Who Have You Blessed Recently? Changing The World One Act of Kindness At A Time

I'm a big fan of communities, particularly technical communities, because I have benefitted a lot from them when I was starting out in the IT industry. I remember the time I used to spend on BBS and IRC channels when I was "forced" to learn computer programming. If not for the generosity and kindness of these people who I have never even seen in my life, I would not have even pursued this career. I remember people like my father-in-law who, as a professional doctor, gave selflessly to others by offering his services for free.

So, everytime people ask me why I do technical community work - write technical articles, speak at conferences and user group meetings, mentor and teach people online - I speak about the experiences I have had with the generous people who have blessed me with what they have. And I am simply just giving back what I have received. A few days ago, someone approached me regarding coaching/mentoring services I provide. While I may be tempted to take it due to the financial challenges I currently have, he started telling me about him being unemployed for a few months now having been retrenched from his previous company. He needs to update his skills so he can start looking for a new job. That got me thinking - how can I be strategic in my approach while, at the same time, be able to help him get back on his feet? I started out by giving him encouragement and telling him my own stories on how I got to where I am now. The goal is to condition him to what I call the "successful mindset." Then, I laid out a strategic approach on how I intend to help him help himself. The important thing is to get started.

In the process of doing this, I realized that it helped cultivate the "generous mindset" within me; that I no longer look at my limitations but rather look at opportunities to help other people despite of my need. In today's economy, we often see our lack rather than what we have that can help improve the lives of other people. What we don't realize is that we have something within us much greater than what we think we have. In this particular case, I have the skillset to help someone else get up-to-speed on a new career. It may not be profitable for me in the short-term but experience has taught me the "business value" of generosity and how it pays off in the long run. And when people ask how they can pay me back, my response has always been the same - find somebody who needs something that you have and offer to do the same thing (the freedom to define what business is and what isn't is still my prerogative). I just get a kick out of having that opportunity to be a blessing to someone else.

So, who have you blessed recently? I see it as changing the world one act of kindness at a time

If It Aint Broken, Don't Fix It. But If It Is...

A common expression in IT is "if it ain't broken, don't fix it" as it is important to keep a consistent experience in the infrastructure - staff get's to send emails on time, they get to access their sales documents on the portal, etc. But what if it is broken? We fix it. The mail server went down, we get a severity one alert to "immediately" resolve the issue together with an email from the CEO saying email is of primary importance in the organization.

I wonder why so many organizations don't do so. They see a business process that doesn't work, a work environment that does not foster creativity, or a marketing campaign that does not bring results - they're just simply broken. Yet management still expects to see better results. W.L. Bateman highlights this in a very popular quote, "If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got." If it's broken, you've just got to fix it

I saw this video of Seth Godin's presentation at Gel 2006 which somehow highlights what this means.

Leadership Lessons from a Formula One Grand Prix Race

Singapore happened to host the very first Formula One Grand Prix evening race. Formula One, or F1, is the highest class of open wheeled auto racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body. Hundreds of avid fans flocked to Singapore this past weekend to watch this sport live. Though I am not an avid F1 fan, I like sports car racing and anything that has something to do with cars. But we preferred watching it from the comforts of our own living room as the sound of the F1 cars from beside the tracks is totally deafening unless you brought some noise reduction/cancellation gadgets like ear plugs. While fans watch the fancy cars and enjoyed the rush of the race, I was watching how teams work together in the pits together with the drivers. There's a lot of leadership lessons you'll learn from such a popular sports event. Here are a few that I've noted.

1. FOCUS. If you want to achieve your goals, focus is the key. This was proven by F1 Singapore Grand Prix Champion Fernando Alonso from Team Renault. He has posted great results on the practice laps during the first night and was pretty sure he'll make it to the top. Unfortunately, his car suffered some serious mechanical problems during the qualifying rounds on the second night, causing him to start at the 15th position during the finals. Though disappointed by the results of the qualifying rounds, that did not deter him from focusing on what he really wanted - the championship title. That focus has given him the opprtunity to bounce back during the finals, making him the first F1 Night Race Champion.


2. TEAM-SPIRIT. While the drivers appear to be the very popular ones in this sport, every one plays a very important role - and in this sport, the term "very important" is an understatement. One mistake could cost not just the championship title but lives as well. Everyone in the team wants to be the champion - whether it's the driver or the constructor team categories. But doing it as an individual would cause really serious damage. This is what happened when Felipe Masa of the Ferarri Team. He took pole position during the qualifying rounds but one mistake during the finals caused him the title. As he sped away during a pit stop, some of the pit crew are knocked down after they failed to get fueling hose off the car. This could have caused some fuel ignition and possible fire as the fuel hose was leaking with fuel as it was being dragged by the car and that sparks were coming out of the car every now and then. The pit crew could have lost his life in the process. A Ferrari engineer was said to be at fault for Massa's double pit disaster. In organizations, teamwork is normally highlighted in high-profile activities but underestimated in others. Imagine how a team would perform if members, including the leader, would make everyone feel that their roles are very important in the success of the entire team as well as the organization. Most of the time, it's th star players, the managers and the bosses who are given that mindset but does not trickle down to the subordinates. A mistake made by a Ferrari engineer has caused them the championship


3. PRACTICE YOUR SUCCESS MOVES. An article in a local Singapore newspaper featured the McLaren-Mercedes Team practicing their pit stop maneuvers and tasks during the first few hours before the race. The team believed that what they do during their practice determines the outcome of the competition. Which is why even at the last minute, they still did those practice moves, earning them the constructor team championship in this race. This should be the same with organizations. We wanted our teams to win yet we do not practice those moves that will make us win. Take for instance a team of sales people who wanted to win that big account for the quarter. We assume that the sales people can do it without sending them for training or practicing those closing phrases. Or the IT team who is responsible for keeping the IT infrastructure up and running and making sure the most critical IT projects are successfully implemented. Managers assume that the IT guys are smart enough to pick it up on their own and not send them to training. If we really want to be successful as an individual or a team, make sure we practice those success moves and do them correctly and efficiently.

There are more leadership lessons learned on and off the F1 race track but these are the most visible ones. As managers and leaders, may we learn from the greatest sporting event on this planet to achieve that championship title we've always wanted. For pictures of the Singapore Grand Prix, check out the Boston Globe website or check the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix website. Enjoy the ride!