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I know I’ve been blogging a lot bout my works lately. Sorry la pal if this sounds too boring for you.

The competition between our 3 teams (UTM Skudai Campus) and the UTM KL campus team ended last night. We won.

All 3 teams managed to defeat, or should I say “slaughtered” the UTMKL team. It’s the first year they’re joining this game and the difference in performance was very clear. In the end, it was decided that we’ll be representing UTM for the domestic game this year, which will be held at Stadium Melawati Shah Alam starting 7th May 2009.

Unfortunately, none of our members was enjoying the victory last night. It was as if we have won the battle, but lost the war.

The robots which can perform all the tasks well, suddenly become malfunction during the competition. It was a close cut that we won the competition. All 3 teams faced the same situation. The game last night reminded me of how we’re defeated during last year’s domestic competition. The same thing happens every year, where our robots will cause troubles during critical moment. We did not lost to our opponents, instead we lost to ourselves.

Final exam is coming up and there’re still a lot of works to be completed. As mentioned by Professor Shamsudin, our deputy dean of Faculty of Electrical Engineering, our current level is only the quarter-finalist material. There’s still a long way to go to reach the final.

We are still not quite ready…

Just completed our 4th demo. Today everyone seems to be a little bit relief.

Two weeks ago, we “broke” UTM Robocon Team’s record again, as commented by seniors, by performing one of the worst demo ever. It was the 3rd demo, yet none of the robot can perform the task. Everyone was so worried. The supervisors doubted if we should participate in this year competition. One of our best programmers quit and left the team. It was a disaster.

The past two weeks had been very tensed for everyone. Even me stayed overnight at the lab almost every night. We’re given two weeks time to complete our task, and we thought it was impossible. There were too many things to be completed, and we’re lacking of manpower. Everyone stayed back late in the lab to train despite having test the next day.

Today, miracle happened. Besides being able to complete the task, we broke our best time record (completing the task in the shortest time). Although there’re slight technical problems in the process, we managed to solve it in time.

There are still many things to be improved. Many aspects have to be reconsidered. Nonetheless, these two weeks have taught me 3 things:

1) Pressure is required for fast improvement.

2) Things that are impossible for one man, is possible for a team.

3) Life in lab isn’t that bad. In fact,I’m starting to love to sleep here…haha (don’t worry, I’m not crazy… yet =P).

Our next challenge will be in one week time, where we will be competing with UTMKL team to decide which team to represent UTM this year. Hopefully by that time, everyone is ready for the challenge.

It’s 4:30 AM now, and yet I’m still in the lab, struggling…  as usual, another sleepless night.

This year, we are changing our strategy. Instead of one-man-show, we’re being divided into departments to break down and be more specified on our tasks. For months we’ve been working hard on it, and yet til today, nothing much has been accomplished.

Instead of being more productive, we’re slowing down.

Instead of being more efficient, we seems to be more unorganized.

Instead of having less problems, we’re facing more.

Instead of raising the morale and team spirit among members, everyone seems like half-dead.

Instead of improving, we seems to be static.

It’s not that nobody is working. Everyone stays up late every night to complete the tasks, but somehow we’re lack of something. And sadly, I don’t know what is it.

Have we chosen the wrong path since the beginning?

Have we recruited the wrong person?

Have we been de-motivated due to our financial problems?

Have we been neglecting some important aspects which we didn’t realize?

Everything seems so uncertain and we’re running out of time. It’s true that we’ve changed, but the question is are we changing for the better? Or for the worse?

Our target, our dream is still far away and I’m still trying to search for answers. Hopefully when I’ve found them, it’s not after the big-event.

I believe most people have at least heard of this book.

In case if you haven’t, it was published in 2005 and was the top worldwide best selling business and management book by W.Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne.

This book is mainly about business and the idea of winning without competing. It challenges the conventional idea of the business world a.k.a. red ocean and how any business can break from this chain of red ocean to create new blue water, and make the world a better place.

However, I personally think that the concept being highlighted in this book is not limited only to the business world. Somehow there are more to it. This might sounds weird but what I’m going to talk about here is “life lesson” that I learned from this great book.

Lesson 1: The Four Actions Framework “Create – Eliminate – Raise – Reduce”

Be clear which element adds value to our life and which do not. Keeping those useless elements will not bring any good, so we might as well reduce or eliminate them and reserve the space to create and raise those which are more useful.

Lesson 2: Three Characteristics of Good Strategy “Focus – Divergence – Compelling Tagline”

Focus: Human is born with only two hands. Sometimes we tend to do too many things at once, but in the end realize that we can’t accomplish anything. Be focus.

Divergence: Following the crowd will not always lead you to a better path. There are times when we must stand alone and make hard decisions which are very different from the norm.

Compelling Tagline: If you are good in something, prove it by action. Always walk the talk.

Lesson 3: Value Innovation

You are good in something, but the sad truth is no one will ever give a damn. People will only appreciates when your effort adds value to their life.

Lesson 4: Reconstruct Market Boundaries (Alternatives and Complementary Offerings)

Whatever option you have now is not necessarily the best, hence always look for alternatives and dare to challenge conventional wisdom.

Lesson 5: Focus on the Big Picture, not the Numbers

Everything that happens, it happens for a reason. Always look at things from different perspective.

Lesson 6: Reach Beyond Existing Demand

Always push yourself to the limit and strive hard to achieve your goals. There is no free lunch in this world and you get what you deserve based on your effort.

Lesson 7: Get The Strategic Sequence Right

If you can’t walk, you can’t fly. As mentioned by Sun Tzu in the first chapter of “The Art of War“, proper planning is always the most crucial first step.

Lesson 8: Overcoming Key Organizational Hurdles

Big problem often comes from small problems. To solve a big problem, always work backward by breaking it into smaller pieces.

Lesson 9: Build Execution Into Strategy (Be Fair)

In the book, the author focus on the fair process. So the same principle applies in life, be fair.

Lesson 10: Renewal of Blue Ocean Strategy

Finally, always be ready to change. As mentioned by Spencer Johnson in “Who Moved My Cheese?“,we can only improve by adapting to changes around us. Nonetheless, be sure whether is the change really required. If it is not, stick to the original plan.

This is one of the most inspiring books I’ve read. Although it has been published for quite sometime, its idea and concept is never outdated and can be applied in various fields.

Ya, I know… For a 200 over pages book, it is quite expensive (well, at least for me =P). But from what I got from it, I think it is really worth it.

P/S: Special thanks to XinHui.