A Winning Team Of Passion And Hard Work

Mohd Said Bani C.M. Din is no ordinary achiever. He follows his intuitions and passion based on experiences and skill-mastery, traits that have brought him to his position today.

After spending almost a decade working in organisations focusing on legal consultations in multimedia and information, he has stepped into a different role altogether.

Said Bani is now the managing director of bzBee Consult Sdn Bhd, a local public relations (PR) organisation and he believes that it was not a coincidence for him to shift from law to PR.

“I find the skills in doing legal rather similar to PR. Of course, technically there is a huge difference between these two fields but the skills required are pretty much the same. You need to have good writing and communication skills, the ability to manage negotiations, confidence while speaking and good analytical skills too.”

Passion vs ability

Said Bani, who has an honours degree in law from a university in the UK, has always wanted to be a lawyer.

“I worked for several years in the UK before I was called back to my home country due to a scholarship agreement. So I served in both government and private sectors until I was offered to take over my previous employer’s company,” he explained.

The years of work steered him towards starting his own company since he was well-versed in the ability to manage one. Of course, there was the fear of risk taking in the early stages but it did not deter him from pursuing his passion.

Said Bani knows that the PR business heavily relies on good strategies and skills. Hence, it demands good, experienced manpower which accumulates to higher investment.

He also added that as much as he enjoys working in the legal field, he knows that PR, which relates much to the media, has always been at the back of his mind.

“I branched out from the legal department to corporate affairs, which requires both the legal aspect and communication skills. I guess, here is where I realised my passion and moved forward with vigour.”

“Any business has its risks but with in-depth research and hard work, it can be tackled. I don’t see what is stopping me from taking up the challenge and just going ahead and doing it,” he said.

Inducing a harmonious working environment

As a company owner, he is passionate about contributing towards building a good business that gives impact not only to him, but also to others involved.

“When I started the company, I introduced a working environment that fosters the spirit of harmony and togetherness”, he added, believing that the latter is important to ensure employees do their best at work.

Said Bani also believes that a leader should be “down to earth” to better understand the strengths of his (or her) team and the obstacles that prevent them from achieving their goals.

“I can still remember situations where I was scolded and had files thrown at me. I was very upset. These experiences taught me not to do so to others, especially my employees because I know how it feels”, he shared.

Besides having a clear vision and the ability to communicate it to the team effectively, he believes that a good leader should also know how to boost the team’s morale for productivity.

“No doubt, the role is very tough but you need to be creative to keep encouraging your team to work smart. Working hard is good but working smart is better so I often expose my employees to this working culture because today’s business industry is very challenging.”

Learning the values

After decades of experience in providing consultancy services, Said Bani knows that passion itself is not enough to make a business prosper.

He believes that a great deal of sacrifice should also be put into account if one is inspired to become successful.

“Sometimes, clients may call you at 12 midnight and you must be prepared for it. My mobile phone is always on standby even though I’m in bed.”

Summarising his personal beliefs and principles at work, he gives his thoughts of good leadership:

Be a specialist of many
The corporate world requires an individual to be dynamic. As different situations need distinctive actions, it is best to equip oneself with multi-skills, rather than just specialising in one area.

Today, knowledge and information can be obtained easily through various platforms. Thus, each and every one should empower themselves to learn additional skills that will help them go further in life.
Be flexible
Your flexibility is very much needed in various aspects of handling a client. For instance, PR is not only about communication and selling but also handling issues pertaining to crisis. There is also the fact of being accommodating to clients. If you are rigid and cannot bend to sudden outbursts, then it is going to be difficult to cater to your clients’ needs and this can make you lose your clients.
Take a risk for excellence
A new journey comes with risks. However, it can be managed by having a deep understanding of the risks and consequences. So, spend time doing research on the risks and evaluate ways to overcome the possible challenges.
Brainstorm
It is important for an organisation to be innovative and to stand out from the rest. To achieve this objective, brainstorming and working as a team is the best way. Do not underestimate the ability of the employees, especially newcomers. Young employees now are known to come up with fresh, good ideas and are willing to try out new methods.
Innovative executions
Besides planning, the execution of a plan should be done in the most innovative way. Look out for ways of execution that help save cost and time, two important elements that need to be managed well in order to achieve success.