OUR search for the Holy Grail of management has taken us to places we would never have expected to go.
To lands as far and away as China and Japan, and to times as ancient and mystical as those of the emperors and shoguns that ruled these far away kingdoms and fiefdoms. In order to run our organizations better, we have tried to emulate the spirit of the warrior, of great men like Sun Tzu and Miyamoto Musashi.
But can we really know what it is to be like the great warriors of old? Is reading books about the battles that Sun Tzu won, or those that tell about Musashi’s prowess with the sword, really helpful in allowing us to understand how these men achieved great success in their time?
Our answer over the last two installments of this series has been no. The problems are two-fold, as we have examined. The first stumbling block is our insistence on learning the ways of the old, as if they were things we could pick up from modern-day convenience stores —on demand and instantaneously.
Nobody these days cares much about learning something the old-fashioned way, through sweat and hard work.
How else to explain the proliferation of on-line management schools offering MBA diplomas without one having to sit through thousands of hours of rigorous case discussions? Internet management, if I may call it that, has a lot to blame for this mentality.
Unlocking the secrets of the old means we have to go through the same path that the original holders of these secrets trod.
Which brings us to the second obstacle in our quest to learn from the masters— we want to merely experience things, not to be immersed in them.
This is best typified in the comment one of my American friends told me, when I asked him why he never ventured beyond the borders of the United States? “Why bother,” he said, “when I can see Paris in Las Vegas.” This Paris in-Las-Vegas syndrome, or in our case this Musashi-in-a-book affliction is one of the great maladies of our time. And it ails the practice of management particularly badly.
A common trait required in martial training is a true openness of mind. Zen masters often exhort their apprentices to empty their cups first, before they may be served any tea. This means getting rid of our cultural prejudices, personal preferences, preconceived notions and fixed paradigms. Anything less and true learning eludes us.
Another martial prerequisite is truthfulness to one’s self, as well as to others.
Translated in management terms, this means having total transparency in our actions, and the absence of subterfuge, scheming and manipulation in our ways.
But just think—how many managers can actually do this? Show me one who can, and I will show you hundreds who lie, scheme, connive and cheat their way to the top.
Contrary to what the name suggests, the warrior manager does not have to learn karate, aikido or kung fu to become one. As Sensei T.K. Chiba suggests, the modern day workplace itself is full of real life struggles that we must face steadfastly, and resolve with conviction.
The true warrior manager will not shirk from these challenges. But most importantly, he faces these problems with the openness of mind and the purity of heart as the warriors of old. Only then can he lead and inspire his organization to victory.
Published in the Sun Star Daily, Saturday, May 26, 2007 (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/05/26/bus/batuhan.warrior.management.html)
Saturday, 26 May 2007
Saturday, 19 May 2007
The Warrior Manager (2)
Many Westerners think they are very well traveled, and know a lot about other lands and peoples. Just think of the hundreds of thousands of them who come to our shores each year. Many will have been to other countries already, apart from ours. But does this really qualify them as experts in other people’s cultures?
Experience and immersion are two very different things. To experience something is to witness things and events from one’s own point of view. But to be immersed, on the other hand, is a whole different story. It is a deeper and more meaningful experience, because it is done through the point of view of that which is being observed. As the old Indian saying goes – “to understand me is to walk a mile in my moccasins.” Experiencing is walking that mile in Nike sneakers, immersion is doing the same thing in authentic Indian moccasins.
Pinoy Votes: Sun.Star Election 2007
Most tourists merely experience the world. That’s why they usually come away with casual observations like “India is poor,” “Jakarta is so crowded,” and “Filipinos are very hospitable.” These comments are based on the relative situations in their home countries, and the places they visit. They see the world, but with their own cultural blinders on.
This to me is the reason why books on Musashi and Sun Tzu can never be fully understood by many of us who read them. One problem, especially with Western management thought, is that it forces its paradigms on situations where these same paradigms either don’t work, or do not exist. Nothing can be more contrary to the ways of the warrior, which we are trying to emulate, by studying the masters. “Enter through form, and exit from form” is how the venerable aikido founder O-sensei Morihei Ueshiba articulated martial arts learning should be. Begin with a paradigm, but then discard it as you learn new things, is perhaps the best way of describing it from a management perspective.
Let’s turn once again to what T.K Chiba Shihan, one of aikido’s most respected instructors today, has to say on the subject of total martial arts immersion.
“…if we can shift our perception into the objective situation of the world we live in today, it is not too difficult to recognize the situation as being very martial, as everyday life is full of many different forms of violence and threats - both visible and invisible. Examples are the spreading of incurable diseases; countless outbreaks of man-made disasters which take may human lives in one fell swoop, as well as natural disasters which highly advanced modern scientific technology often fails to prevent; the prevalence of organized and unorganized violent crime; increasing occurrences of local wars derived from nationalism, racism, and religious fundamentalism; and increasing ecological imbalance and poisoning on a global scale that mankind has never experienced before. Instead of limiting our perceptions inside of the Dojo training, it would be wise to expand our awareness into the bigger realm of everyday affairs where countless potential threats to our very existence are evident. In substance, it is a situation where we are forced to return to facing the basic question of who we really are, in our true face, thereby enabling us to face potential crises, which may become reality at any given moment, with the three principles of martial awareness: when, where, and with what - without being defensive or obsessed but with a free and open mind.”
Final installment next week.
ANNOUNCEMENT: It is with deep sorrow that I announce the passing of my great grandmother-in-law, Emma Lina Araneta del Castillo vda de Arguelles, of Bacolod City, who joined our Lord on the 4th of May 2007, at the age of 101. May we kindly request our readers to please say a prayer for her eternal repose.
Published in the Sun Star Daily, Saturday, May 19, 2007 (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/05/19/bus/batuhan.the.warrior.manager.(2).html)
Experience and immersion are two very different things. To experience something is to witness things and events from one’s own point of view. But to be immersed, on the other hand, is a whole different story. It is a deeper and more meaningful experience, because it is done through the point of view of that which is being observed. As the old Indian saying goes – “to understand me is to walk a mile in my moccasins.” Experiencing is walking that mile in Nike sneakers, immersion is doing the same thing in authentic Indian moccasins.
Pinoy Votes: Sun.Star Election 2007
Most tourists merely experience the world. That’s why they usually come away with casual observations like “India is poor,” “Jakarta is so crowded,” and “Filipinos are very hospitable.” These comments are based on the relative situations in their home countries, and the places they visit. They see the world, but with their own cultural blinders on.
This to me is the reason why books on Musashi and Sun Tzu can never be fully understood by many of us who read them. One problem, especially with Western management thought, is that it forces its paradigms on situations where these same paradigms either don’t work, or do not exist. Nothing can be more contrary to the ways of the warrior, which we are trying to emulate, by studying the masters. “Enter through form, and exit from form” is how the venerable aikido founder O-sensei Morihei Ueshiba articulated martial arts learning should be. Begin with a paradigm, but then discard it as you learn new things, is perhaps the best way of describing it from a management perspective.
Let’s turn once again to what T.K Chiba Shihan, one of aikido’s most respected instructors today, has to say on the subject of total martial arts immersion.
“…if we can shift our perception into the objective situation of the world we live in today, it is not too difficult to recognize the situation as being very martial, as everyday life is full of many different forms of violence and threats - both visible and invisible. Examples are the spreading of incurable diseases; countless outbreaks of man-made disasters which take may human lives in one fell swoop, as well as natural disasters which highly advanced modern scientific technology often fails to prevent; the prevalence of organized and unorganized violent crime; increasing occurrences of local wars derived from nationalism, racism, and religious fundamentalism; and increasing ecological imbalance and poisoning on a global scale that mankind has never experienced before. Instead of limiting our perceptions inside of the Dojo training, it would be wise to expand our awareness into the bigger realm of everyday affairs where countless potential threats to our very existence are evident. In substance, it is a situation where we are forced to return to facing the basic question of who we really are, in our true face, thereby enabling us to face potential crises, which may become reality at any given moment, with the three principles of martial awareness: when, where, and with what - without being defensive or obsessed but with a free and open mind.”
Final installment next week.
ANNOUNCEMENT: It is with deep sorrow that I announce the passing of my great grandmother-in-law, Emma Lina Araneta del Castillo vda de Arguelles, of Bacolod City, who joined our Lord on the 4th of May 2007, at the age of 101. May we kindly request our readers to please say a prayer for her eternal repose.
Published in the Sun Star Daily, Saturday, May 19, 2007 (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/05/19/bus/batuhan.the.warrior.manager.(2).html)
Saturday, 5 May 2007
The warrior manager
SO much time has been devoted to studying the martial ways, and how they could help us modern managers in our work.
Ancient manuscripts, such as Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” or Miyamoto Musashi’s “The Book of Five Rings,” have been the topic of countless scholarly articles and dissertations, that we are probably justified to think that we now know all we need to know about the ways of the warrior, and how we could put them to effective use in our own workplaces.
Pinoy Votes: Sun.Star Election 2007
Perhaps so, but more probably, perhaps not.
When I lived in the United States a few years back, I had the opportunity to practice with one of the Southeast’s most senior American aikido instructors.
In one of our lighter moments—and because, at the time, I was moving a lot between different cities and trying desperately to search for dojos to practice with—he told me his “method” for spotting the serious practitioners from the less-than-serious ones. And it was—“if a dojo is located in a strip mall, then it probably is not a proper one.”
It may have been light-hearted advice, but beneath the words lie a great deal of truth.
Many of the dojos that set up shop in malls are there offering a service that the rest of the businesses in the malls offer— quick, fast and convenient satisfaction of our needs and wants. And this is in direct contradiction with the way of the warrior arts.
So I get back to my earlier question on whether the countless books on Sun-Tzu and Musashi really teach us anything useful about the warrior arts and management. And my answer—perhaps it is as useful as studying the martial arts in a strip mall dojo.
Many of us who have studied the martial arts for some time will know this— they cannot be learned from a book alone.
Despite what we sometimes see in Jackie Chan movies, no one picks up a set of pictures, studies the forms on them, and in a few days becomes competent enough to challenge the neighborhood bad guy to a fight. It just does not happen like that.
More often than not, countless bruises, scrapes and skinned knees later, many of us will not even have gained the competence to scare, much less hurt, our baddie. Even just on a physical level, competence in the ways of the warrior takes a long time to learn and perfect.
And yet, gaining true insights in the relevance of Sun Tzu’s and Musashi’s thoughts require more than just experiencing the physical aspect of martial training.
Though it is certainly a start, learning to punch and kick properly is just an aspect of warrior life—a tiny, miniscule aspect at that, might I add.
So how are we then—as managers— supposed to pick up this knowledge? Is it only through actual practice of the warrior arts that we can be enlightened?
One of aikido’s most senior uchi deshi, T.K.Chiba Shihan, has this to say about his perspective on martial training.
“As martial artists, we are familiar with the term “martial” and much accustomed to using it frequently. However, I doubt if we can really understand its original meaning, in particular as our understanding is based upon the type of training, conditions and environment we have created by training in a dojo.
In my view, however hard and intense our training may be, we are still very far from the essential concept of “martial” and are barely scratching the surface. lt is unrealistic to think that, in today’s dojo environment, we can simulate a situation, like jumping off a one thousand foot high cliff or, in Zen expression, taking a step off the tip of a one hundred - foot high pole, where one is forced to face a desperate plight, and where one is able to transcend oneself beyond life and death.”
This article concludes next week.
Published in the Sun Star Daily, Saturday, May 05, 2007 (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/05/05/bus/batuhan.the.warrior.manager.html)
Ancient manuscripts, such as Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” or Miyamoto Musashi’s “The Book of Five Rings,” have been the topic of countless scholarly articles and dissertations, that we are probably justified to think that we now know all we need to know about the ways of the warrior, and how we could put them to effective use in our own workplaces.
Pinoy Votes: Sun.Star Election 2007
Perhaps so, but more probably, perhaps not.
When I lived in the United States a few years back, I had the opportunity to practice with one of the Southeast’s most senior American aikido instructors.
In one of our lighter moments—and because, at the time, I was moving a lot between different cities and trying desperately to search for dojos to practice with—he told me his “method” for spotting the serious practitioners from the less-than-serious ones. And it was—“if a dojo is located in a strip mall, then it probably is not a proper one.”
It may have been light-hearted advice, but beneath the words lie a great deal of truth.
Many of the dojos that set up shop in malls are there offering a service that the rest of the businesses in the malls offer— quick, fast and convenient satisfaction of our needs and wants. And this is in direct contradiction with the way of the warrior arts.
So I get back to my earlier question on whether the countless books on Sun-Tzu and Musashi really teach us anything useful about the warrior arts and management. And my answer—perhaps it is as useful as studying the martial arts in a strip mall dojo.
Many of us who have studied the martial arts for some time will know this— they cannot be learned from a book alone.
Despite what we sometimes see in Jackie Chan movies, no one picks up a set of pictures, studies the forms on them, and in a few days becomes competent enough to challenge the neighborhood bad guy to a fight. It just does not happen like that.
More often than not, countless bruises, scrapes and skinned knees later, many of us will not even have gained the competence to scare, much less hurt, our baddie. Even just on a physical level, competence in the ways of the warrior takes a long time to learn and perfect.
And yet, gaining true insights in the relevance of Sun Tzu’s and Musashi’s thoughts require more than just experiencing the physical aspect of martial training.
Though it is certainly a start, learning to punch and kick properly is just an aspect of warrior life—a tiny, miniscule aspect at that, might I add.
So how are we then—as managers— supposed to pick up this knowledge? Is it only through actual practice of the warrior arts that we can be enlightened?
One of aikido’s most senior uchi deshi, T.K.Chiba Shihan, has this to say about his perspective on martial training.
“As martial artists, we are familiar with the term “martial” and much accustomed to using it frequently. However, I doubt if we can really understand its original meaning, in particular as our understanding is based upon the type of training, conditions and environment we have created by training in a dojo.
In my view, however hard and intense our training may be, we are still very far from the essential concept of “martial” and are barely scratching the surface. lt is unrealistic to think that, in today’s dojo environment, we can simulate a situation, like jumping off a one thousand foot high cliff or, in Zen expression, taking a step off the tip of a one hundred - foot high pole, where one is forced to face a desperate plight, and where one is able to transcend oneself beyond life and death.”
This article concludes next week.
Published in the Sun Star Daily, Saturday, May 05, 2007 (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/05/05/bus/batuhan.the.warrior.manager.html)
Saturday, 28 April 2007
No thanks, Mr. Guingona
Not a lot has changed with Philippine Airlines.
During my last visit to the country, I was once again witness to PAL’s enduring legend as a metaphor of organisational ossification. PAL embodies the old adage of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” and takes its iconic status very seriously indeed. Surely the airline is as close to being broke as any business can be, but I believe it isn’t totally so, or otherwise things would start changing.
Ever the old dinosaur, PAL has remained perpetually anachronistic. The Bacolod office in particular, where I was made to bear the consequences of their tried and tested “the customer is not always right” philosophy, seems to be frozen in time – with the same set of indifferent faces, the same tired looking computer terminals, and the same long queues of people frustrated at not being able to purchase flight tickets within a humanly tolerable time.
Consider this – a simple itinerary change to my ticket – which many airlines today would allow you to do online in minutes took me over three-and-a-half days to complete. No, actually I take that back. It was not me who completed the transaction – my wife had to send their office secretary to PAL to retrieve the amended tickets, as our patience had by then already worn thin from our various trips back and forth to their ticket office.
I have to thank PAL for one thing, however, which I never would have been able to accomplish had it not been for their perfectly executed delaying tactics. Yes I was able to read the local news – from cover to cover of all the leading national publications. The delay was that bad that by the end of it, I had memorised the names of the editorial staff of most of the daily papers.
One of the things that caught my attention was an open letter from one of our elderly statesmen of Philippine politics – Citizen Teofisto Guingona – who I believe is not at this time running for public office.
His open letter started as many other open letters would at this time of the year. Extolling the heroic virtues and the valiant struggles of the Filipino people against all forms of oppression and tyranny, he then goes on to admonish us to root out a problem he singled out to be a big one for this nation – that of corruption.
Having caught my attention, however, on an issue that I am also very passionate about, he just as quickly lost my interest as he had aroused it.
In his letter, Guingona trivialises the extent of the problem by asking us to be on the lookout for the “customs man at the airport” who asks for bribes to let us through without a hassle. He also warns us about the “BIR inspector” after grease money, in order to let us get away with paying lower taxes.
For a man I had previously admired as having more principle than most, Mr. Guingona did not impress me that day in the slightest.
The customs man at the airport and the BIR inspector on the take are such peripheral players in the issue of graft they may as well not have been mentioned at all.
The big players in this high stakes game are some of our highest officials in the land, who have sold our collective national soul to the highest bidder. They are in the Senate, the House of Representatives, and every public edifice which houses anyone of sufficiently high political stature.
Our BIR and customs men are merely privates in this game of generals. If Mr. Guingona had really wanted his letter to mean something, he would have known better than to heap the blame at them.
Published in the Sun Star Daily, Saturday, April 28, 2007 (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/04/28/bus/batuhan.no.thanks.mr..guingona.html)
During my last visit to the country, I was once again witness to PAL’s enduring legend as a metaphor of organisational ossification. PAL embodies the old adage of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” and takes its iconic status very seriously indeed. Surely the airline is as close to being broke as any business can be, but I believe it isn’t totally so, or otherwise things would start changing.
Ever the old dinosaur, PAL has remained perpetually anachronistic. The Bacolod office in particular, where I was made to bear the consequences of their tried and tested “the customer is not always right” philosophy, seems to be frozen in time – with the same set of indifferent faces, the same tired looking computer terminals, and the same long queues of people frustrated at not being able to purchase flight tickets within a humanly tolerable time.
Consider this – a simple itinerary change to my ticket – which many airlines today would allow you to do online in minutes took me over three-and-a-half days to complete. No, actually I take that back. It was not me who completed the transaction – my wife had to send their office secretary to PAL to retrieve the amended tickets, as our patience had by then already worn thin from our various trips back and forth to their ticket office.
I have to thank PAL for one thing, however, which I never would have been able to accomplish had it not been for their perfectly executed delaying tactics. Yes I was able to read the local news – from cover to cover of all the leading national publications. The delay was that bad that by the end of it, I had memorised the names of the editorial staff of most of the daily papers.
One of the things that caught my attention was an open letter from one of our elderly statesmen of Philippine politics – Citizen Teofisto Guingona – who I believe is not at this time running for public office.
His open letter started as many other open letters would at this time of the year. Extolling the heroic virtues and the valiant struggles of the Filipino people against all forms of oppression and tyranny, he then goes on to admonish us to root out a problem he singled out to be a big one for this nation – that of corruption.
Having caught my attention, however, on an issue that I am also very passionate about, he just as quickly lost my interest as he had aroused it.
In his letter, Guingona trivialises the extent of the problem by asking us to be on the lookout for the “customs man at the airport” who asks for bribes to let us through without a hassle. He also warns us about the “BIR inspector” after grease money, in order to let us get away with paying lower taxes.
For a man I had previously admired as having more principle than most, Mr. Guingona did not impress me that day in the slightest.
The customs man at the airport and the BIR inspector on the take are such peripheral players in the issue of graft they may as well not have been mentioned at all.
The big players in this high stakes game are some of our highest officials in the land, who have sold our collective national soul to the highest bidder. They are in the Senate, the House of Representatives, and every public edifice which houses anyone of sufficiently high political stature.
Our BIR and customs men are merely privates in this game of generals. If Mr. Guingona had really wanted his letter to mean something, he would have known better than to heap the blame at them.
Published in the Sun Star Daily, Saturday, April 28, 2007 (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/04/28/bus/batuhan.no.thanks.mr..guingona.html)
Saturday, 21 April 2007
Despair in May
IF there should be times I do not wish to be in the Philippines, it would have to be during May of an election year.
Unfortunately for me, there was little choice, given my work schedule and my wife’s and son’s timetables, except to pick this time of the year to spend a much needed breather back home.
On the plus side—despite the depression that set in once I saw the same recycled names vying for public office—our family was able to enjoy the fantastic attractions of Bohol Island, in the company of my brother Totol, his wife Apples and son, JM.
The experience was that memorable, I decided to devote last week’s column to sing its praises.
But whatever it is that delights me, somehow it can never fully offset the sadness I feel whenever I see my country, going yet again through the motions of a national election.
It pains me immensely because—
Candidates for public office are again from the same old names—scions of well-entrenched political dynasties that have monopolized this country for ages, and have sadly brought it very little good.
Whoever the victors happen to be, majority of them will have nothing new to offer the country, except perhaps to set in train a series of scandals, corruption allegations and political crises, that would only serve to drag our country backwards, rather than propel its progress forwards.
I know that whichever crop of leaders get into power, there will always be another group of sore losers doing their very best to ensure that those elected will never have a chance of succeeding in office.
Our people have become so jaded with the political process, they now see it not as an opportunity to usher in change, but merely as another chance to make some extra money, to ensure that next meal on their table.
Despite the frenetic pace of development that I see among our neighbors as I travel around within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region, there is very little sign of it in the Philippines. Instead, the only thing that I can relate to in the country as far as Asean is concerned is that embarrassing scandal in Cebu, concerning the hugely overpriced lamp posts that were hastily erected along the route to the Asean convention—from Mactan airport to the North Reclamation Area.
We have an immense wealth of skill and talent from intelligent and well-educated Filipinos, who end up being tapped for the development of the Middle East, Europe and North America, but which our political leaders have no idea how to utilize.
While our health system continues to fail, and our sick countrymen die by the thousands from even the simplest and most easily curable diseases, the only thing our leaders can do is to encourage the tragic diaspora of our health workers to all corners of the globe.
Much as I would love to come back and help my country move forward, there is very little opportunity for me, and others like me here, and the only economically viable choice is to offer our globally marketable skills to the highest bidder.
As l leave my country behind, I have very little hope that things will be better the next time to come back.
When I return home at another May time, a few years down the road, as much as I would like to be writing something hopeful and triumphant then, I may yet again be composing a piece like this—so bereft of hope, so empty of promise, and so full of pain.
Published in the Sun Star Daily, Saturday, April 21, 2007 (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/04/21/bus/batuhan.despair.in.may.html)
Unfortunately for me, there was little choice, given my work schedule and my wife’s and son’s timetables, except to pick this time of the year to spend a much needed breather back home.
On the plus side—despite the depression that set in once I saw the same recycled names vying for public office—our family was able to enjoy the fantastic attractions of Bohol Island, in the company of my brother Totol, his wife Apples and son, JM.
The experience was that memorable, I decided to devote last week’s column to sing its praises.
But whatever it is that delights me, somehow it can never fully offset the sadness I feel whenever I see my country, going yet again through the motions of a national election.
It pains me immensely because—
Candidates for public office are again from the same old names—scions of well-entrenched political dynasties that have monopolized this country for ages, and have sadly brought it very little good.
Whoever the victors happen to be, majority of them will have nothing new to offer the country, except perhaps to set in train a series of scandals, corruption allegations and political crises, that would only serve to drag our country backwards, rather than propel its progress forwards.
I know that whichever crop of leaders get into power, there will always be another group of sore losers doing their very best to ensure that those elected will never have a chance of succeeding in office.
Our people have become so jaded with the political process, they now see it not as an opportunity to usher in change, but merely as another chance to make some extra money, to ensure that next meal on their table.
Despite the frenetic pace of development that I see among our neighbors as I travel around within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region, there is very little sign of it in the Philippines. Instead, the only thing that I can relate to in the country as far as Asean is concerned is that embarrassing scandal in Cebu, concerning the hugely overpriced lamp posts that were hastily erected along the route to the Asean convention—from Mactan airport to the North Reclamation Area.
We have an immense wealth of skill and talent from intelligent and well-educated Filipinos, who end up being tapped for the development of the Middle East, Europe and North America, but which our political leaders have no idea how to utilize.
While our health system continues to fail, and our sick countrymen die by the thousands from even the simplest and most easily curable diseases, the only thing our leaders can do is to encourage the tragic diaspora of our health workers to all corners of the globe.
Much as I would love to come back and help my country move forward, there is very little opportunity for me, and others like me here, and the only economically viable choice is to offer our globally marketable skills to the highest bidder.
As l leave my country behind, I have very little hope that things will be better the next time to come back.
When I return home at another May time, a few years down the road, as much as I would like to be writing something hopeful and triumphant then, I may yet again be composing a piece like this—so bereft of hope, so empty of promise, and so full of pain.
Published in the Sun Star Daily, Saturday, April 21, 2007 (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/04/21/bus/batuhan.despair.in.may.html)
Saturday, 14 April 2007
A Taste of Bohol Heaven
I WAS going to cap a series of pieces on corporate strategic alignment—which we had been discussing prior to the Holy Week break—when a number of events during my Easter holiday back home convinced me to defer the concluding article, in favor of more pleasant local matters.
This was our brief but very enjoyable getaway to Panglao Island in Bohol, during the first half of the Holy Week, which we took together with my brother Totol Batuhan and his family.
With all the hype and attention focused on that other Visayan island of Boracay, it is easy to forget that Bohol too has all the natural charms—and more —to rival the attractions of its more acclaimed cousin to the west. In fact, having revisited the island after last setting foot on it many years ago, I was astonished to discover that in a lot of ways, Bohol is a much better family destination than Boracay.
Unlike Boracay—which masquerades as Manila by the seaside—often frequented by drunken and rowdy college students on their summer break, Bohol is largely unspoilt, with no trace of the noisy crowds that have become mainstays of its rival vacation destinations. For families looking for some peace and quiet, as well as attractions to visit during their holiday getaway, this is a terrific advantage, which is why in my book, Bohol gets my vote over Boracay.
During our visit, which was a brief but eventful three days and two nights, we were able to pack in a gastronomic lunch cruise along the scenic Loboc river, dolphin- and whale-watching around Pamilacan island, snorkeling amongst colorful tropical fish in the Balicasag marine conservation reserve, touring historic sites like the centuries-old Baclayon Church, as well as observing tarsiers and flying lemurs in their natural habitat. Not to mention having our fill of Bohol’s delicacies, which are as numerous as there are hills of chocolate on this unique island.
Of course, the coup de grace to our total surrender to the charms of Bohol was our fantastic hideaway on Panglao Island—the boutique Amarelo Resort. Having already visited many acclaimed tourist accommodations in the Mediterranean, the United States as well as in neighboring Southeast Asian countries, I rank this one up there among the best, and definitely one to recommend to the discriminating international holiday-maker.
Owned and meticulously managed by former Baker McKenzie partner Atty. Doy Nunag—a native son of Bohol—Amarela is a tastefully furnished corner of heaven, an apt description given its vantage position overlooking the sea, with majestic views of the fiery sunsets and scenic moonrises over the idyllic island. And did I mention the food? No pot noodles in sight here, thank you very much. Instead the resort’s restaurant whips up a culinary offering comparable to the tastiest I have sampled anywhere else.
Having just opened last year, Amarela may not yet be as widely known as the older institutions on the island such as Bohol Beach Club. I have no doubt, however, that as word gets out from its many satisfied guests, it will get more and more difficult to get a booking in the near future.
Another Panglao attraction worthy of mention is this little gem of a place, simply called the Bohol Bee Farm. True to its name, it makes some of the finest honey products, as well as other goodies from ingredients organically grown and produced on its premises. With a scenic restaurant overlooking the sea, and serving original creations such as salads garnished with native flowers and herbs, this is yet another must-see for the discerning tourist.
Finally, just as it seemed our holiday could not get any better than it already was, we were given the warm Boholano hospitality by Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim, who graciously treated us to a wonderful meal at the Bee Farm, as well as a sampling of delectable goodies from the farm’s gift shop.
Published in the Sun Star Daily, Saturday, April 14, 2007 (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/04/14/bus/batuhan.a.taste.of.bohol.heaven.html)
This was our brief but very enjoyable getaway to Panglao Island in Bohol, during the first half of the Holy Week, which we took together with my brother Totol Batuhan and his family.
With all the hype and attention focused on that other Visayan island of Boracay, it is easy to forget that Bohol too has all the natural charms—and more —to rival the attractions of its more acclaimed cousin to the west. In fact, having revisited the island after last setting foot on it many years ago, I was astonished to discover that in a lot of ways, Bohol is a much better family destination than Boracay.
Unlike Boracay—which masquerades as Manila by the seaside—often frequented by drunken and rowdy college students on their summer break, Bohol is largely unspoilt, with no trace of the noisy crowds that have become mainstays of its rival vacation destinations. For families looking for some peace and quiet, as well as attractions to visit during their holiday getaway, this is a terrific advantage, which is why in my book, Bohol gets my vote over Boracay.
During our visit, which was a brief but eventful three days and two nights, we were able to pack in a gastronomic lunch cruise along the scenic Loboc river, dolphin- and whale-watching around Pamilacan island, snorkeling amongst colorful tropical fish in the Balicasag marine conservation reserve, touring historic sites like the centuries-old Baclayon Church, as well as observing tarsiers and flying lemurs in their natural habitat. Not to mention having our fill of Bohol’s delicacies, which are as numerous as there are hills of chocolate on this unique island.
Of course, the coup de grace to our total surrender to the charms of Bohol was our fantastic hideaway on Panglao Island—the boutique Amarelo Resort. Having already visited many acclaimed tourist accommodations in the Mediterranean, the United States as well as in neighboring Southeast Asian countries, I rank this one up there among the best, and definitely one to recommend to the discriminating international holiday-maker.
Owned and meticulously managed by former Baker McKenzie partner Atty. Doy Nunag—a native son of Bohol—Amarela is a tastefully furnished corner of heaven, an apt description given its vantage position overlooking the sea, with majestic views of the fiery sunsets and scenic moonrises over the idyllic island. And did I mention the food? No pot noodles in sight here, thank you very much. Instead the resort’s restaurant whips up a culinary offering comparable to the tastiest I have sampled anywhere else.
Having just opened last year, Amarela may not yet be as widely known as the older institutions on the island such as Bohol Beach Club. I have no doubt, however, that as word gets out from its many satisfied guests, it will get more and more difficult to get a booking in the near future.
Another Panglao attraction worthy of mention is this little gem of a place, simply called the Bohol Bee Farm. True to its name, it makes some of the finest honey products, as well as other goodies from ingredients organically grown and produced on its premises. With a scenic restaurant overlooking the sea, and serving original creations such as salads garnished with native flowers and herbs, this is yet another must-see for the discerning tourist.
Finally, just as it seemed our holiday could not get any better than it already was, we were given the warm Boholano hospitality by Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim, who graciously treated us to a wonderful meal at the Bee Farm, as well as a sampling of delectable goodies from the farm’s gift shop.
Published in the Sun Star Daily, Saturday, April 14, 2007 (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/04/14/bus/batuhan.a.taste.of.bohol.heaven.html)
Saturday, 31 March 2007
Working Together
THERE seems to be something about the sport of rowing that makes it look like an endeavor meant only for intelligent individuals.
For a start, it requires perfect motor coordination from the participants— with each stroke by every member of the team timed to exact precision—so no amount of precious energy is dissipated, and everything is channeled towards making the craft move speedily and steadily forward.
Secondly, it requires careful strategic thinking. How many times have we seen it before in Olympic races–rowers starting very fast, only to fade away in the homestretch—with the eventual winner usually the team that is able to maintain a sustained pace all the way from start to finish.
Third, team selection is of utmost importance. A bunch of muscular athletes does not a good rowing team necessarily make. Abilities have to be complementary, as well as supplementary. Each member’s contribution has to be measured in terms of its effect on overall team performance, rather than on individual brilliance alone.
Come to think of it, this is probably the reason why rowing is the sport of choice for esteemed institutions of learning like Harvard, Yale, Oxford and Cambridge. It just makes perfect sense—it is a sport for intelligent and thinking individuals.
For me, rowing is the perfect metaphor for how an effective organization ought to be intelligently run.
It has all the same elements that a business needs to have in order to be successful. Let us take each of them in turn.
PERFECT COORDINATION. We remember well the debacle of the American superstars in the last Olympic basketball championships. Despite an enormous wealth of individual talent, they were not a cohesive and coordinated team, with the acrobatic exertions of the gifted players sometimes actually getting in the way of the other members’ performance.
In rowing, there is no place for this. If one side rows faster than the other, the boat will start to spin and go around in circles. Even the slightest hint of an imbalance in effort is enough to hinder forward progress significantly.
TEAM SELECTION. As we have noted, pure brawn is no guarantee for success. In fact, it is a surefire recipe for failure. Selection is therefore geared towards making sure that team members’ strengths are properly matched to others’ weaknesses, so that any individual disadvantage is effectively neutralized.
How many times have we witnessed organizations where key individuals are constantly at each others’ throats, either vying for power supremacy or seeking economic gain?
Sometimes, this is disguised by organizations as embracing diversity, by allowing disparate-minded individuals to work together in a team. Sometimes this is true, and in certain cases beneficial. But uncontrolled diversity could easily degenerate into total chaos, and most teams are probably unaware which side of the diversity divide their own lies.
STRATEGIC THINKING. Of course, no team wins consistently without an effective strategy. The dominance of the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics in the 1980’s, and that of the Chicago Bulls in the 1990’s was no accident. It was not even due to good players primarily, though the fact that they were there helped a lot. It was mostly down to the strategic abilities of Pat Riley, KC Jones and Phil Jackson.
Without the genius that these coaches had in ensuring that their team’s skills were balanced in both attack and defense, and that they had the right complement of players to last the entire campaign to begin with, no Michael Jordan, Larry Bird or Magic Johnson would have been good enough to win as many times as they did.
Published in the Sun Star Daily, Saturday, March 31, 2007 (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/03/31/bus/batuhan.working.together.html)
For a start, it requires perfect motor coordination from the participants— with each stroke by every member of the team timed to exact precision—so no amount of precious energy is dissipated, and everything is channeled towards making the craft move speedily and steadily forward.
Secondly, it requires careful strategic thinking. How many times have we seen it before in Olympic races–rowers starting very fast, only to fade away in the homestretch—with the eventual winner usually the team that is able to maintain a sustained pace all the way from start to finish.
Third, team selection is of utmost importance. A bunch of muscular athletes does not a good rowing team necessarily make. Abilities have to be complementary, as well as supplementary. Each member’s contribution has to be measured in terms of its effect on overall team performance, rather than on individual brilliance alone.
Come to think of it, this is probably the reason why rowing is the sport of choice for esteemed institutions of learning like Harvard, Yale, Oxford and Cambridge. It just makes perfect sense—it is a sport for intelligent and thinking individuals.
For me, rowing is the perfect metaphor for how an effective organization ought to be intelligently run.
It has all the same elements that a business needs to have in order to be successful. Let us take each of them in turn.
PERFECT COORDINATION. We remember well the debacle of the American superstars in the last Olympic basketball championships. Despite an enormous wealth of individual talent, they were not a cohesive and coordinated team, with the acrobatic exertions of the gifted players sometimes actually getting in the way of the other members’ performance.
In rowing, there is no place for this. If one side rows faster than the other, the boat will start to spin and go around in circles. Even the slightest hint of an imbalance in effort is enough to hinder forward progress significantly.
TEAM SELECTION. As we have noted, pure brawn is no guarantee for success. In fact, it is a surefire recipe for failure. Selection is therefore geared towards making sure that team members’ strengths are properly matched to others’ weaknesses, so that any individual disadvantage is effectively neutralized.
How many times have we witnessed organizations where key individuals are constantly at each others’ throats, either vying for power supremacy or seeking economic gain?
Sometimes, this is disguised by organizations as embracing diversity, by allowing disparate-minded individuals to work together in a team. Sometimes this is true, and in certain cases beneficial. But uncontrolled diversity could easily degenerate into total chaos, and most teams are probably unaware which side of the diversity divide their own lies.
STRATEGIC THINKING. Of course, no team wins consistently without an effective strategy. The dominance of the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics in the 1980’s, and that of the Chicago Bulls in the 1990’s was no accident. It was not even due to good players primarily, though the fact that they were there helped a lot. It was mostly down to the strategic abilities of Pat Riley, KC Jones and Phil Jackson.
Without the genius that these coaches had in ensuring that their team’s skills were balanced in both attack and defense, and that they had the right complement of players to last the entire campaign to begin with, no Michael Jordan, Larry Bird or Magic Johnson would have been good enough to win as many times as they did.
Published in the Sun Star Daily, Saturday, March 31, 2007 (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/03/31/bus/batuhan.working.together.html)
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