Asian Leadership Style + Global Ideas = Success in APAC Markets

Conference Review: Shared Services & Outsourcing Week Asia 2013 Asian markets are going through an historic transformation. This decade will witness a shift from being a mere "follower" to becoming a "leader". Only recently, Asia was synonymous with low level transactional work, and BPO. Today, companies are moving up the value chain to provide high-end data analytics. Asian centres have become institutions that nurture next-generation global leaders. Today, in any large company, the 2nd or the 3rd layer of senior management usually includes people who have spent reasonable time within shared services. The region is rich in human resources and technology, and now has all the experience and ingredients needed to provide a new blend of global leadership. Tansformations, of course, are never easy. More companies will struggle in the process than succeed. Attitude, rather than arrogance, experience rather than expertise, and inclusiveness rather than intuition are required to shed the old skin. I was recently invited to chair one of Asia’s leading Shared Services events (SSO Week Asia organized by SSON/IQPC) in Singapore from 2-5th September. It was a fascinating couple of days spent with practitioners, thought leaders, technocrats, advisers and services providers. [eventpdf] Chazey now has a global footprint with practitioners operating in our network across the globe. This gives us strong insights about how shared services and outsourcing organizations are shaping up across the world. It is this insight that has allowed us to recognize the rise of Asia and Asian values within the global business environment. While the conference contained the usual blend of discussions and debate around topics such as GBS, Cross-Functional, Captive Shared Services, Outsourcing, Hybrid Sourcing Models, Hub and Spoke, to name a few, there were also a couple of new topics: Location and specifically the option of tier-2/tier-3 cities seem to be coming up strongly; awareness and engagement of data analytics is gaining strength; talent management, in spite of all the progress, remains a massive challenge. On the down side, one of the biggest challenges that Asia faces today is around fresh idea development. Many see this as the result of mediocrity in terms of SSO and BPO leadership. I believe the problem lies elsewhere. Historically, many of the decisions for shared services and outsourcing were made at company headquarters, invariably in Europe or in the US. Asian leaders, as a result, merely got to roll-out these initiatives rather than lead them. Another factor is the limited pool of high potential Asians deemed fit for the "bigger", global jobs. Since then, a lot has changed. Decision-making is taking root in the Asian landscape. Change is not happening quickly, though, and while I recognize a sea change in other spheres of the industry, it’s still not significant enough in Asia. I think it's time for Asian managers to shed their old image and acquire a new skin. Asian managers should create and lead initiatives that have distinct Asian thinking coupled with global ideas. In this period of strong growth and development within Asian economies, it is also time for Asian leaders to emerge with a distinctive Asian style of leadership. Outside of these trends and observations, the conference provided a fantastic kaleidoscope of some seismic changes. It provided opportunities to learn from organizations that have undergone a transformative journey, from people who have imbibed new technology at work, who have witnessed social media changing the world of services. Not least of all, the opportunity to learn from others’ mistakes and not "re-invent" the wheel. The SSON conference provide a dosage of these learnings. At the end, what excites me most about the region is its dynamism. I am proud to be associated with this region and with individuals like there who are playing a big part in this change. Don't miss the chance to network and learn at India's leading Shared Services and Outsourcing event: find out which companies are sharing their success strategies.

Asian Leadership Style + Global Ideas = Success in APAC Markets

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