Talib Bin Hashim

How do you deal with people who try to talk you out of your dreams?

Dreams 2

How often do you encounter people who seem to be determined to derail you from your path or talk you out of it just when you’ve found your passion and purpose and you are happily pursuing it?

Often it seems like the closest to you try to talk you out of your dreams. However what surprises me at times is when people you hardly know or have any stake in your life try to convince you how “silly your idea is”, or why “you’re wasting your time” or my favorite, accuse you of “not being realistic enough”.

So here are 5 ways I’ve learned to deal with ‘negative’ comments or people who try to talk me out of what I’m doing:

1. Learn to identify if what you’re hearing is actually ‘constructive feedback’ or just ‘destructive feedback’. Things that can help you do this can be: how well you know the person, his/her experience, their tone and finally your ‘gut feeling’

2. Keep your cool. Don’t be defensive and emotional. Instead show confidence (a smile is a great touch to add) Show that you hear them but at the end it is your choice and decision to make.

3. You can ask investigative questions if you are curious to understand what really is the reason behind their remark. Questions such as “Interesting you say that, why do you think so..”

4. A cool way I learned to turn the tables around is to ask the person what alternatives do they suggest, and how do they think they can help. If they suggest nothing or their suggestion is not ‘constructive’. Just nod your head, say Thank you and cut the conversation short.

5. It’s natural to be annoyed by the negative remarks you hear even after you’ve finished the conversation. It’s also natural to hear voices of self-doubt and anger within you. Stay objective. This is what I do; Acknowledge these voices within me as my ‘ego’ or ‘child-self’ getting all worked up for nothing. I remind myself why doing what I’m doing makes me happy and fulfilled.

Hope these tips help you the next time you are confronted with such a situation.
To subscribe to my articles or learn how I help people and business succeed in the UAE visit my website, or even better yet drop me a line for a chat.

Don’t stop chasing your dreams!

Why recognizing the efforts of hardworking women matters

Women employment

This pic was taken during last week’s Human Capital Forum, as part of a session I ran. When I posted this shot of me speaking on the challenges women face when they go out seeking employment or just a chance to thrive and grow in whatever they pursue; someone asked me if I was just riding the whole wave of “women empowerment” that has become quite popular in our region lately. He felt it was all too cliche and maybe I have no business on the topic. Well, I thought it would be good to remind him and the people who feel this way of a wonderful quote I read once, it goes like this: “Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult”.

I have to be honest and say that this truly describes what a lot of women I know have to do in order to get recognition. Especially in our region. It probably explains why so many of them are so driven and passionate about what they do whether they are employees, Job seekers, entrepreneurs, artists, wives and mothers. That’s why I think that anyone who has the mind and heart to work twice as hard in spite of the obstacles and voices surrounding them, is someone I would rather see any day on the driver’s seat working, leading and running things instead of being condemned to the backseat. Regardless of their gender.

Is your workplace an Airport Transit Lounge? We can help.

Transit Area

Have you ever had the experience of being stuck for hours in the Transit Area of a busy airport before? Either way, I’m sure you’re not a fan of being stuck in the Transit Area of some airport especially if you’re stuck for more than a couple of hours. (Well, maybe with the exception of a comfortable and luxurious Transit Lounge). Ever wondered why people dread being in the transit area of an airport so much? Maybe it’s because travellers feel pressured to get to their destination as soon as they can. Maybe it’s the awful feeling of being alone and a stranger in a busy and crowded airport. Could it be because most people seem to be not too friendly and have created a sort of bubble around themselves? Do all these sound familiar to you? Here’s a question for you; could your workplace be like a busy airport’s Transit Area like the one I described? Think about it for a moment.

I for one know for a fact that I have seen quite a few Transit Areas within companies. And I am sure that many of you can relate too. How was it working with a team member who seemed to find their comfort working in their own ‘bubble’? How frustrating was it that a department in your company seems to only be comfortable working with “their own”? Ever wondered why your young new joiners seem to lose all the energy they came with when they first joined and now seem to be demoralised? Now imagine instead of being stuck in that dreadful Transit Area in the airport, you were offered to shift to a nice, comfortable and friendly Transit Lounge.

The ‘transit lounge’ mind-set was first coined by Prof. D. Muna in which he warned of the implications such a mentality has on productivity, motivation, retention and employee happiness. The phenomenon is even more common in the GCC region due to the highly diverse workplace and the gap between expat and locals socially.

The Tranzeet (the local pronunciation of transit) Lounge is a place that reflects what I envision how the UAE workplace should look like; a busy airport’s transit lounge full of employees brought together by a clear unifying purpose, employees who feel engaged each, employees who gain an appreciation and understanding of each other’s cultural backgrounds and, most importantly, understand the culture of their local colleagues.

This is not a UAE cultural orientation service, neither is it a workshop about ‘culture’ and ‘diversity’. It’s a platform where issues, challenges and solutions are explored together in a safe environment while participants get the opportunity to learn and work together to put together practical solutions for their workplace’s unique challenges. The process is structured towards helping your employees go beyond perceptions and towards finding creative ways of creating a happy and productive workplace.

If you feel your company can benefit from this program, feel free to drop me an email and schedule an initial meeting to understand better how we can help

“Strangers in a new culture see only what they know.” –Unknown

Part 3: Three Ingredients for growing a successful business in the UAE

colored pencils

Success Ingredient # 2: Stay Relevant by aligning your organisation with the market needs and the underlying Culture of the UAE:

I recall once catching up for coffee with a successful serial entrepreneur and business coach who had founded and sold around half a dozen entrepreneurial ventures for impressive amounts of money. Impressed by what he had achieved, I was curious to understand what really his secret to success was and so I asked him. ‘Alignment’ he answered confidently. He went on to elaborate to me his answer and explained that to him he always believed that a sustainable business strategy can only be realized through aligning a) What will your customers buy; with b) What are you producing or offering.

As obvious as this might sound, I can say that this simple strategy is often ignored by most business leaders and entrepreneurs who are too immersed and emotionally involved with their products and services. I see it all too often, international companies who enter the market with their existing products and services with little or no research to validate the market need for what they aim to sell or promote in the country. I find it rather naïve to assume a simplistic and a rather condescending notion that “just because it works where we come from, it should work here in the UAE”. Yet, many businesses set up in the country believing in the same notion. As a result many of them fall victim to the ‘pipe dream’ of conquering the UAE market with little or no effort invested in understanding the market and adapting accordingly.

I often advise clients to look at aligning four components as part of their business strategy when entering the UAE market, these are: (1) Their products, services and business strategy (2) The market and consumer needs in the UAE (3) The employees their hire in the UAE and their human capital practices (4) Finally, The underlying values, beliefs and interests –otherwise known as culture- of their customer segment in the UAE in addition to the overall government’s direction and strategy. The government’s strategy –usually announced or found with the various government departments- provides a highly useful indication to where the country is headed to, what sectors are targeted to play a key role in the country’s present and future, the existing opportunities as well as possibly a gist of government legislation to come.

Wasta, taming the elephant in the room to work for you

elephant-in-the-room

Most of the people who have settled in the region are familiar with the term ‘Wasta’. Wasta literally translates to; a mean or instrument used to help an individual or a group reach a desired position, or attain something. It can also mean to gain leverage or influence on an issue. The ‘Wasta’ is most often an individual with the required connections or ability to influence a decision or decision maker.

So much has been said about the ‘Wasta’ phenomenon – privately, yet so little has been written about it. The term has gained notoriety to some as it is usually associated with the attainment of unfair advantage to win something regardless of the merit or qualification of the party attaining the advantage.

Obviously, not anyone can have or become a ‘Wasta’. The prerequisites one would need to have in order to qualify for a ‘Wasta’ are; be known as an individual who is trustworthy, reliable, has strong knowledge of the local community’s culture and be well-connected to people of influence. With this in mind, ‘Wasta’ can be viewed in a more positive light by its advocates. Its personal nature makes it a less-risky and ideal means of influence in a tight-knit and -to a good degree- reserved community. A community that puts high regard on personal relationships and trust when taking decisions. These decisions can range from the selection of a spouse, decisions on employment and senior level appointments all the way to business relations.

Businesses can tap in to the power of ‘Wasta’ to help identify opportunities, promote their strengths and services directly to the right people and at the same time build valuable long term relationships. One way to do this is to seek the right partner locally who can play the role of engaging opportunities and applying influence where needed on your behalf.

Another way that has become increasingly common and adopted mainly by a number of forward thinking multinationals is hiring and empowering the right local talent in strategic roles within the organisation. Banks for example –local and multinational-have applied this strategy with much success. This has helped banks demonstrate how committed they are to the local community and the government, build strong and long term relationships with local clients and even roll out products and services that are catered to the needs of their customers making them more relevant and versatile to change.

Part 2: Three Ingredients for growing a successful business in the UAE

Success Ingredient #1: Stay Competitive by selecting and enabling the best People to work with

In his book ‘Good to Great’ Author Jim Collins argues that “hiring the best talent” should actually be the first priority business leaders need to focus on when looking to grow their companies, asserting that this should even happen right when the organisation is working on shaping its vision. Collins believes that “Great vision without great people is irrelevant”. Personally, I learned this early during the time I had just set-up my first consultancy practice called Next Level in 2006. I knew that due to the fast growth in the economy, the emergence of a diverse private sector and the growing number of youth population entering the market that being in the ‘people’ business could possibly be a good bet. I just didn’t know what area of the ‘people’s’ business I needed to operate in. I would be lying to you if I claimed that I woke up one day, had an epiphany and knew exactly what areas of business and services I would focus on. I believe that as I employed as well as collaborated with like-minded people in y area this helped me further shape my vision and carve my niche. The type of people I’m alluding to are people who have their ‘finger on the pulse’ and ear in the market. They understand what customers need, have a pretty good idea what should be done to cater to those needs and are skilled in engaging customers effectively.

Why culture does matter when doing business in the UAE

The unique characteristic of the UAE market makes it important for business leaders to have the best relevant feet on the ground first, identifying opportunities and regularly engaging your company’s target audience. Consider the fact that the country is one of the most culturally diverse in the world which often requires a culturally relevant personal approach. I often hear people naively describe the culture in the UAE as a ‘melting pot’, the problem with ‘melting pots’ is that by its design all cultures should ultimately be reflected in one common culture, and that is the culture of the dominant group. The truth is that the culture in the UAE is more of a ‘salad bowl’ (also known as mosaic); cultural groups exist separately maintaining their practices and maybe even institutions. You can see this play out in organisations, in some instances in specific business sectors and even in a single community. What about the Emirati culture? You might ask. Well, the best way I can describe the consolidated efforts by the local community as well as the government to protect and ensure the representation of the Emirati identity and culture across various avenues is that the Emirati culture beyond being one of the ingredients of this ‘salad bowl’ is meant to be the salad ‘dressing’ that covers it all and provides the dish much of its distinctiveness. What I’m trying to convey here is that the mosaic nature of the UAE culture requires companies to select people who have the best cultural fit as well as experience if they are to increase its chances in tapping in to more opportunities available.

Making the case for working with Emiratis

Those who know me and are familiar with my work know that I am a huge advocate of encouraging employers to hire and empower local talent. On one hand, I am a big promoter of ‘meritocracy’ as a culture in the workplace. I believe companies should take on people who can demonstrate clearly talent, ability and value they bring to the business. The truth is that my passion for employing and empowering locals in the UAE, and advocating a principle of ‘hire on merit’ might strike some sceptics as a puzzling paradox due to the wide-spread perception that local talent are generally just not “qualified”, or “motivated enough” or are just “too expensive” to take on. However I believe that it is to the contrary, that the right and empowered–with special emphasis on the word ‘right’- Emirati talent can bring enormous value to your business especially in the long term. This key point brings me to my next ingredient of the recipe for growing a successful business in the UAE which I will share in my next post.

Until then, wishing you a successful day!

Three Ingredients for growing a successful business in the UAE

Ingredients for business

Ask most organisations that are based in the UAE, or are thinking of setting up in the country to name what they think can help their companies grow successful in the UAE and you will hear three common answers that usually are in the lines of; “Tapping in to more opportunities”, “Reducing operational costs and staying competitive”, and “Becoming more relevant to their target audience”. I even know for a fact that some of you would add that “a little bit of ‘Wasta’ would be nice thank you”. Having experienced work in the corporate life as an employee for 9 years, and after that experiencing life on the other side of the fence as an entrepreneur for another 9 years (coincidence?); I can say that growing a successful business in the UAE is not straightforward and it is certainly not a ‘walk in the park’ as some mistakenly assume it to be when they first enter this market.

Ever since I had decided to embark on this entrepreneurial journey, I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to setting up and partnering in three ventures so far, in addition to being fortunate to have had the chance to have insightful conversations with business managers and leaders in the private sector, NGOs as well as start-ups over the topic of building competitive and sustainable businesses in the country. So much has been written and spoken on the subject of ‘success’ and ‘growing successful business’ in general. Granted these are all useful and commendable, however, I have learned that building a successful business in the UAE is achievable if your organisation applies three ‘success ingredients’ and commits to it across all levels and wholeheartedly.

It has taken me years of observing the habits of successful businesses in the UAE, speaking to their leaders and often working close with these organisations until I finally was able to connect the dots and decide to make it my purpose to help people and businesses in the UAE apply this simple formula so that they grow successful and we ultimately build a sustainable and competitive economy. In the next few days I will be sharing with you a 3-part series of the three ingredients you and your company can adopt to become successful and sustainable in the UAE.

Until the next time, I wish you all a successful day!