Anis Farizza
Anis Farizza graduated with a LLB(Hons), but decided against a legal career to pursue her passion in people development. She is currently the CEO of One HR, a company she founded, through which she works with public and private organisations on various strategic human capital management projects. Her ambition is to continuously help organizations achieve best results through its people, and encourage young people to build meaningful careers.
New Generation of Talents for the Future
Four years ago, I gave up a stable, promising job in an international consulting firm to pursue my dreams. I set up a boutique human resources consulting firm with this underlying philosophy – to help organisations in Malaysia achieve the best possible performance from their human capital.
A big, hairy, audacious goal that may seem, but I strongly and passionately believe that a great country is not only built around the best infrastructures, high-end technologies and rich finances – but most important of all, great talents or human capital. We need passionate, creative and innovative talents to lead, drive and grow with the country.
Throughout my 15 years career in people management & people development, I have experienced the frustration of seeing unmotivated, complacent, disinterested individuals going about their day jobs for the sake of that salary at the end of the month. I have also been equally inspired by successful individuals I have come across, passionate in their own field of endeavors, building a great career for themselves, relentlessly pursuing their dreams, adding value to this great country in their own ways. Sadly, the former outnumbers the latter.
It can’t be stressed enough the importance of human capital development for the country’s future. I am glad to see that this is one of the prime agenda in the 10th Malaysia Plan, as well as the initiatives of the GTP on building innovative human capital. Our future leaders and ‘drivers’ need to be well prepared to lead the nation and meet the challenges that await.
As the saying goes,
“The future of our country is not found in our boardroom but in our classrooms” M. Milken
I am hopeful that the MOHE through the National Higher Education Strategic Plan will effectively play their role in the development of world-class human resources to meet Malaysia’s aspirations through a world-class higher education system, which will produce knowledgeable human capital for an innovation led development in Malaysia.
While it is encouraging to see the Government’s current and future initiatives on human capital development, I strongly believe while we can have the best policies and ‘systems’ in place, if the individuals are not making the effort, not capitalizing fully on all the opportunities provided, possessing poor mindset, and remains uninitiated, we may not have a different quality of workforce, or if you like “world class human capital” we set out to produce in the medium or longer run.
Developing and nurturing the minds of future talents are just as, if not more important, than infrastructure and economic development. We need to encourage a generation of lifelong learners, of creative and innovative thinkers, of savvy entrepreneurs, of profound leaders with advanced critical thinking, judgment, and communication skills.
Let’s push our leaders, in the academic, private, public, and not-for-profit sectors, to treat the variety of issues that determine how best to raise up human capital, with the same holistic commitment, that we have so aggressively approached other developmental areas with. We must do this! Even a physically perfected country will have little value if its citizens find themselves on the economic and social margins. Just as we need to ready our infrastructure, so too must we ensure that our next generation are prepared to compete in the economy of tomorrow.
In every Malaysian citizen, there is a potential to achieve great things. How many will ever live up to their full potential? Can you imagine how great this country would be if every young Malaysian grow to reach their full potential?
My hopes and aspirations for the future is for the younger generation of Malaysians to persistently take charge of their personal development with determination like never before. I would like to see young Malaysians ~ our future human capital~ entering the workforce with big dreams, passion, determination; and pursue them relentlessly. Let us believe in the power of dreams and start dreaming big as individuals and as a country.
My message for the current and future generation is this:
Rise to the challenge. Wake up, look around you, opportunities are aplenty. Dare to dream big, live life to the fullest, be brave to live up to your full potential.
Through my work I will continue to help organisations achieve the best possible results through their people, and encourage young Malaysians to build meaningful careers, one organisation at a time, and one person at a time. Let’s all make a positive difference to Malaysia in our own little ways.