“Pinoy abilidad” is “knee-jerk”

It explains why we miss the turn at every fork in the road. And why we are the quintessential “perfect storm.”

And it is nourished and perpetuated by our “kuro-kuro” culture. Do we have more pundits than they do in Washington DC?

Yet, we like to criticize the West for short-termism. In fairness, they are. On the other hand, they are a well-developed economy and have the structure to lead the world.

Of course, given the dynamism of this world, this “Universe,” they too are subject to its turbulence. For example, they are in their post-industrialization stage and why tech and social media have upstaged manufacturing.

On the other hand, the scenario reflects the dynamism of the universe. Imagine if China did not become a manufacturing hub. There would still be over a billion poor people.

Recall that even in Eden, there was evil.

It explains why despots will always be around. And they throw a monkey wrench into the world order. The excellent news is that humankind is “special” and demonstrates the ability to harness our environment. To be sure, we messed up the “environment.” On the other hand, we know quantum computing, for example, will pave the way to reversing climate change. It will not happen overnight. Recall that “Creation” took “several days.”

Yet, we Filipinos are oblivious to “reality.” Recall how often the blog quotes the late George Gorospe, SJ. To paraphrase him, “reality” is beyond any human system or experience.

In other words, what we are witnessing is “reality.” And given that it is the outcome of a dynamic world, shouldn’t we ask ourselves why we are stuck with our instincts, our caste system?

We are parochial and insular. We value hierarchy and paternalism and rely on political patronage and oligarchy; ours is a culture of impunity.

Should we pause – and ponder?

For example, why despite quantum computing, we can’t reverse climate change overnight? How far has the world gone from introducing the Ping Pong video game on Atari? Or why did Apple discontinue the iPod, the first Steve Jobs creation beyond the Apple computer?

Technology gets ahead of humankind before we reap its rewards. It’s no different from when road accidents rose upon the introduction of the automobile. It will take time before we can harness the power of AI and quantum computing. In the meantime, we are witness to their downsides.

On the other hand, there is knowledge and experience available to Filipinos if we learn to think forward. And if we define where we want to be as a first-world nation and economy. Unfortunately, our parochialism and insularity are beyond the pale.

Blame our caste system, our value of hierarchy, and paternalism. It consigns us to mediocrity.

Look at the US. The caste system upended its efforts to pursue the common good.

Democracy is not about the left or the right. And why the blog keeps raising Franciscan theology.

For example, just the thought that one or the other is “perfect” flies in the face of “reality” – and the coming of Christ. Or, for that matter, the dynamism of the “Universe.”

How many times must we ask, “how come Deng heeded Lee and Mahathir” to beg for Western money and technology? And so did the Vietnamese?

On the other hand, we like to invoke “inclusiveness” – as in socialism? There is no perfect system in a dynamic environment.

We Filipinos will have difficulty moving from System 1 to System 2, formulated by the Nobel prize winner in economics, Daniel Kahneman. Similarly, we will be hard pressed to distinguish (a) logical yet linear and incremental thinking and (b) forward, lateral, and creative thinking.

And that is because of our caste system. We can’t see beyond the confines of our rank. We patronize those below us and rely on those above us.

In other words, we don’t leverage the “beauty and goodness” of creation. It’s called different things, but they are all the same.

For example, “design thinking” is cross-discipline thinking.

And that’s why the blog relates my encounters with the “real world” at the risk of being immodest.

They are not to brag but to demonstrate that democracy – or freedom and the free market – presupposes the imperative of personal responsibility to pursue the common good.

Recall that I train and mentor my Eastern European friends in innovation and global competitiveness, including strategy, planning, budgeting, merger and acquisition, R&D, brand and sales management, and analytics.

And the foundation is “andragogy” – or adult learning. In other words, I don’t stand in front of them to “lecture.”

That is also how I changed the planning and budgeting model of my 200-year-old then MNC company. Recall that when I first arrived in New York, I initiated a cross-functional meeting in Bali where the global marketing and technology leadership sat with the team of country managers from the Asia Pacific.

Why? Because I had seven years of experience going through the planning and budgeting process in the Philippine subsidiary and as a regional manager. And I experienced the “disconnect” – and gaps – in and of the process.

And when the president saw how it worked while visiting Thailand and Australia, he asked me to present the model to the CEO and his senior staff. And then, we asked HR to turn the model into a training program – to ensure every manager employed the model.

Consider: We had piloted Total Quality in different subsidiaries, and the Technology community employed the Balanced Scorecard model. But the company chose a much simpler one we developed in Bali.

Is that possible in a caste system like ours in the Philippines?

For example, we know our education system is flawed. But how are we defining the challenge and prescribing the solution? The mechanics are always the culprit, and so we did K-12.

Recall that even in the US, higher education has its shortcomings. And Fortune 500 companies took matters into their own hands. How come Japan Inc. upended American manufacturing prowess and became an existential threat?

And in the case of my old MNC company, I participated in developing its education and training curriculum. And it was a team effort that tapped the expertise of leading educators. Recall that’s how I learned andragogy.

We also tapped functional experts within the company but moved away from their narrow concerns. For example, when the finance community developed a course in finance for non-finance people, it was clear that it was narrowly specialized. And the president, who was the final sign-off, also had the same sense.

As I explained to the finance folks, “we are not creating bean counters; we are providing tools for problem-solving and better decision-making so that the impact builds on where we want to be as an enterprise. We want to be the best in the business well into the future.”

What is the point? Should we Filipinos not ask where our head is? And aren’t we driven by our instincts, reflected in our caste system? 

We are parochial and insular. We value hierarchy and paternalism and rely on political patronage and oligarchy; ours is a culture of impunity.

As George Gorospe explained, we can teach the young about “reality” beyond any human system and experience. Yet, a culture of impunity rears its ugly at home and in society. Isn’t that why after the Marcos cronies came other cronies and more political patronage and oligarchies?

The blog says we need a “leadership that can take us from where we are to where we have never been before.”

For example, that is not BBM. 

In other words, we in the Philippine elite and chattering classes must take on the onus of “personal responsibility.” If we can’t undo our culture of impunity, we can’t expect leadership to lead us accordingly.

We will always get the leadership that we deserve. See above; I train and mentor my Eastern European friends but don’t stand in front of them to lecture. That is what self-government in a free society is.

Here’s an example. The first program we had for the brand managers was a shock to them. “Brand management is general management.” That was the first slide they saw. And unsurprisingly, there were giggles. 

And I had to explain “horizontal leadership,” lifted from “personal responsibility,” which is the foundation of the free market.

They must recognize that for their brands to win in the marketplace, and they must get the buy-in of the rest of the organization. Yet, they aren’t general managers. Without formal authority, they must be perceived and accepted as general managers of their brands.

That’s the challenge they had to wrestle with in small breakout groups, critiquing their real-world experiences. It’s an exercise in force-field theory. What forces are working in their favor that they must exploit against those restraining them that they must fix?

See above; finance for non-finance people is not to create bean counters but a tool for problem-solving and better decision-making. And there are other tools they can employ. For example, because of AI, income statements are software — or automatically — generated without needing a bookkeeper. The income statement is an example of AI — or an algorithm — yet it is only a subset of a more significant set.

As modern math tells us, other sub-sets come into play when we do problem-solving and decision-making — and they are analytics elements. See above; horizontal leadership and the challenge and exercise of force-field theory.

Of course, it is not a walk in the park. But that is why democracy, not authoritarian systems, is what can leverage the best in people.

Despots have limited themselves to a “monarchic-like” rule that lends itself to excesses. It applies to ecclesiastic excesses too. Look at Pandora’s box; the church has to contend with the millions of children abused by clerics.

And here we are, applauding EJKs – while frowning on the ICC. Where is the shame – that we perpetuate tyranny?

Yet, we are proud of “Pinoy abilidad.”

“Pinoy abilidad” is “knee-jerk.”

It explains why we miss the turn at every fork in the road. And why we are the quintessential “perfect storm.”

Gising bayan!