Management Journal - January 2008

~ “Is this a Design house?”

~ “Yes, we are a group of Designers for documentations, transactions, deal-structuring, contents, dispute resolutions, dispute preventions, relationships management, rights and responsibilities, compliances and governances etc.; on any subject across all jurisdictions.” 

~ “Huh?”

~ “Simply, you can just call us – Lawyers! Welcome to CA - Chur Associates ®.”

~ “Err…”

~ “Yes, this is CA New Home!”

That is exactly the type of conversations that I have envisaged for CA New Home with our visitors. I am recording it here as a useful guide to all CA Crews. I am extremely pleased that it turned out just like that.

Other than being functional, here are some thoughts when I got into the designing of CA New Home:

1. Communicative: There are plenty of glass and whiteboards for the recording of messages, ideas and illustrations etc. Cluster workstation; plus a PA system.
2. Transparency: One can see from front to the back and from floor to ceiling; thus the massive use of glass panels and quasi barriers.
3. Stimulating: Colour, lighting and unconventional choice of materials; and the non-rendering of a law firm! Encouraging effective out of the box solutions in our services! 

Here are some designated areas in this Loft’s CA:

1. Aquarium: Yes, all the glass featuring at the management front of CA. This is the epitome of CA transparency from the top. Our movements in it is extremely exposed and the only cover we have there are just the white steel doors. I called it the “BIKINI” effect. 
2. SUB-C: means “Stand Up and Be Counted”; the main work area for the positions of responsibilities. Seated in privacy but stand up for the common good of CA! The cross lighting effect is a feature!
3. MindField: our meeting room: an asylum for ideas and creative solutions. Come and experience it for yourself. We shall explain further in person. We have conducted our first status meeting of the year there and the result is that we are extremely cordial in the meeting and full of candid moments to laugh our heads off. It must be the WHITE of the white boards surrounding us.
4. Gateway: our lobby and our first point of contact in receiving our guests. The illusionary effects are enhanced by smart play of lightings, mirrors as well as the elegantly reflective white flooring.
5. Walk of Fame: the main walkway leading to the MindField that features the five GREEN pillars of CA. Showcasing the profile and credentials of CA in these pillars is part of our client’s expectation of management process.
6. Knowledge in Action: turning into the Walk of Fame, you can’t help but notice the three giant vertical whiteboards of an extremely white corner. This is our resource center for us to conduct research with both hard and soft materials that also features a hot desk for work on the go and ready internet access. Intellectual discussions are aplenty in “KIA”.   
7. Delivery Center: “DC”, as I like to call it, is as important in relativity as Washington to the United States. Real hard work is done here to ensure our delivery of services is in the manner and quality expected by our clients and beyond.   

Now that we are settling into our New Home, it is our new environment that challenges for our shift of mindset guided by the various design ingredients that we have incorporated. In our first Perfect 10 in 2008, I have highlighted the importance of being adjustable for trials and errors along the way.    

Interesting to read on Tony recently, one of my favorite entrepreneurial icons of all time, here are some of his “Tune Talks”:

1.    He wants to create a FaceBook commercially – an exclusive community that he can market and sell all his Tune (strategically pronounced as “Tony”) stuff.

This is consistent with my version of “you cannot win the world, you win fans!”. Guess what, CA is going into FaceBook big time as a platform for communication (internal and external) and marketing (both recruitment and business development). We have discussed this in our CA planning meeting of 1 December 2007. Check out the CA Group page in FaceBook and add yourself in the loop. “Personal Money” is also covering our effort with an interview already arranged in the next few days, keep a look out for this;

2.    He said that he is Branson with Focus. Thus, he needs CEOs to tune his other business ventures including “Rock Star” as long as they have leadership potential, management ability and creative thinking.      

This is extremely true as talent scouting is paving ultimately for the emergence of leaders. Particularly in a service industry, we are in the business of building leaders to excel in a long and sustainable manner. Realizing this much earlier, we have devised many new strategies to recruit talents including our Open Letter, internship programme for local and overseas participants (yes, we have two Australians scheduled to do internship with us April this year), referral incentives for CA Crew, better staff welfare and participating in career fairs etc.

Well, no chocolate for Christmas, Tony. I’ll be sending you a dozen insect repellants, especially effective on flies at high temperatures and high altitudes. Hope you find it useful.

Going into our very first career fair recently with some of the biggest and most distinguished names in legal practices in Malaysia, my War Cry for my CA Crew is simply:

We are no Better;
We are no Bigger;
In Chur Associates®, We Deliver!

Hopefully, with your continuing support and participation in CA’s journey, my War Cry to my CA Crew shall in the very near future be:

We are much Better;
We are even Bigger;
In Chur Associates®, We Deliver!  

You’ll surely notice that our dedication and commitment to service remains unchanged. Happy New Year, 2008 can only be - Better!