The HR Legacy

“The greatest legacy is that which benefits the widest number of people for the longest period without limit to value”.

Many of us are so caught up with daily work that we often fail to see the purpose of our very existence. We may argue that we are hired to do a job, to get things done – nothing more or less. For many of us, that works just fine, as that leaves us with room for our family and other things that are important to us.

Yet, for many of us who are HR leaders, the profession is no longer about getting things done. It is about leaving a lasting legacy. But again, that’s something that many of us would think wishfully, yet few would ever achieve. Those of us who are not in a position of organisational leadership may think that legacies are for CEOs; after all Jack Welch and Lee Iacocca are not HR directors. But you are far from right.

All of us, regardless of our place in the organisation and society have the ability to leave a lasting legacy. As HR professionals, we can create values so powerful that we will be remembered for generations. Leaders and legends come from all walks of life. But they have a few things in common: strong personal values, inextinguishable passion, and a burning desire to succeed. Key here is having strong personal values as opposed to merely supporting business values – to be able to define ourselves and our organisations instead of being defined by the rules that we sometimes inevitably help create.

ARE YOU UP TO IT?
However, many of the legends as we know them – people we read in business school textbook, people whose name adorn great halls and public buildings, have made sacrifices so great many of us would shudder to even consider. Many of these have shattered families, spouses who cannot live along with a seemingly selfish character, children who grew up never seeing their parent. Many of the greats lived a life misunderstood, hated even, and generally fighting to correct the perception. So how would you juggle this mismatch of public perception and reality?

Often, however, we can create our own legacy by just doing what we do, but a little differently, a little more passionately. That way, we leave behind a lasting history – be it in the systems that we create, the values that we instil, the culture that we build or simply, the leaders that we help mould.

When we set out to create HR Asia, for example, we know we are not just merely creating a magazine, but a mean to create a profession that is rich in leadership in thoughts and actions. Perhaps, that will be the legacy that we will leave behind.

Ultimately as HR professionals, all of us have a choice. To live a conventional life, or to leave behind a legacy. But if we live our daily life with the conscious effort to create a legacy in whatever we do, then we are already a step closer to creating one.

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This appeared in my note on the editor's page of the latest HR Asia. To get a copy, visit your nearest bookstore, or alternatively if you are a senior HR professional, email chro@hrasiamedia.com for free subscription.

Long Tail or Tall Tale?

There’s so much talks about the ‘long tail strategy’ of late that if you are like me, you would start wondering – does it work? Well, I tell you upfront that I am never a fan of ‘theories’. Theories are for academics, not entrepreneurs. And ‘The Long Tail’, to me, is nothing more than a theory.

A bit of backgrounder is in order here. Chris Anderson, editor of Wired magazine, made a huge splash with The Long Tail, which was first published by the magazine in 2004 and then as a book in 2006. In a nutshell, the long tail theory says that the abundance and ease of choice on the Internet has shifted sales potential from a small number of mainstream "hits" (at the front of the demand curve) toward a near-endless number of lesser-known choices at the tail (hence a ‘long’ tail).

Furthermore, because retail economics restrict stores to carrying only the best-selling products, items that are new in the market and have either lost their appeal or were never popular in the mainstream are pushed out - along with their sunk costs. But then come the Internet, with its infinite "shelf space", making every product discoverable and ready to be purchased. The book has become something of a holy document in the Internet community where companies ("from Amazon to iTunes," says Anderson on his website) want to find a way to sell old songs, movies, videos, ringtones, on-demand books and television shows from their infinite Web warehouses. Case studies flew up everywhere. Locally, we even have pseudo-experts claiming they are now experts on long tails and making all kinds of business consultations to companies.

The new ‘Blue Ocean Strategy’?
Personally, I thought it is a little bit of an oversell. Or rather, I thought the concept vastly overdramatized the effect of a small minority of "committed seekers" dedicated enough to something (comic books, copies of this magazine signed by me, etc...) to search for and purchase what the majority generally do not want. For the sake of democracy and capitalism, I sure like hell hope they are right.

However, when I looked around, in fact, it seemed that the rest of us were doing quite the opposite. The New York Times' Most Blogged, Most Emailed and Most Searched lists. Alexa’s ratings. Top TV Shows, Top Music, Top Movies on iTunes. Amazon.com's Sales Rank, and its Bestsellers list (updated hourly). Even my local DVD pirate has got a list of ‘must watch’ with him. The Internet appeared to be herding users more aggressively toward blockbusters, NOT away from them. So what long tail are we talking about?

Want some proof that the long tail is nothing more than long tale? There's a professor at Harvard Business School who has researched the long tail. Based on sales data for online video rentals and songs, Professor Anita Elberse verifies what I think: not only do hits continue to be just as important online as they are offline, but the Web is actually amplifying demands for hits.

Elberse also discusses what she and others view as an incorrect subjective assumption that Anderson made when building the long tail, which is the idea that people want to go their own way. They don't want to listen, watch or read what everyone else does, and would rather search along the Internet-superhighway for that piece of individuality. Who is he kidding? Elberse cites additional research showing how intensely social people really are: how we like sharing experiences with others and that the mere fact that others like something makes us like it even more. Just go to your Facebook account for a case study in experience sharing.

And Elberse and I are not alone. Neil Howe, who probably coined the term ‘Millennials’, draws a broad distinction between Gen X and this new influential group - the generation driving the most development and change on the Web. Among other things, while Boomers and Gen X "individuated," born-in-the-80s Millennials gravitate toward the social: chat rooms, instant messaging, Facebook. They enjoy being with each other, forming friendships and shared preferences. Rather than acting independently, Millennials who spend time customizing content on the Web do so for the purpose of sharing it with others (hence the YouTube phenomenon). The need to be accepted and conforming is never stronger than with the millennials.

Howe says it is and will be "the most connected generation in world history," and that their preferences will only solidify the popularity of mainstream, popular brands and products. Finally, Elberse and The Wall Street Journal's Lee Gomes also believe that the Internet community unconsciously may have wanted to back the theory because it flattered its citizenry. Long tail strength would fortify the value of new digital assets created outside the walls of institutional, cultural power. And bloggers are cool, say the Long Tail worshippers, because the long tail promises an audience for just about any goofy comment out there.

This is all probably true, but it's a little too much of a bullshit for me to buy.

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Read more of the same by William Ng in this month's SME Magazine!

Sorry State of Our Media

Our news media have fallen into such a sorry state of late that I feel both ashamed and helpless as a journalist.

Of course, given the authoritarian media laws that we have, we can't be expected to be more vocal, least of all critical of the government of the day if we treasure our publication permit.

But many of my concerns are not even political. It's the conscious choice of some media to report on negative news and sensationalising sex, death and other people's misfortune with the goal of getting more readers, listeners or viewers.

The values that we learn as children: honesty, compassion and selflessness are rarely, if at all, portrayed in our media.

As a result of these sensational reporting, economics, community and world news are often relegated to back pages. And as they compete with 'juicier' gossips, entertainment and tales of incest and mayhem, few readers take note and they become sideshows when they should be what news are all about.

The result? Our society has become so backward that many of our teenagers could name all the finalists of the American Idol and none of our ministers. We are now more concerned about details of sexual crimes rather than the measures being put in place to mitigate the effects of the global recession.

Malaysians buy newspapers to find out if their 'numbers have won', watch TV to see who's being 'voted out' and tune in to radio to hear the latest pranks being played on unsuspecting victims.

We often joke about the ignorance of the American society in general, but we are not much better. Our society has become so caught up with 'living the good life' and 'enjoying ourselves' that few people tune in to the all-news channels that we now have.

As a society, the masses are now living on the hard work of a few. No thanks to our news media and reality shows.

To make things worse, our journalists and even editors are caught up in the internet age. Street language and internet lingo are now mainstream in some papers, radio / TV shows. Facts are getting checked a lot less. Bernama news (which is often inaccurate) is taken at face value and copied verbatim (read The Sun / Malaysian Reserve for lessons in 'copy journalism'). Reporters are assigned to cover news, fresh out of school (instead of being put under tutelage of a senior for a year, as was the past practice).

A self-proclaimed 'seasoned' reporter lamented recently that I don't understand what it's like to be working against deadlines, having to juggle between family and work, and still getting things out on time. Well, I have this to say - you made a choice.

CHANGE BEGINS NOW!
If you are a journalist / editor and is guilty of propagating a lifestyle of nonchalance, apathy and fame-seeking, change now. If you have been picking up copies of paper for their entertainment value, change now. For the sake our future, and that of our country and children, change now.

Switch now to more 'intelligent' media, and you will realize there's so much more in life and in the world than negative news and SMS votes.

HR Ministry Not Important?

I read this news on Star Online with considerable surprise. I hope The Star has gotten their information wrong, as they have a tendency to sometimes.

2. I cannot fathom how the Ministry of Human Resources is less important than the Works Ministry. Given the increasing emphasis on human capital development, and Prime Minister Najib’s assertion of a People First, Performance Now policy, I would assume that it is an honour to be placed in charge of human capital development.

3. Perhaps some of these close-minded politicians referred to the ‘contracts-awarding’ power of the Works Minister. If that’s the case, then they have no place in the Cabinet to begin with.

4. The importance of a Ministry is a sum of how the Minister and his officials project themselves and evolves with times. In the first cabinet of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Agriculture and Rural Development were right at the top of the ‘list of important’ ministries, along with the Finance Minister and Prime Minister.

5. I hope the Human Resources Minister will openly dismiss this as mere speculations and the works of some irresponsible elements within his party. To say the Ministry of Human Resources is ‘not prestigious’ reflect badly on how much he has achieved as a Minister so far.

Business Power Minute on Radio 24

I will be on Radio 24 every working day at 9.30 am (GMT +8) in a new programme called Business Power Minute.

Tune in to 93.9 in Klang Valley, or www.radio24.com.my worldwide.

See you!

Blogs: Rants, Sedition or Slander?

Running a business ages you. I realise recently all my friends are in some form of online networking and many of them have blogs. I’ve found excuses after excuses not to blog or to join any ‘social media’, until my friend Hermawan Kartajaya showed me his Facebook account on his mobile. So on Christmas day, 2008 I started this blog and joined Facebook.

Blogging opens up a whole new world of opportunities for many. People who did not have an opportunity to ‘vent’ their feelings and thoughts could now do so in the comfort of their couches. On an even more positive note, it helps Malaysians, who are notorious for not reading anything beyond textbooks, to develop a reading habit. It also helps encourage people to write, and evidently, learn to think creatively– something our education system has failed to do.

Blogging is so easy that it took this writer less than an hour to learn. It is not surprising therefore, that almost everyone have a blog nowadays.

But blogging can be dangerous too. In Malaysia, for example, almost all political and news blogs are anti-establishment. Of course, some claim they are presenting a ‘fairer’ view. But how fair are you when every posting is nothing more than government bashing masquerading as news analysis? Perhaps the freedom and ease of having our thoughts published and recognised by others have given many of us the perception that we are always right. Blogs tend to inflate egos.

In real life, we get sued if we say things about people that are not true. It’s called defamation. If we belittle or insult the monarch, expose secrets of the state or wage war against our own country – it’s called treason. Strangely, if you do these things on blogs, you are likely to end up with many visitors and become an instant blog hero.

CYBER CRIMINALS

When the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) shut down several websites in Malaysia few months back for sedition – all hells broke lose. From the Bar Council and the Pakatan Rakyat to the bloggers community and even the Human Rights Watch, everyone condemned the actions as ‘curtailing freedom of expression’ and ‘draconian’. I may not agree with MCMC. But that does not stop me wondering how we could adopt one standard for ordinary day-to-day life and another for the internet. These same critics will not hesitate to complain if their neighbours so much as raise the volume of the TV past midnight. Yet they are out in full force to support people who are obviously making a nuisance of themselves, and breaking laws in the process of inflating their own egos.

I say don’t shut down these offending websites. Take the owners to court and put them behind bars if they are found to have been seditious. And the subjects of their often unjustified defamation should sue them for damages. Just as we cannot allow criminals to roam our streets, we cannot allow these bloggers / cyber criminals roam our internet space.

I am a big fan of freedom of association and speech. I believe that everyone is entitled to their two cents worth. But like everything else in life, we need to do things responsibly and with common sense.

MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO

As it is, many of our youths are very anti-establishment because of what they read on blogs, among others. Many perceive there’s unfairness being done. How? Not many know. But since so many blogs say the government is evil, the government got to be evil, right?

This is the real danger of blogs. In repeating each other often enough, concepts that have no basis whatsoever become truths. Intellectual discourse and logic goes down the drain.

I don’t like my government very much. But in all the years that I’ve been able to read, I’ve never seen a freer press, more robust politics or a more diversified economy. How that can be all bad eludes me.

Go on, blog as much as you like, but prepare to be taken to court if what you say is slanderous or seditious.

That’s fair play – the way it should be.

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This article appeared in the Perspective column of SME Magazine April issue.

Rubble Rousers

I grew up in a family that don't speak either English or Bahasa Malaysia. So my first year in school was a struggle. I lost track of how many times I was told to 'keluarkan tangan anda' for the beating by my teacher as I struggled to identify everyday items such as table or chair in the national language.

But when you are thrown into the deep end of the pool, you learn to swim, fast. By the time I was 11, I was the captain of my school's debate team - speaking flawlessly in Bahasa. Throughout my studies, till Form 5, I've never scored anything less than 95/100 in my Bahasa exams. People who speak to me over the phone in Bahasa thinks I'm a Malay. It helped that 90 percent of the students in my primary school was Malay and till today, some of my best friends are Malays.

In fact, I don't speak much English till when I was 14 or so. But again, I had to learn fast - as people in my secondary school, St. John's, preferred English over Bahasa. Necessity is indeed a great teacher.

So, it disturbs me greatly to see the extent some people go to demand that the government revert to using Bahasa to teach Science and Mathematics, in the guise of protecting the national language.

I was taught early on in my life that you only hide behind things when you are scared of what's ahead.

Many of the arguments of the so called 'PPSMI movement' hold little water. The arguments: 1) that teaching more subjects in English will erode the standards of Bahasa; 2) that teaching these two subjects in English to students who are already weak in English is unfair; 3) that PPSMI will erode the standards of Bahasa. I can't find more shallow reasons than these.

It's the most selfish thing I've seen in a long, long time - to sacrifice the future of our children for misguided nationalistic idealism. It is beyond common sense that English is the universal language for Science and Technology. It is also common knowledge that our poor English is the top reason we have a large number of unemployed graduates even when the employment market was more robust.

I appreciate the delicate situation where thousands of rural Malay kids have problems keeping up because of their poor English. But then, so did the thousands of Chinese (including most of my siblings) who dropped out of school because they can't cope with the Bahasa. You do what's right, not what's expedient.

We're already lagging badly behind Singapore (where English is de facto national language) in almost all academic disciplines. It's an indisputable fact that most sources of scholarly reference are in English. By embracing English, Singaporeans have not lost their racial or cultural identity. The Chinese are no less Chinese (or kiasu) and the Malays are no less Malay. Contrast that with Indonesia and Thailand - two countries where English is spoken only among the elites, and you will find enough reasons why you must embrace English now.

The importance of English must not be challenged. Neither should the status of Bahasa Malaysia as our national language. But to speak of stopping the teaching of the two subjects in English is nothing short of shortsightedness.

I'm ashamed, but not surprised, that PAS and PKR is so vehemently against the teaching of science and mathematics in English. This revealed the short sightedness of their ideologies and the extent they will play the 'language', if not race card, to score some brownie points. But I am ashamed AND surprised that Pak Samad, my childhood hero, can allow himself to be used to such an extent by these people.

I am equally shocked to note that MCA, which claims to represent the Chinese have also adopted the stand that Science and Mathematics should be taught in people's mother tongue; i.e. in Mandarin among Chinese. I have never seen anyone s*cking up so badly to the Chinese educationists than this. This is certainly not the view of the Chinese majority. This is the view of a group of close-minded people who are worried of their power and livelihood if the use of Chinese as a medium of instruction is threatened.

I pray that our education minister, and a fellow Johannian, will not succumb to this cheap political trap. Dato' Seri, do what's right, not what's expedient.

[photo credit: www.thestar.com.my]