I am called again to review this matter.
To refresh your minds, please follow the link below:-
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/world/asia/09iht-malay.html
Politics aside, I would like to speak up as an employer assessing an employee for employment. Normally, I dont look at their grades or what or where they studied .... but I would ask this questions:-
1) How good is your English?
2) Can you speak any other languages, apart from Bahasa?
3) How good is your computer skills?
4) Can you work independantly
5) How creative are you? Prove to me
Prophet Muhammad once said "Look for knowledge even though you have to go to China". Think about it again, Arabs going to China? Don't they have to learn the language first - both spoken and written? I was told that you need to know at least 1,000 Chinese characters to read a newspaper. I wonder how many characters you need to know to read academic books? Hummn! And, we Malaysians are still struggling with English
During the 15th centuries, the Arabs were already well known scholars in Algebra, Astronomy, Science and Medical. Hundreds of books were published in Arabic. Guess who translated them into Latin and other European languages? They were the unheralded priests who spend hours learning Arabic and translating the books. From then, they started to develop more rationalization and eventually created a new European civilization. And, yet we Malaysians are still struggling with basic English
I remember in 1987, one of my teachers instructed my dear friend, "Fariz, you went to the teacher's room to collect the books"! Hummn! That was my dear teacher. God bless you for teaching me what not to do when communicating in English!
The fact is ... learning science and math in English will give us the first hand information and exposure to the knowledge. I don't know any books or universities in the world that teaches how to make an aeroplane, or a submarine, or a rocket, or a car in Malay. Mostly they were taught in English and Russian. Mandarin is another important language to know. The Chinese has thousands of years of knowledge trapped in books. And, yet we Malaysians are still struggling with basic English!
We had a headstart before when the British colonized us. All formal education were taught in English. I still can recall my late grandfather, prefering the New Straits Times vs the Utusan Jawi. But why did we lose the head start when we achieved the independance? We should be more advance by now, if only ....blah! blah! blah!
P/S
Can you detect how many grammatical mistakes that I have in this blog? I am one example of a man losing "the headstart". Hummn! And ... Sad to say but I am also still struggling with basic English, sigh!
Thursday 22 July 2010
Friday 16 July 2010
Our Iceberg Is Melting
Our Iceberg is Melting
Book Review
This is one great book suitable to be read by a CEO up to the 6 year old kid who is able to read a book.
Kotter presented his ideas in a simple book which use fable as the means. This is about a penguin colony in Antartica who has been living peacefully at the same place for the many many years. Then one curious bird by the name of Fred found a potentially devastating problem that can destroy their habitat - and nobody listens to him.
All the characters in this story Fred, Alice, Louis, Buddy, the Professor and NoNo, are just like the people that we know. Their tale is about the resistance to change and heroic action to counter it.
Lessons learned:-
1) Create the sense of urgency
2) Pull Together a TEAM to counter this
3) Develop the change VISION and STRATEGY
4) Communicate for Understanding and Buy In
5) Empowers Others to Act
6) Produce Short-Term Wins
7) Don't Let Up, keep on pressing for first success
8) Create a New Culture
Personal review
5 star book for my kids and my bosses to read!
Pan Macmillan Ltd
Great Britain Edition 2006
Changing How The World Does Business
FedEx Incredible Journey to Success
- The Inside Story by Roger Frock
FedEx has always been special to me. This is the organization that I first joined after I left my high flying job in the capital market.
Book Review:
This is an inside story of how a young guy by the name of Frederick W Smith's struggle to sell his idea of overnight delivery via a hub and spoke system. Innovative as it is, many investors and bankers actually back out because "this is purely a crazy idea"!
Many people also predicted that this guy would be a bankrupt within 2 years of operations. He almost did ... but through excellent leadership, strong determination and a bit of luck, he managed to steer FedEx to what it is now. Today, FedEx stands tall as to have one of the biggest aircraft fleet in the world with more than 688 aircrafts. FedEx also stand above the other air express companies because of the working culture of staff who is willing to go beyond the ordinary.
It started with a Term Paper which Fred got a "C" grade while studing at Yale
Then the VISION becomes clear
Supported by the MISSION statement, everyone works to get the VISION to become a reality
Personal Review
I found this book very fascinating. There is no such thing as easy way to success. Highly recommended for new people trying to realize a DREAM, a VISION
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc
First Edition, 2006
- The Inside Story by Roger Frock
FedEx has always been special to me. This is the organization that I first joined after I left my high flying job in the capital market.
Book Review:
This is an inside story of how a young guy by the name of Frederick W Smith's struggle to sell his idea of overnight delivery via a hub and spoke system. Innovative as it is, many investors and bankers actually back out because "this is purely a crazy idea"!
Many people also predicted that this guy would be a bankrupt within 2 years of operations. He almost did ... but through excellent leadership, strong determination and a bit of luck, he managed to steer FedEx to what it is now. Today, FedEx stands tall as to have one of the biggest aircraft fleet in the world with more than 688 aircrafts. FedEx also stand above the other air express companies because of the working culture of staff who is willing to go beyond the ordinary.
It started with a Term Paper which Fred got a "C" grade while studing at Yale
Then the VISION becomes clear
Supported by the MISSION statement, everyone works to get the VISION to become a reality
Personal Review
I found this book very fascinating. There is no such thing as easy way to success. Highly recommended for new people trying to realize a DREAM, a VISION
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc
First Edition, 2006
Brief Introduction
I am what they call:
A logistician by accident.
I started my career as a Banker. After 2 good years of banking experience, I upgraded myself to become an Analyst for a fund management company. Within one year, I was promoted to become a Fund Manager. In 1997, I was assigned to set up an asset management company in Hong Kong. But unfortunately, the following year was the year of Asian Financial Crisis. I had to return back to Malaysia in 1999 and that was the most boring years in my working life. Capital market was extremely quiet while mergers & acquisition was only capped to the minimum. Malaysia imposed the capital control and everytime Dr M opens his mouth, the market went down.
Then I decided to make a career shift into Supply Chain Management ... and there is no turning back.
I left my fancy suit and tie, and exchange it into jeans and t-shirts. But, I do have more advantage than those who is into logistics by design (because they study in school), as I always analyze and see events as numbers. This is one skill that is missing from the local supply chain managers. And I proved myself to be even better than my skills in the capital market bacause in 2008, I have been chosen one more time to execute a supply chain project in Vietnam - my second stint as an expartriate in 2 very different fields! I don't think anyone can top that!
Today, I am one of the well known Speakers in Supply Chain Fraternity. I am also the known in the market as speaker & and a Trainer who talks with passion in Creative Thinking, Strategies and Management Skills. I too have been invited to speak at forums and seminars in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore. Not stopping there, I am also a guest Lecturer for Strategic Management for UTM & OUM. Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) too has approved me as one of the authorized key person to speak and lecture on all supply chain matters.
For the record too, I never see anyone sleeping in all my classes and seminars ... hahaha! I think by today, I have trained more than 1,000 people + counting.
I also have written a book called Logistics by Accident, but it is still not published yet. Well... I am working to get some endorsement by local authorites before I am able to print it out.
A logistician by accident.
I started my career as a Banker. After 2 good years of banking experience, I upgraded myself to become an Analyst for a fund management company. Within one year, I was promoted to become a Fund Manager. In 1997, I was assigned to set up an asset management company in Hong Kong. But unfortunately, the following year was the year of Asian Financial Crisis. I had to return back to Malaysia in 1999 and that was the most boring years in my working life. Capital market was extremely quiet while mergers & acquisition was only capped to the minimum. Malaysia imposed the capital control and everytime Dr M opens his mouth, the market went down.
Then I decided to make a career shift into Supply Chain Management ... and there is no turning back.
I left my fancy suit and tie, and exchange it into jeans and t-shirts. But, I do have more advantage than those who is into logistics by design (because they study in school), as I always analyze and see events as numbers. This is one skill that is missing from the local supply chain managers. And I proved myself to be even better than my skills in the capital market bacause in 2008, I have been chosen one more time to execute a supply chain project in Vietnam - my second stint as an expartriate in 2 very different fields! I don't think anyone can top that!
Today, I am one of the well known Speakers in Supply Chain Fraternity. I am also the known in the market as speaker & and a Trainer who talks with passion in Creative Thinking, Strategies and Management Skills. I too have been invited to speak at forums and seminars in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore. Not stopping there, I am also a guest Lecturer for Strategic Management for UTM & OUM. Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) too has approved me as one of the authorized key person to speak and lecture on all supply chain matters.
For the record too, I never see anyone sleeping in all my classes and seminars ... hahaha! I think by today, I have trained more than 1,000 people + counting.
I also have written a book called Logistics by Accident, but it is still not published yet. Well... I am working to get some endorsement by local authorites before I am able to print it out.
This blog is solely dedicated on management skills, articles and the books that I read. I want to share my knowledge to all because knowledge is to be shared and not kept by oneself. After all tomorrow 17th July 2010 will be my 40th birthday. If the time has come for me to see God, I want to leave a legacy and shared knowledge to all.
Do give me an email for any questions: drnazry@gmail.com
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