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PROUDLY PRESENTS
Patrick Tan
Resident of Singapore and 3-DNET® VIP member
Email contact : patrick.tan@exec.org
INTERVIEW WITH 3-DNET®
Interview in Chinese
Listen to sample sound "bites" from the interview:
Question 1 : Tell me about yourself
I am brought up in a traditional Chinese family in Singapore and taught to be an honorable person who values loyalty, filial piety, integrity, honesty and harmony. My father had been the biggest influence in my life. He was a successful businessman before he went bankrupt when I was three years old. In the next 17 years, he worked very hard to rebuild his business, but died unexpectedly just when he was beginning to see the fruit of his labor. As his greatest hope, I felt obligated to fulfil his dream and began a long educational process to prepare myself for the switch from a technical to business career. I hold an MBA in Finance and a BScBA in Marketing. In the past ten years, I have devoted my time, energy and resources to running my own business. Now, I have come to a stage where I think I am better off seeking the financial security provided by full-time employment, ideally in a company that encourages intrapreneurship. I believe I have the necessary skills, experience, drive and motivation to take a small and medium-sized e-commerce company and grow it big.
Question 2 : What can you offer to your next employer ?
I am confident of offering my entrepreneurship, along with a set of well-balanced business, technical and communications skills to my next employer, ideally a small but fast-growing e-commerce company that is looking for a dynamic and multi-talented person to grow its business. In the past five years, I have acquired diverse skills in Internet marketing, e-business management, Web content and e-commerce development. I can use my journalistic skill to publish engaging contents and effective sales copy for both online and offline marketing communications. I can also use the lessons learned in my previous job as an E-Business Manager to avoid potential pitfalls in executing e-commerce programs, and use my Web programming skills to develop and update its e-comemrce Web site cost-effectively.
Question 3 : What are your strengths ?
What makes a company great? The people behind it, of course! In this respect, a person's inherent strengths and characters are very important factors that contribute to the success of the company that he works for. I have many entrepreneurial qualities. Top on the list is my highly motivated personality. I set difficult goals for myself, and strongly believe that every adversity can be turned into opportunity. Failure to me is not final, but an important step to learn and prepare for the next step to success. This never-say-die attitude is nicely complemented by my strong work ethic, driven by values that have been inculcated in me by my upbringing and faith in Buddhism. Employer can expect nothing less than 100 percent commitment from me to get the job done whatever the obstacles to success may be. Unlike most people, I see my career as an important part of my life, and do not restrict my work to just within the office hours. An intuitive and creative thinker, I have an aptitude to see the big picture, and my views are often imaginative, original and highly rational. I am confident that I would be an asset to a forward-looking company that provides me with a supportive work environment to put my diverse skills to good use.
Question 4 : What are your accomplishments ?
I have received honors and awards for my accomplishments in the following work and intellectual activities:
- I was a finalist in the 1991 National Student Advertising Competition organized by the American Advertising Federation.
- I went to Malaysia to set up my first restaurant and succeeded in winning recognition from many renowned food critics. Leading gourmet guide Malaysia's Best Restaurants selected Café Le Parc as one of the country's best restaurants in 1996.
- I started working in The Straits Times as a daily-rated intern, but rose quickly up the ranks to become a Senior Reporter earning four times my initial salary in just 15 months. In my annual performance appraisal, Money Desk's Editor Alvin Tay commented that I could be an asset to Money Desk.
- I set up www.clickitpro.com single-handedly to provide low-cost e-commerce solutions for small businesses, and self-published a book, Success with Online Retailing ... for Small Businesses, to train more people to be proficient in e-business management. My book won the ForeWord Book of the Year 2003 Finalist award at the Book Expo USA held in Chicago on June 4, 2004.Question 5 : What are your limitations ?
The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates once said: "Life without self-examination is not worth living." Through critical self-examination, I have learned to be a better person by maximizing my strengths and minimizing my weaknesses. I belong to a distinct personality type that is introverted, intuitive, rational and organized. I was quite unsociable in my dealings with people when I was young. However, serving six years in the military and living in foreign countries for prolonged period have forced me to open up and taught me how to relate well to other people. Personally, I would now consider myself striking a balance that places me somewhere in the middle of the introvert-extrovert scale. I have also learned to take into account the views of other people when making plans since I adopted the Buddhist faith. Overall, I do not think my slight introversion would hinder me from doing a top-class job for my potential employer. .
Question 6 : How much are you worth ?
I will leave it to my next employer to decide how much I am worth. I am prepared to accept any starting salary because I am confident that I will be remunerated at the appropriate level once I deliver results that are beyond my employer's expectations. This confidence arises from my experience at The Straits Times. I started out as a daily-rated intern, but rose quickly up the ranks to become a Senior Reporter earning four times my initial salary in just 15 months.
Question 7 : What are your ambitions for the future ?
While I have closed my e-commerce business in Singapore, I have not given up my dream to succeed big in e-commerce. In fact, I have drawn up many plans, which I have yet to execute because of a lack in working capital and Singapore's lackluster e-commerce marketplace. The decision to wind up the business was made deliberately to start on a clean slate when I seek my fortune in the US. I am aware of the limitations that I may encounter if I were to strike out on my own in a foreign country. Hence, I think my best option would be to join an e-commerce company in the US and work with a team of like-minded people to tap the full potential of the rapidly changing e-commerce marketplace. I believe, with the right supportive environment and good working partners, I could put my plans to work and help myself and my potential employer succeed big in e-commerce. How big is my ambition? Well, it is not my style to count the chickens before they are hatched, although I am always positive and driven to achieve my goals.
Question 8 : How long would it take you start contributing to the firm?
With my in-depth knowledge in e-commerce and hands-on experience in every aspect of online retailing operations, I would expect to start to make an immediate contribution. However, I appreciate my lack of local market knowledge, and will set aside the time to acquaint myself with the company's products, customers and competitive environments as well as the company's capacity and readiness to embrace e-commerce. A quick learner, I do not foresee any problem in adjusting to the new environment, especially with my journalistic training, which has equipped me with the necessary skills to seek, analyze and digest relevant information.
Question 9: What is your management style?
I am wary of the danger of adopting a purely participative style of management after witnessing how factions and indecision caused a family-owned business to collapse in my first job after graduating from college. I believe the military practice of observing single chain of command, balanced with a sensitivity to take into account the views of my staff, is more effective in getting things done efficiently, especially for a small and medium-sized company. During meeting, I will explain the issues and use a series of questions to probe my staff to come up with resolutions that are likely to conform to what I have in mind. This will make the staff feel that they have a part to play in the decision-making process and become more committed to see the issues resolved successfully. Generally, I trust that my staff are responsible and reliable people, and are not too concerned with how they do their work. However, I will observe and assess each employee's performance carefully, and when necessary, take a more active role in motivating and supervising those that need an extra push. That I believe, in a nutshell, should make me an achievement-oriented and dynamic work leader.
Question 10: Why do you think you have a good potential to be a manager?
I believe I have what it takes to be an achievement-oriented and dynamic work leader. I set very difficult goals, and hold myself to very high standard of performance. I lead by setting good examples for others to follow. If necessary, I would not hesitate to get my hand dirty and work side by side with my staff. What I would not do to myself, I would not impose on others. While I expect top-class performance from my staff, I am generous in rewarding deserving staff handsomely if I have the authority to do so. When I was running a restaurant, I would assign additional tasks to selected staff and watched closely how they performed. Staff who had performed well was rewarded with promotion and pay increment. The exercise was so successful that I managed to optimize the staff strength to 14 from 20 previously without sacrificing the level of service provided. Unlike other restaurants, my waiters were trained to double up as host, cashier and bartender at the same time.
Question 11: What would you look for in hiring people?
When I am hiring people, I will first look at the person's qualifications and experience to ensure that they have complementary skills, knowledge and experience to add value to my team. However, candidates with the prerequisites may not necessary win me over because I place more emphasis on a person's inherent qualities. If I have to make a choice between a highly qualified person and a highly committed and reliable person with the right attitude towards work, I will choose the latter. In particular, I value a person who has gone through hardships to get to where he is today. It demonstrates his motivation, drive, commitment and determination to succeed in life. Experience and qualifications can be acquired easily on the job, but a person's characters take a lifetime to cultivate. To this end, I will use a combination of personality test, if available, and my intuition to size up potential candidates during an interview.
Question 12: As a manager, have you ever had to fire someone?
I would not hesitate to terminate the service of any employee who has done something dishonest or performed his work sloppily despite repeated warnings and attempts to improve his performance. When I was running a restaurant, I had dismissed several employees in that manner. However, I felt bad laying off good workers when I had to close down the restaurant due to financial difficulties. To soften the blow and the hardships that I had brought to my staff and their families, I borrowed money from my family to give each employee an extra month of severance pay and let them take the restaurant's consumable goods home for their Chinese New Year celebrations.
Question 13: What do you see as the most difficult task of being a manager?
I think the most difficult task in management occurs at a time when you are new to the job. You have to figure out how you fit in to the overall corporate structure; how you should carry out your work without upsetting other people's agendas; and most importantly, establish the proper communication channels to ensure that your work ties in nicely with other departments to achieve the common goals set by the company. The task becomes extremely difficult when you have to transform a traditional retailer to an integrated click-and-mortar business model. Most people resist changes, especially when they are unclear about how the changes will affect them. Careful planning and many meetings with various departments in the company are required to sort out the differences and get their support to embrace your initiatives. It may be necessary to set up separate committees to coordinate the cross-channel integration of the merchandising, marketing and customer service functions. The committees will be responsible for developing a work schedule to identify the scopes, timelines, training and resources required to integrate various online and offline operations.
Question 14: Describe what you feel is the best work environment?
I would love to work in a fast-paced supportive environment where everyone is challenged to give his best effort and given ample opportunities to develop his full potential. Errors are tolerated to a certain extent if the staff has acted conscientiously in the company's interest. To achieve this end, the chief exceutive has to communicate his vision, goals and values clearly to all employees. He has to be an achievement-oriented, charismatic and dynamic leader who has the personal power to mobilize various departments to work towards the common goals. There are clear rules on delegation of powers, accountability and compensation to prevent factions and office politics from taking roots in the company. Adopting single chain of command and establishing proper channels of communications between departments will help to avoid any interdepartmental conflict and ensure that resources from various departments are optimized to achieve maximum results.
Question 15: Looking back how do you describe your past employer?
In between my entrepreneurial pursuits, I had worked for three employers: a family-owned company, the press and a department store. Working in the newsroom was most gratifying to me. I was continually challenged to take on more demanding assignments to develop my full potential as a journalist. In the family-owned company, I had witnessed how factions and indecision led to a change in company's ownership when some family members, disappointed by the company's bad investments overseas, sold their shares to a third party. The department store did not do well either. It had been losing money continuously for seven years in a row. I feel that it should focus on turning around its business before pursuing the e-commerce initiative. I have learned valuable lessons in management in both cases, and I can certainly use them as valuable references to avoid potential pitfalls in executing e-commerce programs for my next employer.
Question 16: What have you done to increase productivity, performance, efficiency, etc..?
I had demonstrated strong general managerial skills when I was running an Italian restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia about ten years ago. I introduced a job rotation system for my floor staff to make their jobs more interesting and challenging. Waiters were trained to double up as host, cashier and bartender at the same time. Whenever possible, customers would be attended to by the same waiter who would show them to their table, take down their orders, prepare their drinks, serve them and process the bill, as if he was attending to his guests in his own home. Waiters were also empowered to respond to customers' special requests and complaints accordingly. In addition to floor duties, I would assign some administrative tasks to selected staff. Staff who had performed well in his enlarged floor duties and extra assignments was given a promotion and pay increment. The exercise was so successful that I managed to cut the staff strength to 14 from 20 previously without sacrificing the level of service provided.
Question 17: Whether you are a "computer wizard", how do you respond to the financial side of your responsibilities?
I would not call myself a "computer wizard", but I had spent six years in the Air Force maintaining the radar's computer and display system. I have the necessary foundation to pick up technical skills through self-learning. In fact, that is how I learn Web programming in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, CGI and PERL language. I am also equally proficient in many office applications. Even if I have never used a particular software application, I can easily figure out how to use it simply by playing around with its user-friendly menu system. As for your question on how I would respond to the financial side of my responsibilities, I am pleased to say that I am well trained for the task. I graduated from my MBA in Finance with distinction, and passed the Chartered Financial Analyst Part 1 examination on my first attempt.
Question 18: How many people have you supervised in your recent job?
In my previous job as the E-Business Manager, I was essentially running a one-man operation, with only a merchandiser to assist me. I was required to work closely with the company's marketing, merchandising, store operations and customer service departments as well as other business partners in e-payment, logistics, Web development and Internet marketing. However, I had supervised a team of more than 20 employees when I was running a restaurant in Malaysia. And in the Air Force, I was responsible for training and supervising a team of 6 to 8 technicians and mechanics in the maintenance of the radar's computer and display system.
Question 19: What do you like more, working with figures or words?
I am equally adept in dealing with figures and words. I have always been technically inclined since I was young. I made the career switch to business when I was in mid 20s and went to the US to pursue my degrees in marketing and finance. The choice of subjects demonstrated my emphasis on developing both my numerical and communications skills. Working as a journalist later on was also a deliberate move to hone my research and writing skills. In today's overcommunicated society, you have to be able to write in simple, concise and intelligent language to get your message across to the consumers. This is increasingly true in the cyberspace, where your words essentially become your most effective "silent" salesman. However, the ability to write well is not enough, you must also have the strong numerical skills to analyze statistics, marketing and financial data to understand what is going on in the marketplace. These inputs are crucial to a business' success.
Question 20: How do you think that your subordinates receive you?
When I was running a restaurant, I can say that feedback from my employees had been very positive. I had been a generous boss and a mentor to my staff. I held one-on-one sessions with my staff regularly to understand their aspirations, drive and motivation, and when appropriate, I would give them books as a form of encouragement to inspire their learning efforts. When I implemented the job enlargement and rotation program to upgrade the staff's service skills, staff turnover was high initially because some employees resisted the changes and additional workloads. Those who stayed behind realized the values of the training and stayed with the restaurant till its last day. I am proud to declare that my waiters were the best in the industry; many of them capable of handling jobs that were assigned only to supervisors and captains in other restaurants.
Question 21: What do you think of your previous boss?
I have always regarded my boss at The Straits Times as a role model for me to emulate. It is hard to pinpoint his management style because he used different approaches to supervise his team of correspondents and reporters. To some journalists, he played the role of a coach, providing guidance and advice on the issues to focus on and the angle to present a news story. He switched to a "hands-off" approach for more matured journalists and let them do the job in whatever way that they deemed fit. Literally, I did not feel his presence in the newsroom, but I knew he was quietly observing and assessing my performance because I was increasingly given more demanding assignments as I progressed in my work. I guess to be an effective leader, one must develop an intuitive ability to understand the staff's personalities and adopt different approaches to lead and motivate them.
Question 22: Describe a situation in which your work was criticized?
On hindsight, I realize that I had made a very serious mistake when I was the E-Business Manager of a local department store. When my boss handed me the directives and told me to take over the e-commerce project that he had initiated three months ago, I proceeded at full speed straight away. I wrongly assumed that the company had undertaken a detailed study to evaluate the capacity and readiness of various departments in embracing e-commerce. The department store had been losing money continuously for seven years when I joined the company. Its employees were fighting for survival to turnaround their portfolios and did not have the time, drive, motivation and manpower to support the initiative to run an integrated e-business operation. If I were aware of these constraints earlier, I could avoid the costly mistake by scaling down the e-commerce initiative and operating it as a standalone business unit with a Web programmer, merchandiser and orders processor. Nevertheless, it was a very valuable lesson, and I will always refer to it as a practical case study to remind me of potential pitfalls when implementing e-commerce initiative for my next employer.
Question 23: If I spoke with your boss what he would say about your greatest strength and weaknesses?
That could be a problem. Two of my previous bosses are no longer with the companies. The only one whom you can speak to is now the editor of The Business Times in Singapore. In my annual performance appraisal, editor Alvin Tay commented that I could be an asset to Money Desk. In particular, he recognized my strengths in areas such as attention to details, understanding of news sensitivities, efficiency and speed in meeting deadlines, work disciplines, interpersonal skills, ethics, reliability, resourcefulness, stamina, ability to learn and willingness to take on additional responsibilities. I would be delighted to provide a copy of the performance review upon request.
"If I spoke with your boss.... ?"
Question 24: How can you handle life under pressure and with tough deadlines?
Very well, indeed! In my previous job as a business news reporter, I had proven my capability to meet deadlines and work under pressure almost on a daily basis. Reporters are expected to finish writing their stories by 9.00 p.m. every evening. You can literally feel the pressure building up in the newsroom in the evening. The situation was worst when I was assigned to cover important news conferences after 5.00 p.m. By the time I got back to the newsroom, it was usually past 7.00 p.m. Most of the times, I had to forgo dinner to finish my story in less than two hours. There is a saying that if you excel in your work as a journalist, meeting tough deadlines and working under pressure in other work environment will be just a piece of cake to you.
Question 25: What do you think you do better: staff work or line work?
I think I can do both staff and line work, although I prefer line function where I can have direct control over the quality of end products or services. However, I understand that the transition from staff to line function is part of an organizational development process. In the context of a retailer that has embraced e-commerce, it may be necessary to set up the e-commerce unit as a staff function in the beginning to maximize the use of its existing infrastructures and resources. As the scope of operations expands, it may have to recruit dedicated staff to run the e-business operations as a line function, with direct responsibilities to expand the online business beyond the geographical limitations of its physical stores and national boundaries.
Question 26: In your current position, what problem have you identified that was previously overlooked?
I am currently unemployed after winding up my e-commerce business last October. E-commerce activities in Singapore have almost fizzled out since the dotcom bubble burst in 2002/2003. Ironically, the US e-commerce industry has emerged stronger after a healthy consolidation. Today, online shopping has become a mainstream activity in the US, as more shoppers allot a bigger portion of their shopping budget to online spending. This disparity in development between the two countries is something that I have overlooked when I set up my e-commerce business in 2002. In Singapore, you can go to a suburban shopping mall easily by taking the readily available feeder bus services, and get anything you want instantly. This instant gratification can never be met by online shopping. Besides, many Singaporeans treat shopping as a social activity that they enjoy doing with their friends and families. That probably explains why the proportion of Internet users in Singapore who have shopped online is significantly lower than that observed in the US.
Question 27: If you had a choice of job and a company what would you choose?
If I had a choice of job and company, I would choose to work as an e-commerce manager in a growth-oriented company where the founder and his original team are still actively involved in the operations. I have always felt that the path to entrepreneurship is very lonely. If I could work with like-minded people who have complementary skills, attitude, drive and motivation, it would generate much camaraderie that is certain to unleash my potentials to the fullest.
Question 28:Do you have any objection to take a psychological test?
No, I have no objection. I have completed a comprehensive personality test that covers various aspects such as emotional intelligence, loyalty, ambition, reliability, interpersonal, sales and personality. I would be glad to send you a copy of the test results upon request.
Question 29: Do you consider yourself as a creative person?
Yes, certainly. The personality test has also reaffirmed my understanding that I am an intuitive, rational and organized person. I do not habitually accept the norms and popular beliefs for granted. Instead, I always use my intuitions and unconventional ways of thinking to look at various issues. In the process, I have often succeeded in coming up with original and creative solutions to problems that arise at work.
Question 30: How do you describe your personality?
I am a highly motivated person who set difficult goals for myself. I want to achieve something in life that I can be proud of. I consistently strive for excellence and take pride in my competence and efficiency. A high level of commitment, loyalty, reliability, dependability and a strong sense of responsibility characterize my behavior in the workplace. As mentioned above, I belong to a distinct personality type that is introverted, intuitive, rational and organized. What this means is that I have the tendency to let my head rules my heart, and the aptitude to use my intuitions to see the big picture and come up with ideas that are often imaginative and original. I believe my inherent strengths, coupled with my exceptional commitment, drive and motivation will pave the way to success in my career.
Question 31: What is your outside reading you do?
Besides reading the newspapers every day, I read books and magazines on business, information technology, self-help, investments, autobiographies and Buddhism regularly. I have a fairly large collection of books that fill up three bookshelves at home. I strongly believe that reading the relevant books can help to shorten my learning curve and complement nicely the practical knowledge acquired on the job.
Question 32: What are some of your outside activities?
If time permits, I would like to travel around the world on backpacking. Most of the times, I spent my weekends jogging and working out at the fitness corner near my home. I also enjoy swimming, hiking and socializing with friends.
Question 33: Are you continuing your education?
Well, I would say yes if reading and self-learning are included as continuing education. I read books regularly to upgrade my skills in Internet marketing and Web programming. If time and money permit, I would like to pursue a formal education in computer science or information technology once I settle down in my new job. I believe continuing education is essential to keep our skills and knowledge up-to-date, without which, we may not be able to seize the opportunities brought about by rapid changes in technology that are sweeping the world today.
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