This speech was delivered during the commencement exercises of the
University of Philippines graduating class of 2003 by Mr. Butch
Jimenez,
the youngest commencement speaker in the university's history. He once
dreamed of doing so, and it came true !!! Students wished they had a
pencil
or paper to jot down notes during the speech; some even wished they
have
a tape recorder. Some members of the faculty found his speech
practical,
refreshing and funny.
Butch Jimenez, head of PLDT's media and strategic communications
department,
delivered this speech at the UP Diliman Class 2003 commencement
exercises.
What's better than .....
By Butch Jimenez
As college students, you're just about to set sail into the real world.
As you prepare for the battleground of life, you'll hear many speeches,
read tons of books and get miles of advise telling you to work hard,
dream
big, go out and do something for yourself, and have a vision.
Not bad advise, really. In fact, following these nuggets of truth may
just bring you to the top. But as I've lived my life over the years, I
have come to realise that it is great to dream big, have a vision, make
a name, and work hard. But guess what : There's something better than
that -
So my message today simply asks the question,
what's better than ...?
What's better than being negative ?
Let's start off with something really simple.
What's better than a long speech ? No doubt, a short one. So, you guys
are in luck because I intend to keep this short.
Now, let me take you through a very simple math exam. I'll rattle off
a couple of equations, and you tell me what you observe about them. Be
mindful of the instruction. You are to tell me what you observe about
the equations.
Here it goes : 3+4=7, 9+2=11, 8+4=13 and 6+6=12.
Tell me, what do you observe ?
Every time I conduct the test, more than 90 percent of the participants
immediately say, 8+4 is NOT 13, it's 12
That's true an they are correct. But they could have also observed that
the three other equations were right. That 3+4 is 7, that 9+2 is 11,
and
that 6+6 is 12
What's my point ? Many people immediately focus on the negative
instead
of the positive. Most of us focus on what's wrong with other people
more
than what's right about them. Examine those four equations. Three
were
right an only one was wrong. But what is the knee-jerk observation ?
The wrong equation.
If 10 people you didn't know were to walk through that door, most of you
would describe those people by what's negative about them. He's fat.
He's balding. Oh, the short one. Oh, the skinny girl. etc.
Get the point ? It's always he negative we focus on and not the
positive.
You'll definitely experience this in the Corporate World. You do a
hundred
good things and one mistake-guess what? Chances are, your attention
will
be called on that one mistake..
So what's better than focusing on the negative ?
Believe me, it focusing on the positive. And if this world could learn
to focus on the positive more than the negative, it would be a much
nicer
place to live in.
What's better than working hard ?
We have always been told to work hard. Our parents say that, our
teachers
say that, and our principal say that. But there's something better than
merely working hard. It's working SMART.
It's taking time to understand the situation, and coming out with an
effective
and efficient solution to get more done with less time and effort. As
the Japanese say, "There's always a better way."
One of the most memorable case studies I came across with as I studied
Japanese management at Sophia University in Tokyo was the case of the
empty
soap box, which happened in one of Japan's biggest cosmetic companies.
The company received a complaint that a customer had bought a box of
soap
that was empty. It immediately isolated the problem to the assembly
line,
which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery
department.
For some reason, one soap box went through the assembly line empty.
Management
tasked its engineers to solve the problem. Post-haste, the engineers
worked
hard to devise an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors manned by
two to ensure they were not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they
worked fast. But a rank-and-file employee that was posed the same
problem
came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial
electrical
fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, an as
each soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the
line. Clearly, the engineers worked hard, but the rank-and-file employee
worked smart. So what's better than merely working hard? It's working
smart.
Having said that, it is still important to work hard. If you could
combine
both working hard an working smart, you would possess a major factor
toward
success.
What's better than dreaming big ?
I will bet my next month's salary that many have encouraged you to
dream
big. Maybe even to reach for the stars and aim high. I sure heard
that
about a million times right before I graduated from this university.
So I did. I did dream big. I did aim high. I did reach for the
stars.
No doubt, it works. In fact, the saying is true "If you aim for nothing,
that's exactly what you'll hit : nothing."
But there's something better than dreaming big.
Believe me, I got shocked myself. And I learned it from the biggest
dreamer
of all time Walt Disney.
When it comes to dreaming big. Walt is the man. No bigger dreams were
fulfilled than his. Every leadership book describes him as the ultimate
dreamer. In fact, the principle of dreaming and achieving is the core
message of the Disney hit son, "When You Wish Upon a Star". "When
you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are; anything your
heart
desires will come to you. If your heart is in your dream, no request is
too extreme. When you wish upon a star, as dreamers do, " as Jiminy
Cricket sang. But is that what he preached in Disney company? Dream?
Imagineering...Well,
not exactly. Kinda , but not quite. The problem with dreaming is if
that's
all you do, you'll really get nowhere. Infact, you may just fall
asleep
and never wake up. The secret to Disney's success is not just dreaming,
it's IMAGINEERING.
You won't find this word in a dictionary. It's purely a Disney word.
Those who engage in imagineering are called imaginers. The word
combines
the words "imagination" and "engineering". In the book
" Imagineers," Disney's CEO, Michael Eisner, claims that "imaginers
turn impossible dreams into real magic." Walt Disney explained there
is really no secret to this approach. They just keep moving
forward-opening
new doors and doing new things, because they are curious. And it is
this
curiosity that leads them down new paths. They always dream, explore
and experiment. In short, imagineering is the blending of creative
imagination
and technical know-how.
Eiser expouns on this thought by saying that "Not only re imaginers
curious, they are courageous, outrageous, and this creativity is
contagious."
The big difference with imaginers is that they dream an then they DO !
So don't just be a dreamer, be an imagineer.
What's better than vision ?
You must have all been given a lecture at one time or another about the
importance of having a vision. Even leadership expert John Maxwell
says
that an indispensable quality of a leader is to have a vision. It is
also
very clear that
Without vision, people perish." So no doubt about it, having a vision
is important to success. But surprise ! There's something more potent
than
a vision. It's a CAUSE. If all you're doing is trying to reach your
vision an you're pitted against someone fighting for a cause, chances
are you'll lose. The Vietnam War is a classic example. Literally with
sticks and stones, the Viet Cong beat the heavily armed US Army to
surrender,
primarily because the US has a vision to win the war, but the Vietnamese
were fighting for a cause.
In the realm of business, many leaders have visions of making their
company
No. 1, or grabbing market share, or forever increasing profits.
Nothing really wrong with that vison, but take the example of Sony
founder
Akio Morita. He did not just have a vision to build the biggest
electronics
company in the world. In his biography, " Made in Japan" he
reveals that the real reason he set up Sony was to help rebuild his
country,
which had just been bettered by war. He had a cause he was fighting
for.
His vision to be an electronics giant was secondary.
What's the difference between a vision and a cause?
Here's what sets them apart.
* No one is wiling to die for a vision. People will die for a cause.
* You possess a vision. A cause possesses you.
* A vision lies in your hands. A cause lies in your heart.
* A vision involves sacrifice. A cause involves the ultimate sacrifice.
Just a word of caution. You must have the right vision, and you must be
fighting for the right cause. In the end, right will always win out.
It may take time, and it may take long. But if you have the right
vision
and are fighting for the right cause, you will prevail. If not, no
matter
how sincere you are, if you are not fighting for what is right, you
will
ultimately fail.
It is said : "To whom much is given, much is required."
Having been given the opportunity to study in UP, no doubt, much has
been
given to you in terms of an excellent education. Don't forget that in
return, much is now required of you to use that education not just for
yourself, but for others.
And as you move up and start reaching the pinnacle of success, even
more
will be required of you to look at the welfare of others, of society
and
of the country.
A final review :
* What's better than focusing on the negative ?
Focus on the positive
* What's better than working hard ?
Its working smart
* What's better than doing something for yourself ?
Doing something for your country
* What's better than a vision ?
A cause
* What's better than a long speech ?
Definitely, a short one
"Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be."
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