Strengths, capabilities passion
What advice can you offer those looking to start their career/own business? It is all about making choices but it is also important that you find ways to reduce any form of ambiguity and be as close to making the “right” choice as possible. Some advice I’d give:
a) Know your capabilities and strengths, and by the same token know where your passion lies. This is a potent combination because once you find these two things, you’ll enjoy what you do and be creative at it.
b) Work with a company that values developing people. Start with internship programmes to get the exposure. Ensure you look for a company that pays huge amount of emphasis on employee development.
c) Money should be the means to an end, not the end in itself. With a great combination of strengths and passion and with the ability to perform, money will come automatically and will come even more as you excel.
We all know about the industrial revolution, are we in for a technological revolution? Your thoughts. The technological revolution is inevitable; we are already in it! The world has benefited tremendously from the industrial revolution but we are now in the next phase of productivity enhancement and driving efficiency. Whether it is machine learning, robotics, Internet of Things, virtual reality, 3D printing and so forth, this is natural progression and we should embrace it and capitalise on it.
How has mentorship made a difference in your professional life? As I’ve previously shared, working at 3M and undergoing their talent development programme have helped me immensely in my career journey. I believe having mentors is a very critical part of one’s career. You have to actively seek out the mentors. It could be either in formal or informal settings.
The best way to make use of mentorship programmes is to always be open when it comes to learning, take criticism, admit your mistakes and, most importantly, be candid. Share everything and you’ll realise that mentors are a tremendously invaluable asset to your career and personal progression.
What do you want to accomplish in the next five years? For 3M Malaysia, it’s all about people development and accelerated business growth. With growth, we will be able to seek out more strategic investments to expand our operations here in Malaysia. We want to attract more capable talent and create more job opportunities. Malaysia has a versatile talent pool that are able to manoeuvre complexities and continue to explore career opportunities anywhere in the world where 3M operates.
Most-admired business leader? Why? There are many leaders whom I admire and my most-admired leader is Inge Thulin, the CEO of 3M. There are three main reasons: a) As a company involved in various industries with more than 50,000 products, our CEO has made 3M even more relevant by creating a company vision so practical and simple for our customers: “3M technology advancing every company, 3M products enhancing every home, 3M innovation improving every life”. This vision basically sums up “who we are” and “what we do” as a company.
b) The company prioritises the way we operate to be customer-focused. From 40 divisions, we streamlined to 26 and from six business groups, we streamlined to five. This gave us a more systematic way of analysing and playing to our strengths. This has also allowed us to reinvigorate our research & development where 5%-6% of our annual sales are invested in. This is to keep our innovation engine going.
c) As a result of all of this and his solid leadership, our stock price has gone up by 87% from the time he took office in February 2012.
How do you stay abreast of issues affecting your industry? At 3M, we believe in being close to our customers. Over 70% of my time is spent with customers. I believe that innovation happens from the pain points of our customers and this drives customerinspired innovation.
By understanding their pain points, we use our 3M technology platforms to provide the right meaningful solution to our customers. We are able to anticipate changes sooner and work hand in hand with our customers to face issues/ challenges collectively. We all bring different strengths to this relationship.
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced? And what did you learn from it? In 2010, when I was the managing director of 3M Vietnam. At that time, Vietnam was growing at an exceptional pace – investments were pouring in but the biggest challenge was searching and retaining good talent. We embarked on the 3M Talent Development Programme and started building high-impact talent in 3M Vietnam. We made it a point to nurture and empower local leaders. That had a multiplier effect in us finding, retaining and grooming talent, meeting the needs of the local market.
We also made sure we build a culture of “pay for performance”. Performers will be recognised and rewarded. They continue to contribute even more to the growth of the company. We always make sure that we continuously do business the right way all the time. Finally, I learned that to help others grow, it is important we share the company’s bigger purpose with them and allow them to see the big picture. Every single employee’s contribution is critical to the company.
A must-read for every business owner/manager is ... Multipliers by Liz Wiseman. This book clearly states that the most valuable currency is influence. It brings more sustainable traction with our people when we influence them for the bigger purpose and goals. It also talks about the roles of multipliers and diminishers. A multiplier amplifies and multiplies the intelligence of people around it while a diminisher does the opposite.
What are the top three factors you would attribute your success to? a) The way 3M has nurtured me: I owe my success to the way 3M has developed me as a talent. I have been exposed to diverse skillsets, experience and work environment.
b) The ability to find good talent: I know what my weaknesses are so I look for people who can complement me, instead of someone who mirrors my style. This ensures a more holistic organisation.
c) Keep doing things the right way: We must continue to do everything and anything in an ethical way. 3M prides itself on this and its integrity and transparency in doing business and has only proven to be a great value for the brand and company.