The Principles...Part 4

Ahhh...a cup of freshly brewed Vietnamese coffee... This will be a very significant milestone for chuntoicracks.blogspot.com as the post was actually completed in Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on 28th May 2010. The fourth and last of my original principles "Use Common Sense"...there are actually more than 4 principles...after making Adjustments to new requirement and scenario...lain kali saja lah...

Common Sense is a very huge and deep subject...as it is a very subjective matter. In fact, a few years back, I had a 3hours long debate with Stephen "The Botak" Tan where he argued that a person's Common Sense might not really be another person's Common Sense...that is actually a totally different argument altogether...

Anyway, there are however, quite a few universally agreed "Common Sense"...like a boiling pot, naturally, Common Sense tells us that it is very hot, therefore, do not touch or you'll burn your hand...you don't really need proofs or case study because some dumb prick touched it a long long time ago...hehehe...

Isn't it also a Common Sense that we would handle something fragile carefully because it'll break easily?

Before crossing the road, looking to you left & right & left again would be a Common Sense in Malaysia because of our road system...however, in our neighbouring countries like Vietnam & Cambodia, it would be the reverse...left hand drive mah...better yet, you don't really need to look as the drivers or motorbike riders should be looking at you and "Siam" you while you cross...strange...

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The term "Common Sense" is explained in the Dictionary as "Sound judgment not based on specialized knowledge; native good judgment." while Thesaurus as "The ability to make sensible decisions: judgment, sense, wisdom. Informal gumption, horse sense.".
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A 19th century Swiss philosopher Henri Frederic Amiel quoted "Common Sense is the measure of the possible; it is composed of experience and prevision; it is calculation applied to life.".

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Another great mind also from the 19th century, Henry Ward Beecher also quoted on the subject, "The philosophy of one century is the common sense of the next.".

Now, how will this fourth principle works...looking back at the earlier 3 principles, they are very much measurable and objective driven while Common Sense can be very "Subjective" yet "Judgment Based"...which gives the principles a balanced.
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Take working on a BAT project for example, the inexperience juniors in the Brand team will not know the full Standard Operating Procedure that G2 personnel needs to go through in order for a request as simple as purchasing 300,000pcs of Lighters.

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Using Common Sense, the logical next steps would be identifying the Lighter design, the material, the type, the sample, the colour combination, the brand language, the message (If any), the quantity, the budget available, the unit price, the delivery date, the method of delivery, the packaging, the Indirect Procurement policies, the competitive quotes, the Production Estimate, the approval process, the Purchase Orders, the Invoices, the FA files, the Colour Separation files, the production, the QC...With all the steps mentioned above, using Common Sense again, it would be vertually impossible to complete everything in one month's time...unless they are talking about the RM1 Cricket Lighters...
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With Common Sense, Covering All Angles and Attention To Details through a thorough Thinking Process, it should give you enough bullet to convince the client by using the skill to Manage their Expectations rather than agreeing and taking that instruction or request without providing any suggestion or better solutions...
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Furthermore, those steps mentioned above, are pretty much applicable to almost everything requested by BAT personnel, be it a Pack Insert, a Point Of Sales Material, a Packaging, an Activity or even an Event...therefore, even though they can also be categorised as processes, they should be part of the G2 BAT personnel's Common Sense...

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In fact, it should also be BAT personnel's Common Sense too...the lack of it in this context, would result in demanding for crazy requests to be fulfilled...which could cause a lot of unnecessary stress...unfortunately (For some weaker or inexperience G2 BAT personnel), that is the case...as they (Both G2 BAT personnel and BAT personnel) are unable to rationale or negotiate with the client or their superiors. Eventually, most of the stress and pressure are being transferred to other G2 BAT departments as well as suppliers...

Circumstances require the blogger to go deeper into explaining the final principle and possibly, revisit and edit some of the earlier posted subjects as there are potential "Danger" when one missed the plot completely...
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Finally, don't just take my words of the 4 principles, read more articles, books or google them on the internet, you will get a lot of website that dedicate and advocate the same concept...possibly delivering the same message slightly differently.
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Vietnam did give me some inspirations, a different perspective even...their history gave the Vietnamese some very strong characters and it shows...I was a Chun Toi experiencing their country for the 1st time, thanks to Nick Lee, Yee Mei and Daniel for showing us the rope...Although I have a very strange concept of Common Sense but after all, I'm still me...a Chun Toi with Cracks.

The Principles...Part 3

Just presented only my third pitch of be-actu8...we were the 1st to present...others are presenting next week. Will it be a long and agonising wait? Will we get the job? Hmmm...we'll see...

Anyway, finishing up this post so that I can go for a 5days-4nights, long holiday in Vietnam with the wifey...plus meeting up with some "Old Friends" and possibly even potential business contacts.
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Maybe it's my normally already high, expectations...maybe it's for my own satisfaction...or be it my own principles in approaching the pitch...I believe I blew them away with the comprehensiveness of our ideas, solutions and forward thinking...but I definitely...really...literally...blew them away with the Costing slide at the end...hahaha...

Jokes aside, in that case, I believe I utilised the 3rd Principle to perfection where I've covered every possible angle in managing The Internal work related matters, addressing The Brief's objectives, meeting The Agency's standards, covering and possibly even over achieving The client's expectation (From proposal to costing...hahaha...).

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I believe I have "Covered All Angles".

Together with the fourth principle (Which will be posted later...when I return from Vietnam...kekeke...), I managed to apply the 1st two principles of "Managing Expectations" and "Attention To Details" while "Covering All Angles" to make the presentation, complete.

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Although, there's still a lot of "Uncertain Gaps" to be filled later, upon confirmation of the project and work-in-progress, the presentation went smoothly as I also managed to engage in a very fruitful two way communication with the clients....answering every question the best that I can possibly give.

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Covering All Angles is about thinking further and looking at an issue or a brief from all possible angle and through the perspectives of all stakeholders...it's definitely not easy...but if you can isolate and address it one by one, along with the other principles...and the Thinking Process...it is not that difficult after all...

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To those that is aware of the principles, I've always talk about this very much in a one dimensional 360degree where the angles are already "Infinity"...no matter how you look at it...it's still one dimensional...

Here, let me introduce a the totally fresh new perspective to this 3rd Principle...Imagine yourself in the center of a sphere looking outwards in a 3D environment...it has so much more "space" and depending on the size of the sphere you are in...it also carry that much more depth.

Another general rule...common sense even...Every Action has a Reaction...therefore, if you look outwards from the center, upon completion, you should bring yourself outside and look back into the sphere.

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For some strange reason, after some emotional roller-coaster past few days, I am in a very playful mood today...completing this post in an hour as the words just flow and starts to spin its story.

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Although I'm playful, a playful Chun Toi for that matter, I'm still me...a Chun Toi with Cracks that always Cover All Angles.

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P/S: Maybe the Vietnam trip will give me some new inspirations and perspectives looking at the fourth principle...till next time children...

*And now it's back to enlightening my little confused 'in a dilemma' Toh Dai....sigh...

The Principles...Part 2

The second serving of my "Principles"...

Before we start today's lesson, boys & girls, let us revisit the previous post...and put the learning from Managing Expectations into practise immediately...

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To Manage everyone's Expectation, ChunToiCracks says:

"Although the posts from this blogger (or bugger) come in different times but it is progressive and has linkage as most of it don't work on a standalone basis.

Just like the Principles, each one links very closely with another while all 4 basic principles should be applied together when you deal with any situation while mapping against the "Thinking Process".

Therefore, to get the most out of it, you really need to take them all in and apply them."

Now, moving on, from Managing Expectation, we take a closer look at "Pay Attention To Details".It is bizarre...as mentioned in Part 1, I would've posted this one after "Managing Expectation" weeks ago if not because of "Adjustment"...as here's something I got from Jen Lee the other day...

1st year students of MBBS (A Medical School...I believe) were attending their 1st anatomy class.

They all gathered around the surgery table with a really gorgeous but dead blonde.

The Professor started the class by telling them two important qualities as a Doctor.

The 1st important quality, "Never Be Disgusted For Anything About Body"...He then inserted his finger in the blonde's anus and on drawing back, tasted it in his mouth.

Then he told everyone to do the same.

The students hesitated for several minutes.

But, eventually, everyone inserted their fingers in the blonde's anus and then tasted it.

When everyone finished, the professor looked at them and said: "The most important 2nd Quality is Observation, I inserted my middle finger but tasted the index finger.

Now, learn to Pay Attention To Details.

Moral: Life is tough but it's a lot tougher when you are not paying attention.

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Take working on BAT projects as another example, which targets up to 90,000 outlets nationwide where the list of deliverables can grow up to 50 or more different items per campaign while some of the items can reach the amount of 300,000units.

Although the G2 and BAT processes will help ensure having certain level of safety measure not allowing the possibility of mistakes such as wrong quantity ordered but without having enough Attention To Details...Shit Can Hit The Fan...

Just imagine the consequences of ordering 30,000units instead of 300,000units? The campaign will not have enough material to roll-out as reordering takes time. Or ordering 3,000,000units instead of 300,000units? Who will pay for the additional 2,700,000units?

Apart from an eye for details, having an "Owner's Mindset" or "Ownership Approach" will definitely help elevate the level of Attention To Details. Again, imagine yourself paying for every single items required with your own, hard earned money for the campaign, just like when you are buying a new car, new iPhone or new Blackberry...whatever...you would scrutinize every part of the item looking for tiny little 1mm scratches, right?Why not apply that Owner's Mindset when you are dealing with campaign material? Is it because you don't pay for them or it is just "Work"?

I'm sure everyone went through tthe satge of having to face the consequences which resulted from Not Paying Enough Attention To Details but it is important that we learn from the mistake and not repeat them.

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I noticed things as I do Pay Attention To Details...In fact, that is why I notice the "Crack Marks"...hehehe...and after all that...I am still a Chun Toi with Cracks...

The Principles...Part 1

Be prepared...the upcoming 4 posts will be quite dry as they require the necessary examples in order to fully explain them...

As mentioned in my 1st post...I didn't realise that I was operating under these principles until I started categorising them...during my Account Management days.

Let me also clarify that these "Principles" is not something that is cooked up by me without any basis but it's really...universal terms and you can actually google them...It is how I operate under the guidance of these principles...Thinking back, all the situations that I was caught in...the principles have yet to fail me. If you do not have any better solutions...try them. Although, it's very "Work" orientated but they are truly applicable in any position, any rank, any field and anything that you are currently doing. And, it does not clash with any working style that you may already adopt.

Once you've mastered the "Thinking Process"...use the step by step guide and map against these principles. You will be able to notice the differences in the results...

They are:

1. Managing Expectations

2. Pay Attention To Details

3. Cover All Angles

4. Use Common Sense

In Part 1 today, I will only elaborate on Managing Expectations. What is Managing Expectation?

Everyday, everything that we do, whether we are aware of it, we ARE actually managing expectations from people around us.

Take an advertising agency as an example, everything an Account Executive (AE) does is actually Managing Expectation. A request from a client, An instruction from a superior, A feedback from internal Creative or Production personnel, A directive from Management...

From the client's request, they expect the AE to do the necessary in order for the request be met and eventually delivered and roll-out into the market.

After an instruction from a superior, the superior is expecting the AE to perform the task given and execute them to perfection.

The Creative, Production and in a lot of ways, the Traffic Dept expects the AE to send a timely and clear instruction of the request in order for them to perform their role...up to the expected quality and standard.

Therefore, by performing the tasks mentioned above, up to the expectations of the clients, the superior or any other internal personnel, the AE is naturally, Managing Expectations.

On the other hand, the clients is expected to give clear a direct request, the superior is expected to give clear instructions and set the expected deadline & result with proper guidance while the other internal personnel are expected to provide the necessary support.

At every level, every one needs to Manage Expectations of a different type while the expectations from different parties will also differ.

From managing expectations where the optimum is meeting "What is expected"...which does not really spring any surprises, the next level would be "Exceeding Expectations"...

Another good example would be meeting deadline. By meeting the deadline, you are Managing Expectations while delivering earlier than deadline, you are actually Exceeding Expectations. Similarly, if a deadline is set but you are unable to meet them, Manage the Expectation by negotiating a better deadline rather than informing the recipient on the day of the deadline that you will not meeting it as it will be a huge disappointment.

There's a major different between Covering Backside and Managing Expectations. Covering Backside is most commonly linked to "Tai Chi" (Another famous Kung Fu Style based on Ying and Yang where the exponent uses the strength of the opponent or diverting it...) while Managing Expectations deal with the issues - Head On.

To master the skill of Managing Expectations, apart from the above mentioned, the most important point is ensure that the expectation level is set and agreed before any action is taken to avoid any subjectivity upon completion of a task as well as disappointments.

Just last Friday, some exPB&Fers were celebrating Ms Law "Dragon Lady" Swee Kheng's 35th or 53rd Birthday at Reggie Lee's LOL Cafe in Subang...I can't confirm the actual number as they only lighted one candle...hehehe...Anyway, I had the privilege to chat with the love of her life, exCEO of Euro RSCG, Mr Steve Teoh. To him, Managing Expectations is an Art Form.

Now...that is a totally fresh new way (To me anyway...) of looking at Managing Expectations as I've never look at it in that manner before this but it does make sense...If you have master the skill, you should be able to beautify it into an art form...why not?

It's very strange, bizarre even and you can also term it as faith actually...if not because of the sudden "Adjustment" to the sequence of my posts, I would've posted this subject (A lot dryer...) at least three weeks ago...I guess, the short interruption above, spiced up the content a little more too. It also proved that the principles are not something where I'm the only one adopting...

If any of you remember "An Intro", I believe I found my "4o years old Dude" in Steve Teoh...only 15 years later...or 15 years too late...hehehe... Talking with him, makes me realise that I am heading toward the right direction while confirming that I still have plenty to learn.

So, go out and find your own "40 years old Dude" (Metaphorically speaking...of course...), listen and engage with an open mind & open heart...What have you got to lose???

Although I'm a Chun Toi with Cracks, Steve shared his wisdom generously and offered more in the future...Thanks Steve! I appreciate it a lot...I've also gain more knowledge as well as a few new tricks...hehehe...but no matter what, I'm still a Chun Toi with Cracks.

Adjustment

The post is not about the type of Adjustment you make when you have "Wrong Parking"...ouch!!!...kakaka...although that "Parking" is very closely linked to the Chun Toi...kekeke...

It's about Adjustments in Life...in Relationship...in Work...in Your Approach...

This was initially the 5th post after "Team Work or Teamwork?" but I've decided to complete this one before the other 4 posts that actually come in a series...that is one of the reason why it's been slow on new posts...excuses excuses...sigh...

What inspire this post and require the immediate "Adjustment" to post it first?

Well, recently, I noticed a lot of movement to people I know...whether they move on to other company or department or due to other's movements...new recruits joining in...shift in roles...shift in relationships...

From there, I get a lot of messages whether through bbm, fb, sms or even calls where it's mostly grievances about how uncomfortable they feel about those changes.
My dear friends, the solutions to this issues are really very simple... Adjustment, tnemtsujdA, A d j u s t m e n t and,
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No matter what is the issue you faced, what is the cause, what is the circumstances, which ever angle you see it...it is still Adjustment...and it's all about Adjustment.

If you are a subordinate reporting to a new superior, the danger is expectation. Never expect him/her to be exactly as how your previous superior works. Although he/she is supposed to also make some Adjustment, YOU, should first make the Adjustment to manage him/her while continue to focus on how you can really support him/her "Differently" if your current style does not work.

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If you are a mid-level manager (Working with a team of personnel & subordinates) reporting to a new superior, your way of leading the juniors need to be different as the approach of the new superior will very likely be different and there will be changes. Therefore, make the necessary Adjustment so that you can lead the juniors to better support the new superior as well as the entire group.

If you are a new member in an established team, all the more you should make Adjustment so that you can fit in and play a role as a Team Member.

If you are a new head to an established team, after understanding how everything functions, you need to make Adjustment to lead the Team better than the previous leader.

If you are a leader where your subordinate has left your organisation (For whatever reason), you definately need to make huge Adjustment before and after the replacement arrives...otherwise...you are just staring down a locked and loaded double barrel!

If you are a new employee joining a new organisation, Adjustment is one of the key to successfully blend into the new and different culture...don't expect the culture to adjust to your ways.

If you are a long term follower of this blog, some of the previous posts like "Team Work Or Teamwork?", "The Recipe", "Another side of the story...The Disciple", "A Funny Story About...Sifu", "The Leader" and "Motivated and De-Motivated" will also shed some lights in a different manner to the subject matter...just try and make an Adjustment while reading them again from a different angle...you will also find some fresh new answers in them.

For example, if you are De-Motivated because of the reasons above, you should make Adjustment so that you can Re-Motivate yourself rather than giving up without even trying...

The Adjustments I've mentioned above are mostly caused by external factors that you must make in order to meet those challenges...there is also a self-inflicted Adjustment even when there's absolutely nothing that is causing a stir in your uneventful life...Adjustment should still be made in order to improve yourself to the next level or prepare yourself for bigger challenges...All you need is "A Progressive Mind".

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Adjustment can also be categorised into Evolutionary and Revolutionary...From my days as an AV Producer to Associate Account Director working in multiple brands, I have made Adjustments to meet those different requirements at different level.

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In terms of Brand Building, we also need to be very mindful and aware of the shifts in the market place and esure necessary Adjustments are made during planning, strategising, developing and executing the brand building activities.

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I have made some very significant Adjustment when I left G2. Everything I do is different, therefore, I need to make the Adjustment to my approach. Everyone (Partners, Subordinates, Suppliers and Clients) that I'll be working with is unfamiliar with my working style, therefore, I need to make the Adjustment to break from my usual style in order to meet any expectation they might have. From sending newspaper clippings, after several improvement and Adjustment, I've also made further Adjustment to start this blog...

Due to circumstances in my career, I've adjusted to meet the different demands...As a Chun Toi...I've made Adjustment...however, I'm still me, a Chun Toi with Cracks.P/S: I've just make another Adjustment to my approach...I am now on Twitter...kekeke...and guess the name...hint hint...wink wink...I'm pretty sure you can find me in that cyber-world...

Team Work or Teamwork?

Should Teamwork (电涡 = Dein Wok) be written in two words or one word?

In English, both are correct depending on the context of the sentence. However, a Team that Works is significantly different with a group that has Teamwork...in order to drive the true spirit behind the word, it is best written as a single word.

Hate them or Like them, in a lot of ways, the Americans are the pioneer in "Teamwork" where it's most obvious through their team sports starting from as early as 1900...more than a century ago...

Try to google the word, there are thousands of sites promoting and defining the meaning of the word, there are also thousands of quotes on the subject and most of them are by American. One of the most famous one, which are printed on a lot of T-Shirts today, "Teamwork. Simply stated. It is less me and more we." but, how many can truly practices the concept?Take the Legend, Hall Of Famer, Michael "His Airness" Jordan of Chicago Bulls for example, no matter how high and far he can "fly", without the support from the 2nd Three-peat team with the likes of Scotie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc and Luc Longley, who is Michael Jordan? Can he really go against a five member opposing team alone in offense and defence?

In team sport, every individual must know how to play their role to achieve the team's goal. In 1995, the Bulls went 72-10, losing only 10 games the entire regular season and it's still a record today. The coach, Phil Jackson quoted, "The strength of the team is each individual member...The strength of each member is the team.".
Jordan shares the same view, "Talents wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.". Although his greatness is a major factor especially in shouldering the burden and pressure of game winning shots with less than 5seconds on the clock, without Pippen as His Airness's wing-man, Kerr and Kukoc in position to drain shots from beyond the ark as well as drawing opponents away, Rodman going against centers & power forwards taller and bigger than him grabbing all those rebounds and finally, Longley fending off big centers like Shaq, I doubt Jordan can win as much championships as he did. Furthermore, if the team members are all immature and selfish, they will not be winning anything even if there's 5 Michael Jordan in the team.

Can Christiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney score as many goals playing with the current batch of players in Portsmouth FC?...without the proper support from midfields, wings, defences and goalkeepers? Casey Stengel quoted, "Getting good players is easy. Getting them to play together is the hard part.".

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There's also no room for nonsense like Age Barrier in team sports. Just take the current Arsenal FC for example, Cesc Fabregas is one of the youngest player in the team, yet, he is an inspirational captain...whenever he's fit to play... When everyone playing their socks off together, remarkable things, do and will happen. Remember the "Unbeatable" Arsenal team that created English Premier League and football history?

Professionalism plays a major role in team sports...take Manchester City FC for example, Emmanual Adebayor earns as much as 180,000pounds A WEEK!!! while the new dude like Adam Johnson (Jersey No.11), at the most, I believe, earns 40,000pounds a week. If the amount each player earn also become a barrier and get in the way of "Teamwork", they probably won't be able to even fight for a Draw every time they take the field.

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The other part that really drives the difference in team sports in the leader and the coaching staff. Preparing the team in advance, strategising the tactical aspect against the next opponent as well as manoeuvre players' position during the game is also part of the key to success...and when required, playing mind-games...Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho are top managers in the field.

"Kepala Besar" is the major negative contributor to team sports and we, Malaysian are uniquely gifted in that...take the Malaysian National Football team for example, don't you think that the Sea Game Gold Medal was a total fluke? Are we really catching up to the other Asean countries? What about the Asian level? Where are we? I guess, that is why, Malaysian, normally fair better in individual sport like Bowling, Badminton and Squash.

Actually, the subject of "Teamwork" was requested by an ex-colleague from PB&F, PY...who's currently working with a group of dedicated personnel that reminded her so much of the team during the bright cigarette advertising days in PB&F.

Back then in PB&F, we had about 70+ staff but everyone, from the Directors all the way to the Dispatch, Pakcik Hussein and Tea Lady, Choy Choo, knows their exact role they needed to play to support each other. It was not forced...it was unspoken but it was there and it worked.

Although, there are those unavoidable office politics, everyone is aware of it but no one is truly affected by the nonsense. In fact, together, we achieved greater & greater heights and eventually, built a name for ourselves. A fitting quote from Robert Yates, "It is amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares about who gets the credit.".

It was a fantastic feeling, just like a well-oiled machine where every part runs in perfect harmony and synchronisation. It's also like a perfect team, when one member is down, the others fill the gap and protect each other...more than family, more than friends...maybe back then, that's the spirit Peter Beaumont wanted to drive, the Teamwork in PB&F...where the "F" actually do stand for "Friends"...

I have a lot of Chun Toi friends, especially those from Peter Beaumont & Friends...hehehe...they appreciates the Chun Toi that I was and the Chun Toi I've become...but after all, I'm still me, a Chun Toi with Cracks.

P/S: This "Blogger" or "Bugger" appreciates the contribution of Ms Shying Tan (For the Chinese characters), Ms Molly Ong, Ms Law "Dragon Lady" Swee Kheng and Ms PY "Pantai" Liew as well as paying a special tribute to Pakcik Hussein and Choy Choo...for all the coffee she made for me before she goes home everyday...before I come in...hahaha...

The Recipe

A quick reminder...the intention of the blog is to share my "Life Story"...so far. Sometimes, it can be funny and more light hearted while others...it can be a little dry and in your face...depending on the nature of the post.

It is very important that you do not take the content the wrong way. I am not preaching in the manner or approach where I want you young ones out there to do or follow exactly as I said...I am not your boss nor your father...

It's okay if you do not understand some of the contents, some of the messages that require you to read between the line, to think further...If you want to, you can remember it, learn from it and realise it when it happen to you...so that you can be prepared, make necessary adjustment as well as knowing how to deal with it. The scenario and the circumstances may be different but the method can be similar and the end result, will be the ultimate judgement of your "True-Self".

What inspired the post?Asian Food Channel and Discovery Travel and Living. There are plenty of "Cook Show" from different parts of the world, apart from demonstration by celebrity chefs, it has great recipes, varieties and important tips for a good meal.

In life, all of us goes through trials and errors before we reach a certain level of confidence. Similarly, for a great recipe, even if it comes from a maestro and we are following every steps, cooking it under different weather condition, insufficient preparation procedure like marinating, a slight miscalculation on the amount of spices and seasoning, wrong substitute of ingredient or totally wrong ingredient, missing a vital step, over or under cooking...are all disastrous. To cook a "perfect" dish, sometimes, one have to go through several tries...

In order to succeed in life, take a good recipe as a guide, preparing well in advance, carefully select the freshest ingredient, marinate it with the best spices, let the flavours of the spices immerse into/with the ingredient, using the right cooking instruments, the right amount of oil, with the proper temperature and a sound control of time, I bet you, 9.5 times out of 10, it will be a fantastic dish. But, never be too afraid to try... There's Chinese proverb, "Mann Si Hei Bou Nan" (Which translates...10 thousand matters, the starting step is very difficult)...Therefore, go try it. If you fall or make a mistake, pick yourself up and try again...through a different route but don't stop trying. The most famous quote from the famed celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver, "...All I ever wanted to do was to make food accessible to everyone; To show that you can make mistakes - I do all the time - But it doesn't matter.". One of Jamie's program, "Jamie's Ministry Of Food" is one of the most inspiring of all. The concept of "Pass It On" is so powerful. He set out to change a town's habit of eating fast food where he started with a few people, teach them how to cook a simple meal, from there, they pass on the knowlegde to their friends and family, who in turn, passing it on to more people...which is similar to the intention of this blog.

Everyone goes through a different path in life. Nobody's perfect. I'm not. That is why, even though I'm a certified Chun Toi, it still have crack marks...That is also why, I'm still me, a Chun Toi with Cracks.

Another side of the story...The Disciple

Hope you saw the funny side of last Friday's post "A Funny Story About...Sifu". If you find it interesting, you really need to read this one......hehehe...

This could be a very CONFUsing post with the examples I have, as it might contradict with some of the points raised from "A Funny Story About...Sifu", especially when most of the quotes is from CONFUcius...hahaha...It is something that I didn't fully explain to the person who inspired the Sifu post using a different angle...from the receiving end...as a Disciple (Toh Dai).
If any of you have watched Jackie Chan's "Druken Master" before, you would remember all the scene where he went through some very difficult training routine under the Sifu. Just like "The Karate Kid", Mr Miyagi also have similar training techniques (Wax On ~ Wax Off Technique) where the emphasis is put on the understanding the philosophy behind the Kung Fu Style or Karate-do rather than the actual physical moves...of course, at the end of both movies, the trainings are put into good use where the Scriptwriter and Director of the film turn them into the killer or winning blow...(To be honest, where got Sifu that can anticipate that one of his Toh Dai's kaki will be hurt so badly until he has to stand on one leg one...tipu punya lah...).Well, as the title suggested, it's about the Disciple, the Toh Dai. In both "Druken Master" & "Karate Kid", the Toh Dai played by Jackie Chan & Ralph Macchio respectively were a little sceptical about the training method in the begining but eventually, when the techniques are put into forms or flows and they finally realise & understand the reason behind it, they kept going and going no matter how difficult the training was...That is how Toh Dai should "Obey" and "Learn" from their Sifu...by giving it their all.

Not to be CONFUsed with the die hard suicide bombers where they will just follow instructions or orders blindly...but to learn, a certain level of commitment, dedication and hard work is a must. CONFUcius says "He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.".

He also mentioned "By nature, men are pretty much alike; It is learning & practice that set them apart.". For example, the Shaolin Monks believes that all Kung Fu originated from their great monk Bodhidharma (while most would disagree with that claim...), it is very possible that through the generation of practices that branches and resulted in many other Kung Fu Styles today.

As a Toh Dai, the first and foremost requirement is to learn as much as possible from the Sifu...with CONFUcius's philosophy, the Toh Dai could easily outshine the Sifu by enhancing the style due to different level of interpretation of the 10 Jiu. If the Sifu's biggest fear is "Being Replaced", then the Toh Dai's goal should be "Replacing The Sifu"...why not? It is a dog eat dog world after all...hahaha...if that is what drives the Toh Dai to work hard at the training...

Even if the Sifu refuses to teach all 10 Jiu...just imagine, someone, from generations ago started the 1st Jiu that resulted in the eventual 10 Jiu, if the Toh Dai can have the same Progressive Mindset of the creator, he too, should be able to recreate that 10th Jiu...possibly with some differences but in general, it should encompass the same essence and power of the Kung Fu Style. If the Toh Dai has an extra edge, by taking the essence, he can even create the 11th, 12th, 13th Jiu and possibly even more...surpassing everyone before him.

Not all Sifu are bad or stingy in parting knowlegde but definitely, not all Sifu are good teachers...therefore, as a Toh Dai, knowing and understanding the "Training Method" as well as the way to decipher it, is very important. CONFUcius also said "If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.".

Seriously, I'd make a very bad Toh Dai...in fact, I think I'd suck at it...but in truth, I never really had a Sifu in life. Like I mentioned in "An Intro", I'd probably would have "Kek Sei" the Sifu...hahaha...I also had no one to complain to and because my superior don't know how to teach me...I could've just given up and got out of this business long long time ago...But, I've learn to live with it. Adjust. Find my own path. Learn by observing. Compute the possibilities. Trying to achieve different heights every time...

Therefore, even if your immediate superior is a "Sifu who is not a good teacher", it is up to you as a Toh Dai to find and try other method to learn the techniques from him/her.

A little side track,I found a very interesting report on The Sunday Star (14th March 2010). The article highlighted a local survey of 1,678 respondents with a whooping 96% of youth today aspired to be a millionaire and 75% of those believe they can achieve it by age 35. Having high ambition & expectation is definitely a good thing especially with role models like Mark Zukerberg, 26, founder of Facebook and Sergey Brin & Larry Page, founders of Google. But, question is, how many Mark Zukerberg, Sergey Brin and Larry Page are out there? Those guys are geniuses and lucky ones...one in a million. Even the report has a quoted opinion that pointed out, "Many won't be able to achieve the goal".

Everyone wants to be a millionaire...without a doubt, the opportunities are really out there. To me, everyone can be a millionaire. Provided that every single important factor converge in the right manner. There's a chinese proverb that says "To start a business is difficult, to sustain or maintain the business is even more difficult.". Without a strong foundation, things can easily crumble...start building your foundation by learning.

There is a very dangerous trap that all Toh Dai must be aware of and avoid falling into altogether...the "Easy Trap Of Self-righteousness or Over Confidence". Never "Sek Siu Siu, Ban Toi Piu" (Which translate into "Know a little but act like representative") and Never ever give others a chance to say that you are "Kong, Zhau Tin Har Mo Dik. Chou, Jau Mo Nang Wai Lek" (Which translate into "All talk no action"). Imagine yourself only having 1 Jiu, up against another Toh Dai that is learning the 6th Jiu...

Finally, a Henry Ford's quote, "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eigthy. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.".

At times, CONFUcius can be very CONFUsing...I'm 40 but I feel 28. I'm not a Toh Dai and I'm definitely not CONFUsed but I'm still learning...after all, I am still me...a Chun Toi with Cracks.

A Funny Story About...Sifu

I had a chat with a "friend" awhile back about Teaching Juniors that started off from a simple complain about the failure of her immediate superior in guiding and teaching as well as passing down the knowledge...There is a significant difference between Teaching and Leading.

The funny thing was, our entire conversation circled around Sifu and Disciple. After using Band Of Brothers on "The Leader", it actually sparked me to use other movies as the talking point of today's post.
Before I go into the details...let me ask this question first...Imagine yourself as a Martial Art Sifu, are you a Sifu that teaches all 10 Kung Fu Styles/Forms or "Jiu Sek" when you have 10 Jiu? or Are you a Sifu that only teaches 9 Jiu?

If legendary Kung Fu like Yu Loi Sun Jiong or "The Buddha Palm" from the movie, Kung Fu Hustle is real...You would be able to imagine and appreciate the tremendous power of Chinese Martial Arts...Remember the power of the killer strike from Stephen Chow after his enlightenment and transformation towards the end of the movie where he came flying down from the clouds, fighting against the baddy with the Kuan Lunn Frog Style...? What about that two blind dudes with the Chinese GuQin? The landlady that always has a ciggie in her mouth? The Misai dude that can absord and transfer others power into thin air? The Kam-Kam Uncle with the red underwear from the tailor shop? The Noodle Shop dude? The Guli?...There's an age old Chinese saying of "Kau Sik Toh Dai Mo Si Fu" passed down from generations ago, I believe some Sifu started it...where the "Sifu" is scared, that one day, his disciple will replace him or maybe, kill him. Therefore, as an insurance policy, he only impart 9 out of the 10 Jiu he has...keeping the most powerful 10th Jiu to himself...until he dies,. When the disciple mastered all the 9 Jiu and become a Sifu himself, at most, he will only be able to teach 9 Jiu to the next generation of disciples...if he has the same mindset as his sifu...imagine the lost through generations...

That, to me, is what left of Chinese Martial Art today...in some ways...it's merely a performance to the western world...Having said that, without a doubt, there are still some very powerful Kung Fu Styles around but I believe, those that are passed down from generations, are probably a tenth of the original power (even if, there are also Sifu that will passed down all his skills).

Perhaps, we will be able to understand more of that Chinese thinking or behaviour if we try to analyse it further...Those that can become Sifu, normally are old dudes...what concerns them the most is, the "Strength Of Youth" from the disciple, which is acceptable. The second, would be the "Fear Of Being Replaced". Furthermore, the Sifu himself might not have mastered and perfected all 10 Jiu while his young apprentice could...therefore, keeping the most powerful 10th Jiu would be natural, isn't it?...hmm...Can't really blame the sifu...

It's all because of the Narrow Mindset of the old Chinese ways. Actually, by just stepping back a little, the Sifu shouldn't need to worry at all! Why? Because he would have a lot more years of experience in all the 10 Jiu, the possible different combinations using all 10 Jiu and most importantly, he should be able to anticipate the blows coming from his disciple as well as knowing what needs to be done to eliminate the threats.

From the principle of Progressive Mindset, if you are able to look back at history, someone would have created the 1st Jiu through some inspiration and built from 1 Jiu to another, possibly more powerful than the one before, until the 10th Jiu...If the Sifu has that quality in him, he could have create the 11th Jiu that is even more powerful than all the 10 combined, no?

Back to the real society today, the most common and demoralising illness, is the "Fear Of Being Replaced"...especially in the highly competitive corporate organisation. From the principle of the "Law Of Attraction", if you do have this fear, you will be replaced. Therefore, you need to stay relevance and stay ahead, lead the way. When your closest competitor is catching up, move your goal post further to continue staying ahead. But, do not fear of passing down your knowledge to the juniors as the more they learn and understand, the more helpful they will be to ease your workload...be a generous Sifu. They will also appreciate you even more...

Every company, management or boss will always tell their employee that "Nobody's Indispensable". If you are "Just Like One Of Them" instead of being "The One", of course you are dispensable. If you really are "Just One Of Them", you are really just helping to ensure that saying is correct. The true success of today's Managers and Directors are not only measured through their personal performance (As their main Role & Responsibility is no longer based on execution excellence) but also through how well they train, teach and upskill their subordinates.

Drawing the attention back to the subject matter of Sifu. Most Sifu are being remembered because of their success in producing talented disciples rather than their skills in punches and kicks. For example, Ip Man, he is considered as The Great Master of Wing Chun and being remembered as the Sifu to the great Bruce Lee and many other lesser known disciples but they are still considered Wing Chun High-Hand "Gou Sau" in their own rights.

I'm a Sifu of a different nature...A Chun Toi Sifu...hahaha...I teach my disciples all 10 Jiu, I want them to be a great Sifu one day and I also want them to create their own 11th Jiu, so that they can be the Master of all Masters. But, I'm also continuously upskilling myself to stay relevant & stay ahead. `

After all, even though, I'm a Chun Toi Sifu...not yet Wong Fei Hoong Sau Tong...I'm still me...a Chun Toi Sifu with Cracks.

The Leader

I was watching the re-run of the multi award winning mini series, Band Of Brothers (Created in 2001) on HBO last night. I believe, over the years, I've watched it more than 7 times...but every time, something new inspires me. Watching the same movie in a different time, mood and state of mind does gives me different inspirations...

Last night was Episode 7, "The Breaking Point", beside being one of the bloodiest and hard fought battle, Easy Company also suffered the most casualties. Do log on to http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1247468/synopsis to get the full story or watch the next re-run on HBO if you don't have the pirated DVDs...hehehe...

Actually, the entire episode circled around all the leaders of Easy Company.
The Trusted Leader that strategies and commands but unable to lead the troop directly into battlefield.
The New Replacement Leader that the men has no confidence in the leadership quality.
The Good Leader, that in the end, broke, rendered incapable and eventually taken off the front line.
The Bad Leader that always "Siam" his duties & goes missing especially during the German's bombardment and unable to lead during combat...giving wrong orders...that caused more casualties.
The Feared but Effective Leader that stepped in and lead the battalion to victory.
And, finally, the True Leader of the Company, the respected leader behind the leaders that always lead by example.

In one of the scene, Staff Sgt. C. Carwood Lipton, The True Leader (Played by Donnie Wahlberg) defended Lt. Norman Dike, The Bad Leader (Even though, all the men in the Company doubted the Leader). Lipton knows too well as he too has doubts but playing his role, he must instill that confidence in support of the lieutenant and continue to motivate the men, especially with the continuous shelling from the Germans.

Lipton's point was, the men should not compare and expect the Lieutenant to step into Captain Winters, The Trusted Leader's role immediately, especially when everyone fought and bleed for more than two years together. The bond and brotherhood that every men has are really undeniable and irreplaceable.

Quietly and undoubtedly, without realising it himself until told by Lt. Speirs, The Feared but Effective Leader, Lipton has been the corner stone of the Company...keeping the morale of the men high and always picking them up whenever they are down. That's the quality of a true leader...

What also inspired me to write about the episode, is the many leaders in the different rank in the army...similarly, to any corporate organisation that we are in today. Mid Level leaders, lead a team of personnel but they are reporting to other leaders too.

Looking back at SSgt. Lipton's position, he played his role as a leader to men in the lower ranks while playing his role as a trustworthy support to the higher ranked officers as brilliantly as he possibly could.

If you managed to find the DVD...take another closer look at the different leaders in the episode. Then, ask yourself the question, which type of leader are you or will you be?

Although, like Captain Winters (In real life, ended his career a Major) who are a born leader, some just don't have the leadership quality in them (Like Captain Herbert Sobel, played by David Schwimmer from Friends in Episode 1, "Currahee") but for someone like SSgt. Lipton, it was through his experience and approach he has, that made him a true leader. He just need to make the necessary adjustment to take the next step once he's aware of it...

Today, I leave you to ponder on the subject with a fitting quote from General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during the World War II, who became the 34th President of the United States) ~ "Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it".

As mentioned in "Work Smart...Hard", I am a good leader working toward the goal of becoming an outstanding leader...and after all...even if I become a great leader one day...I will still be me...a Chun Toi with Cracks.