CAU-ENSAM-IMD: Different engines, Different life & Different countries

Announcement: STOP of Blog

2010-01-30T02:29:00.002+08:00

As I started my work in China, where I could not access to my blog, I stopped my blog indefinitely.

Managing your career

2009-08-22T17:12:00.002+08:00

Managing your career

Know your boss:
How is she evaluated?
l What is keeping him awake at night?
l What are his weaknesses?
l What is his preferred work style?

Know yourself:
l What are your strengths and weakness?
l What can you contribute?
l Where are you vulnerable?
l What is your preferred work style?

Know your situation
l Are your boss’s needs changing?
l Adapt to his needs and expectation or move on
l Pro-act in developing mutual expectations

Know your organization
l Maintain your organizational intelligence
l Keep an active network
l Don’t be politically naïve
Differentiation those who derail from those who don’t

--Learning from Cyril

High performance: Managing technology change

2009-08-22T15:39:00.002+08:00

Formulas can never predictably lead to success because, in the business world, company performance is relative, not absolute. High performance is a moving target, not a stationary one!! Even if all companies in an industry follow a formula, they will not all become high performers. Performance is about being different from competitors – which also entail risks.

The principles of disruptive technology

Companies are dependent on customers and investors for resources: They tend to allocate resources to proejcts demanded by present customers and that meet expectations of present investors.
Small markets don’t solve the growth needs of large companies: Large companies look to large new markets, and will tend to overlook small ones.
Markets that don’t exist cannot be analyzed: Relying on conventional techniques of "market analysis" won't work if there is no market yet!
An organization’s capabilities define its disabilities
Technology supply may not equal market demand

So disruptive change is a common reason why leading companies do not maintain their postion. So what can firms do?

Recognizing the threat is a first step
Active testing, scanning, monitoring
Active investment in alternatives

-- Learning from Phil and Bill at IMD

Enduring performance: achievable or illusive?

2009-08-22T06:45:00.005+08:00

In today's business environment, you have to run faster to stay in the same place, because in a competitive market economy, there are no blueprints of high performance. So, high performance is not random, but it is fleeting. Well, even though high performance may be fleeting, but it is not random. There are things we can do which may improve our chances of sucess, because performance is driven by choices, made under uncertainty, and the ability to execute.

In most of cases, disruptive technologies cause companies to fail, and it is not bad managed companies fail, rather, companies fail to react to disruptive technology because they do everything right. So what explains performance? the answer is: Strategy and Execution, but both involve uncertainty!! If we all knew the right things to do, and all did them, we would not all be high performers. The lessions for managers are: (1)In business, performance is relative, not absolute; (2)Companies have to do things differently from rivals; (3) Strategy means choice, made under conditions of uncertainty;(4) Even good decidions may turn out badly, and execution is vital...

Coming back

2009-08-15T05:17:00.002+08:00

After stopping my blog more than 3 months, I will restart it from next week by providing a series of discussion on different MBA subjects such as: Leadership; POM and Marketing et..

Stop the blog

2009-04-25T03:18:00.002+08:00

Dear friends

I was so busy in the last two weeks and will be also so in next few weeks, so I decided to stop updating this blog in next few months..

Great team member

2009-04-09T17:25:00.002+08:00

Late for the class

2009-04-09T00:30:00.001+08:00

After few days continuous heavy work and a series of accidents, I feel so tired as I seldom went to bed before 2 o’clock. Today, after a simple lunch, I ....

Difficulties will daunt me?

2009-04-08T00:28:00.004+08:00

I used to be quite curious about how much pressure I can bear? How far could I go further? and where will be my niche in professional career. So, with hope and confidence, without listening admonition from my bosses, I joined IMD. Since that day, lots of things happened quickly and dramatically, even the learning comes every day and everywhere, and you can make a great difference, but that is not all... I would like to say that, on one side, it would be a great experience to challenge myself to learn lots of stuffs, and on the other side, that it would also be always very important to listen some advices from other perspectives before making any decision. Until today, I understood Jack Wood’s purpose of psychological Development Initiative and somehow know what my boss’ words before I left.

Recently, with lots of pressures and frustrations holding on, plus that my father-in-law passed away. I really feel no direction. Bear, bear and bear again? Or, burst up? I asked myself many times, but this is not solution. Thanks to the friends in our group and startup project, they encouraged me and consoled me, which made me feel better. I really appreciate for that, and to me, a friend in need is a friend indeed. You did a great favor to me in my difficult time today, and I will pay back to you in the future. Thanks, my friends. Probably it is a good chance to take Easter holiday to have a breath of fresh air to recharge. Who knows what will happen for next step in life? Anyway, take care and be stronger!!

In memery of my father-in-law

2009-04-06T17:34:00.001+08:00

On, 5th April, 2009, at the age of 52, without any struggle, without any words to us, my father-in-law left us peacefully yesterday. Far from my homeland, and certainly also far from him, I got the message from my wife who accompanies her father at the end of his life. Even at the last minute, my father-in-law asked my wife not to inform me in case that he leaves, because he just doesn’t want me to worry about my wife and the family. So when I know the information that he left us, it was already another day, and my beloved father passed away.

My father-in-law is the bravest men I’d ever seen, like me, he fought the whole life for a better living for his family. Even after catching lung cancer, he never stopped working to support the family. In his life, he tried what he could to make a better life for his family, and my mother-in-law calls him as “iron person” because he has a great heart and he can bear any bitterness. Unfortunately, the illness exhausted his life.

My father-in-law and I had a close relationship, even that geographically we are very distant and that we never lived in the same city. Every time, when spent few days together, I could learn a lot from him, particularly his unconditional love to his children touched me very much. To me, he sacrificed all his life for his family and honorably, I also shared some of his love.

My father-in-law loves his big garden very much and he put lots of painstaking in it, even till end of his life, after his second surgery. He believes that he can do something in the garden. So he discussed with me how could we use it, we both think that we could build up a plant then rent it, but we did not get enough money. Finally he decided to plant more than 1000 aspens last year, and he told me that it will be good to my mother-in-law with whom he married since 30 years. That was the last he could do, what a great men he is!!

FT对MBA 就业分析（摘自FT中文网）

2009-04-05T05:54:00.003+08:00

面对目前经济危机，于MBA学生而言，最困难的问题或许是毕业后在哪里工作。

受到最严重影响的商学院是那些把大批学生送入金融业的学院，例如纽约大学斯特恩商学院(NYU Stern)以及纽约的哥伦比亚大学商学院(Columbia Business School)。

哥伦比亚大学商学院的职业管理中心主管吉娜•雷斯尼克(Gina Resnick)表示，招聘正在减少，存在很大不确定性。该学院有一半的学生通常会从事金融相关工作。她预计，学生今年找工作的时间将延长，一次性特别工作的招聘将大量增多。但她补充称，学生们“非常实际”。

在欧洲，就业市场的第一个健康指标来自瑞士国际管理发展学院(IMD)和欧洲工商管理学院(INSEAD)。去年12月，这两所商学院都有一届学生毕业。

在瑞士国际管理发展学院，消息还不错。该校招生和职业主管凯蒂•乌姆斯-苏特(Katty Ooms-Suter)表示，在90多人的本届学生中，82%的学生在毕业时得到了工作邀请，但她指出，其中多数进入了该学院招聘记录特别良好的行业。

在欧洲工商管理学院，形势则较为严峻，去年12月，该校有460名MBA毕业。该课程主管杰克•科恩(Jake Cohen)表示，在该届学生中，65%的学生都在毕业时得到了工作邀请。但他并不乐观。“我确实认为，2009年7月的情况将非常糟糕。我们从未经历过这样的市场。”

瑞士国际管理发展学院和欧洲工商管理学院都指出，攻读其课程的学生对于工作区域并不挑剔，他们愿意出差。

Stage Gate System from Robert G. Cooper

2009-03-30T01:25:00.004+08:00

Currently, the need for lean, rapid and profitable new product development has never been greater. Product life cycles are shorter, competition is more intense and customers are more demanding. Companies that fail to innovate face a grim future. The problem is that winning with new products is not easy. An estimated 46% of the resources that companies devote to the conception, development and launch of new products go to projects that do not succeed - they fail in the marketplace or never make it to market.

A stage-gate system is one solution to what ails so many firms' new product programs. It is both a conceptual and an operational model for moving a new product from idea to launch. And it is a blueprint for managing the new product process to improve effectiveness and efficiency. Facing increased competition from home and abroad, maturing markets, and the heightened pace of technological change, corporations look to new products and new businesses for sustained growth and competitive advantage.

To learn more about Stage gate system:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1038/is_n3_v33/ai_9114345/pg_2?tag=content;col1

C'est pas moi

2009-03-29T21:31:00.002+08:00

Learning from 10 faces of innovation

2009-03-29T17:35:00.003+08:00

The economist recently claimed that innovation is now recognized as the single most important ingredient in any modern economy. Today, having optimized iperations and finances, many companies are now recognizing that growth through innovation is their best strategy to compete in a world marketplace in which some of the players may have lower-cost resources. Even this, every day, thousands of great new ideas, concepts, and plans are nipped in the bud by Devil's Advocates.

Archimedes said, "Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough and I can move the world". For companies, each employee can bring his own lever, his own tools, his own point of view, and when the managers combine energy and intelligence with the right lever, they can generate a remarkably powerful force. Make sure they have a place on your team. Together you can do extraordinary things. People create value through the implementation of new ideas, they make things happen through their imagination, willpower, and perseverance. And whether you are a team member, a group leader, or an executive, your only real paht to innovation is through people. You can not really do it alone.

Any a future leader, do you realized it, my friend?

IMD in public's eyes

2009-03-29T04:15:00.000+08:00

HND 2008-3-27摘录:

位列全球排名第八的瑞士洛桑国际管理发展学院(IMD)上周首次来沪招生，这也是迄今为止亲自来华招收MBA学员最好的国际管理学院。

　　自1972年开设全日制MBA课程以来，IMD一直致力于培养国际企业高级主管方面的人才。为保证毕业生质量，该院的招生向来以“精挑细选，优中选优”著称，每年只在全球范围录取90名学员，近年来在中国地区也仅招收两三名学员。往年的申请人都需要自掏腰包去瑞士接受面试考核，决定录取与否。但今年开始，IMD决定首次在亚洲地区进行面试，并把上海和新加坡确定为两个面试点。

　　5月3日至4日，IMD的招生工作负责人从众多申请者中挑选出8位候选人，在上海对他们进行了为期两天的面试，最终确定四位合格的学员。考核的内容包括申请材料审核、即兴演示、深入面试和小组案例分析。

　　与大多数院校的MBA课程不同的是，IMD的学时仅为一年。IMD的MBA项目主任SeenMeehan表示，大多数两年期的MBA项目第一年的课程往往是给学员进行热身的，强度不高，并不能满足快速的经济发展需求。由于IMD的课程全部在瑞士进行，全英语教学，强度非常高，因此比较适合那些希望接受国际化观念、有志于在世界各国工作的管理人士。

　　IMD一年的学费高达7.5万瑞士法郎(约47万人民币)，招收的学员大多为30岁左右的企业家和高级管理者，他们或是公司的全国业务经理，或是欧洲地区经理。这些学员毕业后的平均起薪高达12.3万美元，因此IMD的MBA项目属于精英型MBA课程。

The challenges ahead

2009-03-29T03:53:00.005+08:00

There are lots of discussions about capitalism and socialism among scholars and politicians, and different opinions spread and advocated in different countries. For example, in China, I learnt only shortcomings of capitalism and advantages of socialism, so, definitely, I used to support only socialism and never doubted about it. But, after broadening my horizons at IMD, I began to see this economic debate in two ways.

Here are some facts and insights:
· In 1920s, Chinese were taught: only Socialism can save China, because most of Chinese lived in misery
· In 1980s, the world was told: only China can save Socialism, as Ex-Soviet and other socialism countries collapsed
· In 1990s, Chinese again were taught: only Capitalism can save China, because China needs free market and capitalism to develop
· In 2008, the world crisis was coming, and some scholars began to ask China to take the leadership role, they are indirectly saying: only China can save collapsing Capitalism (my guess)

Look at the circle carefully, isn’t it interesting??? The history comes back?Probably, our Global Political Economics professor Jean-Pierre could give us some hints…

Exams finished

2009-03-24T23:01:00.003+08:00

Accounting =4 hours
Finance = 5 hours
LPP = 4 hours
POM = 1 day

Those were time that we used to struggle our exams. Do you think it was long? No at all, even it was not easy to focus for so long time during exams, I often heard from classmates that time past so quickly and they did not feel it. After extremely rigorous IMD BB1, we were used to work for long time. Particularly after first integrative exercise which lasted for more than 40 hours, those exams were really a piece of cake as it demanded much less energy than a complicated case.

After exams, BB2 is approaching. It is a pity that POM courses finished so quickly that there are still a lot of thing to be learnt by myself. Fortunately, Strategy and Innovation as two new courses will come, I am looking forward to discovering them....

The motivation to work

2009-03-22T19:32:00.006+08:00

ARISTOTLE said that: all men seek one goal; success or happiness. The only way to achieve ture success is to express yourself completely in service to society. First, have a definite, clear, practical ideal - a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends - Wisdom, money, materials, and methods. Third, adjust your means to that end. But, it is easy to say and difficult to do, how could we achieve ture success? Does the difinition is suitable to everybody? Probably, from a philosopher's point of view, he is absolutely correct. But as future leaders, I believe we should pursue success by facilitating others to succeed. This means use management tools to lead people to reach mutual success. For me, management is responsible for organizing the elements of productive enterpries in the interest of economic ends, but their essential task is to arrange the conditions and methods of operation so that people can achieve their own goals best by directing their own efforts towards organizational objectives.

So, to succeed is to let succeed!!

Financial class

2009-03-22T01:45:00.005+08:00

Finance is one of the core courses for IMD MBA student. For me, undoubtedly, our professor Jim taught us a lot in the last 8 sessions. From the basic knowledge about project evaluation(NPV, IRR) to more advanced company profitability evaluation(ROIC, ROA, ROE etc), I really enjoyed his step by step knowledge instillation. Different from other courses which highly depend on cases, finance class uses more annual reports from companies in real world. Together what I learnt from Steward's management accounting courses, I found all the knowledge could be describe in following beautiful follower (it makes me recall Ralf's 5 forces follower). You know, it is so amazing to find that all those knowledge is applicable in real work and that we could use all those boring formulas to analyze companies.

But loving and insteresting is not enough, the most important is that you could learn from professors. Exams are coming, and it is a good way to check my learning. After that, we still have a long way to trek before BB2 comes... Just enjoy learning even it is not enjoyable.

真实世界真实学习"洛桑管理学院(光明日报 )

2009-03-21T23:05:00.001+08:00

在风光秀丽的瑞士洛桑莱蒙湖畔,有一座国际管理学院,2007年被英国《金融时报》、《经济学家》、美国《华尔街日报》等媒体以世界第一名列入年度MBA课程排名榜。这就是瑞士洛桑管理学院。记者不久前应邀参加了被称为该院“王牌”课程的“高级管理人员课程”,得以现场探究个中缘由。

学院负责大中华及俄罗斯的副总裁范逸群先生是澳大利亚人,但能讲非常流利的中文。他告诉记者,洛桑国际管理学院成立于1990年,由日内瓦国际管理学院和洛桑国际经济管理与发展学院合并而成。来此学习的学员大多是来自全球各大公司的高层主管。学院的座右铭是“真实世界,真实学习”,就是将学员放在“真实”的商场背景下,教授不只讲“理论知识”,更主要的是通过与学员讨论他们在现实社会中面临的挑战和解决方案,使学员在完成10个月的强化训练后得到启发,学会应对挑战。

记者参加的“高级管理人员课程”每年都吸引500多位来自世界知名跨国公司和企业的高级管理人员。在如此短的时间内聚集起为数众多的世界大公司和企业老总,恐怕只有达沃斯世界经济论坛年会能做得到。该培训班课程包括管理学、策略学、领导学、国际金融市场分析、市场营消学、心理学,甚至“家庭与事业关系学”等。

在学院采访过程中,记者注意到两个现象,一是“中国元素”的影响越来越大,如针对中国“平安保险”和“上海贝尔”的个案分析等都成为各国学员争相选修的课程;二是学员中许多人是连续参加了几届的“老学生”。他们的体会是,放弃几天的工作,来此“回炉”,可以获得新知识和新信息,所谓“磨刀不误砍柴功”。

范逸群副总裁介绍说,除“高级管理人员课程”外,每年,大约有8000名来自90多个国家的企业经营管理人员,报名参加20多个公开招生的企业经营管理培训课程。目前,学院已经培养出140多个国家的5万名男性毕业生。2005年5月,《金融时报》公布的全球最佳商业经营管理教育学院排名中,洛桑国际管理学院凭借其雄厚的师资力量和课程质量,名列全球第三、欧洲第一。在各分项目排名中,洛桑管理学院在师资力量、课程深度、满足理论和商业需求程度、可实际运用性方面,排名全球第一;在课程准备、教学材料质量、理论和实际相结合、教学设施和国际化程度方面排名全球第二;在课程设计、新技能应用效果方面排名全球第三。

范逸群认为,学院的成功之路是注重教师质量。学院集中了世界顶级教授和学者且非常国际化,55位教授来自22个国家,都是在各自领域内公认的权威人士,其中包括中国籍教授。与其他培养高级人才的学院不同的是,洛桑管理学院教授的职责不仅仅是授课,还要将大部分时间拿出来进行商业案例分析与研究,为企业“量体裁衣”,绝大多数教授担任著名公司和企业的经济顾问。

记者在学院里遇到了来自中国、年仅30多岁的郑云端。他为何要辞去令同龄人羡慕的外企高级职务,交140万元人民币学费,夫妇一同来此参加MBA学习?他说,首先,洛桑管理学院是世界顶尖的商学院,走出校门不愁找不到更理想的工作;其次,学员数量每届90人,学制一年,学员都有国际工作经验,教学质量有保证;第三,所有学员须到洛桑面试,并经过一系列考核后才录取,学生质量有保证

Frustrating VS similing

2009-03-19T02:50:00.008+08:00

After experiencing some unpleasant accidents, I decided to be silent to think what really happened to me these days. Am I too offensive? or just because I have low cultural intelligence.

BTW, I would like to share this months interesting video and photo

The Gold Medal: Henry's IMD in February

http://www.viddler.com/explore/henrylow/videos/3/

The Silver Medal: Slava's Happy IMD

Even class is heavy, but network is also important

2009-03-17T19:53:00.004+08:00

It is more and more difficult to find time to update my blog. Because since last Saturday morning's marketing class , we had a pit-stop of startup project in the afternoon. On Sunday, I went to Thun to see one of my colleagues and to meet two friends with whom I used to work in the same company. But time was always not enough, it was always a rush because I had to back to IMD before 15:00 as I had my PDI appointment. After that, another round came, from "preparation of cases" to "class discussion"; from "group work" to "individual preparations".....

Besides all those time-demanding works, we had Economics quiz on Tuesday. Fortunately, our group studied together just one night before the quiz, and it helped a lot. Furthermore, as myself, I worked till 2 o'clock in the morning. I think there should be no problem to me!

It worth mentioning that Martha's cluture classes were fantastic, I believe all the classmates enjoyed such her interesting analysis and unique insights of Culture Intelligence. Trying to better understand her class, I used the tool of MBI(map, bridge and Integrate) Model, and I found that it is interesting and helpful in real work.

Exams are coming, how could I succeed? My strategy is: fight, fight harder, fight harder with heart!! and I hope it will work.

The Money of invention

2009-03-14T04:08:00.002+08:00

Professor Benoit Leleux asked us to read the book "The money of invention" for his entrepreneurship class, but how could we finish a more than 300-page book in two days, particularly we are busying with classes and projects everyday? The answer is "sharing". IMD MBA students in 12 groups shared the task by reading different chapters, then gave a one page summary of each chapter, so that everybody can understand the content by reading only those summaries. You see, this is the forces of group work at IMD.

Here, I note down some main plots in this book:

No matter how we look at the numbers, venture capital clearly serves as an important source for economic development, wealth and job creation, and innovation. This unique form of investing brightens entrepreneurial companies?prospects by relieving all-too-common capital constraints. Venture-backed firms grow more quickly and create far more value than their nonventure-backed firms. Similarly, venture capital generates a tremendous number of jobs and boosts corporate profits, earnings, and workforce quality. Finally, venture capital exerts a powerful effect on innovation.

Perhaps of special interest to startups and emerging ventures, the book first focuses on the four basic questions financiers must resolve before committing capital to a venture:

Uncertainty about the future
Information gaps
"Soft" assets
Volatility of current market conditions

Entrepreneurs' most important task is to provide their prospective investor(s) with realistic and educational answers to these questions -- proactively. Both parties grow through this process. Entrepreneurs should welcome the intense scrutiny of the venture capitalist with the same appreciation as the intense scrutiny of one's physician; the questions and answers may not always be what we hope to hear, but an open and responsive "partnership" can lead to our best long-term health.

Then looking at the venture capital side of this relationship, The Money of Invention emphasizes that good investment strategies should utilize:

Detailed due diligence and deal screening based on intensive industry knowledge and important networks of experts.
Staging of investments to explicit milestones that are carefully thought out to correspond to the resolution of uncertainty.
Syndication of investments to gather more information and diversity risk.
Equity ownership and incentive compensation for senior management to directly link the interests of investors and the entrepreneur.
Selective use of covenants and restrictions in critical areas that limit the potential conflicts that may arise.
Carefully thought out boards of directors that provide oversight, strategic advice, and credibility to the company.

After the brusque awakening during the past two years, the authros believe "venture capital is likely to undergo even more radical transmutations," reminiscent of the shakeout experienced by the investment banking industry during the 1960s. Therefore, the book concludes with a thoughtful exploration of the "dramatic change in the structure of the venture industry" they envision over the next decade. Their conclusion: "... venture firms will have to rethink the way they do business in three key ways if they want to secure a top position for themselves in the industry:

Generate more fee income
Leverage venture capitalists' time
Build venture 'brands'

In general, at an historic moment when the venture capital industry appears to be badly bruised, The Money of Invention offers a constructive assessment of the questions currently confronting the industry and its prognosis for the future. Both the Entrepreneur and the Venture Capitalist will find the author's work to be timely, analytical, and pragmatically helpful.

Star in my Testo Group

2009-03-13T03:02:00.003+08:00

Did you ever watch a series of TV show "The apprentice"? If not, I propose you to do so because it is really an inspiring reality TV show. After watching them, most of you probably remember this: YOU ARE FIRED. But I have one friend who heard such words till the finalist from Brazil version apprentice.

Here is his story:

http://www.imd.ch/news/MBA-2009-profile-Denis-Peres.cfm

I love this game!

2009-03-10T18:40:00.003+08:00

First time in my accounting class that I realized I made lots of misunderstandings of different conception. Today, Stewart used one simple case to illustrated how to survive with cash flow statement, and I got it 100% as he wrote down every calculation one by one. My neighbor Naoto had the same feeling as I did. How happy we are, even both of us caught a cold two days ago.

Since focusing on Accounting, I really felt frustrated as I never made one balance sheet balanced, and I tried my times to formulate some cases, but I seldom succeed. To me, Accounting is a basic hard skill to a manager, for example, today's class of "Evaluation of company", Professor Benoit used lots of accounting and finance knowledge. And I also used such subject when I did my project. So, in the future, what kinds of job you will do, I believe that accounting will help you know better about your company's status and performance. Our Accounting professor Steward is somebody who has lots of practical experiences, I have already learnt a lot and I wish I can learn more in BB2(Buildng Block 2)

Come on, Stone, why not work hard to get as much as you can NOW? Cheer up...

Quelle surprise!!

2009-03-10T03:21:00.002+08:00

Deux mois apres j'ai quitte Rieter, j'ai obtenu une nouvelle que me etonne. Mon anncien chef qui est le COO de Rieter Chine a decide de quitter l'entreprise dans quelques semaines. Je ne sais pas quelles sont des raisons possibles, mais face a la situation financiere, et surtout Rieter est perdu presque 400 million CHF pour l'annee 2008, je crois tous les managers ont beacoup de stress, et enfin ces sont les plus intelligents qui quittent le plus tot. Parce que Rieter Chine a fait beaucoup de mals pour retenir des managers, et surtout son HR ne marche jamais. Maintenant, elle souffre...

Une sense de regret pourquoi les PME etrangeres ne peux pas eviter des erreurs evidantes meme il y a des managers qui savent comment faire des business en Chine, mais ils ont jamais fait place des positions importantes. Elas, qu'est-ce qui va passer demain pour Rieter? pour les ingenieurs qui ont travaille avec moi pendant des annees? et pour mes amis chez Rieter? Il y a beaucoup de choses a reflechir...

Fire Wok and POM

2009-03-08T17:24:00.004+08:00

Saturday is always the happiest day for me, at least I can have a good sleep thanks to IMD's free Sunday morning. After taking 2 hours accounting class in the morning, I spent the afternoon strolling around Lake Geneva to clean up some of my feeling. But that is not enough to waste my time, in the evening, the Chinese group had a nice fire wok dinner in Renens. When I back to dungeon at 23:00, I have no intention to work anymore.

Spend one hour on POM reading before sleep, I found the following useful knowledge to make up the time I wasted:

Is IMD a real life?

2009-03-07T15:15:00.004+08:00

One of IMD's proud experiences "Real life, Real learning", but for me, even it is true, but it seems that IMD can do better to reach "Real life". Take our startup experience as example, for IMD MBA students, it is a good initiative to work together with those entrepreneurs. But how many students really take them as serious as the real business should be? for me, we wasted lots of time on information processing and endless group discussions without real actions, all those are unacceptable in real business. I understand entrepreneurship as an experience in designing and implementing a business strategy or starting a business. So we should put ourselves into real situations to fight for our strategy and to make tough decisions, while here at IMD, it seems to me that we are working as group to give free consulting, and we seldom put ourselves into the real pressures from real startup life. Even Benoit's cases are extremely interesting and I really learnt a lot from him, but compare my startup with my real experience when I started one company with my frineds and we also worked in group, IMD startup project is still not there.

So, if it is true, why not ask students to seperated voluntarily into groups to start their own companies? Probably, some of them have strong entrepreneurship and ideas, under IMD's professeurs' valuable guides from different aspects, they could work on those ideas and lead them to succeed. Even they could not, it is also a good experience to those founders. I remember that the CEO of 51job.com (one of the biggest job hunters and online job searching database) had an idea when he studied at INSEAD, during that year, he accomplished his idea and realized his dream under the help of professors and his classmates. What a great experience!

First building block will be finished soon

2009-03-06T03:19:00.003+08:00

While still adjusting myself to new life at IMD, I suddenly find that Building Block 1 will be finished in 3 weeks. So it is time to do a self-evaluation, even IMD life is quite busy. But my result disappointed me somehow as I did not find big progress in those aspects that I decided to improve, and I am a little lost about what I should do for next step.

Since long time, I wanted to improve my language skills as well as hard skills such as: Operations and Marketing etc, because I had puzzles in such areas and I would also work in those functions after graduation. But I found that it is very difficult to learn such topics without practices(even sometimes case study helps), and I am frustrated with other subjuects, so inevitably, I am a little upset. But there is no learning without frustrations, probably, I am on the track of learning, and I have no way to confirm.

When IMD learning conflicts with my personal planning to learn, what should I do? I asked myself many times, but I still did not find the answer...

Seven Lessons for Leading in Crisis

2009-03-04T00:52:00.002+08:00

Excertp of the Wall Street Journal on February 24, 2009

Virtually every American institution is facing major crises these days, from declining businesses to evaporating financial portfolios. To get out of these crises, authentic leaders must step forward and lead their organizations through them.The current crisis was not caused by subprime mortgages, credit default swaps, or failed economic policies. The root cause is failed leadership. New laws, regulations, and economic bailouts won't heal wounds created by leadership failures. They can only be solved by new leaders with the wisdom and skill to put their organizations on the right long-term course.Here are seven lessons for leaders charged with leading their organizations through a crisis:

Lesson #1: "Leaders must face reality." Reality starts with the person in charge. Leaders need to look themselves in the mirror and recognize their role in creating the problems. Then they should gather their teams together and gain agreement about the root causes. Widespread recognition of reality is the crucial step before problems can be solved. Attempting to find short-term fixes that address the symptoms of the crisis only ensures the organization will wind up back in the same predicament.In order to understand the real reasons for the crisis, everyone on the leadership team must be willing to tell the whole truth. As J.P. Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said at a panel I chaired at the World Economic Forum at Davos in January, "It's not sufficient to have one person on your team who is a truth teller. Everyone on the team must be candid in sharing the entire truth, no matter how painful it is." How can we solve problems if we don't acknowledge their existence?

Lesson #2: "No matter how bad things are, they will get worse." Faced with bad news, many leaders cannot believe that things could really be so grim. Consequently, they try to convince the bearers of bad news that things aren't so bad, and swift action can make problems go away.This causes leaders to undershoot the mark in terms of corrective actions. As a consequence, they wind up taking a series of steps, none of which is powerful enough to correct the downward spiral. It is far better for leaders to anticipate the worst and get out in front of it. If they restructure their cost base for the worst case, they can get their organization healthy for the turnaround when it comes and take advantage of opportunities that present themselves.

Lesson #3: "Build a mountain of cash, and get to the highest hill." In good times leaders worry more about earnings per share and revenue growth than they do about their balance sheets. In a crisis, cash is king. Forget about EPS and all those stock market measures. The question is, "Does your organization have sufficient cash to survive the most dire circumstances?"Goldman Sachs, where I serve on the board of directors, anticipated the difficult times and built up its cash reserves. When the markets got really bad, Goldman had adequate cash reserves to weather the storm.

Lesson #4: "Get the world off your shoulders." In a crisis, many leaders act like Atlas, carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. They go into isolation, and think they can solve the problem themselves. In reality, leaders must have the help of all their people to devise solutions and to implement them. This means bringing people into their confidence, asking them for help and ideas, and gaining their commitment to painful corrective actions.

Lesson #5: "Before asking others to sacrifice, first volunteer yourself. If there are sacrifices to be made – and there will be – then the leaders should step up and make the greatest sacrifices themselves. Crises are the real tests of leaders' True North. Everyone is watching to see what the leaders do. Will they stay true to their values? Will they bow to external pressures, or confront the crisis in a straight-forward manner? Will they be seduced by short-term rewards, or will they make near-term sacrifices in order to fix the long-term situation?

Lesson#6: "Never waste a good crisis." This piece of advice comes from Benjamin Netanyahu, the next prime minister of Israel, at the panel I chaired in Davos.When things are going well, people resist major changes or try to get by with minor adaptations. A crisis provides the leader with the platform to get things done that were required anyway and offers the sense of urgency to accelerate their implementation.

Lesson#7: "Be aggressive in the marketplace." This may sound counter-intuitive, but a crisis offers the best opportunity to change the game in your favor, with new products or services to gain market share. Many people look at a crisis as something to get through, until they can go back to business as usual. But "business as usual" never returns because markets are irrevocably changed. Why not create the changes that move the market in your favor, instead of waiting and reacting to the changes as they take place?

The Bottom Line:In a crisis we learn who the real leaders are, and whether they have the wherewithal to stay on course of their True North.

LETTING GO TAKES LOVE

2009-03-01T05:39:00.002+08:00

To let go does not mean to stop caring,

it means I can't do it for someone else.

To let go is not to cut myself off,

it's the realization I can't control another.

To let go is not to enable,

but allow learning from natural consequences.

To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means

the outcome is not in my hands.

To let go is not to try to change or blame another,

it's to make the most of myself.

To let go is not to care for,

but to care about.

To let go is not to fix,

but to be supportive.

To let go is not to judge,

but to allow another to be a human being.

To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,

but to allow others to affect their destinies.

To let go is not to be protective,

it's to permit another to face reality.

To let go is not to deny,

but to accept.

To let go is not to nag, scold or argue,

but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,

but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.

To let go is not to criticize or regulate anybody,

but to try to become what I dream I can be.

To let go is not to regret the past,

but to grow and live for the future.

To let go is to fear less and love more

Unexpecting Quiz

2009-02-28T22:34:00.008+08:00

An unexpected accounting quiz on Saturday morning! Oh lala, without any preparation, I felt like a nut during the quiz because I can not remember those formula anymore, even the basic knowledge such as:Working capital is equal to current asset minus current liabilitis. Anyway, it is a disaster.

I'd reminder myself that I should spend some time on Accounting and POM this weekend, but "Man proposes, God disposes", the quiz came one day earlier than I expected, and the result will be also totally different. This is the real life, nothing will happen as you planned, so, to survive, better be well prepare for everything.

I'm sorry Stewart, I should work more and deliver more.

Leading people and EQ test

2009-02-28T02:48:00.005+08:00

Today, Martha(IMD MBA program director) gave us a special learning opportunity, and all IMD MBA students went to downtown to observe Emotional Intelligence. As futur managers, IMD MBA student will definitely work in managerial poisitions, and we will be endued with power to influence the people who work in the same organization, so, it is important to know how to observe their EQ which links with their performance. To do such task, our group designed a special way to observe: drop the money on the street, and we collect data such as whether people will pick up the money; if yes, whether they will return; whether there are gender and age differences. By doing so, we would like to analyze the concepts of trustworthiness and integrity and to measure Self-Regulation and EQ in general.

It was a funny experience and all of our group members enjoyed it. After finishing such observations, we analyzed our results and discussed them. Back to class at 16:10, we did another interesting test: EQ test. Being so unconfident since I came to IMD, I was curious whether my EQ has gone down dramtically, so I was very serious about it. Unfortuately, when I got my result, I really doubted it because my intrapersonal skills score is so high. But this doubt soon disappeared when I discussed the result with Prashant. You know what?? I misunderstood the word "intrapersonal" skills as "interpersonal" skills. Oh lala.. Finally, I am convinced that the test somehow is correct.

Haha, I used to believe that my EQ is high, and the result also showed that it is true. Maybe I disappointed others but I did not disppoint myself.

Come to reality. IMD MBA is really "real world, real learning". You can check and evaluate yourself from all perspective during the year. If you know clearly who you are before graduation, it is already a big learning.....

Leadership feedback

2009-02-27T04:17:00.004+08:00

One of IMD MBA specialite is that the leadership stream will accompany with each participant across the whole year. Just struggling with leadership paper and startup, we met our leadership coach this afternoon.

The second time see Jean Pierre (our group coach), I feel like meeting one old friend. He is kind and gentle, and he has guided us since one and half month, so he knows quite well what happened in our study group. Talking with him is a psychological release. Since last meet, our group seldom meet together to discuss the group open issues because we all were quite busy. So we use this chance to explore more about our group dynamic together with him. For me, through discussion with him and group members, I got better understanding of the importance of group dynamics and leadership. Such as: your relationships with other people in your group form the means to achieving your group's goals; Without group dynamics and effective team building inside the group, the group is dying.

This kind of learning is what I can never get outside IMD MBA program. And little by little, I began to understand something really subtle for me, and I guess that it is the leadership learning woking behind.

Critical thinking for IMD MBA student

2009-02-26T03:30:00.003+08:00

Recently we had a few classes with Phil Rosenzweig about critical thinking. His class really inspiring and I put some fallacies of reasoning to share with my readers:

Wishful thinking fallacy
Groupthink fallacy
As everyone knows fallacy
Verybody does it fallacy
Subjectivist fallacy
Red herring fallacy
Smoke screen fallacy
Ad hominem fallacy
Straw man fallacy
Slippery slope fallacy
Begging the question
Burden of proof fallacy

I found most of fallacies are repeated by us in our daily life, it seems that the exact nature of the problems have not been understood very well. By learning and understanding better about such fallacies, I found it was a great experience. Build more such point, the true learning circle is: Comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. So just learn them, use them and avoid them in your work.

Startup project

2009-02-25T01:01:00.004+08:00

Homeworks and assignments come all together this week. It seems that we have not lots of projects to do, even that it is difficult for us to find enough time to finish all of them. As we have to present our research result to our startup founder, we have to work till late to deliver it today. At the beginning, we seemed to not well organized or structured, this created huge tension in our team, fortunately we fixed it quite soon after an open discussion.

You know, it is not always to make talents to work together, but it works if you can manage the relationship. To me, It is quite normal that team members have some conflicts during team building. In real life, team work success rarely happens by itself, without focused team building efforts and activities. So a team could be successful when your team can coordinate each other, when you work together to accomplish something much bigger and work more effectively than a group of the same individuals working on their own, you have a strong synergy of individual contributions, then your team will revive.

It is 23:10 now, time to current task, then finish tomorrow's reading, wish to sleep earlier today.

Leadership paper

2009-02-23T22:37:00.008+08:00

Since I got very bad grade from my leadership paper reader, I have struggled several evenings to rework it. But, unfortunately, I could not move forward because I still can not understand what my paper reader 's ideas are and what she wants me to improve. I often ask myself some questions: Is it really so important to analyze those observations? Does it worth more than 20 hours' work as IMD MBA is so intensive and we still have lots of hard skills to improve? What kinds of your behavoirs have you improved by doing such analysis? To be frankly, I really doubt it because I believe that only analysis without really understanding does not help me too much.

I agree that leadership stream is an important block to learn at IMD and that our professors gave interesting topics in the class, but I can not agree that spending lots of time on writing such leadership paper is an efficient way to impart knowledge to students. Should we explore more by reading or by group exercise instead of writing? Even we should write leadership paper, I expect that the paper readers can give clear feedbacks that are understandable to those who come from Operations(WE ARE NOT PSYCHOLOGIST!!). To me, leadership is a subtle topic itself, if we learn such skills in a subtle way, I do not know how much I can get at the end.

Probably, I underestimated the importance of leadership, and I did not realize its importance yet. Anyway, I have to put some more important work aside to rewrite my leadership paper. Is it a right way to understand and learn leadership? Maybe the anwer could be found at the end of this year.

Good luck to those who have same situation as I have.

Personal Development Initative

2009-02-23T01:01:00.002+08:00

Today, I had an interview with Anne Hoagland concerning my PDI elective, even I expected a lots of inspiring before the conversion, but I still have lots of doubts before I can make a final decision. Recently, so lots of things are going on and my mood always in the trough, which throughly bothered my minds. So I lost the patience and decided to work with her. I do not wether it was a wize decision, but I do believe this psychotherapy could help me out of puzzles that I had since 2 years.

Because of combined reasons, I stoped my professional career and backed to Europe again to pursue an MBA at IMD. I hoped that my life and thinking would change and I could eventually become happier, but facts demonstrate that I am still oscillating concerning some choices. All those unclear situations consumed most of my energy and I can not fight enthusiastically as I could. I wish Anne could help me be out of such dilemna, because I urgently need energy to equip my mind to pursue something that I dreamed since year. So I can not stop fighting, and I have the willpower to bring courage and hope to my family, in such a way, my tired heart could be released.

My father in law has fought for more than 6 years, and he is my example. He is still waiting for my good news. So I can not abandon my objective, and I can not fall down, particularly in face of difficulties.

Smile for what you did, and face what you will do.

洛桑的雪

2009-02-22T20:32:00.002+08:00

来洛桑之前听说她是个美丽的城市, 但是直到今天还没有体味到她的美丽,只是这儿冬天的雪出奇的多, 不到两个月的时间,已经下了大大小小6场雪. 对于从来没有见过大学的IMD MBA学生,这是个好机会来欣赏冬天的美. 平均年龄过30的一帮学生仍然没有失去童心,还不忘在繁忙的课余时间去打雪仗，这可是在IMD历史上未有的。大学笼罩下的日内瓦湖显得如此的庄严,对岸的EVIAN也多了一份神秘. 而我在经历了不断的课程打击之后，也没有太多的心思去欣赏大雪中的洛桑，因为根本没有那份心思，还是好好搞好课程再说吧。周日的上午要准备 startup projet，下午要开会准备 Economics的presentation，如果能找到时间，还想多给老婆聊聊，她一个人在家不容易。

学习在继续，生活在延续。IMD 的辛酸苦辣让我经历失败，整理心情，用明智的心去准备接下来的人生旅程。

不再迷茫，不再犹豫，迎接挑战，勇敢面对。

IMD 3 days integrative exercise

2009-02-21T16:17:00.006+08:00

The curtain of 45 hours' intergrative exercise finally (from Thursday after 3:00 PM to Saturday 12:00) has dropped by one impressive presentation of motorised bike case. Each IMD student put emormous energy into it, certainly our Testo study group included. I did the first round presentation under Denis' instruction, after that, I worried about our work very much as I found lots of vulnerable points in our preparation of slides. Probably realized that our work was not in good quality after getting feedback from professor Benoit and his colleague, our group began to work hard and to push more aggressively, and accordingly everybody's ego showed up. To be frankly, I do like it at all because the panic doesn't deliver the result. Everybody has his ideas but it does not mean that he must push others to accept his as the best solution. I strongly believe that our group member had no intention to hurt somebody else as a group and that it just came out naturally when we, as a human being, work under pressure. Fortunatly, few hours later, we realized that we didn't work efficiently, and we sperated into subgroup, then we were in the right track.

Absolutely, the intergrative exercise is one of the biggest learning since I was in IMD MBA program. Most importantly, it helps me realize lots of stuff during group work, particularly every group member works under pressure. Even I was used to a good team player, but I found that I still have huges points to be improved when I interacted with my group. They are very attractive, knowledgable, mature and socialized. I like them very much even I feel frustrated sometimes because of my quiet personality. For me this is part of valuable realization which will drives me to improve my weak points, I believe this will also contribute to my personal development.

Again, thanks to the group member and the group work, we worked together and we made a great difference together.

With the team, you can go far and far...

To those who are interested in IMD real world real learning philosophy

2009-02-19T20:23:00.005+08:00

Quite recently, I got more and more feedback from friends and future IMD applicants that they are curious about IMD's Real world Real learning. It is true that it is difficult to explain to them such experience without their being personally on the scene. For me, it is a very subtle feeling to express to this experience because the learning happens everywhere at anytime at IMD. I agree that learning could also heappens such as you read books or you share opinions with friends, but here at IMD, we do much more than that, and I believe there is a perfect combination between academic impartation and practical exercises.

To demonstrate this point, I can not find anything more pursuasive than Henry Low's (singapour) inspiring Vedio that recorded our first month at IMD. Let's share it together.

Personality and performance --Learning from IMD leading people class

2009-02-19T19:47:00.003+08:00

Study shows that 60% of your personalities is inherited instead of shaped by enviroment(25%), and at the six years old, your broad personality traits are apparent. It is a good knowledge to me because I tried hardly to change some of my personalities without success, which frustrated me a lot. Later, when I came to IMD, I did MBTI test in Jack's leasership class, and the result confirmed me that I changed some of points to a small degree. This helped me to better understand what kind of person I am and how should I deal with different personalities. After that I was interested in how my personality can influence my futuer career development, absolutely, Martha's Big Five Model helps me undertand better: What part of you have energy? what are easy to you to do? What are difficult to you, How you will act in different situation etc... I believe this approach to undertand myself can help me control my feeling when necessary and perform better by using my strong points.

In the past 4 years during my work in a big organization, as a manager, I frought for job with my boss and every time I was a loser. Probably, my high score in "consolidation" explains: trend to work towards goals in an industrious, disciplined and dependable fashion and have stong will to achieve. High score in consolidation may be perceived as a workaholic, overbearing, compulsive, meticulous and stubborn. That is me, when I read those comments. Now, I began to understand how should I react and approach different person by learning more about myself and by observing my classmates at IMD.

So cool experience about IMD real world real learning.

How to speak before public

2009-02-19T04:32:00.005+08:00

Surprisingly, just 3 days after writing down that IMD MBA program should give our some commnication classes, we got such class. Certainly, it is coincident, but, from other side, you can imagine how IMD class surprises you and satisfies you. To me, this class is much better organized than ENSAM communication class, and every student really enjoy such a way of learning. As for me, I am usually quite and afraid of public speech, after that lession, I felt better and more confident when I speak in group. There are lots of learning points, in general, public speech blank you, flush your face, speed up your heartbeat, so you should use your higher red card number if you want to, at least, be looked confident. Your tone, body language, eye contact, pace, energy, clarity of communication etc are key indicators whether you are put everything under control. But that is not all, it also depends with whom you are talking, supposed that you are talking with a group of rebellious employees, probably, higher red card number doesn't work, so, at the proporiate time, show your back card number will also help you.

Combine today's key learning with daily work, I am a little disappointed because what we learnt could not be used in pratical life. We are used to behavior as who we are, and the egoism pushes everybody to show off, so the result is that those who want to show continue showing and that those whose never show continue hiding... Sometimes, it does not help you at all if you are too eagerous to show, at least, that is my feeling.

Leaderhsip paper and Global political economics

2009-02-17T01:25:00.002+08:00

Today got very bad feedback from leadership paper result, it is a disaster. Even I put lots of energy and tried to do it as perfect as possible, but my efforts do not get return. You know, not all investment pays back. Sometimes, it is normal that you get the opposite of what you intended. Quite lucky, Simon will introduce us how to improve this paper tomorrow, and I will join the free lession and I wish it will help me finally succeed this paper. The unhappy news did not make me chagrin at all, using the class break time, I chatted with my wife, and I felt so good after knowing that my wife is very happy as my father-in-law is good shapes these days. I think the happiest things in my life is to look my family live in happiness in whatever condiation.

Afternoon's class with Jean pierre is very interesting, we talked about G20, Chinese history, Nicola Sarkozy's meet with Dalailama etc... I really enjoy such lession to broad my knowledge and share different views with intelligent IMD guys. But, the happiness stops at 17:00, then it is time to dungeon to prepare for Economics project and individual work for tomorrow's lessions.

Working on Startup project while planning ester holiday

2009-02-16T02:49:00.003+08:00

After spending a relax afternoon and a group party on Saturday night hosted by Prashant, I backed to reality on the Sunday morning at 9:00 AM. I can not get up ealier because I stayed too late yesterday thanks to Prashant's nice party. In the morning, I first called my wife and my father-in-law, then spent 2 hours to know more information about my private business. This year is particularly difficult for our internatinal trading business because of lasting economic crisis, so we have to find a way to survive. Anyway our 3 years old business will not experience the first severe market test, and I hope it can succeed and will become stronger.

It was quite lucky that I got a call from Madame Jullian, she proposed me to go to France during Ester holiday and I accepted it because I really need a break in April to re-net with my ENSAM professors and other friends. BTW, it will be also a good chance to polish my French. Before IMD, I planned to find time to have some French lessions to pick up my French. Unfortunately, I still did not find right time to do so. I wish this trip will encourage me to make final determination.

As for afternoon, I planed to walk along the lake and just canceled it because I have to work together my group on Startup project. I was so happy last Friday because I supposed that I do not have lots of things to do this weekend, but facts demonstrated that I was wrong. IMD will never give you free relaxed weekend without nothing to do. So after working on such project till 22:00, I still have lots of thing to do such as preparation of tomorrow's Finance and International Political Economy reading staff. If I can find more time before 1 o'clock in the morning, I will also prepare some paper work for Economics project....

Oh, time to home and time to dinner now.

Finished ICA, quiz, but still a long way to trek

2009-02-14T00:35:00.003+08:00

Another interesting week past, as usual, lots of new stuffs will come. Next week's international politics is very expecting, because I heard from last promostion that Jean Pierre is a acquainted prof and you can learn a lot from him. I hope I have more learning from him. Even absolutly I had leant a lot in leadership and leading people class, but that is not enough. Sometimes, I realized that my thinking is changing, actually I have already accepted lots of new ideas when I observed such a group of excellent peers. Wish all this learning could continue....

Currently most of our classmates focus more on startup projects and Economic projects, and we were seperated into different subgroups, so most difficult thing is that how to allocate time and coordinate different projects. But I still believe that most of students are playing well among those different roles, even it is quite hard for me and other Asia students as we still have language obstacle. Personally, I donot know whether IMD has realized such problem, but I think it is evident for me. If IMD can provide some communication lession for those who still have poor communication skills in the program, it will be great.

Finally got the chance to breath

2009-02-11T04:18:00.003+08:00

Last week was terribly organized because too much homework to do: ICA project, leadership paper and leading people paper, plus 3 days meeting on responsible leadership submit. So I had no spare time to write down something, fortunatly, today our group finished ICA(Industry Competitiveness analysis) and presented it before classmate, even it was not well prepared, but I feel a little release.

Look back 3 days IMD responsible leaderhisp submit, it was a good chance to share, to learn and to network as most of participants came from all over the world. As IMD for longterm is a leading responsible leadership organization, it was reasonable that IMD call together leaders worldwide to rebuild trust on responsible leadership to pass current crisis. It was very interesting that I met Fan Gang(樊冈) who is a famous Chinese economist, he was invited as a guest to discuss Sino-US relationship and the leadership shifting from USA and Europe to emerging countries such as China and India. Even his speech was a little defensive, but he told with facts and I like his answers.

After leadership summit, we backed to reality to learn the practical skills which are necessary for future responsible leaders: Economics, Accounting, POMs, Marketings.... What a week! Jusk as the African proverb says: “Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better start running”. This is IMD life.

上帝保佑爸爸（God bless you, my dear father）

2009-02-08T23:24:00.002+08:00

Today, I got bad news from my wife that my father-in-law is in a very critical situation today. I can not help crying because I felt guilty as I left all life burden on my wife's shoulders, she is pregnant since 7 months and she has to earn life for our family as I do not make money anymore. Plus her father who is a brave men is in bad health condition since years. My father-in-las had fought with cancer since 6 and half years, he never gives up and he promised that he will wait me till summer break: he wants to see me again; he wants to see his grandson; he wants to see our family becomes better and better... He still has lots of things to do with us. But today, he is lying on the bed without seeing his beloved daughter and I around him.

Sometimes I feel life is so cruel and it forces your heart to become ruthless because you do not know what will happen tomorrow. In extreme situation, you can not take care of so lots of things, so you choose and then you regret what you choose because what you choosed never be perfect. I choosed IMD, and now, even my father-in-law is suffering on bed and probably can not bear anymore, I can not be around him and accompany him at the last period of his life.... I hope my father-in-law can forgive me...

God bless you, my father, I love you and I wish you will not give up because we have a promise that you will wait me till end of June...

sucess engineering

2009-02-07T03:31:00.000+08:00

In order to feel successful you need three things: a nice home, a nice car and enough money in the bank to not have to worry about money any more. All these things are physical and there are plenty of them in the World. But they aren't in your world - or more precisely, your version of the World. Conventional thinking from all the World's great motivational experts places the emphasis on changing yourself in order to achieve these things.But what if this is wrong? What would happen if, instead of trying to change yourself, you suddenly realized you can actually change the world itself - reprogram the universe - to suit you?Crazy? No. This is beyond crazy. This is Success Engineering.
And it works."

Engineering success

2009-02-07T03:26:00.000+08:00

You've been told the only way to achieve success, is to believe in yourself.
You've been told by the world's greatest experts that goal-setting is the only way to go; the only way to change your life.
But YOU know, deep down, it doesn't really work. That's because you've read everything, tried everything, and it either DOESN'T work or at best, only partially works.
Why not - if it's supposed to be the way...?
Because it's wrong!"
The ONE book you NEED to succeed took 20 years to complete...
14½ years to research & develop ...
Six months to write ...
and five years to pluck up the courage to publish it..
Luck isn't chance -
Luck is engineered

Testo-- Colgate Case learning

2009-01-31T02:31:00.002+08:00

Today, our group did a nice presentation of marketing plan for Colgate case. As normal, I just tried to catch what our group were discussing, then we moved to next point, it was painful for me to follow, but it is good to learn. After our group work Slava (Russia) did a nice job to present it, he showed his confidence and intelligence during the presentation. Hereafter, I list what I learned today:

(1) The marketing plan is the central instrument for directing and coordinating the marketing effort. It operates at two levels: the strategic marketing plan and the tactical marketing plan.

(2) How to segment market: Geography; Demography; Psychographiy; behavioral;benefit.

(3) Comparaison of targeted marketing tactic with broad focused marketing tactic.

(4) What should be analyzed in marketing plan: Position; brand; price; product line; promotinal mix; advertising; distribution...etc

Learning and enjoying

2009-01-31T02:07:00.001+08:00

Learning experience at IMD is painful but it is a valuable step toward making yourself more confident and marketable. Throgh challenging youself and others, you challenge your maximum limits in every aspect such as: psychology, pressure, tolerance, and share. In such a way, you can learn how to be a more effective manager, together with other classes which develop your analytical skills, IMD offers the best chance to learn. But, to me, a non-english speaker who never use english all the day, it is really a big challenge. Sometimes, I want to share with my classmate my experiences, but I was too timide and introvert to speak it out. I found it is the main obstacle to impede me to learn. Realizing that, I tried to communicate my ideas with my group memebrs in the last week, and I realized that I am making progress everyday. So I began enjoying learning and depressuring myself, and I felt better and better. You see, the class diversity is an integral part of the my learning experience at IMD.

Beautiful lake

2009-01-31T01:42:00.005+08:00

One month has already past since I join IMD. Spending most of time on studying, I had never been out to enjoy the beautiful nature around the campus. Last sunday, as usual, I came to IMD to prepare my leadership paper. But I had no intention to work on it as the weather was so nice, so I had a small visit along the lake and took few photos, when I came back to school, I sent those photos to my niece. You know what? she told me those photos were not true, becaus the natural sciences were too beautiful....

Haha, do you also want to enjoy the beautiful nature? if so, come to IMD. You can learn more than just enjoying the nature because IMD will also shape your thinking to enjoy....

IMD 3周记

2009-01-25T00:07:00.002+08:00

IMD生活已经过去3周,期间虽偶有休闲,但总是感觉自己每天在忙于各种课程。不断有新课程的压力,加上对NANCY妈妈一个人在上海独自生活的挂念,让我无法集中经历去真正的学习自己需要的东西。不知道这样的态度是不是会影响我接下来的课程，希望自己能够很快调整自己，尽力去平衡然后去做好每一件事情吧。

回头看看过去3周，总体感觉IMD的课程设置还是非常实用的。ICA的课程让我一方面更系统的了解我过去曾经工作过的公司，同时也觉得consulting 不再那么神秘；Entrepreneuship 又一次激发了我创业得热情，过去曾经有那么好的机会，只是让它擦肩而过，以至于对自己曾经辛苦创下小公司不管不问。至今虽然不是很明白leadership相关的课程，但是应用于自己带领团队的那段日子，已经认识到自己犯下不少愚蠢的错误；POM和Marketing的课程同样让我充满期待，希望从中能够得到更多的INSPIRATION。

总之，虽然自我认识和学习的过程很辛苦，但是欣慰的是IMD 3 周的学习已经让我认识到自己的不足了。

If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him, an investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.

Responsible leader: What do we learn from SANLU scandal

2009-01-23T00:14:00.002+08:00

Today, China sentenced two men to death and imposed life in prison on Sanlu's former head in the tainted-milk scandal. I did not shocked when I heard this scandal and this sentence, because there was a journalist has already reported this scandal before the national rage on such scandal, but this report did not catch media's attention. As the accident caught all Chinese people's eyes, government has to take serious actions on it, but how many problems have been exposured? How many such similar cases exist in China?

I can not imagine, how could State Drug and Food Admistration offer SANLU "high quality certificate" ? How many children have been hurt. In a responsible and healthy society, food safety is the most important thing. To establish a harmonious society as Central Government sloganized, everybody has his responsibilities. Unfortunately, SANLU, as the biggest milk powder supplier in China, did not show any responsible leadership in its industry, instead, its negative influence nearly wreck the whole Chinese milk industry. This time, Chinese government knew the its system fault and showed its determination to eradicate those illegal business, and this kind of enterprise should be completely closed and bankrupted, enterprise leadership treating the ordinary people’s lives like a trivial matter should be taken out and shot immdiately. But I still doubt whether Chinese government's determination will go further.

All Chinese care about this scandal, we all wish that Chinese government takes each similar case serious, particularly for those cases link with people's life because the death and illness people in anywhere is an event that tugs at the heart strings of any caring person. I wish this accident can arose Chinese government's attention on the overall food industry. How will it acts? All Chinese are looking for the actions go further to regain its people's trust, and I wish all Chinese can applaud for government's actions later.

ICA project in textile machinery industry

2009-01-22T23:56:00.004+08:00

Struggled with 2 half-days, I finally finished my first individual project for Industrial Competition Analysis(ICA). I hope I will not dispoint Ralf Boscheck(IMD professor) too much because I have already tried best to understand his assignment. As Ralf said, the more you dig into the analysis, the more you find undertand your business. It is true, as a project line manager before IMD, I never tried my best to understand what are our Key Successful Factors(KSF) in our business. Main reson is that I haven't such tools (5 forces, Chicago Model) in my knowledge. What a pity.

Today, with a beautiful flower, Ralf explained how to analze market enviroment, BPC, KSF and benchmarking and transfer those information into organization internal and external strategic actions, and what will technology, public policy and economy influence those stragies.

With a better understanding of ICA, we will further improve our individual project then meet with my group to further analyze the common KSFs from all industry next week. What will happen? What I can learn more? I am expecting it....

Work experience and and study IMD MBA

2009-01-22T20:22:00.003+08:00

Chinese economy overtook Germanys in 2007 to become the third-largest. Japan may be next to be leapfrogged, if China can sort out its relationship with the US. Everybody talls to move production to China, and I had ever such person who helps European company to transfer production to China. But, at IMD MBA class, this experience does not help me at all, because I concentrated too much on Operations and project management. So what? I suffered a lot during the class of leadership and accounting. In one side, I still can not master English quite well, the other side, I never developed my soft skills such as managment skills in the past.

After few classes at IMD, I do undertand the importance of managment skills: It is not simply to led the team to reach the target, it includes lots of things inside such as: How to lead them? How to motivate them? How to change their attitude, their values?etc. Jack and Martha elaborated those skills in a lifelike way. Though I can not follow them because there are lots of psychological understanding inside, I did enjoyed their classes. In fact, if it were not for the people, job could be easy. A good manager and leader should use not only his technical knowledge to train his team but also his understanding of people and social system to explain, predict and influence his team.

I am still far away from that, but I hope I could do it better when I walk out of IMD's class, because I have 90 calssmates with more than 600 years' experiences to share with me how to do it better.

Feedback from group members

2009-01-17T18:58:00.005+08:00

To continue to explore and deepen our undestanding of the exercise of autority, leadership behaviour and team dynamics. After one day outdoor activity, each study group was asked to identify some Key Behavioural Learning and a picture metaphor.

In this session,Richard in our group is a genious in cartoon design (see picture for our group metaphor) because he designed a cartoon image for each of us, what a creativity he has. But the feedback session is not fun at all, I would like to say: it is painful. Everybody stay in the middle of a circle, your study group give comments on your good behaviours and bad behaviours to make you realize yourself better. But it helps a lot to learn and to improve the leadership behaviours. Surely, I also got lots of feedbacks from my group, to help and supervise myself to learn and improve, I would like to open and share it, because I believe that nobody is perfect and acknoledging your shortcomings helps you.

In general, I got feedbacks from my 6 team member.They really put lots of energy inside to identify those helpful and unhelpful behaviours to me and to our group. I overview all of them and put them into single words: Good behaviours are: Commitment; good follower; strong; brave; unselfish; openness; acknoledge difficulty and express it; Sincere and perseverance. Bad behaviours are: Put myself aside; ignore importance of understanding; low selfconfidence; irrelevance; absense of responsibility; no energy; depressing attitude;defensive; and lack initiative.

I do know whether I was behaviouring normally during the second week at IMD, but the life will continue and the study will also. What kinds of comments from others will eventually help you improve your behaviours. "Try your best to improve and never give it up, donot forget to be yourself" That is my attitude.

Overview of second complete week at IMD

2009-01-17T18:25:00.003+08:00

I'd ever heard how intensive the IMD education is, but I never imagined it is so challenging and demanding. Most of participants studied at least 15h per day, imagine for those who still have language difficulty, they are struggling everyday for the classes and assignments. But a busier life means more harvest, I believe that most of participants have already learned lots of things and got some useful tools in this week. e.g: Ralf's Industrial Consulting Analysis business model; Gordon's SCQA managment writing model; and Benoit's entreprenuership analysis methode etc... That is not all, in my opinion, what touched me most is Jack's leadership: Even most of students have already heard this word many times, but nobody can really know how to develop the leadership skills, after few days with Jack, consultant, outdoor activities, and group evaluation, I learned more than I expected. I do believe this kind of leadership trainning can help me to improve some behaviors and understood how to control some factors in the future.

IMD is not only dynamic in education and group study, but also its students' creativities are unbelievably great. This have been proved by group names. for example: the study group name Testo when I am in is so creative that it even atonished me. Surely, our life is more than study and learning at IMD, but we found a good methode to relax: after a stressful week,a cup of beer at White Horse bar, what do you think??

Do you get the formula at IMD: Class+Beer= Knowledge

Do you feel tired?

2009-01-11T02:01:00.005+08:00

Even first week at IMD challenged me a lot, I still enjoy such experiences. Normally went to bed and got up at the same day( from 1 o'clock to 7 o'clock for sleep), I passed 3 continuous tired days. First, my head refused to work any more, I can not think with clear head; then my eyes did the same thing, my right eye jumped everyday; and finally the whole body felt completely tired.

What happened?

In fact, nothing special.

Did I give myself too much pressure?

No. I did not.

So what is the problem?

Ralf (German, Professor of Economics) is correct, the managers are too lazy to work.

Do you have a similar situation as I have, my IMD classmates? If yes, the follow words may inspire you:

C'est normal, parce que IMD vous demande trop pour vos succes!

Feeling myself, feeling the students and feeling the professors

2009-01-10T23:12:00.004+08:00

Time past quickly, the first week at IMD just finished before I really found myself. Full of tension and pressure, I experienced the first studying-case in my life; sensed the versaltility and deversity of my classmates; and felt the humor of IMD faculty.

It seems that I did everything rushly this week, even I tried to manage my time as well as possible so that I can prepare the class, I still could not follow the IMD tack time because of my FUCK poor english. So, guess what? I felt terrible during group discussion because I was not used to do everything in English, and my self-confidence was totally razed on the ground. I even asked myself: Why do I need IMD MBA? Without such diploma, I still have a comfortable life in China? But I soon realized my life goal and mission, I must challenge myself to do thing better, if I knew everything and I were profect in every aspect, I am not a human being but a superman. Fortunately, the second day, I went out of such feeling under the help of my study group. Thanks guys.

In fact, study group is a very important organized group to facilitate our learning at IMD. In dynamic group composed of totally different nationalities, we learnt each other quickly, it is a true "real world, real learning" experience. For example, my group composed of Richard(UK); Slava(Russia); Dennis(Brazil); Prashan(India); Benoit(Frence) and Simon(Switzerland), and we have totally different backgrounds and work experience. In such a group, you learn and self-retrospect at any time. They are so strong and intelligent, I soon realized that I can not follow their discussion sometimes, so I need urgently to improve my English to become a true international manager. Moreover, it seems that my team members realized that I had such limit and they began to encourage me and help me. They also gave me lots of good advices and suggestions on how to act as a team player: DO NOT DEFEND TOO MUCH (a good lesson to me). Merci.

Look back the courses, from Wednesday evening's Unilever food case, in which I played Diego's role, to leadership stream, then to Economics. I have already learnt lots of things that I can not get somewhere else. Kees van personally stood in our class to explain the case that we studied yesterday and shared his personal story with us, through this story I strongly felt how leaders managed challenges; Jack used a unique method to ask us to realize your personal behaviors, in such a way, I realized what a bad team-player I am, and I also got lots of useful feedback from my team members; Ralf tought us an interesting lession with German humors, he astonished me very much by his deep economic knowledge. Probably, as I never challenged myself so much in the past, or I did not really meet big challenges in my past study, it is quite normal that I do not feel quite comfortable at the begining. So I should quickly change myself to adapt to such situation, and I firmly believe that I could get out of IMD "be stronger".

Second day@ IMD

2009-01-07T14:38:00.001+08:00

My second day at IMD seems under control. Even I went to bed at 1 o’clock and got up at 5 o’clock, I felt be full of energy all the day. As yesterday, the morning began from info session, which focused on IMD information center introduction and IMD alumni committee presentation. I was quite astonished that IMD information center is so powerful that you almost can find whatever you need. Besides IMD Information center team is so amazing and hospitable, they held a cocktail at 5 pm for 2009 MBA, which was a good chance for us to chat with each other a bit. So I used such chance to discuss with some of my schoolmates, and I found that all participants are very exceptional (I will detail the story later) and I could get a lot from them during the year.

Today, IMD alumni committee also made a presentation concerning its working system, mission and vision etc. In fact, it only spreads loans to those who need financial aid but also makes all us be proud of its membership in the future, because we, IMD MBA, act as a big family and we help each other. After that introduction, IMD marketing also announced the scholarship winners, and I shared this honor with other winners who all are great guys to me.

Thanks to the free time in the afternoon, I could make up the lost time to write PPIN, which should be finished before coming to IMD but I just began to prepare from yesterday. I heard that a person’s potential can be woke up under pressure, that is true, because I finished my PPIN version1.0 at 10 pm.

Too hungry now, it is time to rush home to have diner. After diner, I planed to prepare Thursday’s presentation materials, then have a look at reading documents. I wish that I can go to sleep today instead of 1 o’clock tomorrow.

Bon courage!!

First day at IMD

2009-01-06T15:35:00.001+08:00

The first day of IMD is unbelievably busy, still suffer from time difference and get up at 3 o’clock in the morning, I arrived at IMD before 7. As I did not access Internet in the last few days, my first thing is to update my blog and to send messages to my wife and sister. Time passed so quickly, I stayed at the cafeteria during two hours without knowing time. Gradually, the other participants came; we greeted each other, introduced to each other and chatted about where you live, where you come from and what are your experiences etc. At 10 o’clock, the info session began, we were introduced how to apply stay permit, deal with your residence, TV and car tax, insurances etc. Just after info session, I suddenly realized I must go to UBS to take my credit card, it not, I will hungry to death without money. Together with Eric and Sebastian, I went there, unfortunately, I did not take my passport, so I had to back home. Before backing, I passed by IMD and enjoyed first lunch there. It was good, but talking with so lots of new faces, even the food is fabulous, I was not full.

Afternoon, I went to UBS again, where I met lots of amazing IMDers, in which Jodie(American, Chief operating officer) attracted me lot, because she speaks Chinese, and amazingly, she can speak Cantonese!! After waiting nearly 2 hours, I signed lots of papers without looking what was inside. Then I was told that I will receive the card, e-banking, checks etc in one week. My God, how efficient UBS is! I just cannot understand why Europeans always make simple things complicated!! At 4 o’clock, I rushed to IMD to attend IT info session, surprisingly, it was well organized, even I was late but I successfully set my IMD account, emails, outlooks and printers etc.

The day did not finish, to make sure that I did not miss sth during the info session, I chatted with chiachia who told me that MBA 2009 portal has been updated. Oh my God, I login the web and download more than 65 documents that I should finished before January. Crazy, really crazy, how could I finish all those documents? I never doubted my learning ability in the past, even in the most difficult time in 2004 when I tried to get two degrees at the same time. But, today, facing so lots of assignments, I really afraid how I can succeed those terrible days ahead me.

When I finished checking the program schedule and updated my calendar, it was already 20:00. So it is time to rush home, eat few pieces of bread, have a shower and fight for tomorrow. Life is not easy, just because of that, I quitted my comfortable job and came to Lausanne to learn techniques to fight with it.

Always get up at 3 o’clock in the morning

2009-01-06T15:33:00.000+08:00

It seems to me that I still suffer time difference, even I have stayed in Lausanne for two days, and I still get up at midnight and cannot go to sleep anymore. Insomnia is bad, but sufferance of time difference is also annoying because it puts your energy at wrong places at wrong time.

You know, tomorrow will be the orientation day, I should deal with my mobile phone, credit card and stay permit, but that is not enough, I also need time to arrange my insurances. If it is possible, I will also try to find another apartment as my current one is too small and far from IMD. Besides, I must find time to write my PPIN, read some documents and finish some assignments that I should finish 3 months before.

Oh my God, I have so lots of things behind planning. Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow? No, it is no pains no gains. Just get up, stone, when you want to sleep, time passes quickly, and when you regain consciousness, time awaits for you. So, it is time to study now as you cannot be asleep. Let you start every morning at 3 o’clock instead of 7 o’clock. Ok?

IMD visit

2009-01-05T15:46:00.000+08:00

Even since long time, I have known IMD, but it is all about its education and reputation because IMD MBA program is one of the most demanding and intense learning experiences offered today. To obtain the degree, each candidate must demonstrate that he has acquired the knowledge, skills and personal characteristics required for a responsible and effective leadership career. So the first thing after settling down in Lausanne, to me, is to visit IMD campus. Started from where I live, 15 minutes by feet, I easily found where IMD locates. Facing Genève Lake, IMD differentiates itself from other business schools not only by its leadership and strategy education, but also by its beautiful buildings. Nowhere in the world can be better use geographic conditions better than Lausanne, IMD is a good example, with its main building backs on the hill, its “fan shape” building with a big lawn is much better than I could imagine.

In fact, IMD is bigger and more beautiful than I saw on the pictures, with only 90 MBAs all over the world, it has 5 separate buildings. From Muller McKinney center to Nestle building; from Hitachi auditorium to IMD alumni building; from the main building to outside cafeteria, everywhere you find “the real world, the real learning” atmosphere. It is really the ideal place for learning and networking. In the past, I’d ever be proud that I finally realized who I am and what I want to do when I was senior in university, that I succeed highly intensive education at ENSAM, that I did my part of contribution during my work both at CTMGC and Rieter, and that I was accepted by IMD, so, today, I come to Lausanne to demonstrate that I will also be proud of IMD alumnus. As an independent business school, IMD, you are the best of best from facility side, I wish you also provide your followers the superb quality from software side, and I am expecting this ordeal. I know that IMD is helping me uncover the deepest aspects of my personality and provides me with the tools to understand and manage them.

Thanks, IMD

First impression of Lausanne

2009-01-05T15:44:00.001+08:00

At 21:18, Swiss time, after 19 hours’ flight and train, I arrived in Lausanne safely. Tried to find the right way to my apartment, took a big luggage and two bags, I chose one direction (even did know whether it was correct) and began my first travel in Lausanne. After 15 minutes’ walking by feet, I found Lausanne is biggest than I imaged, as I was too hungry, thirsty and tired, without too much hesitation, I called a taxi.
“Sir, I would like to go to Av. Du Mont d’or, No. 71” I asked in French
“But I do not know where is No.71” he answered me in Arabic tone French.
He then went out and asked another driver, and came back shouted at me: “Montez, mon petit”(get on, my son).

Instinctly, I asked him whether it is far, when he told me that just 3 minutes by car, I was a little regrettable because Taxi in Switzerland is a luxury service.

Then, with curiosity, I asked him why he didn’t know “Mont d’or 71” when I told him. He answered me the Switzerland people don’t say “soixant et onze” but “xxxx” (I don’t know why even now, but I guess that 71 is not a luck number or the pronunciation sounds awful).

“Voila, on arrive”, he remaindered me, and I saw the number 71 before one old building. After paying, I wondered where my apartment is, as there are so lots of rooms in this building. Suddenly, I remembered that it should a room semi-underground; I took downstairs and found my name on the door in the darkness.

I was so excited to find my room, and opened the door quickly because I was really tired to death at that moment. When I stepped into the room, I was so shocked by the room: only around 20 square meters, nothing insides except a simple mattress, two chairs and one table.

Oh, my god, this is where I will spend for one year? But, as I had experience to live alone abroad, I quickly adjusted my psychological position, because the parade is only for those who are rich. Probably Lausanne is the ideal city only for the rich, so I should not complaint how difficult life is here, and I do not belong to this city at all.
After eating sth that the former lessee left in refrigerator, it is already 22:00 Swiss time (5 o’clock in Chinese time), I was so tired and slept in few minutes. When I waked up, it was already 7 o’clock in the morning. I need to call my family; I need to find sth to eat; I need to purchase some necessary living stuffs; I need to find where is IMD; where is UBS and where is assurance etc; I need so lots of things to survive in Lausanne. So I got up early and headed for the city center.

Lausanne is a beautiful city, the downtown is old but does not lose any dignity. Even there are lots of shops, supermarkets, and peddlers along the streets, the downtown is very clean and tidy. From Mont d’or to city center, then came back, I spent 3 hours to get first idea of Lausanne. Maybe some consider Lausanne as the symbol of peace because Olympic Headquarter locates here; maybe some of them take Lausanne as a skiing parade because it is at the foot of Alps; probably there are also some think Lausanne as a traveling destination thanks to Lemon Lac (Genève Lake) and lots of museums. But, I admire Lausanne because of its IMD program, and I would like to spend one year to think of my life and plan my future.

Lausanne, I love you, because you make me realize what is the true life.

Second time to zurich

2009-01-05T15:41:00.002+08:00

I remember 3 years ago, that was a summer, when I joined Rieter textile system, I was invited to attend the group’s manufacture meeting, so I had a chance to stop in Zurich. Time passed quickly, the second when I pass Zurich, with a totally different destination and target, Zurich changed a lot. As a business, culture and industrial central, Zurich provides you the best services from all sides. At the airport, take the non-driver train from terminal E to terminal A, I did not hurry up at all even I was used to be crowded at Chinese airports, because, here, everything is organized well and you can really arrange your time without “surprise.” Out of airport, Zurich is surrounded with historical buildings, and it is praised by UN as the most suitable living city in the world.

Zurich, as the biggest city with 1,3 million people in Switzerland. It contributes 40% of Switzerland’s GNP and it is the most well-known Swiss city. Like New York, it welcomes more than 50 nationalities all over the world. Even this, it did not lose its culture, and the st. peter church with it’s the largest clock in Europe is the good example.

As I will fly to Geneva in 1 hours, so “Goodbye Zurich, et Je revienrai”.

To my son: Nancy

2008-12-31T15:02:00.003+08:00

Dear Nancy:

Today is the last day of 2008, and tomorrow will by your first New Year since you joined us. Unfortuately, in two days, I am leaving for Lausanne to search a better life for our family and for all persons around us, so it will be very tough for you and your mother in 2009, and you will be the only man in our small family. I wish you do not make your mother angry, just be happy, be deligent, and be strong without me around you. You know, I will use the only one week summer break to fly back to play with you, what a great time it will be, and I never be so doted by your grandfather.

Nancy, my beloved son, you should know life is not easy and sometimes you feel directionless. You will and have to make decisions among lots of choices, and their is no reason why you take choose this one instead of that one, because lots of things come naturally. Just as your coming, both your mother and I are delirious with it. Samely, at the time of your coming, I will not be around you because I had already made up my minds, you know, there is no perfect in the life, and these small pities make up of the souvenirs of our life.

Nancy, I ask you to grow up healthily in whatever conditions. To be adaptive to our society in the world, you should first know how to stay with others in all kinds of situtation, so your first lesson will be how to stay with your mother. She will supervise you to write down first pages in your life drama, some of them maybe good to you, and certainly some of them probably bad to you, but it doesn't matter, just put as much as possible in your head, you write down, write down and write whatever you experience, we will experience together to check all those scripts, and your father will give you some useful guides.

So, it is clearly now, my nancy. Just experience more and be kind to your mother. Hi, you are a man even you are young, so be cheer up at the time without your father accompany you.

Be strong and happy new year, my son. I love you.

Friendship is priceless

2008-12-31T14:12:00.004+08:00

Friendship, to me, is the supports that you give when others need, it involves mutual knowledge, affection and respect. I met lots of friends in my life, even, sometimes, they donot really take me as friends of theirs. But it does not matter, as they offered me lots of supports to me, and the most important is that they exchange advices and share hardship with me.

In the last three years, I met 6 donkeys(nickname of my friends) in changzhou, they and their family gave me lots of unforgetable happyness. And I also offered lots of trust on them, it is far beyond our personal relationship. At the end of my professional career at ACHA, I also built really good friendship with some colleagues, we shared extremely strong interpersonal ties each other, they really cared about me and my future. Their behaviors and what they did for me touched me a lot, and this friendship is the biggest force to encourage me to realize my dream.

Besides friends I made during life and work, I also keep good relationship with some of my schoolmates, even we had lots of misunderstanding in the past, and we did lots of silly things to each other. But, I take those who support me at the most difficult time in my life as my deepest friendship. From this point of view, they support me, take care of me, listen to me, respect me and vice versa. They probably have no time listen to you, but they truely touched me a lot at my difficult times.. Thanks my friends.

Friendship can not be limited with that, I also met some who even donot know who am I, but they also gave me a hand when I need them. They helped and encouraged me to make great differences, which make me stand out of crowd.

At the end of 2008, I would like to tell my friends: HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND I AM READY TO GIVE YOU MY SUPPORTS AT YOUR NEEDS.

The world is small, we will met.. I LOVE YOU ALL

Serious or not serious

2008-12-30T14:27:00.002+08:00

There is nothing in the world more nuanced than feeling, and it is nearly impossible to differentiate those feelings from different persons, so it involves lots of judgments when you choose friends or when you make some important decisions. I recently experienced lots of choices and I was often in delimme. At the age of, in conficious, "be thoughtful", and it should be the most beautiful period in my life. For the last 30 years, I had a life by collecting knowledge, expriences, fortune, love and honor etc. Anyway, it is a heavy life, I had ever tried to change a little and did some unsual things, but I can not act like that because it is not my true feeling.

As life is a game, it depends on what kind of attitude you would like to take? You are the author of your life, so you decide what you write in your life drama even everybody drives it to the destination. In a word, you should know what are those you truely want and what you shold give up so that your drama is more interesting and fruitful. Take serious attitude to all, you will lose lots of fun; Take unserious attitude, you will lose your credity. In fact, people cheat each other, and they guess their counterparts' feelings then make judgements, so what kind of attitude you take, you can never be perfect. The golden mean is an ideal solution as you balance among acts, and you never make mistake, but, on the other hand, you can also never be perfect!!

Be serious to life, less serious to work, no serious to fun!!

Last day and last wish

2008-12-30T13:58:00.002+08:00

It is really hard to express your real feeling when your last day come. Imagine many times: I said goodbye to my parents; I said goodbye to my wife; I also said so to my friends, classmates, colleagues etc. Yesterday, I also did this to my colleagues. It is not a perfect one as I did not say goodbye to everyone, particularly to some of my real friends. Those friends really gave me lots of supports in my work and private life, we had lots of happiest memory together, but today, I choosed to leave ACHA to further my professional career somewhere else.

For most of my friends in Changzhou, it will the last eye because I, nearly 100%, will not back to this city even I love it very much and there are lots of things can never be left away. Look back last 3 and half years, in my professional life, I can not forgot that, in 2005, when I joined ACHA, I made lots of friends who choosed to leave this company because of failure of FYT business, then I lead Rotor project, which pushed me on managment position. I made grow up my team members; I fought to push localization rate even I faced lots of difficulities, but finally, we survived well. In private, I went fishing with friends; I played tennis with those I do not know well but we really had lots of fun; I travelled around all the Yangze Triangle Area; and I also did some thing that I would only imagine and I made it come into reality.

So, it is the right time to leave, to search for another challenge, and to experience more in life.

Take care and be strong, my friends.

New definition of HR

2008-12-26T09:51:00.003+08:00

HR, namely, Humain Resources, also has been longterm interpreted as "Hao Ren"(good people) to me. But, I recently found that I was so naive that I believe that all those tricks are true. Why did I have such an impression? I puzzled over this question few days, finally, I knew where this idea came from.

One of my friend, who works as HR manager in BP singapour. He is always an idol to me because he is young, successful and intelligent. I learnd lots of useful tips from him and understood what HRs do in their job. Since then, I admire those who work in HR because I believe that they find the right person to do the right things, develop their employees, and make their employees grow up etc. In general, they help you find the right way in your professional career.

But, I also saw some "greatest and smartest" HRers in some companies, on the contrary, what their daily jobs are: design smart system to cut down employees' welfare; "PMP" implimentation(but only to whom they have to do so); grab chances for their friends so that their empire would be stronger; and calculate their "value-added points" to check whether is swelling up so that they don't blast. My admiration to HR is disappering day after day, till one day I decided to find my own difinition of HR.

And I got that:

HR = HACKLE RABBLE

What do you see after handover of Hongkong's sovereignty

2008-12-25T12:46:00.002+08:00

The transformation of Hong Kong from a freewheeling capitalist city to part of the socialist motherland China is an historic moment not only to Chinese but also the rest of world, because it is a signal that British Empire's super power is taking the curtain.

Look back Hong Kong's history, it was born in one of the first wars of globalization. In 1840s, Hong Kong is a small fishing village on a rocky island at the mouth of China's Pearl River. After losing a gun battle with the British, who insisted on enforcing their God-given right to trade Indian-grown opium freely for Chinese tea and silk. The Opium War of 1841, which resulted in the cession of Hongkong by China, grew out of Britain's attempt to use opium to replace the dwindling and increasingly expensive silver that had flowed liberally since the Spainish conquistadoors's occuption of Mexico and South America. Alarmed at the spread of opium addiction among the populace and the dwindling intake of silver bullion to Chinese imperial coffers, China's ruler had tried to stop the British but failed. Hongkong, a rocky 26 square miles outcrop, once used to shelter fishermen and smugglers from storms, was eventually transformed into a glitering metropolis and a critical hub that helped draw East Asia into an ever growing financial and trade network.

Since human beings' desire to live better, to convert others to one's belief, and to learn what lies beyond one's borders have been the prime motives bringing countries and people in contact, peacefully or violently. Men has experienced globalization brought by traders, preachers and adventurers. Finally, empires, work like gene-mixers, not only extent legal systems to encompass a vast part of the earth, but also they spread religion, promoted long distance trading, and built worldwide tranportation and communication networks, widely diffusing languages, flora and fauna, and bringing together knowledge and technology that would otherwise have been confined to separate conerns of the world.

After the empires, the world stood two giants: USA and Soviet Union. The american argue that the only way to save the world from totalitarianism is to adopt america system. Even today, after Soviet's collapse, this thesis stil stands. The United States, a central hub of the world economy, a far-flung military presence with more than seven hundred military installtions worlwide and an immense political cultural influence, has come to acquire the atributes of an empire. The USA power, by promoting democracy and human rights, of securing global peace and ensuring freedom of the seas and skies, girds the globalized world, is abusing its influence to unite all human being. Just as nearly a thousand years earlier, the empire founded by Prophet Muhammad, who built its kingdom by God's name, today's USA is conquering the world in the name of Mcdonald, Wal-Mart, Starbuck etc...

SCM, technology and Wal-Mart

2008-12-25T10:06:00.004+08:00

In this world, competition is coming from all over the globe and is more intense than ever, and consumer demand is more volatile and informed than ever, with fads moving in and out around the globe like lightening bolts. A smart and fast global supply chain is becoming one of the most important ways for a company to distinguish itself from its competitors.

Wal-Mart became the biggest retailer in the world because it drove to a hard bargain with everyone it came in contact with.But make no mistake about one thing: Wal-Mart also became number one because this little hick company from northwest Arkansa was smarter and faster about adopting new technology than any of its competitors. Wal-Mart was just getting started in 1960s, it wanted to be a discounter. But in those days, every five and dime got its goods from the same wholesalers, so there was no way to get an edge on other competitors. The only way Wal-Mart could see to get an edge was for it to buy its goods in volume directly from the manufacturers. As it was efficient for manufacturers to ship to multiple Wal-Mart stores spread all over, so Wal-Mart set up distribution centers.

Once it established that basic method of buying directly from manufacturers to get the deepest discounts possible, Wal-Mart focused relentlessly on 3 things: cost cutdown; supply chain managment improvment and building up information system. Because Wal-Mart quickly realized that if it could save moeny by buying directly from the manufacturers, by constantly innovating to cut the cost of SCM , and by keeping its inventories low by learning more about its customers, it could beat its competitors on price every time.

The more that supply chain grew, the more Wal-Mart understood that the scale and efficiency were the keys to their whole business. So Wal-Mart realized that while it had to be a tough bargainer with its manufacturers on price, at the same time the two had to collaborate to creat value for each other horizontally if it was going to keep driving down costs. To establish business model, it introduced radio frequecy identification microchips(RFID), which allows Wal-Mart to track any pallet or box at each stage in tis supply chain and know exactly what product from which manufacurer is inside, with what expiration date.

But, on the other side, Wal-Mart's hi-tech not unamimously supported, its SCM reaches a degree of ruthlessness. In one hand, it helps eople save money and improve their lives, on the other sied, it pursues cost cutting and profet margins to such a degree that whatever social benefits it is offering with one hand, it is taking away with the other. It has so much leverage that it can grind down any supplier to the last halfpenny. And it is not at all hesitant about useing its ability to play its foreign and domestic suppliers off against one another.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-25T09:43:00.003+08:00

China is growing and opening with surprising speed, these changes are manifested not only in economy but also in social life. Take Western holidays as example, there are more and more Chinese would like to take granted that Christmas, Halloween, and April Fool’s day are fetes. On the contrary, some traditional Chinese holidays, such as mid-autumn festival and dragon boat festival, were put aside by most Chinese, particularly in the young group in big cities.

Today, Christmas Eve, is celebrated everywhere in umpteen cities in China. When you go out whether to restaurants or to shops, you find youngsters with Christmas hats to greet you “Merry Christmas”. Their passion and interests do not surprise me at all, because I usually do the same celebration together with friends. At the beginning of the week, I got invitation to celebrate this festival together with my good friends, even it is a mid-week evening, and every invitee shows up on time in the restaurant where we booked places one week before. As usual, first we greet each other with beers, and after diner we go to Kala Ok. I was very happy to spend time together with them even I never sing as I lost my music sense since I was little. Fu and Wang are super-stars, at least stars in my heart; they sing well, perform well, and give me lots of edification, even I am not good at sing, I enjoy their voice quite much. Besides music, we also have lots funs with Wu, because he is a story-teller as well as a news-maker. What a great time we spend together with music, free discussion and, most importantly, the beers.

Thank you, my good friends. I really appreciate the happy time that we spent together. It is you who integrated me in the city and it is you who are always around me when I have troubles. Thanks specially to my sister in-law, you prepared sth that my wife and I still did not prepare for Nancy. I love you all my dear friends.

Joyeux Noel et bonne annee 2009!

IMD head argues case for knowledge transfer

2008-12-24T11:40:00.002+08:00

The outgoing president of the prestigious IMD business school says the transfer of knowledge should be a priority for business leaders, educators and politicians. Peter Lorange, who retires from the Lausanne-based school at the end of the month after 15 years in the post, told swissinfo that some Swiss universities were not moving fast enough in communicating with business.

"In practice it's been very much academia in its ivory tower and there's no knowledge transfer... but that's certainly not the way we work here at IMD." By knowledge transfer, Lorange means the flow of information and ideas that are exchanged between universities and the business world. He also cites two-way respect, two-way listening and two-way open mindedness.

Lorange, who is Norwegian, offers a simple equation – he says it's not "rocket science" – for leaders to bear in mind. He argues that a country in which knowledge transfer is highly developed scores higher in overall competitiveness rankings. Lorange says it's not a formula that works in all cases but for smaller countries with a population of under 20 million, including Switzerland, it generally holds true.

"These smaller countries have the benefit of being more flexible in terms of transferring knowledge into society than larger nations with big populations." He names Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland as examples of how knowledge transfer between companies and universities is an important part of overall competitiveness.

Lorange says research and development plays a critical role in knowledge transfer but what are equally as important as the content and ideas of R & D are the speed and efficiency in which they are spread and shared with society. As for R & D in Switzerland, Lorange does not mince his words.
"We are doing very well but we are skewed. If you take the Swiss academic scene, you have the top of the top at the two federal institutes of technology in Zurich and Lausanne, and at the IMD.

"But frankly many of the normal universities in Switzerland are not really in there. They are way behind." Lorange advocates minimising organisational structures, trying to be more open, and says academicians should be "network driven" as opposed to "silo driven".

Two-way street :He says IMD is very dependent on knowledge transfer, which is a two-way street. He also points out that universities that are excelling have less focus on academic departments, titles and hierarchy.
"What's really important is that we get the latest of what business is thinking and they get the latest of what we are doing based on our research and that we then have a dialogue on that. "Knowledge transfer means inspiration, it means excitement, it means thinking," he said.
Lorange's message is that if academia is going to be good, it must be based on research that is interesting to business. That research has to be brought quickly into the classroom with the best of business people for dialogue. "That creates positive tension, positive thinking and great insights," he said.

Lorange is to be succeeded by John Wells, who is a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School.

Nancy, be careful, do not hurt your mother

2008-12-24T11:21:00.002+08:00

Since few weeks, I got complaints that my son, nancy, wakes up my wife as early as 5 o'clock in the morning. As his mother indulges and dotes on him, he never stops bothering her. So what can I do? Child education is a big big chapter in every family, if it works, you have no or less trouble, if it does not, you are really in mire. I rember that Eric Bern said, if the babies have tratorous acts, you should correct them, because they are using their knowledge to verify whether it is true in reality world. HAHA. so I should give him injunctions that he is hurting his mama, he will undertand what I mean and stop those bad behaviors.

Nancy, it is clear to you? you are doing wrong, and you MUST correct it. OK? I will check with your mother one week later, in case that you are still wayward, be care with your ass....

Congratulation, shalom

2008-12-24T10:06:00.002+08:00

Shalom is my good friend even we never saw each other. I know him since I was looking for an appartment when I was enrolled by IMD. He explained lots of things that I do know at IMD and addressed some tips that could be useful during job hunting. Facing current global demands depression, all MBA students were heavyly cumbered with re-adjustment of job huntering strategy. Many MBA students use this degress as drawboard to jump from industries to investing banks, consulting or Private Equity etc. Unfortunately, the sudden global depression breaks their dreams and also gives me an alarm. Now Shalom's personal experience also asks me to be mentally prepared to accept the reality. But, as I am in industrial sector and the financial meltdown maybe be not severe enough to break down world's all industries, I insiste that it is only a reshuffle process. Without loans from banks, we can also pass the difficult time, and it will make stong peoper to be stronger and good industries to be better.

Are you really ready? the future global leaders.

Mediocrity = Lazy ?

2008-12-23T14:43:00.003+08:00

People settle mediocrity for one reason: they are lazy. People go under sth, they do not want to go one step further, they know: it could not be great, it might be good, it might be not ok; they settle mediocrity because they are lazy.

When you are lazy, you do not want to express your ideas; you do not want to contribute to your team; you do not to teach and make grow up others; and finally, we will not reach success in your work and the same in your life. I'd ever used this thoery to judge myself and people around me, and I found those who are mediocrity in life are those who do not want to change, namely, they are lazy.

But, if you ask me what are differences between lazy and diligence, I will tell you, if you read this page and you do not give coments, it means you are lazy!! Just kidding

Are you crack?

2008-12-23T13:39:00.003+08:00

Did you ever feel so tired and try to find a warm gulf to sleep? Yes, I did. It is not because I am tired with difficulties, it is that I can not bear some stupid decisions, and you know what: you have to implement those wrong sths, this push me into crazy.

But recently,take one step back, I found that "to listen is more difficult than to speak; and to make a decision is more difficult than to implement it". Even I know it wrong, I really learnt a lot when managers are discussing, so it always useful to be ready to listen what others say, but it does not mean that you have to do as they said. If you do lots of talkage, you can not learn a lot.

I need to learn from different people different attitudes to the same thing, that is also why I decided to choose IMD MBA as my target to learn and to judge from different perspectives. As Martin Ruther said: "Even though the earth should see its end tomorrow, I will plant an apple tree". Just take care and try to be strong, that is the way to success. A leader needs judgements and views in a outstanding way.

Supply chain management and ACHA managers

2008-12-23T13:30:00.003+08:00

With today's technology it is difficult to keep intellectual property secret and thus easy to reverse-engineer any product and make stuff in a matter of days. However, building a process that delivers stuff across the globe-involving dozens of suppliers, distributors, port operators, customs brokers, forwarders, and carriers in a finely tuned chain operating in concet - is not only difficult, it is very very hard to duplicate.

When the world is flat, your company both can and must take advantage of the best producers at the lowest prices anywhere they can be found. If you don't, your competitors will. So global supply chains-that draw parts and products from every coner of the world - have become essential for both retailers and manufactuers. That is the good news. The bad news, is that making these chains work is much harder than it looks and requires constant innovation and constant adjustment. There are two basic challenges in developing a global suppy chain in a flat world, one is global optimization, which means the total cost of delivering all your parts on time from all four corners of the globe to your factories has to be low, and certainly lower than those of your competitors. The second major challenge is coordinating disruption-prone supply with hard-to predict demand. That is, you don't want to buy too many of one part, or one sweater - because then you will have to discount them when they pile up on the shelves of your factory or store. But you don't want to buy too few of that part or those sweaters, either, because customers might not find what they want when they go shopping, and you may lose not only a sale that day but a customer for life.

Use these two challenges faced in current global supply chain management, I checked a very simple ACHA small supply chain: In the past two years, only pursue "cheap purchase" without emphasizing other aspects such as logistic cost and production cost nearly killed us. More than this, without establishing prediction model (or use the easiest linear model), ACHA smarter managers purchased parts that we could use for 2 years for my project, probably till the end of product life.

Hummm!!!! 呜呼，唉哉，我我话可说！！只能用汉语才能表达我的愤怒！！！

La vie est belle--Review the movie

2008-12-22T11:10:00.002+08:00

Did you ever do sth crazy, either in life or in your work, for important decisions? How did you spend the past and what will you do in future life? And in which attitude do you see life?

The film "la vie est belle" tells us a different story, Guido spent his life always in a optimistic view, he loved, amused, suffered and finally died before his so-called "game" over. On the contrary, till the end, Jorhua thinks all those sufferances that his father experienced is only a game to get 1000 points so that they can win a real tank. He reuined his mother without Guido who was killed 1 day before the victory.

We do not comments on the story, but I realized, from the deep of my thought, the life is a game, whatever you experence is only in which do you feel. Whether hard work is a heavy thing? No, because you want to win the game, to earn a better life, to be praised, or be confident etc. Whether sufferance is painful? No, because no pains no gains. Life is a drama, you are the author, you make decisions everyday to write down what you will play, as a leading actor in your life, you are the master, so what do you give other cameos is totally up to you. To think, to act, to experience, and the last chapter is, to summarize before you close your eyes, this is my attitude in my life. Jump up and master your life, finally, you will find "Life is beautiful". What is your attitude?

Are you ready to pass financial difficult year?

2008-12-19T14:06:00.002+08:00

Economic resession hits every industry and everyhere, maybe first you heard financial crisis then you got readjusted name- economic system crisis, I bet, now, you must know that it is, in fact, a worldwide economic ression.

Outsourcing in India and offshoring in China?

2008-12-18T08:35:00.000+08:00

India is looking as the luckiest country even it has its ups and downs till its independence on August 15, 1947. Because India benefited a lot from the American fiber-optic companies bubble burst. Thanks to its large slice of well-educated engineers, lots of American companies, such as GM and TI, have some of their backroom work to be done in India. American companies needed those India engineers not just because there are a lot of them, but precisely because they were low-cost. So the relationship between India and the American business community intensified. With its one billion plus population, and more and more educated engineers who would work for foreign companies with low salary, India will benefit further.

Different from India model, China benefits offshoring(move produce from one place to another one) since 2001 when China joined the WTO and China agreed to follow the same global rules governing imports, exports and foreign investments that most countries in the world were following. Because China can amass so many low-wage workers at the unskilled, semiskilled, and skilled level, because it has such a voracious appetite for factory, equipment, and knowledge jobs to keep its people employed, and because it has such a massive and burgeoning consumer market, it has become an unparalleled zone for offshoring.

Fortune favors those prepared minds

Jean-louis Robert called me

2008-12-18T08:29:00.000+08:00

There is a famous saying in China: all things likes to come together. Believe it or not, it is always the truth.

Yesterday, I would like to spend more time with my mother before I go abroad, but I have to spend lots of time to reserve plane ticket for her. When everything is finished, I found I have less time to chat with my mother, so I decided to leave for railway station later and just arranged 1 hour before my train leaves. But, I forgot that, from 17 pm to 19 pm, every city has the same problem: Traffic jams. Usually, it takes 30 minutes from my sister’s apartment to railway station, but at that rush hour, it takes 50 minutes. 10 minutes to pass electronic inspection, to find the waiting room, to go to the right quay, to get onto the train, and to find your seat is absolutely impossible at Zhengzhou station because it is always crowed with people. At such an embarrassing situation, sb called me when I was hurry up running to my wagon. I refused this number definitely as it is unknown number and I had no time to answer the phone. After settling down on the train, I called the number back without who will answer it. What surprised me most is, it is Jean-louis, my schoolmate, mentor and former GM, who called me just now. Unbelievable, he still remembers me and contacts with me as soon as he backs to China. What a great honor it is! we’d ever worked for FT project, which finally failed because of management decision, then he left our company and worked in Shanghai two years ago. Now, he backs to China and works for Joint-venture French company.

As the signal is very bad on the train, we can not hear each other quite well, I promised that I will call him as soon as I back home. Anyway, it is great to hear from him again and I look him as my mentor and good friend who teaches a lot.

See you on Thursday, Jean-Louis, my good friend.

MaMa, I love you.

2008-12-16T15:03:00.003+08:00

Time is always pressing, you can never find that you have enough time to finish sth perfect, so can’t I. As I would like to spend every weekend with my wife and my future son who will separate with me for more than 6 months, last Monday and Tuesday, I used my annual leave to visit my mother and sisters before I head for Lausanne. Because they live in Zhengzhou, a city 800km from Changzhou where I live with my wife, I have to spend two nights on train to save day time to spend with them.

To me, my mother is the greatest mother in the world, she never discouraged us for education and she always found solutions such as raise cattle to finance our studies. She told us, if you are smart, educated, the only way that you could fulfill your potential is by leaving rural area, and doing sth in cities, that is why one of my sister and I can stand out of crowd and get rid of poor rural life. Now, she is 73, and it is time for us to pay back for her 50 years’sacrifices. Unfortunately, I have to go to Switzerland to finish my MBA program when I am still young and capable of taking this risky education (it is a big investment). My mother is worrying about my financial status, about my future career plan, about my ambitious target, and particularly about my pregnant wife who has to give birth to my future son without me around her. My sister, who is an associate professor in Henan Educational Institute, will also go to Charleston for one year’s scholar visit. This frustrated my mother more, to assure my mother that we can handle the situation and back home as soon as we finished, I invited other two sisters to persuade her to understand the young and to laisser-faire, finally, my mother began to uncharged her psychological burden. But when I hugged her before leaving, from her eyes, I judged that she still doubts what I told her and would not let me go abroad at this age.

As I had already made my decision, to live a better life and to survive with respects, I will never stop fighting for my family as described by an African proverb:

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning a lions wakes up
It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death
It does not matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle
When the sun comes up, you’d better start running
YOU CAN NEVER STOP

Barbeque avec mes amies

2008-12-15T12:17:00.005+08:00

Sunday, December 14,2008

There are lots of ways to organize farewell party: my company used management meeting diner to announce officially my leaving; my friends invited me to go to the bar to send me off; my parents parted from me by giving lots of suggestions; and my Rotor team organized an unforgetable barbecue for me and Rotor project buyer(who will also leave ACHA to pursue further career development).

The barbecue was held at YanChen park, where the old Chunqiu(dynasty 700 BC) capital was found. Even I'd ever visited this beautiful park twice, once with my parents, another with my Usti collegues, I still feel quite fresh because I like barbeque, as a matter of course together with friends. When I arrived, most of work has already been done by early-arrivers. After saying hello to them, I can not help enjoying those delicious food roasted by our specialist Liu YuFei, who is only 10 years old. Like me, she enjoys barbeque and always be willing to prepare food for us, so, thanks to her mother, our Rotor quality supervisor, for taking her with us. As roasting is the last step of preparation, girls were always busy with clustering beef and fishes, instead, men enjoyed a lots of drinking which Ma brought from his uncle. For men, nothing is not more interesting than boasting while drinking, I enjoyed a lot together with them.

Cramed ourselves, we played basketball, then we took some photos in group. What I stuck everybody is that I put my wife's shawl on my head and took a photo with Ma. Oh, genius, what does his wife think when she see this photo? This is life, sometimes you enjoy as you want, sometimes it tantalizes you.

There is no banquet which lasts forever, finished the barbecue, everybody rushed to home to prepare for tomorrow, and I would back my hometown to see my parents.

Another expectant day will come, day after day, life contines.......

Barbeque avec mes amies et colleagues

2008-12-15T12:17:00.000+08:00

Sunday, 14,December,2008

No intention to fight with my boss

2008-12-12T10:23:00.002+08:00

My boss is a good friend and mentor to me, he brought me to our company and I learned a lot from him not only in the field of operation but also in other fields such as finance and general management, particularly how to manage balance in current difficult situation. As a captain, he led us through despair to new hopes, he announced lots of organization models even I never agree with him with all those changes. He is somebody who pursues perfect, and he wish his managers to take the speed of a horse, the majesty of a lion, the courage of a tiger and the elegance of a deer, in theory he wish to train his followers to be a superman, but in practice it might never get off the ground as his crew has no experience in playing the turbulent waters of internataional projects. And he has no well-defined route map either.

There are a big difference between theory and practice, a cleaver leader knows how to use knowledge of others to make up that of his. Maybe they are wrong, probably you are wrong, as nothing is certain when facing future, so decision is a gamble with judgement to novice, without experience, your chance to succeed is very low. Will the ship reach its final destination? I believe that if the captain is honest and determined, in spite of all the difficulties, he will bring the ship around, pass Good hope, and finally reach your target of localization in China.

But, without somebody who fights with you for improving efficiency, how many truth situations you will know? and how many dicisions could be correct and reach its final version? Who knows, my dear captain. Tare care, as you often tell me, of your family because this is really your engine for future.

Rotor team is a great team...

2008-12-12T09:16:00.004+08:00

It is my great honor to lead Rotor project in the past two years, even we faced lots of fights during our daily work, but this never hurt our relationship. At the end of my tenure, I welcome all comments on me or on my team members so that we can grow up and improve. I know that there are a lot of people who just condemn our behavors because we did job actively and well or because we pushed too much and put burdens on other's shoulder, but, from the other point of view, this is no bad as we did so to move farward for our prject, what we did it wrong is that we did not care much about other's feeling, we should improve our project's external communication skills.

A project manager is a person who accomplish stated project objectives, but, in AHCA, a project manager is somebody who has no direct resources to plan and execute because all team members do report to you. To me, building the project requirements is a must to project manager, without such condition, you can only move your project as snail. As a tough person, I can not bear myself to move too slow, so I fought with department managers to whom my team members report, I argued with my boss to get more supports, and I built good relationship with my European counterpartner to grab as much as I can. But, it is too inefficient to fight too much, you will feel tired one day, and the day came to me finally....

If I put only 50% of my energy on my project, I would like to thank my team members because they put much more than I do. Rotor project has a strong technical, logistic, production and quality team, with full supports from project buyer, they overcome obstacles and run the project. Without their commitements, Rotor project can not reach such a high localization rate and perfect production system. I wish my team members to continue working on Rotor project whoever will lead it in the future. As the team members are still young and have big potential, I expect new project manager can protect them and teach them how to do jobs better. Even, sometimes, they made mistake, nobody is profect, when they do somthing, they always try your best. That is an good example to everybody. But when they are not interested in the project anymore, so they can give it up as I do, I just wish they do so not because they are tired of choas organization but because they do not love the product anymore.

Realize your shortcomings

2008-12-11T15:19:00.003+08:00

Everybody has shortcomings, whether you realize them or not. For example, I am introvert and would like to chat with whom I am not familiar to, but I talk a lot before my friend and become a sliver tongue. You see, there is a controdict, and how to improve it? I thought about this question since years, after reading a few of psychological books and accepting some new ideas from famous psytriast, I got my personal conclution: You can fight for life but you should not fight with life!

Life begins fairely in mental world to everybody, but unfairely in material world. Mentally, you can change your life by lots of ways even, sometimes, you have no material supports. To do so, first, you should know yourself - the product to sell to the world outside you. This means how do you make yourself, equipe yourself, show yourself and promote yourself in the world. In essential, the product quality- your quality is most important to sell a good price. Product quality can be improved by Kaizen, which transform your failures and regrets into your future successes during life time. Often, we are so intimidated by failure that we never try to become all that we yearn to be. Basically, we are afraid to make fools of ourselves. However, when we risk nothing, we gain nothing. The secret of success is the dogged determination to succeed, not the determination to avoid failure.

As we live in the same world as others, and we sell ourselves to others. We need to ask for advices and suggestions for improvements. When there is criticism, you need to change what you are doing, cut your losses so to speak because criticism polishes our mirrors. When you make the conscious effort to accept your shortcoming, you can work better with others to reach your life success.

So, keep your life in balance, let go of past mistakes and realize your shortcomings, you will embrace the beautiful life..

Move, settle down and Move, settle down

2008-12-11T11:15:00.003+08:00

I can not remember how many times I moved from one city to another, from a small city to Beijing, then to Guangzhou, later in France, backed to Changhzou, and again, to live better and fight for life, I will go to Lausanne for my IMD program. During past few years, I shuttled among cities for months or weeks, seldom stopped or enjoyed those ever beautiful life scenes. Just as Nayan mentioned in Bound together, to live a better, I, as most of other IMD MBA participants, am following the truth of life to actualize myself, and it is also my part of contribution to globalization. On the other side, I was also in career delimna and I expect a lot from IMD to help me pass the transition period. So I am looking forward to moving to Lausanne, to learn, to share, to reflect and to decide the direction of my life. From this point of view, to move is to change, you should not care it is better or worse.

Continuez! C'est tout.

Organization chart change

2008-12-11T09:28:00.003+08:00

There is nothing more interesting than organization chart change in ACHA. Our great leaders search for solutions to change company's bad performance in process or orgnization change, in the past 3 years, we experienced more than 10 times organization chart changes and numerous internal working process. Finally, most of employees lost trust on bosses' unserious decision because they are used to accept those changes without parcipating any decision-making process. To me, both process and organization are important to a company, but, as soon as you establish process, you can only ameliorate them instead of destroying them then build new ones. It is terrible for all employees because they suffer a lots for those changes, and I got lots of complaints and ironic comments from my peers. They, at least not all of them, could understand why our bosses made such decision. It is true that bosses can make unpopular decisions, but imagine, what will happen if you do not have constant policy? what are your true images to your employees? Without long-term development planning, finally it will be that you suffer, they suffer, everybody suffers because of those banal ideas...

Leaders are those who make right decision not those who have power to make decision.

Les enfants et l'esprit

2008-12-09T13:18:00.003+08:00

Il est des enfants qui ressentent une sainte veneration pour les grandes personnes qu'ils admirent. ils les regardent avec un respect qui bannit de leur coeur toute pensee critique, toute opposition. L'experience montre que les hommes qui savent se comporter de facon libre dans la vie, sont aussi ceux qui ont connu la veneration a l'egard de ceux qui la meritent. Et le respect est a sa place partout ou il jaillit du fond du coeur.

Forest... Go...Go...Go...

2008-12-09T10:40:00.003+08:00

Forest Gump is one of my favoriate films which influence me. It is neither for fun nor tears, but it touches every nerve of your body. The film tells the story of Forest and his epic journey through life. He is an autistic savant who follows a very conservative lifestyle. He shares his innocence and purity with others and also retain such faith through most of difficult times. The remarkable parade of his life is that Forrest never forgets Jenny, the girl he loved as a boy, Jenny also made her own journey through the turbulence period, when anti-consevation life is popular.

Stupid is as stupid does

La vie est belle, la vie est souffre

2008-12-09T09:21:00.002+08:00

Ca fait deja 3 ans que je suis retourne en Chine, j'ai rejoint ma famille (seulement ma femme) mais on a jamais vie en semble parce qu'elle a etudie a Pekin et je travailles dans une autre ville. Au debut de 2008, elle est sortie l'universite pour me joindre, malheusement, elle peut pas trouver un emploi dans cette petite ville ou je travailles. Donc elle a choisi de travailler a shanghai,comme ca, on peut se voir pendant le weekend. Comme la vie est belle, on passe le weekend pour pecher, jouer les jeux, faire la course etc..

Mais tous va finir, comme je suis pas content du tous de travailler chez Rieter, j'ai decide de changer depuis un an. C'est l'IMD me donne cette chance, et j'ai decide de le prendre. Meme je suis pas bien prepare pour l'anne prochaine, et mon petit enfant naitra dans quelque mois, pour que ma vie changera, pour que je peux proteger ma famille dans le future, je devrais me sacrifier pendant un an pour la vie est plus belle que maintenant. Ma femme me dit souvant comment elle peut vivre avec mon future garcon sans moi autour d'eux. Oui, elle a raison la vie est souffre pour eux, mais si je change pas, on n'a pas de appartment, pas de voiture, pas de assurance, pas de voyage... pas de plein de choose que on devra experiencer a mon avis.

Qu'est-ce que je peux faire mieux pour changer ma vie???

Time to say goodbye and outlook for future

2008-12-08T14:22:00.004+08:00

It is time to say goodbye to friends and colleagues, together with them, I spend 4 years fruitful and interesting life in a city where I never imagine I would live. Look back last 4 years, lots of fights with other department managers to push project progress, and I also challenged my boss numerous times. Fortunately, I met a great boss who really takes business as business and never involves in personal feeling. Work as my mentor, he told me a lot such as: How to make a decision in difficult time; Why you have to make it with tradeoffs; how you balance job and life etc...

Over the past years, my experience at Rieter as project manager has offered me intellectual stimulation, a variety of challenges, international perspective, and the ability to have an impact. After my IMD MBA, I will look to remain in such stimulating environment, but I will seek a position that will enable me to play a broader role in managing people and overcoming the technical, marketing, financial, logistical and personal challenges of effecting organizational change. Specifically, I hope to lead a medium-sized business unit in an industrial company. In mid-term, I would be excited to directly lead a foreign company to develop its business in Asia-Pacific region. This would give me the opportunity to have a substantial and sustained impact on an organization. Longer term I will face a choice between working as a top executive and starting my own consulting business to promote Chinese companies to operate successfully in other continents.

Think and act differently, you will make a great difference....

Great minds think differently

2008-12-08T13:49:00.002+08:00

I spent last weekend with my wife who works in Shanghai, where you can meet different people with all kinds of backgrouds. According to rencent investigation, there are 17 million people work or live in this city, in which more than 100,000 are foreigners. Those great minds make shanghai become an attractive and splendid city. So every year, lots of new graduates join this "golden rush" and look for opportunities, and my wife is one them. Hold a doctor degree in medical science in most famous university in China, she joined a start-up company shanghai office. So we live in different cities which shuttled by train.

This is the second time, I went to shanghai to spend weekend with her and, normally, she backs to changzhou every weekend. Because I prefer to staying in our apparment and enjoy sunny and relax weekend together, whereas shanghai, we have to crow in a gray room and the rent has already take 40% of her salary, this sentiment lets me feel badly. I often ask myself why there are lots of talents rush into shanghai even they have to face fierce competitveness, expensive living expenses, and high rent etc.. I do not get the answer from my wife, nor from others. Suddenly, during chatthing with my friends last week, I found the answer: Great minds think differently. Most of us are normal and common, if you want to stand out, you must get rid of daily routine, you should think or act differently. Maybe you will success, or you will become a skint. But, if you are wellbehaved, shanghai is a hell.

So stand out from the crowd, act differently and surprise those around, you will see the chance and finally catch it. That day will be your day in life...

Don't fear, go ahead!!

Coffee makes you talk a lot

2008-12-05T11:03:00.000+08:00

Coffee was first discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia. From there it spread to Egypt and Yemen, it played an important role in modern life. In lots of cities in China, where tea is the biggest consumption, you can find starbuck. Yesterday, after one day boring meeting, my friend and I went there to chat for a while. Prilimaryly because I was worrying about our first project meeting with Artrus and Eva, I would like to check my email to see how and when we have first project meeting. I had two cups to expresso which drove me to talk without stop, from company review to my personal life; from current situation to future planning; from past experience to private life, yeah, everything is talkable. I am very glad that I had a good friend here and we have lots of words together.

The last “Management meeting”

2008-12-05T09:08:00.000+08:00

Only 3 weeks left before I fly to IMD, still worrying about lots of homework and future projects, I really cannot concentrate on my current job because there are so lots of preparations before the program starts. Insurances, readings, career plan, personal statement, and apartment mixed with lots of private planning really make me feel tired. But, as long as I hold Product Line Rotor position, I do need to contribute my expertise to it, so, even I do not like it, I paricipated the biannual management event.

The meeting is quite arid. As usual, first always are presentations made by big boss, then come discussions and brainstorms to help our orgnization go out of current downswing. The final discussion and presentations of group work are impressive because the meeting place is a circus, some managers made speech just to show off, some to share, surely there are also some to contribute new ideas, but finally, I did not see any creative solutions. As I will leave this organization, I did make some proposals, but I did not explain those proposals because there are lots of trade-offs inside of our organization. At the end of the day, when the event was approach to finish, we made dumplings ourselves, it seems that everybody had lots of fun and relax.

The diner surprised me a little because my boss announced that it is also farewell banquet for me and one of my former colleague who decided to leave the organization to take over another challenge as GM. My boss eulogized my colleague first, and gave a long speech concerning his past jobs and contributions to organization. What made me feel uncomfortable is that, when he made speech to look my past career in our organization, he mentioned a lot of fights between us with inklings that I was wrong. The feeling rushed out in my head and gave me the impulse to stand for myself. But I calmed down and made an awkard speech to explain that what I have done in the past is for job and there are no private factors inside. Whatever is his impression to me, it is not important to me now. So it is time to say goodbye, Rieter, I think that I made a right choice to leave, and sincerely wish my boss will use less trade-offs in the future to lead our organization to get out of current turmoil.

CAU-ENSAM-IMD: Different engines, Different life & Different countries

Announcement: STOP of Blog

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Stop the blog

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真实世界 真实学习"洛桑管理学院(光明日报 )

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sucess engineering

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Second day@ IMD

First day at IMD

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IMD visit

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Second time to zurich

To my son: Nancy

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Christmas Eve

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