The Birth

^{By Patrick O'Brien, FCMI, February 2008}

For many of you, Singapore may conjure up a multiplicity of images; the home of “Singapore Girls”, a balmy Far East destination, sultry evenings sipping Singapore Slings at Raffles hotel, taxis that have long lost their ability to chime “bing-bong” whilst whizzing you along a beautiful bougainvillea and palm-tree lined ride from Changi airport to the city, a society structured around multi-racial harmony, a small yet mighty economic powerhouse.

No matter what images it leaves, impressions it forms, or desires it creates, I’m sure that you’ll all agree one thing; though small in land mass, Singapore in business terms continues to punch well above its own natural weight.

Management is one key ingredient that contributes to this success, as Singapore has an innate ability to take a strategic look ahead, and effectively manage its resources to implement its ideals. Within this context, CMI Singapore set out an ambitious plan almost ten years ago, to recognise and reward top management Achievers, through its IMAA scheme, the International Management Action Award.

The International Management Action Award is an international award that recognises outstanding individuals who have demonstrated exceptional ability in taking management action to achieve sustainable, tangible results for an organisation, society, or nation.

The Award was originally in conjunction with the Singapore Productivity & Standards Board, PSB. SPRING Singapore (as the former PSB is now called), is the Statutory Board under the Ministry of Trade & Industry for enterprise development, aiming to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises, and develop a strong base of dynamic and innovative Singapore enterprises. It is also the national standards and conformance body, and thus reflects the many synergies between good management practices, performance, and implementation within industry.

Today the Award is fully managed by CMI Singapore, with an even stronger focus on Performance & Productivity, through the Singapore Productivity Association (SPA). SPA is an affiliate of SPRING Singapore, and promotes the active involvement of Organisations & Individuals in the Productivity Movement.

GENESIS, GESTATION & GERMINATION …

What perhaps you may not realise is that this Award is now deeply entrenched into Singapore’s annual awards Calendar. It is much sought after, and Recipients are typically awarded their status by a Government Minister as Guest of Honour, at a prestigious annual event. It generates much celebration and media attention.

Yet when we look back, we see that the IMAA also reflects all the great values subsequently expressed in today’s Chartered Manager; the creation of IMAA has itself been a classic exercise in Management Action and Achieving Change, and it has required strong Leadership to nurture the germ of its initial idea, into fruition.

The purpose of this article is to capture the key steps along the journey, to recognise the contributions of the key people involved, and to acknowledge the strength of the Award, as reflected and exemplified by each annual cohort of Participants and Recipients.

DAYS OF THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (BIM) …

The pioneers of CMI Singapore were a group of Managers, who on 6th October 1976, registered the Institution of Works Managers with the Registry of Societies in Singapore. In 1979, the local branch of the Institute of Works Managers changed to the Institution of Industrial Managers (IIM) Singapore. Following the merger in 1992 between IIM and the British Institute of Management (BIM), the name changed once more to become the Institute of Management (IM). IIM Singapore thus became IM Singapore.

In 2002, IM was awarded a Royal Charter, and on 1st April it became known as the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). Since that time, the local branch in Singapore has been known as CMI in Singapore.

Back in the mid 90’s, the public profile of IM Singapore was very low, and the Executive team concentrated its energies on this challenge. As a result of that process, the Executive felt a need to recognise locally the good work of its great Managers, long before the Chartered Manager emerged. At that time, it felt a need to do something significant to recognise its management talent, yet had no means to achieve that back then.

GREAT IDEAS BEGIN AT THE COFFEE SHOP …

Though the journey began around 1993, we begin the story part in 1997. Executive Council Members in those days had both an operational & strategy focus, with Operational matters typically tended to by the usual diet of agendas, minutes, and formal meetings. “Brainstorming” work of the Council was sometimes conducted in more relaxed settings.

Back then, the Members of the IM Executive Council had established some credibility for the Institute, and were mulling over the next stages of its Development. The concept of an award that would recognise talented local Management emerged from a range of discussions.

The venue on this day was the coffee shop in the Marina Mandarin hotel, which back in 1997, was a little quieter than other parts of town. Looking ahead to 2008, the Marina Mandarin is literally one pit stop away from the start/finish line on Singapore’s first F1 grand prix. How times do change!

On that day, the Vice-Chairman Mr. Philip Kwang (FCMI) asked the question of the then Chairman Mr. Liau Beng Chye (FCMI) and Mr. George Huang (FCMI), then advisor to the Executive Council …

“Why don’t we focus the management award on Management Action?”

The move from recognition of talent, to a focus on Action instantly crystallised thinking. The germ of an idea had been sown; how to successfully germinate it, that was the challenge …

PREPARING THE GROUND …

Long before the Eureka moment reflected in that focus for “Action”, a fertile planting ground had been well prepared whilst the Executive Council grappled with the biggest challenge facing the IM – a lack of Presence in the market place, coupled with low visibility.

Back in ‘93, after the merger of the Institute of Industrial Managers (IIM) and BIM into the Institute of Management, a new Executive Council was put in place, and Mr. Liau Beng Chye was elected as Secretary elect. Early discussions around the Executive table highlighted a lack of profile, with low visibility of the new Institute in the Singaporean context.

Attentions turned to ways to address this major issue. It was clear that IM’s circle of contacts was not only small, but it also lacked influence. This limited its ability to achieve anything of substance. The path ahead also started to sharpen; its network needed strengthening, allowing IM to benefit if positioned as a major contributor to increasingly important topic of “Management” in Singapore.

IM was a young, and young at heart, Institute, with high aspirations, yet it was immersed in a society oriented towards “Relations”. It recognised the need to build up key relationships. This would bring credibility, especially were those relationships to involve highly respected captains of local industry.

The Executive team thus actively sought out people of standing in the community, key players who would be instantly recognised for their own contributions. Strategically, IM sought to foster links with selected individuals, to help raise the profile of the IM, which in turn, would help bridge that credibility gap.

Acting in an advisory capacity to the Executive Council in 1995, Mr. George Huang suggested a way that IM could move forward and grow its network, by forming a Panel of Advisors. Their purpose would be to strengthen the appeal and standing of IM, and Council embraced this approach. Panel Members were sought for the support they might bring to IM across a number of dimensions: reputation, financial, contacts, or advocacy.

The first Chair of the first Panel of advisors to IM Singapore was Mr. Goh Han Teng. Later, Mr. Goh, Mr. Lau Tai San, and Mr. Liau Beng Chye also gave strong financial backing and support to the Award in its early days.

George further proposed the position of Patron to help establish credibility. This need was recognised, and support was sought from the British High Commission. Through the efforts of Lady Percy McNiece, wife of the last Governor of Singapore Sir Percy McNiece, CMI Member Mr. Chew Yen Fook, and Mr. Liau Beng Chye, the then British High Commissioner HE Gordon Duggan accepted the invitation to be the first Patron of the then Institute of Management, Singapore.

The creation of a Panel of Advisors, and appointment of a Patron took almost two years of continuous, dedicated, volunteer effort. In doing so, these major milestones helped raise the profile of the IM considerably in the market place.

These important steps prepared the ground for what was to come next. So, let us go back to those coffee shop conversations, to pick up the story and focus on the subject of an Award for “Management Action” …

FROM GERM TO GERMINATION …

The road from small idea, to big innovation is often long and arduous. In 1997, conversations continued, and weeks later, centered around the coffee shop of Singapore’s Orchid hotel.

The conversation focused around a need to make the award that much more dynamic, that much more “Action” oriented. The notion of a “Management Action Award” had truly crystallised. However, the more the conversation moved forwards, the more barriers and obstacles were raised in critique.

Comments were sought, and in 1998, members of the business community suggested that the Award would need to establish its own credibility in order to launch successfully. It was also felt that the Award would need backing by a substantial, respected “name”. In our local context, this meant involvement of a government partner.

THROUGH GUSTO AND GUSTATION …

George Huang brought the Award to the Director of Industrial Development, Economic Development Board (EDB is a government statutory body focused on inbound foreign investment). Over the next 9 months, EDB considered the prospects for the Award. They were supportive of the Award in principle, though concluded that it fell outside their scope.

The next stage was to talk to the Singapore Productivity and Standards Board, SPRING Singapore later in 1998. SPRING’s remit focused on the development of industry within Singapore, bringing together the “soft” & “hard” aspects of managing Productivity. Through lessons learnt earlier, SPRING was targeted as having a greater potential for fit between with the Award and the Board’s own activities.

George approached the Chief Executive of SPRING, Mr. Lee Suan Hiang to discuss the Award. There was early agreement in principle that the Award resonated with SPRING’s remit. George moved the conversation along by introducing Mr. Liau Beng Chye to Mr. Lee. That meeting took place over lunch at Singapore’s revolving restaurant Prima Tower, overlooking Sentosa Island, where a new Integrated Resort is currently under construction.

Lunch was good, the delicacies of Cantonese cuisine were a perfect foil for the discussions about the Award. Mr. Lee was impressed by the concept as well as the stage of it progress to-date; he was very comfortable with the idea. By the time the final teas were sipped that day, there was agreement in principle to move forward.

Two key outcomes resulted from that lunch meeting. First, Suan Hiang designated Mr. Freddy Soon, Deputy Chief Executive, SPRING Singapore to take the project forwards. Second, Freddy suggested that the Award be “International” in reach.

The International Management Action Awards, the IMAA, had finally come into being..

SETTING OUT THE STALL …

During 1998, discussions with Freddy Soon progressed at a pace. On August 27, 1999, the Institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SPRING Singapore to jointly administer the IMAA.

The MOU was a momentous and significant day in the growth of the IMAA. The signing ceremony was attended by Guest-of-Honour Mr. Lim Swee Say, the then Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology and Trade & Industry

_{(see Photo insert). Mr. Lim Swee Say is today a Minister in the PM’s office. (from left) Mr. Freddy Soon, Mr. Lee Suan Hiang, Mr. Lim Swee Say (second row), Mr. Alan Hunt (second row), Mr. Liau Beng Chye and Mr. Philip Kwang}

Following this event, a number of structures were quickly cemented into place. First, a Secretariat for the Award was formed. The aim was to provide a basis for all the groundwork that was required to operationalise the Award, from advertising, all the way through to management of the launch Event itself.

Next, a Steering Committee was established with Freddy Soon and George Huang as the first Co-Chair. The purpose of this committee was to manage the Nominations Process, and look after Participants as they progressed through the Selection Process, towards the Award.

A Selection Council, formerly known as the Assessment Panel, was appointed with Suan Hiang as the first Chair. The role of this Council was to evaluate all nominated Participants, and provide a shortlist of Candidates for the Award. This shortlist contained recommendations to the Awards Council.

Finally, an Awards Council was appointed with Professor Tommy Koh as the first Chair. Council was responsible for consideration and approval of recommendations for the Award.

The decision over selection of a Chairman for the Awards Council was the agenda set for one lunch session held between Mr. George Huang, Mr. Sat Pal Khattar, and Mr. Liau Beng Chye. Sat Pal suggested that Professor Tommy Koh be invited as Chair, and through the good offices of the then British High Commissioner HE Alan Hunt, Prof Koh was invited. He accepted the invitation, and Tommy was appointed and has since served continuously as the Chairman of the award council for the past 5 years.

Special mention must also be made to our Companion Mr. Lee Hee Seng. Mr. Lee was then Chairman of the Public Services Commission, and Chairman of the Presidential Elections Committee, a committee that determined the suitability of candidates for Elected Presidency of Singapore. Mr. Liau Beng Chye and Mr. Phillip Kwang visited Mr. Lee on several occasions to seek guidance on the Award, which also helped set the Criteria and Direction of the Award. His advice to seek candidates with “runway ahead”, remains a cornerstone of the Criteria in use today.

The final touches were put together during several meetings centering on the Awards Criteria. Mr. Liau Beng Chye, Philip Kwang, JJ. Han and Yong Yaw Nam were deeply involved in structuring those initial Criteria. Once the principles were agreed, Yong Yaw Nam, the then Publicity Director for CMI in Singapore, penned the first set of IMAA Criteria.

From those early sips of coffee, by 1998 all the key players were on board. The stage was set for …

ESTABLISHING AWARDS CRITERIA …

The Steering Committee was originally responsible for establishing the Criteria used for selection of Award winners.

Even back in those early days, the need for Transparency was clear. A set of principles were struck from which the Awards Criteria emanated. Two key principles were as follows.

First, Recipients should not be limited to Business. Management covered a multiplicity of fields, so the Award was open to any Manager, in any field, Arts, Education, government, etc. Next, Recipients were targeted who still had runway for growth ahead of themselves. The Award was looking for Managers who were growing, and who could grow even further.

In 2007, the Award Criteria were once more re-examined and they stood up remarkably well to the test. For the 6th Award in 2007, the Criteria were freshened. The key changes allowed for some small fine-tuning.

Firstly, change allowed us to improve its currency, and, as CMI’s Chartered Manager did not exist when the Award was originally launched, it allowed us to clarify alignment between the IMAA Criteria and those of the CMgr. Next, it allowed us to improve quantification of some measures, rather than reliance solely on qualitative data. Finally, it allowed us to improve transparency through an improved and more rigorous set of Award Criteria.

CREATION OF IMAA ALUMNI …

The first four Recipients were awarded IMAA in 2000. Since that time, there have been 23 winners. The IMAA recipients themselves provide a represent and experienced body of managers, and so in 2005, the IMAA Alumni was formed.

This Alumnus provides recipients a means to network. It also gives back to CMI locally by reaching out to talk to current Members and potential members at networking events. This tremendous body of experience creates fantastic role models for budding managers. They are a valuable resource that CMI in Singapore draws upon.

WIDER THANKS ALSO EXTEND OUT TO …

We’ve been joined along the journey by many people, who each in their own way, contributed their own input, and aided the IMAA towards success. For instance, Ms Mary Chapman, Chief Executive CMI UK visited Singapore in 2002. Mr. Clay Brendish, past President of CMI UK, also visited in 2004. On both occasions, they participated in the presentation to IMAA Recipients (Photo Attached). Mary came once more in 2007.

_{(from left) Mr. Freddy Soon, Mr. George Huang, Mr. Lee Suan Hiang, Ms. Mary Chapman, Mr. Jack Neo, Mr. Peter Husum, Mr. Chua Chin Kiat, Mr. Liau Beng Chye, Mr. Philip Kwang and Mr. Joseph Pious}

Many other people were also involved in contributing to the success of IMAA. Among them was the then British High Commissioner, HE Mr. Alan Hunt. In addition, we are grateful to the first CMI Companion in Singapore Mr. Lee Hee Seng, CCMI. We’re also thankful to others such as; the Ambassador at large Professor Tommy Koh, Chairman of the Panel of Advisors Mr. Sat Pal Khattar, Mr. Lee Suan Hiang (FCMI) the then CEO of PSB, Mr. Lau Tai San (FCMI) now a Governor of CMI Singapore, and Mr. Lai Kwok Kin (MCMI) whose ingenious PR expertise and relationship with the media helped to truly enhance the profile for the IMAA.

DRAWING DOWN THE CURTAIN …

There is no doubt over the success of the IMAA. There is also no doubt, that it has come into being through the dedication, ideas, and application of great management skills. Yes, it took time from initial conception, through focus, to rollout, and time spent early in planning really helped strengthen and develop the concept.

What is even more remarkable, is that this Award was ever conceived, born as it was during a period of great crisis – the Asian Financial Crisis!

The realisation of this dream also epitomizes the great values expressed in the CMgr; IMAA has been a classic exercise in Management Action and Achieving Change. Strong Leadership has been a cornerstone, as the IMAA has been nurtured from the germ of its initial idea, through to its full, and flourishing, fruition.

IMAA aims to recognise & select Management talent that are truly deserving of recognition. We feel that in Singapore it achieves this well, adding value to our recruitment process. The Award also has room for growth outside of Singapore in the booming Asian Region; turning the IMAA into a regional or international platform that can unite Members in these parts of the world is certainly one vision held by CMI in Singapore today.

Maybe then, the IMAA is one more thing to add to the mind, next time that you think about visiting this part of the world in general, and Singapore in particular.