Benchmarking With The Best

In a grand ceremony held at the Grand Ballroom of the Ritz Carlton Hotel on 28 July 2009, I won the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Award. It was one of the proudest moments in my life.

I value this award together with the other awards that I have won. They include the Global Leader Award, Asia Brand Leadership Award, Entrepreneur of The Year Award For Social Contribution, Spirit of Enterprise Award, Top Entrepreneur Award, Best Of The Best Award, and Successful Entrepreneur Award.

Why do I let myself in for these Awards?

To answer the question, let me share what could possibly be unhealthy results from winning these Awards.

It can make me proud, egotistical and arrogant. I may get involved with unhealthy competition and rivalry.

I may feel better than what I really am. I may become less driven to improve and become a better person.

I am mindful of these negative results. That’s why I need to surround myself with good friends. They must be honest to tell me when I have gone wrong and to guide me back to the right path.

When I entered these competitions, I knew the judges would evaluate My HSR more than they would evaluate me. If My HSR was not successful, they would never give me these awards.

Without My HSR, I am nothing. There will be a limit to what I can contribute to the business world.

When I received these awards, I felt like the manager watching his team sweat in the field and then receiving the trophy on their behalf. Therefore, these awards should be won by and awarded to My HSR.

I went for these awards because I believed the best way for My HSR to be respected was to earn it. It was a good way to benchmark ourselves (compare healthily) with the best companies and to learn from them.

Through the judging process, we were forced to think of how to make My HSR an outstanding company.

Inputs from the judges also motivate us to take massive action. We were compelled to learn, improve and get better results.

We are inspired to build a stronger and better My HSR.

Winning these awards was also a relatively cheaper way to strengthen My HSR branding and promote ourselves in the public. As a result of winning these awards, we have received major coverage in the mass media.

We were also able to build bridges to key sectors of the business community. It opened doors to new opportunities and businesses. More importantly, it helped us win the hearts and minds of our clients.

After winning these awards, I feel very honoured and humbled at the same time.

I am happy that My HSR has been recognized for our business model. It is a testament of our effort to develop a company that is built to serve, designed to last.

I am humbled because there are many people out there who deserve these awards more than me. I am inspired to continue to learn, reinvent myself, and achieve ongoing improvements.

I believe; just like you, there are many more opportunities for progress, contributions and achievements waiting for me in the days ahead.

Please guide and help me make full use of my life.