قصايد
24-10-2008, 08:05 PM
[1. Date and city of birth?[/]
18/03/78
2. Education?
General Arts & Animation – North Eastern University – Boston – USA- 1995-2001
3. Your past and current occupation?
2003 – 2004: Marketing coordinator Dubai Media City
2004- 2005: Outdoor Manager Dubai International Film Festival
2005 – 2008: Founder of LAMMTARA, a production company founded to create culturally inspired media projects. FREEJ, the Middle East’s pioneering animated series was the company’s first offering. The show is now in its third season and has won several international awards such as the Hamburg Animation Award and the Dubai International Film Festival Muhur Award.
4. 4. Can you tell us a little bet about your personal life, your family and your best friends?
I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters of which I am the eldest. My father is a very busy man and with sad passing of my mom ten years ago I try to juggle my own professional responsibilities with that of my family. We live in a big yet cozy house in Jumeirah where we try our best to meet over meals and we make it a mandate that we meet every single day in Ramadan.
Due to my work in Media, I am very recognizable person with many contacts and so called “friends” but the truth of the matter is that I have a selected few people I care to call friends and those are the people who I knew before I became a so called “celebrity”.
5. What the most things that makes any person successful in your opinion?
I believe determination, hard work and a stroke of luck makes a person successful. If you take these three factors and combine them with risk taking then you have the formula of entrepreneurship. It is crucial that you take calculated risks and there is no shame in failing as long as you learn from those mistakes and use them to be a better individual.
6. Could you please tell me about your thoughts and philosophies on leadership?
I believe that in order for you to be a good leader you should not fear the unknown. I run a big team of 500 people in two countries and am associated with projects in various continents, before throwing a mundane task at anyone, I make sure I make it first this way I gain the knowledge involved in every bucket associated with my project. It is also very important that a leader manages the morale of his team, knowing when to apply pressure and knowing when to reward their hard work. You are only as good as your team is.
7. In your opinion what is important in leadership?
I answered this question above
8. What leadership traits do you think you possess? Give us description or example
Versatility. I work in a field that has many different areas of focus. I run my company and for that I have to wear my business hat. I also direct my show and for that I need to have my creative hat on. Talking to people in your team who focus on business and financial forecast is so vastly different than sitting with a creative team and having a debate on weather the character must wear red or blue.
9. What leadership traits you may feel lacks? And how can you improve it?
Time management. I always have an issue with being there on time as my business team comes early and leaves early whereas my creative comes late and leaves very late. I am required to be present with both teams and as a result my attendance is spotty as I try to adjust.
10. What is your mission and vision in your life?
To continue applying change in Arabic media by producing cultural shows that relate to the Arabic audience
11. How do you discover your strengths?
You don’t discover your strengths you obtain them. The only thing you discover is talent, but talent is worth nothing unless you obtain the tools that empower you to use your talent as source of strength.
12. Did you discover any weakness in your characteristics and you try to change it (give details)
I answered this question
13. Regarding rules, do you create your own rules or just follow Lammtara rules? Why yes/no
I am LAMMTARA and rules are set depending on the nature of my team. Some people I have come at 4 am as they feel they are the most creative during that time; I don’t stop them from coming or force them to come at normal working hours. Our only rules are that you should respect your teammates and meet your deadlines.
14. Do you think that you are a good leader? And why?
I cant answer that question. You should ask my employees.
15. in your opinion, which is a greater concern for you, the staff or the work to be done?
Staff. If your staff is unhappy or not fit for the tasks given then your project will suffer. We always put people first.
16. Do you accept feedback from other people, or do you ignore feedback? Why yes /no
I accept feedback from those I believe understand the nature of our work. It is also important to hear what viewers think of your work but most importantly you must listen to your self as you must be the biggest critic of your work.
17. When you give the staff tasks to perform, do you give them deadlines?
Yes we do. We brief the project and its deadlines. How they meet the deadline is totally up to them
18. Do you give them opportunities to be creative? Example please
if you are in the Creative business, it is very crucial that you give a sense of freedom to your employees. We at LAMMTARA do this in different ways. Our office is made up to look like a big lounge. This method helps our employees feel at home and encourages them to spend long working hours. They are free to do whatever they want as long as they meet their work deadlines. We have a Nintendo WII in the office and we spend time playing together as it helps the team bond together.
19. If you have a project, do you give it to the employees all at once or do you divide the work into parts?
I first brief the entire project to them even highlighting areas that they might not be involved in. this will help them understand the global objectives of that project and it gives them a sense of involvement in the big picture. We then divide the work and set deadlines for each individual task.
20. What the thing that you give up to be Mohammed Saeed Harib?
Many things. I lead a very slim social life as I spend most of my time in my studio or traveling. I don’t spend much time with my family and I rarely exercise my hobbies of photography and horse riding.
21. Who is your role model in life? Give details
My father is my role model. His ability to lead a successful life professionally without sacrificing his personal obligations is always a source of inspiration to me. He managed to take his love for the sea and turn it into an industry is a true example of where passion and determination can lead.
22. in your opinion, what job suites you the best if you wasn’t a director?
Any job in media will suit me. Media as a format is always reinventing itself and most media jobs do not fall under the 9 – 5 segment
18/03/78
2. Education?
General Arts & Animation – North Eastern University – Boston – USA- 1995-2001
3. Your past and current occupation?
2003 – 2004: Marketing coordinator Dubai Media City
2004- 2005: Outdoor Manager Dubai International Film Festival
2005 – 2008: Founder of LAMMTARA, a production company founded to create culturally inspired media projects. FREEJ, the Middle East’s pioneering animated series was the company’s first offering. The show is now in its third season and has won several international awards such as the Hamburg Animation Award and the Dubai International Film Festival Muhur Award.
4. 4. Can you tell us a little bet about your personal life, your family and your best friends?
I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters of which I am the eldest. My father is a very busy man and with sad passing of my mom ten years ago I try to juggle my own professional responsibilities with that of my family. We live in a big yet cozy house in Jumeirah where we try our best to meet over meals and we make it a mandate that we meet every single day in Ramadan.
Due to my work in Media, I am very recognizable person with many contacts and so called “friends” but the truth of the matter is that I have a selected few people I care to call friends and those are the people who I knew before I became a so called “celebrity”.
5. What the most things that makes any person successful in your opinion?
I believe determination, hard work and a stroke of luck makes a person successful. If you take these three factors and combine them with risk taking then you have the formula of entrepreneurship. It is crucial that you take calculated risks and there is no shame in failing as long as you learn from those mistakes and use them to be a better individual.
6. Could you please tell me about your thoughts and philosophies on leadership?
I believe that in order for you to be a good leader you should not fear the unknown. I run a big team of 500 people in two countries and am associated with projects in various continents, before throwing a mundane task at anyone, I make sure I make it first this way I gain the knowledge involved in every bucket associated with my project. It is also very important that a leader manages the morale of his team, knowing when to apply pressure and knowing when to reward their hard work. You are only as good as your team is.
7. In your opinion what is important in leadership?
I answered this question above
8. What leadership traits do you think you possess? Give us description or example
Versatility. I work in a field that has many different areas of focus. I run my company and for that I have to wear my business hat. I also direct my show and for that I need to have my creative hat on. Talking to people in your team who focus on business and financial forecast is so vastly different than sitting with a creative team and having a debate on weather the character must wear red or blue.
9. What leadership traits you may feel lacks? And how can you improve it?
Time management. I always have an issue with being there on time as my business team comes early and leaves early whereas my creative comes late and leaves very late. I am required to be present with both teams and as a result my attendance is spotty as I try to adjust.
10. What is your mission and vision in your life?
To continue applying change in Arabic media by producing cultural shows that relate to the Arabic audience
11. How do you discover your strengths?
You don’t discover your strengths you obtain them. The only thing you discover is talent, but talent is worth nothing unless you obtain the tools that empower you to use your talent as source of strength.
12. Did you discover any weakness in your characteristics and you try to change it (give details)
I answered this question
13. Regarding rules, do you create your own rules or just follow Lammtara rules? Why yes/no
I am LAMMTARA and rules are set depending on the nature of my team. Some people I have come at 4 am as they feel they are the most creative during that time; I don’t stop them from coming or force them to come at normal working hours. Our only rules are that you should respect your teammates and meet your deadlines.
14. Do you think that you are a good leader? And why?
I cant answer that question. You should ask my employees.
15. in your opinion, which is a greater concern for you, the staff or the work to be done?
Staff. If your staff is unhappy or not fit for the tasks given then your project will suffer. We always put people first.
16. Do you accept feedback from other people, or do you ignore feedback? Why yes /no
I accept feedback from those I believe understand the nature of our work. It is also important to hear what viewers think of your work but most importantly you must listen to your self as you must be the biggest critic of your work.
17. When you give the staff tasks to perform, do you give them deadlines?
Yes we do. We brief the project and its deadlines. How they meet the deadline is totally up to them
18. Do you give them opportunities to be creative? Example please
if you are in the Creative business, it is very crucial that you give a sense of freedom to your employees. We at LAMMTARA do this in different ways. Our office is made up to look like a big lounge. This method helps our employees feel at home and encourages them to spend long working hours. They are free to do whatever they want as long as they meet their work deadlines. We have a Nintendo WII in the office and we spend time playing together as it helps the team bond together.
19. If you have a project, do you give it to the employees all at once or do you divide the work into parts?
I first brief the entire project to them even highlighting areas that they might not be involved in. this will help them understand the global objectives of that project and it gives them a sense of involvement in the big picture. We then divide the work and set deadlines for each individual task.
20. What the thing that you give up to be Mohammed Saeed Harib?
Many things. I lead a very slim social life as I spend most of my time in my studio or traveling. I don’t spend much time with my family and I rarely exercise my hobbies of photography and horse riding.
21. Who is your role model in life? Give details
My father is my role model. His ability to lead a successful life professionally without sacrificing his personal obligations is always a source of inspiration to me. He managed to take his love for the sea and turn it into an industry is a true example of where passion and determination can lead.
22. in your opinion, what job suites you the best if you wasn’t a director?
Any job in media will suit me. Media as a format is always reinventing itself and most media jobs do not fall under the 9 – 5 segment