It is sometimes worthwhile to try to take a position in a new field.

It is sometimes worthwhile to try to take a position in a new field, and it is also good for employers to appoint "unorthodox candidates" to bring fresh breath to the team.

This is the experience of James Hadi (James Hardy). A friend who knew he wanted to change careers contacted him, and later he got his current position, the head of the online retailer Alibaba (Alibaba.com) Europe.

"She advised me to apply for the position because she knew I had lived in three countries, and I had a market knowledge that was especially suitable for the job, compared to other skills," he said. ”

"They hired me as a marketing professional for a non-marketing person, and from the very beginning it was an adventure," said Hardy, 45 years old. He was the first to receive legal education, with 18 years of managerial experience in three countries.

Hardy takes his position as an example, explaining the importance of innovation and the risk of recruiting employees and developing employees ' careers. He joined Alibaba a year ago, one of the world's largest internet retailers.

"At Alibaba, if a person has been in a position for more than 3 years, it is time to rotate new jobs," he says. This is a highly encouraging way of exchanging ideas. Many companies put ' opportunities for employees ' on their mouths, but hard to implement. ”

He was also proud of Alibaba's way of nurturing future leaders. This year, Alibaba divided seven major business units into 25 divisions, each of which has a general manager or department president.

Hardy said the restructuring will bring some new leadership to the fore. "We picked out 25 of the most important platforms or products, and now we have 25 leaders, not 7," he said.

"This will encourage entrepreneurship, as everyone works in an independent department and does not need to consult a superior." In the Internet arena, speed is everything, especially in China. ”

Alibaba Group is a Chinese company, founded in 1999, a total of 24,000 employees around the world. The chairman of the company was a former English teacher in Hangzhou Ma.

Investors are expecting Alibaba to launch an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which could hit $100 billion trillion after its IPO. Meanwhile, Alibaba has launched its third restructuring in two years, with a view to achieving strong growth.

"This is Ali's toughest organizational and cultural change in 13 years. Mr Ma wrote in an e-mail to employees this January. He encouraged employees to "work together to turn each division into a small and beautiful group that has a significant role and value in ecological development".

Hardy said Alibaba's strategy in employee career development is crucial, and "the importance of individual autonomy to the group cannot be overstated". He adds that individuals in Alibaba are much more empowered than Western companies.

"The most important value we have in our business is embracing change, which means it is important for teams and leaders to act quickly," he said. ”

He argues that the best way to implement large-scale restructuring varies according to the company's culture, but communication is critical at any stage. "It is wise to deal with some of the problems of corporate culture as soon as possible, and it is vital that employees understand the need for reorganization." ”

Before joining Alibaba, Hardy was an executive at a large communications company in Sydney, which was responsible for 22 offices in the Asia-Pacific region. Earlier, he worked as general counsel at a PR firm in San Francisco and served as a two-member director. He is qualified as a lawyer and has an MBA from the Melbourne Business School (Melbourne Business parochial).

Now he is in charge of Alibaba's strategic development in Europe and the implementation of marketing and branding measures. He worked with other companies to help them develop their businesses using Alibaba's platform, and new markets include Russia, Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa.

Hardy said Alibaba's commitment to promoting in-house staff and nurturing staff leadership was not empty talk, as evidenced by the experience of many executives. He said: "We work very hard, the company expects staff to work in a team-oriented environment." ”

Under the company's grading system, employees "engage in office politics will be punished". Hardy says this could include taking credit for others and doing improper acts, such as spreading malicious gossip and fighting power.

In his personal career, he has noticed some significant differences between Asian and Western companies.

"In China, your job is closely related to your identity and your life," he said. The discussion of how work and life can be balanced is less important and less of an integral part of work than Australia, Britain and the United States, "he said.

"Compared to Western companies, employees have a high degree of personal autonomy and are linked to responsibility." ”

He is delighted to see the changes that the Internet has brought to the essence of entrepreneurship and what he calls the democratization of business. Before the internet, he says, entrepreneurs may have to test, develop and market their products for two years before they release the product.

"Today, the best people will quickly push products to market, defying failure." They can launch a product within six months and may develop four new versions two years later, "he said.

"It is good to know the success or failure of entrepreneurship in a short period of time." A few years ago, if you were a 19-year-old college student, it was hard to take you seriously as a young entrepreneur. The essence of entrepreneurship is changing rapidly, and good entrepreneurs are people who are curious about the world. ”

The Secret of Hardy

Best career advice to others?

If you are stagnant now, you might as well make a change. The key is to take more risk. Everyone says "Do what you like", but only by experiencing it can you understand what you like to do. So the question is how to get the experience as quickly as possible.

The answer is: imitate others-put yourself in the role of others, experience a day or two. A lot of research has shown that this is the easiest way to find interest compared to learning or testing.

Your first major breakthrough?

Entering Mischcon de Reya, the firm served as a proxy for Princess Diana (Princess Diana). I feel lucky to be able to work there. I worked on the contract team and then they asked me to train the staff there, which was the biggest breakthrough in my career. I am in charge of ordinary commercial litigation and have defended athletes accused of doping.

What do you want to do if you are not engaged in the present job?

Teach marketing or business knowledge. I have done a lot of lectures and made many speeches in public. I like to draw fresh ideas from the students. They have not been poisoned by traditional insights that can prompt you to understand new things.

What do you do for fun after work?

I often play with the children in the park. I think all kinds of exercise (especially outdoors) are very beneficial to the body and mind. and reading--especially Chinese-related books.