to start selling books. After a few years, his barbershop with books became a bookshop.

That is what passion does! A passionate person, even with limited talent, will out-perform a passive person who possesses greater talent, because the former acts with enthusiasm and knows no bounds.

Passion is really the first step towards achievement. Having passion also increas-es our willpower.

In his role as a motivational teacher, Maxwell helps others discover their pas-sion by asking three questions:

l What do you sing about?l What do you cry about?l What do you dream about?

The answers to these questions helps a person discover his/her true passion.

The first two questions leads you to discover what touches you at the core, and the third helps you discover things that will give you fulfilment for tomorrow.

Talent + Passion = A Talent-plus Person

Besides prioritising, we all need to pro-tect our passion. To keep a fire burning, we need to feed and protect it. Hang out with firelighters, people who help keep your fire burning. Have less to do with firefighters, those who pour cold water on your fire of passion.

in summaryLife is really a matter of choices. Our

destiny is not by chance. Rather, it is deter-mined by the choices we make.

So, it is the talent-plus person who aims to maximise his/her talent, reach for his/her potential and seeks to fulfil his/her destiny in life.

Talent + Right Choices = A Talent-plus Person

mystarjob.com, saturday 6 December 201414

The maThs of becoming a TalenT-plus personDiscover The keys To success

n Koh Earn Soo and his team take the best books and summarise them into shorter, readable content in the hope of inspiring people to read and learn more. For the rest of this summary and summaries of other bestsellers, subscribe to www.thebestbooksum-mary.com. For more Learn from Books articles, go to www.leaderonomics.com

mystarjob.com, saturday 6 December 2014 15

The Mass Murder of CreaTiviTyhappening righT under our noses?By SARAH TANeditor@leaderonomics.com

I first watched this TED talk with my family. From the start of the speech to the end, we were cap-tivated.

Not only was Sir Ken Robinson’s talk educational and thought-provok-ing, it was also delivered in such an eloquent way that his viewers were kept interested for the duration of his allocated 20 minutes on stage.

Robinson, a PhD holder in drama and theatre in education, attended and spoke for a TED conference in 2006. His talk, titled How Schools Kill Creativity, currently holds 27 million views online.

As the most viewed TED Talks video online, it’s safe to say that education, as he mentions in his talk, is of inter-est to many.

He starts off by mentioning three running themes in that particular TED conference which were relevant to the talk he planned:l Human creativity

Robinson references the variety of evidence of human creativity pre-sent in all the previous talks.

In our day-to-day lives, this is evident around us as well – from the way people choose to present themselves, to listening to innova-tive ideas being brainstormed in the workplace.

l The uncertainty of the future“Nobody has a clue – despite all

the expertise that’s been on parade for the past four days – what the world will look like in five years’ time.

“And yet we’re meant to be edu-cating them (our children) for it. So the unpredictability, I think, is extraordinary,” he said.

l The exceptional capacities for innovation in children

“My contention is, all kids have tremendous talents. And we squander them, pretty ruthlessly,” Robinson stated.

Underlining his point, he said that academics and creativity should be considered equal subjects in school, as the ability to create is as important as the ability to read.

Right to be wRong?However, despite such remarkable

capacities, Robinson says, “We’re now running national education systems where mistakes are the worst thing you can make. And the result is that we are educating people out of their creative capacities,” he said.

“If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original,” he said. Despite this, both corporate and educational systems follow the belief that mistakes are ter-rible things that should be avoided.

He admits that being wrong is not necessarily directly related to creativ-ity. Nonetheless, Robinson believes

that such mentality educates people out of their creative capacities. In place of creativity, a fear of failure is created instead.

leaRning hieRaRchyHe goes on to recollect a time, a few

years prior, when he migrated from Stratford to Los Angeles. As he got acquainted with the country, some-thing occurred to him.

“Something strikes you when you move to America and when you travel around the world: every education system on earth has the same hierar-chy of subjects,” he said.

Subjects that are seemingly more important, for example mathematics and languages, are placed on the top whilst the arts remain at the bot-tom. Such a system is built around academic ability, which is associated with intelligence, whilst other natural talents are mostly overlooked.

“I think you’d have to conclude the whole purpose of public education throughout the world is to produce university professors, isn’t it? They’re the people who come out the top. And I used to be one, so there,” he said.

“And I like university professors, but you know,” he clarified, “we shouldn’t hold them up as the high-water mark of all human achievement. They’re just a form of life, another form of life.”

Instead, subjects that will be more useful in the workplace are encour-aged because of the future possible job prospects it carries.

“So you were probably steered benignly away from things at school when you were a kid, things you liked, on the grounds that you would never get a job doing that.”

“Is that right? Don’t do music, you’re not going to be a musician; don’t do art, you won’t be an artist. Benign advice – now, profoundly mis-taken,” he said.

As a result, naturally talented and brilliant students may be made to think that they aren’t because what-ever it was that they are good at in school wasn’t appreciated and valued.

academic inflationExplaining that degrees don’t seem

to be worth anything anymore due to more people graduating through education, Robinson aptly labels it a “process of academic inflation”.

“And it indicates the whole struc-ture of education is shifting beneath our feet. We need to radically rethink our view of intelligence.”

Although there is a need for tests to help us assess where students are in certain subjects, we have come to a place in which academic ability has completely dominated our view of intelligence.

what is intelligence?Robinson goes on to elaborate his

last point, the subjectivity of intelli-gence. He urges us to rethink our view of intelligence, which is not fixed but diverse, dynamic, and distinct.

On the distinctiveness of intel-ligence, Robinson gives the life exam-ple of Gillian Lynne. When she was a young girl, she had lots difficulty focusing on her studies, as she was always fidgeting and never able to sit still.

Suspicious of a possible learning disorder, her mother quickly brought her to see a specialist, who told her that all her daughter needed was to attend dance school. She is now a famous and successful dance chore-ographer.

Similarly, there may be hidden talents in our children that can sometimes be mistaken for learning problems or mischief, due to a lack of self-expression taught.

final thoughtsIn a recent survey carried out by

JobStreet in 2012, it was revealed that 78% of Malaysians are unhappy with their jobs. Within that 78%, the top

reason was due to their scope of work, stating that their work was predict-able and boring.

In this talk, Robinson reminds us of our task as the older ones, here to pave the way for our children’s educa-tion. I believe that a restoration of our education system is definitely in need, and it should start with us – in our communities and country.

Robinson concludes with his views on why he believes we should rethink how the younger ones are being edu-cated, saying: “The only way we’ll do it is by seeing our creative capacities for the richness they are and seeing our children for the hope that they are.

“And our task is to educate their whole being, so they can face this future. By the way – we may not see this future, but they will. And our job is to help them make something of it.”

n Sarah loves listening to TED Talks, despite being someone who isn’t inclined to auditory learning styles. Let her know about your favourite TED Talk at editor@leaderonomics.com. You can read more articles at www.leaderonomics.com

Being wrong is noT neCessarily direCTly relaTed To CreaTiviTy. noneTheless, roBinson Believes ThaT suCh MenTaliTy eduCaTes people ouT of Their CreaTive CapaCiTies. in plaCe of CreaTiviTy, a fear of failure is CreaTed insTead.

mystarjob.com, saturday 6 December 201416

By MIKE SOSINeditor@leaderonomics.com

AS a concert photographer, it’s my job to capture the energy and emotion of a band’s live performance.

I once had the opportuni-ty to photograph a prominent band in its triumphant and highly-anticipated return to our state.

After the dust had settled from an exciting evening, I sat down to review the more than 500 pictures I had taken. As I was sorting out the winners from the duds, I thought I had found the perfect shot.

Envision this: The lead singer stretch-es over the edge of the stage towards an adoring crowd. He’s perfectly in-focus, the words almost visible in his mouth, and his outstretched hand thrusting the microphone into the frenzied space is completely cut out of the frame.

I’ll spare you the technical details of photography, but in shooting music I try to focus on three important ele-ments – composition, angle and cam-era settings.

My picture with the missing hand was fine in terms of camera settings

and angle, but because the composition was off, the whole image was a bust.

So how does this apply to benefits communication (compensation and benefits discussion)?

Hey man, nice sHotJust like that nearly perfect shot

ruined by the rock star’s missing hand, I’ve learned that a single element of an otherwise perfectly crafted benefits communication campaign can cause a company’s message to completely miss its mark.

You might not realise it at first, but rock concert photography and benefits communication have a lot in common. It’s true!

Of course, benefits communication is far more glamorous, but the two disci-plines work best when the elements of composition, angle and settings come together to form a cohesive and engag-ing result.

1 CompositionPictures are all about what you

capture in the frame. In certain situa-tions, you want a tight shot of some-one’s face, while other times a wide-angle that pulls all the action in from the stage is the only way to go.

In benefits communication, composi-tion amounts to how much informa-tion an employer is putting out there at a given time.

Too much information can induce a chart-and-graph coma, but too lit-tle can send employees on wild goose chases as they frantically try to track down the information they feel they need.

Knowing how to deliver content in a manner that is digestible yet useful is vital.

2 AngleThere’s more than one way to

capture an epic guitar solo. Different angles speak differently to people, and not everyone will feel the same emo-tion when looking at an image.

The one-size-fits-all approach is bad for both photography and benefits communication. The angle of your benefits communication should hit an employee right in the gut, just like a breathtaking photograph that gets a viewer right where it counts.

If you want to ensure your benefits communication will truly have an impact, craft your content to appeal to what matters to employees as individuals.

3 Camera settingsNo element is more important in

taking a photo than the camera’s set-tings. Shutter speed, ISO (international standards organisation) and aperture dictate what information is recorded by the camera’s sensor.

This is the language of the camera, and without this information a photo-graph is simply not possible. The lan-guage used in benefits communication is no different.

A camera that’s not properly set will still record an image, just like benefits communication that uses the same old boring, jargon-filled language will still present benefits information. You can do better.

Get ready to rockThe goal of concert photography is

to capture the energy and emotion of a live performance.

In benefits communication, the goal is to deliver the information that helps employees understand and appreciate their benefits options.

By carefully considering the ele-ments of your benefits communication, you can deliver the kind of content that portrays your company’s benefits as the genuine rock stars they are.

If you have any suggestions or feedback on our content, get in touch with the Leaderonomics team at editor@leaderonomics.com For advertising and advertorials, contact Pravin Kumar at pravin.kumar@leaderonomics.com or +6011 2377 7850

The curious case of across-pollinator

Also next week

Nuggets of wisdomfrom LOTR

Thinkbefore you ink

self-reflectionfrom Mulan

Composition, angle and camera settings are important to capture a good photo at a concert.

Benefits rock!What concert photography can teach us aBout Benefits communication

n Mike Sosin was a former employee benefits and HR technologist who helped organisations empower employees through the use of innovative tools and techniques. Mike is currently a music writer, blogger and photographer. For feedback, email us at editor@leaderonomics.com

Editor’s notE: This article appeared on HRM Today dated July 3, 2013 and is reproduced with the author’s permission.