Be open and tell colleagues the truth
What is the key to running a company with close to 12,000 employees? Managing people can be very complicated. Getting it right depends on good communication, which is based on integrity and trust. Many leaders like announcing good news, but hold back the bad, or somehow try to disguise it. I firmly believe the only thing is to be open and tell the truth, so that staff know we belong to one big family. In that way, you have a much better chance of confronting problems and completing difficult projects successfully.
Also, you can't afford to be the kind of person who changes his mind all the time; that just makes people confused. My colleagues know and understand my point of view and the way I handle things.
In which direction are you leading the organisation? In the past three years, Hong Kong has been struggling with its positioning. My strategy is clear: we are part of the China story and my objective is to match the growth of the market by helping multinationals and other enterprises into China and mainland enterprises into Hong Kong.
Which internal issue is top of your agenda? One hot subject is work-life integration. We all know that with globally integrated enterprises, the 'new normal' is just to get the work done, regardless of your location or time zone. As a company, we have to operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, which means employees must be able to work in the office, at the customer's premises, on the road, or from home. So, there has to be a flexible work option. Managers must get used to new work patterns and accommodating people who are part-time or have different personal needs.
What does it take to get the best out of every individual? In January each year, employees set out their career goals and personal plans as part of their commitment to the business, and these form the basis of later appraisals. The top talent get training and job rotations to build up their skills and give them more exposure and experience. For the 'bottom performers', we advise managers to have a straight talk with them, work out an improvement plan and provide a positive attitude. If there is still no progress within a certain period, they may need to think about switching to another company.
Why do some people's careers lose direction and momentum? After being in a leadership position for five to eight years, it is easy to believe everything you do is correct. It can get to the point where you no longer have the right attitude or approach to lead your team. If you realise that is happening, you need to wake up, change your ways and, if necessary, rethink the basics of what you are trying to do.
Managers tend to be proud of themselves and their positions, especially if they have had a relatively smooth career path. They can easily forget how their words and behaviour affect their colleagues, and that can lead to discontent and a loss of support.
