The thoughts of a true technology versatilist
Today I had my first war game with a bunch of “local trained” Cathay Pacific pilots.
It is obvious why they are the cream of the crop. They are a group of very competitive individuals, that are very intelligent and adaptive to challenges. Unfortunately, working as a team is one of these challenges, which their competitiveness gets in the way.
I now feel even safer knowing that at the front of Cathay’s planes are individuals like them who command the aircraft.
It has now been more than 5 and a half years since I’ve moved back to Hong Kong.
At first I was quite lucky and was sheltered from most of the typical working style of Hong Kong businesses. I worked for large corporations like “Hongkong Telecom”, “Arthur Andersen” and most recently “Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd.”.
My immediate reports for the past 5 years had always been North Americans. To be specific, North Americans who had been working away from North America for a short while (less than 10 years). Also, they have worked in North America for many years prior to coming to Hong Kong or Asia.
You may ask, what is the difference between North American style and Asian style? Well, from my short experience here, I would say it is the objective or driving force behind a task or goal that the employees are trying to achieve.
What do I mean?
In a North American business, when it comes down to getting things done, achieving an objective, one would rarely say that they have to accomplish an objective because of so and so. It is always because it benefits the organization (company) that they are currently employed at.
Where as in Asia (at least in Hong Kong), employees frequently refer to an individual, who is higher up in the echelon, as the reason to achieve an objective.
Which is the better way to success for a company? Well that depends on the individual high up in the echelon who is making all the demands.
To further consider this question; just think of the most successful companies in the world and the cultures they come from.
I have come to my own conclusion, but I will leave it to you to find your own.
Many of you have pointed out to me that my Blog is out date.
Well I have no excuse for that. I do apologize to all those who check my Blog regularly.
On the subject of talk. When someone say, “let’s have a talk”, usually that means something no good is about to happen. Especially if it comes from someone who normally does not find time to talk to you out of the blue.
Very few people come right out and tell you that something bad is about to happen. Those who do, will say something like, “we need to discuss this sitting down” or “I have to tell you something important”. These messages give you enough warning so that you can psychologically prepare yourself for what is about to happen.
I think people need to be more brave and be more direct. Let’s stop talking “in between lines”. Just come right out and say it, of course you will need to be tactful while doing so.