First day of transition
Do it quick, do it swift and do it right, had an early morning meeting with C. and capture the current status; obtaining the devlopment of our second bid, a few things need to be revised, will see T. next Monday for fixing the issue.
Session followed from K. to T. to M. in the morning, no suprise's surprise, T. and M. will resign after me, this is not so called Domino effect, but it may be intepreted that way, but what can I say? T. asked my permittion to leave month ago, I didn't echo to her due to my personal things wasn't settle yet, and M. was surprised to see I am leaving earlier than her intention. no bother as well.
Sending the Fund for safety net message by moon, see what happend, this is a test for friendship and commitment, As it cost me nothing, I don't mind to try our friendship if any; finishing the proposal for Federal Tire and shared it with C. as her opinion will make sure if we can deliver or not. the answer is positive, so, I am pleased to see it deveoped.
Coffee with E. double confirm her intention to join me and the stating day, we set a March 1 to Side project.
A congradulation coffee with 4 new directors at Chulk Full, buying them the gift from Tokyo, I can't really see their excitement, but I am perform as normal as I can, the news won't not spread until next Monday.
Safty Net is a very important key stone to steablize both me and the family, I should not reluctant to drive it more.
Share with C. we will not choose client at first year of Start Up, as long as we gain credit and reputation among the client, from next year, we may choose which client we favor and asked for premium price.
Tomorrow at Wutai - Ping Tong, should be a peaceful Christmas Eve. I will pray, pray hard and loud.
The end of a beginning
Second night at Tokyo, staying at The Strings Hotel, a dream hotel I always want to experience, it's not as good as I expected, however, as this is a dream come true, nothing to complained.
The day begin with an early breakfast with I. - an old time friend and a great supporter to our company, I. relocate to Tokyo in April and care about me all the time, we finally find the window to see each other, and it's 7:15 am in the morning ( it's Taipie time 6:15 am ), the breakfast take for 90 minutes, I shared everything with him, even the querral with S. 2 weeks ago, he is a nice guy and a friend to me. I know this is what I need to do, be honset with my feeling and to a true friend like him.
Going back to my room ,staying for another hour before the special Board Meeting. I arrived Gotenyama Hill 30 minuted ahead of scheudle, and run into S. in the lobby, I greet him with a smile and conversation, I can sense his embarrancing when we had the first eye contact, As I told A. before, I will be a matur person to finish my last job at the office, so, it easy both party. yesterday, the parent company go public and the stock price double the first day, it's a good sign and shows strong development of our company also.
The Special Board Meeting take about 15 minutes only, it simply pass my regination and approve the appointment of K. as my succesor, in additon, to elect another 3 local executives becoming new board members. it's peaceful and smooth.
Y. - my chairman invited me for lunch - again, in a Chinese restaurant, they told me it's so hard to reserve the Japanese restaurant, so, we have to bear the Japanese's Chinese food.
Greeting with Group CFO for 10 minutes, update him the company situraiton my regination, a simply courtesy greeting to him, follow with another 2 15 minutes session with CEO and Chairman, I complete almost all the task in a day and begin my new life as an independant perosn.
To make my last stay in Tokyo a memorial one, I asked J. colleage to book the Shabu Sahbu restaurant for me. I don't know if this is the one I had last time, but the Japanese beef was as good as before, then, me my wife moving forward to the Lopponki Hil - a luxury place of shopper where I never being before, the first come to me wasn't the fashion, but the Pork Cutlet house - my favorite one, unexpectly, I found one of its branch restaurant in the Hill, so, without concideration, I walked in the restaurant, waiting for another 20 minutes, simply for the good taste of Pork and the best steam rice I've ever had in Japan.
Loppongki Hill is a hugh place, I walked and buy my wife an overcoat. the busy day keep me from thinking of future next, but I will face the challenge and raise my voice to the world, I can only be better. Yes.
Check the EMBA enroll list, T. wasn't on the list, I am really disappointed, we tried so hard to help him and thought this time, it's a hit for him, passing the paper examination, a rehearsal for his oral test. however, it fails, I don't know how to raise this issue, but, am I too easy for this?
This is end of a beginning, the time is Dec. 21 am 11:00 at Tokyo, a milestone for me to take off, to spread my wings and to breath in my way.
10 minutes Deal
It took only 10 minutes to close the deal with the debut Altrisum Project - The Community One from Shiyi real estate. I am not sure if this is the kindness of C. C or he really need person like me to better handle this charity project. but only for 10 minutes, I really happy to see my fist step out of the cocoon. the we had a few minutes of dialoge, I asked his opinion about doing a " Consultant " and the meaning of " Freedom is not free " to my surprise, he dosen't in line with what others said in the book or at the Forum discussion. this is another injection of power to me. Go my own way should be a right thing to do. then what I need now is to Do the thing right.
S. called late last night when me and my wife stroll as the night market for last suppor, he complained about the company and how he wish to do with it this morning, as I am totally free from his employment, so, the postion is equal and I can sense he really need someone to help him, I will do it, but not be be hired from him.
The morning managers' meeting is a tourcher to everybody, include me, as I am not a little bit set up to run the company, K. is more aggresivelly conduct the challenge when I chair the meeting, the problem is not asking question, the problem is how and when, whenever managers reported the dept. status, he ignore what they say ( because they are reporting it in Mandarin ), after the session , he will asked the manager who just done there session to turn back the slide , and he stared to asked questions one slide by one slide in English, this is a totally wasting of time and no effective at all, then when other people sharing the topic, he will use Japanese to talk with the other Japanese colleage, ignoring the order in the meeting, something, when obtain the answer from the J. colleage, he will then instrusted local managers to follow the order without built any consensuse, this is rediculau, however, I am no longe in the postion to challenge his way of managing the company, I can only bless all the managers remian in the company can find a way to get use of his style and personality.
Lunch wit C. a Stanford drop out and empreprunior in streaming music. he share with me his finding in online music / digital music business in Great China, the KK box model works in Taiwan, right now with 15m revenue per month and 120,000 subscriber, this is a BE business, but it's hard to break into China. they are frustarte in the devleopment of China and consider a M an A in short. I provide my opinion without hesitation, accidentally, I heard one of my privious colleage in music developed the breast cancer earlier this year, this lady is now working with him , I shall initaitive contact to her when return next week.
A. send another mail to asked my apology to S. I will never do it, the message with warning make me uncomfortable, but, what can I lost ? I should value myself, value to be a man to be respect, I will be humble and will be mature, but there no way for me to say " I am sorry " to what I honored.
Tokyo trip must be fun.
Forum Retreat
I chaired the Forum Retreat session last weekend at Royal Hotel Chiao Shi, one of the best hot spring hotel in Taiwan, this is a postponed schedule back to mid-Oct. due to a Typhoon, the retreat postpone for 2 months.
we were taking an early train - departure on 7:30 from Taipei Railroad Station, and guess what, J. our youngest brother who never taking the train in Taiwan before. I prepared the breakfast from the local breakfask store, I knew they love it.
arrived by 9:00 am, pick up and check in by 9:30 am, with a brief introduction by the resident manager, we begin the first session of Mini presentation by me, the Birth of Side Project; afternoon session was done by S. with the title " The coming train ".
As my plan is a very blur concept to everyone, so, the after presentation discussion is very challenging, how to set the business model, will the consultant be a good career etc... brothers are helping me to shap my plan and trun it to a feasival action. I apprecaiate.
A.J. David, do give me good advise. in all occations, S. is hesitating to review my plan as it will create conflict to his original plan. but, I can't live by others' order , if I do so, what bother to leave my comfort zone?
Ivy league Haliday Ball
Attenting the first Local black tie dinner at Grand Hyatt; hosted by Harvard alumni and other Ivy league in Taiwan; they call it the elite gathering, I was there because it was invited by S. one of our fourm members; at the present, I met the formal forum member J. the first time, he was from Beijing and we sit together, sharing a few professional managers' experience, he was right about a lot of things, but only one thing I am not favor, which is the " Stage " we need. maybe this is the barrier between a person and the brand he worked with. Mayor Ma join the ball by 8:30 pm, he erose the commotion, but , this is a Harvard thing and he was graduate from Harvard Law School.Went home by 10:00 pm, had an appertise for sweet, my wife drove me to the circle and have the sticty rice ball soup. the shop with a "Q" as it's logo, thank God it open still, however, the best sweet rice cake was out of stock, after it, the appertise killing us still, so, we went to a local dumpling restaurant and have another session of later night suppor. I don't know why I ate so much last night, but according to my wife, I am in a bad mood, well, maybe. but I do eating too much last night.Going back to Michael Bolton concert in Taipei. the age group is pretty much in our generation, 40 somethings, what surprise me is S. met more acquainted than me at the concert venue. I can see he really enjoy the show, what I am afraind is the person we met at the Cafe' may bring him back to the old memories and ....
Away part 2
Being a distanct to my blog for another few days, things happen in rampage scale and I can hardly catch up the pace, so, let me briefly recall on what happened for the past few days, this is another trier to my memory.
A busy Sat. last week. attend C.'s early breakfast invitaiton in the morning of 7:00 am, she was late for 40 minutes, it leave us 20 minutes to upadte, her concerned is about second bid we mingh have on the day before, I updated her that I've inform the manager in EZfly how to handle the coming negociation process, the question is , how to handle S. in a proper manner. as the thinging getting more and more real. she will resign with a good execuse, to help the execution of ILA Formasa international music festival, as she can't show up at my side before Feb. this is what we thought a safe way to leave. I handed her the press clips from J. and seek her comment about the SY project. it seems we are in line with the plan.
Attend EZFly strategic session after the morning meeting, I arrvied by 8:30 am and stayed untile 12:40, S. make a few tramp for me to jump in, I was very careful about it, as I have decided to go my own way, this commitment can't be made ealier than Feb. then I realized how he hurt his fingers, another emotional eruption at home, his hand was cut by the broken dish which he slam on. -- You can never change a person if he don't want to do it himslef. no matter how humble her reflection on the retreat, personality will carried him to the world he meant to be. another, to quote what he said " God leave in mystious way " and " The coming train ", I feel bad about it.
Move on to have lunch with J. at the pork rib restaurant which I loved the best, Jerry came on time - he always on time, we reviewed his weekly update and I can see the project wasn't go as plan, when he asked about my where about, I honestly told him that the answer will arrive right afther Jan. 2006. and I can't no longer support fund for the company, they must sustain by their own. our last conversation covered on issue, only for 2 minutes, he asked me if I knew what he did 2 weeks agon when he was plan to go in the surgery ? the night before? I said, of couse , I know, you are writing your will, YES, he mentioned to me that he was writing will to his sons and weeping the paper, I am very disappointed, the message told me, he will never bet his life for success. I feel sad, but, what can I say?
Members' meeting take place by 4:45 pm, I took a nap at the Suana of Regent hotel, thanks God, I still have this little hide away - Free. and even if I am out of everything, there a place for me to relax, think and work as a temporary office. The meeting approve the commitee of officer in coming year, I was invited to be the Forum officer, well, I accept it and willing to attend the Global Leadership Conference in Cape Town- Southe Africa. during the members' meeting, I was sitting next to M. Han who's my sponsor to the organization, I told him my next move, he is a kind of shock and willing to learn more, the last word coming from his month is : come and be my consultant, my reposne is : why not, I defenitely need a China story. the truth will come once I made the appointment in mid-Jan. see what happened.
Not in the mood to attend the Christmas Party because I drafted my announcement of regination a few hours ago, so, calling wife to pick up home. there's a war in my house on Sat. night, the hestaric Fruit erupt again, it took me and my wife another few hours to deal wit her and another morning to calm each other.
Sunday morning, J missed the appointment , so I take the free time to stroll the new Eslite Flagship store, it's a huge book shop, I bought a few book related to entreprinourship and start up. it's funny, when you get the demand, a lot of supply vividly in your face.
Brought S. to Michael Bolton concert on Friday night, that's a good one, I saw him and greeted him 10 years ago, and attending concert 10 years after. this is what a good concert. S's first experience attending pop concert was with me. ain't that a good thing. " To Love somebody " " How am I supposed to live without you " good song, good voice.
