REACHING GLOBAL COMPETENCE

***DAY 1: THE WORKSHOP***

A normal Saturday morning in Bicester sees a wave of consumers engrossing themselves in retail therapy via the world-renowned shopping centre. But, when a group of Malaysian students gathered together in Bicester on Saturday 2nd February 2008, they came with a different agenda. This was to learn habits that would drive them towards excellence.

The path to global competence requires confidence, a focussed mind and a zealous determination. 2 out of 3 isn’t bad, however 3 out of 3 is what differentiates the leader from the follower.

But what exactly is global competence? It is the embracing of several skills that will drive us head and shoulders above the competition. It involves a self-analysis of our current performance, the abrogation of our bad habits and the intelligent application of proficient characteristics.

The first exercise was introducing ourselves to our audience. Even this proved tricky as the congregation subconsciously exposed the bad habits of highly ineffective people. Frantic wailing arms, incomprehensible utterances and avoiding eyes were among the main culprits. None had expected that the most banal of things such as greeting, sitting or standing would become such major challenges. A critique of our actions proved otherwise.

The difference between sitting with our arms sprawled out to our sides compared to having our arms placed on our laps is translated in the message conveyed to our audience: are we presenting ourselves as arrogant or as susceptible to negotiation? Self-presentation inevitably sets the precedence for how our audience will respond to us.

When presenting, we should never have our backs facing the audience; stand up straight and refrain from shifting from one spot to another. Project our voices so that those at the back can hear what we have to say. Speak in measured tones and pause for effect. Look people in the eye and smile when appropriate. When shaking hands don’t grip too hard but don’t have a limp wrist either; don’t shake the hand, just grip it slightly.

Further exercises of self-analyses saw the congregation split into pairs, firstly to identify their strengths and secondly, the weaknesses of their partner. This identification process forced us to recognise and acknowledge our capabilities, potential and just as equally important, our limitations. Any goal setting done in the future cannot be done without taking these points into consideration as this will ensure that what we want to achieve is realistic and attainable. The self-questioning of these details sprang confidence in our minds and an atmosphere of learning followed suit

But learning without breaks leads to mental exhaustion and therefore inefficiency. So, simple yet effective exercises were undertaken to reconcile our deficiencies. Psychologists have discovered that the left side of the brain controls the right side of your body and vice versa, so to simply extend your left arm to pull your right leg up behind you gets both sides of your brain working. And switch, 2, 3, 4…

The ability to manage time will put you on the road to becoming a leader. So often, excuses are expressed: 'we don’t have any time', 'our lives are too busy' and that 'we carry too many responsibilities’. Yet when we compare ourselves to world leaders; those who run countries and states, one apparent difference is how we manage our time.

Fact 1: Every person has 24 hours in their day.
Fact 2: Some people achieve more than others within those 24 hour days.

Take a few minutes to recall your activities in any given day and indicate how much time was spent for each activity. When pitched to the congregation, this exercise proved difficult. After scheduling in sleep, study and personal routines, a large proportion of the day was still left unaccounted for. Any answer to justify those lost hours would thereafter prove to be unsatisfactory.

A full day does not however equate to a productive day. Being clear on what we want to achieve is one thing, being clear on how to achieve that is another. If our actions do not build towards our goals, then why do we insist on carrying on with those actions? If we really don't have enough time, then we should delegate. If delegating involves negotiation then negotiate, but do so with the creation of a win-win situation. If negotiation involves convincing, then convince your audience by speaking with evidence. If you are not convinced of what you are saying yourself then how can you expect others to be convinced of what you have to say? The lesson learned is the need for us to re-evaluate ourselves, re-assess our actions and re-clarify our goals.

A presentation on ‘reaching global competence’ illustrated the unique position of Malaysian students who are fortunate enough to study outside of Malaysia. Exposed to a whole new pool of skills unavailable in Malaysia, the role and responsibility of these students to work for the progression of Malaysia was stressed. In practice, this is for Malaysian students studying abroad to make the most of the resources available to them during their student life, equip themselves with as much knowledge and experience as possible so that it can be implemented upon return for the benefit of the society and Malaysia as a whole.

The day ended with an open Q&A towards the two workshop facilitators. ‘Ask any question as long as it’s not stupid’. I didn’t make up the rules however after thinking it through I realised there was much sense to this request. It is the asking of useless questions that prevents us from reaching a status of global competence because it is that stream of useless conversation that consumes our time preventing us from moving forward. However, this isn’t to discourage questioning, rather it’s to encourage us to think more before speaking. By us thinking more, then surely we’ll elevate our level of intelligence and therefore as experience increases, we eliminate the chances of us saying something we may consider as ‘embarrassing’ (although it may not be). However, take the first step and speak – it’s not until we get into the battlefield when we really begin to realise our benchmark of competence. The first step is the most crucial step. The first step is synonymous to beginning to achieve our aims in developing ourselves as the most competent. Surely, if we had learned anything from what had been expressed throughout the day it would be this.

Full of laughs and full of lessons, the vibrant, positive environment made it easy for all to begin that journey to global competence. Ingrained were reminders of positive traits and actions to be practiced. As said by Vance Havner, ‘the vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs’.

***DAY 2: THE SHOPPING & THE TOUR***

The second day of the launch event began with a tour of Oxford, a town over-flowing with culture, intricately synthesised with a contemporary cosmopolitan lifestyle and home to the prestigious University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English speaking world.

Its historical and cultural significance can be seen in the university's Botanical Garden, the oldest in Britain and the infamous Bodleian Library, one of the oldest libraries in Britain and the second biggest in England. Many of Oxford's attractions also surround the colleges and stories of ex-students whose contributions have influenced the social and political landscape of today. Its alumni include philosopher John Locke, Robert Peel, responsible for the concept of the modern police force (both ex-students of Christ Church College), explorer Sir Walter Raleigh (Oriel College) and Tony Blair (St. John’s College).

The significance of the University of Oxford is something that spans deep into the past, but more importantly, as something that will span far into the future as it continues its legacy today. A more recent establishment within the university is the independent Oxford Centre of Islamic Studies (OCIS). Patroned by the Prince of Wales, OCIS is a hub for prominent discourse pertaining to the scholarly study of Islam and the Islamic World. The centre invites much international support and is responsible for hosting a constant stream of lectures from prominent figures such as Kofi Annan, Nelson Mandela, Abdullah Badawi, Dr Mahatir and Jack Straw on issues surrounding Islam, the West and the Islamic World.

Bicester Village, a chic world renowned designer shopping outlet selling luxury and premium brands at unbelievable discounted prices was the second stop on our list. To commemorate the launch of MUSST, we were welcomed to Bicester Village as VIPs entitling us to 10% off anything and everything in the aesthetically pleasing village.

The promotion of MUSST to the village was done through already established links; note: using your established links as opposed to just knowing your established links will be one of the things that will levy you towards success. And as the eminent scholar Imam Ash-Shafi once said, “All humans are dead except those who have knowledge. And all those who have knowledge are asleep, except those who do good deeds. And those who do good deeds are deceived, except those who are sincere. And those who are sincere are always in a state of worry”.

<< Workshop Host: Hamidi Abdul Rahman | Event Photos >>