Monthly Archives: September 2016

Lindsay’s In Business: The Big Professor

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by Lindsay Uittenbogaard

OK –  so now just two business concepts await examination under the microscope. Having started with seven concepts a few weeks back, one by one they had fallen down. Each time I had been grateful: who wants to spend months and thousands in pursuit of a business idea only to discover a fatal flaw later on.  Letting each idea go was tough – especially if it was a hot favourite.

This week, the hot favourite definitely wasn’t idea 1: a one-stop home repair and improvement service.  Interesting but not INNOVATIVE. It was idea 2: a solution to address that repeated Middle Manager engagement issue. Now there’s a market. Continue reading →

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What I learned from the First US Presidential Debate 2016

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by River Ho Rathore

In less than two months, American voters will go to the polls and choose their next Chief Executive. As can be imagined, Twitter feeds and news channels are all abuzz with arguments for and against the primary bets of the country: Hillary Clinton, a tenured politician and former FLOTUS who would be the first woman president if elected, and Donald Trump, a political newbie of dynamite character known for his businesses worth tens of billions.

I was 14,000 kilometers away from where the US Presidential Debate transpired on Tuesday morning (Asia Pacific time). I am not an American, nor am I in politics, but I was glued to CNN, waiting to see how the first of three debates would pan out. This is, after all, one of the most intense presidential campaigns ever run.

For obvious reasons, I listened to the debate intently as the United States is one of – if not THE – most powerful countries in the world and which almost has an iron-clad influence on international organizations. This influence is very important for emerging economies that depend heavily on foreign trade and lending. But more than this, I was intrigued at an individual level. Continue reading →

Situation 25: HARD WORK VERSUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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Work is tough. Femsy did not get her latest proposal approved in the MT, and she is making long hours.

(Click on the pictures to see them in full size) Continue reading →

If I Were A Boy: I Know When I Am Ready For A Promotion And I Will Raise My Hand!

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Research shows that men in comparable positions are much more confident in their capabilities than their male peers even when they are no more competent.

A prime example is that if a man can fulfill 60% of the requirements of a job description, he will apply, while if a woman cannot do the full 100%, she will not.

That goes for even the most ambitious women. Virginia Rometty, IBM ’s CEO, has said that when she was offered a promotion early in her career, she responded, “You know what? I’m not ready for this job.” She reconsidered only when her husband told her that a man would never think that way.

If I were a boy I would believe in myself, have no doubts about my capabilities and raise my hand. I am confident that I can figure out the things I don’t know yet.

Anja Uitdehaag

What Separates The Good From The Very Best

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by Anja Uitdehaag

“Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.” – James. C. Collins 

Sports can teach us a lot about  goals, determination and hard-work.

According to Nicole Haislett, Olympic Swimmer, the essence of hard work is: “identifying your personal limits, and then pushing past them, and then setting new barriers, and then … repeating the process again and again.” Knowing how hard she had worked enabled her to stand behind the starting block with the confidence that she was capable of winning. And she did: three gold medals! Continue reading →

Situation 24: GETTING TO THE POINT

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Betsy presents a new distribution proposal in the team meeting. She kicks off her presentation with providing a highly detailed overview to ensure everybody is on the same page. She notices that nobody listens.

(Click on the pictures to see them in full size) Continue reading →

Lindsay’s In Business: Falling in love and whittling down

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by Lindsay Uittenbogaard

The high you can get off letting on your own ideas flow is like champagne… I fell completely in love with an art-based concept.  It seemed to take on a life of its own by the hour!

It started with a thought: wouldn’t it be interesting to see feelings (like anger or serenity) be represented in a painting. Surely a series of these by one artist would get attention. There was something there.

What about if set titles were created and artists were asked to paint to those? Each title could start with the phrase “How it feels when….” and end with a description of situations that everyone can identify with, like “… you come home to a clean and tidy house”. The titles could also be about global issues: “… you hear that 50 people have been murdered in a New Orleans nightclub”, for example.  What would the different interpretations look like? Continue reading →

Professionalism and The Golden Rule

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by River Ho Rathore

A week back, I had the pleasure of catching up with one of my friends who used to be one of the most demanding bosses I have had the privilege of working with. While giving each other personal updates, our discussion – as it always does – turned into reminiscing about the demanding yet fun environment that we had co-created with our entire employee base.

It was a fun environment, where the Power Distance Index (“PDI”, referencing Geert Hofstede) was very low across the organization, especially in the context of an emerging Asian operation market. In spite of the cordial relationships, everyone was crystal clear about the high performance standards and focused on bringing value to all stakeholders, especially the customers. Continue reading →

Situation 23: DISENGAGED

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After the career discussion with Mansy, Mian is disengaged, demotivated and underperforming. This affects team performance and makes her the focus of office gossip.

(Click on the pictures to see them in full size) Continue reading →

Acting Like A Man In The Workplace

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by Anja Uitdehaag

“I don’t mind living in a man’s world as long as I can be a woman in it.” – Marilyn Monroe

Women leaders need to learn to manage without injecting gender into it. We’re all different! Being different from men (or other women) isn’t something to change or hide. Get over the idea that men and women are complete opposites, that we can never be similar.

There are times in the business world when we (and I mean: men and women) should be competitive or confrontational and there are times when we should seek compromise, cooperation and listen to our emotions. Most situations call for a blend of all of the above and most men and women have the ability to be all of these things. Continue reading →