Engagement Management Training

A couple of weeks ago Capgemini held another round of Engagement Management training here in China.  I'm quite glad to be continuing this sort of formal professional development whilst out here.

 

Our University in Paris sent a trainer from Canada... a Level 4 practising Engagement Manager who runs an ADC in Montreal.  Ok so that doesn't mean anything to you, but to me it means that he's an expert project manager who can manage complex and challenging programmes spread across multiple countries.  And the ADC is an accelerated development centre - professional, process driven, excellent quality levels, very few corners cut.  A good backdrop for a trainer.  He's also quite mad, which helps keep the training participants awake hehe!

 

Going forwards, we are training up staff within our organisation to become trainers of various courses.  We have sent a number of staff to our University in Paris to study and practice training - to be qualified as a Capgemini University Trainer is indeed a privilledge, and we hope to build up a few.

 

***

Dear MAF

 

A note of personal thanks for your teaching the week before last.  A more lively and passionate teacher of engagement management I have never seen or heard of.  Positively barmy!

 

Whilst some of the material and concepts were for me, I gained a lot during the week.  Learning more about my colleagues was invaluable, especially in this small and rapidly growing organisation.  Also of value to me personally was to remember that one of my strengths here is the rich project and programme experience I carry from the UK.  Classroom learning is one thing, but I believe that it is experience that motivates the discipline of engagement management, and avoids processes being put to one side when the project gets tough.  In a land where my challenges are more obvious than my strengths, it is rewarding to uncover a hidden strength.

 

On a separate note, we talked a little about smart metering in Canada, and I enquired about the possible relevance to China.  I wonder if the smart metering leaders have entered into discussion with our China energy guys, in consideration of when the market here would be ready for it.  Certainly energy shortage, stability and environment are critical issues for rapidly developing countries such as China/India, and given scale the business case for savings would be straightforward.  I believe you offered to send some materials over, although now I wonder if an enquiry / introduction to the right people for a quick chat would be another way to go.

 

Kind regards, and wishing you a marvellous holiday with the wife girls and benz!

Kai Wing

Sleepy cab drivers & Shanghai living standards

I don't mean to scare everyone, but this is another reality of living in Shanghai.  Just as well I live in the centre, although there are times when I have to escort girlfriends home to the outskirts and have to put my life in the hands of Shanghai's cabbies.  I'd still rather buy a car and drive myself... or persuade friends to stay over, move home, or leave earlier in the evening!

 

Shanghai taxis never rest.  They are shared by two drivers.  Drivers operate one of two shift policies.  12 hour, and 24 hour.  12 hour basically means day/night swap.  24 hour means exactly that - one person drives for 24 hours, then swaps over.

 

Tired drivers therefore is a distinct possibility.  I think this problem is at its worst in at night, on the raised gaojia, and even worse if your cabbie had a drink with his cabbie buddies over dinner.  Seriously, it's summertime and it's hot - who's not going to have a beer with their dinner.

 

I dunno about the drinking side, but my friend Daniela ran into the sleeping problem recently.  She was on her way home from the centre, about a 30 minute (45rmb) journey.  When I called to speak to her, she realised that the cabbie had fallen asleep at the wheel.  On the raised highway (straight roads, high speed, and at night, perhaps not too many other cars).  Having woken him, he continued to nod off every now and then.

 

Poor girl doesn't speak enough Mandarin to tell him to get his act together or to pull over.  And passing him the phone probably wasn't a great idea either.  Luckily, she got home in one piece, albeit a bit shaken given the circumstances.

 

People ask me if I'm doing ok in Shanghai.  Answer is, yes.  It's ok living here as an expat.  We live the upper end of life here.  I live the good life as my local friends tell me.  But, I think I'd much rather live the excellent life. 

 

I would rather book a private car than take taxis when travelling outside of Shanghai.  I would rather hire a driver or drive my own car, than trust the Shanghai cabbies.  I would rather have my ayi buy food from an expat supermarket like Jiu Guang in Jin An Temple, rather than the (smelly) wet market nearby.  I would rather eat in restaurants where the bowls aren't chipped and the kitchen staff have hair nets.  I would rather live in an apartment that has excellent security rather than 18 year old punk kids dressed as security guards.  I would rather take cabs to and from work rather than squeeze onto the metro in my suit, next to a not so finely dressed gentleman who clearly doesn't use deodorant. 

 

Sure, these are all luxury wants.  I can't afford them.  Most people can't.  But I'll be happy to get some pay-rises, so that I can feel a little more at home.  Don't get me wrong, living in Shanghai is totally doable.  It's not exactly the Xin Jiang desert after all.  Expats don't have to drop their living standard too far in Shanghai.  By and large all of the facilities one wants are here, and a reasonable amount of comfort doesn't cost too much.  But I think sustaining the highest level of living standard is difficult on a China salary.  And let's face it, most of us are on 'China' salaries now.  Employers aren't interested in your nationality.  They're interested in your language, exposure, experience and capability.  On this front, some excellent locals out-market the expats.

RE: [KW in Shanghai] 6/28/2006 12:11:15 PM

"Have you tried out the Pleco yet? What do you think of it? I have the same problem: need a new Palm+PlecoDict or else a stand-alone e-dictionary like Wenlin. I've heard some horror stories about how bad e-dictionaries can be. Anyone have any first-hand experience of these two to share with me before I give in and spend all that money?"

 

I'm loving Pleco actually.  It's indispensable, with the result that I carry my Pocket PC whenever I can now.  Some days I'm even tempted to get a man-bag to carry it and my wallet and my mobile phone in!  It's useful for when I'm in meetings but a random word I don't recognise flies by (pinyin input), and when I'm in a restaurant and don't know a particular character, and can use the handwriting input.

 

Get it! 

 

Ps. To avoid gadget overload, I'd seriously suggest getting a PDA with built-in phone.

HK Restaurant: Japanese in Times Square

Natalia introduced me to this stunning Japanese restaurant in Times Square.  Being a mall, Times square was really the last place I expected to find a cool restaurant.  They also have an interesting bar area, where people seemingly were coming just for a drink.

 

Stunning design, and wonderfully presented food.  The sashimi doesn't look anything special, but the sushi is fantastic.  The sushi is more expensive (400 as opposed to 150 for the sashimi), but it really is spectacular.  We got I think 8 varieties, one piece each.  They nicely cut them in half for us to share, with what must have been a very sharp knife.

 

Totally recommend it.  We had the sushi a delicious beef salad, and then some steamed eel.  Total bill about 700, though we were full up before the eel arrived.

 

WasabiSabi

Japanese Dining Bar

Shop 1301, 13th Floor, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

852 2506 0009

HK Restaurant: Dim Sum in Wanchai

My clients Florence and Connie took Petrina and I to CHE's Cantonese Restaurant.  Apparently set up by a singer or celebrity lady of sorts.  Anyhow, their piece de resistance is 'chan bao', which is kind of a cross between a char siu bau and a cantonese pineapple bun.  Essentially sweet barbeque pork filling, inside a puffy pastry shell.  Very light, crispy, delicious.  Made for a great lunch.

 

4/f The Broadway, 52-62 lockhart road, wan chai, hong kong

852 2528 1123

 

http://community.iexplore.com/planning/journalEntryDining.asp?JournalID=42241&EntryID=25312&n=Che's%20Cantonese%20Restaurant&t=Specialty%20Dining

Interesting jewelry / gift shop in HK

I was really impressed with this jewelry shop in HK, in Lee Gardens II, causeway bay. European jewelry, coloured glassware, and some very nice acrylic fashion pieces.  Would have made excellent birthday presents and the such like.  Prices about 500-800 HKD per piece.

 

artshop

shop 118, lee gardens II, 28 yun ping road, causeway bay, hong kong 852 2808 2866

 

They also have a smaller branch at shop 243 of the Princes building in Central. 

HK Restaurant: Bombay Dreams

Hadn't had good Indian food for a Long time.  Unless there really is somewhere great in Shanghai?  Better than Indian Kitchen that is...

 

This place in Hong Kong was a real treat - thanks to Joanne for tracking it down!  At least 80% indian customers, live indian music, excellent menu, good service.  Not cheap mind, came to 700hkd for two including a beer each.   Huge portions though, we had 4 mini starters and two mains, it was way too much for us.

 

I went to the TST one, on Cameron Road.

 

Bombay Dreams TST: 2/f 22-24 Cameron Road, TST.  852 2971 0009

Bombay Dreams Central: 1/f 75-77 Wyndam Street, Central.  852 2971 0001

consultancy making pots of money in the UK apparently

Guardian Financial Pages

Consultancies rake in record pounds 2bn revenues

Terry Macalister
235 words
12 June 2006
The Guardian
24
English
© Copyright 2006. The Guardian. All rights reserved.

Management consultancies raked in a record pounds 2bn in revenues over the last quarter, figures out today show. The numbers will reinforce concerns about the costs of business advice to the NHS and other parts of the public sector.

The Management Consultancies Association (MCA) reported 9% growth in quarterly, year-on-year revenues. Stripping out the impact of new members and changes in the reporting system, the figure is closer to 16%.

Nearly half of MCA members complain they are so busy that they are struggling to recruit enough staff, while 80% are finding it hard to find employees with the right skills. New demand is centred on strategy, human resources and marketing.

The MCA believes the trend reflects optimism in the commercial world rather than more public-sector work. There are now 50,000 consultants working with stock-listed companies but increasingly with government departments also. This has swelled the coffers of advisory firms but raised concerns in the public sector.

Many NHS trusts are now being forced to cut directly employed staff in an attempt to reduce their deficits. There has been increasing criticism of the costs of NHS trusts' use of consulting firms. Dr Paul Miller, chairman of the British Medical Association's consultants committee, has called for a halt on the use of external management consultants in the NHS.

Brain drain or not?

It's true... in the right industry (but certainly not all) there is again a demand for expats - (or excellent locals)

 

 

DROWNING IN THE TALENT POOL By EMILY PATTERSON 652 words 12 June 2006 China Business Weekly English Copyright 2006 China Daily Information Company. All rights reserved. While many soon-to-be graduates are bemoaning the lack of good jobs, many multinational companies are complaining about the lack of competent employees. "Lack of good talent is the single biggest issue that impacts companies in China today. Every company has problems," says Duncan Cunningham, director of the Shanghai branch of Aquent, a recruiting and consulting agency. How is an employee shortage possible in a country that will produce 4.12 million college graduates this year? The problem is quality, not quantity. According to a recently released report by McKinsey and Co, less than 10 per cent of Chinese job candidates have the skills to work in a foreign company. Many Chinese graduates lack practical experience, because university courses emphasize theory over work skills, according to the report. Multinational companies also complain that graduates are short on communication skills, such as the ability to speak English, and the confidence and assertiveness to work in a multicultural office. Not all experts agree though, Cunningham says. Aquent, which deals with companies in creative fields such as marketing and public relations, doesn't face problems recruiting new graduates. In his field, he says, mid-level managers in their late 20s and 30s are difficult to find. Either way, to cope with the shortage, most international companies go one of two ways: train their staff or hire experienced talent from another country. But neither option is perfect. Canadian John Chabot has made a business out of helping companies cope with the talent shortage. Chabot has worked in Beijing for two years helping Chinese employees learn the skills they need to work in multinational companies. Though Chabot teaches many business skills classes, he believes personal abilities are even more important, such as critical thinking, creativity, assertiveness, and intercultural communication. "It's one thing to learn a skill such as making presentations or conducting negotiations, but there is a big cultural background that Chinese employees have to learn." When Wang Beibei, a 28-year old graphic designer, returned to Beijing after earning a Master's degree in Sweden, she wanted to put her overseas education to use in an international company. Swedish furniture chain IKEA fit the bill, but in her first week of work, she and other Chinese employees received training about its "company culture". Yet she says that many locally educated Chinese - both managers and staff - have a difficult time with the company's Western-style, speak-your-mind policy. "For many Chinese, that's very difficult for them to do. People are afraid to speak out. They can't understand the policy, because in a Chinese company, if you are going to talk about the company's problems to the big boss, you would get fired." Other than training, multinational companies often choose to hire expats. As business expanded rapidly for advertising giant Ogilvy & Mather earlier in this decade, it decided to recruit locally instead of hiring abroad. But with the advertising market expanding by as much as 40 per cent a year, according to some estimates, the pool of potential local employees is no longer big enough. "Now the whole thing has been reversed," Chris Reitermann, Ogilvy's Beijing-based managing director, told the International Herald Tribune. "We hire many more expats simply because we can't get the quality locally. Good senior local people are as precious as diamonds." The number of expatriates working legally in China has doubled to 150,000 since 2003, according to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security in April. But bringing foreign talent to China is expensive, and many foreigners don't know the language or the Chinese market, says Cunningham, adding that despite these obstacles, the situation is improving. Recently, Chinese universities have started specialized courses and have begun co-operating with companies to help graduates get more hands-on experience. (Copyright 2006 by China Daily)

Mgt Consultants as Advertising Gurus?

Haha!  Joking aside, in a recent talk I actually saw some similarities between the strategic positioning work that TBWA do and that we in Capgemini might be doing with our clients.  They use Disruption workshops, we use Innovation workshops, both to open clients' minds as to how they could achieve success in non-traditional ways.  I know our Innovation workshops are super-cool, I'm sure theirs are in different ways. News March of the management consultants; IBM latest to join ad fray MATTHEW CREAMER 673 words 5 June 2006 Advertising Age 1 Volume 77; Number 23 English (c) 2006 Crain Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Accenture. ibm. mckinsey. These consulting giants are casting a lengthening shadow on Mad. Ave., a thoroughfare long avoided by these left-brain-dominated organizations. The day ad execs have long feared-when management consultancies' bean-counting, process-wielding barbarians will storm the marketing world's gates-may well be nigh, as each of these titans is finding its own way to make money in the ad business. IBM is the latest to get in the fray. It is advising Coty on what essentially amounts to a $65-million-plus ad review, as part of a wide-ranging procurement contract the fragrance-maker inked last year with the consultancy company. A Coty spokeswoman was quick, however, to deny that IBM would actually select the agency or agencies in question. ``I'm in the process of hiring a new communications agency and will have to run it by IBM, who has a process in place from a procurement standpoint,'' she said, but added: ``The marketing department is much better suited to making a judgment call on who we select as an agency.'' advising wal-mart Meanwhile, McKinsey & Co. is said to be trying to nudge its way into having a role on Wal-Mart's massive creative and media review and, according to executives familiar with the situation, has already been advising the marketer on shapes its agency roster could take. These are the latest examples, but it's Accenture that has probably made the biggest splash so far in the marketing seas. Following its purchase last year of Media Audits, its marketing-sciences division now audits about 15% of the U.S. TV market, including the budgets of major marketers such as Ford and Wal-Mart. The division's CEO, Jeffrey Merrihue, describes the effect in no less dramatic terms than ''a tidal wave, and one that's already had some concrete effect.'' Mr. Merrihue said the firm's analysis is serving as ``the foundation'' for the media portion of Wal-Mart's ongoing review. While procurement, media audits and strategy consultations are nothing new, there is now a confluence of interest in marketing that's had ``outsiders'' flooding in. Some are excited by what one executive called the ``elasticity'' of the contemporary business scene. That is, the same world-is-flat realities that have Accenture examining media budgets allow Starbucks to play in the movie business and Unilever to create TV programming. Others don't quite see the silver lining. ``This is just another sign of the commoditization of our business,'' said a senior agency executive. Either way, pretty much everyone agrees: These players are here to stay. After all, they're backed by increased vigilance over spending in all business functions, including marketing, and by the availability of two-way media channels. It's a zeitgeist in which C-suite execs and corporate boards want to move toward accountability and return-on-spending and, in an increasingly digital environment, the media channels and tools exist to get them there. ``They've always had marketing strategies that addressed organizational issues,'' said Arthur Anderson, principal and co-founder at Morgan Anderson Consulting. ``Now they're starting to nibble around the area of marketing communications. What's truly surprising is they haven't gotten in the space sooner. For many companies, marketing is the single biggest annual investment.'' The most nightmarish of ad agencies' doom-and-gloom scenarios-the one in which, say, a McKinsey starts to direct individual marketing programs-seem far off. Traditional management consultants seem more interested in managing marketing expense, understanding return-on-investment and keeping costs down than in shaping strategy. Accenture's Mr. Merrihue said the firm has no plans to expand its marketing-related offerings, now limited to market-mix modeling and media auditing ``in the medium or long term.'' IBM declined to comment on its client work and its plans for the marketing function, and a McKinsey rep didn't return calls. Document ADVAGE0020060607e26500025

A tough couple of days

Life has been good recently. I've reeled back my impatience and stubborn weekend studying, and have relaxed as of late. Bbqs last weekend, go-karting the week before, even a spot of ice-skating and having dinner with friends. And reading (shock horror) an English novel. (Da Vinci Code) All quite good fun really.

At work, things are getting better for me. I'm leading our asian research efforts for the World Wealth Report, well at least the new and exciting ASIA PACIFIC version of the World Wealth Report. (Oh yes, calling all private bankers, calling all private bankers, I'm looking for private bankers in Asia to interview.)

The last couple of days were trying though. Good full days working on my research. Resourcing problems early evenings for a UK project in Beijing, which meant leaving various voicemails and lots of coordination. Bit political, commercial, complicated, all sorts really. And preparing a simple sales proposal for an HK conglomerate. All this at once made me a little tired really.

It's good to be busy in a way. It's good also that I'm only sometimes this over-busy. Usually it's just the day-job that I need to do, in which case I can nicely manage that into a working day. The bad news is that I'm not getting enough exposure to Chinese clients - much of my working day is still working on English documents and conversing to clients in HK, Japan or America.

The good news is that tomorrow I'm joining a sales pitch team to Fuzhou, where we're pitching to a bank. We have a 108 page presentation. Apparently with no summary. I'm not sure how we're going to present it... and I don't have time to read it through before we go!

I (finally) bought a TV video recorder. Actually a one with a hard drive, which means that I can program it to record multiple programs each week, and watch them one day when I have time. (I bought a Sony HX710 from HK (thanks yonnie!), which cost less than the rather basic philips
model that was the Only option I could find all over Shanghai).

I'm happy with my TV video recorder. TV here really is a wealthy source of information. It's also pretty accessible for me, whereas books, newspapers and even the internet still are pretty cumbersome for me. There are many interviews for example with famous businessmen, and tourist descriptions of places and cultures within China. Over the next weeks I'll be slowly working my way through the TV Guide to find out what weekly programs I can record and archive.

I certainly don't have time to watch everything, but I can store lots, and then use it as a library when there is something specific I want to learn from or watch.

A favour to ask for Breast Cancer

Here's a great advertising idea for charities. If I remember the stats
right, breast cancer is highly prevalent in women, and testicular cancer the
same in men. Back home women were being taught how to check themselves
(this is when the schoolboys snigger). They hadn't got round to educating
the men as to how to check themselves just yet.

Anyway, do click below - what a great idea. And click the male equivalent
as well while you're there!
Save Women: http://www.thebreastcancersite.com
Save Men: http://www.icr.ac.uk/everyman/

Dear All,

Please help...

The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on
their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram
a day to an underprivileged woman.

It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on "donating a
mammogram" for free (pink window in the middle).

This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the
number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com

Thank you!

Yo

Understanding the words is one thing... but sentences?

Great chinese lesson this morning. 

 

We've been translating a McKinsey Quarterly article "Spurring performance in China's State Owned Enterprises".  (Thanks Eason!) The article is available in both English and Chinese, which certainly helps.  This particular document seems to have been authored in Chinese, and then rewritten in English.  This has two implications for me.  Because it's the author language, the Chinese is more 'authentic' in grammar and thinking - and consequently more of a learning challenge to read.  Also, because it has been re-written in English and not literally translated, there are some parts where the translation is simplified - the difficult parts!

 

Chinese: http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com.cn/eqtrly_detail.asp?articleID=288

English: http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/article_page.aspx?ar=1492&L2=19&L3=69&srid=92&gp=1

 

Usually I can cover maybe 3 paragraphs in a 90 minute session.  I use DimSum software to give me pinyin for the words I don't recognise.  My teacher helps me understand the grammar and sentence structures when I get confused.  And then I'll read back the sentences and paragraphs a few times to improve my reading and reciting.  It's also difficult to get the 'sheng diao' sounds both correct and sounding natural.

 

Today I had major problems with a couple of sentences below (the ones that have translations).  I found the chinese sentences clumsy, and it was hard to understand which adverbs applied to which verbs.  Also, because words can have multiple meanings, it's often hard to guess which meaning is implied within in a sentence.

 

My lesson:

 

要想在这方面取得实质性的进展，管理人员就要将企业对客户及其他重要利益相关方（包括国内外少数股东）的服务质量作为企业业绩的考核标准。

 

高层管理人员必须设立相应的部门，在职工中间确立个人责任制，激励职工最大可能地发挥个人才能和工作经验。

 

Literal: Top managers must establish corresponding departments to institutionalise a system of individual responsibility, to encourage staff to as best as possible utilise their ability and experience.

 

Natural: Top executives must build organizations that instill individual accountability in workers and persuade them to make the most of their talent and experience.

 

Note: I found 最大可能 to be causing me all sorts of problems until I removed it altogether to simplify the sentence.

 

企业不能继续听命于政府规定，也不能再从维持社会稳定的角度承担效率低下导致的巨额成本。

 

Literal: Businesses cannot continue to follow government directions, nor can they again on the basis of preserving stable society undertake the huge costs brought about by low performance companies.

 

Natural: Enterprises can no longer wait for the government to issue orders or allow huge cost inefficiencies to persist in the name of social stability.

 

Note: It was easier once simplifying the sentence and recognising the split pairs here - 从维持的角度，承担成本，导致的成本

 

要切实落实业绩文化，职工就必须为自身的行为负责，知道如何为企业带来价值，而且一旦无法达到企业的业绩要求，职工要接受因此导致的一切后果。

Shanghai initiatives to fight brain drain

 Apparently... but what's this bit about higher salaries?  Haha I thought that was being phased out

Shanghai succeeds in curbing brain drain

Sim Ping Khuan
314 words
1 June 2006
Business Times Singapore
English
(c) 2006 Singapore Press Holdings Limited

COUNTRIES and businesses in the developing and the developed world are facing a huge scarcity of human talent, according to Audrey Tsui, president and CEO of Global Competitiveness Management Consultancy.

'The demand for talent today is much greater than its supply,' she said. Speaking at a master class session at the 11th World HR Congress, Dr Tsui defined three types of 'talent': the skilled personnel, the professionals, and the executives.

She cited China and India as examples of the 'brain drain' syndrome, a phenomenon faced by many other developing countries, where the top students do not return home after overseas education. Almost 90 per cent of Chinese graduates and 80 per cent of Indian graduates who studied in the US chose to remain there.

The study also showed that India is facing an acute problem of skilled labour migration. The number of Indians leaving the country is 30 times more than those returning, said Dr Tsui. Although migrants account for only 2 per cent of India's population, their combined annual income equals 26 per cent of India's GDP.

This worrying trend prompted China and India to introduce initiatives to curb 'brain drain'. Shanghai, according to Dr Tsui, is a successful example of a city that puts in place several measures to ensure a constant supply of talent.

She listed three strategies of Shanghai's 'talent building' programme. First, Shanghai has specific policies to attract overseas talent, such as higher wages, improved immigration policy, and better living environment. So far, a foreign talent pool of 1.3 million people are drawn to the city, including international students and executives.

Secondly, Shanghai offers incentives to persuade Chinese students who went overseas to return, by offering them greater prospects for career advancement. Shanghai is also developing a local talent pool by identifying people with 'high potential'.

Document STBT000020060531e26100008