Sunday, April 18, 2010

What is the role of MCF?

From what has been said on this blog and elsewhere, there seems to be much confusion on this subject. I am going to risk saying something here. I have noted on this blog that many will jump in to criticize but few will offer constructive ideas. It is alot easier to destroy than to build.

I see MCF as the Vison provider, MCF as the beacon that says, this is the way. The way to the goal of our first GM. I see MCF as the helmsman correcting the course if we go astray.

So if MCF determines that healthy competition is the way forward, it will set policies that guide this process. If there are rogue organisations that do not share the Vision, then it is MCF's role to guide them back to the correct path.

But there is more. I think we also need to have realistic and reasonable expectations of what MCF can and cannot do. Now remember that MCF is an NGO. The officials are not paid, their officials are elected and cannot be expected to have all the skill sets. Let me elaborate on this point.

For much of my corporate life, I acted as the deal maker and as a negotiator for construction contracts. In my experience, it is very very time consuming to learn how to navigate the corporates. It took me almost 2 years to understand how Star Cruises made decisions, who to see, how to present etc. so as not to face road blocks. So in business, this know how is highly valued. You can only see this if you have walked this path. For this same reason we look to a GM for his road map for he has walked the path.

Now let us take the First GM offer and see the possible role of academies. Is it reasonable to expect, say Greg from MCF, to get the sponsors, learn how to be a tour operator, get up the guidelines etc. etc. and not be paid? Is it even reasonable to expect him to have all the skill sets even if he was paid?

I think that expectation is unfair, very unfair. And we criticise and attack. I think MCF should focus on providing the Vision, be the Helmsman by providing guidelines. If MCF does this well we will have a direction.

The academies will provide the other services in line with that Vision. This seems reasonable to me unless of course you subscribe to the idea chess does not need money to grow. All we have to do is sit down and cry and someone will provide.

It may well be that academies can provide greater value for the same price or maybe even cheaper. That is what we are attempting. Why don't we let the evidence speak for itself instead of jumping to conclusions and putting in weird and wonderful assumptions based on our imagination. And if we fail, you have one of 2 choices, you can either say, hey you almost made it but maybe you got this part wrong. Better luck next time but good attempt and at least you tried. Or you can say, you see I was right. :)

A little like chess yes?

8 comments:

  1. I am afraid the "vision" you see of MCF role will remain just that - a vision or more accurately a mirage. The real MCF is far from the ideal MCF you imagine it to be or will ever be. Agreed people need to be paid. That's a fact of life. But when large amount of money is paid for officials to go on holiday on the excuse of being "captains" or "official delegation" is just ridiculous. Granted this has happened in the past and is happening less today, those are MCF roots and it's hard to change the growth and direction of this old tree.

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  2. I agree that it is hard to change. But I remain optimistic. Recent evidence show some progress. I hope we can help to be part of the solution by encouraging that change. We can also help by letting go of the past and seeing things as they are now. I am also not totally naive. :) The sponsors remain under the First GM umbrella so we can stay on top of things and see that the sponsors money is not abused. After all the sponsors are ours and we have our reputation to protect. If the sponsors money is misspent then future sponsorship will dry up. That has been the history I believe and we have taken note.

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  3. I am susoicious when sponsorship goes to say, First GM instead of MCF.
    Players gets direct benefit from direct sponsorship. The training is a seperate matter.
    In fact ,MCF should also be directly involve in training.
    Adding another 30% to the cost do not benefit player.

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  4. My friend, I could say the same thing. I am suspicious of people who hide in the cloak of anonymity. I have tried to see if you have any genuine concern. But I cannot waste anymore time with your suspicion. You see I can only deal in facts. The problem with imagination is that it is endless. I try to allay one fear and you will imagine another. The known facts have been presented. Please try to see in totality. The white sheet and the black dot. And not only through the mist of your suspicions and fears. I wish you well.

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  5. Raymond,
    You reminded me of the yellow frog & the green frog, both fallen into a bucket of milk. As they cannot go out of the bucket, they kept swimming in circles. By midnight, the yellow frog gave up, sank and drowned. But the green frog never gave up despite of extreme fatigue. By sunrise, the green milk realised it had churned out yogurt/buttermilk which was now floating on top of the milk. It hopped onto it, and ate flies which came attracted to it. When the green frog regained its strength, it jumped out of the bucket.

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  6. Sure hope I'm the green frog in the story. :)

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  7. Raymond,

    I surely hope so. :)
    But mostly, let's hope the yellow frog won't drag the green frog down to drown together (which happened lots of time in the Malaysian scenario, thus killing lots of great potential).

    Keep up the good work! (you know what to do with the bad work, don't you?) ;)

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  8. Thanks. I know what you mean. I hear drowning is a lousy way to go. I still have faith in MCF. They have written a letter to PICA. I have the letter. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

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