THE ORDER OF THINGS TO GET DONE:
PEOPLE, SYSTEM, OR BOTH
by
Dato’ Ir Dr A. Bakar Jaafar
There are numerous schools of thought how to get things done in general, but there are very few that really work in a developing economy like Malaysia. Categorically, there are essentially two schools of thought on this subject matter: one relates to “people”, and another, “system”. But in reality, neither one works well; and thus, the need for both.
In “management”, there are four essential elements, such as the standard “4 Ms”: “Man”, “Method”, “Money”, and “Materials”. But in Malaysia we needed another “M”, none other than YAB Dato’ Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, (now, Tun), especially during the period 1981-2002, under his exemplary leadership of our beloved country, Malaysia. During his days, to get things done fast, not few but many had to be to be reminded of by him personally. The Premier would normally have flipped his small pocket-size notebook, over 11.2 times on average, before things really moved on the ground.
But to move the whole country, it would take essentially four major instruments, called “LIFT”, to be in place: Legal-Policy Framework, Institutional Arrangement, Finance, and Technology. There has been a general tendency to “jump” into “technology” as the first solution to a problem. At the end, it has to be “scrapped”. For instance, the first option was thought of to be the solution to the long standing solid waste problem was the introduction of the controversial “incineration” technology. But the solution to the problem really rests with the need for a legal-policy framework to be in place first! It has been argued in the past series of this column, an enviro-economic Policy based on the proposed Indifferent Consumers-pay Principle (ICP) has to be placed. The follow-up strategy in order to implement such a Policy is to promote to every resident in Malaysia to segregate one’s waste at source, at least into three “bins” for three different categories of waste: “dry”, “perishable”, and “toxic and hazardous”. Some forms of incentives, such as credit points, ought to be given to participating residents or consumers who carry out such a practice and return the sorted materials to “reuse” or “recycle” centres. Those who do not participate in such a routine would have to pay some form of levy when they buy new goods or items targeted for recycling. One of the positive impacts of this proposed Policy would be “no more rubbish or litter in the streets, drains, and other public places,” since such so-called waste would have value when it is picked up by poor souls and gets re-used or recycled. It would also save the local taxpayers the cost of cleaning up the mess.
In the early days, even after MERDEKA, the roads, the earth-drains, and the grass were well kept by the Public Works Department because of the “spill-over” of the British Administration or that of the best practices sustained by the European plantation management, through the introduction of the famous “Mandor System”. By definition, “Mandor” refers to “the supervisor or leader of a group, especially of workmen” (Ref: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mandor). Should anything go wrong, the “Mandor” is the one who gets screwed by the boss, and not the workers! Thus, the boss is always perceived by the workers as the “good one”! Of course, the only job of a Mandor is to “screw” any nutty worker who does not live up to his expected duty or performance.
For sometime now, the important role of the “mandor” has diminished or rather ceases to exist in Malaysia! In place of such a traditional system is the introduction a series of ISO standards, including ISO 9000 (Quality of Products or Services), ISO 14000 (Environmental Management System), ISO 18000 (Occupational Safety and Health), and ISO 22000 (Food Safety).
However, in the absence of good work-culture or discipline, the introduction of such a series of excellent management systems would remain on paper or “hanged” on the wall for “show only” or for the sake of self-glorification.
Perhaps to complement the lack of good practices expected by all stakeholders from the introduction of such series of ISO standards is to fall back to the work of the first two Technical Committees (TCs) established by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) are: TC 1 (Screw threads) and TC 2 (Fasteners). Essentially, the subject is relating to “Screws and Nuts” (www.iso.ch). In the absence of the traditional “mandor system”, and in order to get things done properly, perhaps, it would be wise to apply the “screws and nuts” standards: Those who miserably fail to perform should be “screwed”; otherwise, they would become “nuts”. Those already known as “nuts” need to be “screwed”.
Nonetheless, there is one exception, though! While one is eating nuts, he or she can not be called “what one eats!”
In essence, one may wish to be guided by the philosophy of a behavioural scientist, Mason Haire: “What gets measured, get done!”
Kuala Lumpur
08 August 2008
08:00 Hours
PEOPLE, SYSTEM, OR BOTH
by
Dato’ Ir Dr A. Bakar Jaafar
There are numerous schools of thought how to get things done in general, but there are very few that really work in a developing economy like Malaysia. Categorically, there are essentially two schools of thought on this subject matter: one relates to “people”, and another, “system”. But in reality, neither one works well; and thus, the need for both.
In “management”, there are four essential elements, such as the standard “4 Ms”: “Man”, “Method”, “Money”, and “Materials”. But in Malaysia we needed another “M”, none other than YAB Dato’ Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, (now, Tun), especially during the period 1981-2002, under his exemplary leadership of our beloved country, Malaysia. During his days, to get things done fast, not few but many had to be to be reminded of by him personally. The Premier would normally have flipped his small pocket-size notebook, over 11.2 times on average, before things really moved on the ground.
But to move the whole country, it would take essentially four major instruments, called “LIFT”, to be in place: Legal-Policy Framework, Institutional Arrangement, Finance, and Technology. There has been a general tendency to “jump” into “technology” as the first solution to a problem. At the end, it has to be “scrapped”. For instance, the first option was thought of to be the solution to the long standing solid waste problem was the introduction of the controversial “incineration” technology. But the solution to the problem really rests with the need for a legal-policy framework to be in place first! It has been argued in the past series of this column, an enviro-economic Policy based on the proposed Indifferent Consumers-pay Principle (ICP) has to be placed. The follow-up strategy in order to implement such a Policy is to promote to every resident in Malaysia to segregate one’s waste at source, at least into three “bins” for three different categories of waste: “dry”, “perishable”, and “toxic and hazardous”. Some forms of incentives, such as credit points, ought to be given to participating residents or consumers who carry out such a practice and return the sorted materials to “reuse” or “recycle” centres. Those who do not participate in such a routine would have to pay some form of levy when they buy new goods or items targeted for recycling. One of the positive impacts of this proposed Policy would be “no more rubbish or litter in the streets, drains, and other public places,” since such so-called waste would have value when it is picked up by poor souls and gets re-used or recycled. It would also save the local taxpayers the cost of cleaning up the mess.
In the early days, even after MERDEKA, the roads, the earth-drains, and the grass were well kept by the Public Works Department because of the “spill-over” of the British Administration or that of the best practices sustained by the European plantation management, through the introduction of the famous “Mandor System”. By definition, “Mandor” refers to “the supervisor or leader of a group, especially of workmen” (Ref: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mandor). Should anything go wrong, the “Mandor” is the one who gets screwed by the boss, and not the workers! Thus, the boss is always perceived by the workers as the “good one”! Of course, the only job of a Mandor is to “screw” any nutty worker who does not live up to his expected duty or performance.
For sometime now, the important role of the “mandor” has diminished or rather ceases to exist in Malaysia! In place of such a traditional system is the introduction a series of ISO standards, including ISO 9000 (Quality of Products or Services), ISO 14000 (Environmental Management System), ISO 18000 (Occupational Safety and Health), and ISO 22000 (Food Safety).
However, in the absence of good work-culture or discipline, the introduction of such a series of excellent management systems would remain on paper or “hanged” on the wall for “show only” or for the sake of self-glorification.
Perhaps to complement the lack of good practices expected by all stakeholders from the introduction of such series of ISO standards is to fall back to the work of the first two Technical Committees (TCs) established by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) are: TC 1 (Screw threads) and TC 2 (Fasteners). Essentially, the subject is relating to “Screws and Nuts” (www.iso.ch). In the absence of the traditional “mandor system”, and in order to get things done properly, perhaps, it would be wise to apply the “screws and nuts” standards: Those who miserably fail to perform should be “screwed”; otherwise, they would become “nuts”. Those already known as “nuts” need to be “screwed”.
Nonetheless, there is one exception, though! While one is eating nuts, he or she can not be called “what one eats!”
In essence, one may wish to be guided by the philosophy of a behavioural scientist, Mason Haire: “What gets measured, get done!”
Kuala Lumpur
08 August 2008
08:00 Hours
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