My Briefcase
S. Y. CHOI Asia Consulting Group director
WHEREVER I AM going and whatever I am doing I like to travel light. I walk to my office, which is about 10 minutes from my home, usually the heaviest item I carry with me is a free newspaper I pick up from the lobby of my apartment building.
I own a briefcase but rarely use it. If I do I seem to carry more unnecessary things around with me. But I do have a few indispensable items I always have with me - my mobile phone, office keys, apartment keys, wallet and of course credit cards, the lifeline of modern day living.
I travel to the mainland quite often, usually to Beijing and Shanghai. On business trips I try to plan my schedule carefully so I do not have to take too many things with me. For example, I arrange to use my clients' or partners' computers instead of taking a laptop with me. As another alternative, I use the computer facilities in the business centre of the hotels where I stay.
In addition, I try to plan in advance which functions or dinners I might have to attend that require formal attire.
Thankfully, these days, a lot of clients appreciate the hassle of travelling and do not expect me to dress up formally for business meetings. This makes planning for business trips considerably more tolerable.
As a professional management accountant and business consultant I have worked in both the private and public sectors and value the practical uses of a calculator. This light but essential item provides a trustworthy back-up to the typical human tendency to think you have worked out all the numbers correctly.
Over the years I have found it is worth double checking figures that you are sure you have got right. The propensity to work long hours is not always helpful when you
need to pay close attention to fine detail. Therefore, a calculator is an essential item for me.
When I was younger and working for an accountancy firm it was not uncommon to work 24 hours and longer without a decent break. Necessary at the time, but completely ridiculous in terms of what is good for the body and mind.
These days I take a different approach to work and look for balance by setting demarcation lines. For instance, I try not to let projects overlap - although they sometimes do - so that I am spending a lot of time trying to keep different clients happy.
There are a few other things I do to ensure my life ticks along in the direction I want it to go. I do not always answer my mobile phone and instead allow the call to be diverted to my office or to a 'call received box' and answer it later.
I try to ensure I am the beneficiary of telecommunication technology, not a slave to the modern demand for instant communication.
