About Me

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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, January 29, 2013

Charles writing his life story, RESTly (4)



During the 2-year training period with HKTel, I got the opportunity of visiting and studying the operations of different departments of the company, of taking the 28-days Outward Bound Course, and of gaining ‘responsible experiences’ for the application to become a Chartered Engineer. As young as at the age of 27, I achieved such status.

I was smoothly promoted from Trainee Engineer to Engineer. However, I did not manage the change well. As a supervisor and leader, I was just an average one. Moreover, with a satisfactory and steady income, a light workload (HKTC was a monopoly!), and an apparently predictable career path, I started to socialize with friends who were fond of enjoying life. Therefore, although I was motivated to climb up the corporate ladder in the subsequent years of being an Engineer, I could not do so at a reasonable pace, partly due to my own weaknesses in private life and partly due to the problems of the company.  

For about ten years, I had fallen into the trap of taking unhealthy habits including smoking and gambling, resulting many temptation and dilemma experiences . If I had a mentor or life coach to guide me at that time, I would have done much better in my career planning and self management! The period from being an Engineer to my Christian conversion can be called my ‘prodigal son’ period 
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