Diary of a CEO: 08/29/2004

2004/09/03

The most important issue today is the " brain storming " session to discuss what to be delivered at the semi-kick off meeting; we are 2 weeks from the meeting , 4 of us sit in the round table room and think hard about the " measurement ", this is my believe to deal with everythings with the " What you measure is what you get " " no measurement, no management ", we craft the session into 2 portion - the business side and non business side, as they are corralated each other, our people suggested to have a softer tone / sentemental voice to express the goal / budget to all the employee, especially in thie moment, we are entering a how turn over rate statue -- after 3 years of operation, how to keep the passion and to ignite the fire inside senior staff is the task We want to perform at the seme kick off; and to trace back a few mile stones sharing with new comers are the other purpose we wish to serve.

Keeping the faith and preaching for new height is the leader in the company must achieved, I told them this is a very tough job if we really want to please every one -- which is almost impossible in the real world, and how to influence people and gain more support from the meeting ? if we don't see through the future, how to convince our people we do have a bright future ahead ? how to welcome different opinion and voices from all corner of the company ? this is all about effective communication. Heading a company with more than 300 people in the office, you need to think more.

A. from Effen send me cartoons of snacks -- M and M chocolates and candy; we've been knowing each other for a decade, and the interesting part is we met each other in the same office building -- this is unbeliveable, I take my new job at the ISP and move to the office in NKSP, when I headed the music sector, we were at the Taipie Gas Tower, moving here, surprisely too see him as neighbors again. this creates a very interesting chemistry and he send me products from time to time.

It took me 30 minutes on the phone to explain to professor Shu why I can't take the teaching assignment this semester, he talked a lot, I tried to follow all the metaphore he samples, I thinks I solve 80% of the riddle, I made a defer promise to participate on next year, hopefully, the cross road will no longer bother me any more.

Writing a letter to summer intern J. this is what I said to him :

Dear Jonathan,

This is the last week you can enjoy the internship at So-net; as I mentioned to you prior to your participating on this program, for a Start-Up like us, it’s difficult to provide a comprehensive intern project at this moment; hope you can bear it and value your stay here .

「 Observation 」 and 「 Think how to improve it 」 are two key areas I want you to focus when conducing our first coffee break review; 「extending your help to others when needed」 is the attitude I wish you to stick in the office; to be honest with you, your performance exceed my expectation and I overheard positive comments about you in the office too.

So-net is a new initiative deployed by Sony HQ, every new initiative will encounter enormous challenge especially when the new world didn’t drawing too much so called 「 Best Practice 」 in the arena we live – a combining telecom / internet / communication and community convergence future. To lead an entity like this is another big challenge as well, when everyone’s in the dark, you have to show them where the light is and make believe what you see is the collective future ahead.

From non business related perspective, I found that you are an independent and well educated person, keep your pure heart always, although the world won’t be as bright as we wish, but the faith we follow will some how pave the road to a better tomorrow.

I am planning a farewell dinner for you, please provide me the guest list for who you wish to invite.

I am attaching the review guide line for your reference and welcome your coming back any time.

Best Personal Regards
Roger
2004/9/3

Weekly Review Items

1. What’s been done for the past week?
2. What you learn for the past week? In both Macro and Micro perspectives.
3. What you observe for the past week?
4. Where’s area you think they are doing better than your current ability? And in which area you think you have a better way to improve it.
5. Question rose during past week?
6. Your plan for next week if any?
7. Things not related to office operation?
8. About people – who you contact for the past week.

no big thing happen today, stay in the office as my wife warn me, we both watch the documentary film " How long is Taipei " , the story told 2 worker who involving in 2 gianganic project - Taipie 101 and Taiwan High Speed Rail , how they strive for a living and hungry for any job available, this is a warning sing to me, be displine while working.

2004/09/02

Executive recuriter called this afternoon to confirmed that the fix line is seeing other candidate and we were no longer in the candidates loop; I am fine with the answer, as I originally wanted to turn down it , but it drag too long and the process even make me point finger to the recuriter, I thought they are improfessional and didn't provide the corrent information, but this is all gone.

Calling Professor Chuang and seeking his advise about the teaching opportunity in China University, he is a honest man who told me this is a bothering to me instead of decent exploure, I take his advise and told him I will politely reject this offer, when told him I even bought a text book to study at home, this behavior really making him feel uncomfortable and he is so upset about the invitaion granded by Professor Shu.

Correct the company brochure wording , especially English translation, I carefully review every line and make a major adjustment, as I see the brochure with English a presentation of company quality, this portion shall be carefully monitered.

Live project flesh games completed today, I check the site and love it, we create and design a flesh game and name it " Planting your tree of Hope, Love or Courage ", to inspire people join the community and get the snow ball rolling, I am hoping this campaign can achieve the virus marketing purpose. I should find time inviting our team with the flesh desinger for a casual meal.

lunch with Lambert, son of Leo computer's founder - a veteran YPOer; Lamber founded an internet startup -- kkman in 1988, the browser captures 1.5 millions users in Taiwan and now, the company skysoft launched a new service -- kk box in Feb. this year and generate 400,000 user now, the software is a brower for activate steaming music , compare to the downloaded P2P software Kuro, this is a welcome development by music industry.

another Stanford post-gratudate, similar backgroud as Ben -- co-founder for Sina.com; Lamber seems to be a decent person although we met the first time today; I carried the mission to exercise the huge bandwidth consumption company to forming an alliance with us - coloated in our site and leverage the residual bandwidth we have, according to Lamber, 600M is the peak for their current subscriber ( 40k per user ? or 400k ), as a YPOer, I am not pursuating him to turn the company business with us althougt we offered a more attractive deal for them. during our lunch, I share a few music industry how-to with him, I think I win certain degree of friendship from him.

this is a strange and interesting feeling that I am dealing business with next generation more than last generation, I havn't analyed it yet, perhaps this is an industry nature - internet should be a young industry and attract yound people in the pool; or I am working towards the new power and new decesion maker? but to counting on next generation is more realistic than stick to the soon will be gone generation.

My father was a police officier before, he retired 30 years ago when meeting the retirment cretiria -- service for 30 years. when he retired, I was only a high school student; I remeber he alwasy have assignment at night and we had a gun in my parent's closet, sometimes, he will took business trip to Taipei, when returning from the trip, I always looking for the gift he bought to me -- toys, books etc. the flesh memory of father come home is the expection for gift.

I think this is a transmission of my hoping for " gift " at my office when ever I take leaves, this expecting and excitement become an unknown area in my heart, such as when walking my office after holidays, I will check the " In-coming staff " in the rack and unsealed the packages from all over the place, you can't really expecting gift at office, the tranformation is a greeting, letter or invitation card, something not direct related to " Business ", this is what I am hoping for when return to the office. I had this gusture for very long, to wirte it down and retrieve with my childhood and the gift from my father.

this is what " Gift " means to me and this is why whenever I receive gift on tranditional holidays in Taiwan, I seldome share it with my colleage, but to take them back to my family, I love to be the man who bring lots of gift home. a father figure and a hope to deliver forward.

2004/09/01

Today is additional day off for my wife's birthday, but we spend the day quite normally; in the morning, I told my wife I don't want to wasting time and sleep till noon, so, we send our kids to school and follow with our normal life, she went for morning swimming, I pick one Starbucks close by and reading the ' Finacial Managment " text book; I spend 2 and half house reading it and done 4 charpter so far, as it is almost confirmed that I will teach at Puli for the new semester, I don't want to screw it up.

we met by 11:00 am and went for picking up Sound, and then Fruit, our schedule this afternoon is to attend the " Human Body Atonomy Exhibitation " in Natioanal Science and Education Center, a new public exhibition hall located in Shilin; this is our first time there, before we bought the admition, we urge kids to finish their home work , the desige of this center is very impressive, should be a good place to conduct varies science related activity; we begin our body atonomy tour by 3:00 and finished them in 30 minutes, I am not so amazed about this exhibition, presenting human boday in different gesture and showcase it organ by organ, the body were volunteely donated for the medecial research and the show was brough in from German; yes, it didn't attracted us so much, that's why we only stay there for less than 30 minutes; the rest of the activity in the center is more fun, kids enjoy the 3D and 4D shows, when put on the glass and sit on the rocking chair, it feel like we were in some amusement park.

a very simple day for my wife, the gife I send was many " Happy Birthday "

2004/08/31

Today is my health check day, wake up in the early morning and arriving at the hospital by 7:20 am, the hoptital I choose for the physically check up is located at San-sher, the An-Tsu-Kung hospital, this swifty decision made at the EMBA gathering party held 10 days ago, when J. had the converstaion with one of our classmate, Dr. Wang about the schedule, I was there between their conversation, as I want to do it this year, so, simply join the program together with J.

Dr. Wang is a very nice and professional doctor, he perform the stomach / intense inner body check himself for us, my memory to this kind of invantion check was very blur , what I call recall is 10 more years ago, I did a stomach check, that wasn't a pleasant experience, I do have a little bit nervous when inject for relaxing my musule and swallow the stickly glue for protection stomach, then follow with the mouth / touge paralize, this is so bad, I can only calm down and think nothing but to keep my breath in normal pattern; to swallow the pipe isn't easy, Dr. Wang is a very good guide, he explanined every step in detail while performing the check, I can easily prepare for any instuction by him. we did the same when cheching the intense; the long pipe ( 120 cm ) crawing in your body , when it reach the turing point, you will feeling bad, thanks for Dr. Wang's carefully examine, the 2 invanting check up going smoothly; It took us 3 hours to complete the entire examination, the report will deliver in one week, I invited both of them for a " Flesh Fish " dinner on next Thursday. by them, Dr. may explain more for us.

I took the rest of day off and tomorrow, as tomorrow is my wife's 39th birthday, I want to stay with her and keep myself free for a few hours; picking up Sound from the school and receive calls from Miss Feng, she told me the Forest Primary School have no more vancancy for new students, we may need to apply for the " Trial study " during the winter vacation in order to get the registration certification. my wife is so disappointed; this journery of serching non-system education was an accidental trip. as we got lost somewhere in Whlai, discovered the Seeding school and revisited Sound's situation, find the crue of Forest by Jessica and via her introduction, knows the slight chance, we are simply back to the basic, nothing to lose, after lunch, we bring Sound to the library 2 blocks from our house, The Wen Sheng branch is empty, a lot of " Young Adult English books " when reading some of them, I found they quite suit me, this is a treasure for me to digest easy Englsih.

a pre-celebration for my wife's birthday, I prepared the neck lace for her, the product was produced by our partner - Kororo, she seems like them, we had the night market ventor tour tonight as the birthday feast, we share the same , if I reserved an romantic restaurant with light and music, we may end up laughting all night long. tonight, we ate pig foot soup, fired vegetable, ice, this is a great time for us.

2004/08/30

Had a long lunch with Miss Feng who we met the first time via the introduction of C., a pleasant experience especially when she educate me lot of Parenting issues which we didn't think of before; the conversation bring me to a quick decision -- Sound should transfer to ' The Forest Primary school ' immediately; asking for her help again, her response is swift, by late evening I know that we might have a slice chance to attend it, the answer should be disclosed tomorrow;

Fear comes from 2 direction; one form the phycological approach, one from physical approach; when went to the movie with my wife last night for the second run, 2 titles for one price, to take this advange, we don't mind to spend time on the one we don't really interest, ' KOMA ' Is the thrill we sit for the first screening, I don't like horrow movie cause it don't bring me pleasant at all; my wife warn me to close my eyes and take sap in the theater; I began to think how " FEAR " Come and take the place in my heart. " reflection is the center of fear " come to my mind at begining, take a deep look at all the horrow movie, reflection from water, mirrow, car rear mirrow or anything can reflect the figures, will bring the shock to you; then I gradulty devleop it to " unknow is the center epic of fear ", because what we don't know , can not be analyised cause the fear from human's heart.

second direction of fear come form the body, went to bad late last night, when thinking of the physical check up tomorrow, the cold wind blow to me, I havn't been full body check up for decade, the stomach and intense examine will create uncomfortable reaction, thinking about it, My stomach began to twist, this is another fear poaching to me.

the managers' meeting today, we review the budget and the actural achievement, the gap is 30 % this month, the deepest so far, although Typhoon impact for 2 days, but the moat is getting bigger and the overall business will be very tough, people will be frustrated by didn't reach the target and enjoy non of the achievment, morale will defenitely been decrease. bringing small sccusee is the key to revitalize the company, but how to, the flexibility is getting slow and people are more and more inactive. this is a true challenge to management.

2004/08/29

Today is the last day of kids summer vacation, everybody slept late this morning, this inclued me; I had a hunger for curry, asked the family to join, since me and my wife decided not to let Fruit freely go to health club with her garndma, we recenetly found that the grandma didn't really care about her, drop her on the bus station one stop prior to the destimation, have her across the street to the health club and grandma went to the different place, I hardly belive this is a grandma's love to her grandson ? Fruit take this opportunity doing what we didn't know, for a kid only 11 years old, I don't feel comfortablt about it, this is why we suspend the freedom for Fruit to enjoy her Sunday out with her grandma, this action limited our couple life as well, which mean we have to take care of them 7 days a week and can only secure time for ourself after dinner. even we know the kids won't go out after dinner, but we are aware of the non-stop TV watching will hurt their sight, but what can we do, grandma don't want to pay attention to it; this is why I am away form my mother, not because my wife drag me , stick me, this is really because she don't extend any help to our family, I don't understand why, I tried all my life to buy a house, people living under the same roof don't want to help each other, the closest relatives.......... I really don't understand.

I want to have curry, the desire is so strong, advise my wife, I take a taxi to Curry champ -- the curry specility located near Taipei Railroad Station, after the combo, I feel satisfied and strolled arond the 3C malls close by, visiting our new retail shop in K-MALL, a newly open IT product mall, NOVA mall, the traditional crowed market and TK 3C, a biggest chain in Taiwan; when checking our shop in the groud floor of NOVA, where we have 3 shops and recently terminate the shop at grould floor, from a distance, I saw a girl taking picture of the close shop where only left the banner, I am curious to know who want to take this picture ? Meida or competior, surprising , she is our staff, working overtime on Sunday to check any invetory / assets we can restore and save, I am touched by this good initiative and proud of having employee like her; businee in both K-MALL and NOVA weren't impress, but I bought a 40G storage from Trancend, the business card size storage is a piece of art, I am so impressed by technichians who improve all the techonology and improving our life in such a fast pace; 40G in business card with the price only 200 US.

When have my currey, I read the manazine and check the recommend book, I like the title " Renovate before Innovate ", the author Zyman tell me to " Sale what we know " but not to " Create what we think " in the business engireering process.

2 second round movie tonight with wife again, the Hong Kong thriller movie is OK, the Hollywood production " Twisted " is OK too, but I have a big doubt about why to set Chief as the murder in the end, cause this didn't explain who drop the FM2 to Jessica , the one who have this explosure is the policy phycatrist , he know every detail about Jessica and entitled to prescripe drugs for Jessica after therapy, the surprise ending design have too many leaks.

Diary of a CEO