Dr. Jose Pardo – Just Think Positive!
Last Saturday Jose “Titoy” Pardo, PSE Chairman and former Secretary of Trade/Finance was conferred the Degree of Doctor of Science in Finance by De La Salle University headed by Br. Raymundo Suplido.
At the luncheon celebration, the “new Doctor” was asked to dispense a cure to problems at hand, he shared how to cope with emerging VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) related problems. Dr. Pardo picked up from Dr. Charles Handy, author of The Age of Unreason, who said “All businesses or any economic activity are vulnerable to shock and inevitably will experience tremors in the market place. The important thing is to be quick in responding to change and to never succumb to the status quo style of management. If it ain’t broke, fix it.”
Yes. Fix it. Times have changed and they’re changing fast. Remember the Nokia CEO, he said “we didn’t do anything wrong.” But change passed Nokia by. When one’s business is doing well, it is timely to pursue and launch expansion or diversification of the company business, or plan acquisitions and mergers, or even a partial or full divestment from core business.
Dr. Pardo says our business leaders can also give Dr. Handy a lesson or two on their ability to successfully and profitably fix things always with impeccable timing, naming among the guests Tessie Coson, Andrew Tan, Lance Gokongwei, Jorge Araneta, Butch Campos, Yosi Tanco. Present also were his lovely wife Marilyn, only son Iñigo, daughters Yvette, President of Wendy’s, Diana, Social Security Commissioner, sons in law Judd Aguilar and JP Orbeta; business leaders Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry Chair George Barcelon, The Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. President Sergio Ortiz-Luis, Pilipinas Shell’s Edgar Chua, Menardo Jimenez; and from government, former President Joseph Estrada, Education Secretary Liling Briones, Budget Secretary Ben Diokno and Lenny De Jesus etc.
From former President Joseph Estrada, Dr. Pardo came up with another prescription: “Simplify and reduce complexity. Huwag na huwag pahirapin ang madali.”
Dr. Pardo maintains that “there is no single business strategy that can guarantee success. In summary, he says the ability to succeed lies in an entrepreneur’s sheer determination and a “just think positive” or JTP outlook. Nothing is impossible if one puts his mind, heart and energy behind any goal.”
Vivian Yuchengco, the Philippine Stock Exchange’s “iron lady” says that JTP is not only very positive, he is a good diplomat and a super honest man of integrity.
JTP was my boss in the Department of Finance and I definitely agree with Vivian, and will add — very good Boss, indeed!
That morning, Dr. Pardo was the Commencement speaker at De La Salle University. His message was “Connect to Live and to Grow.”
He quoted Stephen Hawking who said that “we are all connected by the internet, like neurons to a giant brain.”
The rules of the game change as technology happens. Remember the yellow pages (telephone directories) now obsolete with the digital age. He said: “Today, the world has shrunk to hyper-interconnected community where information is not only readily available but also free. In the Internet, data is accessible from the cloud and available at the tip of your fingers. Riding the information wave digitally is like being sucked into a cyclone. You either ride or get thrown out.”
CONNECT
Connect to your sense of meaning and purpose.
Ask yourself the following questions:
• What is my passion?
• When am I happiest?
• Is my passion aligned with my values?
• What career do I want?
He said: “The difficult takes a while, the impossible a little longer. So whatever path you may take, remember to connect with the inner you.”
LIVE
Dr. Pardo said in his speech that you must live your dreams, but also suggests to live and make this a better world for others. He reminded the graduates of Winston Churchill, who once said that “we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
“Choose to live right, even when sometimes it is not easy to do. And choose to give as much as you can. That is the way to live,” Dr. Pardo said.
GROW
He also noted that “Bill Gates once suggested that schools are becoming obsolete as tools to educate tomorrow’s workers for tomorrow’s jobs.”
UnionBank of the Philippines’ Tito Ortiz said children today will change jobs no less than 14 times in their lifetime, as robots and artificial intelligence take over.
So, should the graduates of today be afraid of robotics? Dr. Pardo reminded of “Jack Ma, who believes in the importance of IQ, just as he puts premium on EQ and the need for LQ, the love quotient. That there must be a balance among the three and that humans, armed with EQ and LQ will triumph over the emerging era of robotics and artificially intelligent super computers.”
Dr. Pardo’s advice to the graduating class was “Do not be afraid to ask why, what if, or why not? Do not be afraid to fail. And when the rules of the game change, learn to roll along with courage in your hearts, to Just Think Positive and pursue your dreams!”
Whether you’re a seasoned business leader or a new graduate starting out in life, JTP or Just Think Positive!
Flor G. Tarriela is Chairman of Philippine National Bank. She was the first Filipina Vice President of Citibank N.A. and was formerly Undersecretary of Finance when Jose T. Pardo was DOF Secretary. She is a natural farmer and an environmentalist
