Taking the First Step Towards the Unkown

Last two weeks, I was offered a chance to conduct my first training session to some of the management and production people from a small yet ambitious company. Initially, I was quite reluctant to conduct such training. Yes, I have been lecturing for almost 11 years now. But giving lectures and doing trainings are two different things. I believe training requires a higher level of experience and courage due to the increase in the expectations of the audiences. But then I thought, if I don't take this first step now, I will never know whether I am capable of doing it. If I let fear rule me, I will never be able to move forward. So, I did what I always do. I said 'yes' first and then think about the consequences of my decision after. By saying 'yes,' I have committed myself to this responsibility. By saying ‘yes,’ there is no looking back.

In a similar situation, a few of my students came to me this week to pour out their worries regarding their exam results. Half of them highlighted English to be the reason that deterred their performance. And so I told them this..if you always say that you are not good in English, then you are never going to be good in English. You need to take the first step. It always starts with an intention or niat. There are then three elements of intention that you will need to satisfy. First, there must be a very high motivation in you to change and you must know what you want to change. After that you have to say it to yourself. By saying it, you are indirectly making a promise to yourself. And the next step is for you to list down the things that you need to do in order for change to happen. Otherwise, your intention will remain an intention for years to come. That is when you get people saying that their new year's resolutions are still to accomplish last year’s resolutions.

Take the first step…venture into the unknown…that way, you are going to be able to expand your Open Area in the Johari Window.

HR Dialogue Session with Former Nestlé HR Director

Undergraduate students especially those who are currently taking HR are welcome to join the HR Dialogue Session that is going to take place this Friday, 23 March 2012 at BK3, Graduate School of Management, UPM from 10 to 11.30am. The session will be handled by En Wahab Bakar, former HR Director for Nestlé Malaysia. Hope to see you there.

Survival of the Fittest

One of my MBA students used to say this to me, 'Generally the students of the class think you give low marks. I think it is just because your standards are high.'

Well, that is my opening paragraph. By the time you finished reading it, I am sure that some of you have started to wonder whether you have made the right choice entering my class or not. If you believe in working hard, I assure you that you have. As a person, I believe it is not right to award impressive grades at the expense of quality. On the other hand, if the impressive grade is well deserved, there is no reason why I should not award it. When you begin your working journey, competitions will be very high and second chances are scarce. In order to succeed, you have to prove yourself. You have to create positive perceptions on yourself. You have to be strong and manage your time well. The most crucial thing is that you have to believe in yourself. Your experience in the university should help you to prepare for those times. Survival of the fittest, some people say. (The phrase 'survival of the fittest' means 'only the fittest organisms will prevail' - a view sometimes derided as Social Darwinism)

However I am not looking for perfection. What I am looking for are efforts in trying to be perfect. And I am looking at improvements. At the end of the day, I do not mind if my name kind of slipped your mind. But I hope you will remember some of the knowledge we shared, and pass it on...

P/s: Just so you know, that particular student got a very low mark for his mid-term exam, but he scored an A for his final grade. It is up to us to achieve the impossible. It has been said in the Noble Qur’an: ‘Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.’ [Ar-Ra`d: Verse 11].

“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.” Christopher Reeve (Superman)

Is Your 'A' Worth It?

Over the years, I am often amazed on how students value their CGPAs more than the lessons they actually learn in class. Everyone wants to score an A. But an A means nothing when you cannot even apply some of the things that you learn in life or at work. Many students would study hard for exams by memorizing information. And so, most students actually managed to get good grades at the end of the semester. But I want you to answer this question...is your 'A' really worth it? Do you value the things that you have learned? Does the knowledge you gained after all these years somehow make you a better person? Or are you just like SpongeBob? Have you seen SpongeBob taking a shower? He actually ate a bar of soap and his body then expanded until it actually exploded. After that he was clean. That is what students normally do. They memorize the information in the texts and then they explode during the exams. They pour everything that they memorize on the answer scripts regardless of whether the information is relevant or not. But come next semester, they will forget almost everything. So what is the point of you spending hours after hours studying when the knowledge never benefit your future? I am not saying that 'A' is bad. But remember, all the 'A's on your transcripts should reflect who you are. The 'A's are not just for show. They spell a certain level of quality.

Education UK 2012 Exhibition

The Education UK 2012 Exhibition is back! If you have some free time, you may want to go to this exhibition hosted by the British Council Malaysia. It will be held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from 10 to 11 March 2012 ; 1 to 6pm. Students will have the opportunity to weigh their options if they are interested to enhance themselves through a UK qualification and the multitude of experiences in the UK. They will also get a chance to talk to the alumnis in terms of their experiences while studying in the UK. I may also be at the Univerisity of Reading's booth on the 10th between 1 to 3pm. See you all there!