Opinions/Suggestions

I have a subordinate who is an idealist. We had lots of discussions/debates already and if it isn’t technical, we usually end up with me saying “I will just take it as an opinion of yours.” He doesn’t like the idea that he wants to continue arguing until I say those magic words. What it really means is that I have been there and most likely I know what the outcome will be.<> One of those days where we had a good chat, he opened it up and asked me why I don’t want to have debate and honestly tell him the reason. I gave him example of the things that transpired from what ever thought he had and was enlightened when he realized that what I said would happen is closer to the ideal idea he has.

This guy also asked me how people can follow him when he is sure of the idea he has and proven effective. He even gave an example as he gave an advice to a friend of ours where he had almost the same experience where he did the right thing. I took me a lunch time; I knew I have an answer from what he said. Finally, when lunch is over, we have to drive to work and asked him, “what if I tell you that the effective way of making people do what you want is study psychology and reading a lot of leadership books, would you read and study?.” His answer is that he may or may not. And that is exactly my point I said. We all have a choice and sometimes most people think differently from us and would have choice different from what we think is the best one. I continued that all we can do is make suggestions and let the individuals decide for themselves. For that specific issue, he pulled out other things that are more realistic than ideal until we got to the factory.

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Solving Problems

I have been telling stories about the progress of my relationship with my superintendent. I came to the factory 14 years after he started so it was not easy for me to slip into their system. We have been doing fine working together. It has gone better now that he already put me into picture of what is happening around the plant and his jobs and in full detail.<>

I never forced him to follow me, instead I showed him that though I am more than 10 years younger than him, I have the capability to make things happen, get root cause faster for machines and solve problems even on personal matters. I am also the mediator when they cannot tell if the main problem is electrical or his division – mechanical.

Now that he is more open to my ideas, I also make sure he grows in terms of management. It is not that easy for him as he was a hands-on person but with the aid of my stories and experiences, he is little by little moving out of it and moving a step higher. We had a lot of chat made especially on how to handle things around the plant, not only problems but also the people around us. We also have chats on what improvements he wants. He also wanted to learn AutoCAD and I helped him with it also.

Every time there are thing(s) that bothers him or problem that he needs answer, he would approach me. I like the way he starts our conversation, that is, he would tell me that he has a problem and he is sure I can solve it in 1, 2 or just 5 minutes.

“The quickest way to gain leadership: problem solving”
- John Maxwell
Developing the leader within you.

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Mind Reading

Some of my friends say I read minds because usually, I would know what their next steps would be or what they think about a certain topic. I told them that I really do not possess any magic but it is just learning how their minds are programmed. Also, I think that it is a product of the wide range of books that I have read.<>

I have been programming (just a hobby) for quite sometime now. Seeing and making just the program, I can easily picture out the end result. My “mind reading” is just the same as reading a program of the mind. Whenever I know the content of the program of the mind and its settings, it is easy to know their judgment will be or what next moves they will make. Though not very accurate, it's a big factor.

One thing to know how they think and how they would react on certain things is being keen on the things that they treasure most and how they are raised. I would usually be keen on listening on things, events, people and stuff that are most significant to them. Reading books, especially on the topic of psychology, also helped me a lot as they provide good guides on how to know people. With it, I can tell what decisions they will make or just what on their minds are.

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Chess

One of the games that I love playing is Chess and I have been playing it since high school. I am not very good at it but have won few games with the tough ones. At work, I see some parts of it kind of like playing chess. Like each piece has its importance and has its main use. The board is filled with characters that need each other to reach the main goal.<>

In a factory set-up, we have these apprentices which are those with can later be promoted to something should he persevere in getting it but of course, it needs my push also for him to get it. I also have tradesmen that help these pawns and protect them. The superintendents are my right hand personnel that make sure all subordinates work fine and they are also the main persons that I can count on when needed. I would delegate thing to them that they can do most and where critical matters are. My main task is to put them where they will needed most; make sure that they have resources to accomplish jobs and that they are motivated enough to face the challenges ahead. Like chess, we do not know when opponent e.g breakdowns, will attack us so the best we can do is to prepare for it. With the randomness of the events, I sometimes would find myself taking off my personnel from one job to another that I know have much importance compared to what they are already working at.

Behind the board, I would prepare more as I do not know other challenges that may come, but with experience, I can tell what we can check to prevent future damages. Planning is everything. Always at least a step ahead, keeps me calmer in facing each day. I really have a great deal of battling with procrastination and I always think that not doing so will cause me more problems. Troubles are inevitable, but handling them is what I am mastering.

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Listen/Observe

Below is a fable that I have read and this one clings to me simply because I can relate to it:

A little bird was flying south for the winter.
It was so cold, the bird froze and fell to the ground in a large field.
While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it.

As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, it began to realize how warm it was. The dung was actually thawing him out!
He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.

A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.
Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him!

Management Lessons:
1) Not everyone who drops sh*t on you is your enemy.
2) Not everyone who gets you out of sh*t is your friend.
3) And when you're in deep sh*t, keep your mouth shut!

Lesson number 1 defines me that is why I can still remember this even if I have read this long time ago. Some people find me cruel that I mock at the people. When I speak differently or harshly to a person, it only means that he/she is a close friend. I am not sure if they already observed it but I am a person who will be there when they need me and would give all that I can give to help. My advice sometimes may sound cruel, but if they are listening attentively, they will see that it is for their own good and I am trying to help. This applies not only to my friends but also my relatives and co-workers. I tried to be gentler but after some time, it still bursts out.

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Knocking Truth

I have been looking for ways to tell some person how to open up first before I give them advice. Most people just ask for them but don’t want to work on it if it is different from what they have in mind. I know that what I can tell can help them; unfortunately, most of them hang on to what they believed in. Sometime, even if what I say is very relevant and had a personal experience, they would ignore them if it is not the same they want to hear. What I normally do is wait for the right time that a person is opening his mind to new ideas which doesn’t happen often.<>

Last night I have heard passages from an audio book of Wayne Dyer and before starting on with the main thing he wants to send he narrated the story of “The Lost Son” from the teachings of Buddha and he said:

“A young widower, who loved his five year old son very much, was away on business when bandits came who burned down the whole village and took his son away. When the man returned, he saw the ruins and panicked. He took the burnt corpse of an infant to be his son and cried uncontrollably. He organised a cremation ceremony, collected the ashes and put them in a beautiful little bag which he always kept with him.

Soon afterwards, his real son escaped from the bandits and found his way home. He arrived at his father's new cottage at midnight and knocked at the door. The father, still grieving asked: "Who is it?" The child answered, it is me papa, open the door!" But in his agitated state of mind, convinced his son was dead, the father thought that some young boy was making fun of him. He shouted: "Go away" and continued to cry. After some time, the child left. Father and son never saw each other again."

After this story, the Buddha said: "Sometime, somewhere, you take something to be the truth. If you cling to it so much, even when the truth comes in person and knocks on your door, you will not open it."

This is so true and I am enlightened hearing it. This as this is very nice story to start with just in case they ask for serious advice or probably narrate it when I start a mini-seminar.

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Level up

Work – as I talk to more experts on other field, my view gets broader. I don’t see learning as just adding a knowledge 1 at a time as you gain them rather I see learning more to be added incrementally. When I gain knowledge, there is usually a parallel instance of it in other field and that is usually what I look for. Not only that my knowledge gets at least a level higher but also my creativity is boosted whenever problems arise. I really try to use all the gained things I have to produce solutions making it easier and easier to solve problems or produce something for improvement of the factories.

Computer – when asked what my hobby is now, my answer would be - programming. My last blog is about my laptop and in it is a web design tool. Web designing involves a lot of applications like photo editing and flash. Just had few tutorials and I am already making a quite neat website which I will place here later. As I have done some programming before, learning other programming language is not that easy but fortunately, I can cope with them. In Autocad, I have been using them for years, but the new set up as of 2009 is very different environment that I have to cope with.

Badminton – as with any games, I just think of me as the only enemy I have. Instead of focusing on winning and on the weaknesses of my opponent, I focus on improving myself. Win or loose, as long as I am taking risks on shots made, practicing more, getting fit and doing what I have planned to improve at, it is already a win for me. But in spite of not being keen on just winning, getting better with my games makes my level higher and now already playing with the better ones and giving them a good game… win or loose.

Friends – Here in Papua New Guinea, I made a lot of friends and acquaintances with different personalities. As my friend Jun noticed, I am a very flexible person that can talk and play with the matured ones down to the kid’s level. I can also play almost any games that we have here. For them, what I practice is timing on jokes and giving more advice in a level that they can understand.

Family – though away, I know that my communication skills have gone better, and still keep on improving them. I and my wife have less arguments as we had before and things, same as at work, problems can be solved easier now. She is very supportive of me now than ever before and same with me to her. Arguments don’t last long now. My kids listens to me when I speak (trouble is that I am usually away from them.)

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