By Lira Low Roberts
As our CEO Mette Kristine Oustrup had been invited by OCBC Bank to speak at their in-house Studio Session this month, the Qi team headed downtown today to participate in the event.
The Studio Session space, on the 9th floor of the OCBC Bank building, was an experimental space one wouldn't expect from a top end bank. But it was refreshing, and showed another side to the bank that was surprisingly unexpected. Bare concrete, warehouse-type floors ran from door to glass windows, pink and black plastic chairs lined the room, quite in contrast to plush leather highbacks one might associate with such an office.
Qi is the new iQ
It was here that Kristine started her presentation "Qi is the new iQ" at 11am to a great audience turnout. People craned their necks to peer closely at the slides that flashed behind Kristine as she first spoke about her life growing up in Aarhus, Denmark as an 'outsider' and dreamer, and eventually how she struck out on her own to be successful in the creative ventures she spearheaded. She didn't forget to add of course, that failure struck her twice in life; something that she used to her benefit by starting over again in something even more innovative.
This really drove home the point that failure didn't need to be the unsaid bad word around the block, and that the drive to excel in one's passion unselfishly would really make us happier, more successful people.
Kristine also demonstrated how success need not be measured by that thin bottom line in all our efforts, but rather by our own creativity and personal passions as we progress in harmony with nature. This was something that was pertinent for management and HR, who (we hope) try to coax the best out of their employees. Juxtaposing the standard corporate cycle of iQ to the new intelligent cycle of Qi, she demonstrated how the freedom to create and innovate would allow for new-found meaning in one's work and could affect one's performance, even with regard to customer service. And who wouldn't benefit from that? Finding that personal satisfaction in one's job means better customer service, which translates to higher customer confidence and better returns, thereby increasing the bottom line (eventually perhaps to triple bottom line of planet, people and profits!) and finally, making the world a rosier place from management right through to those they serve. Perfect.
As the presentation drew to a close, Kristine got everyone off their chairs and on their feet as they pretended to be penguins for a few minutes. Hang on, what has that got to do with anything?! A reflective exercise on group effort and societal awareness obviously! All of us got into a standing group, waddling around like penguins anxiously trying to warm the 'cold' penguin in the middle of the pack. As we pushed up against them and warmed their feathery bellies, they would waddle out of the middle and out onto the periphery where the imaginary elements were the coldest. And so the cycle went in a continuous round of group warming, all to chuckles, giggles, and the gradual dispelling of awkwardness. This demonstrated that society is all about helping those in need (out in the cold) who might eventually warm you one day when you need it most, and the collaborative efforts that are needed to sustain it.
Everybody loves an eco lucky draw
A lucky draw ended the lively talk, and our three lucky winners went away with a solar-powered mobile battery charger, a Mexican handmade candy-wrapper handbag (upcycled of course) by Nahui Ollin, and the Grand Prize of a ticket to our conference Qi 2011 that's taking place in October this year. Looking forward to seeing you there. Yes, that's you!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011 at 2:57PM 
