Session 4

4A

The focus of today's lesson is centered on the idea of change. There is a need for an active change towards sustainable technology. However, to whom the responsibility of financing this move should be owed to has been a long debated question that has not been answered. Personally, I feel that it should be a shared responsibility, regardless of the size of the country. This is simply because the planet belongs to all of us and everyone has a part to play in sustaining it rather than selfishly expecting the larger countries to solve the problem. Singapore, for example, is a small country but this should not stop us from being part of the solution seeing as we are also contributing to the problem. Here, I agree with what our professor said, "If we say we are a red dot, and can't do anything about it then US can also say that they are only 5% of the population and thus, should leave the responsibility of sustainable technology to the other 95% to solve". Indeed, if every country in the world chooses to push the responsibility to another and delay the problem-solving process towards a greener and more sustainable future, we might not see a future at all in years to come. We are all polluters alike and should all contribute to making a positive and active change into our lifestyles or habits, and expand the usage of sustainable technology. Singapore especially, as a first world country, possessing the technological capability, wealth, sunlight and R&D; will definitely be placed in a strong position to transform itself into a country that promotes green, renewable and sustainable technology as long as we set our mind to commit to it. However, this responsibility at driving world change should not solely be placed on the shoulders of the government. As mentioned, this change involves everyone and so consumers should also be active in their efforts by changing their mindsets and inculcating strong values to be willing to pay at least 5% more for sustainable products in order to play a part in a sustainable future for our children, the next generation. We need to make a choice to change, be willing to change and be ready to execute the change.

As we looked at quotes by famous people like Charles Darwin, I felt that there were several key ideas that could be taken away. The first learning point is on the importance of our ability to adapt to change. In an ever-changing environment, it is not the strongest or most intelligent but rather the most adaptable that will survive and succeed. These are the ones that recognize change and are willing to change accordingly depending on circumstances. Similarly, in the corporate world, businesses that are able to move away from old technology and utilise new technology and novel innovations to create new opportunities are often the ones that can gain success. Another learning point is that in order for us to drive change, we must first adopt a mindset that is keen on improving and innovating. It is only when we are unwilling to live with the existing situation, will we stand up to our own visions and make a difference to the status quo. This in turn, brings us to the most important learning point. It is not sufficient for us to merely want to change (although it is definitely essential as a first step) but even more crucial that we actually invest the time and effort to make things happen to translate our ideas into innovations that can adapt to the changes happening around us for us to stay relevant.

Next, we moved on to talk about the difference between evolutionary and revolutionary change. I learnt that evolution happens when our interests change and as we seek different sources of satisfaction, we harness new technology to create different things that will give us happiness or meet our demands and needs. Language itself has gone through an evolutionary change as different cultures dominate in different time periods. During Pax Brittanica, there was a surge in the number of people mastering the English language. However, as we shift towards a generation where China is increasingly gaining dominance, more people want to learn Chinese instead. Owing to the competitive society that we are living in, we find that we are continuously demanding for faster and better things. This requires changes to meet our insatiable appetite for improvements. This can be achieved through the APDC cycle (Action -> Plan -> Do -> Change -> Action -> Plan…) that puts the plan into action, makes improvements and brings about transformations. The core difference between evolutionary change and revolutionary change is the process taken for the change to be made. While evolutionary change involves a cycle of continual improvement, where a performance gap will be observed before a substantial change is brought about; revolutionary change witnesses a radical leap. This radical leap is basically a radical departure from traditional ways of thinking and acting that causes an abrupt transition from one development to another. A technology revolution for example, is when a radical change is made to the way we operate that allows us to maximize the value we can gain from it. There is a distinction, however, between revolutionary change and disruptive change. A disruptive change can be defined as a change that is irreversible in the expected future. For example, mankind has leapfrogged into a different lifestyle with the introduction of phones as an alternative and more efficient mode of communication and this has impacted the lives of many in an irreversible way. Going through a day without using our phones is now an unimaginable scenario to many, when previously the idea of a phone did not even exist and people communicated through conventional methods such as letter writing. This would be an illustration of a disruptive change in our lives that is irreversible in the expected future as no one would expect to be able to live without their mobile devices after experiencing the convenience and efficiency of it.

We then went on to discuss about new technology adoption, where I was introduced to the various types of customers in the market. Our professor then took a quick poll to find out which group of customers each of us belonged to and it was observed that most of us in class fell under the category of “Early majority pragmatists”. This meant that we sought after stable technology safe from viruses and are functional and operational. However, this also meant that we were unable to cross the border separating customers who want technology and performance, and those that desire solutions and convenience. This border is also known as the chasm that is often difficult to overcome, as consumers are usually unwilling to take the risk when nothing is concrete and would rather be on the safe side and ensure that the innovation really works before accepting it.

In class, we also looked at the various readings given to us and I will highlight a few main points from the discussion facilitated by our professor. The key takeaway message in reading 1 is that there are in fact many drivers of world change, with 14 such global drivers identified altogether. From reading 3, we see that these drivers are based on different aspects such as economic growth, national security and environmental (climate change). It was also brought up in class about the gradual loss in America's dominance, and the need for America to get used to the idea of a multilateral world. This could be attributed to the transfer of global wealth and economic power (especially from the West to the East), a process that has been aided by globalisation, one of the main drivers of world change. The accessibility of a greater range of markets has spurred price competitiveness, where lower costs of manufacturing has shifted the locus of manufacturing and service industries to Asia. We also understand from reading 2 that the more open a country is, the higher its GNI because it encourages the flow of investments into the country that can help boost its economic growth. The openness of the country also allows for greater access to technology that in turn improves our infrastructure and manufacturing processes. It is obvious that a more globalised country will thrive better. However, globalization and the opening up of markets also indicate a higher level of competition since it makes markets more mobile and so, once a country starts to price its products higher than the rest, a shift in demand for their products into another country’s market will be observed. The country with the more expensive products will then experience a drastic fall in its profit level as demand for their goods and services fall. Another example of how globalisation can affect a country is observed in reading 4, where we see the Zambian economy struggling with the full effects of globalisation such as the floatation of their currency in the exchange market. The openness of markets as a result of a more globalised and interconnected world has made the Zambian construction market easily accessible to international players, with a higher reputation and thus demand than local firms that pose as a serious threat to the businesses and livelihood of local Zambians in the construction industry. 

4B

From the question posed by our professor in the latter half of the session on whether the eagle, the ostrich or the dodo bird will be the rising star, a key message that can be taken away is that in a competition to reach the top, it is often those that are dissatisfied with the status quo and are driven to change things that will be able to emerge victorious. In the case of this question, the eagle will be the rising star since the ostrich is unaware of what is happening in its surroundings and refuses to change according to circumstances that will ultimately lead to its decline. The dodo bird, needless to say, is already extinct. Just as the powerful quote from Edwards Deming has implied, it is possible not to change but in order to survive and even thrive, we need to move and be prepared to change with times and adapt to a new world. Also, in order to make a difference, we must first learn to fail. These are very important concepts that I felt were very useful and applicable. 

Our professor highlighted the difference between leadership and management. A leader is one who is visionary, looks into the future and explores the unknown while leaving the trail behind. A manager on the other hand follows the existing trail left behind by the leader. Here, we see how the leader is creating a paradigm by setting up the entire framework to give the organisation direction (where to move), timeline (when to move) and an agenda (how to move) whereas a manager works within the paradigm to make sure things are done right. This is achieved when the manager responds to changes and receives guidance from leadership to facilitate the change. Leading takes a more proactive approach (For e.g. Singapore is already planning for its 5th terminal such that even though the plan has not materialised, there is preparation made for the change to be realised.) while management is a more reactive role that involves observing trends and responding accordingly. (For e.g. China is a large producer of milk but if its products are found to be contaminated, we need to respond to changes in and search for alternative markets).

We also watched a video in relation to the discussion on the leadership and management. What I took home from the first video "First follower: Leadership lessons from Dancing Guy" was that a leader requires the courage to step up and do something new, where this actions needs to be easy to follow to make it easy for others to follow his bold move and even build on it since every leader needs followers in order for them to be termed a leader. Another key point is that as a leader, he/she needs to embrace his/her followers and treat them as an equal to forge a collaborative relationship. It can also be understood from the video that leadership is over-glorified since the tipping point occurred when the existing followers attracted a large crowd to join is. It is not the leaders but rather the followers that the new follower emulates. It is apt to say that "It is the first follower that transformed a lone nut into a leader".  The next video "Best video ever - True leader" is a truly inspirational clip that conveys an essential message that an individual needs to take the first step to move to get the country to change and progress. The little boy in the video shows us how it just takes a commoner's initiative in taking the first step to propel a change that even a superstar is unwilling to do. This reinforces the point that size or even age does not matter, and what truly does is our desire and initiative to make a meaningful change. Just as the size of the country does not better when it comes to the shared responsibility in gearing towards a sustainable future, the age of the boy was irrelevant as he managed to gain followers and lead the change that positively impacted the lives of others. Change is truly in our hands and this is a very vital message that I felt could be taken away, amidst other ideas, from the videos.

Lastly, we also did a brief analysis of reading 1 for session 4B that I felt highlighted the challenges in being a leader. As leaders work with their followers, they should expect to face independent  individuals with their own mindsets that might not conform with the rest. Such strong-minded individuals are usually hard to persuade and convince and it is thus difficult to impose things on them since this might lead to the opposite effect of the follower rejecting you or even rebelling against you. Considering that we are living in age of knowledge where everyone has their own ideas, information, innovations; it is difficult to make a group of disparate peoples to all accept and uphold the vision and rules set by the leader. This is when a leader needs to learn to manage the differences and synthesize a solution that is agreeable to all. 

Managing change in a society where such changes are pervasive, our traditional model of simply freezing, unfreezing and freezing ideas again will not work as we will find that we are unable to keep up when the strategies put forth undergo dormant state (freezing period). Thus, in response to these changes, we should switch to a new model and consistently create opportunities for people to improve, modify and make changes along the way so that we can continuously renew and stay relevant. 

It was another knowledge-packed lesson with many key messages to be taken away, which made the session really fulfilling. I would rate this lesson a 9/10 :)

Cheers,
Glenda