(As published in Tempo magazine, January 2012) By Ian Mason
I vividly remember my first trip to Hong Kong more than 25 years ago.
My wife and I had decided to use the Metro to get around. On our first day, we found the Metro station (easy), bought a ticket (no problems) and stood on the platform, expectantly waiting for the next train.
It soon arrived, announced by a furnace of gushing air, and rumbled into the station before easing to a stop, the doors neatly aligned with the queuing areas dotted along the platform.
It was all tranquil and serene as the electric doors glided open, and we stood back, in our traditional British-mannered upbringing, to allow the arriving passengers to alight.
As Julia Roberts once said, mistake…big mistake!
Suddenly, from behind, swarmed an army of human bodies. Battalions of rushing commuters, pushing, shoving, bumping, elbowing, bustling past us in their bid to be the first through the train doors.
The people inside the train were forced back, until they finally found a crack in the advancing lines and zig-zagged their way onto the platform.
We couldn’t retreat. We just cowered beneath an arsenal of briefcases, handbags, shopping baskets, stilettos and brogues as waves of battle-hardened troops, flanking wide, powered towards their target.
Finally the skirmish was over. The doors slammed shut, and the train sped off to its next battlefield.
We were left behind, our innocence and naivety mortally wounded, as peace again descended on the station.
Is there a moral to this story? You bet. Don’t stand still or you will be crushed by the crowd.
Same in the business world. The world of commerce in Abu Dhabi is thronging with competition, and those who stand still will be trampled in the rush.
What does ‘standing still’ mean? It is not keeping up with current trends. It is being complacent. Thinking ‘my world’s OK, Jack’. Believing you can’t improve. Not upskilling yourself and your staff.
If you do not undertake training, you are susceptible to attack from the well-armed forces around you. The young turks. The dissidents. Those who see the wisdom of training their staff to be the best in the game and invest heavily in employee development.
Training in today’s business world is not a luxury. You can’t just spend a few dirhams of petty cash. Training is now a necessary part of your business strategy, and deserves a 12-month plan to ensure your staff update their skills and are equipped with the latest knowledge to battle the corporate world.
Plug alert: Tamakkan Corporate Bootcamp workshops have been designed to get companies into shape for the challenges that lurk in 2012, and, indeed, there will be challenges. It will be a survival of the fittest.
Marketing, project management, leadership, customer service – these are the business weapons for the 21st century. Make sure you have them in your armoury. Otherwise, you’ll be crushed by the advancing army. Just like we were in Hong Kong.
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Ian Mason is a Tamakkan trainer and coaches on marketing, hospitality and media. Tamakkan offers a range of business workshops for corporate and for entrepreneurs. Contact Brand Moxie on (02) 4918625 or emailbusiness@brandmoxie.com for a workshop schedule.
