‘The expatriate’s role is to transfer knowledge’

Robert Kirby

To develop local talent is one of the roles of expatriates in the MSAR, however a better and more systematic approach is needed to effectively promote locals, particularly into managerial positions.
The founder of Kirby Leadership Academy, Robert Kirby, discussed the keys to personal and professional success yesterday at the French Macau Business Association’s monthly breakfast meeting.
In the talk, titled “Dialing Up Your Life,” the leadership expert noted that there is a need for the region to develop local talent in a structured way rather than forcing locals into positions they are not ready for.
“The expatriates’ role, perhaps in most cases, is to transfer knowledge on a two to three year contract and incentivize them for that,” he told the Times. “Let’s be more transparent about that.”
According to him, the region’s service standards will be lowered when local talents are forced into promotion as they may lack the right set of leadership skills.
Kirby describe the matter as a “sad state of the pace,” stressing that it would eventually tarnish the image of Macau.
As the region is keen to attract tourists, its promotional material promises tourists to expect a “world class tourism hub.” The expert implied that failing to deliver on that slogan by under-delivering the level of service due to  poor senior leadership, would affect the flow of tourists.
“My philosophy is: everything rises and falls on leadership,” he clarified.
He stressed that a more structured process in knowledge transfer is what the region needs. However, the territory has yet to provide structures, or put rewards and processes in place.
“I think if we do that then when locals get promoted, they will be better able to do that job that is expected of them and demanded of them. I think far too often locals have been promoted, and they would be honest with you, they tell you they are not really ready yet for that new role,” explained Kirby.
“They have not been given the skill set, or right amount of coaching so it just needs to be more structured,” he added.
As a consequence, the role of the expatriates in the region will not be diminished as they will be further recognized for their skills.
When asked about the results of promoting poorly trained local talents, Kirby said, “It affects bottom line profit; it affects branding of a company.”
The entrepreneur also highlighted the importance of technology in supporting the productivity of employees, noting that the role of leaders in today’s businesses has become more challenging.
“This is just why we need to move from management mindset to leadership mindset. We’re moving away from command and control style of management,” he argued.
Kirby noted that bringing international companies to the territory has also brought awareness of the importance of training and what it can do for brand enhancement, profitability and staff morale.
According to him, the reduction in number of blue cards that are made available will force companies to “dial up,” indicating that significant efforts are needed to refine local talents.
“We have to really work harder as expatriates in transferring that knowledge and making our local workforce more competent and more capable. It’s a case of just accelerating what we’ve been doing in the past,” he argued.