August, 2008 Issues from the South China HR Magazine Cover Page Interview

Interviewed Guess: James Chin       Journalist： Liang Rui Ling

 

 

 

       

 

During one of the media interviews by the South China Human Resources Development Magazine, our CEO/President/Founder, Mr. James Chin were invited to share the strategies in people development to sustain organizations sustainable development and growth.

 

The following is the magazine content for our sharing.

 

James Chin Sharing East-West Human Resource Management Experiences

This issue of the main guests to visit, with a fluent Mandarin to foreigners, deeply impressed by his gentle temperament and attitude. As the Asia-Pacific region's premier international certification professional trainer, leadership instructor, business management consultant and business mentor he is so amiable, so inspiring. He is the one we pay close attention to the top figure, Mr. James Chin.

His unique teaching style have benefited many students. In addition, by virtue of his unique vision and accurate analysis capabilities, he has helped a lot of small and medium enterprises break through the bottleneck. Years of rich experience and good western education background, so that it can both excellent professional managers character and elegance in a Confucian wisdom. He not only has a solid theoretical management foundation, organization standardized management work experience, but also with domestic and international business management and consulting experience, is a multinational management practices from international operations grew up to be a professional trainer. He has over 20 years of extensive multinational general management background, consulting and training experience.

He is not only one of many fortune 500 multinational corporations and industry leaders in senior leadership and management mentor, but also many other internationally renowned trainer teacher. In China, Singapore and Malaysia he had trained over a thousand international professional trainer. And only a combination of Chinese and Western culture management, the Eastern wisdom and Western management philosophy on its head of combat management consultancy, corporate mentor. 

  

The 21^st Century Challenges for Organizations

As the significant decline in the manufacturing industries in the South China cities recently, cost increase and other external factors have impacted the pricing decrease and become a threat for those organizations with slim profit margins.

Does the Migration of Organization Help Resolving the Problem?

To that end, part of the enterprise has moved to the West of mainland, Vietnam or elsewhere. The point is, marched with this method can solve the problem? James Chin think that this is a mandatory journey for the process of growth and prosperity for every country in every place.

 

The boss want to harvest, employees also hope of a better day. From farm to city, from riding a bike to work raising to the electric bike, and then promoted to the car. From three, five people sharing a small room, to owning their houses. Such prosperous progress indicate the promotion of enterprise operation cost. As the person is eager to progress, the situation will not change no matter at where you are in the world. It’s a matter of time.

 

If this is the best solution, the economists called such an action "export". In other words, after the move, as the promotion of quality life for the labor group, enterprises still have to face the problem of rising costs. Eventually it’s a temporary solution and does not effect a permanent cure.

Improve Organization Effectiveness and Efficiency is The Only Solution

How can be more effective to solve the problem? Enterprises must not suppress the idea of employees to grow. This situation is like dealing with floods, water plugging is temporary solution, but to dredge the water to the place is the best. Labor group expect growth means they have goals, motivation, and also means easier to inspire. However, with the rising labor costs, the enterprise shall also progress from labor intensive to capital core as the macro and micro economy.

 

In other words, the staff returns from the mechanical labor pay a step to human thinking. Under the new mode, each employee learned how to grasp the faster, easier, more effective alternative to the work, one person can replace two people, even if the employees wage increases by 50%, the boss had to pay wages now only need to pay for one and a half, two costs virtually did not rise, but also reduce, finally achieve both sides expectation and everyone is happy.

 

Let us learn from other advanced developed countries with the problems they encountered, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, which has gone through this journey. In the 1980’s, Singapore has also had the same problem. To Singapore, due to reasons such as rising costs, many of the investment of foreign companies have moved to Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand as their human resource cost is lower, but later, those "escape" enterprise finally return to the arms of Singapore, why?

 

It is the key to the sustainable development of human resource. When Singapore authorities have set up a bureau of productivity, when companies facing challenges in terms of productivity and sustainable development, they can seek advice and help from authorities to solve the problem. In assisting enterprises after a pattern of restructuring, to promote the efficiency of training and the quality of employees, the enterprise is rapidly regaining competitiveness of their own.

HR Plays an Important Role on Improving Productivity

HR plays an important role in improving productivity. When enterprise rapidly promote human resources development, it helps the flow of talent with attrition reduction, enterprise open source throttling, increase productivity and production efficiency, effectively resist rising costs and sales pressure, etc. When these problems are solved, enterprises are not afraid of crisis situation, a lot of other problems are resolved too.

Consistent Change is The Only Constant Thing of The Law of Organization Success

The famous book "who moved my cheese?" with vivid and interesting story describes the changes in life are beyond reproach. Enterprises in the face of the impact of peer competition, changes in the consumer groups, such as aging, values and select preferences are changed along with the progress of the times. Human nature, however, are often resist change in comfort zone for a long time. Like to put a habit from imperceptibly changing must be laborious.

In the face of environmental change, we all know that change is one of the enterprises continue to develop the necessary factors, but why some enterprises in hot water, competition ability, in the case of worse and worse, and resist change? And in the same environment condition of why some companies can carry forward? Back to their own, of course, the factors, although there are several factors, but the first key is the enterprise can keep the sense of smell to the environment.

This situation is just like putting the frog in the pot filled with water, when the water temperature and room temperature is the same, the frog feel comfortable, even in the bottom of the pot is heated, the frog will not feel the threat of life until cooked. And, if put the frog in the heat of the water, large temperature difference will drive the frog knee-jerk reaction immediately jumped out. Companies, too, lost its sensitivity is easy to become "a pot of a frog”.

How can it keep proper sensitive sense of smell? James suggested two points: (1) invite relevant experts for enterprise to do regular review regularly, such as, strategic review, audit, human resources, audit of the individual management. (2) create a corporate culture of innovation, make every employee and management consciousness and master enthusiasm change a must have quality.

The Value of Assemble Talents

There are two perspective of the brain drain. Both employee and employer should be taken to better understanding, communication and cooperation.

In a HR club in Guangzhou, James Chin conducted interactive training to a group of HRD and HR managers, the HRD shared much about the enterprise. Nine months after return, James found that more than half of the HRD and HR managers is no longer in the original work.

The turnover of these HRD is out of James’s expectation. After further review, he found out, especially the small and medium-sized enterprises of Guangdong boss tend to be conservative and stingy with HR training, they worry that after training the employees, they become brighter and leave, the investment input-output ratio is not reasonable. While HR thinks, the enterprise did not give him enough room for development, this includes more humanized management, such as personal learning and growth, career development, work recognition and identification. Most of the time, employee will not change a job for just several hundred of increment. However, in the process of looking for a horse while riding a donkey, generally it will be helping to find a better job with higher remuneration than the current treatment. In this way, the boss is easy to misunderstand employees on real mentality, so as to solve the problem of the enterprise brain drain. When the enterprise long-term operation in such a vicious cycle of brain drain, everyone tired easily. Therefore, for the boss, retaining talent is of their top priority.

James Chin told reporters a story. In a multinational company reorganization summit, the company invited him to do a training before the meeting, for the regional directors and general managers came from different countries. James asked them, what will make you feel the most exciting in your work? One from India's director answered, the most excitement for me is to get my salary from company at the end of every month. Other colleagues also answer to nod for agreement.

James felt immediately, it is an extremely dangerous thing, because he had his motivation to build on material, in other words, if others give him a better compensation, he will leave at any time. At this moment, James gain more profound understanding to the enterprise why they urgently invited him from far away to come over to conduct this training. After understanding the mindset of managers, he put the focus back on thinking. After some simple analysis and activity, the director of India finally understood the insights of sharing common interest with the company which one can’t leave without. He is now closely linked with the interests of the company, in the end, he is proud of himself in the company's contribution. James turned this training to be more meaningful, and helped the enterprise through the havoc.

HR is the defense system of an enterprise. James Chin found that the boss of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Guangdong often see HR as unproductive role and minor role. The enterprise has not yet reached a certain scale, the consciousness is understandable. Enterprise, however, the front line personnel casualties is inevitable, logistics must be someone hiring, training, and instantly changing with the quality of military forces to replace the front liners. In this way, enterprises can maintain proper competition ability, continue to grow.

With contrast, Shanghai is a bit different. In Shanghai, a lot of enterprise HR is the enterprise strategic partner role, they pay more attention to the development of human resources, pay more attention to how to ensure employees follow the pace of enterprise and move forward together. Although, CEO of a small number of small and medium enterprises in the beginning think their own enterprises are of much different with the large enterprises, especially foreign enterprise is different, but James Chin emphasizes: "pattern determines the outcome," bosses to bridge the bottleneck , first to think out of the box.

HR should be Cumulative Precipitation - Focus on Results

As for HR, James also pointed out that, before the move, HR should accumulate more precipitation in every duty on cumulative outstanding achievement, as to speed up improvement. If the conditions are similar parables, move for a little bit more of money, is like climbing from a ladder to another. How can you move from the ladder to the elevator? The key lies in turning process driven to result driven focus.

In most of the time, HR is proud of oneself for their job title, such as so-and-so enterprise personnel director. James Chin think it is good, but what the enterprise would like to see is the result generated by the talents for the enterprise. Especially for the younger HR, this is more important. Imagine a smooth but accumulated decades of experience in HRD with another young HRD took only 3, 5 years in the face of a career opportunity, young HRD shows that in the past few years, he/she has effectively promoted the human resources development, greatly improved the quality of personnel, and reduce the brain drain, thereby saving tens of millions of CNY for the enterprise personnel and operating costs. If you are the boss, who will you give the priority to? Relatively, whose value is higher? Therefore, when the HR focus from the process to the results, you will stand out from being busy and get twice the result with half the effort.

Thoughts Determines the Health Status of the Enterprise

When hiring a key figure, HR needs to consider the various factors, such as the candidate's efficiency and track records, attribute, quality, ability and so on, therefore, in foreign countries, companies like to hire professional recruitment agencies in recruitment of professionals, can recruit more effectively and reduce the waste of resources of enterprise.

Different people have different priorities, high-level focused on his innovation and strategy ability, middle level pay attention to operation and team management skills, low level are mainly focus on operating skills and willing to work hard. Among the three levels, there is a very important thing in common, that is thinking.

James Chin gave a practical case reference. A famous industry leading enterprises intend to recruit his regional general manager. The boss invited two candidates flew from the other cities, to have dinner with him. He decided after the meal, while he didn't mention a word work. After the dinner, boss hired one of the men.

Out of the curious, the one being hired asked the boss, “Why didn't you ever ask me about what I did in the entire process, also didn't ask my performance, but decided to hire me?” The boss answer, “because in one of your action, prove that you think before you make your decisions. While you drink the soup, you first tastes before you put in salt, while for the other, he put in the salt without having a taste of the soup. View and from the life intravenous drip, predictably, your way of doing things tells how you may operate the company. If you do not know crystalize the direction of the company before making a decision, how would I feel secure to burden you with this such an important role?”

It is clear that the importance of thinking. The higher the position, the higher requirements. Top leader is to look at the big picture, for macro thinking, to oversee the enterprise and setting the right direction for the business for sustainable development and growth.

Management Thinking
Western management advocates human nature, what it means to be human, it is yet, participatory. Western boss usually indicate the direction to the people below, managers discuss, report, and execute through own ideas. This is participation. And how does the boss of the Eastern culture do generally? Boss generally will carry the burden on his shoulders and said, "we should be in this direction." He will then proposed schemes, with "what is your opinion?" The result you will find that everyone usually taking the law of two choices: (a) the boss is always right; (2) when the boss is wrong, please refer to the first. Eventually the boss, and only the boss is always thinking and making decision.

This situation is common in small and medium enterprises. This virtually also set in the frame of limitation for the boss, so that the money is not idle with heavy duties. James shared a story of an experience. When the President of the Internet kept silent after participated in the activity in a classroom, after some reflection, he finally began to share his enlightenment. He said: "You know what? I spent a lot of money and time to join the MBA, EMBA and other courses, and also hired the expert advisers to help me. But I still can't solve the problem of my company. I didn't think it in such a simple game today let me found the answer." When we further asked, he explained, "In fact, the company has grown to a bottleneck, it is not easy to breakthrough, every big and small matters in the company draining my energy. Today, I found that the original problem were in myself. What I need is mind around a few senior managers, and let them handle the rest of people, and trust them. So, I will have more time for myself and do more effective things!"

Communication is the Best Tool to Create Centripetal and Cohesive Force
Enterprise culture is often the leaders’ culture. This is a controversial topic. However, let us observe, no matter multinational corporations, state-own enterprises, or private enterprises, when a leader change, the entire way of doing things, and the direction of culture, thinking will be of a big change. Some professional managers are wonder, the boss was uncompromising, too difficult. Actually, there is a reason for that. Usually the boss has his own view and vision, which in turn if the boss change direction, it will be very dangerous, as the people will lose the direction. Professional managers through effective communication, not being mechanical, but yet to participate in strategy thinking, this is the power of collective minds, the key lies in the methodologies and techniques.

Communication in the enterprise centripetal and cohesive force plays an important role. Boss rushed forward, we will see that the following people are rushed, but often is heading to different directions. How to unify the pace of you? James Chin believe, participation and the tacit understanding is very important. Let employees participate in the thinking process appropriately not only bring certain job satisfaction, also let employee familiar with their task and do faster, easier and more effective. Effective communication is another key to praise. Oriental society generally relatively less, worry about the younger generation after praised is difficult to control, and the west is willing to praise. It has to do with the thinking of social management. Oriental generally USES the spur concept, while western take towards radish concept indeed.

So, which method is better? Spur commonly takes effect immediately, while leaders are not around, however, spur effect has been lost. As for the radish effect, in turn, inspire others take action from the heart, while the leaders are away, the team was back to continue progress has its own driving force. So, the appropriate praise can arouse the enthusiasm of people, would encourage others to do their best. Execution when the centripetal force, and the cohesion are doing fine, enterprise will surmount, hardened. Employees will not leave for the sake of a few hundred dollars for a new environment, and start in a strange place.

This also reflects how much why the fortune 500 companies organize such many integrative events and activities for the management and staff team each year at the beginning of the new fiscal year. Target management do apart from general managers in different departments have more harmonious inter-departmental communication, collision also makes creative ideas, and some companies before the announcement of the new strategy will change management as a foreshadowing. For the grass-roots staff in the new fiscal year starts, generally easy to acquire training in the market to find the corresponding course as the purpose of team integration for the employee.
  

Sustainable Development is the Enterprise Necessary Success Factor

In many developed countries, the hardware part is always growing more quickly than software, another city will establish in each and every month. You will always see new five-star hotel, decorate grandiose, matching up to international standards, of course the price also is rated five star. However, for the personnel of service quality, it’s only up to three star standard. If talent quality can speed up to keep up with the rapid development, the company will add wing land rover, maintained a leading advantage, faster growth.

Transforming Engineering Technical People to be Manager
In many business consulting cases, James Chin found a common phenomenon, especially high technology content industry tend to choose the superior engineering performers and promote them to be the manager. This concept is very good. However, it’s completely a different responsibilities and competency to deal with machine and people.

Enterprises should improve these new managers immediately with corresponding interpersonal and management skills. Otherwise, the manager and the team would incurred communication challenges, or if team members do not to perform the task in accordance with the instructions, it is easy to return to inertial technical personnel's thinking to deal with all problems on his own. And while it’s so difficult and take time to manage people, as they return to the concept of own initiation, it will lose the meaning of management positions, which create constant pressure to everyone.

For enterprises, it does not only not improve productivity, it adds to his burden. For the boss, the implementation of enterprise strategy and the smooth completion of scheduled target will face some challenges, subordinates are frustrated for not getting proper leadership and support or jump ship. What could we do then? If the boss believe his management ability is not in place and put him back to his initial position, it will kill the morale greatly, maybe, is likely to miss such a rare talent. Therefore, rigorous exercise general ability is a basic elements indispensable to success on the battlefield. To assist personnel from technical promotion to manager can quickly master the operation for the new position. James suggested that enterprises deal with the human resources development and enterprise needs to be a relevant evaluation. Consider some priority before and after the individual skills upgrading, such as business communication, influence and persuasion, leadership, and emotion quotient management.

The Founding of People and Country Starts with Teaching
Chinese learning recorded in "the founding of people and country starts with teaching". Understand from the text, the ancient Chinese have been aware of the connection between "teaching" and "learning". While teach without learning, it equals to blind teaching; while learn without practicing, it equals to blind learning; and if practice without gaining results, it equals to blind practicing.

From the perspective of teaching, James found an interesting scene, generally for the domestic training in all kinds generally adopts the oral teaching method. According to experts, the listener in the normal situation can remember each other words only at 6.25% to 12.5% after 24 hours. As Confucius said: "you said and I forgot; you showed me and I remember; and if you made me don it, I own it".

How to Achieve Training Effectiveness?

That how to achieve better teaching effect? It starts with the training goal. It can generally be divided into three levels: (1) knowledge level, (2) skill level, and (3) the level of thinking.

 

 

Level for the most basic level of knowledge, informative, generally about ways. For adult education, in order to save time in class, the teacher can even send materials before class to students to read. And the classroom play a role to explain. For learning goals to transform to skills, participative and experiential activities appear particularly important. Like swimming, in addition to reading the book and the teacher's explanation, it’s more important to practice and experience in the water.

 

So, when the students master relevant knowledge and skills, can he/she starts swimming smoothly? The answer is not. As student master the skill does not mean he/she is willing to put in effort to practice. Therefore, as thinking plays an important role. In the process of teaching, besides having rich content, trainer shall understand students' learning psychology and teaching skills. Adults generally have their own stubborn opinions, want to change other people’s perceptions and thinking is a very challenging task. But through the related participative and experiential activities, it allows students to made self-awareness and enlighten from inside out at inner heart, it makes changes persistent and a long lasting impact.

 

In an international professional trainer course, a veteran team integrate teacher with a very positive attitude to participate in the study. At rest time, the trainers and James Chin’s communication were very speculative, they took out the recent training photos to share. James took a look and smiled kindly. Trainers immediately realized that they must need to improve, so they humbly asked: "teacher may have additional show place?" James rhetorically questioned: "Have you ever encountered experience whereby the students were excited and touched during the classroom, but when they returned to work, they remained no changed?" Trainers, after hearing the embarrassed, but nodded asked: "How did teacher know?" James replied: "Well, from your class table decoration, you have told me what kind of teaching method you are using primarily, if training only evolve thinking psychology in the class, it can only stimulate once, and it is not enough. You have to let the students to participate in the inspirational games, through strong reflection, leading questions and guides them through, you influence them to make choices to change, and provide the corresponding implementation tool, and it can be sustained." In summary, knowledge level stretching the level of knowing, the skill level stretch students to learn and understand, and stimulating the students thinking level makes own self-enlightenment.

 

Being in the consultative training profession both at home and abroad for many years, James Chin saw the gaps between the two different cultures. As you can see, in southern China enterprise culture, the consciousness of talent training with the west are very different. In the western culture, including Europe America and other Asian regions, corporate training focuses on the effectiveness for the development of enterprise talents, they are very focused with more flexible, participation and inspiring way to unleash individual and team’s ability to master necessary skills, mindset and implementation effect, and through the corresponding enforcement tools to study links to the work performed. In southern China, however, we found that the enterprise also gradually attaches great importance to the cultivation of talents and training, but the focus is relatively focus on the process of the substance of the trainer and class, generally USES the more rigorous way of teaching concept and knowledge to the students.