The world is changing quickly with many new technologies on the horizon. Often it can be confusing as to whether the technology would make sense for an organization to use for their employee development. Thriving Talents is committed to bringing the best of these technologies together so our clients can consider if these make sense for their organizations to use in training and developing their workforce. In this article, we will explore Virtual Reality and its use cases. Organizations can then explore using these solutions to develop their employees. What is VR? If you have watched Ready Player One, you would get VR. But if not, VR is a simulated 3D world where people can collaborate, communicate and create experiences together. Imagine strapping on a VR headset and entering an environment such as a hotel, factory, or surgery operating table right in your living room. This is not science fiction! The most well-known brands such as Nestle, Hilton, Ford, Shell, and DHL are using VR to make their training more effective and efficient. How is VR used in training and development? Traditionally, VR was thought to be great for technical training. This makes sense as you are dealing with 3D objects in your virtual world. For example, companies like DHL are using VR to train employees to load cargo more efficiently. Since VR environments lend themselves to tracking every single movement a player makes, their analytics are powerful enough to show how improvements could be made in the process when someone is loading a piece of cargo Challenges with VR: Currently, the problem with VR environments is the high cost of creating and deploying the VR experience. Expert programmers are needed to program these experiences, and headsets were out of reach of the everyday consumer. Therefore VR was confined to D.I.C.E – Dangerous, Impossible, Counterproductive, and rare Events. Meaning that experiences that met these D.I..C.E criteria would justify producing a VR experience to learn something. For example, if Shell wanted to train their staff on how to handle a fire hazard, it would make sense for them to do it in VR, as that training was too dangerous to do in real life. Thus, VR for technical skills would still require many hours of programming. Having said that, VR headsets are coming down in price. The Oculus Quest 2 headset, which is the most popular version, currently retails at around USD299, and many companies are striving to lower prices even further. Most recently, Facebook, now Meta announced the Metaverse, where their vision is to get everyone to socialize in VR. Apple, Microsoft, and almost every big tech company out there is fighting to lay claim to the Virtual Reality universe. Oculus headsets have sold more than 10 million units and the highest downloaded app on the App store was the Oculus app right after Christmas, beating Tik Tok this year. Suffice to say, VR is ‘Hot’ right now. We do not know how it will all pan out. But, we know for sure that Facebook (Meta) is pouring billions into this project to make it happen in the next few years. The idea is that they want everyone to own a headset and to socialize in the metaverse. Headsets are set to become as ubiquitous as the smart phone. So, how about VR soft skills training and development? Interestingly enough, PWC recently released a study examining this very issue. They found that soft skills training in VR was more immersive, and stayed longer in people’s memory. These sessions also helped participants to gain more confidence in applying these skills in real life after their soft skills simulation training. In the long-Run PWC found that VR could scale better than traditional forms of training for leadership communication skills. The Future of VR in Training: We believe that VR will continue to come down in cost as more companies and consumers adopt the technology. Developing experiences in VR, as well as headsets, will also decrease costs even further. Given the realism and immersiveness of VR, we foresee that it will become an important way for HR and L&D to scale their training and development within their organizations. Previous Next Thriving Talents is committed to bringing the latest learning technologies to life. If you are interested in VR simulations to train leaders at scale in their Leadership Conversations within VR environments powered by Artificial Intelligence, please do not hesitate to drop us a note at whatsup@thrivingtalents.com
The Great Resignation
Employees are leaving companies en masse. In the US it is estimated that 4.4 million people have resigned from their jobs – approximately 3% of the entire American population. This is not just happening in the West, but in Asia as well. Based on a study conducted by Microsoft, “47 percent of workers in Asia are likely to consider changing employers (versus the 41 percent global average) and 56 percent are likely to consider a career change (versus the 44 percent global average).” What are the reasons for this Great Resignation by employees? Some of the reasons cited for employees leaving are: The need for flexibility Lack of purpose and meaning at work Burnout and exhaustion Some leaders may think everything is hunky-dory. However, the studies point to employees being more dissatisfied and unhappy with their jobs than ever. The pandemic brought out what has been buried all along. Hours that are way too long. Employees have too much work, with too little time to do it. Many employees want the flexibility to work from home — they do not want the long commute and have become used to working from home where they feel they can be more productive. This implies that managers and leaders now need to lead and manage remote and hybrid workforces in the medium and long-term (given that we do not know when Covid variants will stop becoming a threat to the general wider public’s health). This is the next normal. Managers and leaders need to consider infrastructure, communication, collaboration tools, and platforms, as well as knowing how to make sure everyone, especially those working remotely feel included. Do all employees have access and capability to be in meetings via video conferencing and collaboration tools? If not, leaders and managers need to make sure employees have access to the right hardware, software, and bandwidth. During meetings, a simple thing such as addressing the remote worker first and getting them to contribute first in meetings goes a long way to make them feel included and levels the playing field for all in the room. Besides this, leaders need to manage communication and information flow, so that all employees are in the know. Practical steps might be to note every decision down and include remote workers, even if decisions that were decided during in-person meetings they were not in — (if relevant). All this necessitates that leaders and managers are made aware of the issues and upskilled to meet the challenges of this new mode of working. Employee Engagement: Now more than ever, employee engagement is just as important. Remote employees feel a sense of disconnect if they are too far away from the team on a long-term basis. Companies moving to a hybrid model, need to plan and see where they can do in-person meetings more strategically. This could be bringing the whole team together for a team engagement session or having pre-scheduled meetings to address more complex issues during in-person meetings. Leaders might also consider having one-on-ones in person at least some of the time during the quarter to keep that personal touch alive. This means that teams might need to plan their schedules far in advance. Some companies plan their quarters more strategically to address such scenarios. In addition, employers should plan to meet the needs of the employee not just in terms of the professional work, but on a personal level as well. Supplying training such as managing personal finances to deal with the economic downturn or employee services to help in the mental health and person’s overall well-being is becoming increasingly popular among companies to ensure employees are fit for work. Companies can no longer just rely on the old tried-and-true methods for employee engagement but now need to think out-of-the-box. Leaders also need to be flexible and consider alternative working arrangements to make sure employees retain a high sense of autonomy in a time of uncertainty. Compressed workweek: This arrangement provides employees with greater flexibility in working schedules by allowing them to get an additional day off provided they fulfill their contracted number of hours. Flextime: Refers to an arrangement that gives employees the freedom to work non-traditional working hours. Employees can decide when their day starts and ends as long as they fulfill their contracted number of hours per week. Refocus and Realignment: Leaders need to refocus and realign employees to the next normal. However, this can be challenging as Employees no longer want to stick with jobs that provide little meaning, long hours, and risk burnout — even if the pay is good. Here is where leaders can use coaching and counseling skills to help employees in finding meaning in the company’s work while showing them how their work impacts customers and the world in profound ways. In summary, the Great Resignation has prompted many companies to rethink their social contract with employees. To retain employees in the long run, leaders need to consider Leadership awareness and upskilling to lead and manage a remote and hybrid workforce Employee engagement is now more important than ever with a greater emphasis placed on empathy for the employee Refocus and realignment using coaching and counseling skills become more important to help employees find the right fit, meaning, and flexibility during this pandemic era Thriving Talents is committed to motivating and mobilizing your Millennial Talents to be more productive and profitable in their personal and professional lives. We offer training and development programs to: Upskill leaders to manage remote and hybrid teams High impact and innovative team engagement/bonding sessions Personal finance and wise investments Coaching and counseling training for leaders and managers If you are interested in our solutions and offerings please connect with us at whatsup@thrivingtalents.com
💪 7 Harsh Truths that Will Make You a Stronger Person 👍
📢 I was asked the Question above in a recent Kick-Off Seminar that i did for a group of front-line executives, who will be experiencing some uphill challenges & expectations from their management, as our market recovers from the effect of the pandemic. Businesses will recover! Which means, for these executives, the long ‘Holiday Season’ will be over & they need to quickly buckle up to catch up on loss opportunities from 2 years ago… So WHAT CAN THEY DO? Or, Lessons contained here would show… What Can YOU DO? 👊 Here are 7 Harsh Truths that Will Make You a Stronger Person to Face Challenges in the New Year! 👉 There is no perfect moment – Holding yourself to unrealistic standards creates frustration. Just be intention, learn up all that you have to & Just Do It! 👉 We can’t control the past – Wasting time to worry about the past, is time lost 👉 Our words have the power to hurt others – Cruel Remarks wound others for life. What ever said from our mouths, can never be retracted back. Hence, use your words to inspire and to liberate people with knowledge & self-appreciation of themselves 👉 Failure quickly gets to our hearts – But success goes to our heads. Our character is revealed at our highs and lows. Be humble at the top. Be faithful in the valleys 👉 Our assumptions about what happiness is – Should be, are what makes us unhappy. Let go of your expectations about what would make you happy and treasure your life for what it is – Feeling happy at the moment, gives us momentum to grow forward! 👉 Our devices often get in the way of our social interactions – Go out & meet people. Don’t hide behind your gadgets. Listen to the stories of others & express your appreciation towards them 👉 We judge ourselves by our ideas. And others by their actions – Be a person who others want to meet and be around What do You Think? Do you agree with all the recommendations above? Let me know your thoughts! Follow Michael Teoh Su Lim ✔️ Keynote Speaker 📢 and Mentor 🔥 and Thriving Talents #thrivingtalents #michaelteoh #motivation #keynotespeaker #sales #leadership #innovation #breakthrough #management #entrepreneurship #success #happiness
👨👩👧👦 NEVER BLAME YOUR PARENTS FOR WHO YOU HAVE BECOME – The Story of 2 Sons of an Alcoholic Father
🍺 Son 1 – Struggles through life as a drunk ☕️Son 2 – Becomes a successful, well respected corporate leader When asked by the journalist who was interviewing them at the same time; ‘Why are you the way you are?’ Both Sons responded; ‘Because my father was an alcoholic…’ Read the story above again. My Top 3 Moral Lessons here: 👉 It All about Decisions 👉 Whether You Are Like That, or Not, You are Totally Correct! It is All Up to You! 👉 Our Decisions, Not Our Conditions, that Decide Our Destiny 🤔 What are Your Thoughts? This was my message to a group of Sales People of a credit card company. You can always blame your circumstance, or blame the economy, or blame Covid! But at the end of the day, someone needs to step out to approach customers & excite them of your latest packages with the credit card offered by the bank. Just this 1 simple story – Some teared & some was left silenced. Their credit card sign up rate, went up after that! Follow Michael Teoh Su Lim ✔️ Keynote Speaker 📢 and Mentor 🔥 and Thriving Talents #thrivingtalents Thriving Talents #michaelteoh #keynotespeaker #sales #motivation #leadership #innovation #teambuilding #growth
A RECOGNITION BY THE 8TH PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA
👉 When I received the mandate to contribute my years of experience to improve the competitiveness & resiliency of our local SMEs here in Malaysia, by Bridging their Gaps with Government entities & influence policies that are ‘Friendlier’ towards our SMEs – I am fully aware that it will a challenging feat! 🙏 But, I am Grateful that I have a community of Seniors, Mentors & Advisors to assist me. From multi-billionaire tycoons, to even the younger entrepreneurs who are more in tuned with the technology & trends of the time – They gave me the confidence & clarity to do what I do, for the National Entrepreneurs Development Association (PUMM)’s work to assist our 3,000 SME members. 🤝 So, last night, during our 29th Annual Celebration Dinner for the association, my election, into helming the Government Relations Bureau as its Chief, together with my appointment into the Central Committee of its national leadership wing, saw our 8th Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin witnessing & recognising us, for our continued efforts for the SMEs in the country. Yes – This is a non-for-profit entity, where we don’t draw any commercial benefits from it. Yes – This association work may keep us busy. Yes – We may need to sacrifice a lot of our time for it. But, we are often reminded that an overwhelming 95.8% of businesses in Malaysia are SMEs & they provide jobs & economic growth to our country – Without which, we will all suffer! 👍 So, this is what I can do, in my part to contribute to the Nation. Thank You Tan Sri for the Trust & Recognition! Follow Michael Teoh Su Lim ✔️ Keynote Speaker 📢 and Mentor 🔥 and Thriving Talents #thrivingtalents #michaelteoh #keynotespeaker #sales #leadership #motivation #millennials #sme #pumm #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #Gratitude
😃 HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU DID WELL IN 2021, IN YOUR CAREER & LIFE? 🤔
Well, here are the 7 Signs that You are Doing Better than You Think You Are… 👍 1) You changed a lot from a year ago – Change is a sign of Growth. Don’t fear change. Fear that you stay the same 👍 2) You went through hard times – Going through hardships is good! It means you are growing stronger, even if its tough 👍 3) You are serious about your goals – Most people don’t even know their goals or they just follow the masses. 👍 4) You have 1-2 close friends or a closely knit circle of friends – Having friends to count on is a sign that you are Blessed! 👍 5) You seek Peace over Pleasure – Most people just look for that next dopamine hit! If you are seeking peace instead, it manes you are far ahead 👍 6) You learn from your mistakes – Most people run away from their problems or blame others. But you own your mistakes and learn from them 👍 7) You trust that everything will be alright – You trust that the universe have great things in-store for you & you take consistent action to bring them into reality 🙏 As for me, personally this year of 2021 – I took the giant leap of faith, trust & love, and got married to the woman of my dreams. And managed to pull off a meaningful celebration with an intimate group of people, who were there for me, during both, my most joyful celebratory moments, & also during my most challenged times! 👏 🙌I love you all, and you too here on LinkedIn – THANKS to YOU, for reading all my daily sharing my LinkedIn page Michael Teoh Su Lim ✔️ Keynote Speaker 📢 and Mentor 🔥 #gratitude #love #newyear #happynewyear #michaelteoh #keynotespeaker #teambuilding #leadership #sales #management #innovation #motivation #positivenergy #growth
6 Self Promises to Never Break In Your Life & Your Work in the New Year 2022
🤔 If you are looking for a fresh start to the New Year of 2022 & YOU are committed to transform your life & career differently as compared to previous years… THEN, you need to read & reflect on these 6 Pointers below. ✔️ 👉 Never break promises or give false hopes to the ones closest to you ✔️ 👉 Never react on every situation and stop being emotional all the time ✔️ 👉 Never contact back those who always gave you only hard times ✔️ 👉 Never come into a relationship out of loneliness or to heal from the past ✔️ 👉 Never trust only words ✔️ 👉 Never hurt someone for your own selfish reasons 🤝 <Picture> This moment was taken during my talk to a group of SME business owners, sharing with them about my own personal journey of Doing Business & Running Thriving Talents – I shared with them that the ‘Culture’ of our business & company, is an extension of our Personal Values as Leaders & Entrepreneurs. 🙏 Wishing All You, My Friends on LinkedIn a Very Happy New Year! Follow Michael Teoh Su Lim ✔️ Keynote Speaker 📢 and Mentor 🔥 and Thriving Talents #thrivingtalents #michaelteoh #keynotespeaker #motivation #sales #leadership #teambuilding #innovation #career #business #entrepreneurship #newyearresolution2022 #newyear
🥇 THIS is Your 1st Day of Work in 2022… AND, Here are 6 Truths We All Need to Accept in 2022:
✔️ ⚠️ We have to be able to admit when we are being toxic, when our insecurities are controlling our behaviours, and when we are being unfair – Blame is great for our own Ego. While Responsibility is Great for Our Future ✔️ ⚠️ Words are the Least Reliable form of Communication – It is Someone’s Energy, Behaviours, Body Language & Silence which will tell us more than other signals – So, Listen Closely ✔️ ⚠️ Regret will Haunt us more than Failure ✔️ ⚠️ A Narcissist will tear us down & rebuild us in a way that is easier to control – Hence, Protect our Boundaries at all costs ✔️ ⚠️ If We continue to Wait until We are Ready. Then, We will be Waiting for the rest of our lives! ✔️ ⚠️ We Don’t Fear New Opportunities, New Love or New Vulnerability. We Fear Old Pain 🤝 🙏 WELCOME BACK to the 1st Day of Work in 2022 & I have want to share my Wishes of Abundance & Hopes with You! Make 2022 an Amazing Year in What You Do, by Remembering these 6 Truths! 🤔 Wishing You All the Best & Let Me Know If You have Your Own Mantras that We should also be noting & sharing with our Networks here! Follow Michael Teoh Su Lim ✔️ Keynote Speaker 📢 and Mentor 🔥 and Thriving Talents #thrivingtalents #michaelteoh #keynotespeaker #motivation #sales #teambuilding #leadership #innovation #futureofwork #work #newyear
🤝 🙏 EVERYONE HAS A PURPOSE & A ROLE IN LIFE… No matter How Insignificant They May Be…
The Razor Blade is Sharp, but it can’t cut a Tree. The Axe is Strong, but it can’t cut Hair. 👉 EVERYONE is important according to their own unique purpose. 🤗 REMINDER: Never look down on anyone unless you are admiring their shoes. 🖐 Putting this lesson into my own life below… I was a bullied in school for close to 10 years of my life. Sure, my ‘Role’ at that time, was that of a Victim. Was that of some ‘Injustices’ that happened in school to me. I was bullied because i was weak in sports… So Weak… But instead of giving up in life & to believe that ‘All is Doomed’ – That bully incident, sparked my interest to dedicate more of my time in Sharpening My Skills beyond Sports… I got involved with Public Speaking, Debating, Drama-Acting, Business Plans Competitions & Leadership Roles in student associations instead… Now, to think of it – Perhaps, just perhaps… My role then was never to be Great in Sports. Rather, it was mainly for me to go through those hardships, so that I can use my Stories then, to Inspire the Future Generations Today! 👍 In the WISE WORDS of Steve Jobs, he once said: ‘You can only connect the dots by looking backwards. Trust in the Journey. Trust in the Process. Have Enduring Faith…’ Wishing All of You, my friends here in LinkedIn, a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year! Follow Michael Teoh Su Lim ✔️ Keynote Speaker 📢 and Mentor 🔥 and Thriving Talents #thrivingtalents #michaelteoh #keynotespeaker #sales #motivation #teambuilding #marketing #innovation #management #leadership #christmas #publicspeaking
Whose Fault Is It Then…
We suffer NOT from the Events of Our Lives. But From Our Judgement about Them! Epictetus Read the statement above again, 1 more time. Isn’t it true? 🤝 🙏 This was the message that i gave during my talk to 300 HR Leaders – Discussing about the Future of Work, Workers & Workplace, covering HOT TOPICS like the Convergence into the #Metaverse & the #GreatResignation Everything ‘External’ that happens to us, has a ‘Meaning’ tied to it. The thing is, it is us who give it, its ‘Meaning’ to us. Yes – Something bad, horrible & negative may have happened to us. Sure! We are going to feel the negativity that, that incident had caused us for a while. But… The Truth is… HOW LONG do we want to Feel Down & Out? Will it change anything? Supposedly, if nothing can be changed… Well, WHY NOT – We give it another ‘Meaning.’ Perhaps, it is time to ask ourselves: 🤔 What Lessons is that Incident trying to Teach Us? 🤔 What did I Discover about Myself? 🤔 What did I Discover about My World View? 🤔 How can I be Smarter about It, in the Future? You See… The TRUTH is – All the Negative Things that happened in our lives, became ‘Negative’ BECAUSE, we least expected it… Or we expected abit too much… So manage our expectations… 🦵 🦴 Back in January 2020, i dislocated my left knee for the 2nd time. The feeling was negative. I wanted to blame others, though no one pushed me. I just fell & dislocated it myself. I wanted to blame God. Anyone else but me. But after that feeling of ‘Acceptance’ sank in, whilst knowing that there was nothing much i could do, rather than heal up – I decided to ACCEPT THE INDIFFERENCE. I did my seminars & trainings in a wheelchair. I will be wheeled around the halls & my classes for a good few weeks. 👨🏻🦽 GUESS WHAT – I became KNOWN as the Trainer & Consultant who was so COMMITTED to his job, that i will deliver my learning sessions despite being in a WHEEL CHAIR. My pictures of me doing the trainings were circulated – With my participants calling me the ‘Trainer On the Wheelchair’ for a good few weeks. YES – I didn’t like what had happened to me. BUT IT HAPPENED. Now, it is OUR TURN to give it a NEW MEANING & to Deal with It, with Stride! Follow Michael Teoh Su Lim ✔️ Keynote Speaker 📢 and Mentor 🔥 and Thriving Talents for more HR tips & strategies #ThrivingTalents #innovation #management #leadership #teambuilding #salestraining #michaelteoh #keynotespeaker #futureofwork #hr #leaders #leadershipdevelopment
