ChiLab Limited (pronounced “Ky Lab”) is a multi-faceted Hong Kong-based company which has operated in areas such as Statistical Analysis, IT and Network Development, as well as Management and Personal Training. The Greek Letter ‘Chi” is a fundamental term in statistics.
Over the past four years, the primary thrust of the company has been on developing cutting-edge training strategies fos use by companies and individuals to ensure best performance. In response to the obvious changes occurring in the Asian workplace with many organizations seeking to update their management strategies, ChiLab Limited has begun to build a range of suitable training tools.
The “Skills for Life” program (also referred to as the "In Your Right Mind" program) has been developed from the perspective that the focus in Asian Management and Personnel Development is shifting from what might once have been perceived as an almost exclusively ‘Left Brain” orientation to a more “Right Brain” creative and flexible process. Numerous newspaper articles and letters to the editor have pointed out the lack of innovation and creativity throught to be stifling progress in many areas. ChiLab Limited has accepted that challenge.
The terms Left and Right Brain refer to different skill sets which are thought to derive from the predominant use of one side of the brain in the thinking process. People, who are said to be Left Brain dominant, exhibit good skills in the areas of logic. Their skill range and attitudes might include:
- Logical thinking
- Detail oriented
- Reality based
- Practical
- Safe
- Best at Math and Science
While Right Brain dominant people are more likely to show these tendencies:
- Creative thinking
- “Big Picture” oriented
- Fantasy based
- Impetuous
- Risk taking
- Suited to philosophy
These lists are not meant to be complete – merely a guide to the different thinking modes.
(Note Left Mind and Right Mind, rather than Left Brain and Right Brain are the preferred terms in ChiLab's "Skills for Life" training program. The reasons for this are clearly explained in the discussion of the program.)
The problem with people who focus on Left Mind thinking is that they do not respond to the daily challenges work and life throw up in a creative mannner, and the results are often less than desirable. ChiLab's training strategies stimulate creative thinking and all of the various skills which hinge on it.
On completion of this innovative and interesting program, the resultant empowerment of individuals in the fields of decision making, interaction with colleagues and customers, and personal and career management, ensures the program is an extremely valuable tool in all areas of business and life.
As evidence of the value of ChiLab's work, the company was approached in 2007 to partner with the Global Institute of Logistics to develop a Certificate Program in Relationship Orientation and that program has now been made available to the logistics industry around the world.
BRUCE STINSON - CHILAB LIMITED MANAGING DIRECTOR
Bruce Stinson has a 14 year history in Hong Kong and has been prominent through that time in the areas of business, the media and community service.
After obtaining a Pharmacy degree at the University of Sydney, Bruce practised that profession in Australia for almost two decades before turning to other areas of interest especially sport, writing and personal development.
He had many articles printed in magazines such as The Bulletin – Australia’s leading political journal – and various major newspapers, eventually writing a book about the pharmacy profession which was undergoing considerable upheaval at the time. He was inducted as a Member of the Australian Institute of Management in 1992.
Bruce also indulged his passion for sport by contributing to a number of publications with insightful articles mostly about horse racing, golf and rugby. (A keen sportsman, Bruce represented New South Wales at rugby and plays golf off a single figure handicap.)
While in Australia, his interest in areas of personal development had been stimulated by extensive research and he wrote and presented a very popular course in this field after obtaining teaching credentials.
In 1994 he was offered an opportunity to move to Hong Kong and – sharing with his wife Ann a real affection for the then British Territory – accepted the offer to write for the Hong Kong Standard and to be the original horse racing presenter on Cable TV which was launching at the time.
In 2000, Bruce extended his television experience by anchoring the Hong Kong coverage of the Olympic Games, held in his home town Sydney, with the late Brian Langly on Hong Kong’s ATV channel.
In his time in Hong Kong, he has consulted to some major professionals in the Horse Racing industry, as well as the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Community Service had always been a prime focus – he had served for many years as Chairman of a large branch of the Queensland Cancer Fund – and quickly became involved in this area in Hong Kong.
Among the incentives Bruce led was the 1998 Hong Kong launch of Camp Quality (a registered charity which looks after children with cancer), He acted as Ball Chairman for two highly successful horse-racing themed Balls which raised over three million dollars to support the launch, before acting as Chairman of the charity for its first few years.
Bruce also brought together the main players for a major initiative – begun in 2000 - to re-build and support a number of disadvantaged schools in Guanxi Province, China. The “China Schools Project” has now seen several million Hong Kong dollars applied to the redevelopment of these schools and the provision of a large range of health screening and other support which is still ongoing in 2007.