From Master Sun

There is a verse from Sun Tzu’s Art of War that is not very often quoted:

 

凡用兵之法，将受命于君，合军聚合… 军有所不击，城有所不攻，地有所不争，君命有所不受。(08章 九变)

The Ruler (CEO/Manager) may be the leader of the country (company/organization), but when it comes to the affairs of war (marketing/sales), it is best that he leave it in the hands of the General (marketing/sales exec) , 

A wise Ruler “should” never interfere with plans of the General (用人不疑 疑人不用）, who, by his appointment, is entrusted with the all-important task organizing the military operation (thus 将受命于君，合军聚合). Failing to so will invariably lead to conflicting orders and ultimately confusion within the organization. His job is to ensure sufficient support (money/authority) be supplied to the troops upfront and… stay out of the way.

On the other hand, a capable General should never fear making decisions that go against your boss (assuming it is indeed for the good of the organization). He/she should know what battles to fight or avoid, which lands to enter or exit, and what orders to listen or ignore ( thus 军有所不击，城有所不攻，地有所不争，君命有所不受). 

Imagine a General who is ordered to fight on 8 different fronts. Even with abundance of resouces and manpower (which almost nobody has the luxury of), one cannot imagine how such a war can be undertaken and not be stretched, let alone winning it. It is thus wise for the General to decide which is the best one to take on at which time…

Let those with eyes, let them see…

 

On Nehemiah…

Truth to be told, there are certain books in the Bible that I’ve almost never read. In fact, I only got to know that there is a ”Paul’s Epistle to Philemon” in the New Testament (and I have been a Christian for 6 years!!). 

Anyway… 

I am not too sure how many of you have actually read the Book of Nehemiah (obviously I did, just not too often). While it is certainly less obscure than “Philemon” (IMO), it is also not one of those better known books like Genesis, Revelations, Psalms, The 4 Gospels etc… that gets quoted a lot in Christian books or sermons.

But there is this particular verse I have always like, and often used it to remind myself to stay focused on the task at hand and not allow unconstructive criticisms to detract me.

(Neh 6:3-4 NIV)
…so I (Nehemiah) sent messengers to them (Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem) with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” ⁴ Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.

In this story, Nehemiah was busy rebuilding the Wall in Jerusalem when the trio of Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem (who were against the Jews) continously tried to thwart him through various ways and means. Chapter 6 talked about one of these occassions in which the STG attempted to get him away from his work by inviting him to a debate (over a cup of Middle-Eastern coffee, I presume?) but Nehemiah declined the not-so-kind invitation with the above verses.

Notice Nehemiah talked about not “going down” to them. While I am sure it had a literal meaning to it (he should be standing on a scaffolding of some sort at that time), it also conveyed the idea that he refused to go down to the level of the trio (by dropping his work at hand and go arguing with them).

Now, if you are convinced of the value of your work or your method of working, let not anyone, not even (and especially) those in positions of authority to tell you otherwise. They may be more experienced, but haven’t we all heard of the saying, “it is difficult for old dogs to learn new tricks?”. And old dogs that refused to learn new tricks shouldn’t be allowed to raise puppies (credit to Dan Kennedy).

See to it that you remain at your high level… 

    

 

Unique USP (if you are doing recruitment)

Was having a discussion with a friend last week on the subject of USP (Unique Selling Point or Unique Selling Proposition).

The whole premise of USP is really about “Why would people choose me over anyone else??”… and indeed why me (us) and not him/her (they)?

It used to be that any slight competitive advantage or innovativation could be used as an USP. Eg: “Our widgets are 10% more efficient than the rest.”, “Our members get to earn points when they purchase our widgets and those points can be redeemed for discount on future purchases.” ”You have beautiful women clad in bikinis serving you at our restaurants”etc…

But we have since arrived in an era (not helped by the advent of the internet) where there is so much variety for the consumers and too many copycats who are willing to offer the same things as you do at much lower price. As a result, we, the consumers, have too many choices, all good (take note of this word), but sarcely enough attention span to consider them. And when all things being (almost) equal, we will go for the cheapest or safest (status quo) option.   

So let’s put this into the context of “recruitment in financial planning industry.”

Below are a few generic reasons on why people will consider joining this line:

1. They want a income that might take years to earn in their current job.
2. They want a career that would give them the recognition they crave and hope his peers will see.
3. They want the autonomy that the career offers.
4. They want to move up into a leadership position where it is almost impossible to reach given their academic qualifications 

Most FP agencies, almost without fail, will use the above “hot-buttons” in their presentations to prospective financial planners, and that is where the problems lie..: assuming the candidate is already conviinced of the merits of this trade, it begs the original question, “why should I join YOU?”

Some have tried the following:

- Size: “We are the biggest agency in Singapore.”
- Production. “We are the top agency in Singapore last year.”
- Products. “We offer one-stop solutions for our clients.”
- History. “We are established since 1979.”

They are used based on the assumption that the candidates understand what they meant. But generally speaking, most candidates (as far as I know) have only a vague idea of what the job of financial plannning entails, and all those so-called benefits will mean nothing to them (maybe not nothing, but it will be fuzzy) unless they have prior experiences in the industry.

So what do we do?

We need to become a Purple Cow (credit to Seth Godin). A creature that stands out from the rest like the proverbial sorethumb, a creature so remarkable that everyone who sees it will be making remarks about it.

Imagine an FP agency that promises the planners:-

- never, ever, need to do cold-calls to source for new business?
- have qualified clients who would come to them willingly to take advice from and accept those advice?

Will candidates be thrilled to find a sales organization that does not need you to engage in traditional ways of prospecting (aka cold calling, street canvassing, road shows etc)? Will their friends be surprised to hear things that challenge their pre-conceived notions of a “financial planner” (selling insurance)??

Due to time constraints, I will continue again in my next entry…

 

A Parable of Card Game

There are many situations in life that might compel us to make tough, even heartwrenching, decisions.

To put it in the context of a poker game: I have, on numerous occassions, walked away from a game (despite having a certain advantage) where I felt that the conditions were beginning to stack against me, even as it appeared I would be walking off a bigger winner had I stayed on.     

It may sound counter-intuitive, but the truth of the matter is, in those instances, it came to a point that I realized I have, quite unknowingly, committed one of the cardinal sins of card playing by getting too invested in the game. It was no longer merely an issue of win/lose. It is a game that I CANNOT afford to lose.   

Part of my consideration is also in the calibre of my opponent(s). While by no means a novice, I am still particularly wary of seasoned pros who might be sitting in the game with me. Due to the fact that you can never be sure who is one, the rule of thumb is to always treat everyone on that table as such. For many years , I’ve almost never err on the side of underestimation.

A true pro can lure you into a false sense of security by conceding a series of hands. Add that to the euphoria of winning and the consumption some intoxicating beverages offered by the house, it is almost a sure receipe for certain disaster.

When complacency and attachment (to the game) meet,  in the presence of a seasoned true pro, you know your time is up. Without needing a crystal ball, I can forsee, rightly or wrongly, the eventual result could be catastrophic for me in carrying on .

I may be seem to be exercising too much unnecessary caution and forsake some great opportunities of a big payoff , but I constantly have this self-awareness of knowing my own limitations on playing the game, knowing full well emotions remain one of my biggest weak points. 

I guess for some games in life you just have to walk away and never come back… maybe under better circumstances in the future.

Those with eyes, let them see.

 

By Faith

Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the “Hall of Fame for Faith”, listing some of the most faithful men and women of God in the Old Testament.

⁴ By faith Abel…

 ⁵ By faith Enoch..

 ⁷By faith Noah..

 ⁸ By faith Abraham… And by faith even Sarah,

 ²⁰By faith Isaac…

 ²¹By faith Jacob..

 ²²By faith Joseph…

 ²⁴ By faith Moses…

 ³¹ By faith the prostitute Rahab…

 ^32. …I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith… (Heb 11:4-32)

But if we delve a bit deeper, we would realized some of the guys above, their faithful deeds notwithstanding, should be disqualified by normal worldly standards.

To name a notable few:

- Abraham: Lied about his status with his wife, Sarah, not once but twice… to save his own skin.

- Sarah: Pushed Abraham to sleep with a female servant so as to “assist” God in bringing the promised son to her hubby (an act of unbelief).

-  Isaac: Lied about his status with his wife, Rachel, to save his own skin (talk about like father, like son).

- Jacob: Lied on his father’s deathbed (with the help of his mother, Rachel) and ”stole” Esau’s blessings of the first-born. 

- Rahab: A prostitute. Says it all…

- David: Almost everyone knows of his affair with Bathsheba (hmm… the name). No need for elaboration here.

 

While many people (Christians included) have this mistaken notion men/women of faith must be of flawless character and behaviour, the Bible clearly demonstrated that faith has nothing to do with deeds.

We are called righteous today NOT because we have a spotless, squeaky-clean record book, but because of God’s perfect grace through Jesus’ perfect sacrifice.

 

No Topic

It felt like a gadzillions of years have passed since I last did this… engaging myself in spontaneous writing.

I have no topic to begin with, and I am not sure where all this typing would lead me to. But It is fun, it is exciting. It is like skydiving in only your underpants, only safer. Trust me, everyone should do this sometimes.

Anyway, as I have said on numerous occassions that who really give a hoot of what I wrote? I am no Xiaxue, Dawn Yang or that Perez, “the gay” Hilton whose viewership can possibly fill 2 Jalan Besar Stadiums, to say the least, I am just a self-glorified blogger who sometimes rant about things that I probably care a bit too much for. If only… if only I took a leaf out from their books and only blog about gossips, scandals and what have you… I could very possibly be more famous than the “Already Famous” Michelle Chong.

Who cares about sophistication when you have trash that everyone loves to read?

Or should I attempt a Steven Lim, make myself look so bad that it actually looks good? I mean I can leave a crop of unkempt long hair. I can wear a yellow swimming trunk. But hey what do we know? Even for a man of such questionable appearance, he actually have a pretty hot girlfriend…. and I always thought he was gay (though I am not ruling out he could be bi… bipolar disorder that is.).

Ok, I guess the juice (of the creative variant) is not flowing for me. Too stuck, both physically and psychologically. I guess it would take a while for me to recover. But I guess I would get used to it… like how I have always gotten used to.

 

Favourites 2011

Have not been updating my blog for quite some time due to some restrictions in my new office’s wireless network, but I guess nobody is really waiting with bated breath for my new entry, so who cares?…. anyway….

Since it is December now, I shall, as usual, put up my list of “favourites” for the Year 2011.

Favourite Footballer- Man United

Wayne Rooney

Yes, all is forgiven and forgotten (of his infidelity to the club)… as long as he keeps playing the way he does. He is, by far, with no exception, the best player for United the past 3 seasons and his superb form towards the end of last season was,IMO, one of the biggest factor in securing the title for the Red Devils.

 

Favourite Footballer- Non Man United

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

There is never a shred of doubt in my mind as to whom I will put for this category. Who else, among the world footballers today, can claim to be able beat Lionel Messi at something (league scoring record)?

 

International Dude of the Year

Roger Federer

Despite failing to win a single Grand Slam for the first time since 2002, and overshadowed by a certain Novak Djorkovic for most part of the year, the best tennis player in history still managed to finish 2011 strongly by winning the Swiss Masters, Paris Masters (thrashing the King of Clay, Nadal, along the way) and ATP World Tour Finals.

 

International Babe of the Year

 

xxx

Sorry, I tried, but none came to mind.

 

Local Dude of the Year

Christopher Lee

Ever since his infamous hit-and-run case, he has been getting better and better. He starred in 2 of the better drama series dished out by MediaCorp this year (Secrets for Sale and The Oath) and he was the only bright spot in that disastrous and pretentious ”Breakout”. Oh yes, his “Adventures of Ah Shun” is a delight to watch too.

 

Local Babe of the Year

Joanne Peh

As much as I hate to admit this,  after Zoe and Fann, there is no one else in the current crop of MediaCorp artistes, besides Miss Peh, who possess that star factor. If only, she can stop using that obviously phony Shanghai accent in the current 9pm show (though I guess it is too late now).

 

Author of the Year

Seth Godin

No competition here, it has to be him. I enjoyed (almost) every of his books so far. He is a breath of fresh air in the world of business writings.

 

Book of the Year

All of Seth Godin’s books.

Yes, his books are THAT good. Throw away all your old, trite and cliched motivational books, and get his. They are shorter, smarter and way better.

 

Special Mention of the Year

 

Creation Ministries International

So you thought that “science” has proven there is no God? Or maybe you have been told that the Bible is just a collection of fancy stories, edited over the years by zealous Christian fanatics? Or you have since taken for granted that we share the same ancestors as monkeys? Or perhaps you have been indoctrinated since young to ”know” that the Earth is millions and millions of years old? Please go to their website, read their articles and be your own judge. 

 

Let the Weak Say I am Strong

While the world is telling us to “be strong”, “get tough”, God is saying something else.

Apostle Paul, in his second epistle to the Corinthians, wrote:

“I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses…. But He (Jesus) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:5-10)

Noticed how the Lord’s power can only work in us IF we would admit to our weakness. In fact, Paul even talked about “boasting” about it. I don’t know about you, but if that is the way God wants it to be, then that is the way I would do it, even if it meant facing the truth that I am not that a tough guy as I thought I am.   

It is time we all recognize that we are never created to be superheroes, we are never supposed to save the world and we are never meant to carry the burdens of the world on our shoulders. Leave that to the One who is well-able to do all that..”..

“Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you;” (Psalm 55:22)

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)  

 

Hot as Hell or Hell Freezes Over?

(I think I first saw the following question in an email many years ago when I was still in Polytechnic. Was surprised to find it posted it on a friend’s FB wall recently.) 

“So is Hell Exothermic (gives off heat) or Endothemic (absorbs heat)?”

According to the background story, it was “an actual question given on a University of Washington engineering mid-term”, and a student supposedly gave an answer so profound that he received the only “A” (frankly speaking, I seriously doubt the story’s authencity).

In any case, after reading through THAT answer, I was not at all impressed and found nothing so smart in it,

The student made a few assumptions which were quite questionable:

1. He projected that “all souls go to hell” because “some religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there are more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion,”

Huh? Just exactly how did he make the the connection totally escaped me. Shouldn’t it be that because some people believed in the “believe-me-to-escape-hell” religion, thus NOT all souls will go to hell?

2.”With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.”

While I believe this is instinctively true. he was talking as if official statistics are perfect depictions of the real world. Can anyone said with 100% certainty that more people are dying than being born? And it led back to the first assumption he made, couldn’t it be that less souls are moving down because more living people are “saved” by religion?   

3. “Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle’s Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand as souls are added.”

Firstly, he was invoking a natural law to explain a supernatural place. It is like trying convict someone in Singapore using a law in US  … where is the basis? 
Secondly,  he was treating souls as phyical entities that has definite mass and volume. How would he know that? Couldn’t it be that souls are weightless, formless and can be compressed indefinitely? So why does hell need to expand?

Ok. Now I will attempt to provide an answer of my own based the Bible (it is just a frivolous exercise, so please don’t take it toooo seriously).

Let’s see how Bible described this place called Hell:

The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire. (Luke 16:24)

They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt 13:42)   

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41)

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Rev 20:14-15)

It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where “the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched. Everyone will be salted with fire.” (Mark 9:47-49)

The Bible is quite unequivocal on this: Hell is a place of fire and unbearable heat . So without even needing to go into a lengthy explanation, the short, simple answer is: Hell is exothermic.

That hot place which those saved by the Blood of the Lamb will never go.

 

Goal…. Goal… Goal… Go… Go….

Anyone who has ever attended a motivational seminar would have heard of the “Yale 1953 Goals Study”.

Details may vary, but the gist of the story was essentially that in 1953, researchers surveyed Yale’s graduating seniors to determine how many of them had specific, written goals for their future. 2 decades later, the researchers checked with the surviving class members and found that the 3% who had written goals had accumulated more personal financial wealth than the other 97% combined.

This story has been been touted by countless speakers, coaches, gurus as the ultimate proof of the power of goal-setting. Tthere is only one problem… no such study exists.

We would probably never know how this urban legend got perpetuated over the years without anyone ever bothering to verify it  (Fast Company Magazine did eventually found out the truth by doing the most obvious thing… they checked with Yale) , but I am sure it will continue to be used and be passed off as some historical fact.

However… having said all that, writing down your goals is important (though not in the way the motivation gurus made them out to be). In fact, it is even biblical.

 Write the vision 
      And make it plain on tablets,
      That he may run who reads it. 
       For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
      But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. 
      Though it tarries, wait for it;
      Because it will surely come,
      It will not tarry.
  (Habakkuk 2:2-3)

God encouraged us, Christians, to write down the vision (dreams/goals) He has put inside us, and He promised that those will surely come to pass at the appointed time.