Saturday, January 21, 2012

Kung Hei Fatt Choy



迎春接福 , 歲歲平安 ; 新年快乐 , 萬事如意 ! Wishing One & All

A Happy & Healthy YEAR of the DRAGON!












Friday, January 6, 2012

"THE" HR Guru

I just completed conducting a 3-day training about "aligning human resource services with business needs" where I was reminded about the work of one whom I consider as perhaps THE guru in HR.

Dave Ulrich is Professor of Business at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and co-founder of THE RBL Group. He is greatly sought after as a speaker, management coach and management consultant, who has been listed by HR Magazine countless times as their "most influential person in HR".

More importantly he has authored/co-authored many books that are almost mandatory reading for anyone planning a career in HR.

Some of these essential readings include:-

The Why of Work: How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win,with Wendy Ulrich 2010

HR Transformation: Building Human Resources from the Outside In,with Justin Allen, Wayne Brockbank, Jon Younger, and Mark Nyman, 2009

HR Competencies: Mastery at the Intersection of People and Business,with Wayne Brockbank, Dani Johnson, Kurt Sandholtz, and Jon Younger, 2008

The HR Value Proposition with Wayne Brockbank, 2005

HR Scorecard: Linking People, Strategy, and Performance
with Brian Becker and Mark Huselid, 2001

Human Resource Champions: The Next Agenda for Adding Value and Delivering Results, 1997

Happy Reading!



Saturday, December 24, 2011

Cheers to 2012!

Wishing One & All - A Blessed Christmas

and A Very Happy 2012!









Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Human Capital Singapore Conference 2011


I am excited to be part of the inaugural Human Capital Singapore Conference 2011 this year, along with many other noted luminaries in the HR and consulting world.

http://www.hcsconference.com/hcs/speakers.asp

Day 2 - 7July 2011: Delivering Productivity Improvements In Singapore
11.30am Communities of Practices in Practice 4 parallel sessions

CoP workshop A: Retention Facilitated by: Dr Kimbal L. Wheatley, PhD, Principal, Flexner Wheatley & Associates

CoP workshop B: Skill / Capability Development Facilitated by:
Mr Wong Tuck Wah, Associate Facilitator, Human Capital Singapore

CoP workshop C: HR for Further Effectiveness Facilitated by: Mr Kenneth KL Tan, Associate Facilitator, Human Capital Singapore

CoP workshop D: Innovation Facilitated by
Dr William A. Flexner, PhD, Principal, Flexner Wheatley & Associates Inc

CEO Roundtable on "Challenges in Management and Retaining Talent" Facilitated by PwC (by invitation only)


For more details, do check out http://www.hcsconference.com/hcs/index.asp


Hope to see you there!







Thursday, April 7, 2011

Aspiring to HR

I just completed a public training for a core module in the WSQ HR Framework ie Measuring HR Effectiveness.

Some of the participants have been in previous modules with me as they pursued their
WSQ Professional Diploma in Human Resources (10 modules in all - in a combination of core and elective modules) http://app2.wda.gov.sg/wsq/contents/contents.aspx?contid=975&Pg=2

One participant stood out for me.

As part of her upskilling, interest and aspirations, she decided to take up this WSQ HR Prof Dip on her own accord (self-funded - still a sizable investment inspite of government subsidies for these programs) and in fact wanted to quit her job in Student Affairs so that she had the time to do these 10 modules progressively over the last year or so.

But her employer (to their credit), asked her to stay on and offered to let her take no-pay leave for the additional days required for classes, in an effort to retain her. And to engage her in her aspirations, has begun to transition her from her previous role into their
Human Resources function.

Personal aspiration and determination, management & organisational support, the WSQ Framework and the CET eco-system, all working in tandem, to make it happen for her in her new career path in HR.

All the best SL!

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

“Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work.”
William Arthur Ward (1921-1994)

William Arthur Ward was author of Fountains of Faith and is one of America's most quoted writers of inspirational maxims. He was also a dedicated scholar, editor, pastor and teacher.

Many variations have arisen from his original maxim, the one that I like and is popularly known and in circulation today is the one below :-

I will do more than belong, I will participate.
I will do more than care, I will help.
I will do more than believe, I will practice.
I will do more than be fair, I will be kind.
I will do more than forgive, I will forget.
I will do more than dream, I will work.
I will do more than teach, I will inspire.
I will do more than give, I will serve.

On this Christmas Day, as we remember the reason for the season and as we head towards the end of 2010, making plans and doing up new resolutions, I hope that you can reflect on these words, and that they may give you inspiration and encouragement, even direction - as you look forward to the coming of the New Year.


Have a Blessed Christmas and a Great 2011!



Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Yum!'s High Impact Coaching

Many would have grabbed a bite to eat at their many restaurants dotted across 100 nations world-wide , and would have been served by one of their 840,000 people. YUM is their NYSE ticker symbol as well.

Still not sure who I am referring to? Perhaps these 5 brand names will ring a bell? KFC , Pizza Hut , Taco Bell , A&W , Long John Silver's!

I have been in training these past few weeks running many corporate as well as public runs for Implementing Performance Management. And a recurring theme is oft about how to manage "under"-performers.

A key aspect for any manager in that position would be to ascertain if it's a lack of resources, lack of skill or a lack of will. This is where coaching comes in.



In a book he co-authored with Jim Ballard and Fred Finch, Ken Blanchard, one of America's biggest bestselling authors and inspiring business leaders, writes of the key to customer service- creating a people-oriented, performance-driven, customer-first organization.


A section of Customer Mania! describes Yum's high impact coaching model called the EARS model - Explore, Analyze, Respond, and make it Stick.

The authors go on to detail how "through asking different questions", managers can "get to the core problem of what (staff are) struggling with". It's not about telling them "what's wrong" but rather to "get (them) to see it themselves".

They describe it as having an "epiphany about the real issue" and how managers "just helped them get to that point".

The authors rated Yum! 8 out of 10 for their Performance Coaching - "for doing a fabulous job when it comes to positioning and implementing a coaching philosophy as the driving force for creating a Customer Mania culture".

Once a manager can ascertain if it's a resource, skill or will issue, he/she would be better positioned to either provide support or training or more importantly, seek interventions that will appeal and engage the staff to higher performance.

Do you know if you have the right "coaching philosophy" as part of your performance management in your organisation?