OTi Consuling Featured in BusinessWorldOnline

OTi Consulting was featured in April's online edition of BusinessWorld, a leading business newspaper in the Philippines and Southeast Asia's first business daily.

BusinessWorldOnline
Weekender
April 16-17, 2004
Manila, Philippines

INNOVATION

In a global economy that is constantly in flux because of new information and technology, how does one stay ahead?

By primarily embracing the fact that one will have to be constantly learning and adapting to innovations every few years, said Romulo Romero, managing director of OTi Consulting, a firm operating in Manila, Singapore and other parts of the region.

Knowledge doubles at a pace of about every three years, according to studies cited by the Singapore Productivity and Standards Board.

This means that half of what one learns in school is obsolete in about five years, said Mr. Romero, who heads the Manila office of the regional management consultancy firm.

"The shortening life cycle of knowledge and skills means one will have to develop a set of critical skills that will allow the constant acquisition of new knowledge and ways of doing things," said the trainer, who conducts OTi courses that help participants acquire these critical skills.

The Singapore-based company was recognized by the Singapore government for two years in a row as a leading provider of programs that enable the work force to meet the requirements of the knowledge economy.

Mr. Romero said these skills include effective learning strategies, high proficiency in reading, writing and computation and problem solving and creativity.

In addition, the critical skills also cover old-fashioned abilities that gain new emphasis in flatter organizations, namely: listening and oral communication, taking personal responsibility for career and self-development, being a team player and leadership.

Programs to acquire the seven skills have been called CREST, or Critical Enabling Skills Training in Singapore.

In fact, the Singaporean government has embarked on an ambitious program to upgrade its entire work force through CREST.

The importance of acquiring these seven skills required by the knowledge economy has also been validated by federations of human resource specialists in the United States, Canada, Britain and Japan.

THE ONLY THING CONSTANT IS CHANGE

For her part, OTi consultant Mae Legaspi said because information is moving so fast, organizations can no longer just focus on training that simply highlights the transmittal of technical content.

"Content, after all, will change. What ought to remain constant is an openness to adapt to change," she said.

As described in OTi's Web site, the company has developed learning instruments to measure one's skills in the seven areas.

The company also shares strategies that allow for creativity and innovation. One such strategy, for instance, requires the participant to think contrary or opposite of the usual way of doing things.

When faced with the problem of undelivered documents to homeowners, for instance, a Singapore agency was encouraged to think out of the box.

What is the usual way of delivering documents, participants were asked. During the day by a courier was their reply.

Opposite thinking uncovered the effective strategy of delivering mail at night instead of during regular hours to households.

Mr. Romero said OTi's CREST modules also encourage the participant to see himself within the context of the organization.

Participants learn to effectively function within the institution taking into consideration the firm's goals, values and culture. Outside of CREST, OTi also has projects that allow an organization to be more effective.

Said Mr. Romero, "We believe that an organization's strategic direction is influenced by its internal capabilities and infrastructure. OTi has the tools and processes to review an organization as an organic whole."

In the face of rapid change, the "right" structures and systems make all the difference. Said Mr. Romero, "We believe that every organization has a purpose and destiny. In OTi, we help them clarify that and bring it to fulfillment through effective strategy, culture and values."