Dear Everyone,

Hi! And how are you all? February has been a relatively quiet month due to the Chinese New Year holidays. But it was good as it gave me time to relax with the family, catch up on all my reading and to also do some work on my training materials. I also just came back from Myanmar where I did a training session for their senior civil servants. It turned out well, although I did face some awkward moments coming to terms with the cultural aspects of management in Myanmar.

I recently read an Economist magazine and came upon this photograph. I could not help but look at it from a management perspective.

There are a few lessons we can learn from this situation. They are:

1. Let’s all have an attitude of gratitude that we are not in this person’s shoes. As much as we complain about our lives, there are people out there who are many times worst off than us. Be thankful for the little things that we have.
2. The picture reinforces the saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” The human mind is an amazing organ which seems to work better when it is under a situation that is uncomfortable. The next time you are in a negative situation, its okay. Have faith that your brain will have the capacity to think of a solution.
3. Give this person high marks for creativity, and remember that creativity is not the sole privilege of senior or middle management. Listen to the people at the bottom, you will be amazed at the ideas they can bring to improve your organization, product, services etc.

I do hope all of you will have a wonderful month ahead! Keep in touch and do take care.