CFO Away Day 2009

We were having CFO Away Day at Pullman Hotel Putrajaya last weekend. We were having this every year and unfortunately when i joined last year, they just had their away day and hence i missed out a chance. Nonetheless, i joined as a trainee that time and i wont able to participate anyway. =(

This year, i participated and i'm one of the committee as well for games. (though it was outsourced to teambuilding company as mentioned in previous thread) Pictures worth thousands of words...

Welcome!!




Morning session..



Active presentation from my team... =)


Are they playing SUMO? Of course not!! haha.. It was one of the station games..


Picking marbles....


I get 1st runner up for this station. Anyone can rank for me for the below? I believed my team should get first one...





We have to do all these by having our legs tied...


Baby Cradle game...


This game looks easy but it is damn hard to score... and my team get 0 score.. haiz..


Though we scored zero at the last station, we still able to secure the grand winner position.. yeah!!


But what happened to the grand loser? LOL



Dinner time..





Grand winner ..


Actuarial performance - Sketch


The 'Judges'


'MC'


First 'contestant'



Second 'contestant'


Third 'contestant' (Actuarial Senior Manager)


Extra entertainment..


Forth 'contestant' - CFO.....Dunno he can rocks!! lol




Fifth 'contestant'


The crew!


After the session...




While chatting, he is suggesting to perform a magic...


Outcome was, we knew how his trick was and....


Actuarial Director playing WII.... lol

Strategic Planning

I am glad that the first job of mine has been chosen correctly. Perhaps due to the first job as well, I have no comparison basis. However, im currently enjoy working here with Prudential. Not because of high pay (and I do not get high pay as well), but there are lots of humanity factors.

First of all, with my current position in the team (Strategic Planning), as a fresh graduate, I am able to learn a lot of tings in many areas. I have to liaise with many departments, talk to the directors or chiefs. I admit that I know most of the departments, but I just fairly know the basic. Important thing is, its somehow fairly related to my study. Even I need to change my job one day, my working experience here is able to add in value into me.

Besides, my team just having two ‘slaves’ (who really technically and conceptually do the work), we are made to get hold of all sort of information as well as high level confidential stuff. I just feel that they placed high trust level on a fresh grad like me and able to provide critical thinking with the ability to drive business decisions. Luckily I am guided by my senior (now promoted as my AM), and she has covered lots of my work.

The thing that I much appreciate is, even though she has covered most of my tasks, but she still patient and willing to teach me and forgive. (though sometimes when pressured she will be in black face) In addition, she will let me send out the emails or talk to respective parties directly (most of them are managerial levels and above) . In other words, she wont grab the honour or take the credit. Even she done a lot on that and making lots of changes, but she wont have the mindset to have it.

Compare to my ‘neighbour’ (SM for risk), since she is new, and she wants to make a lot of changes which are quite aggressive and hostile. Many risk coordinators are not willing to cooperate wif her in anyway or compromise with her aggressiveness and causes alots of problems. However, her ‘slave’ was asked to send out emails writing those opinions or decisions which are not from her.

The same thing here, both slaves are sending email, but having two different motives. Im glad that im not the latter. What are the other things that make me love the culture here? They are friendly, outspoken, and happening people. They will always have tea breaks or outings at somebody house drinking or chit chatting. Not because I can lazy bit during the tea break, but in fact I learn a lot when my ex boss was here. Not withstanding that, the tea break sessions now are still brainstorming and assisted me in work. Sometimes their topics are revolving about work related matters or some skills set of me.

Erm, lets go for another point now – flexibility. I hv great flexibility here as no set of fixed time for me to work and of course there aint be any fixed time for me to go off. Their perception is that, as long as you can have your works done, you can come in late or leave sharp. (including to have extra tea break sessions). And obviously im not having enough time for me to finish my job recently and that’s the reason I have to work up late at night.

I believe that I wont be changing company in the short term. At least I will need to gain 2 years experience here before moving onwards. With a strategic position and a good team, I will survive here and should be working happily.
Many many thanks to my team and my ex boss. They are my great mentor and superiors.

Station Games

I should have earn thousands during my secondary school time. Why would i say so? Im part of the organizer of many events during my secondary time and especially involved actively in game part. We design games, we facilitate the games from end to end. Then where is the thousands come from?

Currently, im a game committee for my upcoming CFO's away day in June. Initially, i thought i have to come our with some superb games for a disperse age range and skewed gender distribution. (forgive me as im a math student.. lol) However, HR suggested that we will engage with external party for the games. We are looking for a teambuilding company to design games and activities in a given time frame.

First proposal, they proposed 6 station games where im pretty sure that 5 out of 6, i am able to conduct it by my own with some facilitators. I just need some of the active and happening ppl. Anyway, if they can do that, without any hassle to me why not? But wait, let me see their costing...

in 4 hours, we have to pay them RM6k for simple games.

OMG, i was stunned with the price, never realize that how this kind of company make money and now i knew it. They have alots of clients and most of them are big companies. Though this price exceeding our budget, but we are still giving them RM5k to play with.

Imagine, if im not working and im given more time to design, can i set up a team of mine and do the games? You just pay me RM3k for that? haha.. Anyway, the money is not coming from my pocket and i dun even bother that. Im just as the intermediate channel between my company and the teambuilding ppl.

See? I should have earn more then RM10k during my school time. Think the costing of each games around RM100 only. I am stil making a profit with that. =(