Diary of a CEO: 02/20/2005

I stayed up late, revise the presentation file I am going to report this morning, adjust the logic and remind myself not to make the same mistake I did on board meeting -- dig into the details which I am not really understand, the power point file was prepared by Special Assistant with the insturction of COO, I only saw it before fly out this Monday, Board Meeting is the rehearsal so to speak.

Wake up early this morning, I revised the presentation file, rewirte a few slides, making the headline my logic to support what I going to present this morning. arrived at the office in Tokyo preparing the print out; M. wish to stay for 5 more minutes, I didn't take it, as we are running out of time, if she really want to make her job done in time, she should be at the office as early as I am, the young people in our company didn't understand the custome and tradition of working in Japanese company.

I think how to make my opening a fun yet intersting begin, so, I make a confession about my dressing, I apology of wearing the wrong suit, I should be in Black, as we broke even in FY04 , making the profit position one year earlier than our business plan. so I promise to all the executive in the conference room that I will defenitely dress in correct code next time. then the opening and slide show my confidence about the company, when the Q and A session begin, there's no question, a very quiet yet supportive result. we make it, I am not really exciting, because this is only the beginning, we have to conduct a very challenging plan to make our company the no. 1 position next year. I take a long rest and bring 2 local colleage to a eel lunch and brought them to the airport now. I am happy that the moment came.

This morning, via the arrangement of music company, I pay a visit to a new Group head at his office, last week in Tokyo, when having the reconnection dinner with 2 music friends, I asked about this gentlemen and his management style; they told me I met him before in my music days, I didn't recall the memory, as matching Japanese name and face always a problem to me, even they mentioned he even come to Taipei twice, I am happy the old days can bring the new platform this morning.

we arrived at the office on time, this used to be the music company, now converted to a adminstrative building and inside the cosmetic company existed; he was summoned to an ungent meeting with Corporate CEO, thus, late to see me in 30 minutes, but this meeting was great, we soon recognized each other, and I briefly told him about my transfer to internet / telecom from the music sector and how the company running now, he well digested my output and show some degree of itimancy; I was informed by one colleage last week that this new Group head didn't see eye to eye to my superior, there's power play higher up; I am not a Japanese and know little about the political situation in the Headquarter, but to win friendship and support from every business entity shall be benefit to our operation, not to isolated to Headquater and keep your feasibility always, this is the way to surviving the corporate culture. I am not anyone's pretoge and will not be, I told the Group head that I should come and visit him from time to time, to keep him updated and have his support all the time.

Board meeting taking place in the afternoon, the ground work have been lays from the supporting staff, so it goes smoothly, although in a few new business pages, I am stucked, I am not familier with every detail, it make me hesitate to dig further and explain what I didn't know, I treated is as a rehearsal before the budget meeting tomorrow, although I am no feeling comfortable about my performance today, but overall speaking, to prove our outcome of achieving the very challenging goal this year is an outstanding result; they are easy on me and my presentation, this is also the last board meeting for a few strong supporter for the past 4 years, 3 of the director will either retire or transfer back to Tokyo, new director havn't been identifed yet, even identified but not aware of our business, a very new educational process for new directors, I am not sure if all the new business initative will be launched succefully and achieve our goal next year; too much uncertainty and too much ambigulity.

Corporate CFO and Director join our board dinner, we were honored to have him with us, he is a great supporter to us and we feel no pressure ( this include himself ) every time when seeing him, he canceled 3 dinner appointment and join our session, we have a oral agreement to celebrate the annual break even party in Taipei and I promise to get drunk on the perticular day, I must do that because this is the way to show my great apprecication to all the hard working people.

after dinner, SVP invited me to a coffee at the String Hotle, a lovely hotel where I really love to stay with my wife next time, the cozy lobby and open cafe are so quiet and elegent, he updated me about COO's future and the possiblilty to stay with us, I am happy to hear that and told him my suggestion to have a dual head remain unchanged , another expatraite is expecting to join us for another 2 years, we have to set the procesure and sequency right before inform our colleages. I had a map in mind and I really want to keep COO with us, it gave me more time and room to think about my own future, this is the perfect ending if it goes smoothly.

everyone told me the budget tomorrow will be no problem, I don't have 100 percent of confidence, if there's any power play between group head and the current Chairman, he may take our company as a sacrifice to making us look ugly now or in the future, my exercise this morning only make him know me, but I am not in the place to make him support me directly, I will cross my heart and hope for the best.

Sending greeting to NY, R. is doing well by keeping busy; my reply to him is " Busy is the business terminology of Being Valued ", Good Ha; I am planning to be in New York this coming Summer, when Fruit is settled in school, Sound have no problem on his 3rd grade in Forest School, I should return to my NY fantasy, this time, bring my wife with me, she will begin her basic English course, by then, see how she can handle the language.

Steve Vai return his mail in one day, a nice guy, G3 is coming to Tokyo, I think it dose have value in the market, if I can place him in the Golden Meloday Award together with Lady Kim, then the break-through will be there; otherwise, the launch of indie label may need his conslutation.

Sending a wondering mail to Ti. about my Indie label dreams, in raised his curiosity, I am thinking to put the music value chain into one entity, but to spin off form my " Side Project " concepte; who said that 20 centry in the Information Age, and 21 centry is the Conceptural Aga. I fit the defination. Side Project shall be the parent of the holding company - now I am getting there, I need Ben's help to structue the umbrella and the fund raise / exit plan, I am getting more and more concrede about it. Zepp is an idea venue in Taipei, maybe the under-development of NKSP can be converted to the venue, why not?

Wathing Hello, the 6 minutes animation film from my PC last night, a sample from K.. a very touch story and it deal with 3 forms of music carrieer - the vinyl , cassette, and digital, and how then married oneself. a good film to be distributed, I am hungry to check the film - Touch with Sound, it should be a stand-out project, the artist herself is a story. when getting home, can't wait to see it.

Today and tomorrow are big day for the year, board meeting and budget presentation, replacement of director lays some stone of uncertaintly; new executive to explain what's our businee nature and domain tomorrow, thanks for the music friend, they arrange me to see the big boss one day before the budget. to mingle before the conference table, the Japanese Groud work, yes, I hope it works.

Yesterday was a simply day, taking two hours at Big Camara Tokyo, but buying nothing, the dinner at Shabu-Shabu restaurant was amazing; Japanese beef prove to be the best in the world;
This morning, to fulfill my commitment for Yen, I take the JR to HMV Shibuya shop and bought 15 CD for him, in additon, I bought myself another 10 CD also.
Reviewing the presentation for tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, I revised a few slides, some are wording problem, some are grammer issue, the adjustment took me 2 hours, setting meeting with the delegation from Taiwan, I went over the need-to-be revised slides. COO inform me the executives in Tokyo wish to have the presentation session in Japanese, I feel strange but relief, taking colleage back to the Hotel by foot, show they the recently opened 7 noodle shop cluster next to Shinagawa Station, showing the inner city of the station, having anothe cup of coppucino and bring them to super market for diary supply - such as water and fruits.

CFO took me to Fugu restaurant tonight - the blow fish which is famouse for its taste and poison, the special set was 9000 Japanese Yen per person, but he paid 8000 per head, I asked him why, well, he negociated it from Taiwan before arriving Tokyo and bargain to this great price, I am amazed by his controller nature, the saving benefit to our taxi transportation.

Going down to the Celler Bar with other colleague after dinner, a Spanish deco with warm red coach, I don't really drink, but ask the question about the launch of EC Mall, quite a challenge ahead.

I cried when watched the in-flight entertainment on my way to Tokyo this morning. can't remember the title of the film, somthing like " Friday at .... ", according to the introduciton, this is based on a true story, it tell a Taxes high school football team's story, how they fight to the very last moment to the States final competition, the team is Panthars; Billy Priston acted as the coach, what touched me is the final champanship, during the interim, before the second half, he tell all the team player his defination of be " Perfection ", it deal with how you look at your friend, how you value your team, but not the score board out in the field, I am so moved and starting to cry; then I wrote down the mission statement for our company in Fiscal Year 2005 -「Whatever it takes」and「With all your heart」; the long shopping for next venture keep me a distance from the company and from the diary operation, I am escaping from what I must performed, I need to list down all the outstandings / all the obstacles / all the issues in front of us and play the role of coach again, I need to bring the 300 plus employee to the next level and show them the Risk-takers include me. Dual funciton , even triple role won't be an obstacles for me, try harder, think deeper, win the game , at least be profection as the movie demostrated.
Arrived and checked in the hotel by 3:00 pm Tokyo time, seems like yesterday, acturally, I was here last Tuesday, hang up the " I am safe " long distance call to my wife - she complained about the post office system in Taipei, how the bureaacy make her so upset-- listening to all her complain, I take the JR train to Big Camara, the mega shop for 3c Product, I hesitatate to buy anything, when my wife told me the saving is running out, I stop buying for myself, being humble to oneself, be gereous to others, I should change this behavior,

The board band company came visit us yesterday, they will have a meeting with CHT, HQ want to have this job, we want to be the agent, but I really don't know if the fat budget can be digested by CHT; The General Manager used to work in the Music Company, we talked about mutual friends, it narrow the gape, COO seems not so friendly to their citizen, maybe the presentation they prepare making us surprise, the concept and scale wan't sexy enough; we had a good dinner, but COO didn't invited them for the second run drinking, this is abnormal also; I smell the unfriendly scent from the dinner table, thank GOD, the meal is so good, it emilnate the uncomfortable in between, everybody pay attention to the meal and can't stop eating, when you eat, you don't think, and you talk less. I joke to meself to be the Chief Eating Officer in the company, sending them back to Hotel, I packed my staff late last night.

both me and my wife tried sleep naked, we had the experience that it will keep the body warmer then wearing clothes. my feet still freeze unitl midnight.

woke up 6 in the morning for catching the airplane, traffic jam in one session, we were lucky to leave earlier, I don't have time to enjoy the airline lounge service and direct to the gate after the immigration check.

Normally, I will sign any paper for our colleage if they asked, but only for one reason, pursuing post-graduation study, I passed one this time, he is looking for job, a guy who perform very scared behavior a few months ago, we seize with evidence, I warned his supervisor do keep an eye on him , if someone have the problem with the mind, no matter how talent he is in working, you should always watching; he came to me and asked for the recommendation letter, I didn't say no, but when review the draft by him, I lernt this is for seeking new job, why to recommend a bad guy and let other corporation suffer. I will pass it this time.

Diary of a CEO

2005/02/25

2005/02/24

2005/02/23

2005/02/22

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