Bakuman and the manga industry

 

Bakuman (artist Takeshi Obata, writer Tsugumi Ohba) may not be among the top Japanese comics series (Death Note also by Takeshi Obata is certainly more popular) but it is one of the most important. It is a comic series about the Japanese comic industry. So it is like a movie about the movie industry, or a book about publishing books. It is not only entertaining but also highly educational, almost like a documentary. 

In business we deal with people from many different industries. We tend to draw caricatures of people in those industries, based on our limited knowledge of them. Often there is more depth and more nuances than we realise. It is important to stay humble, so that we can learn from them and appreciate the expertise they have in their fields. 

Organisation culture in a merger

 

I was invited to be speak on organisation culture at Avante Hotel by a Vistage group of entrepreneurs. One very interesting topic that came up during discussion was how to synchronise the culture of two companies A and B, when B has just been acquired by A. Is it a good idea to deliberately restructure teams so that employees from the two companies mix and integrate? Management wants to shift the culture of B to be closer to A. Will mixing employees cause the culture of A to shift towards B instead, i.e. having the opposite effect from intended? When the teacher seats a naughty pupil next to an obedient pupil, there is no guarantee the naughty pupil will become more compliant. Things can go the other way. Ultimately it is the teacher who needs to communicate expectations and enforce principles. That is how culture is built.

How do you run meetings?

At the workplace it's hard to avoid meetings. Most people hate meetings. How do you run your meetings so that they are productive and efficient?

I live my life on Google Calendar

 

That may sound sad, as if I am a string puppet controlled by a software tool. In fact, migrating my life to Google Calendar has been one of the best decisions I've made. Yes, if anyone looks at my calendar the first thing they'll say is why are you working all the time?! Not only weekday nights but also weekends?! The thing is I have too much stuff I want to do. My calendar helps me get more done in less time. It is not giving me work. It is forcing me to NOT do some things I might have done if I were less disciplined. I timebox myself to get things done on time. Do I always complete my work on time? No I don't. If I can't catch up, it's a sign I have to discard something, and I do it. Do I make time for play? Of course. I put it in the schedule.

Google Calendar is my favourite secretary. He will never forget my wife's birthday. Not that I need him to remind me. If you find this post useful, please like, comment or share.

Why do I post on Mondays?

 

In the social media world, the current wisdom is Tuesday is the best day of the week to post your content. You get the best engagement, and probably that also means the highest chance for your post to go viral. I'm a Monday person because that's the day the gates open and my horses get to run. I can start getting things done. Posting on Monday is almost like a tee off, signaling the game is on! I wouldn't go as far as saying Monday is the best day of the week. I certainly like Mondays more than Garfield does. If you often get the Monday Blues, it's time to find something that makes you look forward to Mondays. If you find this post useful, please like, comment or share.

Learning from mistakes is a mistake

 

Some leaders encourage their people to make mistakes, so that they will learn from those mistakes. I think that's wrong and wasteful. When we assign a task to an employee, indeed we should allow or be prepared for mistakes, especially when it is something new or complex. However we should be doing our best to help the employee succeed. We praise what is done right, so that such behaviours will be repeated. This is more effective than picking on mistakes.

This and other tips in my book Every Employee an Entrepreneur:

• Shopee Malaysia
• Lazada Malaysia
• Google Playstore e-book
• Amazon
• Amazon Kindle e-book

见人说人话、见鬼说鬼话 Speak Chinese to the Chinaman, speak English to the Englishman

 

这样听起来好像是很没原则的人，见风使舵、变色龙。我的看法是我们确实应该对人说人话，对鬼说鬼话。我们本来就应该用对方明白的语言和他们沟通。我们也必须体谅对方的立场才能和他们共情。我们依然是要保持大局观、要做公正的决策，只是必须用对的沟通方式才能让组织内不同的人达成相同的共识。

I don't actually know any equivalent idiom in English and I made this up as a joke. The idea is this. Sometimes we are perceived as double-faced when we appear to say one thing to one person, and another to a different person, depending on what their positions are on the matter. In my opinion, we should indeed be saying things differently when we speak to different people with different perspectives. If we cannot speak their language, appreciate their positions or empathise with them, we won't be able to communicate with them effectively. Yes, we must still hold on to our principles and do what is right. However it is important to communicate tactfully and respectfully if we want to align many different people in an organisation to one common goal. 

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What hiking taught me - never take success for granted

 

The weather is clear. There has been rain the previous night but the track is not too muddy. The morning air is fresh. The trail is not crowded. I feel energised and content at the same time as I hike the familiar path. I have the hiking app turned on. I feel confident I am making good time and will likely beat my record. It feels as if the stars are aligned. Then I make a jump too hurriedly. When I land, my foot rolls to one side, twisting my ankle. I have to stop to examine my ankle. It is hurting, but not too badly. I need to walk slowly now and make sure I don't worsen the injury. So much for breaking my record. 

In business, we have to stay alert and humble even when things seem to be going swimmingly. When we are complacent, when we have more money than we know what to do with, when we get more business than we can handle, we forget to take care of the details, of our people, or of our loyal customers, to our own peril. Never take today's success for granted. Prepare for tomorrow's challenges. 

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Anathem

 

This is a science fiction by Neal Stephenson set in an alternate universe, where scientists and researchers live in monasteries cut off from the outside world, so that they can do their work without distraction. They dedicate their lives to science like how monks in our world dedicate theirs to God. They are deeply committed to their cause and are ready to sacrifice for what they believe in. This resonated with me. I believe we are all searching for this - our calling in life. 

An effective team-building exercise challenges you to ask yourselves difficult questions

 

Many organisations run team-building exercises like a chore, or people attend just for the joy of escaping work for a day. Truly effective team-building sets a clear goal and forces you to think deep about what it means to be a team and what you need to do to become a better team. It is MORE work than your day-to-day work. When you make good use of team-building, it transforms your organisation, starting with what you do differently on Monday. 

Over the weekend, I had the honour of conducting a team-building event together with Captain Fuaad from VUCA Warriors. It was an inspiring and energising experience working with the Arcadia team. Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!