Crossing Frontiers : The Trailblazer Trainers Blog

Leadership (IL)Legitimacy - Lessons from Myanmar

2007-10-06T16:45:00.000+08:00

Judging from the flurry of reports on the websites of major news agencies in the world, the recent events in Myanmar would have caught the attention of most people. This piece is not to cash in on the national tragedy in that beautiful country, hence, it has been delayed till things have quieted a little. Having been only once to Yangon, I do not claim to be a country expert. However, I saw general poverty and decay of infrastructure, that are not reflective of a resource-rich country like Myanmar. Yet, Myanmar is no different from countries run by dictatorships and juntas which have overstayed their welcome as rulers and provides important lessons for us who work with and as leaders in organisations.

Myanmar provides 3 classic lessons in leadership legitimacy (or in the country's case - illegitimacy).

1. How to stop people from giving you their consent to rule over them?

Leaders can come to power on the basis of a variety of reasons such as:

Expert knowledge
Charisma or Personal Attractiveness
Access to power resources eg weapons, promise of rewards

However, these cannot yield legitimacy on their own. Because leadership legitimacy is not the same as coming to power. Legitimacy turns the power game into a relationship, because it is about consent to rule given by the ruled.

The military junta came to power because it had access to weapons and for a time, it could raise and wave the banner of champion of nationalism in this country of about 135 disparate, sometimes conflicting, ethnic groups. Due to years of economic isolation and mismanagement, infrastructure is in a poor condition, people impoverished, while only those with connections to the generals have flourished. How can the right to rule be extended by the people, if they can't be fed, clothed, and worse, detained, silenced and killed when they speak up against such conditions? (Oh, the Youtube videos of lavish weddings of regime leaders' children certainly don't help too...)
2. How to ensure that people are suspicious of your attempts to engage them in dialogue?
Effectively, since the last major people's uprising in 1988, the country has been run without a constitution. It was only a few days before the Saffron Revolution begun, that the long-drawn government-backed process of arriving at a blueprint towards democracy ended. (Even then, it's only a blue-print) The junta has also prevented the National League for Democracy, which won the military-organised elections of 1988 from taking power, and holding Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for the greater part of time since then.

3. How to make sure that you don't have external support?
ASEAN and the UN have been continually frustrated in their attempts to seek improvement in how Myanmar is governed. ASEAN-EU relations are in a stalemate, because of Myanmar. This is not for the lack of trying. The junta is just not interested in engaging with other parties that don't march to its drums. The latest act in sending UN special envoy Gambari to the north to watch a pro-government rally, whilst preventing him from seeing key leaders in the first 2 days of his trip is a case in point.

The people of Myanmar are friendly, gentle and courageous in facing their future. It is unfortunate that we can learn so much about leadership in a situation where there is so little.

Noel Tan

(*All Text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Announcing...The new Trailblazer Trainers Forum

2007-10-01T12:13:00.001+08:00

We've just created a link on the Trailblazer Trainers' website to our spanking new forum. We hope that it will be a useful resource for anyone in the learning and development industry.

Do sign up as a member and visit often: http://trailblazer.freeforums.org.

Noel Tan
(*All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

We're back!

2007-10-01T00:53:00.000+08:00

Nope we weren't Cast Away, just away for some months, but we are now back. We spent the greater part of this year on the road - Myanmar, California and most recently, to China.

So we do have a backlog of article ideas for this blog. Keep coming regularly!

Noel Tan
(*All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

It's Official!

2007-10-01T00:44:00.000+08:00

At the recent global Brain Summit of the Emergenetics Family in Sanya, China (Sep 22-25) it was announced that since 2005, Trailblazer Trainers is the largest user of Emergenetics and STEP profiles in Asia in our team, thinking and learning programmes.

We are pleased to continue our work with Emergenetics Asia and Emergenetics International to improve how people understand themselves and others better, how they can think better and learn more effectively.

Noel Tan
(*All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Focus, Focus, Focus

2006-12-04T18:36:00.000+08:00

In real estate, there is one maxim that is key - Location, Location, Location. In the same vein, we've decided to move our education-related articles to a new blog, http://thinking-learning-teaching.blogspot.com, creating a dedicated space that will meet the needs of our readers who are educators and parents.

http://crossingfrontiers.blogspot.com will continue to focus on Leadership, Team Excellence and Organisational Learning themes; familiar content to our corporate readers.

The new blog is already up and running and will be a repository of articles relating to:

Thinking Skills
Learning Styles
Brain-based Learning
Social and Emotional Learning
Co-operative Learning
Collaborative Learning
Character Education
Outdoor Education

We hope that our newsletters and blogs will continue to be of insight to you, our readers. Do not hesitate to contact us with suggestions, comments and article ideas that you'd like us to pursue.

Noel Tan

(*All Text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Deathly 'Silent' Meetings

2006-08-18T17:59:00.000+08:00

Are your department or team meetings a monologue or a time for the Head to 'practise' his soliloquys? Meetings that are otherwise deathly silent, are an indicator of potential team dysfunction and poor team results. One can only imagine about how business bottom line and organisational morale are being hurt by such meetings.

Silent meetings are reflective of one or a combination of the following:

an unwillingness to engage in surfacing potentially different views
an apathy over the team's process, goals and direction
unresolved issues from the team's past
a mutual lack of confidence amongst team members in each other

Nothing much is exchanged, simply because the the group members basically want to end the meeting to end quick and for each to move on with the rest of their lives. The meeting is merely an inconvenience to get over and done with. If you think that's a ghastly thought, you haven't heard the half of it!

The veneer of consensus created by a lack of debate and an aversion for divergent thinking, sets the foundation for poor results. Ideas are not challenged and team decisions are not refined. Operational processes are based on nothing more than paper-thin assumptions.

Team or Department meetings are too important to be rendered 'silent' occasions. They are occasions when team members need to be engaged in active analysis, divergent thinking, informed critique of possible solutions, before converging on a solution. Such a process requires the team leader to be an active agent in building healthy collaboration, not what passes off as consensus.

Team leaders can do a couple of things to make sure that meetings lead to business decisions and results:

Establish team norms & practices that celebrate openness and collaboration
Keep meetings active and solution-focused, based on ready information rather than opinion
Encourage a healthy appreciation of diversity through team and meeting roles
'Exorcise' the ghosts of the team's past if the issues are obstacles
Ensure that members recognise that conflict can sharpen team commitment and hence not become the subject of aversion.

Noel Tan

Resident Philosopher

(*All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Trust and the Family Fabric

2006-08-11T18:35:00.000+08:00

Brenda and I are Family Life Ambassadors with the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports. As part of Trailblazer Trainers' corporate citizenship responsibilities, we are currently resource speakers with a social service centre, providing our expertise to help their clients on parenting and work-life balance issues that they are facing.

One theme that runs through our work is that trust is an essential element of success, regardless whether we are working with corporate teams, student leaders or families. Perhaps especially in the case of families, trust is most often taken for granted. If trust is the fundamental building block of business relationships, then isn't it an even more important pillar of family life?

When one can no longer possess a complete reliance in the integrity of another family member, the solution of other problems becomes inhibited, because communication channels are broken. Problems would simmer under the surface, occasionally surfacing, but never really fully resolved. If at all, these become flashpoints for further conflict. Every family fights over issues, but it is the one whose members still trust each other, that overcomes conflict and the emerging problems.

It is often said that trust is earned and like most meaningful things in human existence; that process takes time. Trust is essentially built on repeated experiences where spouses and children reinforce their belief in the integrity of the other family members. I leave you with a short list of seemingly-innocuous things that go a long way in building trust, which we have done in our own family:

Keep promises we made to each other
Playing fair during games
Choosing activities that everyone in the family can be engaged in interaction at the same time (Television-watching doesn't really count)
Role-modelling trustworthy behaviours
Encouraging active interest in the specific interests & hobbies of others in the family
Making time to have fun together

Noel Tan

Resident Philosopher

(*All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Essence of Decision for individuals

2006-08-04T18:36:00.000+08:00

I remember 'Essence of Decision' well when I was reading for my Master's degree in Strategic Studies. It was and still is an excellent study into the Kennedy administration's management of the Cuban Missile Crisis in those fateful days of October 1962. That book remains on the required reading list of students of Strategic Studies, as it is a powerful analysis into a moment in history, when the world could have plunged into World War 3, if information, intuition and urgency of time did not converge as fortuitously for Mankind.

Less 'global' but no less dramatic are the situations of individuals and teams we often meet in the course of our work, who experience difficulties in coming to grips with making personal and team decisions. At the heart of these difficulties is the decision-making process itself.

Based on our work in studying thinking preferences, decisions may not yield the results because the process has either:

a. taken in too much data, leading to a gridlock situation for the decision-maker,

b. taken in too little data, so while the decision is made fairly swiftly, it does not fully completely satisfy the situational requirements,

c. not taken account of current reality, so the decision is rendered impracticable,

d. not sufficiently bold or imaginative, so the decision's effectiveness is limited.

We use a 4-step model to improve individual decisions:

a. Firstly, gather the facts about the situation and analyse them

b. Brainstorm a few decision outcomes that are favourable or desired, within the constraints established by the facts

c. Select the outcome that is likely to yield the greatest benefits from the list previously brainstormed. Set up an action plan to achieve the outcome.

d. Review the plan and anticipate its effects on people and their reactions before implementation. If 'collateral damage' is not worth the implementation, then you might want to start from step (b) again.

Individual decision-making is tied closely to thinking styles. By using developmental assessment tools like the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument and the Emergenetics profile, individuals can determine their decision-making style and be coached to improve the way they arrive at decisions.

Noel Tan

Resident Philosopher

(*All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Surviving Toxic Leaders

2006-07-28T23:21:00.000+08:00

Some months back, I came across Jean Blumen's book 'The Allure of Toxic Leaders'. In my browsing, she did a great job highlighting how and why people consistently (persistently) allow the rise of leaders of dubious morality, with charisma akin to that of Sith Lord/Emperor Palpatine of Star Wars fame, who manipulate and exploit the weaknesses of those who are around them. In Blumen's analysis, she identified individuals like the recently-deceased Kenneth Lay (of Enron infamy), Adolph Hitler as examples of toxic leaders.

I've had the opportunity to encounter with one such toxic leader over the past 1 year (certainly not one too few) in a community body that I was volunteering with. This person was distinctly a maverick, riding roughshod over the volunteers, who through their financial support, were paying his salary. His constituents, however, saw in him, the charismatic answer to all that was apparently wrong with the 'system'. To cut a long story short, he 'bit the hand that fed him', by taking about 80% of the constituents under him to join another organisation, without remorse, I might add.

The effects of serving under toxic leaders are immediately recognisable. The more important considerations is how to survive under them. Blumen suggests 3 key ways and we add a few more of our own.

Blumen proposes that:

there is safety in numbers - count the costs of confronting such a leader. If you're not prepared for 'professional hara kiri', bide your time
we should hold them accountable - where possible, document their decisions in black-and-white
controlling oneself ie don't turn toxic yourself in the process

We believe that the Asian context, where 'group mentality' establishes the primacy of group norms over individualism, probably sees more people working and suffering under these toxic leaders in silence. Just 2 weeks ago, I was told by a friend about his ex-boss who would consistently zero in on a few individuals each year for 'special treatment'. Some coped so badly that they needed to seek 'psychiatric help'!

We suggest a few additional measures that should be considered:

Gain clarity about what's fundamentally important to you - is it holding true to one's values or the security of a well-paying job? Tough situations create opportunities for seeking clarity and once that is gained, then strategies and plans can be made to align to mental perspective. Even if you are choosing the lesser of evils eg staying on in the job is not an option, then at least you would have gotten the resolve to see the situation through.
Confide in someone who can lend a listening ear - Remember, a burden shared is a burden halved. Knowing that we are not alone in the situation does go a long way. However, it's also important to keep some perspective and not allow your sharings to become so malice-laden that you become toxic too.
Have a sense of humour - Looking at a dark situation with humour can create a healthy 'distraction' from the trouble at work. You could also benefit from ther perspective-taking too, as you look for the funny moments in those dark situations. When humour and optimism develop, resilience is the result.
Reflect and think about how this experience can make you into a better colleague and team leader, especially when you get into a new job setting. Learning about your own threshold, clarifying your values and goals are some opportunities that would lead to personal growth, even as you work under toxic leaders.
Develop Plan B - Well, when push comes to shove, there's never any harm in updating that resume and being on the lookout for an alternative. You never know when an opportunity might knock, so it's good to get prepared.

Noel Tan

Resident Philosopher

(*All Text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

You've been trained, now perform...if only it were that EASY

2006-07-21T23:20:00.000+08:00

Training budgets are usually the first to be slashed when it's crunch time for companies. The reason most often cited is that the Returns of Investment (ROI) in training is dismally poor. This perception is worsened by a variety of factors such as organisational turf battles, responsibility for training being subsumed under the Human Resources portfolio etc. It certainly does not help that most people have the perception that training is the miracle cure to every organisational problem. It isn't, in fact, training must often be supported by other organisational improvements for the desired outcomes to surface.

The analogy we always give is that training is akin to buying seed to transform your yard into a prize-winning garden. Although you've bought the seed, you would need to ensure that the soil is of the right composition and to make sure that the saplings are well-protected from pests and weather hazards. You'd certainly need time to teach others who are assisting you, to tend to the plants with the same care.

Hence, a few key questions need to be answered at the client-end, to help translate training room learning into operational results:

1. Is the problem one that can be solved by training?

Is the problem a result of inherent structural impediments which if removed, would not require training? For instance, are sales contracts being communicated by the Sales Manager to after-sales service and production departments to make sure that key departments know contractual obligations to clients.

2. What results are anticipated from the training?

While all training should ultimately lead to a rise in organisational profitability or effectiveness, it's critical that specific targetted attitudes, skills and knowledge are identified for decision-makers, gate-keepers and consultants. Such a focus puts the key people on the same page, so that when internal marketing goes out to potential participants, no conflicting messages are sent. Should the latter happen, it certainly would have negative effects on the overall success of the training programme.

3. How are results being measured?

Clarity about results requires an equivalent emphasis on the clarity of the measurement systems for success. Kirkpatrick's 4-tiered model of training evaluation showcases the different forms of results and how these are measured. Essentially, his model shows an inverse relationship between data-centric measures and the penetration of training within the organisation. Do all who need to know, know about what results are targetted and how they are measured? If results are to be mapped over time, is there a roadmap for guidance?

4. How is the technology being embedded within the organisation?

Undergoing training is equivalent to buying a new technology. Like we said earlier, it's not enough buying seed. Is there a team championing the use of the technology? Are they suitably trained to handhold the rest? How are key gatekeepers involved in the embedding process? What other organisation-wide innovations or concerns might distract champions or end-users? Are there incentives to promote staff application of the technology?

These questions point to the reality of why it is often wrong to believe that training leads automatically to higher performance.

Noel Tan

Resident Philosopher

(* All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Thinking like an Extremist

2006-07-14T23:19:00.000+08:00

"Man built most nobly when limitations were at their greatest."— Frank Lloyd Wright (probably America's best known architect)

Creativity is the process of changing, combining and reapplying existing ideas, so that fresh solutions and perspectives can be achieved. Thus, a creative idea is intuitively recognised for its fresh quality. We also recognise it because it promises a solution despite the constraints which gave rise to the original problematic situation.

One approach to take in order to tap your creativity is to think like an extremist. No, we don't mean turning into a political or religious extremist! We mean THINK of EXTREMES, gain clarity of the problem by changing its scale. EXTREME thinking is represented by the following ways:

1. Change the scale of your resources to the EXTREME minimum
During our Creative Problem-solving workshops, we've noticed that our participants become more inventive and 'out-of-the-box' in their solutions to problems, when we reduce their resource pool to near-scarcity. These resources include time, materials and human. The opposite is true too - in plenty, our participants' behaviour reflects what goes on in most prosperous societies every minute: a false reliance on the quantity of resources, rather than the quality of our thinking. However, when pushed to an EXTREME, limited by resources, fresh approaches emerge.

2. Change the scale of the end-result to the EXTREME maximum

Think of an EXTREME scenario - be the world's largest 24-hr bookstore, develop sustainable life-essential resources for a country, build a fortification that could stand against the wildest of attackers. Well, the first of those situations led to Amazon and the second led to Singapore developing her own 4 'national taps' to ensure a sustainable water supply. As for the 3rd, the barbarians from the Asian steppe entered China by treachery rather than by direct breach of the Great Wall, which is incidentally the only Man-made structure visible from space orbit around Earth.

Common to all 3 examples is that they were achieved despite the perceived limitations of existing resources at point of inception, yet, each represents an inventive approach to developing a capability to overcome a challenge.

In our practice, we find that this mode of thinking is particularly useful for strategic planning, when members are gridlocked by a perception that resources are insufficient.

3. Frame the problem EXTREMELY

Because we get 'de-sensitised' by daily problems, EXTREME Thinking helps elevate a problem to a conscious level or a different level of consciousness We do this by framing the problem EXTREMELY - eg. 'our lack of creativity is a national shame'. If we want to remove the 'shame', our lack of creativity can be addressed by looking for success stories in creativity that could be described as national pride and by understanding what makes them work. Usually, this process leads us to other solutions, rather than giving us the final creative solution.

Be an Extremist today, try these methods out, and start solving problems creatively.

Noel Tan

Resident Philosopher

(* All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Updates and memorable events (Jan 2006 - July 2006)

2006-07-07T23:15:00.000+08:00

What a year 2006 has been so far and we are happy to share with you the milestones, quirky or otherwise:

January-February 2006

Ethan graduated from K1 to P1
Noel facilitated in the 'Self-Science' programme at St Andrew's Secondary School
Noel started on the EdD programme at the University of Western Australia, Graduate School of Education
Noel and Brenda were appointed as Family Life Ambassadors with the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports
Trailblazer welcomed Karen Koh as our part-time administrator, on top of facilitation duties

March-April 2006

We welcomed Edna into our family on March 4th 2006
Brenda started her 3-mth maternity leave from work
Trailblazer Trainers welcomed Chee Wei Lin and Tan Swee Suan as programme facilitators
Trailblazer Trainers signed a research-based Memorandum of Understanding with Innova Junior College, graced by Dr Geil Browning, President, Emergenetics LLC USA
Noel had a conference with Eric Jensen of Jensen Learning LLC, USA at Changi Airport

May-Jun 2006

Ethan won a top 10 position in the biennnial Japan Airlines Foundation World Children's Haiku Competition (Singapore phase), out of more than 5000 entries.
Noel & Brenda promoted Family Life in our own family, by focusing on introducing Ethan to his Singaporean heritage, via heritage trails in the Civic District (How many 6-yr olds have been into the Battle Box, eh?)

Looking forward to sharing with you more updates in 6 months' time.

Noel Tan

Resident Philosopher

(* All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

The Trailblazer Compass Legal Disclaimer

2006-07-04T16:04:00.000+08:00

You've been brought to this space because you clicked on the Legal Disclaimer link on the Trailblazer Compass, our email newsletter. The disclaimer is laid out below:

"LEGAL DISCLAIMER"

All information contained in the issues of The Trailblazer Compass, is obtained from sources believed by Noel Tan and/or the management of Trailblazer Trainers to be accurate and reliable.

Because of the possibility of human and mechanical error as well as other factors, neither Noel Tan nor the management of Trailblazer Trainers is responsible for any errors or omissions. All information is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. The management of Trailblazer Trainers and Noel Tan make no representations and disclaim all express, implied, and statutory warranties of any kind to the user and/or any third party including, without limitation, warranties as to accuracy, timeliness, completeness, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose.

Unless due to wilful misconduct or gross negligence, Noel Tan and the management of Trailblazer Trainers shall have no liability in tort, contract, or otherwise (and as permitted by law, product liability), to the user and/or any third party.

Under no circumstance shall Noel Tan or Trailblazer Trainers be liable to the user and/or any third party for any lost profits or lost opportunity, indirect, special, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages whatsoever, even if Noel Tan or Trailblazer Trainers has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

A service of this newsletter is to provide news summaries and/or snippets to readers. In such instances, articles and/or snippets may be reprinted as they are received from the originating party or as they are displayed on the originating Web site or in the original article.

As we merely point readers to the news, under no circumstance shall Noel Tan or Trailblazer Trainers be liable to the user and/or any third party for any lost profits or lost opportunity, indirect, special, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages whatsoever due to the distribution of said news articles or snippets that lead readers to a full article on a news service's Web site, even if Noel Tan or Trailblazer Trainers has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Authors of the original news story and their publications shall be exclusively held liable. Any corrections to news stories are not mandatory and shall be printed at the discretion of the management of Trailblazer Trainers after evaluation on a case-by-case basis."

Noel Tan

Resident Philosopher

(*All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Of Haikus and Creative Thinking

2006-06-30T18:26:00.000+08:00

Brenda and I were pleasantly surprised to learn that Ethan, our 6-year-old, had won a Top 10 position in the biennial Japan Airlines World Children's Haiku Competition (Singapore), out of a field of more than 5000 entries. These were submitted by primary school children aged between 6 to 12 years. A greater surprise was that he was the only 6-year-old in the Top 50 who were awarded Certificates of Merit. The top 10 entries from each of the various participating countries will be sent to Japan for shortlisting, to be included in a volume of haikus published by the JAL Foundation.

This year's competition theme was 'House', and Ethan's haiku was on a house of a different sort:

No doors, no windows,

No roofs, no walls and no floors -

House for a spider.

While I was roundly proud of the little guy's achievement, I was reminded again of children's ability to see things from a perspective, altogether different from adults. As students and teachers of 'better' thinking, sometimes it's marvellous to see the ease with which young children access a different mode of 'looking' at the world. It is even more impressive when one considers that Ethan had to frame this view-point into the strict 5-syllable, 7-syllable, 5-syllable structure of the haiku! (Of course, this is his dad saying so!)

So what really is creativity? Is it merely 'different thinking'? Creative thinking recognises the rules which are imposed by any given situation, yet simultaneously produces a solution that circumvents the very restrictions that the rules imply. The merit of Creative thinking and by extension, paradigm shifts in thinking, can only be decided within the boundaries of existing knowledge.

The question of children finding it easier to be creative is easily answered: they recognise less of the rules that form the basis of adult rationality and logic. As these rules have yet to impose themselves (through modern education system), children form very unique perspectives about the world and make connections that go beyond the logical boundaries of knowledge disciplines. Hence, making the connection between a house and a spider's web is not too difficult, considering that both have residents and serve the purpose of accomodation.

Perhaps, the vital question is not so much why children are more creative than adults, but rather how adults can retain their creative modes. That certainly would be a million-dollar question because the answer has implications in how corporations can leverage on creativity and innovation in pursuit of their business goals. More of this in a later blog entry.

Noel Tan

Resident Philosopher (And proud papa!)

(* All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Leading Learning, Unlearning and Re-learning in a Team

2006-06-23T10:30:00.000+08:00

Leaders exist to help a group attain its mission goals. An increasingly important role of leaders that underlies successful Team Learning, is in helping team members engage in what futurist Alvin Toffler termed as learning, unlearning and relearning. Leaders have to take point in the learning processes that can help the team meet changes head-on.

Learning

By far, for the individuals involved, learning is probably the easiest of the 3. Individuals will undertake the mastery of new knowledge and skills - essentially a 'new technology' - to overcome a team problem, if they are able to see a good reason for it. Do the new skills give better results? Save time? Increases the convenience level? Leaders will have to champion the new technology, justify why it should be adopted and finally, win over doubters and dissenters. It's easy to lead by 'decree' but authoritarian leadership behaviours do run a high risk of creating toxic workplaces.

Unlearning

While learning something new is not a big deal for most of us, it is when we need to replace obsolete knowledge with the new, that issues arise. This especially becomes a case of new wine in old wine-skins - where new skills and knowledge, though learned, remain meshed with the old habits and attitudes, leading to continued poor results.

In addition, such a situation is a primary reason why training does not lead to discernible improvement, because the underlying causes for poor performance have not been solved. It's no small wonder, then that training budgets are often the first to be slashed in times of difficulty.

Leaders' facilitation skills are needed to build discussions to help team members identify the attitudinal factors and perspectives that limit performance at the individual and team levels. Further, the leader's EQ competencies such as empathy become necessary, when the team has to recognise that their progress can only proceed as fast as the slowest member.

Re-learning

Re-learning requires the continued modification and manipulation of learned experiences and content to match the demands of the team's operating context. The pace of change in today's knowledge economy makes it critical that team members need to be able to engage in meta-learning - aka recognising how they learn and being able to incisively select information that is relevant for their mission success. The Team Leader has to merge the latest relevant information with the current intelligence and red-flag this for the Team to access and consume.

A team's capacity to attain its mission goals is dependent on the Team Leader's ability to engage members on the road to learn, unlearn and relearn. Now, more than ever, vital team leadership skills are required to ensure that teams and organisations can access and make sense of data - the currency of the Information Age - and remain nimble in the face of constant change.

Noel Tan

Resident Philosopher

(*All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Is Team Learning just a new-fangled word for Team-Building?

2006-06-16T19:25:00.000+08:00

Team Learning is more than Teambuilding.

Teambuilding focuses on creating a higher level of collaboration and trust between team members, in order to effect better team results. Teambuilding aims at improving how the team communicates, makes decisions and solves problems. It focuses on improving the practices of the team, while Team Learning zeros in on how team members engage in enlarging shared perspectives of the Team.

Teambuilding and Organisational Development
In OD language, most Teambuilding activities would be considered 'single-loop' learning; ie the team learns how to modify their actions according to the difference between expected and obtained results. For instance, the Marketing team identifies that team members are experiencing poor results because they are quick to operationalise the first suggestions that surface during brainstorming. Through facilitation, they learn the rule-of-thumb that they should discuss further and not settle on the first suggestion thrown up.

Team Learning as 'double-loop learning'
While Team Learning is premised on the fact that a team already exists, it looks to the fundamental aspects of team life - developing shared vision, recognising and overcoming potentially destructive habits of thinking. Team Learning processes are 'double-loop learning' in nature; ie the team learns to recognise and correct the perspectives, values and norms leading to poor actions.

In other words, poor-quality actions and practices will be eliminated at source. To illustrate, let's take our same Marketing Team through Team Learning processes. The team learns that the reason why they are opportunistically seizing the first suggestion that comes along, is that
they are new to each other and do not wish to be perceived as the person who rocks the boat. Team Learning involves them recognising that such perspectives prevent innovative thinking from surfacing and encourages them to trust each other by first 'agreeing to disagree'.

Team Learning is a fundamental part of any team or organisational change and improvement effort. Only when the Team learns ie it changes perspectives, such improvement efforts are bound to be stymied. Furthermore, teambuilding will only be remembered as a fun day in the sun and people forget it's usefulness as a building block for Team Learning.

Noel Tan
Resident Philosopher

(* All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Is Team Learning the same as Team-based Learning?

2006-06-09T21:03:00.000+08:00

Team Learning from an Organisational Development perspective, is not to be confused with Team-based learning. Team Learning, as created by Peter Senge of 'Fifth Discipline' fame is about getting different members of the team to align and develop the team's capacity to attain the results they want. It is about framing a common perspective built on developing a shared vision. It goes beyond academic-type learning that Team-based learning (synonymous with associated terms like collaborative learning, group learning) is involved with, in the mastery of subject matter.

What's this 'alignment business'?
Alignment is an important pillar of Team Learning, because a team exists only when a shared sense of purpose exists. Otherwise, it is only a group comprising individuals, masquerading as a team. Alignment allows team members to mesh individual goals and agendas to the team's.

Through dialogue, alignment sets up a tension within the individual as he begins to invest himself into the priorities of the team and the team members, while adjusting what's important to him to what's important to others. With skilful facilitation, alignment can result in new understanding. New attitudes and behaviours that support the team's shared vision, mission and goals, can then arise.

Developing Team Capacity

Team Learning involves aspects of meta-learning ie 'learning how team members learn', and learning about how and why team decisions are made and carried out. The learning occurs primarily in understanding how the team could be more effective, based on a cycle of:

reflecting (eg on past action and results),
connecting (eg establishing links between the reflections with hypotheses),
deciding (settling on a course of action) and finally
implementing that choice

Team Learning, with its emphasis on individual alignment to the team vision and mindfulness of the team members on understanding team experiences; provides a powerful framework where individual action and meaning are integrated with the team and the larger organisation.

Noel Tan

Resident Philosopher

(*All Text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Learning and Daydreaming: Implications from Autism Research

2006-06-02T18:01:00.000+08:00

"A daydream is a meal at which images are eaten..." W H Auden

BBC News recently reported on 15 May 2006 on a research study by the National Autistic Society and Research Autism, which found that people with autism do NOT daydream. Using fMRI scans, the study discovered that people with autism do not exhibit activity in parts of the brain that are associated with daydreaming processes.

Neuroscientists believe that daydreaming aids the processing of emotions and reflections. It was also reported that the absence of social skills in people with autism, is likely due to this lack of activity in the areas of the brain responsible.

While the findings are still far from definitive, this study at least opens up 3 implications for an improvement to learning processes that capitalise on these new insights about the brain:

Opportunities for reflection, imagination and fantasy

After concrete instruction has taken place, educators should look towards creating reflection opportunities during lessons. These can be teacher-guided or fully learner-directed, depending on the audience. To aid the process, educators can apply accelerated learning techniques, for example, by using music to aid in learner visualisation of success in applying the learned principles, for instance. We particularly like Baroque and Mozart compositions.

Sharing of 'Daydreamed' Reflections and Imaginations

Consolidation of learning should provide for opportunities for learners to interact and share their 'Daydreamed' reflections. These could range from peer and group sharing to active role-play. These form the basis for finer points such as unique perspectives and discussion points for future lessons to emerge and also allows the teacher to gain feedback. By creating a 'secure' environment in which sharing can be done, educators can hinge on the emotion-memory connection in the brain for increased retention of learning.

Educators will need to develop a repertoire of assessment modes

Assessment modes should incorporate portfolio work or journals to record the learner's reflections on the subject over time. Portfolio items should include sketches, poems, short essays, photographs that focus on the student's 'daydreamed reflections' etc, to capture the learner's cognitive and emotional growth process.

There's certainly a lot more to learn about the Brain and how teaching and learning are impacted by each discovery. Educators should keep an open mind about neuroscientific knowledge and review their practice and where appropriate, adapt accordingly.

Noel Tan

Resident Philosopher

(*All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

When Swords are drawn: the Team Leader's role in resolving Team conflict

2006-05-26T09:26:00.000+08:00

Conflict is a state of affairs that team leaders seek to avoid. It unnecessarily distracts the team from mission goals, and is counter-productive to team synergy. The nightmare scenario of having to manage the antagonists, rally the rest of the disillusioned team and still get things done is certainly more than you expected when you accepted the job. Yet, that is precisely the perspective of conflict that prevents the team from emerging stronger in identity and focus.

4 foundational steps need to be taken for that mindset change to occur and to persist:
1. It starts with the Team leader
Do you believe that conflict is a natural state of affairs when people come together in a group? Or do you think that conflict has no place in team life? Depending on your answer, your conflict management strategies would differ in substance and effectiveness. Team leaders have to start by answering questions like those above to come to grips with their own attitudes towards conflict. Is there a gap between your current perspective on conflict and that which is more accomodating to conflict resolution? Once done, set the tone for the team.

2. Team members need to recognise that conflict is natural

Participants on our programmes often learn that the only time when they are not having conflict or disagreement with someone else is when they are dead. They know that we are not encouraging them to pick fights etc, but realise that diversity in a team situation brings different opinions and perspectives into the team situation. Team leaders should establish team norms that respect individual opinion, difference and that it's important for team members to 'agree to disagree'.

3. Involve the team in resolving the conflict
Team leaders have to listen well and isolate the major points of disagreement, during conflict. Being mindful that you could be seen to be siding with one party over the other, facilitate the team's views to see which differing point of view can aid the team mission. The team decision must be selected and made on the point that the performance of the team is enhanced through verifiable data (and not just hearsay or conjecture).

4. It ends with the Team Leader
The Team Leader needs also to be aware of underlying issues and differences between team members. He should be mindful that sometimes the team platform is 'hijacked' by these issues, and defuse these issues become potentially destructive to the team. Such a state of mindfulness can only come through rapport with team members, which in turn is based on Team members' implicit trust in their leader's character and competence.

Team leaders will need to call 'the plays' on conflict as they remain accountable for team results.

Noel Tan
Resident Philosopher
(* All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Learning Styles for Effective Executive Learning

2006-05-19T16:21:00.000+08:00

Want appreciable returns on investment from the training dollar? Certainly, when training is anchored on performance and learner-centredness. This can take place when Executive Learning is delivered on the foundation of learning styles, leading to higher retention and transfer of learning from the training room to the workplace. There are 2 models of learning styles which we incorporate into our programme formulation and delivery processes: David A Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle (pictured above) and the Whole Brain Learning model.

We use the Experiential Learning Cycle as it emphasises:
a. that training should provide for the concrete-to-abstract conversion of experience into principles that will anchor improved participant performance
b. that training must allow opportunity for participants to internalise, test and refine learned principles
c. that executive learners don't need an overloading of content, but they need a training programme that comprises learning experiences that are linked closely with workplace performance situations

The Whole Brain Learning model highlights the diversity of learning preferences, determining the way information is received and processed by participants. For instance,
a. Analytical thinkers enjoy factual information and learning gleaned from puzzles,
b. Structural thinkers enjoy having solutions that can be used as models for their real-time situations,
c. Social thinkers enjoy learning from buzz groups and interactivity, while
d. Conceptual thinkers tend to enjoy learning situations that are spontaneous and dynamic.
When used in conjunction with our thinking preference questionnaires, the Whole Brain Learning model allows for greater learner-centredness in programme formulation and delivery. We make a deeper connection is made with participants when they receive information that is optimised for their learning preferences.

When executive training programmes are built on a sound understanding and application of learning styles to emphasise performance and learner-centredness, executive learners find training more meaningful and applicable to the workplace. The spillover effects for their companies will certainly include improved profitability.

Noel Tan
Resident Philosopher
(All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)
(Image source: http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-explrn.htm)

Executive Learning for Success

2006-05-12T22:24:00.000+08:00

You won't be alone if you thought learning styles were important only for the academic world. It's obvious to see how: the learner has to plough through loads of material, within a limited time, and finally, there's lots of other tasks that require the learner's attention.

In fact, the same situation faces the corporate learner - bottomline considerations weigh heavily on performance and work seems never-ending. Training opportunities are regarded as giant, unproductive 'time-stealers', taking the executive away from more pressing, 'important' work. When training sessions are conducted without mindful application of learning styles, it is no wonder that retention of learning declines and returns from the investment in training is limited.

In fact, corporate learning can take a leaf from the emphasis on learning styles in the academic world. While several well-known models exist, we use the Kolb Learning Styles and the Whole Brain models in our work. Knowing one's learning style offers several advantages:

Firstly, the busy executive can anchor his learning experience on his preferred learning style, to maximise the returns from time spent in the training room. He recognises how he can access the information that is instinctively relevant to him.

Secondly, by being aware of styles that he does not prefer, training time can lead to individual development as the learner expands his information-gathering and processing repertoire. The executive is alert to situations when he may need to concentrate a little more to get meaningful information from learning situations that his learning style may not prefer.

Thirdly, for the corporate trainer, knowledge of participants' learning styles provides specific information to customise material and create meaningful learning experiences for the variety of learners in the session. This ultimately leads to satisfied learners and of course, rave reviews for the trainer.

Fourthly, as more and more organisations take to e-learning platforms for their in-house training, content developers would do well to recognise the challenge of creating sufficiently varied material to meet the different needs of learners. Learning material, no matter how interactive, catering to only a segment of the full spectrum of learners will not be well-received.

Noel
Resident Philosopher

(*All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

There is No 'I' in TEAM!

2006-05-05T07:36:00.000+08:00

One famous slogan often heard at Teambuilding sessions is 'There is no "I" in TEAM!'. It encourages participants to think about something larger than themselves - the identity of the group. It is a powerful reminder that TEAM goals, mission and values are foremost in importance. A lack of common focus on key elements of TEAM life is often the obstacle to high performance.

We've used the slogan at some point in our Teambuilding programmes too. Yet, there is another aspect which should not go unnoticed: That there is an 'I' in 'TeamIng Up'! There is a 'creative tension' during teambuilding between the group and the individuals, which need to be harnessed for powerful teams. Emphasis on one over the other is at the expense of individual commitment to the team, and over the long run; team performance.

Managing this creative tension is not easy but here are several key tips for team leaders:
1. Recognise that 'I' is for individual
Your team comprises individuals with different life histories, experiences, needs and interests. Show a genuine and active interest in getting to know them, and for them to know others in the team. Realise that they are distinct, different but not differing. There is a wide range of psychometric instruments available which can promote this understanding. There are always deep revelations when we use these in our teambuilding programmes.

2. Recognise individual gifts to the team
Everyone brings different gifts & talents to the team table. It is the leader's responsibility to find ways to surface these and apply them for the team's success. Whenever possible, assign job tasks to the person who is most gifted to deal with them. Finally, celebrate the team's success by highlighting individual contributions from everyone.

3. Recognise the influence of individual 'baggage' in conflict
Conflict is part and parcel of team life and when harnessed, it can sharpen team performance. Yet, leaders often fail to understand that conflict arises not just because people are different, but that each team member brings different sets of baggage along. Unless, these are understood, then the leader's interventions in conflict situations may not be effective and in fact contribute to the deterioration of team morale.

Teambuilding is not an event, but a process of building a group identity focussed on excellence, built on individual talent and commitment. A group often has a long way to go before it becomes a team. We believe high performance can only be expected only when leaders understand that while 'There is no 'I' in TEAM', there certainly is one in 'TeamIng Up'!

Noel Tan
Resident Philosopher
(*All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

The 4 Disciplines of A Leader's Lifelong Learning

2006-04-28T00:34:00.000+08:00

Leaders have no choice but to be Life-Long Learners. Life-long learning is the method & process by which individuals engage in learning, un-learning and re-learning, which centres around individuals rather than institutions. Indeed, formal education can only get you to the start-point in today's Knowledge Economy, where knowledge has become a major competitive advantage to nations, businesses and individuals.

While mastery of content knowledge remains important for entry into any field, to lead in the Knowledge Economy, one needs to hone skills that underlie the learning, unlearning and re-learning processes. To be successful exemplars of lifelong learning, leaders will require mastery of 4 learning-to-learn disciplines:

Learning HOW one learns

Recognition of one's learning style and optimum learning conditions allows leaders to maximise their learning time and effort, while meeting their demands of operational roles in their respective organisations. Such a discipline provides the foundation of the next 3.

Evaluating the value of WHAT one has learnt

Leaders practise active reflection of their newly-acquired knowledge and identify the core elements most directly relevant and applicable to their leadership contexts. With limited resources of time on their hands, the discipline of evaluation will ensure that their learning effort remains situated in the leadership and management situations they face.

Integrating WHAT one has learnt with prior knowledge & experience

Leaders have then to consciously test and apply principles derived from their reflection process. As strategies develop from these principles, leaders begin to integrate the principles with their prior knowledge. Through this process, the learning done is now internalised and has gained the benefits of experience.

Recognising a diversity of learners and learning experiences

Leaders are also teachers and as effective teachers, would recognise that there is a diversity of learning styles in the people they lead. This means they have to adjusting to different learning concerns as they teach. They will also need to develop instructional skills to facilitate meaningful learning experiences that cater to this diversity.

Whatever positions they occupy, Leaders are vital to the success of their organisations in leveraging on Knowledge as a competitive advantage. The degree of success will certainly depend on how they gain mastery of the 4 Disciplines of a Leader's Lifelong Learning.

Noel Tan
Resident Philosopher
(* All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

An Update on the EdD Journey

2006-04-21T12:33:00.000+08:00

Hi true believers,
I am halfway through Module 2 week and I can say that my proposed area of research ie into leadership metaphors is an inspired choice. It is truly fascinating how they reveal the inner perspectives that filter our understanding of the world and also how they reflect how that understanding is relevant to the situations we face.

Dr Wayne McGowan has been a personable and affable teacher and his facilitation of our learning over the past 3 nights was excellent. I felt that he clarified a lot of our unspoken concerns about the Literature Review. What could have been ultimately boring was turned into enlightening episodes of learning, filled with a lot of interaction.

I still haven't quite gotten over the '2 Fast, 2 Furious' pace that the EdD journey is going. Still, the mental exhilaration is right up there, but with Edna, family and work; I guess the sleep deprivation is likely to continue. Haha! Since we're on the topic of metaphors, I must add that the light at the end of the tunnel is certainly not going to be visible for some time yet too.

Noel
Resident Philosopher

Vicious Cycles and Systems Thinking

2006-04-14T19:00:00.000+08:00

It is easy to find individuals who are able to see 'Cause-&-Effect' relationships behind everyday problems: global warming being due to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere; 3rd World poverty fuelling global human trafficking syndicates in the First World. Sound familiar? From this perspective, once we get the cause out of the way, the effect gets solved. Right? No! Global issues, like those mentioned, often belie the vicious cycles that persist. It's a no-brainer that they don't get resolved!

People and organisations too, get caught in vicious cycles. Consider people we know who are stuck in bad relationships or life-crippling addictions to alcohol or gambling. For all intentions and purposes, they know these will do them no good to continue in them. Yet, they can't break out because they're in a vicious cycle. Because a vicious cycle in its downward spiral, gains its own momentum with each turn of the cycle, with each contributing cause blending into the other. Analytical Thinking helps us connect causes to their effects, but it does less well in resolving complex problems like vicious cycles. Why?

Systems Thinking, on the other hand, provides us with tools and applicable insights to transform vicious cycles into virtuous ones. It offers another perspective, apart from the usual analytical angle which is sometimes too linear for the good of those caught in the problem. It anticipates inertial & counter-change responses that frequently surface when the problem is tackled. It allows those attempting change to remain focused on the real issues. In particular, systems thinking provides a consideration of bi-directional relationships within the system:

the inputs and outputs of the various factors involved (1 direction)
the feedback loops (the other direction)
the control mechanisms in the system and whether these are working and
how the vicious cycle evolves as a result of the above 2 elements

An organisation I am helping is currently recognising that it is caught within a vicious cycle, where different units responded to organisational challenges in ways that worsened the perceived problem. You had swift departures of 2 CEOs within 3 years of each other, and then the loss of a key profit centre whose staff left with a Director to join another organisation in between the CEO departures. In response, existing profit centres took on the mission tasks of the unit, which by then was reduced to skeletal staff.

Over time, these tasks became part of the raison d'etre of those units. Now as the once-skeletal unit is ready to take on its old mission goals, these units have been wary of handing these back. From a purely analytical angle, the primary problem may be perceived to be due to the absence of leadership at the highest level. However, to determine it as the ONLY prominent factor may only be a portion of the full picture. Systems Thinking allows us to arrive at the following solutions for the organisation:

Engage in Long-term Leadership Development at all levels

This has the aim of stemming the perennial problem of CEO & Director departures and the absence of able deputies. It also has the advantage of creating a common leadership vision and understanding of organisational concerns.

Short- to Medium-term dialogue with existing profit centres to clarify their respective missions and their relationship to the organisational vision.

This move is to manage the 'ownership' issues viz-a-viz the once-skeletal unit, and also to build an understanding of interconnectedness between the units, which have been behaving as Silos for the longest time.

Propose a series of Organisational Development and Diversity training workshops for key staff to begin to promote Systems Thinking and a Corporate Identity that was attached to CEOs, which when they left, became unhinged.

As seen, Systems Thinking provides incisive tools to paint a more accurate picture of the vicious cycle the organisation was in. More importantly, it helped identify steps and structures which promote an understanding of bi-directional relationships within the system.

We wish them well.

Noel Tan
Resident Philosopher
(* All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)
(Graphic Source: www.systems-thinking.org)

Breaking through that Silo mentality!

2006-04-07T22:50:00.000+08:00

My facilitation team and I are always struck by 1 phenomenon at our teambuilding programmes: that participants when placed into new groups, show great energy in competing with other groups, but often fail to find the space for collaboration across groups. This has happened time and again, even when the activities that we have designed gives prominent place to collaborative interactions.

I put it down to the 'Silo Mentality', which kicks in the moment we blend our interests and goals with the immediate group which we are put into. Borrowing from Bruce Tuckman's Life-Cycle of a Team, I'd say that the Silo Mentality emerges during the Norming stage.

This occurs for 3 reasons:
1. When we come into a group, we begin re-aligning to the new identity, eg establishing new relationships and work patterns. Reading other members of the group, building rapport with them, and forging alliances will be the main preoccupations at this point.

2. Simultaneously, we are also balancing what our individual identity still requires eg. our own needs that we are unwilling or unable to give up. The 'mental juggling' of these 2 concerns leaves little room for group members to consider the possibility of collaboration with other groups.

3. People just want to get along after the Storming stage. Most people are fearful of conflict and after the myriad of 'Storms' just ended, group members would be focusing their efforts on putting the group on an even keel.

If the 'Silos' are not broken through, individual groups will still likely achieve their mission goals. This success extends to political turf battles between departments and units within the same organisation. Imagine if line operations, marketing and finance work so well independently, that there is no synergy between them. The negative impact on the company's bottomline, morale, effectiveness and mission goals will no doubt be significant.

However, all is not lost. There are 3 things leaders can do to break the Silo mentality.
Firstly, team leaders should use integrative metaphors to frame the need for team cohesion, against the backdrop of the larger organisational needs. In building team unity and loyalty, team leaders should be wary of the tendency of teams to turn into 'factions', because leaders have been prone to paint other teams or units as the 'enemy'. Instead, team leaders can use metaphors such as 'building blocks" and "ecosystem" to describe the relationships that their teams share with others in the organisation.

Secondly, team leaders play the role of interpreter-mediator between other units and their team. While the workteam is focused on its core mission, it is remains the responsibility of team leaders to interpret organisational goals for the team. The translation of these goals into team objectives requires team leaders to actively mediate between competing and at times, paradoxical concerns. Team leaders should not be 'parochial' in keeping their best team members, but instead send their best team members to join cross-functional teams and task forces.

Thirdly, senior management should engage actively in re-shaping organisational culture to build a ground that is receptive and fertile for collaborative practices across work teams and units. Pro-collaboration attitudes and practices can be promoted organisation-wide, for instance by:

changing the reward structures to reward task force work,
creating opportunities for cross-functional deployment for team leaders and executives to expose them to the larger organisational needs and perspectives,
developing training programmes to promote appreciation of diversity and difference, and
developing an induction package for all new employees to recognise the importance placed on collaboration.

Agricultural silos are built to protect grain from elements of weather and pests. They serve that function well. Yet, in organisational and team life, a 'silo mentallity' prevents collaboration from taking root. Without a culture of collaboration, the paradox of team success amidst organisational failure will result.

Noel
Resident Philosopher
(* All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Self-leadership: Beginning with the 'Self'

2006-03-31T20:59:00.000+08:00

A ship's navigator uses lighthouses as points of focus on the vessel's journey to its destination. If he did not know how to use these and other navigational aids, how would he know where the pitfalls to avoid were? In much the same way, to have more than an existence, self-leadership is the key to discovering these 'navigational aids' for our own lives.

In December 2005, I wrote about taking The Journey Inwards. I continue today on the same theme; that it is a journey of self-leadership. It is a far larger concept than personal effectiveness, although that is certainly one of the aspects of a life where self-leadership is in evidence.

Self-leadership is the inward journey taken by individuals to identify and clarify their core values and who constantly seek the alignment of attitudes and behaviour to those values. Be absolutely CLEAR - self-leadership is not an event or even a series of events; it is a life-long discipline. Hence, there is NO way I am THE finished product myself, despite advocating it myself.

I began my own inward journey most seriously when I became a father about 6 years ago. As an employed individual then, I found myself seeking what was important to me. The job was taking too much time and giving too much heartache. Worse, the self-doubt was eating away at me and spilling over into my family relationships. The resulting internal discussion soon became a conversation with Brenda, because she was, and is, an extremely important part of my life.

We both soon discovered that the self-leadership journey truly had to begin with our self-image: that is, my identity as an individual husband and father. Across these relationships which defined me, I pinned down important aspects of my journey inwards. I am sharing 3 in this entry, to whoever wants to begin a similar journey

First, self-leadership is about clarifying values; distinguishing between the 'negotiables' and 'non-negotiables' in my life. I realised that values were the bedrock of my attitudes, which were in turn responsible for my behaviours and the quality of my relationships. As I tested this discovery by looking at the decisions in my life, I saw that each time I began negotiating what were non-negotiables, there was greater internal conflict which spilled over into key relationships in my life. Conversely, by keeping my values intact, decision-making became less painful.

Second, self-leadership is a reflective process. Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher in his Apologia written circa 400 BC, said:
"A life unreflected upon is a life not worth living."
Without active reflection, we fail to use the lessons which life freely dispenses, which when heeded, would give us the wherewithal to live it more richly. Without reflecting on how we have lived a day, we are perhaps doomed to fritter away the day that is yet to come.

Third, self-leadership is about taking charge and living out your values. 6 years ago, Brenda and I reached the decision to follow the inner clarion call to leave employment and to create something that we could call our own. This would give us the flexibility of time, which we could spend to grow up with Ethan. Being my son's best friend in his teens meant that I needed to spend time with him from his infancy. I guess the easier alternative was to just 'go with the flow' and let the momentum of career and life carry me. However, I just didn't want to be a hostage of circumstances anymore.

Each day on this journey of self-leadership, I gain renewed clarity about the non-negotiables in my life. Each step on this journey, I maintain focus on these non-negotiables by the discipline of a reflected life.

Noel
Resident Philosopher
(*All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Innovating with Innova Junior College! - An MOU Inked!

2006-03-24T17:20:00.000+08:00

We are pleased to announce that Trailblazer Trainers signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Innova Junior College this morning. The MOU puts into motion an action research collaboration with the College into the development of brain-based teaching pedagogies anchored on student learning preferences and teachers' thinking preferences. It builds on an already-strong relationship developed over 2005 through our BrainPoweredTM Learning & Teaching workshops for students and faculty.

The occasion was graced by no less a personality than Dr Geil Browning herself, creator of the Emergenetics and Student Teacher Emergenetics Profiles, who was in Singapore for the Asian launch of her book, Emergenetics: Tap into the New Science of Success. Both the College and Trailblazer Trainers believe that our research efforts will yield insights, that will be of tremendous benefit to schools everywhere! Ad Astra!*('To the Stars!' - Innova Junior College Motto')

Noel
Resident Philosopher

A New Look in Cyberspace!

2006-03-11T17:40:00.000+08:00

We are proud to announce that the Trailblazer Trainers' home in cyberspace has undergone a massive revamp. The new site has been 'live' since yesterday. This caps several months' rebranding work, since the last quarter of 2005. It also marks the launch of our new programme offerings under our BrainPowered trademark, for both our corporate and educational sector audiences. I'd say the entire effort was all worth it, because of the renewed focus that we gained.

Whatz Next consultants, Bin Yen and Eugenia, have been fantastic and resourceful in providing their expertise to have our Website reflect our corporate identity and values. We recommend them without hesitation! Excellent job, guys!

Noel
Resident Philosopher

2nd Time Parents

2006-03-04T20:41:00.000+08:00

Hi True Believers,
Just a note that Brenda and I have become parents a 2nd time round this morning at 1142 am. The photo shows her and Ethan, our eldest, who's finally had his prayers answered. Edna Tan Huih weighed in at 2.91 kg. Edna means 'pleasure and delight' in Hebrew and her Chinese character stands for 'wisdom', an infinite attribute of God. It is our prayer that she will be a pleasure and delight to all she meets in her life, and more importantly, she will take pleasure and delight in God's wisdom all her life. Bless you Edna!

Daddy Noel

G.R.E.A.T Service

2006-02-11T22:45:00.000+08:00

My best experience of customer service was 2 years ago when I attended a buffet dinner function at the Ritz-Carlton Singapore. Amongst the famished hundreds that night, I could not find the cocktail island. When I chanced on an assistant chef from the kitchen, removing several empty platters from the buffet tables, I asked for directions. With his hands full, he told me to wait right there and promptly disappeared from sight, as he waded into the mass of diners. As I stood there rooted to the ground, I began wondering, "He didn't even tell me where the drinks were to be found! How rude! What happened to the acclaimed Ritz Carlton service???"

To my surprise, he soon came back with a drink in his hand; and said sheepishly, "I forgot to ask you what drink you wanted, so I hope the Coke is alright." I was flabbergasted, to say the least. After taking the drink from his hand, the assistant chef soon went about his business, leaving me to revel in my own personal experience of 6-star service. I've not been delighted in a similar manner since then elsewhere, I must add.

Thinking about my Ritz-Carlton experience, I can offer insight into what G.R.E.A.T service is:
G: Genuine - This aspect of service excellence comes from within, arising from a mindset change. 'Fake' service can be easily detected. It must be based on the attitude that the customer's or client's needs come first and that the service provider is in a position to meet these needs.

R: Responsive - The service provider is swift in meeting customer needs because he recognises that if he was the customer, he'd expect the same degree of speed. It comes from understanding that out of the many other providers around, he has chosen you. Through a swift response, you show that

E: Exceeds expectations - This aspect of service excellence is actually the 'value proposition' in any transaction. By surpassing expectations, the customer is given powerful reasons to return to you rather than your competitors. Importantly, he becomes an advocate for you, through word-of-mouth advertising which is more powerful than costly marketing campaigns.

A - Anticipatory - In order to exceed expectations, a provider of excellent service needs to anticipate them. One way is to adopt what marketers have done: to profile customers by market segmentation. We use our Whole Brain Thinking tools to help our clients identify more closely their potential customers and their needs. At the same time, this knowledge alone is insufficient, the same tools can be applied to front-line staff to better understand how they individually approach service situations.

T - Total experience - Service Excellence is a holistic experience that goes beyond a polished (trained) greeting at the door, followed by trailing the customer like a phantom till he leaves. It is about being there when your advice is needed, providing the necessary options for the customer to make a decision, and even if he does not buy this time, excellent service gives him a reason to return in future.

Service providers need to recognise that customers do not just provide us with a living; they are the reason for our existence. Customers are also potentially our best advocates and their message usually has a lot of mileage. So think about your level of service and see how you can raise it to a G.R.E.A.T level.

Noel
Resident Philosopher

(* All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Get S.M.A.R.T with your Goals!

2006-02-05T18:06:00.001+08:00

Ask anyone you meet today if they thought goals are important, and there would be no doubt that they would agree without thinking twice. Whether you want to climb Mt Everest, swim the English Channel, get that driver's licence or to ace an academic examination, such goals provide a clear focus for our time and energy. Without goals, there might not be a point to our effort. Imagine you trained for months, readying yourself for the StanChart Marathon, only to sleep in on the eventful morning itself! What a waste of one's discipline and sacrifice, not to mention time!

From the process point of view, getting to those goals also provide us with 'creative tension' which gives us the motivation to meet life and all its challenges. Without goals, we simply would not have the drive to get on with life. As we begin the year with our resolutions, the key to making them happen lies in being S.M.A.R.T. Not just the goal-makers, the GOALS we mean.

The acronym S.M.A.R.T refers to the key characteristics of attainable goals.

S - Specific: Goals need to be SPECIFIC; ie when stating a goal, the goal has to state clearly the desired end-state. For a student, a SPECIFIC goal would be "to recite the various causes and effects of wave processes in shaping beaches". "To know wave processes"is certainly not going to be enough. A person embarking on an exercise programme has to say that he wants to "be fitter than last year" is going to have less success than if he said he wanted to improve his muscular strength or aerobic fitness this year.
M - Measurable: A MEASURABLE goal for our wave process student would be "To score at least 85% on the wave processes test". Being measurable, he could then assess if he was able to attain it. The person attempting to improve his aerobic fitness might want to say that he wants to run a quarter-marathon this year.
A - Attainable: Some readers might say 'Duh!' at this point. Goals need to be attainable, based on the resources at hand. Not back then, not in the future. By analysing our resources available before we begin directing our efforts, we spare ourselves the disappointment of not being able to reach our goals. For our wave process student, he might need to consider if he has enough time or even resource material to consult on his venture. The fitness guy might need to consult his doctor, to know if he has other medical conditions that might impede his progress. There's no real point in planning running a quarter-marathon if he has not dealt with his 180 kg weight.
R - Realistic: Goals have to be Realistic ie whether they are indeed feasible, even if we do have the resources to attain them. It might mean drawing on other resources meant for other goals, well and good if you can afford sparing them. If you can't, and that these goals are more important then a decision has to be made. Our wave process student might already be an 'A' student in Geography, but might be floundering in Math. He might very well get another 'A' on the wave process test, but he might be better off devoting his time and energy on passing the coming Trigonometry test.
T - Time-based: Goals have to be Time-based, because without a time-element attached, PROCRASTINATION often sets in. The time element gives us an urgency to complete the goal because there would be other goals on the horizon that require our attention and effort. We can apply greater focus and diligence as the dateline for completion draws closer, because the date allows us to see how much more progress needs to be made.

Making our goals S.M.A.R.T, we can identify more clearly what we need to do in order to align our efforts with the ends we have in mind. Whether you are a student or someone keen to work on an area of your life, sit down for a moment one of these evenings and work on those Whole-Brained New Year resolutions and convert them into S.M.A.R.T goals. Have fun with them!

Noel
Resident Philosopher

(*All text are copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Learning with the Brain in Mind (Part 2)

2006-01-31T22:44:00.000+08:00

In Part 1, we shared some facts about the Brain to remember, when we are harnessing the Brain/Mind connection during learning. This blog will look at the Mind; the other & no-less important half of the equation.

In our work with schools and training departments of corporate organisations, we often encounter teachers and training managers who recognise that the same lesson or training module can be received differently by different classes and groups. This can be frustrating for teachers and trainers, as learning objectives do not get achieved and if they can't identify the reason behind it. For the corporate organisation, it often means that operations and bottom-line considerations get affected when staff don't return from training with better skills. Conversely, the feeling of frustration is also true for students and participants who feel that the lesson is less-than-satisfying.

While each person's brain is physiologically identical, deep differences exist at the psychological level. In learning situations, these differences show themselves in individual preferences towards:

the kind of information desired - eg facts or anecdotes or information gained from hands-on work
the way the information is delivered - eg lecture or group work or humourous instructors
the environment - eg the volume of ambient noise, the brightness of the room, the time of the lesson

According to brain dominance theory pioneered by Ned Herrmann and elaborated by Geil Browning, the above differences are shown primarily in 4 distinct learning preferences:

Analytical Learning - The Analytical Learner prefers mental analysis and logical deduction based on factual information
Structural Learning - The Structural Learner prefers sequenced and ordered thinking.
Social Learning - The Social Learner prefers group work and views information related to people as especially valuable
Conceptual Learning - The Conceptual Learner prefers information presented in concepts, whose relationship to each other is shown

Most of us show at least a preference for 2 to 3 of these preferences, with a minority using 1 or all 4 preferences. The key is in mining this information for the various persons involved. The student or participant can access the lesson information according to his own most preferred thinking mode, while being aware of situations when he will need to exercise his least preferred thinking mode, eg when a new teacher or instructor is assigned to the class. For the teacher or training department manager, applying brain dominance theory in lesson planning or curriculum design provides the following advantages:

Brain Dominance theory offers a vocabulary to explain differences in learning
Using the Whole Brain framework, they can design lessons or training modules which align with the participants' learning preferences
Because instruction can become more learner-centred, lessons or training sessions are more meaningful
Teachers and training managers can be a catalyst for participants' growth, as they can systematically devote resources to 'strengthen' their least desired learning preferences

From our stable of the world's top 3 thinking preference tools, we are often called in by clients to help with exploiting the Brain/Mind Connection in their schools or training rooms:

identifying student or participant learning preferences from the Whole Brain perspective
customising current training materials with Whole Brain input
equipping teachers and trainers to 'Whole Brain' their instructional delivery
devising Whole Brain pedagogies for maximum return from the investment into learning preferences assessment

The Brain/Mind Connection is not just fascinating for its own sake. Instead, when harnessed for learning, it is of great value to all parties concerned: the student, the teacher/trainer as well as the training manager who has to translate training dollars into greater profitability, when participants return to line operations from the training room.

Noel Tan
Resident Philosopher

(All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd.)

Back to Uni

2006-01-17T23:07:00.000+08:00

Today, I just started on the doctoral programme in Education with the University of Western Australia and I can definitely say that it is no walk in the park. What was I thinking when I signed up??? I'll be chronicling this latest phase of my educational journey on the blog. For now, it's time to hit the books.

Noel
Resident Philosopher

Learning with the Brain in Mind (Part 1)

2006-01-11T01:25:00.000+08:00

Have you ever stopped for a second to think what you got out of your years in school? I guess most people would say that their chief benefit would have been given the numeracy and literacy skills essential for further education and ultimately, a career.

We believe that content learning has its place. That is, History, Geography, Biology, Physics etc are important fields of knowledge that collectively create an educational experience. The common image that comes to mind is that of 1 teacher droning on to a class of students, who would be assessed by written tests and examinations at a later date.

However, we look to a different kind of set of skills which perhaps been neglected, and whose importance has surfaced in the 1990s. Amongst what is popularly known as Soft Skills, we believe that 'Learning-to-Learn' is critical in ensuring that our learning effort is translated into positive results and experience. The importance of this skill cannot be understated as we spend all our lives learning: as infants, we learn to recognise the smell and voice of our mothers, in riding our bicycle, attending school and university, attending training courses in our working years.

Over the past 30 years, neuro-science advances since the famous 'split-brain' experiments of Roger Sperry, Gazzaniga and colleagues, have given a peek into how the brain stores and recalls information. While the physiological functions of the brain don't differ much across normal humans, applied psychology has also provided equally important insight into how individual preferences affect how information is first received, processed and communicated to others. Understanding and harnessing this Brain/Mind Connection is fundamental to Learning-to-learn successfully.

First, we need to know what the Brain needs to function:

Oxygen-hungry organ: The Brain uses 20% of every breath that we take, making it the most oxygen-hungry organ in the human body. This suggests that well-ventilated rooms are best for studying. In our courses with students, we also tell them that they should take a few deep breaths, before they embark on a spurt of memory-intensive work. Aerobic exercise also brings in oxygen into the body, giving a boost to one's alertness.

Stress is bad for the Brain: The Brain does not function well in conditions of stress. In fact, continued stress damages it. The human body reacts to stress by producing hormones that aid the 'fight-or-flight' instinct. Fantastic for our caveman days, but less so in the 21st Century. Continued presence of such hormones in the human body due to chronic stress, affects the effectiveness of the brain in storing and recalling information. This suggests that successful studying requires students to develop a positive attitude towards learning and their life in general. This would help them reduce stress levels yet remaining motivated enough to reach their goals.

Brain Food: Along with oxygen, glucose (from sugar and carbohydrates) is also used as the Brain works. A basic application of this rule is never go to school on an empty stomach. Food that is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, commonly found in fish is especially useful for producing alertness and concentration. I know because Ethan has been on a diet of Omega 3 supplements for the past 3 months and he can go on longer spurts of mental activity than before.

Bearing these neurological facts in mind, we can then provide our Brains with the best possible advantage when it comes to learning. We will continue learning about the other half of the Brain/Mind Connection in Part 2.

Noel Tan
Resident Philosopher

(* All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

Ethan's Primary 1 milestone

2006-01-04T01:24:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, 3 January 2005, marked an important milestone for my family. It was Ethan's, our 6-year-old, first day in Primary School (imp on the right of the picture). From infant to toddler to kindergarten kid, Brenda and I have managed to experience him through the past 6 years, perhaps more than the average Singaporean parents have, because of the nature of our work.

Over the past 2 months, after he 'graduated' from kindergarten, we have been preparing him for the next stage of his development, by talking to him about what primary school life will be like, what he can look forward to, as well as sharing what we remember about him over the past 6 years. Being naturally extroverted, he has been excited about the whole affair. I remember when he got his school uniform at the beginning of November last year, he came back home and spent the entire day in it. Because Brenda had taught previously at the School, she had also begun teaching him the School Song, which he sang over the last 2 months with gusto.

Between Brenda and I, we had also been reminiscing about the milestones in his 6 years: when he first talked, tottered around the house, when he recovered from Bronchialitis as well as our family vacations together, his first day at nursery, even the day when he came home from nursery declaring that he did not want to be in diapers any more.

On the night of 2nd January, when I was tucking him to bed, I asked Ethan what he was feeling, so that we could talk about these feelings. Was he scared? Nervous? Excited? He told us that he wasn't afraid but a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Yesterday, I couldn't help but feel that lump in my throat rise out of fatherly pride, when he told me that he did not need my help in carrying his School bag. My baby boy has grown up!

Milestones are important because they mark out progress of our development, separating maturity from immaturity. We cannot ever go back to that earlier phase of life, because that was preparation for the present, just as the present is preparation for the future. I guess whenever we approach a new phase, after we pass a milestone on our journey in life, we would feel a mixture of nerves and excitement, pretty much like Ethan. As I told him, these are natural feelings to have and that there are many good things that he can look forward to in his new School: new friends, friendly teachers and bigger play area than his Kindergarten.

Milestones are also important because they signify change. I guess Ethan and most of us feel nervous at milestones because change rocks our world. For instance, Ethan was sad that he could not watch his favourite TV series 'CSI', as it was way past his new bedtime. Milestones are thus significant because they bring disruption to the patterns of stability in his life. It brings to our realisation that things are not going to be as predictable as they used to be. It jolts us to being on our toes again. Milestones and the feelings we experience, remind us that we are alive.

Finally, milestones also bring a focus on what remains fundamentally important to us. Ethan recognises that his parents are important to him, through this transition. He also recognises that friendship is important as he declared to us abruptly some time ago, "When someone holds your hand, you will feel better."

Brenda and I hope and pray that for Ethan, his first 6 years with us have given him the foundation to be a steadfast friend, a resilient child, and the courage to stand up for what is right and to admit when he is wrong. Certainly, his milestone is also one for his parents, as we begin to adjust to the fact that as we prepare him for independence, we need to share that mental and emotional space with the people he will encounter from now on. God Bless you, Ethan!

Whole Brain New Year Resolutions

2005-12-29T09:26:00.000+08:00

Ever played with styrofoam gliders when you were young? I remember that when I was 10, I had a Stuka dive-bomber, a Brewster Buffalo and a P-51 Mustang (my favourite!). Assembling them was simple enough, and once the plastic nose with the propeller blade was attached, the glider is airborne. Slicing through the air, the glider cuts a sleek silhouette, and as it encounters mounting resistance, it loses speed and momentum, and quickly it hits the ground in less than 4 seconds flat after take-off.

Sound like what happens to New Year Resolutions? New Year's eve and THE LIST is out:

No more showing up late for work
No more smoking
No more snacking in between meals
No more procrastination
No more delays in taking out the trash etc

By the 3rd or 4th day of the New Year, the list finds its way into the litter bin in the study. 2007 perhaps....Familiar right? Been there, done that too from over here. Over here, we are human too.

Keeping resolutions is problematic because of the approach we take. Knowing WHY we need to break a bad habit is NOT sufficient enough. Consider the fact that anyone with half an education recognises the hazards of smoking:

Smoking is a primary cause of lung cancer
Passive smoking affects non-smokers' health
Smoking is an expensive habit; smokers generally pay higher insurance premiums

Yet, one only needs to look around to see that smokers are still around.

Over here at Trailblazer Trainers, we use the Whole Brain Thinking approach, pioneered by Ned Herrmann. Creator of the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument, Ned recognised 4 different thinking styles or what he called 'brain dominance', in the wake of neuroscientific research in the 1960s. These styles are:

Rational thinking (What Ned called the L1 -Left1 style)
Organised thinking (the L2- Left 2 style)
Emotional/Interpersonal thinking (the R2-the Right 2 style)
Holistic/Imaginative thinking (the R1- the Right 1 style)

The HBDI(and the other thinking preference instruments which we use: the Emergenetics and the Neethling Brain Instruments suite) measures the degree in which individuals prefer to use these styles. One result of using these instruments is that people begin to utilise their less-preferred thinking styles, so that they can better analyse situations and create solutions to these situations with a Whole Brain approach.

Rational thinking allows us to know WHY we need to keep a New Year resolution. However, we have a higher chance of success, if we use the other Thinking Styles to help us. Using the Holistic/Imaginative thinking style, we can VISUALISE the desired goal, when we finally achieve the New Year resolution. Essentially, this thinking style offers us the 'WHAT IF' (Athletes use visualisation techniques as part of their psychological preparations for competitions)

So in the case of our smoker friend, he can visualise several possibilities: that he finds that he is generally healthier, that more of his non-smoking friends connect with him more often, that he is able to afford that hi-fi set he has his eye on finally because of the savings from not smoking. Using Holistic/Imaginative thinking style, he can also brainstorm various ways he can take to get to his desired goal eg. to check himself into an addiction clinic or to go 'cold-turkey' himself.

Our smoker friend can then use Organised thinking style to help chart out HOW he wants to get there. This style helps him map out the structure of his habit-kicking venture. If he is checking himself into a clinic, then he will first have to find out the cost, duration etc, and then work out things at work.

Finally, he can use the Emotional/Interpersonal thinking style to think about WHO will benefit from his success and also WHOM he can call on to help him remain focused on keeping the New Year resolution. Even Roger Bannister called on 2 pacers: Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway to help him in running the mile in under 4-minutes, back in 1954. By sharing with them our New Year resolutions, people around us are a powerful force to help us succeed in keeping our New Year resolutions.

With that, New Year greetings from all of us at Trailblazer Trainers.

Noel Tan
Resident Philosopher

Rebuilding

2005-12-26T20:04:00.000+08:00

Today is Dec 26 2006, a full year after the Asian Tsunami tragedy. If time heals all wounds, then it is obvious that for many survivors, 365 days is not enough. Not even with the largest reconstruction aid budget in the history of Man. Not even with the world's leaders weighing in with their immense influence to make sure that things happen. Whilst the rebuilding process of habitation and settlements began in earnest in the days right after the disaster, it is the rebuilding of hearts and lives that is this post's focus.

The process of rebuilding lives and relationships, destroyed and displaced abruptly, is especially traumatising, where entire villages taken with the exception of 1 or 2 individuals. It is about pressing on without the people who were the anchors and hope of one's endeavours: parents, spouses, children and neighbours. It is about continuing on without the laughter of travelling companions, who were once there. It is tough because of the grief and the heavy hearts that are left to deal with the loss.

It is especially because of the trauma, that we stand humbled at the fortitude and quiet determination of those thousands of survivors along the Indian Ocean coastlines to move on and rebuild. There are many lessons we can learn from their rebuilding experiences, of which 3 are as follows:

1. Re-focusing
The rebuilding process involves activity, but activity without focus is not action. Survivors tell of how they chose to look at their circumstances and decided that they remained on earth for a purpose. Essentially, they saw that their life was half-full, rather than half-empty.
And they focused their energies to discovering and fulfilling that purpose.

2. Re-energising
We read about the amazing story of an Indian couple who lost all their 3 children to the tsunami. As they re-focused, they discovered that their purpose was to help other families who had lost children to rebuild their lives through a counselling programme. Along the way, they also adopted children who were left orphaned. By helping others regain their focus, we too will be re-energised to face those challenges.

3. Remembering
Through the many stories heard from those who have rebuilt their lives more successfully, we see that they have not chosen to block out the event fully. Instead, they chose to remember the pre-tsunami phase of their lives spent with those they had lost: Parents remembering cuddling their children, lovers walking on beaches, wives helping with the catch once the fishermen husbands returned etc. Of course, there would be moments of grief and regret when one remembers. But, it is certainly easier on the mind to deal with trauma in this way, rather than to block the event from memory, ignoring the natural emotion of sadness and preventing the healing passage of time from taking its course.

As we stand at the threshold of 2006, we owe the survivors of the Asian tsunami heartfelt thanks for being teachers even in their loss. Our constant prayers should go to God, to be with them in the days ahead.

Noel Tan
Resident Philosopher

The Journey Inwards

2005-12-21T21:50:00.000+08:00

"Managers are people who do things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing." - Warren Bennis, Ph.D, On Becoming A Leader

It probably isn't a coincidence that the first proper blog entry of Trailblazer Trainers is on Leadership. What better contribution to the theme is Warren Bennis' quote, even as the latest groundswell of negative publicity surfaces around the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). Government-appointed auditors, KPMG, released their report 2 days ago, providing a no-holds-barred, critical analysis into the inner workings of one of Singapore's more prominent charities.

Certainly, it is most damning to learn that the monthly contributions of thousands of hardworking Singaporeans did NOT go to subsidise the various kidney dialysis patients on NKF's rolls. Instead, Singaporeans woke up yesterday to discover that their hard-earned money went to pay for excesses and self-aggrandisement of key decision-makers in the NKF and only marginally to the benefit of their less-fortunate Singaporeans.

How did it all happen in squeaky-clean Singapore? Well, in the case of the NKF, it all came down to slick marketing, creative representation of figures and perhaps a good dose of dubious management motivations.

Which brings us to the heart of Bennis' quote: the key distinctive quality of a leader is in his or her focus, determination, belief, call it what you will, to do the RIGHT thing. Certainly, going by the quote, the ex-CEO of the NKF would not have done RIGHT by the people who depended on his decisions: the kidney patients, the clinical & clerical staff of NKF and if we extend it a little further, the various other charities who serve other causes. With all these revelations, there is little wonder that other charities are having difficulties raising funds in the aftermath of this fiasco.

Even if we examine the performance of the ex-CEO and the previous board of directors in the light of the first half of the quotation, I have serious misgivings that they even could be counted as managers. Fund-raising became the primary competency of the NKF, rather than providing professional and affordable care for kidney dialysis patients.

We at Trailblazer Trainers, believe the heart of any organisation reflects the heart of its leaders. This philosophy forms an integral part of our Leadership programmes. Each and every leader, aspiring or current, must take that Journey Inwards to constantly refine his or her motives; to keep the pure, the right, the noble. The Leader must discard the rest, like a farmer removes the chaff from the wheat. (By the way, I got the phrase 'The Journey Inwards' from Batman Begins - what Ras Al Ghul told Bruce Wayne.)

I leave you with 2 other quotes, which leaders should do well to bear in mind:

'Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.' - Lord Acton.

'Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.' - Abraham Lincoln.

The frontiers of the Journey Inwards is what each and every one of us must breach. Only in the Crossing of our individual Frontiers, do we become better than we were the day before.

Noel Tan
Resident Philosopher
(* All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd)

First Post

2005-12-21T00:02:00.000+08:00

We're currently updating our website and including a blog in it.

Here, we hope to share insights to topics we're passionate about:

thinking
learning
team effectiveness
leadership

It's our hope that these insights might also broaden your horizons as we cross these frontiers together!

Brenda Tan
Mrs. Philosopher