P&G: Profit & Greed

Now I know where the term "soap opera" originated. A pretty damning expose of dirty little secrets of a Fortune 50 corporation, whose products have touched the lives of almost everyone at some point in our lives. (I swear by their Oil of Ulan/Olay whitening moisturiser, although I am googling all the ingredients listed to check their effects.) The obsessive-compulsive disorder that supposedly pervades this company, at least the US HQ, and the ass-tight security structure bordering on paranoia really put all the intelligence and security agencies of the world to shame. Maybe I shouldn't have screamed hell (quietly of course) at those ad-hoc bag/handphone checks at Sidney. The "Proctoids" (P&G staff) make the Sidney security staff look like friendly Chipmunks. And it proves Money can really buy Power.

Signposts

TALENT-SPOTTING

Honesty & Integrity
Intellectual Firepower
Energy & Passion
Humility
Leadership

THE SIGNS...

On his way UP

Feels GOOD to be around with

Do you want him to be next to you in war?

Self-confidence

Likes to WIN

Impatient & Gets to the point

Speaks his mind

Has a vision and ariticulates it well

Strategic Thinker & Good Listener

Surprises! me

What is a LEADER?

Eager to take control

Speak clearly and concisely

Gets quickly to the tough (unexpected) questions

Master strategist – always well-prepared

Quiet intensity

Feeling of trust/credibility

Humility

Has a vision and sticks to it

Some Interview Techniques

Asking the Right Questions:

Where are you in your career?
Why would someone so happy want to make a change?
What really excites you about your work?
What don’t you like to do?
What was your best strategic decision?
Why did you make that decision? What happened there?

Key Issues:

The thought process
The decision-making process
Problem solving and organization building methodologies
Real accomplishments
Leadership styles
Ability to overcome obstacles, innovativeness and creativity
Listening skills

GMAT is driving me MAD

Finally managed to kick-start my engine. Now that I am working on the sums, I feel it's much do-able. 7-fucking-00 dollars in all for the GMAT, I'd better score a decent 600-plus this time. Or else, I will be inviting people to kick my ass (since I can't kick my own).

Phew

"Success is never final."

I am tired already.

Lasting impact - G2B

Another G2B (Good to Buy) book.

"It's far more important to know who you are than where you are heading."

"Ask what you can do better tomorrow than what you did today."

Good companies hard to find

The importance of:

Market Research, forecasting, trend analysis

Data Mining and competitive/business intelligence

Embedding innovation and rewarding employees for it

The case study on Egon Zehnder got me interested in the firm. Another one to note on my list.

THIS IS TALENT 29.02.08

Very raw but there is something real and solid about their performance. The talent in terms of voice quality, stage presence, some slick dance moves, are clearly there but still need s bit of packaging, promotion yaddah to really make it. Not sure how this will work out for them but the Ps are necessary to sell in this pop industry. But for amateurs, this was no amateur show. The hard work, creativity and effort were for all to see. I suspect even some of the pros would pale in comparison if given the resources they had to work with. One thing though, the performance felt kind of out of place at Esplanade. Too stiff lah, that atas place.