We are hiring: Driven 'automotive' marketing specialists.

It's going to be tough.  Automotive is a multi-billion industry in Malaysia.  Our GDP relies on this.  One screw up isn't one car sale down.  It sends a repercussion to hundreds or maybe even thousands of jobs being cut.  It's serious business because it involves 8.3 million lives (excluding motorcyclists and pedestrians).  So if you think we are anal about how this business is run and communicated, you are absolutely right. It only looks repetitive if you don't know how to hack it.  The game?  Is to keep repositioning your competitors with what you do.  One step if you're good.  Ten if you're great.

You'll be wanted for accountability - of everything that comes out from your kitchen.  Your pole position is meeting targets, the title on your card is secondary - let us make that clear.  You drive the brand and it drives you.  You are partners, like in any race - man and machine is one.  And let us repeat one more time, in case you missed the first line.  It's going to be tough.  On top of a challenging industry, is another.  We believe in innovating how brands are built by way of integration and collaboration.  We put scientific measures behind our intuitions and have extremely stringent expectations on our fellow brand builders whether from a creative, media or comms specialist aspect.  And most of all, we take pride in providing world-class service to our clients.  They win, we win.  If you can't agree to that equation, you may exit right now.

So if you have what it takes - the desire to not just race but win in the automotive business and you can demonstrate to us why you can do that, we want to meet you.  We're looking for automotive specialists, no longer an account management person or a strategic planning person or a whatever person who can do many things.  We don't care where you come from as long as you can deliver what's to come in the future.  You can be Jack of however many trades you like, there's only ONE thing that we care for you to master - the car business.

In terms of personality requirements, you will need resilience and energy to excel.  A strong character with an inclusive leadership to take the reign is not absolute but from our experience, is a trait will take you very far.

So if you know anything about races, you'd also know second place is the first loser.  Reach out to us now.

It's that time of the year again - appraisal time ;)

Appraisal time.  The moment of truth.  Have you got enough ammunition or does the very thought of it send jitters to your spine?  Or worse.  You are oblivious to it?  It doesn't excite you, doesn't spook you, to you it's just another piece of paper, another meeting, another session of nonsensical but mandatory chat session.  It. doesn't. mean. anything. to. you?

Well if I hit a nerve there, then I'm really worried for you.  Because it shows that you have no accountability to what you do.  A job is a nine to five routine that you trade for some dough to basically eat and drink to stay alive before your time ends.  You have no love in what you do.  You don't care about the bigger picture.  You don't care about your boss.  You don't care about your clients.  You don't care about your colleagues.  You. just. don't. care.  Or do you? C'mon, get a grip.

Last mid-term, I had a moment of truth.  Appraisals are done annually, but we have a practice here to touch base with the team every 6 months just so, we are not just on the same page but are on track - you know, the usual - motivation, goals, $$$, things-we-love-most-about-you-which-you-should-continue-doing and things-you-do-that-we-hate-so-much-we're-using-all-our-might-to-refrain-from-...

And my moment of truth came after speaking to about 10 colleagues.  People, are generally hungry for feedback.  I always thought that perhaps, Malaysians being non-confrontational tend to shy away from these kind of open discussion, especially when it's their performance that is put under the microscope and scrutinized.  But such is not so.  They generally want to know if they have done well, met expectations, hoping you could give them feedback which they failed to see in the mirror.  And me being me, I'm the last person on earth to be appointed to candy pills, I'm quite surprised that the team takes facts - good or bad - with good strides.  And the best part is?  No satisfaction is bigger than to watch people grow.  In the next 6 months, you see them change.  You see them really working on the issues which we've identified and agreed upon.  Albeit they're not perfect, but the point is you do see them working on it and you do see results.  Sometimes the result is tangible, other times it's not.  Sometimes it's surprising even.  But of course, you get a lemon now and then.  And unfortunately OR fortunately for us, the person almost always leaves the team before the term ends.

I always get the jitters when it comes to appraisal time.  Not so much my own - I have one of the nicest and most encouraging bosses eva and I almost always get away with a lot of things - on paper or no (haha!).  Woops.  Too much info.  But anyway, it's the appraisal time with the team that gives me the chills.  We made a point that it'll be an open discussion, a two-way traffic.  So as much as the person is reviewed, I supposed I'm also getting reviewed indirectly as a senior colleague.  If you've been put in charge to lead, it's hard not to feel responsible for the person whom you are leading.  C'mon, if one of your staff is in Timbuktu, SURELY there must have been a smart alec who may have mentioned 'going to Timbuktu' at some point?  I'm not sure whether everyone feels the same or just the fact because I'm the fairer gender (hence I'm more emotional, more feely weely, more blah blah blah), I feel responsible when one person does not hit their KPI.  It's strange.  It feels like you've not been guiding enough.  It feels kinda like a guilt-trip.  You get what I mean?  And almost always, with extremely great difficulty for the words to spew out from my mouth, I will ask them for feedback on my leadership.  That's when the butterflies don't just fly, the explode in your gut because it's your turn to strip naked and go under the microscope.  I know my colleagues withheld a lot of comments (haha!) seriously.  Because I know them and because I know I could be better.  And I thank them for... being extremely considerate about my feelings :) No, seriously.

It's quite ironic, that being in a communication industry, ad people rarely talk to each other.  They play cool and they hardly get in touch with their emotions when it's this very same business that should be stirring emotions, creating new feelings.  If you're doing appraisal with your team right about now, take some time off and really... communicate with them.  It's not about talking, but about understanding.  Yup, the pressure is always gonna be there when there're numbers put in place as goals but it's gonna be good.  The second most satisfying thing about working here, in Dentsu is to be able to see your team grow.  Not just in the business sense, but as people.  You see them become empowered and you see them try and challenge themselves and you see them stretch.  Well, fireworks are inevitable along the way because we are... at war, but nevertheless it will be pretty at the end of it and it will be all worth the trouble.

To my awesome team, I'm really fortunate to have you guys.  No, seriously.  I may not LOOK like it (dood, it's tough to look like it every day.  I am after all a human being) but I sure mean it.  Somehow, this appraisal thing?  Makes me more aware of myself too not as a staff to my boss but as a colleague, a person, a leader, a guide, a friend, a lamp post, a torch light, whatever you wanna call it, you know what I mean :)

Here's to our realignment and an awesome 2012!

Social media: Democratizing power to the people.

Read in Wired this month:

Transformative change happens when industries democratise, when they're ripped from the sole domain of companies, governments and other institutions and handed over to regular people. The internet democratised publishing, broadcasting and communications, and the consequence was a massive increase in the range of both participation and participants in everything digital - the long tail of bits.

Now the same is happening to manufacturing - the long tail of things.

***

When democracy reaches the people, even ad agencies need to change. The old model of a pyramidal hierarchy doesn't work anymore. Old hands who do not believe in the power of the net and feel that 'change' is online but not in the real world. But as demonstrated above and featured in Wired, Local Motors is the first open-source car company to reach production. The model is based on crowdsourcing on an open platform from social media. Imagine! It's a freaking CAR MANUFACTURER. We're manufacturing cars based on the wisdom of thousands. Not just adding and editing text in Wikipedia. Do we need any blacker and whiter proof that the social change which stemmed from online media has reached the real world? How long more can we deny this change? How long more can they sit protectively on their self-made thrones, believing that social media can be stopped by just unplugging the IP address at work (or till after 6pm)?

Before, it was how we behave in the real world which affects how we connect and communicate with one another in the digital world. In a world of virtual reality, we hide behind our alter-ego and live out our fantasy. But then, things changed when Web 2.0 kicked in and netizens realised that there is more to gain by being honest and open about who they really are, what they feel and what they can really do. And suddenly, you have a lot more people becoming vocal because of their freedom to say anything and be anything online. And not minding their real identities being disclosed to the general public. You do know that you get a lot more followers if you had a real profile and photo on your Twitter right?

Agencies who function in the old social program will start to reform. Or should reform. How? By being experimental. By investing on experiments. By distilling some values and discard the rest which do not contribute to the increment in productivity, efficiency and motivation. It's a tough challenge because old school management used to 'strike the fear of god' into people. And you watch the small people scramble to production. But today, you have a team of young-minded people who can perform and excel beyond the brief simply because they can, are motivated and the best part is? They do it unconditionally. Because they too know what feeds their motivation and self-fulfilment. You just need to know what buttons to push.

I'm sorry to break the truth but virtual is now more real than reality. That's harsh, ain't it?

Malaysia: Lack of apprenticeship?

Over conversations the other day, we agreed that there's something lacking in the new working society. And with that, we're not only referring to the two-second attention Gen Y but the 30-something Gen X. We learned to manoeuvre our way in the corporate world to the best we know how, without someone to really look up to for guidance, example and inspiration. Sometimes our ways are heroic, sometimes in less than moral worthy tactics.

With the advent of Web 2.0 and the wide accessibility of imported media, it's really difficult to say we've not be given a chance. Opportunities to learn have been and will always be there, but I have to admit. Without flesh and blood, sometimes it's really hard to judge what's right and what's best when trapped in tight situations. Which I guess explains, why so many young people (all who are below 40), averse from responsibilities simply because they're like deers caught in headlights when the heat is turned up. Ironically, they just froze. Without an important figure for them to look up to and in some way, even mimic, how can we expect any improvement on the generations thereafter?

Personally, I'm appalled by the lack of management skills and even self-leadership in today's working class. Different layers of the corporate hierarchy they may be, but the end result does not change. I've been blessed to know a handful of senior managing executives who have imparted much wisdom on me - sometimes spoken softly and other times, whipped till I came around. There are colourful and creative ways on how I learned from them of which I'm indebted eternally, thankful today and always will be.

This topic came to mind again today when I was browsing through a magazine which talked about apprenticeship and why it is so important in these modern times. Mastering perfection on a certain skill takes years and even decades (in a couple of years time, I can safely say I have a decade of planning under my belt too, yay) which directly contradicts with today's notion of 'fast food syndrome'. Everything needs to be learned, done, eaten, completed, played, spoken in two seconds. Teaching and learning, to me, is like tango. It's not so much the cliche of taking two to make it work, more like it takes a lot of rhythm for two people to be in sync. A lot of compromise, a lot of hard work, a lot of investment - material and emotional to make it work. While we may find promising students, unfortunately there are only a handful of worthy teachers who almost always are taken for granted anyway.

I am and will always be willing to learn. As I mentioned before, I've been blessed greatly for having met those handful of wise souls I spoke about. They are worthy mentors to the very last atom in them.

And now, for me to impart these experiences and knowledge to others, at times seem like a great detest. I've worked hard for my apprenticeship and I beg of you to let me feel that it's only natural I hold on to my bestowed wisdom so selfishly. But two years of imparting language skills to non-English speakers in Japan, have finally knocked some sense into my hard little selfish head. It's the job of the teacher to inspire learning. My mentors have done me that favour unbeknownst to me. And here I was, picking my apprentices as if I was God sent. At least I thank Him for giving me that chance to have learned how to teach. I'm not good at it yet, but if you'd dance with me, I'd be glad to take your hand too.

If you are in a position to manage and lead, you'd suddenly realize that your everyday job seems more like a social responsibility than just an income generator. The old masters of Michelangelo's time probably didn't care if their apprentice stayed or left and they had extraordinary reasons to do so. Their students were out on a limb most of the time to make things happen anyway - out of fear, out of responsibility, out of survival - I don't know. Obviously, today's execs and interns are otherwise. I guess, when you sign up for something and especially if it means leading your team to somewhere, anywhere, yes it's partially a social commitment.

On a separate but related note, I read this line in Monocle today:

If you have a few million, then you can say you have money. If you have a hundred million, then you can say you have capital. But when you have several hundred million or even several billion, then that money is no longer your money. Rather, it's a resource that belongs to society. You have the power but even more importantly, you have the responsibility to put that resource to good use on behalf of society - Jack Ma, Chairman of Alibaba Group, China.

Same principles yo, same principles.

The world's most scarce resource: Talent.

We've been on a recruiting (and I-so-wish firing) mode. And believe me, from today till the next couple of years, the world's most scarce resource will be TALENT. And when I say talent, it doesn't mean people with skills. It means people with skills and VISION. It's so hard to find that in young people these days. No, scrape young. Just people.

Especially when the world's in a mess (enviromentally, politically and socially), web 2.0 blurred everything about copyright issues and plagiarism is rampant, but at the same time, curiosity brings people to places they've never been (physically and in their mind), creating a new hybrid of thinkers who understand the mechanism of connections better (between themselves and friends, between other people, between corporations and people), and who have higher expectation on what they can do and what employers should provide. This talent management field is tough! The balance between getting someone with a vision versus over-confidence. The balance between a thinker and doer (ha! I think almost everyone in Malaysia can relate to this. They either do without thinking, or think without knowing how to do it). The balance between self and team. It's almost as tough as doing the job, trying to produce an optimum team.

Getting the right people on board is difficult. But I cannot tell which is more challenging - capturing high flyers or creating them in-house. I think for the past one year, I've experienced both. Both are equally challenging I supposed, but I have to admit that the latter brings a much sweeter satisfaction. The question is, on whose expense? Management's sanity? Client's business? The (God forbid) brand?

Awhile back, when I was still with McCann's, we were working towards setting up a McCann University in Malaysia where the unpolished diamonds will be sharpened till they gleam. It was a brilliant idea. Getting the right education endorses was a non-issue since all that really depends on 'management connections' anyway. Shortly, after I left and I never knew what happened to the project. I guess it didn't happen because if it did, McCann would have milked the PR coverage shamelessly (that's why they are a reputable brand). Then this morning, I came across what W+K is doing too, to hone talents. I think the industry is slowly recognising more and more the importance of talent management. Yet so few of us can do that. Why? Because this isn't a factory. We don't churn out square cut products. We're dealing with people. And people have feelings. I've cornered an executive so badly that she cried but I knew if she endures through the furnace, she would stretch, break out of it and become a much better thinking doer. But she's crying, what do I do? I backed off.

These issues, I'm sorry, are not taught in the best of the best Harvards of management schools. It comes with experience in dealing with people. Because at the end of the day, what your people would do for you shows who you really are.