By Dr Victor SL Tan
The Good, Bad & Ugly of HR Practices by Iwan Asmady is not merely a book on Human Resources. It is a deeply personal professional testimony, written by a seasoned HR practitioner who has seen the best and worst of organizational life. It carries the voice of experience, the weight of conviction and the warmth of someone who still believes that people remain the heart of every institution.
What makes this book captivating is its honesty. Many HR books speak mainly about models, frameworks and fashionable terminology. This book speaks from the trenches. Iwan writes as one who has handled difficult people, sensitive disciplinary matters, performance issues, compensation dilemmas, talent development and leadership challenges across multinational corporations, GLCs, healthcare institutions, banking and consulting. His reflections are therefore not academic abstractions, but lessons earned through real encounters with real people.
The title itself is powerful. By dividing HR practices into the good, the bad and the ugly, the author gives readers a practical mirror. The good practices remind us that organizations flourish when fairness, transparency, recognition, engagement, discipline and talent development are handled with integrity. The bad practices warn us that organizations weaken themselves when policies are applied casually, training is done merely to exhaust budgets, or promotions are given only when people threaten to resign. The ugly practices reveal what happens when authority is used without wisdom, when favouritism replaces fairness, and when decisions are made without respect for people or principles.
One of the strongest themes in the book is employee engagement. Iwan reminds us that engagement is not created by slogans, posters or occasional town halls. It is built daily through the way people are treated. When employees feel respected, listened to, developed and fairly rewarded, they bring energy, initiative and loyalty to work. When they feel manipulated, ignored or unfairly treated, disengagement spreads quietly and damages morale, productivity and trust.
This book is also valuable because it speaks to Gen Y and beyond. Younger HR practitioners may not have experienced punch cards, factory buses, old-style disciplinary systems or traditional command-and-control structures. Yet the principles behind these stories remain timeless. Every generation must still face the same central question: will HR be merely an administrative function, or will it be a courageous voice of fairness, humanity and strategic value?
Another strength of the book is the author's foundation in psychology. His background in learning, counselling, personality and social psychology gives him a deeper understanding of human behaviour. This is important because HR is ultimately not about forms, files and procedures alone. It is about motivation, fear, trust, dignity, potential, conflict and hope. Iwan understands that behind every policy is a person, and behind every decision is a human consequence.
Book Endorsements
Some of the endorsements by prominent industry leaders further strengthen the credibility and warmth of this work.
Datuk Dr. Mohd Radzif Mohd Yunus Former CEO, Institut Jantung Negara “I have had the privilege of working closely with Iwan and have seen him approach human resource management not merely as administration, but as a strategic and humane discipline. I believe this book offers meaningful insights for practitioners and leaders who seek to manage people with wisdom and integrity.” |
Dato’ Akmal Arief Dr. Mohamed Fauzi Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer, IJN Holdings Sdn Bhd “I regard Iwan as an esteemed colleague and dear friend whose contributions at IJN helped strengthen our HR systems, high-performance culture, talent development and management practices. To me, this book is the culmination of decades of hands-on experience and offers invaluable practical wisdom for executives and HR professionals.” |
Dr Victor S. L. Tan CEO, KL Strategic Change Consulting Group; author of 21 books including Changing Mindsets, The Secret of Change and Lessons of Success of Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow of Public Bank Berhad. “Having worked with Iwan during my leadership development programs at IJN and SME Bank, I witnessed his strong analytical mind, disciplined work ethic and deep commitment to developing people. I believe this book bridges theory and practice with intellectual depth, practical insight, clarity and compassion.” |
Datuk Kamaluddin Ismail Former Director of SME Bank “I see Iwan as a dependable adviser with wide real-life HR experience. To me, he is a true behaviourist who provides practical, solution-based answers to workplace and people-management issues.” |
Abdul Aziz Osman Human Capital Specialist; Former GM Administration of PERODUA Group “I have had the privilege of witnessing Iwan’s passion for people development, talent management and organizational excellence over many years. I view this publication as a natural extension of his rich professional journey and a meaningful contribution to future generations of HR practitioners.” |
P. Viganeswaran Group Plantations Head and Executive Director, Wilmar Plantations Ltd International “I regard this book as an excellent guide for HR managers in any field or industry. Having served under Iwan’s guidance, I value the real-life situations and practical lessons he shares on handling employees during tough and critical moments.” |
Ramlan Ahmad Managing Director & CEO, Global Business Transformation Consulting Sdn. Bhd. “I know Iwan as a no-nonsense HR practitioner with real substance, confidence and strong problem-solving ability. I believe this book will help younger practitioners navigate the pitfalls of human behaviour and raise Malaysia’s HR practices to higher professional standards.” |
Taken together, these endorsements show that this book is not only respected because of its HR content, but also because of the man behind the content. Iwan Asmady is seen as firm yet caring, analytical yet humane, experienced yet still passionate about developing others.
In the final analysis, The Good, Bad & Ugly of HR Practices is a sincere, useful and meaningful contribution to the HR profession. It is honest without being bitter, practical without being simplistic and inspiring without being unrealistic. It calls HR practitioners and leaders to return to the fundamentals: fairness, integrity, engagement, accountability and respect for people.
For young HR professionals, this book is a guide. For seasoned practitioners, it is a reminder. For leaders, it is a mirror. Above all, it is a call to build organizations where people are not merely managed, but valued, developed and treated with dignity. That is the real future of HR, for Gen Y and beyond. I highly recommend organisational leaders to read this book.
Dr Victor S. L. Tan is the Chief Executive Officer of KL Strategic Change Consulting Group. He is the author of 21 books, including Changing Mindsets, Releasing Trapped Minds, Changing Your Corporate Culture, and Lessons of Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow. KL Strategic Change Consulting Group is the winner of The BrandLaureate Award for making one of the most positive and profitable impacts on organisations through corporate training.
Dr Victor SL Tan (victorsltan@klscc.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.
