sustainable workplace into the future

I read a summary of a book entitled, "The future-proof workplace: Six Strategies to Accelerate Talent Development, Reshape Your Culture and Succeed with Purpose" by Linda Sharkey and Morag Barrett, 2017 and have an urge to share what I like ka.

Again the first point can't be anything but leadership ka. In addition, the more I read, the more I think people discuss much further about culture and value...yet, the purpose in life has stood out! I also found the repeated keywords of cross-cultural competence, diversity and inclusion ka.

The importance of relationship building has popped up, not as a crucial way to be happy and live longer. This time as a key to do business. I think of our own strengths to get connected and retain healthy relationship loei ka. We should be serious to become the ones thinking and probing much more deeply how we've nurtured and sustained our relationships. Otherwise, foreigners would again maximize what has been in existence in our own cultures!?!

Let me quote right from the summary what I like na ka:

·       …….shift in leadership to be one of engagement, collaboration and adaptability

·       The future will be built by leaders who build up others and have a heart to serve others

·       …….solid personal values give you the platform and the confidence to translate those convictions into authentic company values

·       culture that truly empowers people-- they can’t unleash the creativity of their employees with slow, bureaucratic cultures

·       ……compelling and impactful purpose-- great leaders regularly reflect on how well they are aligned with, and living, their purpose and make changes accordingly. Purpose is a leadership journey, not a destination

·       ……role of relationships……… the secret glue that keeps people engaged and emotionally connected to the work

·       Success is about the horizontal opportunities that provide new experiences and expand skills. -- Who you know and what you know is much more important than the formal role you play…..MY ONLY CONCERN IS HOW BEST TO MAXIMIZE IT WITHOUT CROSSING THE LINES TO NEPOTISM AND CORRUPTION LAE KA!

·       ……..role of unconscious bias and the role the brain plays in our ability to connect with people who are different from us-- We have set patterns, images and context for what we believe people should be like, and often, these are so subtle we don’t even realize it.

·       Parents unwittingly pass on their bias and stereotypes to their children, causing an unconscious reaction in their children that can either help them or hinder them as they move into society. Good news is that we can rewire our thinking ka.

·       To thrive in the midst of rapid technological change, we’ve got to make work simpler, not continue to add complexity

·       the skill of unlearning and relearning becomes even more paramount

·       ……allow learners to pick a more a la carte approach to the content of their degree….learning agility and a healthy curiosity

·       Everyone needs to be a coach and mentor. Knowledge management matters …..because of the new flexible, tour-of-duty mindset of the millennials

·       Treat your employees (students and younger staff and faculty.....as they are millennials na ka) for who they are — adults. Provide them with challenging goals and the resources to achieve them. Then, set them free to deliver the results.

Any comments or observations mai ka?

Knowing my neighborhood?

I was invited to go on a guided tour of Talad Noi (ตลาดน้อย), Sampantawong District yesterday. Though I was sort of hesitant at first out of my laziness, I decided to take up this rare opportunity. I was embarrassed to admit that even when I grew up not far from that area, I had no idea what it had to offer.

Starting from Wat Yuan (วัดญวน/วัดอุภัยราชบำรุง), I wasn't sure where it was located and was thinking that it must be the temple I walked past hundreds of times when I was young.

That was our first stop for me and the group, comprising mainly Vietnamese students from the south of VN, led by the Thai Consulate in cooperation with the Office of Higher Education Commission.

It was amazing to learn the long history of the temple dated back to the reign of King Taksin when a number of Vietnamese fled the civil war in Vietnam to settle in Thailand on both sides along the Chaopraya River. The Chinese style of architecture has told us how VN had been influenced by the Chinese rule while the existence shows how we have been more diverse than we realized.

Then, with the explanation of พี่แอ้ด, our honorary guide, we walked into the Talad Noi area to see the lives there. It could seem quite familiar to me since I was born and grown up not far from there but I couldn't help feeling amazed again by the sights I saw. There're still many shops selling old spare parts being the place commonly known as เซียงกง. We then stopped at a pastry shop where two seniors baked traditional Chinese pastries and cookies. I felt so nostalgic talking in my little Chinese language with the 'grandma' and bought some kanoms just to enjoy having them with my family later! The price of kanoms was what I don't think we could find if they became commercialized like other in the capitalist world. More importantly, I couldn't help feeling sad that after this senior generation, we won't have the original tastes of pastries anymore.

We walked to several shrines, listening to the stories about lives and people, some doing the same things, others moving out . We saw old houses that would be turned into a museum or serve as a tourist stop to learn how people there have lived for long decades. It was the first time I visited the first branch of the สยามกัมมาจล (Siam Commercial Bank), went to a co-ed school-- กุหลาบวิทยา and its church.

It was a long walk but the amazement drove me to be focused to absorb the stories I heard, to remember the sights I saw, and to recall the past as far as I could.

I was embarrassed not to know much about it but now I'm proud I've learned much more and hope to be back with a longer time to walk and chat with people in Talad Noi. I also feel very grateful to those who have been working with the community to preserve the traditions in every possible way.

Things change, life goes on, and I'm so glad I can see Talad Noi before it changes much further ka.

Enjoy your weekend na ka.

3 girls 3 lives

I'd like to share stories of the 3 young girls I met in Chiang Mai who helped take care of an American Fulbright teacher who came down with a dengue fever ka.

The first is on her senior year at CMU. Her life is filled with studies and extra-curricular activities. Her concern is the time management since she enjoys doing activities especially with the newcomers while she has to make sure she maintains her high GPA (and possibly tries to get better grades to reach the first class honors)

The second is a 'practical nurse' who had no funding to go for her higher education. She lived with her grandma after her parents died. I felt so sad to hear that her father and mother passed away when she was 2 and 6 respectively! After finishing her high school, he decided to have one year of training on fund supported by a leading private hospital in Bangkok. After a few years, it's time for her to move back to Chiang Mai to take care of her aging grandma. She's still looking for a job.

The third one is a Karen girl who takes care of her three brothers since she was 12 when their mother died. Their father lost his mind and went back up hill for 2 years. This girl said she took up every possible odd jobs she could to survive. She quit school after finishing grade 9 and got a 3-month training on elderly care. At the age of about 20, she got married and now has one boy. I asked her why she decided to have a family (when I myself would have thought otherwise!) She said she thought she couldn't manage it on her own any longer and needs some help. Luckily her husband is a good guy so life seems to be a bit easier.

In a rented room, 6 lives stay together and they limit themselves to use electricity for a fan and a rice cooker.

I talked with the three whose nickname initial is the same (น) and learned more about lives and survival. I told the first girl that she needed to feel really blessed about her life while to the second girl, she realized that amid life challenges, she was much luckier than the third.  I told the third girl that she should be very proud of herself and keep staying strong ka.

The Karen girl also shared with me how she was discriminated too....so sad in our society ka.

As it's close to the Mother's Day, the definition of 'mother' can move from the traditional sense too to cover grandma and older sister na ka.

My time around the hospital made me feel heartbroken but hopeful to see tough girls stand up for their better living na ka.

Happy Mother's Day ka.