About Me

My photo
Ottawa, Canada
Dr. Charles Lam has since 1971 received training in West Germany (telecom) and university education in U.K. (management) and acquired working experiences in Hong Kong and Canada, in a utility company, Hong Kong Government, a multinational organization and a SME. In his career path, he has acquired qualifications from UK institutions including DBA (1990), MBA (1980) and Chartered Engineer (1978). Since 1986, he has left pure engineering to teaching various subjects of business management in Hong Kong for famous universities of Hong Kong, England and United States. He also has served the society as a member of an advisory committee of the Hong Kong Government for eight years, and as the Hon. Chairman of its Consumer Education Group. Later, he set up his own company to offer services as a consultant, writer and speaker. In his 'Second Half Time', he has been working passionately on integrating Christian values with management knowledge, in the marketplace/workplace ministry, serving hospitals, churches and organizations, as a speaker, consultant, life coach, and the leader of a REST Group based on a life story approach. Charles is currently living with his wife in Canada.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Charles writing his life story, RESTly (3)


During my secondary school life and my college life (HKTC), I was most of the time quiet (even timid), obedient and hard working through self-motivation. 

A good college classmate sowed the first seed of Christian faith during my college days.

From my late teens to early twenties, thanks to my elder brother Mark, my social and recreational life had grown in duration and variety. He led me to participate in 
the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme and other activities, after which I became quite active in sports and games, including practicing Judo, and joining the marathon canoe competition for three times, of which I am still proud today.

After graduation from HKTC, acquiring a Higher Diploma in Electronic Engineering (HiDip was lower than first degree level), I took British external examinations to achieve the 
BSc level within two years by self studies after work.

Through some help from my father, good timing and some luck, I made a job application and was recruited into the Hong Kong Telephone Company (HKTel later became 
HK Telecom and now PCCW) as a Trainee Engineer, which was  a job many university graduates wanted to get in those days

Therefore,my full-time work life began right after college graduation, at the age of 21.  That was when ups and downs of my work life began.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Charles writing his life story, RESTly (2)

「起」(Stage 1--Recollecting incidents in the past)

I was born in Hong Kong from a poor family. Common in those days, my parents were not well educated. All three children were brought up mostly by my mother, as my father worked in ocean-going ships. In my childhood, our family of five lived in a small concrete house located close to my primary school (the area was later developed into Oi Man Estate).

In those days, Catholic organizations offered help to many families, including ours. To thank priests and nuns and God, my mother arranged baptism for all three children when we were young (for me, at age 7). Subsequently I became a Catholic that was followed by a weak spiritual development.
When I was an early teenager, my father ‘returned from the sea’, and got a job from the Jocky Club. Therefore, the whole family moved to the its quarters located at Happy Valley. Everyday I had to travel from Hong Kong side to Kowloon side (where my secondary school was located) and return, which gave me much opportunities to explore and observe things in the society. Precious memorable experiences include watching street chaos during the 1967 riots.

Mainly through self motivation, not from tutors nor mentors, I achieved quite good results in public examinations which enabled me to enter the Hong Kong Technical College (HKTC, which is now the PolyU) directly. I even started earning income through working part time in horse racing evenings!

Thursday, August 09, 2012

主旨意成就



要 愛 惜 光 陰 , 因 為 現 今 的 世 代 邪 惡 。不 要 作 糊 塗 人 , 要 明 白 主 的 旨 意 如 何 。(弗 5: 16-17)

提 到 神 的 旨 意 , 很 多 時 候 我 們 都 以 為 是 個 難 以 捉 摸 的 大 奧 秘 , 彷 彿 神 有 意 跟 我 們 玩 捉 迷 藏 , 總 是 把 自 己 心 意 隱 藏 起 來 , 叫 我 們 想 不 通 、 猜 不 透 ; 這 樣 , 我 們 的 日 子 就 很 容 易 糊 裡 糊 塗 地 有 一 天 過 一 天 , 沒 有 目 標 、 沒 有 方 向 。


保 羅 這 裡 說 的 「 明 白 」 , 有 「 理 解 」 、 「 知 曉 」 的 意 思 ; 也 即 是 說 我 們 是 可 以 、 也 需 要 知 道 什 麼 是 主 的 旨 意 , 這 與 前 一 節 的 「 要 愛 惜 光 陰 」 很 有 關 係 , 我 們 要 知 道 主 的 旨 意 是 什 麼 , 才 能 懂 得 如 何 把 握 時 機 , 運 用 時 間 , 行 在 主 的 旨 意 裡 。 不 信 主 的 人 也 可 以 愛 惜 光 陰 , 善 用 時 間 ; 成 功 的 商 人 也 可 以 很 有 眼 光 , 看 準 時 機 賺 大 錢 ; 但 是 他 們 的 出 發 點 跟 信 主 的 人 很 不 同 。

屬 主 的 人 要 明 白 主 的 旨 意 , 活 在 主 為 我 們 計 劃 的 藍 圖 裡 , 為 主 而 活 , 而 不 是 為 自 己 而 活 。 只 要 向 神 求 , 神 必 定 給 我 們 智 慧 , 去 明 白 祂 的 旨 意 ( 參 雅 一 5 ) 。


‎(靈雨甘霖 2012-1-4)

Thursday, July 05, 2012

Charles writing his life story, RESTly (1)


At this stage of my life, I have gone through a lot. I thank God for giving me life, a transformed life, opportunities, gifts, help, guidance …..and mercy.

What have I achieved academically and professionally in my career life? BSc, MBA and DBA degrees; Chartered Engineer, management trainer and consultant, government adviser, project leader, ministry leader, life coach, …. I have been employed by big firms, governments, SMEs, universities; have also experienced unemployment and Free Agent work life; have worked as a technologist, a social scientist, a theorist and a practitioner.

In my private life, I was a Catholic, then a prodigal son, and then converted to become a Christian, after which I have served in several Christian actions and ministries. Married to my wife, I am a father of two children, son of two very old parents, and brother of my elder brother and younger sister. I have migrated from Hong Kong to Canada and returned, travelled to over thirty countries (and lived in three). I have undergone Outward Bound and Duke of Edinburgh training and marathon canoe competitions and adventures amid adversity.

Whenever I have some quiet time, and for many years now, I often ask critical questions about my life--Why have these things happened to me? Why have I survived them? What lessons have I learnt? What values have I changed and still need to be changed? In what direction should I move forward and for what?....Without God’s inspiration and guidance, these questions cannot be answered well.

I am going to write my life story following a 4-stage R.E.S.T. (起 、承、轉、合) flow, which matches well with a life-story-based Christian ministry I am leading.