下面分享另一篇嘉里集团郭氏基金会一位同事写的文章，愿大家也有所收获（为保护相关人员隐私，文中已略去作者及相关人员的姓名）。
Time flies, and it is hard to believe that I have already completed my one-year fellowship with the Kerry Group Kuok Foundation. I have learned an immense amount over the past year from my colleagues and have enjoyed myself tremendously. I wanted to share some of my reflections on my experience, especially in reference to the goals that I have set for myself at the beginning of my fellowship year.
I. Learning about the Operation of the Foundation
I consider myself very lucky to have been able to spend my fellowship year with the Kerry Foundation for many reasons, one of which is that I believe it has one of the most thoughtful and disciplined approach toward management and operations among world-class non-profit organizations. Even at the outset, I was struck by how much thought has gone into determining the overall strategy of the Foundation and for each competency. Through my observations over the past year, I have come to see that this is essential for setting the overall direction of the Foundation, and to ensure that the Foundation is clear on what it is trying to achieve over its fifteen-year time frame and that it also has the ability to measure itself on how far it has reached its goals.
Apart from its holistic strategy, I am also very impressed by the Foundation's operational process. Through working with William Lau, manager of the enterprise competency, on his projects (in particular the demo farm project), I have obtained great insight into various aspects of managing a project, from the initial planning phase to actual execution. I have gained an appreciation for the processes and procedures that the Foundation has put in place to ensure that each project meets high quality standards and maximizes the impact it can create.
Moreover, through my participation in the last two bi-annual management meetings, I have learned that the Foundation's success stems very much from the fact that it constantly strives to improve. The Foundation's strategy and operational process are not static, and are in fact continually refined as the Foundation grows and learns. This is something that I find very valuable and in my mind is one of the key strengths of the organization.
II. Learning about China
Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to visit five of the Foundation's bases, including Sichuan Mianzhu, Hunan Baojing, Jiangxi Xiushui, Shaanxi Chunhua and Hubei Xiaochang. During these trips, I was able to visit villages and participate in discussion forums with villagers, giving me a firsthand glimpse into what life is like in rural China. I was at first surprised by how foreign these places seemed to me. I felt that my background and upbringing was so different from what these rural Chinese villagers have experienced that I did not even know how to begin to relate to them and to understand their mindsets and attitudes. As I spent more time listening to what they had to say, however, I began to see that they may not be as different as I initially thought. They too, would like to improve their lives and their communities, to be healthy, to provide for their children, and to live well. Many of them are willing to work hard to support themselves, and are proactive about learning new skills that can allow them to make a better living. But very often, they lack the opportunity to make a real change in their situations. They work hard, but many natural constraints and limitations – such as being born in a village that is located in so remote an area that it is very difficult for villagers to access the outside world – may mean that all their efforts amount to little impact. As a result, their fears and anxieties – concerns about whether they can afford to send their children to school, or how they could pay a huge medical bill – are often very real.
Thus, I have truly come to believe in the Foundation's mission, that our ultimate aim should be to alleviate the uneven distribution of opportunities. Creating opportunities for the poor is indeed the best gift, because to a far greater extent than just giving money or providing other forms of material assistance, opportunities empower the poor by giving them the ability to improve their own lives. This capability brings hope, and allows poor, ordinary Chinese villagers, like us, to have dreams and aspirations about their futures.
III. Learning from Dr. Pang
I joined the Foundation in large part because of the opportunity to work with Dr. Pang, who has a strong reputation as a seasoned business executive, and although I came in with high hopes, my experience here has exceeded my initial expectations. Over the past year, Dr. Pang has not only been a boss, but also a mentor and a friend. Through observing the way he leads the Foundation and my personal interactions with him, I have learned what it means to be a great leader. It is clear to me that his leadership is essential in the smooth running of the Foundation, and everyone within the organization depends on him for guidance, judgment and inspiration. Externally, he is equally important as a representative of the Foundation; among government officials and villagers, people look to him for commitment and trust.
I have learned that there are a few qualities that a great leader should possess. First, he or she should be people-focused. Despite his busy schedule, Dr. Pang always makes time to meet with everyone who works for him, and during those meetings, he is a great listener and patiently allows each person to finish what they have to say. It is never just about completing the task, and it is obvious that Dr. Pang cares about the development of people. Second, a great leader has the ability to inspire. Dr. Pang's passion for what the Foundation is trying to accomplish shines through in everything he does, and he lives his life and acts in a way that is consistent with his message. Dr. Pang has not only shown me by example how to become a more effective professional, but has also taught me important life lessons as well.
IV.Learning Business and Management Skills
Dr. Pang always says that to succeed in business, all you need is common sense and people skills. Indeed, I consider this to be one of the most important lessons I learned during my experience here. Unlike my previous roles as a lawyer and bond trader, in which my performance was determined almost entirely by on my own individual contributions, it is impossible to make an impact at the Foundation without working well with others. And at the Foundation, this can be particularly challenging because people working here have such diverse backgrounds and experiences. For example, as compared with base leaders who spent their entire careers in government positions in China, competency leaders who came from multinational corporations often have very different approaches to work and dissimilar beliefs about productivity and organization efficiency. For the Foundation to maximize its effectiveness, one of the key focus areas from a management perspective is to ensure that a diverse group of people can work well together, that the organization can leverage the strengths, skills and talents of each person. After all, everyone who works for the Foundation is united by a common goal – to improve the lives of poor villagers in China. Of course, this is easier said than done, and at times I have also been guilty of being so focused on “getting the job done” that I have inadvertently neglected to be sensitive to the sensibilities and motivations of the people that I was working with. I am glad to have learned this lesson while working here, and this is definitely an important business and management that I will keep in mind throughout my career.
V. Making an Impact on the Foundation
What I have been able to contribute to the Foundation is minimal compared to all that I have gained from my experience here. Nevertheless, I am glad that I have been able to assist William with various aspects of his enterprise projects, and in particular the demo farm project. I was actively involved with working on the legal issues relating to setting up the demo farms at the different bases, and spent a considerable amount of time discussing entity structures and reviewing legal agreements in conjunction with internal Kerry legal counsel. In addition, I completed several research projects for William and was able to make use of my finance skills in doing financial analysis for a few enterprise projects, including the Baojing pig farm project and the Danzhai watermelon project.
Overall, I expect my biggest contribution to the Foundation to be the core competency web platform, which I hope to have up and running by the end of this year. I am really glad to be able to work on this project because it has given me the opportunity to understand all the different competencies at the Foundation, which has provided me with a solid breadth of experience here. The project was an initial assignment that I received when I joined the Foundation. It got off to a slow start, as I spent the first couple of months at the Foundation getting up to speed with the strategy and operation processes of the organization. Beginning at the end of last year, however, the project took on new momentum, and the addition of Stanley Pang to the team has been invaluable from a web vendor sourcing perspective, especially with the additional IT elements relating to the database requirements of the different competencies.
It has been very satisfying observing how the project has evolved from an idea to a concept that can actually be implemented. I truly believe that, once completed, the web platform could offer a lot of value not only to our colleagues within the Foundation, but also to others outside the Foundation who are keen to learn about how the Foundation operates. I think it is very important to capture the institutional knowledge of an organization so that it can improve, and to allow the Foundation to make an even greater impact by enhancing and transferring its knowledge to like-minded individuals. To that end, I am very passionate about this project and I am excited about continuing to work with the Foundation to brng the web platform to fruition.
中文版
时光飞逝，不知不觉我已在嘉里集团郭氏基金会里完成了一年的工作 (fellowship)。过去一年，我与各同事并肩工作，获益良多，而我也乐在其中。我希望分享在这一年来的点滴，尤其是关于我在开始这份工作时，为自己订立的目标。
一. 认识基金会的运作
我能够在嘉里集团郭氏基金会工作，实在感到非常荣幸。原因有很多，其中一个原因就是，在众多国际非牟利机构中，嘉里集团郭氏基金会在管理和运作方面，持有最慎密和严格的态度。打从我刚入职，便发现基金会对整体策略和每一个项目，都精心策划，巨细无遗，使我十分佩服。经过一年观察，我明白到这种严谨精神对制定基金会的整体方向十分重要，每个项目计划都有详细的量化指标，令基金会不但明确知道十五年计划后可以获得多少成果，也能自我检讨离目标有多远。
除了基金会的全面策略外，我对它的运作过程也印象深刻。我与产业科目刘柏年主任一起工作后 (特别是示范园项目)，对项目计划管理的不同阶段，由最初的草拟，直至落实执行，都深入了解，并深受启发。我明白到基金会设定的不同过程和程序，都是为了确保每一个项目均能达到高水平，发挥最大的影响力。
另外，我参加了两次半年一度的管理会议，从中认识到基金会的成功之道，就是力求进步。基金会的策略和运作过程并非一成不变，而是随着基金会的发展不断改善，力臻完美。我认为这是基金会的其中一个重要优点，十分珍贵。
二. 了解中国
过去一年，我有机会探访了基金会的其中五个基地，包括四川绵竹、湖南保靖、江西修水、陕西淳化及湖北孝昌。在这些探访中，我访问村庄与村民谈话，亲身感受中国偏远地区的生活。首先，我感到惊讶，原来这些地方对我来说，实在很陌生。我认为我的背景和成长过程都跟这些住在偏远地区的村民截然不同，我甚至不知道该如何着手了解他们的思想和态度。不过，当我多花了时间，聆听他们的想法，我开始明白他们所追求的其实与一般人无异。他们都想改善生活和社区，希望身体健康，希望能够养育小孩，希望好好生活。很多村民都愿意努力工作来维持生计，也主动学习新技巧，让自己可以过更好的生活。但是，他们总是缺乏机会来彻底改善情况。虽然他们努力工作，但却受制于多种自然或外在因素。例如，村民在很偏远的村庄生活，便很难接触外面的世界，这表示无论他如何努力也是徒然。结果，他们便产生种种担忧和焦虑，如他们能否负担孩子上学费用，或如何应付巨额的医疗开支，就真的变成他们的生活写照了。
虽然中国在过去的二、三十年经济发展的很快，但是贫富相当悬殊。因此，我深信基金會的使命，即是我們的最終目的是要消除機會不均的問題。事實上，為貧困的人製造機會才是最好的禮物，比起單單提供金錢或其他形式的物資援助，提供機會更加能夠使他們有能力改善自己的生活。這種能力為他們帶來希望，也能讓貧困的、普通的中國村民像我們一樣，對未來懷有充滿憧憬和夢想。
三. 從彭定中总裁身上學習
我加入基金會主要是為了得到与彭博士共事的机会。彭博士身為丰富經驗的國際企業行政人員，有很高的聲望。我抱著很大的期望加入基金會，而在這裡的工作經驗仍远超过了預期。在過去一年对我来说，彭博士不但是上司，更是導師和朋友。借着觀察他帶領基金會工作的方式，以及我和他之間的交流接触，我明白到如何成為出色的領袖。對我而言，他的領導能力是基金會能畅顺运作的重要原因，而會內每個人都倚仗他的引導、判斷和啟發。對外而言，他身為基金會代表的角色亦同樣重要；而對政府官員和村民而言，众人也從他身上得到承諾與信任。
我明白到出色的領袖需要有的几种特質。第一，他或她應以人為本。尽管彭博士工作繁重，但他經常抽空與每一位為他工作的人見面。見面時，他會耐心聆聽，讓每個人說完想說的話。顯然，彭博士不是只關心要完成工作，更會關心员工的發展。第二，出色的領袖有能力启发他人。彭博士對基金會试图完成的工作充滿热诚，而这种热诚也从他所做的每件事中顯現出來。同時，他的生活和做事方式也貫徹了這個訊息。彭博士不仅以實際例子向我展示了如何成為做事效率更高的專業人士，更教會了我重要的生命課題。
四. 學習企業和管理技巧
彭博士經常說，要在企業中取得成功，你所需要的就是常識和與人交往的技巧。事實上，我認為這就是我在這裡學習到最重要的課題之一。與我以往身為律師和債券交易員的角色不同，那時我的成就完全取決於我個人的表現。但在這裡，如果未能跟其他人好好合作，便很難對基金會发挥作用。不但如此，由於員工各有不同的背景和經驗，因此使合作更添挑战性。舉例說，與整個職業生涯都是身任中國政府職位的基地領導者相比，來自跨國企業的项目領導者通常有截然不同的工作方式，也會對生產力和組織效率有不同看法。基金會为了能把效率提升至最高，管理阶层的其中一個主要著眼點就是提倡团队精神，除了要確保一众有不同看法的人能夠通力合作，也要確保能夠善用每個人的优点、技巧和天賦。归根究底，每個為基金會工作的人都有一個共同目標：改善中國貧困村民的生活。當然，說比做更簡單。偶爾我也只顧完成工作，不自覺的忽略了同事的感受和動機，而心生愧疚。我很高與在這裡工作時上了這課，在我的職業生涯中，我絕對不會忘記這個重要的企業和管理技巧。
五. 為基金會帶來影响
在基金會的工作經驗令我獲益良多，相比之下，我能為基金會付出的實在微不足道。我很感谢有机会協助刘柏年主任處理企業項目的不同範疇，尤其是能夠參與示範園項目。我致力解決在不同基地設立示範園所涉及的法律問題，也投放了大量時間與集團內部法律顧問合作，協力研究企業個體結構和覆核法律合同。除了替刘主任完成數個研究項目外，我亦有機會一展财务技巧，為數個企業項目提供財務分析，當中包括保靖养猪场項目和丹寨西瓜种植項目。
總的來說，我認為我對基金會的最大幫助莫過於參與建造核心能力中心網络平台。我希望網絡平台能在本年底前开展运作。我有幸能参与这項目，令我有機會了解基金會各種不同的项目及能力，累积了坚实的經驗。這項目是我加入基金會後的第一個主要任務，起初的數月，我都在熟悉基金會的方針和运作程序，以致项目进展緩慢。可是，自去年底開始，項目進度明顯加快。彭英寗主任的加入，对我们采购網络供應商方面给予极大的助力，尤其是他帶來的信息科技原素，正能配合基金會不同项目的資料庫的需要。
看著項目由一個念頭發展成可实践的概念，当中的滿足感實在難以言喻。我深信，網絡平台完成後，不但能對基金會的員工大有幫助，也对基金会运作感兴趣的外界人士也能受益。我認為掌握一個机构的核心能力非常重要，只有這樣才会有进步。基金會要发挥更大的影响力，便要把这种知识和经验传递給信念一致的人。為此，我十分热衷于这項目，并且對繼續與基金會合作，把網絡平台實現兴奋不已。
