Starting 1 April 2011 all Regional Offices need to be restructured under new aspiration and direction of our Vice President. This restructuring exercise is made to meet the current business demand and essential to stream line all the regions. I would say this is a big scale exercise which involved the whole structure of regional offices. This exercise wills definitely involved Limit of Authority (LOA)and Line of Visibility (LOV).
The limits LOA designated to specify positions of responsibility within the Company and to establish the types and maximum amount of obligations that may be reviewed, endorsed and approved by individuals. The approval of commitments and transactions outlined in this policy must always be made by the parties that have been designated the responsibility for final approval.
The LOV is a processes of an organization and/or business area showing how the processes are organized cross-functionally. In a LOV diagram cross-functional processes flow horizontally across several functions and/or departments. It shows the relationship between the functions.
Pertaining to this exercise, I just received an assignment about restructuring LOA and LOV for my section. My head section supposed to lead this assignment, but somehow he managed to delegate to me! The main reason is currently I am a team leader for a big project which I’ve mentioned earlier in my last post. I supposed to restructure and strengthen my section functions. What worries me is not about the restructuring but the LOA and LOV. I’m afraid the decision made today will bring a big impact to the organization in future. What should I do?
I am always amazed how human react to a certain situations and conditions. This reaction sometimes relates to morality and survival. There were so many theories and philosophies about human behaviour resulted from hundred years of observation and study. In modern world the theories and philosophies of human behaviour been backed up by scientific evidence. However, we hardly come to a unanimous conclusion when it touched human behaviour compared to other fields of study.
The concepts of morality usually resolve around good and evil. Human actions are either good, bad or indifferent, depending on the relationship of the act having moral perfection and fullness by the object of the actions. An act is good when it agrees to the dictates of right reason or the rules of morality. An act is bad when it disagrees with the dictates of right reason or the rules of morality. An act is indifferent when it stands no positive relation to the dictates of the right reason or the rules or morality.
Ethical theory: An Anthology; Russ Shafer-Landau
I just watched a movie title 127 hours stars by James Franco. The movie is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston’s remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arms and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days, he examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage to amputate his right hand when he needs to choose between life and death. I am not going to give any in depth comments on the movie cause I am neither film critics nor movie experts. But one thing for sure I love about the movie is how do human behave and think for survival.
It same goes with our day to day life maybe some of us realize and some don’t, we always fight for our existence in this world. Our existence and survival depends on how we strategize and fight. One of the good examples is how my superior still survived in this dynamic corporate world. Yesterday, I’ve been scold because I lacked of soft skills and need to improve it further. Today, out of sudden she understands my frustration and she’s giving her full support towards me and we were talking about the same issue for those two days. The way she behaved from this situation, we can make a simple conclusion how she managed to survive in this world. Did you get what I meant?
In conclusion, human behaviour will always being an open end issues or topics to discuss. Theories generated base on who, environment and samples. But one thing for sure human behave will always interrelated with existence and survival. I’m not only referring to my superior but also myself.
For the past 5 days, I've been listening to Anuar Zain (Malaysia artist) latest song Sedetik Lebih (OST Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa). Its really a nice song and I love the melody so much. Surprisingly, this song also have an English version. I found out while searching the video clips. The English version called Memories Remain. Honestly, I love the English version lyric better than Bahasa Malaysia. Enjoy!
2 days ago I had a VC (Video Conference) from my current location to my regional office. We supposed to have 3 way VC which also include KL side. Due to some limitation (Yet to be determined either knowledge or technology!!) I end up waiting for first session VC (KL side and Regional Office) to be completed and they will update me during the second session (Regional Office and my current location). What a joke!
While waiting for the second session VC to start, my mind started to brood over on the information and communication technology (ICT) facilities surrounding me. I started to realize that my office ICT infra and facilities can be considered merely average compared to our competitors and partners. Of course I’m not comparing with my previous organization which equipped with advance technology this era could offer. The simplest analogy I can describe as merely average is while others started to look into 3D LED TV, we still in search of best LCD TV in the market.
Today, I had attended a weekly progress update meeting for my project. FYI, currently our company has been entrusted to execute one big project. When it’s my time to update the team, then my boss asked me about a PI System that need to be installed for our project.
“Is this system is nice to have? If it is something nice to have I believe our management won’t approve it!”
"Can we not install the system?
"How much is the cost? Just install the minimal requirements"
At this point of time, I started to reminisce the first moment I had a discussion with our ICT Division Senior Manager pertaining to the PI System. One of his statement which I remember (more or less)
“Do you realize our organization only allocated around 10% - 20% budget for ICT. It’s including installing, maintaining, replacing and etc for ICT facilities and infrastructure. While others (competitors and partners) allocated up to 40% – 70%”
We also touched on several ICT issues. Both of us agreed the company is in right direction & strategy to achieve the company mission, but we could not figure out the equation to success if ICT has been left behind in this era of globalization where information suppose to be at the tip of your finger.
In our case where we have branches all around the world with diversity of modus operandi, I would say YES, ICT should be part of the equation!
Technology is dominated by two types of people those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they do not understand.
Finally, I managed to switch on my laptop after 2 days trying!! I've been borrowing laptop from my friends for these 2 days just to clean up and archive my mails. Thanks bro! (cause no sis willing to lend their laptop) Sorry to those mail that been bounced for past 2 days. I'm currently impatiently waiting for new laptop (it still company's laptop though).
I just realized, my font are to small when I preview my post. I need to adjust back...no worries I'll do it later. I just finished read my close friend blog and he wrote about his superior. I do understand how he felt especially when it relates to UNRELIABLE SUPERIOR. Who doesn't? I'm currently experience it!! My remedies to ensure I keep my composure is I keep telling myself, just chill and relax..you has experienced before with previous boss. Current boss is nothing compared to previous one. Giggling... Sometimes, it makes me wonder "Is this a normal scenario in big corporate like I'm working now?", "Is this the right attitude should be portrayed, when be a global champion is the company mission?" and "What is the criteria to be promoted?". All these question has been mingling in my head. I do agree the top management has made a paradigm shift to ensure the sustainability and stability of the company. All these efforts can be clearly seen and felt such as re-structuring, empowerment, expanding and many more. But the main question is, do middle management fully understand and not wrongly interpreted the aspiration and direction given by the top management?
An empowered organization is one in which individuals have the knowledge, skill, desire, and opportunity to personally succeed in a way that leads to collective organizational success.
- Stephen Covey -
I do acknowledge the existence of the office politic in every organization. Be it either in Malaysia, Switzerland, Africa, United States, Middle East, Asia and etc. Everywhere has it! The main issues is either its bring growth or downturn to the company. One of the common culture (virus) in office politics that we have here is pointing figures (Put the blame on others and took credit for yourself). Sadly, this virus not only infected my sub-ordinate but has spread over to my superior. Due to this, I must admit all the decisions made by him just to resolve the issues temporarily and to ensure all the big boss keep out from breathing at his neck.
The worst scenario is when there are issues arise, he always not around for consultation even ideas. Several occasions we've (me and my colleagues) been forced to make a decision on behalf of the company which we also need to bear the responsibility and consequences. At the end of each year, he'll be appraising us like he is always there with us throughout the year. For this year I've been punished because I'm not fully concentrate in exercising my core job, while at the same time I've been officially assigned by the top management to lead one of the big project. Sigh....
Finally, I managed to type something in my new blog. Some of my friends asked me "Why now? Why not earlier?". Well the answer is quite simple actually. I've met a wonderful friends and I want to share my journey with them with you.
There is wonderful proverb in Malay that I want to share with you which motivated me to start my blog. A proverb which I believe will change your perspective and view about others.
"Tak Kenal Maka Tak Cinta" (you will never love something if you do not know it)
This proverb tells us how we often see people in one perspective and a bit prejudiced without knowing them first. We always make an analysis and interpretations based on what we read, saw and felt about others. It is like a tip of an iceberg, we judge base on what we see on the surface, and to make it worst it sometimes might lead to what we want to see! Well if you have the courage to dive deeper, you'll be surprised what you may encounter!
Like other normal human being, my life journey in this world began at the moment I started to inhale my first oxygen via my cute little nose after 9 months and 10 days in my mom's womb. Thanks Mom! All along the way I has met a various character of human being; which sometimes made me happy, sad, frustrated, hatred and many more. All this experience, has made me what I am today and I am proud of it!
I do realize some of you may know me, and some of you may not. However, I would take this opportunity to wish all of you Happy Reading!
Great people talk about ideas,
Average people talk about things,
Small people talk about others, and
Legends never talk, they send SMS.
