Entries from September 2009 ↓

I was delighted to attend the 33th anniversary celebrations of HUALIEN club at Trianon. It crossed my mind that the present President Chan Sun may not have been born when the club was formed or was just a toddler then,and I rejoice that the 33year old organisation is having a new youth with this new generation of active members. Perhaps more significantly, on the celebration day the new website was presented and a master plan for the future development was revealed by the younger generations.

I went through the new website built by Joel Wan Chow Wah, single handedly, and was pleased to see a number of interesting features namely: ‘The Sino Mauritian’ and the ‘Cultural resources’. However I think that the Mission & Aims of HUALIEN club could have been more prominent. The purpose & usefulness of the club can be found in reading through its ‘History’ and story behind the ‘birth of the club’.

I would eagerly wish that the website become an interactive one. Not only could the website be an information diffusing vehicle of the club but also become a place where members can interact with the club and amongst themselves in the virtual world.

Today, I congratulated Joseph Tsang Man Kin for his contribution to the cultural pages shown on the website. Surprise! By returned email, he told me that he did not know that he featured thereon.

All told, I am proud to belong to the club. I have to congratulate the founder members for their vision. My gratitude also goes to all the Past Presidents and their respective committees who through the years have maintain the spirit and have through much struggle built up this wonderful 9 arpents infra-structure which will benefits the future generations.

Long live HUALIEN! Long live the Sino Mauritian Community! Long live Multi- ethnic Mauritius!

Mc 7,31-37.
Jésus quitta la région de Tyr ; passant par Sidon, il prit la direction du
lac de Galilée et alla en plein territoire de la Décapole.
On lui amène un sourd-muet, et on le prie de poser la main sur lui.
Jésus l’emmena à l’écart, loin de la foule, lui mit les doigts dans les
oreilles, et, prenant de la salive, lui toucha la langue.
Puis, les yeux levés au ciel, il soupira et lui dit : « Effata ! »,
c’est-à-dire : « Ouvre-toi ! »
Ses oreilles s’ouvrirent ; aussitôt sa langue se délia, et il parlait
correctement.
Alors Jésus leur recommanda de n’en rien dire à personne ; mais plus il le
leur recommandait, plus ils le proclamaient.
Très vivement frappés, ils disaient : « Tout ce qu’il fait est admirable :
il fait entendre les sourds et parler les muets. »

=================================================================================

Outre la guérison du muet de Jésus, en terre non juive le territoire de la Décapole, signifiant ainsi que Jésus est venu pour le salut également desT les païens, Jésus nous ouvre les oreilles et nous délit la langue. Sommes-nous sourd au message de Dieu dans les tintamarres des bruits de tous les jours ? Aurions-nous besoin de ce message « Effata » d’ouverture de Jésus pour ensuite être le relais parlant du Christ ?

Entendre ne semble pas être suffisant, savoir être à l’écoute n’est toute autre. Jésus n’attend une démarche et une initiative pour agir. Peut être bien, l’élan d’initiative est originaire de nous même, mais plus souvent, l’initiation vient des autres, comme il l’est dans ce cas. N’est pas spécifié les personnes qui ont conduit le sourd muet et qui ont demandé le Seigneur de poser Sa main sur lui. Ne sommes nous pas appelé pour être aussi parmi les instigateurs pour pousser les autres à être à l’écoute du Seigneur ? Sommes nous pas le « on » pour les autres ? Nous savons bien que nous sommes les instruments de Dieu : Il agit à travers de nous et par nous.

Ainsi à Son image, « tout ce qu’il fait est admirable ».

Je te demande Seigneur Jésus, de me faire prendre encore plus conscience de Ta presence, et  d’être ouvert à Ton écoute par un dialogue, plus fréquent et plus intime avec Toi. Accorde-moi, comme Toi, que j’accomplisse tout ce qui est admirable à Tes yeux.

Cela fait un moment que ma femme et moi sommes confrontés aux irritations que nous pose une personne que nous voyons très souvent. Eh bien, cette personne connait tout ce qu’il y a à savoir, et s’il y a des problèmes, ils proviennent de quelqu’un d’autre. Elle est la meilleure, plus forte, plus importante, a plus de connaissances que n’importe qui d’autre, surtout dans certains domaines.

Grace à un de mes tuteurs de PLN, j’ai trouve une solution:

Le Test du Macho

© 2002 Shelle Rose Charvet

L’un des aspects les plus irritants de la communication quotidienne est d’essayer de convaincre quelqu’un qui adopte une attitude de Macho. Les femmes sont souvent consternées de découvrir que, entre elles, elles peuvent tirer parti et commenter les idées de l’une et de l’autre, mais que c’est souvent bien plus difficile de le faire lorsque des collègues masculins sont impliqués. Et parfois, même les femmes deviennent Macho !

Lorsqu’une personne exécute un « programme macho », elle fonctionne comme si elle croyait les choses suivantes :

• Elle sait déjà tout ce qu’il y a à savoir.
• Elle n’a pas de problème. Elle, et tout ce qui est en relation avec elle est parfait.
• S’il y a des problèmes, ils proviennent de quelqu’un d’autre.
• Elle est meilleure, plus forte, plus importante, a plus de connaissances que n’importe qui d’autre.

Combien de fois est-ce que des décisions importantes ont été prises pour assouvir l’ego de quelqu’un ou simplement pour ne pas perdre la face ? Ecoutez les interviews à la radio. Lorsque le journaliste demande à quelqu’un s’il était surpris par la tournure des événements, la personne n’admet jamais ou que très rarement avoir été surprise. Ceci voudrait dire qu’elle ne savait pas déjà tout ce qu’il y avait à savoir. Une fois, j’ai donné une formation suivie d’un coaching optionnel. Personne n’a profité de l’offre de coaching parce que ceci aurait voulu dire que cette personne avait besoin d’aide. Actuellement, le coaching fait partie intégrante du programme de formation.

Nous devenons tous parfois Macho. Remarquez votre réaction lorsque l’un de vos parents vous dit quoi faire !

Pour être certain que même une personne qui est devenue Macho prendra en considération vos idées, vous pouvez employer le « Test du Macho » comme technique de rédaction. Même si j’ai formalisé le « Test du Macho », vous avez peut-être déjà fait vous-même quelque chose de semblable pour vous assurer que vos messages importants arrivent à destination.

Ecrivez votre document ou préparez ce que vous allez dire en employant la formule en 4 étapes pour présenter vos idées aux personnes septiques. Ensuite, examinez-le d’un bout à l’autre et posez-vous les questions suivantes sur ce que vous avez préparé :

Avez-vous dit ou sous-entendu que :

• Il y a quelque chose que votre auditoire ne sait pas déjà
• Vous lui dites quoi faire
• Il a problème et vous avez la solution
• D’une façon ou d’une autre, il n’est pas parfait et/ou
• D’une façon ou d’une autre, vous êtes meilleur que lui.

Si l’une ou l’autre des phrases ci-dessus sont dites ou sous-entendues, votre document ne passe pas le « Test du Macho ». Vous pourriez considérer refaire des phrases comme ci-dessous :

• Comme vous le savez probablement… (ensuite, dites la chose que vous suspectez qu’ils ne savent pas).
• Employez le langage de la suggestion : vous pourriez considérer
• Je sais que d’autres organisations ont eu ce problème et ce que certaines ont fait est …. Comment avez-vous résolu ce problème ? (Implique qu’ils ont déjà résolu tous les problèmes).
• Avec votre expérience et votre connaissance dans ce domaine….
• Votre rôle est…. Mon rôle est…. (pour établir des rôles différents mais égaux).

La prochaine fois que vous avez l’impression que si vous présentez une « nouvelle idée », la personne niera que c’est véritablement nouveau, essayez de suggérer que c’est peut-être quelque chose qu’elle a déjà considéré. Vous savez probablement déjà qui sont les Macho dans votre vie. J’ai découvert que lorsque je rédigeais une seconde fois pour passer le « Test du Macho », les personnes auxquelles je m’adressais arrêtaient d’être Macho et participaient plus volontiers au flot libre des idées.

J’ai publié un article intitulé : «  Dix tuyaux pour survivre au système de santé ». Ce titre a passé le « Test du Macho » parce que des « tuyaux » sont seulement des suggestions. Cet article n’aurait pas reçu autant d’attention si je l’avais intitulé : « Dix règles pour survivre au système de santé ».

De toutes mes années passées à résoudre des problèmes de communication, j’ai appris que la plus grande partie de l’effort est d’avoir une personne dans un état mental et émotionnel d’ouverture, afin qu’elle puisse entendre ce que je dis. Lorsque nous arrivons à obtenir que les gens nous écoutent et nous prennent sérieusement, c’est parce que nous avons dégagé assez d’espace mental chez l’autre pour que nos paroles puissent pénétrer. Vous ne me croyez pas ? Essayez vous-même !

I am a regular user of LapTop. I may spend a good 4-5 hours daily on my laptop. Recently Olivier who spends most of his time on a laptop started having wrist pains. For him as well as for me it is becoming an occupational hazard. What is needed to be done? I found an article which discusses this issue and would like to share it with you.

Ergonomic Tips for Using a Laptop Computer

Text partially adapted from Cornell University Ergonomics Web, Professor Alan Hedge

Laptop computers, also known as notebooks, are not recommended for use as primary computers that are used for numerous hours everyday. However, they have been adopted for just that purpose by thousands of people.

1. Laptops are not designed ergonomically – The design and construction of laptops violates a basic ergonomic requirement for computer usage, namely that the keyboard and screen can be positioned independently for appropriate viewing and typing. In the very early days of personal computing, desktop devices also had the screen and keyboard integrated as a single unit, and this resulted in widespread complaints of musculoskeletal discomfort. By the late 1970’s a number of ergonomic design guidelines were written calling for the separation of screen and keyboard. The reasoning is simple. With a fixed design, if the keyboard is in an optimal position for the user, the screen isn’t, and if the screen is optimal the keyboard isn’t going to be placed properly. Even contemporary laptop designs fail to satisfy this basic ergonomic positioning requirement, which means that users must pay special attention to how they use their laptop in order to avoid muscular-skeletal disorders, headaches, fatigue, and similar complaints that result from non-ergonomic computer use.
2. Laptop user type -  Are you an occasional user who works on your laptop for short periods of time or less than two hours per day? Are you a full-time user whose laptop functions as your main computer? Occasional users will have less risk of injury than full-time users, but all users should pay attention to how they use their laptop computers.
3. Computer Posture – As explained above, laptops violate basic ergonomic design requirements, so using a laptop results in some tradeoff between either poor neck/head posture and poor hand/wrist posture.

1. Laptop dimensions – Laptops are available with screens as large as 17″. However, bigger is not always better. Consider your likely usage. The larger the screen the more difficult it may be to use your laptop in mobile locations, such as airplanes or trains. On the other hand, if you enjoy DVDs, “wide screen” laptops are also be proportioned with screens of less height but wide viewing for DVD convenience. There are a number of smaller notebooks and ultra portable laptops on the market that provide more compact portability and lighter weight. Consider issues of screen size and screen resolution, as well. A small screen (e.g.12.1″) will be useful in mobile settings, but if the resolution is high (e.g. XGA – 1024 x 768), make sure that you can read the screen characters and can easily use the input device to point to areas on the screen. The smaller the laptop, the smaller the keyboard, so make certain that you can comfortably type on a keyboard that may be only 75% the size of a typical laptop’s keyboard.
2. Laptop weight  – People who travel frequently and use their laptops on the road must consider the weight of the system they’ll be carrying. By “system” we mean the weight of the laptop plus the required accessories (e.g. power supply, spare battery, external disk drive, printer, etc.). Many lightweight portables can become as heavy as larger laptops after you add all the components into your carrying bag.  If your laptop and components weighs 10lbs or more, certainly consider using a pull-along laptop carry-on bag.  If you prefer a smaller bag and can comfortably carry your laptop, select a bag that is quality designed for that purpose and features a well padded shoulder strap system.

Are we not  in transition? Are we not in perpetual change? Are we not in a continuous motion?

I am very fond of this article by Vicki Heath that compares my early learning of Physics: Newton’s Law of Motion with her laws for successful Transition.

Managing Change: The Three Laws for Successful Transition

By Vicki Heath

Change programs that succeed adhere to certain enduring principles of effective change management. Organizations that act in accordance with these change management principles are more likely to see their efforts result in real organizational benefits. Here are three principles that have well stood the test of time.

Isaac Newton was a giant in the field of physics. We can all remember him from our school days as the genius that discovered the law of gravity. The picture of an apple falling from an apple tree on to Newton’s head is etched indelibly on our minds.

Newton is also famous for his three Laws of Motion. The formulation of these three laws was the largest single scientific advancement since the days of Aristotle, some two thousand years previous. Newton’s laws of motion apply to physical entities operating in space and describe how they interact at the most fundamental level. However, they can just as easily be applied to human entities interacting in an environment of change. When we apply them to people and organizations, we call the principles the Three Laws of Change Management©.

Newton’s First Law of Motion states that an object will remain at rest or in perpetual motion until an unbalanced force acts upon it. Think of your change program for a moment as the object in Newton’s First Law. Once your change initiative gets going, think about what will keep the program moving towards your goal.

As with the object in Newton’s Law, your change program will need a force to get it going and will need a force to move it to each new level. Also, given the natural inertia in organizations, if the driving forces dissipate, like a rolling stone the program will eventually come to a halt.

Just as with Newton’s First Law, the force must be immediate for your program to progress. A potential force that will provide an impetus in the future is of no use in the present. What is the immediate force that will get your people moving and what are the forces that will keep them moving? For some, discussing with them the forces for change may compel them to follow and support you. You could point to:

• legislative changes such as corporate governance, occupational health and safety, and risk management
• competitor activity such as new entrants and decreasing market share
• financial results such as profit and loss and share price
• quality indicators such as defects and delivery to commit
• customer feedback from surveys, mystery shopper, focus groups and field reports
• employee satisfaction survey results
• benchmarking comparison results

You could also highlight the impact of not changing. Impacts that you could discuss with people may include:

• loss of market share
• fines or jail sentences for non-compliance or personal injury
• tarnished business reputation
• increased rate of customer complaints
• loss of key staff

Whatever the forces for change, make sure that the forces are applied to the people needed to bring about the change by communicating often and using a variety of methods.

As you think about what strategies you will use to keep the momentum going in the new operational environment, I encourage you to draw a lesson from Newton’s Second Law of Motion. Newton’s Second Law states that the rate of change in motion of an object is proportional to the force acting upon it and inversely proportional to its mass. Consider the object as being the people working in the new organization and the force to keep them moving in the right direction as the various practical techniques that you can employ.

Your practical techniques could include:

• aligning systems of reward and recognition
• feeding back performance results to employees
• achieving some quick wins
• celebrating achievements
• creating meaning through introducing symbols of the new culture
• operationalizing the change
• aligning recruitment and selection criteria

Newton’s principle is telling us that the greater the mass (that is, the more pronounced the resistance to change), the more diligently you will need to apply the techniques (that is, increase the strength of the force). Think about and record what concrete steps you will take to institutionalize the change and who will be responsible for each action.

The final lesson on managing change comes from Newton’s Third Law. Newton’s Third Law states that every action is met with an equal and opposite reaction. What the principle teaches us is that if you confront resisters with shouting, lies, mistrust, sarcasm or apathy, you will be confronted with shouting, lies, mistrust, sarcasm and apathy in return. On the other hand, if you treat resisters with respect, acknowledge their feelings and listen genuinely to their concerns, you will be met in kind. How can you apply this principle? Things to consider include:

• Communicate openly and often with employees and other stakeholders, and without using commercial confidence as an excuse to not communicate.
• Meet resisters face to face whenever possible.
• Point out unacceptable behavior without resorting to character assassination, sarcasm and other methods that serve to attack people’s sense of self-esteem.
• Keep your commitments in order to build trust and respect. Trust can be lost in an instant and take years to regain.
• Don’t shy away from bad news. Tell people candidly but sensitively.
• Choose people for key positions that have well developed interpersonal skills.

That’s three important keys to guiding successful organizational change. We can summarize these Three Laws of Change Management© as:

First Law: Overcoming the natural inertia in organizations requires the constant application of the forces for change.

Second Law: The greater the inertia or resistance to change, the greater the required forces for change.

Third Law: The way that change agents treat resisters is the way that resisters will treat change agents.

Next time you want to bring about positive change with maximal impact, think about Isaac Newton and the Three Laws of Change Management©. Most importantly, think about how you can apply these three principles to your change program to get it moving in the right direction.

Kishore Mahbubani on discussing the position of China in respect of taking world leadership, seems to think that China for the next decades will not take the lead top seat in the affairs of the globe. He quotes the wisdom of Deng Xiaping and thinks that China has still have much grounds to cover in its internal matters to want to spare its energy to dominate world affairs.

Lessons from Mr. Deng Xiaping, who had a lot of political wisdom for his successors to follow. Much of it is captured in the famous 28 characters that Deng used:

1. Lengjing guancha- observe and analyse (developments) calmly;

2. Chenzhuo yingfu- deal (with changes) patiently and confidently;

3. Wenzbu zhenjiao- secure (our own) position;

4. Taoguang yanghui- conceal (our) capabilities and avoid the limelight;

5. Shanyu shouzhou- be good at keeping a low profile;

6. Juebu dangtou- never become a leader;

7.yousuo zuowei- strive to make achievements.

I fancy very much the lessons from Deng in world politics. They could well apply to each individual in our respective sphere of business. I like this sense of humility, discretion and conscious will to keep a low profile- which is very much a Hakka temperament I would like to believe. I could see my Grandfather using these same words.

Our tainted western education would contradict point 5,- be good at keeping a low profile, as we tend to think that we have to be recognised for our worth. When dealing with Chinese businesses in my dates in the Fareast, I could sense the marked difference between a Cantonese or Shanghainese influenced business where boasting on the past successes  and a show of power were more important that striving diligently to make achievements with humility.

I recalled the grand welcome my boss and I had by a Hong Kong firm to start discussing cooperation in the 70’s . We were received in a hired Rolls Royce and transported to a posh hotel and entertained lavishly.  It was a show  of the prosperity that the said firm was enjoying and the power, influence  and capacity they commanded. Two days later, realizing  that we were still undecided to sign in on their terms, they flatly terminated the talks and did not even show us how to hail a taxi to get our hotel.

Journaliste sportif très célèbre, Nelson Montfort se livre intimement et pour la première fois à la télévision. Protestant par ses parents, d’un père Américain, il confesse mettre de plus en plus sa confiance en la personne protectrice de Dieu. Il place sa relation avec Dieu dans son intimité. Sa passion pour la musique religieuse de Bach, le persuade que Dieu est une petite musique. Il confie que sa conscience en la sainte présence de Dieu, l’aide dans sa vie de journaliste sportif. Il livre à la télévision qu’il se recueille dans une petite chapelle avant le grand événement du Tournois de Roland Garros- un rendez vous avec Dieu avant d’entreprendre son labeur. Et il y retourne pour dire merci dans les années particulièrement réussies.

Il croit à la vie éternelle. Orphelin de Père et de mère à 23 et 27 ans, il est fils unique. Il est convaincu que ses parents sont ses âmes protectrices.

Je me réjouis d’entendre le beau témoignage d’un personnage « people » qui livre au grand jour sa foi en Dieu.