Who is Anh Han
Ranked #29,226 in Culture & Society, #565,260 overall
Is Anh Han really all that?
This lens is all about Anh Han and has been written by the man himself. It's a lens where you can learn about his influences, his special skills and what he wants to do with his days.
Thank you (really) for your time, attention and energy. You can contact Anh here.
Anh is not an Ego Maniac
It's true. In real life I'm not as brash, big headed and egotistical as this lens may suggest.
Overarching themes and philosphy
or Anh's about page
First and foremost I am a man of ideas. People say my mind works in strange ways or that my thought patterns are tangential. On the surface this may be true, but in reality I've just learnt how to unblock myself and think like a child again.I believe in collaboration, positivity, making things better and that we all have some contribution to give or gift to share. I've been searching for a "passion" for a long time and am beginning to think it doesn't exist, if anything "passion" is about finding the intersection of what you are good at and like doing and then using this to contribute to something bigger then yourself. I'm still searching but I know I'm on the right path.
I am very keen on self development and think most things can be learnt. Natural talent only gives you a slight advantage and I know from experience that practice and determination are bigger contributors to this thing called "success"
It's time to stop complying with the system and draw your own map.
Stop settling for what's good enough and start creating art that matters. Stop asking what's in it for you and start giving gifts that change people. Then and only then, will you have achieved your potential.
You have a brilliance in you, your contribution is valuable, and the art you create is precious. Only you can do it, and you must, I'm hoping you'll stand up and make a difference.
- Seth Godin | Linchpin
How Anh Han adds Value
aka Anh's super special skills
Even though I have a relativity small amount of work experience (4 years), I've picked up some traits and skills that let me make some form of contribution.
Breaking down things to Simplistic elements
Things are usually too complicated. People make things more complicated then they actually are. I look at things and break it down to simpler parts. I use metaphors, diagrams and stories to explain the simplistic elements and show others how these all fit together.0 points
Solving Problems
Perhaps it was a childhood of Lego, but I really like finding a way to fix things and make them better. The first part of solving a problem is defining it properly. My solutions are found by examining what we hope to achieve, what constraints we have and trying to find an example of a similar problem in a different realm.0 points
Testing Assumptions
When people say I can't I ask why. I base as much of my decison making process on real data and regularly devise and conduct small tests to challenge the assumptions that people have made. This technique helps identify what the real constraints are so I can find ways of getting round them.0 points
Big Strategic Thinking coupled with Getting Things Done
I'm very good at seeing the bigger picture and I have a knack of quickly discovering how something fits. I can visualise an ideal goal and use this to craft a plan to get it down. On a day-to-day level I make sure all aspects are traceable to my ideal goal.0 points
Communicating Ideas
I use a variety of techniques and mediums to convey my ideas to others. With practice I have developed a sense of discovering when I am being misunderstood so I can adjust my approach accordingly.0 points
Current Fields of (professional) Interest
Connecting remarkable companies and products to customers that would genuinely benefit but don't know yet. Using technology to help people connect and work better together. Use of stories to communicate why things matter.
A Very Brief History of Anh Han
I went through the usual progression - secondary school to college and then on to Warwick University to gain my undergraduate's masters in Mechanical Engineering. I left uni and shortly found myself on the Graduate Development Programme of a FTSE 500 Utility company.
It was during this time I developed my skills as a "Knowledge Worker" and would excel in all "softer" aspects of the role. I yearned to make things better but the system was too rigid for me. Looking back I now know I could have done more but alas, an opportunity presented itself for me to move to another internal role.
The opportunity resulted from a "cold email" that outlined a strategy for using technology to improve how we could all work together. I was given a project to implement a new temporary collaborative system to some 1500 users. From this I was moved to a project of similar nature but of a scale much bigger.
I was in at the start and helped defined what the business wanted from this new collaborative suite and was highly involved in the complete end-to-end delivery - from initial inception, through to design and testing and finally onto end user training and culture building. It was in this fast moving environment that I learnt the most about dealing with people effectively, changing behaviours, testing assumptions and building a strategy to make things better.
As the project closed up I thought it be best to take a career break to really understand how my skills can interests can be used to provide the biggest impact. I'm currently exploring Singapore.
Top Things Anh Han is looking for
in a company
They are proud of what they do
This is an absolute must. Great companies really believe in what they do. Their staff make a genuine positive contribution to the lives of their customers and they always want to get better.0 points
They see sharing as a means of getting better
I'm very into collaboration. Keeping information to yourself doesn't help make things better. Great companies see the importance of shifting from a "me" perspective to that of a "we".0 points
They value their customers as people
Too many big companies (and a fair amount of smaller ones) only see their customers as variables to their bottom line. Great companies see customers as people and realise that they exist to serve.0 points
They see iniative as the norm rather then the exception
"People are our strongest asset" can be found on the marketing spiel of many companies but more often then not these words do not ring true. Our greatest advantage is that we are all different. That we solve and approach problems in different ways. In many places, this great diversity is not encouraged but stifled through inflexible systems. Great companies believe in the value their people bring and create conditions that support rather then obstruct initiative.0 points
They believe in working smarter
This means working to your strengths, adapting to the needs of the customer and market place, building systems bigger then yourself and having the courage and foresight to rebuild if that is what is needed. It's about setting procedures as guidelines and allowing staff to work towards a common goal. Working smarter is recognising that it's what you produce rather then how many hours you put in.0 points
“Anh is one of the most impressive people I have ever worked with.
P Patel - Colleague via LinkedIn”
Quick, what do you think?
How am I perceived through this lens?
Thought Shaping Blog Posts
- Better | Merlin Mann
- Merlin's essay on the web, attention, and the virtues of trying a little bit harder.
- How to be Creative | gapingvoid
- We are all creative, some of us have just forgotten.
- Understanding the funnel | Seth's Blog
- The fundamental principles of the long tail and how we can use google to connect with customers that are actually looking for you.
- What makes an idea viral? | Seth's Blog
- Why viral goes viral. You can design the conditions to make ideas go viral and find the "sneezers" who can help you get started.
- A Brief History of Hard Work, Adjusted for Risk | Fast Company
- We don't do "hard" work in the physical sense anymore. "Hard" work has shifted to that which pushes us and is defined by the (smart) risks we take.
- What is the Monkeysphere? | Cracked.com
- Scientists found that Monkey's can only handle about 150 connections and anything above this is treated like they don't exist. This is the same with people, and once outside your "monkeysphere" you tend to forget that they are real people.
- More thoughts on social objects | gapingvoid
- People need a reason to connect. This is what a Social Object is. The best way to "join the conversation" is to design your services and products in such a way that it is the Social Object.
- Create, Connect, and Consume
- Your body has a rhythm which defines your energy. Learn when you are tired and most energetic. Do your best, most high leverage work in times of high energy and leave the rest till later.
- Watching the Corners: On Future-Proofing Your Passion | 43 Folders
- We are so lucky to live in this period of time. There is so much to be passionate about but remember that it's hard work and determination that will help you the most.
My Top 5
Business 1 liners
Work Smarter Not Harder
Be more effective first before you become more efficient. Spend time now if it saves you time later. Recognise what you are good at and leverage it. Discover what you are not good at and find someone to help you. Build systems that scale. Determine what you are trying to do before you do it.0 points
Always Test Assumptions
You can't do that. It's not going to work. I worry if this will happen. Common statements that although sound helpful at the time don't actually add any value. Base your actions on real data as much as you can. Devise small tests to confirm or deny what you think may happen and use this to change your plan of action accordingly.0 points
Output matters more then Hours
What people actually care about is what you produce and how it helps them rather than how long it takes. Just because you spent 5 more hours on something then I did doesn't make it any better. Some people stay late because it's "what you do" even though they are not actually doing anything. Madness. Time is the most precious, non renewable source. Don't waste it for the sake of it.0 points
Always solve problems and add value
This is why you exist. You are a value added entity and your role is to make something better then you found it. Thinking in this mindset (rather then finding excuses not to do something) really helps to get things done. You build momentum and the more problems you solve, the more help you give out, the more others share your load.0 points
Make sure the little things are traceable to the big things
We all strive to be better and produce something worthwhile and of meaning. These big life changing things are always in the back of our mind ready to be done in some distant future. One day things will be right, circumstances will change and opportunities will present themselves that will change everything and allow us to do our big thing. This doesn't happen in reality. A life is made on the day-to-day activities - the small things. Most small things we do are random at best. To achieve...0 points
If we embrace the fact that no one can or should ever care about the health of our passions as much as we do,
the practical decisions that help ensure Our Good Thing stays alive can become as "simple" as a handful of proven patterns - work hard, stay awake, fail well, hang with smart people, shed bullshit, say "maybe," focus on action, and always always commit yourself to a bracing daily mixture of all the courage, honesty, and information you need to do something awesome-discover whatever it'll take to keep your nose on the side of the ocean where the fresh air lives. This is huge.
Merlin Mann
Books with the Biggest Influence on me
You can also find Anh Han
at various Internet Hangouts
by anh
I'm keen, curious, positive, creative and enthusiastic. The world is a great big playground and I hope my squidoo lenses show all my varied interests... more »
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