About D3500 Goodwill Visit Part 1
Contributed by Rtr Harnniann
me (centre) surrounded by tough guys who went through Taiwan National Service
Before reading this article, I humbly request readers to read my earlier related writing.
Though writing against the backdrop of the recently concluded D3500 goodwill visit, I am not giving details of the visit here but rather the general feelings, experience, observation, valuable lessons that I learned throughout this visit.
If there is only one lesson I learned through this project it will be this: you can’t plan or figure everything out. In another words, you must ever prepare for sudden changes or contingencies.
As a leader, you can plan everything you could think of, from A to Z but at the time of execution, things may not go in accordance to plan. To be a good leader, you must immediately accept and assess the situation rather than to complain or frown upon it. I now give example.
I do know that flight may be delayed. I was ready for that. But what I have never thought of was it could be delayed for more than 8 hours. That practically threw all the programme for the day down the drain. We wasted expensive cost on bus which we actually paid for it to wait at the Klang Stadium for our signal to travel to KLIA.
When I realised it was too late to tour KL after their arrival, I decided to cancel it altogether and instructed President Feldman to bring them straight to Klang upon arrival.
Then another contingency slipped through my calculation: ALL their luggages were missing! They virtually have nothing except the clothing and underwear they were wearing. Houston, we have problem.
The next day morning we were going north to Ipoh and Cameron Highland. Malaysia Airline only promised to deliver their luggage to President Feldman’s house around noon. Should we wait till the luggage arrives? What if Malaysia Airline breaches their promises? Will we then waste more time waiting in Klang?
I could not afford to be indecisive.
If we go ahead as planned without the luggage, how do we solve the problems like lack of clothing, fresh underwear, toiletries etc? They are here in Malaysia for leisure not for military training!
Sensing that Malaysia Airline’s promises could not be trusted lightly (which later proven to be correct as the luggage was not delivered to President’s house as promised), we went to Ipoh despite the adversity.
So you just thought all the sudden turn of event were behind us, fresh challenge came… only this time it was life threatening…
(to be continued)
Though writing against the backdrop of the recently concluded D3500 goodwill visit, I am not giving details of the visit here but rather the general feelings, experience, observation, valuable lessons that I learned throughout this visit.
If there is only one lesson I learned through this project it will be this: you can’t plan or figure everything out. In another words, you must ever prepare for sudden changes or contingencies.
As a leader, you can plan everything you could think of, from A to Z but at the time of execution, things may not go in accordance to plan. To be a good leader, you must immediately accept and assess the situation rather than to complain or frown upon it. I now give example.
I do know that flight may be delayed. I was ready for that. But what I have never thought of was it could be delayed for more than 8 hours. That practically threw all the programme for the day down the drain. We wasted expensive cost on bus which we actually paid for it to wait at the Klang Stadium for our signal to travel to KLIA.
When I realised it was too late to tour KL after their arrival, I decided to cancel it altogether and instructed President Feldman to bring them straight to Klang upon arrival.
Then another contingency slipped through my calculation: ALL their luggages were missing! They virtually have nothing except the clothing and underwear they were wearing. Houston, we have problem.
The next day morning we were going north to Ipoh and Cameron Highland. Malaysia Airline only promised to deliver their luggage to President Feldman’s house around noon. Should we wait till the luggage arrives? What if Malaysia Airline breaches their promises? Will we then waste more time waiting in Klang?
I could not afford to be indecisive.
If we go ahead as planned without the luggage, how do we solve the problems like lack of clothing, fresh underwear, toiletries etc? They are here in Malaysia for leisure not for military training!
Sensing that Malaysia Airline’s promises could not be trusted lightly (which later proven to be correct as the luggage was not delivered to President’s house as promised), we went to Ipoh despite the adversity.
So you just thought all the sudden turn of event were behind us, fresh challenge came… only this time it was life threatening…
(to be continued)
Labels: General Reading, Opinion
posted by harnniann at 5:47 pm
2 Comments:
wow, sounds exciting, so what's coming up next?
(FYI, im not sounding sarcastic over here but I think if I were you, I would try to think like that, hm... so life is much easier)
"Great leaders emerge not in time of norm and peace, but when crisis and injustice need to be successfully conquered." - Terence Lee @ rotaractlives.blogspot.com
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