I was in Shanghai around 1 year plus when HR approached me to be one of the facilitators to evangelise the new process-driven way of looking at supply chains.
You know how it is. Previously, each player in the total supply chain will have their own "silo mentality" and corresponding KPIs - which sometimes do conflict with one another.
The left hand may not be always talking to the right hand.
So here we come as agents of change evangelising the new gospel that's emanating from the Head Cathedral in Sweden.
What's the new unifying KPI?
It's availability at the selling floor from the customer's perspective.
In each class, there will be participants from different organisations and functions within Shanghai - Retail, Transport, Distribution, Trading, Shared Services (accounting, admin, etc).
You know what? In my first class of 15 participants, 4 giggly young girls from Accounts at Shared Services walked in nonchalantly 5 minutes late.
Yup, I started my workshop on the dot sharp as stated in the agenda.
I sent these 4 girls packing.
My parting words to these 4 girls and to the stunned class:
"Now you know from first hand experience what's the essence of availability at the selling floor from the customer's perspective."
It was a calculated gamble.
And it paid off.
After the workshop, the "news" spread like wild fire. It has never occurred before in any of the Shanghai organisations before.
Immediately, I got a complaint email from the furious manager (local mainland Chinese) of the Accounts girls. LOL!
HR, and all the expat facilitators who done the workshops before me all poked fun at me and patted my back in congratulations.
Yes, I am the boy who pointed out the Emperor has no clothes...
Oh! What happened to the the manager that complain against me? Well, HR and his boss (non-mainland Chinese) have a good talk with him on leadership in a Swedish MNC...
When I do change management, I start at the serpent's head and work my way down to the tail.
Singapore Man of Leisure (welcome to my blog; just google it!)
