Otherwise Enabled for Work

In recent years, I have been rather passionate about putting the disabled into employment. I sit on the board of ATRIEV Computer School for the Blind (www.atriev.org.ph). Can you believe that we train blind people to use the computer, surf on the internet, and use Microsoft Office? This is not usuing braille, but rather a "screen reader".

Please check out the CSR page in www.kapient-philippines.com, my executive seach business.

I am increasingly looking at businesses which can engage the services of persons with disabilities (PWD). An example http://www.genashtim.com/genashtim/csr/disAbledtowork.pdf.

I am also on the verge of hiring a virtual assistant, who is wheelchair confined, and working from home. I spend about 60% of my time out of the Philippines. And when I am in the Philippines, and I am physically in my office less than half the time. So, for being in my office less than 20% of the time, why do I need an assistant sitting in the office?

Managing Generation Y - PMAP Magazine

So, they did publish the second part of my article about talent management...http://www.genashtim.com/genashtim/news/PMAP_article2.pdf

I remain very energized in working with young people who are passionate about what they do, and want to do it in a hurry. I do hope that the corporate world in the Philippines will try to understand the dynamics of working with the younger generation. I think that it is a much more productive approach. Sadly, I don't see much evidence of this for the time being.

Article in PMAP Magazine

A couple of months ago, I was invited by an old friend to attend the PMAP (People Management Association of the Philippines) monthly gathering at the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati. The theme of that gathering was Talent Management, and there were many speakers presenting. After the event, I asked my friend if anyone has actually brought up the topic of the different generations in the work force today. She said “no”, and she invited me to write an article about this in the PMAP monthly magazine, People Manager.

I submitted my article, with the following statement in the opening paragraph….”I think that any attempt at any aspect of Talent Management is ill-conceived, if it is not based on a good understanding of the generational shifts.”

What I did not realize is, when my article was published in the June issue of People Manager, it was the issue focusing on talent retention. There were about 6 other articles on talent retention, including one from a prominent American professor, which made no reference to the different generations in the work force today. I feel rather embarrassed with this, and certainly would not have made my statement if I had known about this.

However, I do have to confess that I cannot help feeling a bit amused over this. The editor did insist that I should send my part II of my article for next month’s issue, so I suppose I did not really cause any damage.

My article is on page 14, and can be viewed at this link... http://www.genashtim.com/genashtim/news/project_manager_july2009.pdf

Tolerant to a fault

A couple of weeks ago, on Pasig Day, I decided that I would go and watch Transformers 2 in IMAX. Off I trotted to Mall of Asia that morning. I arrived at 10:10 am for the 10:30 am screening, and to my delight, there were only about 5 persons in front of me at the ticket line.

The next person to approach the ticket counter, handed his cell phone to the lady selling tickets, and there ensued a conversation which started with the counter lady explaining which seats were still available, and where they were in relation to the screen. You can imagine this was not easy to do on the phone. The conversation drifted to other screening times. In the meantime, the line built up to about 30 persons.

I was fuming, but did my best not to lose my cool. As a foreigner, I thought I best keep my mouth shut. This went on for about 15 minutes, and it was 10:25 am. The screening time was 10:30 am! Finally one lady from the line spoke up. But the fellow at the ticket counter was unfazed, and the ticket sales lady carried on speaking on the phone. The lady from the line then asked for the guard to look for the manager.

Whilst this absurd situation was being played out, only one person from the line of about 30 people spoke out. None of the others said a thing. This is one of those things that I find really wrong in the Philippines. People are tolerant to a fault, and accept service that makes mediocrity sound like the holy grail.

I do urge and encourage everyone to stop accepting all the crap that is going on. It does not have to be like this. My earlier story on Clark airport is a case in point.

It is not all bad here....

I had a very pleasant experience last week, when I went off to Clark to take an Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur. I tell everyone that being a fellow Malaysian, I support Tony Fernandes, and what he is doing. I actually do know Tony personally, and he had accepted an invitation from me to come to Manila to give a talk a few years ago.
But the truth of the matter is…..I am cheap! Well, I would like to say instead that I have a passion for value….
Anyway, when I arrived at the Clark Airport terminal building, I was greeted by 2 well-dressed young ladies, with smiles on their faces, asking to check my passport and ticket. I asked them if there was wi-fi in the terminal building, and they said “yes, Sir”. And when I asked them where I could purchase a prepaid card for that, a beaming smile came back to me “oh, Sir, it is free, all over the terminal building.” Huh?!

Hence the couple of hours wait for my flight went very quickly whilst I tapped away on my laptop, and caught up with my work.

I had to leave home rather early that morning, and I did not manage to do all my “morning things” properly before left. I do hate public toilets in the Philippines, so it took me a while to decide that I should just bite the bullet, as certain things just cannot wait.

As I opened the door to the first cubicle, there was actually a toilet seat on the toilet. “Oh good, I thought.” I was about to start figuring out about toilet paper, when I noticed to my delight that there was ample supply right there in the cubicle! Apart from these rather exceptional things, the toilet was in general as clean as any 5 star hotel toilet that I had seen.

In comparison, the toilet in the Singapore Airline business class lounge at NAIA 1, has been without running water for at least a year. Not to mention the state of the public toilets there.

And it does not end there. When I arrived back this Monday, the security guard on the curbside actually helped me load my luggage into my car. Can you beat that?

And the terminal fees in Clark are lower than at NAIA 1! Whoever it is running that terminal deserves a medal, and a very good salary.

Featured in Entrepreneur Magazine

Am featured this month in Entreprenuer Magazine, about my eLearning business. I hope this helps to remove the stigma about eLearning.

Higher Learning
By Icy Luzano
Entrepreneur Magazine
June 2009
http://www.genashtim.com/genashtim/news.html

Well, what the heck....

Been edged on by my rather youthful employees and my very Generation Y daughter to start a blog, for some time. I did not think that people would want to listen to an old fart like me. But I was told that it does not matter. I suppose they are right. If no-one listens to what I say anyway, so what does it matter that no-one reads what I write?! Try to argue with that logic.

So, what the heck, here goes. After all, I do have a few things I want to say. I named my blog "Doubting Thomas", firstly because it is my name, and also yes, I am a doubting Thomas. Not ready to talk about religion yet, but maybe one day.... But do rest assured that I do believe in God. Just that I like to think that my relationship and understanding with my maker is rather unique.

But the name "Doubting Thomas" is also appropriate because I do have the tendency to turn things upside down, and throw conventional wisdom out the window.

So, I intend to have myself some fun with this.