Blogging To Communicate What’s Real

March 8th 2008 should be remembered as the date when blogs were finally recognized in Malaysia as a powerful medium of communication. Don’t remember? March 8th was also the date of the General Elections – and if you recall, the government got a little carried away with traditional media for publicity purposes.
These included newspapers, billboards and buntings among others – spending millions of ringgit along the way of your money and my money. The opposition on the hand, while also using buntings etc, was very savvy in the sense that they turned to new media – the website and blogs. If you don’t realize how powerful both these tools are, please do so right now.

Depending on what you are looking for, new media is cheap and sometimes it costs nothing. But the value it gives is amazing – new media provides very raw, very real feedback. And blogs are brilliant because you don’t have to state who you are – this in a strange and ironic sort of way makes people very real. It doesn’t matter if they’re using a fake name, what matters is that they’re speaking honestly about their opinions.

Blogs within organizations are also great because it helps to figure out the pulse of the company by providing a platform to resolve issues quickly, immediately and in real time. If you are one of those people who think that company blogs are bad publicity because people and your employees are going to shoot you, it just goes to show that you are insecure about your company.

If you are confident about your services, products etc – let people say what they want. People are people – they’re going to talk anyway since they obviously don’t have much to do. Pay attention to those that comment constructively and those that are rubbish – well it’s just that – rubbish.

Blogging is on the way to becoming if it isn’t already, the perfect tool for communication. Why? Because it costs nothing to set it up. You don’t need advertisers. You get to speak your mind. And sometimes you can even get paid for it.

If you’re thinking of blogging, please make sure you are responsible with your writing – don’t spread vicious lies and rumors. Remember that what goes around comes around and even though that are millions of bloggers in the endless web of the internet, if you say something false, Big Brother is watching and you will be found out.

Short Cut To Success, Shorter Cut To Failure

Some of us are quite fond of shortcuts. We like getting to where we need to be faster because this means less petrol used and fewer idiots to deal with on the road. But sometimes, when we hear of shortcuts and take them, we end up using extra fuel and deal with many people who keep giving us the wrong directions to get out.

Then there are those who like to fool themselves by saying the easier way to success to work smart not work hard. This is a load of crap. The next time someone tells you this, please tell them that there’s no such thing as working smart. Ask any successful person and they’ll tell you they got there by being smart and working very hard.

I’m sure you’ve heard about all these people who are able to show you how to make lots of money, even when you are asleep. Yes that’s right, because you’re probably dreaming that this can work. Look, even if you can make money fast or be successful really quickly, you will never be able to sustain it if you don’t go through the motions of what works and what doesn’t.

When someone tells you to work smart, what they’re doing is pointing you in the direction of failure – the shorter route to failing. If you’re looking to succeed quickly, let me tell you point blank that there is absolutely no way that this is going to happen. The faster you achieve something, the faster it’ll fail. This doesn’t mean that you should work like a tortoise. Pace yourself and be smart (not work smart) about the choices in front of you.

Don’t get all excited at the prospect of an overnight success – it doesn’t always mean what you think is what it does. When you eventually do get successful, please don’t walk around with a swollen head – and think you are great.

If your head is too big, it won’t fit your body and people will point at you and laugh at you because you look stupid. Appreciate the successes that come your way and treat it with respect. And always remember just like respect, success has to be earned otherwise it means nothing.

A Shortage of Good Leaders

The more I work with various organizations, the clear missing link in their success is clearly a shortage of leaders at all levels. There is no earth-shattering reason for this – it’s simply because there are many people who do not understand the fundamental concept of leadership which is SACRIFICE.

Forget for a moment about technical skills – you must learn to sacrifice if you are ever to be a leader. If you don’t know what it means, let me tell you. To sacrifice is the giving of oneself freely without expecting anything in return. Have you every sacrificed anything before or is the word so new to you that you’re hearing it for the first time?

There are three kinds of people that fall into the categories of sacrifice and leaders. The first are those who flat out refuse. The second are those who just don’t know how while the third are those who want to but are not capable. So how do you move forward from here? What do you do?

The best way to develop leaders is to do it from Day 1 of their learning journey. But it’s not just about teaching – look at the moral lessons being “taught” in schools today. How can the message get across when these teachers who are supposed to be leaders, act like they’re about to die – so half dead?

If you are in the teaching line and reading this, buck up and put some spark into your life. No one gives a damn if you’ve got a lot of work if you have family problems – you are responsible in molding young minds in kindergartens, primary schools, secondary and tertiary institutions and you’d better grow a back bone and lead these children right.

You also have to know what it means to sacrifice – don’t become a teacher because of the benefits and the long holidays. You should bury your head in the ground if you think like that. Young minds need guidance and leadership because they spend so much time in school that you have to set a good example and show them what sacrifice is all about.

Make “sacrifice” your word of the day – learn what it means, learn from it, look out for it in the actions of others, develop it within yourself and then you might just be able to ease the shortage of good leaders.

AIA - The Client That Appreciates

At ATCEN, we know we do good work which is why we enjoy the support of so many repeat clients. It’s really quite amazing how much of time and effort we put into organizing and event. Doesn’t matter if it’s a one hour talk or a one day workshop, we plan and execute every event very well indeed.

This is why it’s so gratifying when our clients realize this and appreciate us tremendously even though we are brutally honest with them in areas they need changed and improved.

We congratulate such clients, AIA (M) Berhad being one of them. We are sincerely proud to have this organization as our client because they immediately put into practice what they’ve gained from a session. AIA (M) Berhad also demonstrated what service appreciation by acknowledging a job done well.

There are also some others who find saying “Thank You” so difficult because this is the mindset and mentality, “I’m paying you to get this done so why on earth should I say thank you?” Sometimes people forget to say “Thank You” and this is really bad because it isn’t hard to say at all.

It’s such a simple thing to say, but when you say it sincerely it becomes a powerful acknowledgement. Don’t think that people owe you a living – always bear in mind that they can choose not to smile at you, or talk to you or help you. But they do it anyway. So maybe it’s time you acknowledge them back.

To AIA (M) Berhad, thank you for being such excellent participants, but above and beyond that – kudos to each of you for wanting to make a positive change.

Living In The Shadow of Doubt and Held Back by Fear

Do you know what you’re afraid of? Forget about the snakes, spiders, or small spaces – think about what you’re really afraid of. Knowing what scares you is a good thing because then you’ll be prepared – if you go around thinking you’re not afraid of anything then you must not be of this earth, and it’s time for you to return to your planet.

I say be aware of your fears – but NEVER let it hold you back. If you do, and then whine about it, my suggestion would be to crawl into a cave, stay there and spare others from your pathetic excuses.

Did you know when you were born you were born fearless? The fear that holds you back from being all that you can be is a learned behavior. How many times have you said I can’t do that because…. change that statement to I am fearful of doing that because…. stop and listen to what you are saying. Dig deep and find out what it is you are fearful of.

Imagine what it would be like to spend the rest of your life in someone else’s shadow just because you were afraid to try something? That’s not living at all.
There are people who decide not to take a job because they’re afraid of the long hours, the pressure, and the amount of work. But if you know that the organization is good for you and will equip you with valuable skills and knowledge – are you still going to let fear hold you back? You’re stupid if you are and don’t deserve it in the first place.

I Know Everything… and You’d Better Believe It.

There’s a story about a man who suspected that his wife was planning on murdering him – but he didn’t know how to prove it or get it out of her. One day, a wise man told him “When you wake up the next morning – say, `I know everything’. To whatever she says, you must reply, `I know everything.’” Next morning he did what he was told and after many rounds of denial, his wife finally admitted her plans.

I don’t need to say it; I already know what’s going on. There are some people who think I’m oblivious to what’s going on around me and they think they’ve gotten away with this thing they’ve done. But to you I say, keep on doing what you’re doing and don’t be surprised if I decide to let you go one day – I don’t care how many thousands of ringgit you can bring in or how good you are at your job, but if you are dishonest with me as a person you’d better believe I’ll get rid of you.

Also know this – never for one second think you were able to “get away” because you’re smart. You’re not. In fact, you’re stupid because you keep doing what you’re doing and sooner or later you’ll pay the price for it. And from the look of things, it’ll probably be sooner.

Those of you who are feeling the pinch – remember, you are doing me a favor and giving me material for my upcoming book “You’re Stupid. Let Me Tell You Why.” I may smile at you and include you in my conversations, take this as a sign that you are being given an opportunity to turn yourself around.

Have integrity for goodness sakes and be transparent in your dealings with me and others. At least you’ll be respected for it. If you are not able to be accountable for your actions, what kind of an example are you going to set for your children (if you have any), colleagues and family members? Make an example of yourself through good work and actions; otherwise I’ll make an example of you when I’m telling people who NOT to be like. Think I won’t do it? Just wait and see.

Teaching and Telling and Leading by Example

There are days when I feel that there are some people who could lose 3lbs by just getting rid of their brain – and I don’t think they’ll miss it either since they haven’t been using it. There are some people who become like that because over the years, no one has bothered to tell them what they’re doing wrong. If you think I’m going say that this is an exception, you’ve got to be kidding me! There is no exception, because it’ll just be another excuse not to learn – you don’t have to be shown the right way all the time – you have to develop this thing called common sense – go and learn what it’s all about.

There are many things I was not thought – and I see this in some people I know as well. So how did we learn? By ourselves of course. Idiots don’t learn at all because they refuse to be taught. I decided a long time ago that I was going to a fantastic entrepreneur and CEO – and I kept working towards that goal. But I’ve taken it one step further now to the level of a Super CEO – those who teach and learn. There is no shame in making mistakes – provided you learn a lesson from it and improve yourself.

Start looking at what areas you need to improve on – make a list if you must, don’t be lazy about it. If you begin thinking this way, you’ll be a better person for it. And you’d better start correcting yourself before someone else does it and that would be a painful lesson for sure.

And to those of you, who have people correcting your flaws constructively, don’t be a baby about it and cry in corner. Don’t be ungrateful. Be happy that you have someone who is making time and saving you from being a loser. Take the lesson like an adult and grow from it.

Quack Prophets and Self-Fulfilling Prophecies

“The difference between hearsay and prophecy is often one of sequence. Hearsay often turns out to have been prophecy.” - Hubert H. Humphrey (American 38th US Vice President under Lyndon B. Johnson)

You’ve heard of Nostradamus – the reputed prophet who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous world-wide. He wrote many of these prophecies and I’m sure some of you would have gone online after the September 11 attacks to find out what he had predicted. These are my thoughts… I truly believe that we, whether consciously or not, have the power to make predictions come true – the world is empowering and making these things happen.

Many organizations are failing right now and are preparing to die – and where do we get bad news about the economy from – the papers or the internet – maybe even some supposed economists who think that we are still doing ok. When we read what we are told might happen – we expect it and then it becomes real. And please don’t think I’m referring to The Secret or The Law of Attraction.

I have been asked what makes ATCEN do so well even in times like this – do I read the papers I’m asked. Sure I do – I read it as a source of information and that’s it. It does not predict my future because I anticipate it on my own and make it happen.

A prophet is defined as a person gifted with profound moral insight and exceptional powers of expression – a predictor; a soothsayer. While prophets are supposed to be source of good, ironically, they’re always associated with bad news – so maybe is time for this to change.

Instead of moaning and grumbling about what’s wrong, wouldn’t it be so much better to get off your behind, make a positive decision and make sure that it happens? Don’t just sit at the mamak with your teh tarik and make a lot of noise about the price of this and that going up. The time you spend talking rubbish, can be spent making your life better.

Service Before Self and Giving Selflessly

Traditionally, the young has always served the old or the older at least. After I became CEO, I realized even more so than before that as leaders, we should be willing to serve before being served. At ATCEN, we have many get-togethers which means there are plenty meals to be served. We are so used to the culture of giving that everyone serves each other – there is an awareness of the simple common sense behind value and gratitude, which I’m sad to say many have forgotten.

Easy actions such as a smile, a thank you or even a sincere question: “How can I help you?” or “How are you today?” seems so difficult to do. Are you afraid that if you open your mouth, gold is going to fall into the hands of the person in front of you? Just in case you don’t know what it means to serve, here is a lesson: learning to serve is by asking someone what you can do to make their day a little better – it is about making sacrifices – it about giving.

We have so-called leaders in this country who only know how to accuse – and to serve is something very strange to them. They talk about serving “the rakyat” – sure they are - serving up a big headache

What Losing Doesn’t A Loser Make

When I was growing up, I was always told that losing was a bad thing – especially in a typically Asian culture which dictates that of if you fail at something you have lost face – or worse, the entire family’s dignity has been ripped to shreds. I begin to believe that losing means that a person becomes a big nothing, worthless to the core – not a good place to be.

Then as I got older, I started seeing people lose – in sports, education, business and even love – but they lost trying their best and giving it their best shot. In everything that you choose to do, do it according to the best and highest standards you can possibly set for yourself. Losers are people give up on themselves when they still have the support of others. Losers are people who say no without even trying. Losers are people that keep saying that they don’t have a choice but then always decide to take the easy way out. Losers are people who ask for help and when given a solution, they don’t take action.

If you fit any of these descriptions, then go and buy one of those “L” stickers for the cars and stick it on your forehead. This is because you have no direction in life and no reason to exist because you decide to be a victim and give up without even trying your best.

You will become part of the furniture and be used accordingly – as a utility, a non-entity and a person dead to the world.

W – I – N

What’s Important Now. Do you have any idea what it is that you need right now and if you do, are you aware how to motivate yourself and get to where you need to be? Let me put it more directly. Imagine there’s this girl/boy you like and you want to marry them. You know what you want – so how are you going to get there? Of course you’ll be very nice, loving shower them with all the love an attention – you will put in the effort to get this person – at least some of you will anyway.

And what about when you get into an accident on your way to a date– what would you do first? If you think you should call up this girl/boy and explain lovingly why you are going to be late or not turn up at all, there’s something wrong with you and you should get your priorities sorted.

What you should do is to call the tow truck and do whatever it is to get you car fixed. You cannot just live in the moment thinking that your short term decisions will benefit you in the long run. Please don’t be blur. You must prepare for what’s ahead and focus on key wins for long term benefits.

This is especially true with sales. You have to be consistent and project revenue for the future. If you can’t win now and today and know what’s important, how on earth are you going to make it? You will suffer like hell for sure.

With each daily win, your future tomorrows will be solid and secure. They key is to press on with perseverance and patience – this is extremely important. Set daily goals for yourself. Don’t just think your daily goal is to beat traffic and have a good dinner. Live your life wisely and effectively right now otherwise you had better just forget about your tomorrow.

Age Does NOT Equal Experience

No matter what you say, age does not define how experienced a person is – I have met many people who are much older than I, but who suck at what they do. And the worst part is they think they’re pretty darn good. It really burns me to hear these people saying that they are smarter or better because they’ve tasted salt first, or they’ve eaten more salt meaning that they’ve lived longer.

I beg to differ – looks like you’ll be dying faster as well because of the amount of salt you’ve consumed. Look, I’ve got nothing against old people – I know I’m going to get there myself, but I just can’t stand it when this happens. Experience does not come from how many years you’ve lived, but instead from how much you’ve accomplished in a short period of time.

Some parents are famous for using their age against their children. They think because they’re older, they’re automatically smarter and because of this stupid style of thinking, they give their children bad and wrong advice – resulting in the children making stupid decisions and being blamed for it. This is what happens when people live in their own little bubbles thinking they know it all.

This is the truth – plain and simple. The more you use your experience, the more effective it will be and the more you will learn. Because you’ll realize like a smart person would, that the more you learn, the more you need to know and the knowledge process never ends.

The Stupid Intern – When People Don’t Realize Their Mistake

I’m in the midst of writing a book right now – about stupid people and the stupid things they do. I think this person I’m going to tell you about here would fit perfectly in the book. This is a story about an intern who thought she was too smart and too good for anyone else. She came in not knowing a single thing about working in a corporate environment and to hear her speak was like listening to a confession. But after a few weeks, we managed to coax her out of her shell and helped instill in her the confidence she lacked.

As the weeks progressed, this intern decided that she knew better than all of us and decided to make some others feel small. We have this monthly session called the K-Sharing – and it was here that she went on and on pointing out the flaws of others - and marking snarky, smart aleck type comments.

But this isn’t the half of it – the very next week, she decided to go on a tea break while having work to do without informing her line manager. When questioned about this, she said, “Why ah? Here cannot go for tea break is it? Must I ask for permission?” Now reading this may make it seem like a harmless comment, but when someone tells you this coupled with bad attitude, you just want to give her two tight slaps.

Suffice to say she isn’t with us anymore – and that’s what we’ve been doing quite consistently and effectively I might add –getting rid of the bad fruit before the entire crate goes. So if you are a potential intern planning to come for an interview with us, please be sure that you are not stupid.

When Money is a Motivator

Some people say that money shouldn’t motivate a person into getting a job done. There are two things to consider here. Firstly, it can be a good thing because money drives us towards a goal – a positive goal and that’s a good surface driving objective, a motivation of sorts.

However, if you get too greedy and are constantly chasing after it then you should cool your heels and focus on why you want to make so much money in the first place. Remember: too much of a good thing is bad for you. I know what you are thinking – “how can having too much money be a bad thing” or “there’s no such thing as too much money”. Wait. I’ll explain. What happens when too much of something is produced – it becomes a surplus item and loses its value – and there’s no thrill to acquiring it anymore.

Whether you believe it or not, the same is true of money. Sure you need it, and it’s good to have more than you need – but half the fun in getting all this money is the hard work that goes into earning it. When you have too much of it – it become worthless. You think I’m crazy for saying this – but that’s because you probably don’t have too much of it – that’s why you want more. But once you have mountains of it, you’ll see what I’m talking about.

It’s important that you strike a balance for both – this is crucial. If you are in sales, let money drive you to succeed, but don’t let it be your main focus point. Think also of the team and the company and how you can inspire the rest to follow your drive and ambition – now that’s something that’s good to have a lot of.

i can't

There are people who seem to think that I can do everything – but whether you’d like to believe it or not, I’m human too you know and there are some things that I can’t do.

1. I can’t accept non-performance especially when all the processes are put in place to achieve results. Non performance is not acceptable.

2. I can’t accept mediocrity. “Oklah” is NOT ok with me.

3. I can’t accept people who say that they want to be a part of something special but do nothing to earn it. You are just a professional dreamer.

4. I can’t tolerate people who are given right directions but then choose to ignore it and later blame everyone around them for their failures. You will forever be a failure for your ignorance.

5. I can’t stand those who choose the easy way out. You are just pure lazy.

6. I can’t appreciate fence-sitters – people who don’t want to make decisions because they’re afraid it’ll make them look bad. You have no guts to live.

7. I can’t take it when people say “I don’t know” without even trying – to me, that’s just a cop out. You are just chicken.

There several ways you can look at this list – you can say, “Who the hell does he think he is – perfection is it?” or maybe you’re thinking “I pity the people who work in his company – they must be miserable and constantly living in fear.” Perhaps, there are a handful who would say, “I understand – he has to be this way in order to lead and make sure that the business grows and makes it through this challenging time because there are mouths to feed and bills to pay.” But better still if there are a few who say, “He is doing what he has to do and he’s not here to win a popularity contest.” And if you don’t like it, too bad.

The 5 Point Checklist – Are you taking your boss/company for granted?

1. I believe that everyone gets a letter of appointment stating their responsibilities and duties. So it’s quite mind-boggling when people don’t do what is fundamentally expected of them. So when you don’t do what you’ve signed on the dotted line to do and let go of your responsibilities expecting the company or your boss to understand then you’ve done the unthinkable – which is to take them for granted. If it’s sales that you have to do – get it done and bring in the numbers – get on the phone and make those calls till the phone is hot to the touch. Be committed.

2. Not appreciating the opportunities you’re given is another warning sign. If you’ve got it good – by the current situation standards, I mean you still have a job that pays and you still grumble about having to go to work – then you’re an ungrateful fool and deserve to be left out in the cold.

3. When you have a team of mentors who are doing what they can to make sure you get better at your job and you just refuse to improve on your attitude and work style, then you are stupid. Because, why should other people care for you when you don’t give a damn – if you know you have to change and want to be a stubborn mule about it – then you have taken these people and their untiring efforts to help you for granted.

4. There is a fine line between being witty and being a smart aleck who likes to mouth off. You think you’re saying something about your colleague or boss in a joking manner – but remember a joke told once too often becomes dull and if you continue trying to be “smart” about it then the joke will eventually be on you. You are really dumb if you think that talking about your co-worker or boss will make you come across as being clever. It’s a stupid thing to do and you’ll just look stupid because in fact, you are.

5. When you make everything about you. Saying that you only want to focus on one specific area and don’t want to help out the team – when you have skills that you don’t want to share, when you spend the entire day bitching about it when somebody sets you right because you bloody well deserved it. When you have this attitude, “I have come into this company to serve myself and see what it can do for me” – then you have taken it for granted.

Made in Malaysia

Some people seem to think that in order for a workshop to be great, it must have a white man on stage – the harder to understand the accent the better, because this must mean that the speaker is more “authentic”. This is not about race or gender, but about the misconception that many have about Malaysian trainers and what they’re worth. Recently, we ran a Public Speaking Workshop and there was a lady who called to inquire more. When she was given the price of the workshop, she literally did a back flip and became verbally abusive saying unnecessarily unpleasant things about Malaysian trainers.

Then there is the case of a rather well-known publisher specializing in Malay medium magazines who requested to meet our trainers – and we were hounded on a daily basis to send a trainer for a meeting. Our trainers are fully-booked on a monthly basis and so getting a slot in is no mean feat – but we accommodated them anyway – for a FREE consultation. A few weeks passed and there was no reply. We got to know that they had engaged another trainer through one of our other companies – he didn’t even have the guts or decency to deliver the message in person. He decided to go with another trainer “an international one” and get this…from Singapore.

Let me just say this to you – for your information, the ATCEN International Group does have international trainers who are internationally certified and who have trained internationally. If we are as second rate as you say we are, why the hell then are you calling us?

Is it because you think we are cheap? If that’s the case then you must be a damn cheapskate. Know this – consider yourself fortunate that there are still a few successful Malaysians who’ve decided to stay behind to help bring you to where you or your company wants to get to.

You think we can’t make it abroad? We’ll excel in every way if we do leave – but we’ve stayed behind to bring about a positive change. And if you want to insist on international trainers from across the causeway or don’t see the investment that can buy you for life – then you can take your business elsewhere. We only want to serve well deserving clients.