Non-IT Matters

Team Leading Lessons Learned

1. Serve first, then lead by example and last is command
2. Be generous with praise and stingy/specific with criticism
3. I do not know everything 
4. Everyone has something to offer
5. Communicate, communicate, communicate
6. Be firm on basic principles, e.g. punctuality, team-first, being fair
7. Training is an investment, not an expense :-)

Further Lessons Learned From IT Outsourcing Team

This is second part of insights from one of three founding members of a Kuala Lumpur-based offshore development team for a web-based pension system(2009-2011). You can view part 1 of enterprise application development offshore outsourcing lessons here.

1. Office Internet.
   • You absolutely cannot assume quality of Internet access in a Kuala Lumpur office.
   • To shortlist a potential Internet Service Provider, ask Internet network route between your office and your remote server. Include the Internet Service Provider into the list if ping time is less than 350ms and packet loss is less than 5%.
   • After you have the list, regardless of what you know about the providers, have trial runs if possible. At minimum you must solicit opinion of existing customers of shortlisted Internet Service Providers in your office building.
2. Talent management
   • Like other countries, extremely good/bad employees are the minorities. Do not believe in over-optimistic/bearish views on talents in Malaysia.
   • Like other countries, avoid resume keyword scanning and read resumes with a pinch of salt.
   • If your company is unknown in Malaysia, be prepared to spend time and money to promote your company.
   • Malaysia job market seldom experience boom cycle because of Malaysia relatively obscure position in global IT outsourcing ranking.  On the other hand, unemployment rate in Malaysia seldom exceed 4%.  This is due to relatively low salary cost and entrepreneurial spirit of Malaysians.
   • If you have lots of expectation especially in technical areas, be prepared to compete with other well-known Malaysia employers.
   • Generally married employees are more suitable for European companies and singles are for US companies.
3. Culture/social
   • Comparing to life in Singapore and Hong Kong, life in Kuala Lumpur is more relax. So is the people in Kuala Lumpur. Therefore adjust your expectations accordingly.
   • Multiculturalism in Malaysia has made the people more adaptable.
4. Office politics
   • For the first few years in offshoring, it is expected client employees will make most of decision.  However to keep better employees in offshore team, they have to be given more opportunities and a voice.
5. Kuala Lumpur IT outsourcing selling points
   • Lower infrastructure costs(office rent, utilities, etc) if you compare with similar costs in Singapore and Hong Kong.
   • Friendly to small and medium-sized outsource employers due to population size of 28 millions(2010).
   • Avoid risk concentration. If your competitor already has an India-based IT team, then it make sense to consider Malaysia.
   • Physical and cultural proximity with some Asian countries of outsource employers like Singapore and Hong Kong.
   • Abundant talents who are fluent in English.