24/4/19 ***Let's talk about Paradox Principles

Aaah... paradox.  Contradictions.  I thrive in paradox.  As I keep on saying everything counts but nothing matters.  To be able to handle paradox is to be a Gamesman.

Perhaps the most glaring paradox about me is I am seriously playful but I am playfully serious.  Those who don't understand the Paradox Principles will think that I am just playing a fool like a fool.  Actually while I am playing, I am taking all the necessary measures to win.

It is pretty much like playing tennis.  To be forceful you got to be gentle.  So gentle it's like squeezing tooth paste from the tube when you hold the racket.  Should you imply force, you motion will be limited and thus resulting in a rigid motion.

In an organization, you will excel if you thrive in paradox.  There are 5 principles you got to be mindful if you Sarah want to climb the corporate ladder:

1. Positive change require significant stability.  That means to change you need a certain degree of certainty.  If you don't have that, you will not have the peace of mind to change.  Thus you need to have a set of habits that is consistent day in day out to be comfortable to change.
2. To build an enterprise, focus on individual.  This is common sense which is becoming uncommon.  An organization comprises of divisions which comprise of departments which comprise of groups which comprise of teams which comprise of individuals.  Focus on the vital link because a chain is as strong as it's weakest link.  An advancing army is as fast as its slowest troop.  So a winning enterprise is a compilation of winners.  Build people first one at a time.
3. Focus on culture, indirectly.  Thought leads to action. A set of action leads to habit.  Habits practice by more than one person leads to culture.  Therefore culture is a group norm.  Look at the habit of the individuals and you can determine the corporate culture.  Which is why culture is all about monkey see monkey do.  It should not be institutionalized.  A culture is a copied behavior.  The role models and the influence centers play a major role here.
4. Empowerment requires forceful leadership.  What I mean here, you cannot empower without trust.  In order to trust you need trustworthy individuals.  If the leadership is not firm, empowerment can be abused.  I see this happening in many organization when it comes to flexihours.  Before you can empower, you need to have maturity.
5. In order to build you must tear down.  This is the part I normally do for my clients.  You need to break silos and conventional thinking.  Remember the story of the Emperor with no Clothes?  Sometimes old processes don't make sense anymore.  You may heard of the term constructive destruction.  This is necessary in order to move ahead.  To do that you must see the world from the eyes of a child.  In the current tend, nothing remain static for a long time.  The best way is to remain nimble and fluid.

So honey, do you think your industrial age boss can deal with paradoxes?  You know something baby, don't underestimate him.  I bet he knows what he is doing.  Bosses are like that.  Remember the story I told you about my HP boss Razak?  Given time they pick up the ball.  I'm pretty sure of that.

This song is on air:

You know I took this trouble to go through the length because I care for you.  My management skills are a bit rusty but I hope I got the message across.

Later baby, I got to return the car I borrowed from Ah Ho my mechanic and drive home the new car.

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