Cold outreach is a waste of time.   Unless you do it very differently.   Most people spam, pitch too soon, and expect results. That’s why it fails. The Truth About Cold Outreach (That No One Wants to Admit) Most businesses rely on some form of cold outreach. Cold emails, LinkedIn messages, even networking events where they throw business cards at strangers.   And then they wonder why it doesn’t work.   Cold outreach only works if: You genuinely care about the other person’s challenges. You establish authority by delivering value first, without expecting anything in return. You don’t sound like everyone else with generic messages and pointless small talk.   But even then, it’s an uphill battle. You’re a stranger asking for time, trust, and money. No one likes that.   Now, compare this to a warm introduction. How One Introduction Led to a Business Deal I recently met a speaker at an event in Singapore. He was engaging, funny, and made change management simple to understand. His ideas aligned with how I work and what I believe in.   I told a former colleague about him. She and I had built a high-performance culture in a manufacturing company. She later moved on to a development bank where she led a successful change management initiative.   She also organised events. So, I introduced her to the speaker. A few months later, they collaborated.   The interesting part? She had already considered working with him a year before but never took action. My recommendation made the difference. That’s the power of a warm introduction. How Warm Introduction Increase Revenue Faster   People buy from those they trust. A warm introduction gives you: Instant credibility The trust between the referrer and the recipient transfers to you. Higher engagement People are more likely to respond, listen, and take action. Shorter sales cycles No need to waste time proving yourself from scratch. More conversions The referrer has already pre-sold your value.   A cold email might have a 2% response rate. A warm introduction? See the experience below!   In fact, one business owner I support in her business growth told me during our coaching session this week that any person referred to her by a client only asks a few questions and then always signs up. A 100% conversion rate for referrals coming from clients; that is AMAZING, right?   So, the question isn’t whether you should network. It’s how you network. Most People Network the Wrong Way (Here’s What Works Instead) Let’s face it, most contacts start cold. So what can you do to turn strangers into good connections and potentially referrers?   Bad networking is focusing on how you can benefit from the new contact. This often looks like this: “I want to share about my service because I think it will be of value to you.”   My inbox on LinkedIn is flooding with messages from people who ‘have been following my work at ZingURbiz’ and want to congratulate me on the ‘incredible results that I have achieved.’ They usually proceed by saying they want to connect and ‘explore collaborations’ or ‘learn from each other.’ When reading these messages casually, you get a good feeling. A critical reader notices that the compliments are vague and generic. When I read such messages, my guard is up immediately. I respond to such messages by asking for specific reasons for their compliments. Nine out of ten people don’t even bother to answer; they know they’ve been busted.   Good networking is Helping others make valuable connections. Building relationships before you need them. Being known for delivering results.   I recently joined BNI (Business Network International) for exactly this reason. It’s a structured way to build relationships and generate warm introductions. If you want to know more, contact me. How to Get More Warm Introductions (And Sell More Without Hard Selling) Want to increase revenue without constantly chasing new leads? Here’s how: Give first; don’t ask for anything in return Help others solve problems, introduce them to valuable contacts, and share insights. You’ll become the first person they think of when an opportunity arises. I have found many more hot leads by helping business owners during a networking event. Just last week, we met with two business owners. We got to know each other at a networking event a few weeks earlier. During that first encounter, we advised them on how to improve their cold outreach. No other reason than to help them. That made them want to engage me as their business growth coach. If you selflessly help people, they will remember you and help you find customers. You don’t have to tell anyone you want more projects; that is true for every business owner. Be clear about your expertise People need to know exactly how you help businesses. If you can’t explain it in one sentence, refine your pitch. We know it is hard to explain what you do and how you can help clients in just a few sentences. If you can, you are more interesting to prospects. In short, you sell more by using a brief and powerful pitch. For us, being a member of BNI has helped. One of the activities is to share weekly about your business and ask for a specific referral. The frequency and immediate feedback from other members help to polish our message. Stay top of mind Regular check-ins, valuable content, and genuine conversations keep you in people’s networks. Honestly, this is what we struggle with the most. Especially if you meet many people, it is difficult to check in regularly. One aid we recently started using is a messaging application Join a structured referral and support network Like BNI, where members actively help each other with introductions. In my six months of membership so far, I realised that the network is about much more than introductions and getting more customers; my chapter is my support group for any challenge I face in my business and private life. When uncertain about a legal situation, I consult my chapter’s ‘friendly lawyer’. She put my mind at ease in a few minutes, without charge. When considering her professional future, she called me to ‘pick my brain.’ Make it easy to refer you Have a strong LinkedIn profile, clear messaging, and proof of results, Networking is not about collecting contacts. It’s about earning trust. Are You Still Wasting Time on Cold Outreach? Think about your last 10 cold emails or LinkedIn messages.   How many responses did you get? How many turned into actual business?   Now think about the last warm introduction you received.   Different story, right?   If you want to stop chasing and start attracting opportunities, focus on building the right relationships.   I help my clients implement effective behaviours.   Interested? Let’s talk.

NOTE: This is not a political article. I have an opinion about what is happening in the world, but I keep it private. This article is about what I think will happen next and how manufacturers in Southeast Asia can prepare. It is not intended to pick any political side.   The US just made Chinese products more expensive for their residents—but that doesn’t mean they made your life easier. Yesterday, February 1st, 2025, the US government announced sweeping new tariffs: 25% on imports from Canada and Mexico, 10% on goods imported from China, and 10% on energy products (including crude oil) from Canada. The tax will be imposed starting on February 4th.   At first, this seems like a golden opportunity for manufacturers in Southeast Asia. However, if American buyers can no longer afford Chinese goods, they’ll need new suppliers—and fast. But here’s the catch: Chinese companies aren’t just going to sit back and accept defeat. The effect of tariffs for the countries involved At this moment, the tariffs are aimed at Canada, Mexico, and China, but more are on the horizon. The new administration in the USA has been vocal about protecting the US industries with tariffs for all countries with which they have a trade deficit. The possible immediate effect These taxes increase the price of imported products for the USA market. This helps local manufacturers compete; since their products are not taxed, they become relatively cheaper. The idea is that demand for locally made products increases since these are cheaper than imported goods, creating more jobs in the local factories. This could work in the short term if the factories can find the resources to increase their output; for this article, let’s just assume they will. However, I believe most factories in the USA will struggle to scale up.   Conversely, the demand for products made in China would reduce since the price in the USA has gone up. Although China doesn’t pay import taxes, the US importer does, and it could face a slowing production pace. The mid-to-long-term effect Let’s think, for a moment, about why these product were imported.   The landed cost, which includes the cost of making the parts and transportation, is lower than for the same products made in the USA. And since buyers—consumers and companies—want to pay as little as possible, they buy foreign goods. Import taxes are there to ‘balance’ this price difference in favour of the local factories. The USA manufacturer must spend considerable time and effort scaling up production and sourcing machinery, production staff, and materials, to name a few of the many challenges they face. They don’t have time to increase productivity to match the price of the foreign goods before the tariffs are imposed. In fact, local companies are likely to become dependent on these taxes to maintain their “competitive edge.” In other words, most of these companies will become complacent.   The opposite occurs in countries whose products face taxation. If they experience a drop in demand, they have the (human) resources available to improve efficiency, lower costs, and ultimately counteract the tariffs. Even more importantly, they have a strong incentive to drive costs down to offset the effects of the taxes. Overall effect The new tariffs will have a minimal immediate impact, but their long-term consequences will seriously undermine the strength of American industry, in our opinion.   But this is playing out far away from Southeast Asia, so how does this affect us in Singapore? The Real Risk No One Is Talking About It seems like many people assume that these tariffs permanently change the balance between foreign and US factories in favour of US companies. As we explained in the previous section, that is not how this works.   Imagine you own a factory in a country affected by high additional import taxes. What would you do?   Would you shrug and accept that you sell less?   I am confident that your answer is, “Hell no!”   Chinese, Canadian, and Mexican companies will also respond to the new situation and create opportunities. One way, as we explained in the previous section, is to increase their efforts to work cheaper.   Another potential strategy is finding customers in other countries to sell the surplus of goods (supposedly) not consumed in the USA.   The factories in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Shanghai aren’t shutting down, and their machines aren’t slowing down. They still need to sell their products. If the US isn’t buying, they’ll try to sell those goods elsewhere—in Southeast Asia, Europe, and Latin America. If needed, they could even accept a loss on the goods—effectively price dumping.   And that’s where the real problem begins if you operate a factory in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, or Indonesia. You’re not merely competing with US manufacturers seeking to reshore; you’re also up against cheaper Chinese exports that could potentially flood your region. You Can’t Win a Price War—So Stop Trying If you attempt to compete with China on price, you will inevitably lose. Competing on price is generally a poor strategy. The Chinese will always find a way to manufacture at a lower cost. Their economies of scale are simply too powerful, and in some instances, their government could financially support them to ‘win the war.’   But price isn’t everything.   Buyers in the US, Europe, and Australia are no longer just seeking the cheapest option. The turmoil of recent years—pandemic disruptions, supply chain failures, and now these tariffs—has imparted a hard lesson: Reliability is worth more than rock-bottom prices. Moving fast can make you money in Southeast Asia Imagine a US company that has relied on its Chinese supply chain for years. Suddenly, due to tariffs, its costs jump overnight. Its customers are screaming about price hikes, and it needs an alternative supplierimmediately .   Who do they choose?   It's not the cheapest factory. It's not the biggest factory.   They select a factory that can deliver promptly, communicate effectively, and ensure stability.   However, if the new supplier can match the previous vendor's prices, it will be a ‘no-brainer.’   At present, Southeast Asian manufacturers have a brief window to establish themselves as that alternative.   The key is moving fast—before Chinese companies adapt and can compete again despite the taxes. This is a tremendous opportunity that can make you money in Southeast Asia. What You Need to Do Right Now Stop waiting for buyers to come knocking. They are eager to find new suppliers, but they won’t wait forever.   This is the moment to: Lock in contracts before China floods your markets with discounts. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be. Achieve success through speed, reliability, and service—not just price. Buyers are fed up with unreliable, unpredictable supply chains. Broaden your customer base beyond the US. If China is poised to reduce prices in Southeast Asia, you must secure business elsewhere—before their discounts arrive at your doorstep.   However, this is all much easier said than done. It’s not as if you turned customers away in the past, is it? What steps can you take to acquire new customers abroad and ‘Succeed through speed, reliability, and service—not merely price?’   There are two critical steps we advise you to take: Establish a distinctive company direction and value proposition for your niche market. This company direction steers you and your team through every challenge your organisation encounters, ensuring a steady course and a clear, consistent brand experience for clients. Implement a high-performance culture in your company. Your employees and partners know exactly what they must do to realise your company’s vision and mission. Staff holds each other and partners accountable for their teams' results and progress towards short-, medium-, and long-term objectives. Leaders create the environment for their teams to thrive and exceed expectations.   These two crucial management activities never end. They are not ‘projects’ or ‘initiatives for 2025’; they are the core responsibilities of leaders. Small adjustments—course corrections—are made regularly in response to the changing world around your company. Having said that, our clients see their first tangible results in mere months, and in many cases, weeks, after starting to implement our framework. Make the Move Before It’s Too Late This opportunity will shrink quickly. China will adjust, other suppliers will step in before you, and buyers will have already made their choices if you don’t act now.   If you don’t act now, someone else will seize this market.   Let’s talk.   In 30 minutes , we can demonstrate precisely how to position your business to attract new customers, enhance your operations, and capitalise on this once-in-a-decade shift.   We promise that everyone who has a call with us will leave with valuable insights and actionable ideas.   Even if you don’t want to work with us to eliminate risks and harvest opportunities, you get this value unconditionally and without strings attached.   China isn’t waiting. Neither should you.

Projects stall. Deadlines get extended. Costs increase.   When communication is impersonal or inconsistent, your team’s productivity suffers. I’ve witnessed it firsthand, and I bet you’ve experienced the same frustration.   The grim environment of poor communication. Here’s an example from a project I backed. Communication during a client project A customer of mine had to collaborate with a government agency on a project of existential concern. The stakes could not have been higher. Success ensured the company’s survival; defeat would have been the end.   The first part of the process did nothing to remove any anxiety; in fact, we got more and more worried about the outcome and the consequences for the company and the employees.   First, we needed to submit a detailed application, which included a five-year projection of the activities, earnings, costs, employee base, and profits. Collating that all is a tedious and laborious task. After that vigorous work, we merely needed to send the documents to the leading government agency; they deemed no clarification was necessary.   The lack of in-person communication about the application worried me because, in my 25+ years in many leadership roles, I have learned that understanding the exact meaning of someone’s message requires dialogue. We, therefore, made a video of the company’s leadership presenting our plan to help the receiving parties better understand it.   After submission, we updated the agencies on our progress and regularly enquired about the status of our application. However, for nine months, we heard nothing about what was happening, the status of the decision-making process, or when they expected to finish their internal deliberations.   Suddenly, they requested a video call for the next day . We only learned the meeting had a generic purpose and no meeting agenda.   At this moment, the stress was palpable. How do you plan for a meeting like that? Speak too much, and you may unintentionally harm your case. Say too little, and you risk appearing unprepared.   We met at my client’s office in person, and the meeting was scheduled a few weeks ahead. The vibe during the meeting was neutral. The agencies asked a few basic questions, and they kept their cards close to their chest. We had no clue about their position regarding our application.   Then came vague emails with generic and unclear queries. To avoid misinterpretation, we reacted briefly and precisely. While formulating answers to two consecutive emails containing the usual ambiguous questions and a new Excel overview to fill, we requested for a call to get more clarity as to what the agencies were seeking.   We expected this request would be denied, as it was previously. To our surprise, we were speaking directly within hours.   Something shifted after that.   During a few consecutive calls, we aligned. The project gathered momentum. Misunderstandings gave way to a mutual understanding of my client’s plans and the visualisation of these plans needed by the agencies to be able to decide on the application.   By the end, what began as a rigid, remote, and disconnected process had transformed into a collaborative relationship.   Needless to say, our anxiety faded as well; we felt we could somewhat control the outcome of this existential decision.   At least we can ensure that our story was heard and understood.   To be clear, the agencies tried to communicate clearly. The emails were carefully crafted and worded; the issue is that written communication is inferior. Why Personal Communication Drives High-Performing Cultures The experience in the previous section made me think about how vital in-person communication is. Chat, email, and other text-only means lack immediate feedback, voice intonation, and body language, making them inferior means for sensitive and important topics.   Effective communication is essential for fostering a high-performance culture.   But how does it look in practice? Let me break it down. Clear communication reduces waste and ambiguity. Misalignment and misunderstandings cause mistakes, delays, and rework. Clarity, on the other hand, enables your team to focus on providing value without second-guessing themselves. Trust accelerates results. Impersonal communication reduces trust. Why would someone go the extra mile if they did not feel heard? When communication becomes personal and two-way, trust grows, and with it comes collaboration. People tend to get negative thoughts and feelings if they don’t know what’s happening. They assume their issue is forgotten or, even worse, people are plotting something against them. Regular communication keeps everyone’s minds in the same place. Misaligned teams waste energy and time, while aligned teams drive action. Clear, consistent communication ensures that everyone understands the mission, their job, and how their work fits in the overall picture. Happy team members collaborating on achieving a shared cause and objective Applying This to Your Business Let’s take the lessons from my client’s experience and turn them into tangible strategies for creating a high-performance culture in your organisation.   Make communication personal. Speak directly with individuals instead of using emails or memos whenever possible. Insist on phone or video conversations or in-person meetings for difficult and sensitive issues. Send a summary email to ensure alignment and confirm agreements after the conversation. Encourage dialogue: One-way communication hinders progress. Encourage your staff to provide feedback, questions, and input. Use open-ended enquiries to discover ideas that you may have overlooked. Provide clear and consistent instructions. Avoid sending imprecise or generic requests. Explain: the goal, the reason for it, and what you expect from your team in unambiguous language.   Transparency Builds Trust: Share your knowledge, more importantly, when you don’t know something, even if it is difficult. People do not trust things they do not understand. The more transparent you are, the more engaged your team will be.   Prioritise Shared Goals: Ensure all team members understand how their work contributes to the overall purpose. This alignment keeps everyone moving in the same direction, focusing your organisation’s efforts. Why Communication Provides a Competitive Advantage Consider the cost of poor communication in your firm. Missed opportunity. Misunderstood intentions. Lost time.   Now, picture the opposite: Your staff operates efficiently. Clients appreciate the smooth procedure. Projects move faster with fewer delays.   This is not a pipe dream. It is the reality of firms that value communication as a pillar of their culture. I know this works because I’ve done it myself for 35+ years. I focus on clear, constructive, open conversations when leading a new team. I ensure everyone in the team hears from me every month, and I mix the settings and how I bring the same message.   Improved communication has forged strong teams when I was a board member of the Society of Aerospace Engineers at Delft University, at the hockey club of my kids when I chaired the referee committee, and during my 25+ year career.   In my experience, successful businesses use communication for ongoing improvement. They don’t simply talk about becoming great performers; they build processes to make it happen.   Most companies lack purpose and dialogue. If you implement these, you are far ahead of your peers. Your company is nimbler to respond to market shifts, you attract and retain more talented team members, and your partners and clients love to work with you. Now, that is a competitive advantage. The Takeaway When communication is personal and consistent, projects run smoothly. Teams collaborate. Trust builds. The results follow.   To create a high-performance culture, you must first address communication issues. •      Regularly share the company’s purpose and progress in this crucial journey. •      Encourage dialogue and avoid one-way communication. •      Foster trust by your leadership. Final Thought The cornerstone of operational excellence is more than just processes and tools. It is the quality of your conversations. Do you want to learn more about how communication influences company transformation?   Every week, I offer observations like this. Return next time for realistic, no-nonsense ideas to take your business to the next level.   What is your main takeaway you will implement immediately?   Please let me know in the comments.

I made a decision in August 2023.   I decided I would become someone who lifts weights three times a week, no exceptions. For years, I’d been on and off with exercise. Sometimes, I’d commit for a month or two, but life would get in the way. A skipped week became two. Two weeks turned into months.   I paid for a gym membership for years, but I never used the facilities.   Sound familiar?   But this time was different.   I stopped focusing on short-term goals like “getting in shape” and built habits that made success inevitable. Now, 17 months later, I don’t skip gym days. I am a person who lifts weights three times per week.   We all know, deep down, that consistency is vital to achieving any result. So, this experience proves that success isn’t about creating a flawless plan. It’s about developing effective habits and behaviours that produce long-term results.   The same principle applies in business. Especially when transforming a team into a high-performance culture and increasing your gross margin. Why Most Companies Struggle with Change Let me share a story.   One of my clients strives to double their revenue in twenty-four months. Here are some open doors about how to grow sales: You need to sell twice as much to grow by a factor of two. To sell twice as much, you must send at least two times the value of commercial proposals to prospected clients. To send two times the value of commercial proposals, you must identify twice as many needs of existing or new (potential) customers. To identify twice as many needs at clients, you need to speak to (at least) twice the amount of prospects about collaborating.   Standard Sales Funnel Again, these aren’t earth-shattering revelations; these are the stages of the classic sales funnel. The real value is consistently executing the behaviours that are predictive of success—finding more leads, sending more proposals, and winning more business.   To grow revenue, my client and I calculated the targets ‘en route’ to doubling two years later. The target for the first three months was to send a total of S$900,000 proposals. Each team member commits to new habits to drive the sales process with their expertise and from their team role.   I remember thinking that the objective was too ambitious; I was quite nervous about it. Then I realised my client will be happy with any growth.   The results in the past year are: They sent proposals with an accumulative value of S$ 1,600,000 in the first quarter. The second quarter they sent S$ 2,200,000 worth of quotations. The third quarter is running. After eight of thirteen weeks, the tally exceeds S$ 4,700,000 .   What drives results are behaviours. You don’t fix low engagement or poor operational excellence by enforcing numbers. You fix it by building habits that align with your strategy. Gamification: Accelerate Change Adoption Here’s what we did differently. Instead of micromanaging, we gamified their objectives: One Goal Per Team: Each team got a single, measurable objective for three months. For example: To secure new qualified leads with an estimated monthly revenue from kSDG 0 to kSGD 550 by 15 July 2024 . Two New Habits Per Person: Everyone chose two behaviours to support the goal. Some examples: Send out at least 100 emails per week, providing value, knowledge, and insight to engaged leads. Deliver input to the commercial proposals within four working days from when the customer requested a quotation. Weekly Accountability: Every Friday, teams reviewed their progress in a short meeting lasting ten to fifteen minutes. We didn’t just review KPIs; we discussed what worked, what didn’t, and what they’d try next. The only thing not allowed are excuses for missing failing Celebrate Successes and Learn from Failures: Mistakes were treated as learning opportunities, not reasons for punishment.   ZingURbiz' gamification framework This is true for companies executing a strategy as well; plans must change when reality disrupts.   A directionally correct plan is enough.   Gamification works because it creates a system for continuous improvement. Every week, you learn what works and adjust.   Think of it like this: when I started lifting weights, I didn’t have the perfect routine. I just committed to showing up and improving over time.   Your business transformation works the same way.   Building a High-Performance Culture   By focusing on behaviours instead of just KPIs, we created a shift in the manufacturing company: •           Ownership: Employees took responsibility for their work. •           Engagement: Teams aligned their actions with the company’s mission and vision. •           Results: Gross margin increased from 3% to 26% in just three years at the shipyard I managed.   This wasn’t about strict enforcement. It was about creating a culture of continuous improvement where employees embraced the why, how, and what behind their work.   Here’s the truth: when you combine a solid strategy, relentless execution, and empathetic leadership, you achieve results that last. That’s what I do with my clients. Ready to Transform Your Business? Building a high-performance culture doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s worth the effort. If you want to: •           Sell more •           Spend less •           Achieve more   Let’s talk.   Contact me to learn more about how gamification and leadership development can transform your business.

Let’s cut the excuses. If your team isn’t hitting targets, it’s not because they’re lazy, incompetent, or uncommitted. It’s because you haven’t done your job as a leader.   Think that’s too harsh? Then you’re probably part of the problem.   Most managers think they’re clear communicators. They’re wrong. Sharing the strategy once a quarter and sending an email doesn’t count. Your team can’t execute a vision they don’t fully understand.   Here’s the hard truth: your people want to do their jobs well. They want to succeed. They want to be part of a winning team. If they aren’t delivering, they’re either confused about what you want or blocked by obstacles you haven’t addressed.   Managers Talk; Leaders Do One of my predecessors prided himself on his bold vision for the company. He had strategy documents, colourful graphs, and a catchy slogan. But his team? Lost. And we’re not even considering the vision was impossible, and he used management jargon in an apparent effort to sound knowledgeable.   Many managers think all they need to do is devise a daring and futuristic target to motivate people and ‘get out of the team’s way’ to lead their company to success. They don’t share the strategy’s ‘how’ and ‘what’.   Needless to say, the organisation was stationary, and the operational results – safety, quality, and margin – all were at the bottom compared to similar companies in the industry.   This wasn’t a lazy team—it was an ignored team. The manager was living in his PowerPoint bubble while the factory burned cash.   Lesson one: Get off your chair. Spend time where the work happens.   Lesson two: Stop assuming your team understands your fancy strategy. If you don’t personally explain it to them every month and in different settings, they don’t.   How to Lead Like You Mean It Real leadership means more than barking orders from the largest office in the building. It’s about embedding your vision into every layer of the organisation, making execution part of the day-to-day.   Here’s what most managers miss: Repeat Yourself Until It Hurts Think you’ve said it enough? Say it ten more times. People don’t absorb strategy after hearing it once. Repetition isn’t annoying; it’s necessary. Use every platform—team meetings, emails, shop floor chats, even the lunchroom—to reinforce your message. You need to communicate the objectives at least every month, without fail. Stop Giving Dumb Orders Here’s something no one talks about: your instructions might be bad. Ever ask your team to “be more efficient” without explaining how? That’s not leadership; it’s noise. Replace vague directives with clear, actionable steps. Kill the Blockers Your people aren’t machines. They’re navigating poorly designed systems, broken tools, and unclear processes. Leaders hunt these obstacles and eliminate them. You’re just in their way if you’re not actively fixing things for your team.   Here’s a model that I use to check my communication’s efficacy: Employees need to know where the company is going. They must know and understand the direction, vision, mission and strategy. The team must understand why this is important for the company. What happens when the strategy fails? However, understanding is not enough; they must support the direction. Clear and frequent conversation about the ambitions helps attract and select the right staff, while uncommitted people will leave on their initiative. The people must understand how they should contribute; the management team sets the pace and aligns the initiatives across the departments. Lastly, everyone wants to understand how success benefits them. No one is motivated by enriching the boss; they are also looking to enhance their lives. Benefits are more than bonuses and pay raises; you can reward staff in many ways, such as promotions, paying for courses so they can upskill themselves, and social gatherings, to name a few options.   Coming back to the title of this section. Many managers genuinely Tips You’ve Never Heard Before You’ve probably read the usual advice about vision and communication. Let’s take it further. Burn the Job Descriptions Yes, you heard me. Job descriptions often limit creativity and ownership. Instead of rigid roles, encourage your team to focus on outcomes. A machinist doesn’t just “run a machine”; they’re part of a team delivering defect-free products. Hold Strategy Karaoke Force your managers to explain the strategy to their teams—in their own words. Then, audit their effectiveness by asking employees what they heard. You’ll quickly discover who’s just reciting buzzwords and who’s making an impact. When communicating, speak the language of the people you address. It is your failure if people don’t understand. Run a “Dumbest Questions” Session Most employees won’t admit they don’t understand your strategy. Create a safe space by asking them to share what they think are “dumb” questions. You’ll uncover massive gaps in understanding—and fix them on the spot. Pay Attention to Silence If your team isn’t asking questions or pushing back, they’re disengaged. Silence isn’t compliance; it’s apathy. A leader’s job is to provoke dialogue, not preach to an audience.   Manufacturing Excellence: It’s Not About Tools In manufacturing, poor leadership isn’t just costly—it’s catastrophic. Lean initiatives, continuous improvement programs, and cost-reduction strategies all fail without leadership.   It seems straightforward and obvious to ask employees to cut costs if profitability is an issue, and, let’s face it, every company strives to sell more and increase their earnings even more. Almost every company I have entered has adopted this approach because it seems to make sense to focus on costs to improve margins.   The typical result? Workers cut corners, creating safety risks. Teams replace materials with cheaper alternatives, leading to quality defects. Managers bicker over who is paying unavoidable expenses, effectively increasing the costs. Morale plummets as employees feel unsupported and blamed.   It wasn’t until we introduced consistent coaching, daily huddles, and actionable metrics that things turned around. My clients see the first results of better leadership within a few months, although the improved bottom line takes longer.   The Hardest Question You’ll Ever Ask Yourself If your team isn’t delivering, ask this: What have I done to make them fail?   That’s leadership. Taking ownership, confronting the brutal facts of your own performance before blaming others.   Leadership isn’t just a role—it’s a responsibility. You’re there to create clarity, remove barriers, and guide your team to success. If you’re not doing that, you’re just a manager with a title.   In fact, if you think your employees work for you, you need to reverse that belief first. Leaders prepare the environment so their team can succeed. As such, leaders work FOR their teams.   Want Real Change?   If this hit a nerve, good. It’s time to stop blaming your team and start leading them.   At ZingURbiz, we’ve seen what happens when leaders step up. Teams transform. Margins grow. Businesses thrive.   Want to see it for yourself? Let’s talk. Visit ZingURbiz’s homepage and book a call to explore leadership strategies that actually work.

Hiring a business consultant is a dangerous step. Sure, they promise results, but those outcomes can quickly escalate, leaving you with large issues to solve. Are you prepared for increased efficiency, more revenues, and a workforce so engaged that they begin to ask for more? If you aren't, this article is a warning flag.   Let's look at five reasons why hiring a consultant could be the worst mistake you've ever made. 1. Your team will expect pay raises when increasing your gross margin. Improving productivity implies achieving better results. But higher results come with a catch: your team will notice. Suddenly, those long-overlooked salary rise demands may resurface.   Imagine setting an ambitious sales target that will double your company's revenue in 24 months. A consultant helps engage your staff, and everyone has weekly tasks to complete. The tasks will be selected to drive sales success. Sending proposals to customers with an accumulative value of S$900,000 is daunting; a proper Big Hairy Audacious Goal. But is it too ambitious? Your team has never performed like this, not even close. At the start, you feel your heart sink; this will never work. Then you realise you will be happy if you and the team achieve ‘only’ 50% of the goal. So you just get cracking.   Fast-forward three months. You have sent out just shy of S$1,600,000 worth of quotations to clients! But here’s the catch: the team knows this as well. The results are visible to all every week. What if they want a raise because your company is growing and they realise their role in the success?   Do you see the problem? Who needs a motivated workforce that produces excellent outcomes if it involves digging into the profit to keep them satisfied? 2. Your competitors will begin copying you. Industry jealousy is genuine. Once you've gotten ahead, your opponents will not sit still. They'll watch every move you make, in an effort to catch up.   Have you noticed everyone talks about Toyota when lean manufacturing is the topic? Toyota achieved unimaginable productivity by developing and executing their Toyota Production System (TPS). The thing is, nowadays all car manufacturers apply a version of TPS; they just don’t call it that. And it’s not only used in car production; it’s almost everywhere, from consumer goods to toilet bowls and from satellites to restaurants.   Many people learned the skills at Toyota and proceeded to write books, develop courses, and offer their services as consultants. Toyota started a worldwide trend.   Why draw all that attention and break the barriers so your competitors benefit? It is far better to remain in the shadows of inefficiency, where no one bothers to copy you. 3. You Will Have To Say No To Some Clients. Here's a harsh thought: when your firm evolves, not every client will fit into your new model. You may even have to turn them away.   Increasing productivity means focusing on increasing customer value while decreasing the expenses of creating it. It is unavoidable that your clients will appreciate your product’s quality, lead time, and price. New clients will be lining up, and a ten-year-old can do the sales because clients would feel stupid saying no to your offer.   And here is the challenge: what if you get more projects than your team can handle? Are you going to turn clients away? You have no choice; the alternative is investing and growing the business.   Is it worth turning away low-value clients in exchange for more efficient operations and regular profits? You get to decide. 4. Your vacancies will fill too quickly. Many companies struggle to find (engineering) talent; vacancies remain unfilled, and the departments are stretched. A high-performance culture will help. Everyone senses the buzz when stepping into a high-performing organisation. Applicants are eager to work in productive teams; who doesn’t want to be part of the winning team?   Take a shipyard in Singapore. Their HQ delayed the decision about relocating or closing the company. It was an unnerving situation for the employees. Yet, despite this uncertainty, they joined forces to drive productivity and product quality higher while chipping away at the costs. Not only did the company’s results benefit, but customers received better-quality products, and the staff’s well-being surged.   So beware: once your company becomes the preferred workplace, you might be spoiled for choice. Sifting through stacks of competent applicants is painstaking and tedious work, and your HR team will need to expand.   While the current situation with unfilled vacancies is not optimal, getting flooded with qualified candidates is time-consuming and costly, and it is a worse situation for the organisation. 5. Your life will become easy, but you will struggle to stay busy. When everything functions smoothly, you will have less to do. There is no need to micromanage teams, put out fires, or chase deadlines. Doesn't that sound dull?   One business owner made a slight change to his team meetings. Previously, his day was filled with short ad-hoc conversations with his team members. He could barely write a 10-sentence email without interruption. After he upgraded his conversations, people acted accountable and achieved results without his involvement. Within weeks, he could work uninterrupted for over half his days and drive the business growth.   It’s much more fulfilling to be needed frequently and be the company’s hero. What will you say to your friends who are all busy, that your company runs autonomously? That’s not a good look! Conclusion So there you have it: five reasons why hiring a business consultant is a bad idea. If you appreciate inefficiency, enjoy firefighting, and prefer the status quo, you should definitely avoid hiring outside aid.   But if you want to discuss a complicated life involving being forced to pay higher salaries, getting copied by competitors, turning away customers or growing the company, sifting through CVs of highly qualified applicants, and strategising your company’s next move, then let's speak to increase your gross margin. ZingURbiz specialises in delivering results that will turn your business upside down—in the greatest conceivable way.   Let's get together for coffee and talk about how to quintuple your gross margin.

What happens to your most valuable employees when you "stay out of the way" and let them drown?   You probably think, ‘I give them the space to do what they do best,’ but the reality is vastly different.   Once upon a time, a senior human resources manager shared with me an odd piece of information:   “Water flows to the lowest point.”   I did not comprehend what was being said, but I nodded nicely. After several years, I finally got what he was trying to say.   Work has a peculiar way of finding you when you are superior to others in getting things done—when you are smarter, faster, or more driven. Like water, it flows to the "lowest point," the individual who can achieve outcomes.   It appears to be a compliment. Do you agree? The most capable members of your team step forward, ensuring that the wheels continue to turn.   The fact of the matter is that they not only receive their own work, but they also get the tasks of everyone else.   In the end, they perish in the “water”. Your most competent team members attract work like a magnet. What You Cannot See Is the Chaos When managers "stay out of the way," they often believe they are contributing to the success of their organisations. They delegate key performance indicators (KPIs), set goals, and leave their staff to handle the rest.   "I have faith that my employees will carry out their duties."   It gives off an empowering vibe. This is not the case.   Chaos occurs when you take a step backwards too far. Every department begins to concentrate on its own priorities, and nobody considers the wider picture, which the company genuinely requires. Almost always, one department "sacrifices" by performing a little bit more labour to make room for savings in another area. However, for such improvements to be feasible, executives must concentrate on the bigger picture rather than assigning hard targets to each department. The high performers in your organisation are the ones who step in and fix problems as they arise, which happens all the time.   This means that while the underachievers quietly survive without breaking a sweat, your finest employees stay late, pick up the pieces, and eventually burn out.   The high-performers are the "lowest point." They drive performance and are a magnet for work.   One Simple Alteration Started a Revolution I was in charge of operations at a corporation many years ago, and the procurement department was experiencing an overwhelming number of interruptions.   Just picture this: Every five minutes, someone barge in. "I desperately need this order to be processed!" "This must be done immediately!"   The procurement team was unable to concentrate. Throughout the day, they continued to respond to whoever shouted the loudest and practised Last-In-First-Out due to a lack of overview. Their purchasing tasks, including chasing deliveries and processing orders, were delayed.   It was complete and utter mayhem.   Initially, I imposed a rule. Two "walk-in” time blocks of one hour each are available each day. Outside of those hours, only colleagues with an appointment were allowed in. I also instructed the buyers to be very selective when accepting meeting requests; only larger or complex purchases warrant reserving time.   Simple, right?   People were furious.   Some engineers and project managers screamed, "How am I supposed to get urgent orders through this way?" and "Everything will move slower!"   I did not waver in my resolve.   One week later, one of the most vocal critics approached me. "You were right," he remarked with a guilty expression.   Before establishing the walk-in hours, he made a dozen procurement trips to communicate one need. Now, he collects the orders and reviews them with the buyer once a day, saving himself a lot of time as well.   In the meantime, the procurement team regained its concentration. It was faster in sending orders and administering them. There was much less noise, less forgotten work, and, thus, a calmer work environment. Many, many supply issues were averted.   I could have hidden behind my screen, given my team performance targets, and spoken harshly to them when missing orders or deliveries were late, effectively letting the procurement team drown in the whirlpool of orders, changes, and challenges. But it’s a leader’s job to set the environment for their teams to thrive, so I did.   The side effect was that the entire organisation, as well as teams outside of my responsibility, gained efficiency. Why do leaders need to know? Here’s what I want you to understand:   The fact that your most valuable employees are drowning is not their fault. It is on you.   It is not your responsibility to "stay out of the way." Instead, you should take the lead and actively drive productivity.   Take action and: •       Ensure that all of the company's priorities align. •       Put a stop to the noise and the interruptions today. •       Fixing broken processes will allow people to perform their duties effectively.   Management is not about watching from the sidelines and evaluating key performance indicators. Leaders need to know how to remove obstacles so their team can operate more efficiently rather than working harder.   Also, monitor the workload of your top performers closely. They attract work, and you must protect them. Otherwise, you will lose them to burnout or the competition.   Stop the water flowing to the lowest point! Are You Prepared to Take Command? I've witnessed it happen. "Walk-in hours are one example of a modification that can completely revolutionise a company.   But you must be willing to take the initiative. Instead of hiding behind the phrase "I trust my team,” join your team in the trenches, get your hands ‘dirty’ and lead.   Let’s talk if you are sick and tired of witnessing your most talented employees suffocate under the burden of everyone else's job or if you have no idea if they are drowning; I assure you, they most likely are.   I help businesses like yours cut through the chaos, align their teams, and deliver results. Fast.   No fluff. No endless meetings. Just better systems and smarter work.   Book a call . Let’s fix this—together.

Is obtaining Lean Six Sigma belts a sign of corporate procrastination? Imagine your business is a leaky ship. Every day, water (waste) seeps in through tiny cracks. You’ve got a team frantically bailing it out, but no matter how fast they work, it feels like you’re sinking. Now imagine someone offers you a tool—not a bucket to bail faster, but a map showing where the cracks are and how to seal them permanently.   Lean Six Sigma is such a tool for companies to stop the leaking of profits due to inefficiencies.   But let’s get one thing straight: you don’t need a fancy title like “Black Belt” to use it. The belts are distractions. They’re the shiny trophies people chase while the cracks keep leaking. In our opinion, the belt system is mainly created by an industry that earns from the courses and issuing certificates. It caters to the needs of large corporations with significant training budgets. The only result these training institutions commit to is sharing common sense knowledge and issuing a piece of paper with a fancy seal-shaped logo.   Real transformation comes from getting dirty, asking hard questions, and taking action. The Myth of the Lean Six Sigma Belts Let’s be honest. The whole “belt” system sounds more like a martial arts dojo than a business tool. Sure, it’s structured and hierarchical, but does it really help you solve problems? Many CEOs and managers have fallen into the trap of thinking they need a certified expert to get results. The truth? They don’t.   There were no “Lean Masters” swooping in to save the day in the several companies I turned around. Instead, we asked workers a simple question: “What’s slowing you down?” One technician pointed to a machine in the wrong spot. Moving it cut the team’s walking back and forth with parts by over 90%. Another example is when our videos revealed workers searching for tools away from their workstations. We fabricated a simple tool board on wheels, so the tools were precisely where they were needed at all times: no belts, no jargon, just practical changes.   Lean Six Sigma works because it’s grounded in common sense. The belts? They’re like adding decorative trim to a car with no engine—it looks impressive but doesn’t get you anywhere. Waste: The Silent Killer Waste in a business is like cholesterol in your arteries. It builds up slowly and silently until one day—bam—you’ve got a crisis. Maybe it’s a missed delivery because parts weren’t on hand. Maybe it’s a product recall because of defects. Whatever the issue, waste is the hidden culprit behind it.   Take the Singapore shipyard Michel, the founder of ZingURbiz, managed. One of the biggest sources of waste was rework—fixing quality defects after the product was finished. Imagine painting a house, only to find out the foundation was crooked. You’d have to scrape the paint, redo the walls, and start over. That’s rework, and it costs time, money, and morale.   We didn’t fix this with a Six Sigma flowchart. We implemented a rigorous analysis of the causes and removed these, so these issues and anything alike could never happen again. Together, we uncovered where errors were creeping in and made adjustments. The result? A 90% drop in defects, fewer delays, and teams that felt proud of their work.   Only avoiding defects increased the margin by 2%! The Real Reason CEOs Fail at Efficiency Most CEOs treat efficiency like squeezing juice from an orange—they believe if they press their workers harder, they’ll get more out of them. But here’s the thing: an over-squeezed orange just gives you bitter pulp. Pushing people harder only creates burnout, resentment, and mistakes.   The smarter approach is to examine your processes. Are they clear and repeatable? Or are they chaotic, with workers making it up as they go? At the shipyard, we found that the focus on local efficiency introduced lost time in the factory. Workers weren’t lazy—they were navigating a broken system and chasing the wrong performance.   By standardising workflows and providing clear instructions, we not only reduced errors but also made the work easier and faster. It was like replacing a dull knife with a razor-sharp one. Suddenly, the same effort produced far better results. Stop admiring the problem. Too many companies fall into the trap of admiring their problems. They hold endless meetings to discuss rising costs, delayed deliveries, and frustrated teams to end the meeting in complete agreement that ‘we should do something.’ Talking about a problem isn’t solving it.   Lean Six Sigma forces action. It’s about rolling up your sleeves, walking the shop floor, and seeing the issues firsthand. At the shipyard, we did something called a “Gemba Walk”—a fancy term for simply observing work as it happens. It’s like stepping into the kitchen of a struggling restaurant and watching the chefs at work. You can see the clogged pathways, the poorly placed utensils, and the chaotic movements.   One small fix—measuring a safety hazard’s progression instead of eliminating the hazard before we knew how severe the issue was—saved the shipyard about 1 million dollars. It didn’t require a grand strategy, just attention to detail and the willingness to act. Stop stalling, start acting. Obtaining a Lean Six Sigma belt takes time and effort. While your colleagues follow their belt training—yes, plural—because you need people with different experience levels, your company’s operations are not improving.   Of course, belt training is not completely useless. Students learn many tools, systems, and processes and run a project to obtain the certificate. The practical experience is especially useful. The theoretical knowledge is available for free or very low cost.   Many companies struggle to initiate meaningful action. Issues enter the doldrums of eternal analysis in an effort to design a perfect solution from the meeting rooms.   Sending people to training to obtain a certificate may feel like action, but the fact is that nothing changes in the organisation after the certificates are issued. The situation will be similar after the certificates are issued; the trained colleagues still need to gain experience building change momentum in an entire company.   These initiatives often perish with little results to show for.   That is why we at ZingURbiz consider the belt projects corporate procrastination . It feels like you’re doing the right thing but are not moving closer to your objectives.   As an alternative, you can start immediately under ZingURbiz’s guidance. Our clients see the first results within weeks.   The better news is that the budget is often lower than what is needed to educate employees on the different belt levels. Beyond Manufacturing Now, you might be thinking, “This all sounds great, but I’m not running a factory.” Fair enough. But waste isn’t exclusive to manufacturing. It’s in every business. It’s the IT project that drags on for months because requirements keep changing. It’s the healthcare provider overwhelmed by paperwork while patients wait. Waste is everywhere.   Lean Six Sigma is the scalpel you use to remove waste. We’ve helped businesses in several industries streamline operations using these principles. The tools might change, but the goal is the same: work smarter, not harder. Your Belt Won’t Save You Let’s end with a reality check. Lean Six Sigma isn’t about the belts, the certificates, or the buzzwords. It’s about fixing what’s broken, engaging your team, and creating systems that work.   If your business feels like that leaky ship, don’t waste time thinking of better pumps but start acting by sealing the cracks. And leave the belts to the karate kids.   If you’re ready to take action, ZingURbiz is here to help. Together, we’ll cut through the waste, simplify your processes, and unlock your business’s true potential—no belts required.

Over the years, I've had countless conversations with manufacturing leaders and SME owners. Almost every time, they ask the same core question: How do I grow my margins without cutting corners or burning out my team?   These conversations inspired me to create something new. I'm excited to announce the launch of my new website—not just as a digital presence but as a place where I can share the insights and strategies I uncover while working with my clients.   Why Start a Blog Now?  Running a business means juggling endless priorities. I know how hard it is to find actionable advice that actually fits your situation. Most of what's out there feels either too generic or too polished to be practical. In this post-COVID period, many companies face downward price pressure while costs rapidly increase. The world faces high inflation, and though it seems to decline while writing this article, it's still an issue to watch closely. Several conflicts are brewing worldwide, and the world order seems to be changing at an increasing rate. The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence and the increasing rate of automation and digitalisation are changing the business landscape. Some professions or services are becoming less relevant fast. But, these trends also lead to more generic and bland information flooding all media. These developments are beyond our control yet present risks and open opportunities. Business owners need fresh perspectives and, more than ever, must differentiate their products from the competition to thrive in business.   This blog will be different. Real Insights from the Trenches : As I work with businesses to transform operations and boost profitability, I'll share the lessons that stand out. You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at what works—and what doesn't. No recycled or generic ideas : Ideas That Stick : Expect bold, unpolished perspectives that challenge traditional thinking. My aim isn't to tell you what you already know; it's to give you something worth returning for. A Smarter Way Forward : Growing margins isn't just about cutting costs. It's about creating value, building better processes, and leading teams with purpose. That's what you'll find here.   What's in It for You? Whether you're leading a manufacturing team or running a small business, this blog is for those who want to think differently about their challenges. Here's what you'll gain by reading regularly: Clarity on Complex Problems : Simple, actionable strategies to tackle inefficiencies, engage your team, and grow your business. Honest Reflections : I won't just share the successes. I'll also explore the missteps and hard lessons that come with every transformation project. Ideas You Can Act On : This isn't theory—it's about real, practical improvements you can start applying today.   Why This Matters Now The world is changing, and so are the challenges facing businesses. Rising costs, supply chain headaches, and workforce shortages make it harder to stay competitive. But within those challenges lie the seeds of opportunity—if you know where to look.   My goal is to show you where to look.   Let's Build Something Together Bookmark this blog and check back regularly. You'll find fresh perspectives, thought-provoking and out-of-the-box ideas, and practical advice that I hope will help you see your business in a new light.   And if any of it sparks a question or an idea, connect with me on LinkedIn . Let's keep the conversation going.   Your margins can grow. Your business can thrive. Let's explore how—one article at a time.