First CPT class is over

I was a little bit nervous when I arrived at the hotel where the program was to be held. Some doubts whether did I picked a right program or was I just wasting my time and investment. After these two days, I feel convinced that I would not regret this decision.

I know I can do this.

I can make this work.

Towards to be a Certified Professional Trainer

Soon, I will embark towards a new journey to be a Certified Professional Trainer. I have finally made my decision to invest in this 12 months program of self-transformation, to be an effective coach and manager to my team.

Also, to prepare myself for opportunities when I reach mandatory retirement from my present job.

My first class will begin on 27 Feb 2012. Hope I will have a  good one.

With Siegfried and Johnathan Low - MAPS Convention 2011

PC "Blue Screen" resolved

After some queries with my staff and what I had suspected. The root suspect was the RAM. My PC had two RAM cards, one with a 1GB and a new 2GB. There was a possibility of conflict with the two RAM cards. As advised by the installler, I removed the 1 GB RAM and started up the PC.
 Eureka! Viola! Helleluya! I could play COD Modern Warfare without any disruption.

So, "back in business" to replay every levels of COD Modern Warfare...

Got to destress........

PC keeps hitting "Blue Screen" during game play

I play PC games sometimes to destress myself and I like to play and re-play Call of Duty -Modern Warfare(I have all the three parts). My son asked me to upgrade the PC because he wanted to play the new Batman game which requires higher specs and my PC also was low in harddisk space.

However, after the upgrade, my PC keeps hitting "blue screen" while playing COD. Man, what a turn-off.
It has been returned to the installer twice already but still unresolved.

Refered this matter to two of my staff (who are also avid PC gamers) and they suggest that I check the recently upgraded RAM.

Hope this works.

Visit to senior OE, Captain Badri's house

My lovely Sunday afternoon nap was disturbed when my son, Zharif, woke me up. He said a friend of mine was at the gate. Upon reaching at the gate, I noticed it was my senior OE, Kamal. "Muz, come on. Follow me to net some fish. Then, we go to Capt Badri's house. You have not been to his house, have you?". Since I could not continue my nap anyway, I decided to follow him. Net some fish he said? So, I wore a suitable short pants and packed a spare cargo pants.
I thought we were going to a river or a big fish pond. It turned out that we were to net some fishes out from a small pond at someone's house. The house-owner is a retired Colonel Hj Khan. He was also a neighbour to my father-in-law when he lived at Taman Permata. Hj Khan decided to cover up the pond to prevent his little grand-children from falling into it. Thus, our "mission" to net the fishes and later to be transported to Captain Badri's house. After some tea, we netted the fishes (tilapias) and secured them in a big tank inside the cargo area of Kamal's Honda CRV. Then, off we went to Capt Badri's house at Sungai Buloh. I have never before been to Badri's house, so, this was my first.
Upon reaching the front gate, a cute little girl's voice could be heard, "Tok Bah, Uncle Kamal datang". She is Capt Badri's grand-daughter. Badri has two fish ponds. The one at the back of his house contains little tilapias. He asked us to transfer the ones that we brought to the pond at the front.
Badri and wife asked us to stay for dinner.
After dinner, we chatted about our old school, history of Matang and Taiping in particular and of Perak in general. We discussed our family backgrounds, since my mother's side came from the Matang Gelugor area and my father was also an OE. Topics of discussion varied from Long Jaafar, Ngah Ibrahim, the OBJ or Tengku Mentri of Taiping and the history of Mustafa Hussain (who was an OE and one of the pioneers of KMM). Badri showed me the book written by Insun Sony Mustafa, titled "Mustafa Hussain - Malay Nasionalist". Wonder whether I could still get one at MPH.
Before we depart for home, Kamal had helped to cleaned two tilapias for me to take home. Badri recommended them to be grilled while Kamal said he preferred them fried.
Anyway, I will check some tilapia recipes in the net.

(note - OE - Old Edwardians. Former students of King Edward VII School, Taiping, Perak).

From Senior Specialist To Manager

Got my promotion letter today. After establishing and managing the data center facility since 8 years ago, truly this moment is a very joyful and a meaningful one. Hmm, in 8 years and today is Valentine's Day. How fitting. By the way, I recognised that I could not have done it without the support and assistance from my team.
I would like to express my big Thank You from my heart to all my staff for your support and loyalty.

My thanks to my manager, General Manager and Vice-President for this recognition.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Met my former Mathematics tuitor - Mr Muthusamy - 5 Feb 2012

Mr Muthusamy  was my tutor for Mathematics when I was in Secondary Year 2 to Year 3. From his teaching methods, I began to enjoy and embraced Mathematics as a joyful subject. I have never met Mr Muthu since I left school in 1978.
After checking at SSL Traders Hotel, Kamunting, I contacted my old friend, Karunamurthy. Since he was busy with preparations for Thaipusam, I asked him to meet me for tea.
Murthy arrived at the hotel around 7.00 PM. While we chatted, the subject of Mr Muthusamy came up. Immediately, I suggested that we pay him a visit. Murthy put up some excuses but I said, "If not today, when? Next time might not happen." Good thing, he agreed.
So, off we went to Mr Muthu's home at Glenview Gardens. Fortunate for us, he was at home. What a joy to have met Mr Muthu. At age 79, he looks good and his health is under control.
We talked about the good old days, the tuition classes and about some of the other boys of the class - Shentil, Kurian and Kamarulzaman.
Since Murthy had to go to Penang for Thaipusam prayers, we asked to be excused.

Even though the meeting was brief, it was very meaningful.

Weddings - Wife's cousins - Eaini and Azmi - 4 and 5 Feb 2012

As usual, long weekends will come with wedding invitations. There were two wedding invitations from my wife's cousins - Eaini (at Ipoh) and Azmi (Kampar). As usual, such weddings and khenduris, are not only the celebrations for the brides and groom but also occassions for the gathering of family and friends. Most of them, we have not met for several years.

Of course, makan and makan some more. That's what feasts are for.....

(Some pics of Eani's wedding - 4 Feb 2012).




Eani and husband.



WIth Chor Idris, Eaini's father.














(Pics of Azmi's wedding 5 Feb 2012).

Azmi and wife.

Pak Cik, Azmi's father.

After the khenduri, we left for Taiping.

Managers Oblivious Of Their Staff Roles And Responsiblities

Leaders and managers who are oblivious or not aware with their departmental staff roles and responsibilities and their well being, beware. You are heading towards a disaster. Your staff will resent your leadership. Why? Because due to your egoistic style of managing, you do not support them in terms of providing the coaching or training that they need in carrying out their jobs. You do not care how they are coping with their workloads. All you care is about yourself looking good to the higher management and if ever anything goes wrong you would blame your staff and not looking at your poor style of managing or lack of good leadership.

You need to elevate, inspire and influence the people who works with you (not for you), encourage them to be better or greater. Show appreciation, respect and kindness (must be genuine). What you sow, you shall reap.
You just cannot manage your team in "remote control" mode. If you do not care, people will just go away. Then, whatever Employee Satisfaction Survey exercise will only benefit the consultants than the employee or the organisation. Because staff realise that no one cares of their feedback, no positive changes are to take place and Management does not pay attention in developing their managers into good leaders.

Business will fade, organization dies, people will lose jobs or leave the company.

Organizations and Management should look into developing leaders to be able to progress further and withstand uncertainty of business in future. Leaders in turn to coach and inspire their people into working with a "top class" mentality. Work gets done, goals achieved, builds businesses, more profits. Everyone will be a winner.