Category Archives: Management Thoughts

Diversification is not the goal

Posted on February 21, 2012 by sinyaw

Riding on FaceBook’s IPO news frenzy, CalSTRS, California’s Teacher’s Pension Fund, asked the company to add a woman to the board. “We are disappointed that the Facebook board will not have any women members,” CalSTRS corporate governance director Anne Sheehan … Continue reading →

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Your big moment

Posted on February 15, 2012 by sinyaw

Once in a long while, you have a chance to meet the big boss, the one you saw on stage and never met in social events other than company parties. You have 45 minutes to an hour. Your foremost goal … Continue reading →

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Do you want to be a genius?

Posted on February 3, 2012 by sinyaw

The good news is that you can be as brilliant as Tiger Woods, Warren Buffet, or even Mozart! The bad news is that you are probably a bit too late. But don’t despair, there is still hope. Geoff Colvin’s book, … Continue reading →

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Mid-Career Maneuver

Posted on October 22, 2011 by sinyaw

Life is relatively simple if you distill it down to just three basic questions. What do you expect of yourself? Do you want to be a billionaire, happy hippie, Olympian, world-renowned artist, movie star, family person, corporate tycoon, or what? … Continue reading →

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Directorship

Posted on August 23, 2011 by sinyaw

My first real director job was at Sun Microsystems. (Although I obtained even more impressive titles earlier.) Soon after I got the job, they sent me to the director school: a 2-session, multi-day, off-site, too much food class called “Take … Continue reading →

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Non-Myths of Programming

Posted on August 1, 2011 by sinyaw

The July, 2011, issue of CACM has this interesting article on the Non-Myths of Programming. If you are a member, don’t skip. Both kids study science and engineering, neither of them ventured into software or computer. I have curiously inquired … Continue reading →

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Risk, Fear, and Failure

Posted on July 18, 2011 by sinyaw

This is a managerial topic, as in how to get your team to work more effectively. Early in the managerial career, the training is about securing resources, practicing planning skills, and keeping things organized. On any day, I would be … Continue reading →

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Girl Power

Posted on July 10, 2011 by sinyaw

“I don’t promote man to management,” my friend, a CEO of a 100-employee company that does trading and services in Asia, said to me. I was astonished. “What if one is very good at management?” “Their failure rate is too … Continue reading →

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NIH

Posted on April 4, 2011 by sinyaw

The mentality of Not-Invented-Here will kill any technology company these days. I was floored with this marketing material from a technology company. I masked out relevant names. This area concerns ownership of the components that comprise a product. The need … Continue reading →

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Yet Another Change Management Book

Posted on March 25, 2011 by sinyaw

Management are suckers for Change Management techniques. We have been trained and brainwashed that the most important job we have is to be an agent for changes. Then there are consultants, Exec MBA programs, short courses, and books on this … Continue reading →

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