These days in Asia, it is increasingly difficult to get flights to and from Europe, the USA and even within Asia itself, so strong is business traveler demand. Passenger loading is at an all-time high that trips really have to be booked months in advance. So it was very interesting to read the article, “All Mouth and No Trousers”, in the Economist on the 31 st March. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) had analysed several large western multinationals and discovered that, “though an estimated 34% of the potential market for the multinationals’ goods is in Asia, the region accounted for only 14% of sales, 7% of employees, 5% of assets, 3% of research and development and 2% of their top 200 people.” The article goes on to identify some of the reasons for the growing disparity, in particular, the perceived business risks of new markets in Asia and staffing challenges.

It is clear that the flights packed with business executives are symptomatic of a mad dash to catch up but, if multinationals slowed down a bit, they might actually achieve more. In their minds, extreme travel and activity demonstrates commitment to Asia, while, in fact, it actually puts more pressure on their Asian outposts, distracting them from getting on with executing strategy at a local level. What Country Managers need most of all is time and space to work out the right approach to accelerating the multinational’s business in that market. Instead, they are defocused by hosting head office visits and by expectations to deliver objectives that are far too short term.

Quite separately, I have been reading Carl Honore’s book, “In Praise of Slow. How a worldwide movement is challenging the cult of speed”. In it, he argues very persuasively that we have all developed an inner psychology of speed, of saving time and maximizing efficiency but that this obsession with doing more and more in less and less time has gone too far. It has turned into an addiction. We have lost the art of looking forward to things and how to enjoy things when they arrive. Nobody is arguing that we should declare war against speed. It is simply that we need to moderate human advances with some of the basic needs and pleasures in life.

Three weeks ago, I took my first hiking holiday and completed the 5 day Milford Track in New Zealand. It was one of the best experiences I have ever undertaken. The ability to exercise one’s body in one of the most achingly beautiful parts of the world, the time to reflect and to tidy up the “stuff” that is going on in one’s head and the pleasure of enjoying good food and company in such magnificent isolation made me realize how therapeutic and sensible the prospect of balancing slow with quick can be. If only the business world could take notice.

So here are my 5 pleas for a little more slowness.

1 The Asian hype is well deserved but don’t go crazy. Rushing to deliver big business targets will only undermine your new Asian relationships and even, place you at their mercy, if deadlines have been promised.

2 Create more space and time for your Country management teams. If you still feel the need to travel, then travel less but spend more time in discussions, not presentations. Leave the agenda free. It is amazing what can emerge when there is nothing on the agenda!

3 Interfere less. If you are confident you have chosen the right people to lead, then let them get on with it.

4 Allow more time for relaxation with your Asian partners. An invitation to a sporting or cultural event, an extended dinner or a game of golf will be greatly appreciated. Investing more time getting to know each other will pay dividends later on.

5 Traveling less will create the space for you to better consider how to establish stronger foundations for your business in Asia. You can take time to choose the right team, prioritize effort and resource, manage the portfolio of business risks, focus effort on building local talent and, of equal importance, manage expectations at Head Office.

Overall it is balance that is needed in a fast paced, modern world. We need to be fast when it makes sense to do so. But also slow when it is called for. In Asia, I suspect the less traveled but wiser tortoise may yield better results in the long term than the gung-ho hare. But, who am I to preach? Five business trips in the last two weeks! I am either a masochistic road warrior, a frequent flyer junkie or a slow learner. I had better book that next hike….quickly!

- Fred Combe
www.Natus.com.sg