The Asoks - A Year On (Part 3 of 3)

The first two parts were about the incumbents and for the final installation of this series, I shall touch on the new Asoks that have joined us later on.


Asok #7

This is a chap in his 40s. Yes. 40s and restarting his career after an unsuccessful stint in the US.

We put him in charge of our retail outlets due to his similar experience when he was in the US. Sad to say, he is struggling to keep this business unit afloat. Fortunately, this is a very small SBU and so we can afford to lose it, if the day comes that we decide to flick the OFF switch.

This is a guy with a strange personality which a penchant to flip flop so much that I deal only with him via email in Black & White. Not that he is a habitual liar or anything but this fella has the memory of an autistic goldfish. This is a fella that will come to you with a problem, only to come back a few days later with the same question and is stressed that he is stuck for days, grinding his operations to a standstill, when I specifically gave him the solution earlier.

I believe it has something to do with his thick skull where when he doesn't get it, he really doesn't get it, no matter how much you explained and taught.

To sum it up in a Chinese phrase, his 脑筋转不过来.

Can I get a facepalm?

Still Alpha-Male is unwilling to give him the boot coz we can't really find anyone suitable to replace his position. I, however, do not foresee this person reaching Year 2.

There is a reason why he failed in the US and I am thinking it will be the very same reason here soon.


Asok #8

Another nephew from Alpha-Male's clan. Late thirties and going nowhere with his career in Taiwan. Was in the F&B line as a busboy then later on a cook and is a licensed bartender.

Alpha-Male took him in and gave him another SBU to run. Fortunately, he is doing well. He certainly has the street-smarts from his year's of working to overcome his lack of academic qualifications.

He is a very hands-on person but when it comes to numbers, he is a lost boy. I have to teach him the basics of how to work out his costings as well as to do a simple P&L, explaining the difference between fixed and variable costs.

In short, I am proud of this Asok for he has fully made good of this second chance in life.


Asok #9

Asok #9 joined us after having working in Shanghai for a Taiwanese electronics components factory for about 3 years. He is now the understudy of the Prince-In-Law doing sales.

We had a corporate split this year and his SBU is now an independent company. It was a great learning opportunity for him to be expose to the various parts of a business, from learning the set up of a company to office/warehouse leasing to logistics planning to human resource management.

A very keen learner but at times share the same stubbornness as Asok #7 when his 脑筋 also 转不过来.

There are people who refuse to budge when they can't see the road ahead of them. Asok #9 however is willing to take the blind step forward (after much coercion and threatening from us). With that faith in his mentors, the reward is that breakthrough epiphany that has gotten him stuck initially.

Asok #10


Another rose amongst the thorns as she joined us as a designer overseeing product packaging as well as trade fair booths design.

Very sociable person who has quickly endeared herself to everyone. Certainly a welcoming contrast to Asok #4 whom the latter has earned the unfortunate nickname of SiaoPor (Looney Woman).

The only issue is that she kena makaned by Asok #1 over the CNY holidays and has since been a lovey dovey couple. While this may not be a bad thing, I still harbour some reservations about eating and shitting in the same place.

So now the talk over the dinner table is how they planned to be engaged at the end of the year.

Again, I have some reservations over this although I do wish that my worries are unfounded.

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- Voxeros