YCM Fireside Chat: Management Practices in Malaysia — 2021 and Beyond

YCM x The World Bank Group with Norlida Azmin, the Group Chief People Officer of Axiata, and Azran Osman-Rani, the co-founder and CEO of Naluri; moderated by Dr. Amanina Abdur Rahman of the World Bank Group

Against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, the events of 2020 brought unprecedented challenges that caught everyone by surprise, changing the way we work and connect with each other. As the world sees a reset of work trends, leaders are acutely aware of the need to reimagine workforce and employee planning, management practices and performance strategies.

The dust of 2020 settles, we don’t. There is no better way to present our first event of 2021 than having a fireside chat with management heavyweights in collaboration with the World Bank Group. On the 23rd of January 2021, we were delighted to have Dr. Amanina Abdur Rahman of the World Bank Group moderate the YCMxWorld Bank Group Fireside Chat titled “Management Practices in Malaysia — 2021 and Beyond” with Norlida Azmi, the Group Chief People Officer of Axiata and Azran Osman-Rani, the co-founder and CEO of Naluri. Hailing from a telco giant and a healthtech startup respectively, the panelists shared their insights on how organizations can empower and hold teams accountable whilst managing risk to create a dynamic workplace.

The main takeaways from the session are as follows:

1) The outmoded metrics on key performance indictor are no longer the most effective yardstick to measure progress. Modern management practices focus on the recalibration and delivery of vision, mission, values and business plans of a company.

2) It is a slow move to respond to disruption. To stay on top of the game, anticipate and create the disruption. Agility is key.

3) Embed speed in strategy and execution. In a fast changing world, we do not have the option to remain stagnant. Be reflective and decisive. Give feedback on the spot. Rally around stakeholders to drive the common goals.

4) The whole idea of CV is a thing of the past. Show how we can add value to prospective employers by offering ideas and solutions, not just listing our skillsets and achievements.

Recognizing that efforts to energize a company would be futile without mentally and physically alert workers, the panelists stressed the importance of well-being and mental health and the need to rebalance priorities in the age of work-life integration. When asked to give a piece of advice to the audience, the panelists responded by encouraging young professionals to own the space, build complementary knowledge and hold opinions.

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Norlida Azmi and Azran Osman-Rani for being our esteemed panelists, and Dr. Amanina Abdur Rahman for her skillful moderation. Given the high engagement rate of the audience and quality content by the panellists, YCMxWorld Bank Group Fireside Chat turned out to be a successful event. This topic on management practices came in handy for YCM as YCM just recruited new convenors and we will roll up our sleeves as we continue to ride the wave of transformation in the coming year.

We would also like to record our appreciation to all participants for attending, contributing towards the engaging session and providing feedback. We look forward to having you again in our next events.

— this article was written by Jie Jiun, connect with her on LinkedIn here