The Manager

Ms Janice Chua at her lovely Tanah Merah home

Name: Janice Chua
Age:Late 40s
Designation: Head of Research, Singapore & Senior Vice President Equity Research, DBS Vickers Securities

Question 1: Briefly describe your job responsibilities as a manager.
I run a research department in stock broking company. There is a team of 23 staff working under my department. My role is to provide research and investment advice to clients, as well as provide ideas for them to buy and sell stock in the Singapore market. Some of my responsibilities include provide direction for the team, as to where the market is heading and guide them in making right recommendations in stocks, edit reports and chair morning meetings, where we market our ideas to sales people. Besides that, I sometimes talk to the media regarding the stock market direction.

Question 2: What is your management style? Is your approach more towards the discipline, administrative side or towards the human relations side?
It's a little bit of both. Some of my workers claimed that I'm too fierce. But if I want something done, they know they have to do it. I'm very goal driven. But at the same time, I'm trying to like, soften my approach. For example, I came up with things like a pantry and a new coffee machine in the kitchen. Also, I got new office chairs, as the old ones have been around for quite awhile and new cabinets, because their desks are always cluttered with paper. I keep trying to get my workers to tidy up. Sometimes, we celebrate birthdays in the office. But still, my approach is basically discipline.


Question 3: What are some of the difficulties you face as a manager?
Well, there are a lot of difficulties. For example, employees' expectations, especially during a bull market, where times are good. During the bull market, we have to manage a high rate of staff turnover. Foreign brokers would pay a large sum to poach our staff, because we train our staff from a junior investor to an analysis. And now, in this bear market, there are challenges in implementing some cost cutting measures.

I also have some top university graduates who are stubborn and refuse to change their views, even though they are proven wrong. They seem to know everything. If they were to make the wrong calls or recommendations, our company's overall reputation could be tarnished.

Question 4: How do you overcome these difficulties?
Since people are easily tempted by money, to ward off foreign brokers from poaching our staff, we simply offer more money and career advancement opportunities. During a bull market, we advice the staff to talk to us first, before extending their contracts.

As for the problems with some of the top university graduates, my company would send them for training on the areas of weakness. If there is still no improvement, we would give them hints to either find another job, during a bull market, or we would reassign them to another department altogether during a bear market.

Question 5: Last question. In your opinion, what makes a good manager?
I think my regional director is a good manager. He has a patient ear to listen to staff. He is good in coaching others. He is able to provide vision, strategy and direction for our group. I think he is a good role model, in terms of intergrity, passion, relationship, discipline and respect, all of which makes up the company's slogan. He is also a problem solver, not a fault finder, and he also takes the lead when it comes to working out the objectives. These are some of the qualities that I think would make a good manager.