The Yellow Ocean: A Leadership Epilogue (Ebook YOS:CRV 2nd - Ed. Upgraded Version)

YOS: CRV – 2ND ED.
UPGRADED
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YOS: CRV – 2ND ED. UPGRADED
The Yellow Ocean

YOS: CRV
– 2ND ED. A LEADERSHIP EPILOGUE
Author: SABARIAH SHAFIEE Editor: DZAMIRI JAHAYA
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The Yellow Ocean – A Prologue

This writing is protruded from the educational
points of views about living in the Industrial
Revolution 4.0 era.
It is another paradigm verse for all walks of life
where the old school of thoughts are married
into the current crises and curriculum
perspectives plus the episodic students learning
to meet with the industry practices of the NOW.
To say, this writing benchmarks the starting
chapter of an Industrial Epoch to Education 4.0.
The focus audiences are for the learners and
educators, but not with holdings those leaders,
managers and other professionals out there in
the fields who seek NOT for the ordinaries in life.
[ The Yellow Ocean Strategy ]
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YELLOW OCEAN OUTLINEs
The Yellow Ocean – A Prologue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Yellow Ocean Outlines 4
Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Info-graphics 8
Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Preface 11
1. The Making of a Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
• Philosophy of the Mind 13
2. What makes the ocean yellow? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
• Origin of the Yellow Ocean Strategy [YOS] 17
3. From Industrial into Electronic Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
• The Industrial Epoch to Education 4.0 20
4. The Purpose of Yellow Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5. The Yellow Ocean Elements 26
6. Closed System versus Open System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
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• New Organizational Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
o Macro-micro View – big to small 39
o Micro-macro View – small to big . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
7. YOS: Approach-Method-Technique [AMT] 42
• Analytical View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
• Holistic View 44
• Convergent View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
• Divergent View 46
• Strategic Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
8. Yellow Ocean - The Concept Explained 48
• STAGE 1 – Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
• STAGE 2 – Method 55
• STAGE 3 – Technique. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
• FINAL STAGE 60
• Convergent versus Divergent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
• Executives Competencies 65
• YO Technique: The 3As Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
o Adaptation 71
o Applicability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
o Agility 74
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• The Spirit of Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
o New Emergence 79
9. YOS Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
• YO Conception & Application 80
• YOS Summary Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
• Yellow Ocean: Strategize, Lead, Manage 85
Acknowledgement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
About the Author 88
Selective Citations & References ONLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
YO Wisdom
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ABBREVIATIONs
3As Adaptation-Agility-Applicability
6W3H What, Who, When, Where, Which, Why, How, How Many, How Much
AMT Approach-Method-Technique
A&R Awareness and Readiness
CDE Converge-Diverge-Emerge / Convergent-Divergent-Emergent
IG Info-Graphic
EC Executive Competency
ECs Executive Competencies
Edu Education
NST New Strait Times
Org Organization
PESTEL Politic, Economy, Social, Technology, Environment, Legal
POV Point of View
Q&A Question and Answer
SWOC Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Challenge
SWOT Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat
VUCA Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity
YO Yellow Ocean / Implies YO Concept
YOS Yellow Ocean Strategy
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INFO-GRAPHICs
IG1: Yellow River flood meets the Bohai Sea
IG2: Industrial Revolution Shifts

IG3: THE NEXT PARADIGM LEAP
IG4: The 6W+3H - Being aware makes you ready
IG5: Conception (mind) vs Application (body)
IG6: Stronger executions produce more results
IG7: Strongest realization produces maximum RESULT
IG8: The first THINK is to keep focus
IG9: The 6W +3H – understanding the basic
IG10: YO 3-tier Strategy – The Abstraction of a YOS
IG11: How views and perspective change our live
IG12: The new organizational paradigm – a new outlook
IG13: Macro-Micro View – from Big to Small
IG14: Micro-Macro view – from Small to Big
IG15: Analytic YO-AMT View
IG16: Holistic YO-AMT View
IG17: Convergent YO-AMT View
IG18: Divergent YO-AMT View
IG19: Convergent Alignment
IG20: Divergent Alignment
IG21: The integrative thinking skills set
IG22: Almost a full emergence scenario
IG23: YO 1st Tier Level - APPROACH
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IG24: YO 2nd Tier Level - METHOD

IG25: YO 3rd Tier Level - TECHNIQUE
IG26: YO the Final Stage – the Emergent (Kemenjadian)
IG27: Convergent vs Divergent – back to basic
IG28: THE EXECUTIVE COMPETENCIES
IG29: Executive Competency for the Mind and Body
IG30: Balancing Act of Mind Body Emotion and Soul
IG31: YOS summary package
IG32: summary of YOS 3-tier strategy from an up-slope perspective
IG33: Personal Tribute to the Author from NST
Road to Wellness
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TABLEs
Table1: The YO Elementals – Basic, Major and Minor . . . . . . . . . 34
Table2: Convergent Factors vs Divergent Factors 62/63
Table3: Relational Emergence towards the 3As . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Road to Wellness
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PREFACE
This YOS writing was first introduced in late 2019. It was entitled as the
Yellow Ocean Strategy: A Leadership Epilogue. It started with the YO
conceptual origin. Later the draft has been expanded into a bold
manuscript and summarized into the YOS CRV 2nd Edition which can
be found in websites like Quora, LinkedIn and Academia.
This current revision has then been a refined upgrade which falls in
between the first conceptual drafted manuscript and from the
Compact Raw Version summary.
Within content and context of this writing we use some abbreviations.

These have eased the writing and narration of the many concepts.
Example, the word YO means Yellow Ocean, and YOS is the short
form for Yellow Ocean Strategy.
These 2 abbreviations [YO and YOS] are sometimes used

interchangeably. Sometimes YO implies the strategy, thus it is also
meant to be as YOS, and sometimes, YOS implies to YO concept as
well - they have an integrated meaning. The usage could be
specific-generic and also generic-specific.
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1. THE MAKING OF A CONCEPT
Probably you may or not have heard about the Red and Blue Ocean
Strategy. That one has to sail away from the ‘bloody competition’
into a new space of innovation and creativity; or the Purple Ocean
Strategy, where the opportunity lies in between the Blue and Red
Ocean; or the Green Ocean Strategy, where sustainability is the focal
niche; or the White Ocean Strategy where people and
environmental are at their core; or the Black Ocean Strategy, where
the negative strategies are applied. In short, all these oceans
connote and denote business strategies. The ‘oceans’ are just
metaphors.
So, where is the Yellow Ocean among all those mentioned

strategies?
In my writing here, I am proposing to you this new metaphorical

concept of what we called the Yellow Ocean Strategy (YOS).
Let me bring you back from the ocean to the mainland.
If you are driving on the road and meet a junction, most probably
you will be prompted by the Red, Yellow and Green light. This is where
the Yellow Ocean concept originates. In its simplest term, Yellow
Ocean [YO] or the Yellow Ocean Strategy [YOS] is about awareness
and readiness.
Why do I have to bring you back to the actual horizontal landscape?

It is because here is where we are going to build up our conception.
Another question, upon approaching the traffic light, what are

normally people do? As usual, one will slow down his vehicle.
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Why? … because traffic lights can turn red, yellow and green at any
periodic times, (but some traffic lights used the counter numbers
system on their light poles). If the light is green, you can just start
carefully to drive. If red, one should obviously stop his vehicle. If it is
yellow light turning, then one should be prepared to brake and to
put a vehicle at halt or may be a GO.
When stopping at the traffic light, one has to be alerted, to take a

look around, blinking eyes to our side mirrors and back. This is
awareness. Awareness is to take note of the current event, to be
aware of the surrounding. Who is behind, who is in front or next to us.
Awareness is a part of readiness. It is a physical reflex of the mind.

Awareness is a mindfulness state. Awareness means you are aware
of the conscious event, what is in front and what is by your sides.
Awareness is also meant to be aware of the unconscious activity, i.e.
what is behind you, or the things which you have always overlook.
Awareness in the Yellow Ocean Strategy however covers more

mileage. Awareness is to know the known and the unknown, the
tangibles and the intangibles. Awareness is to know and to be aware
and realized what will change in times - before, now and after.
Philosophy of the Mind
First and foremost, before I start these Yellow Ocean chapters, let us
form a collective understanding.
One, Yellow Ocean Strategy is a matter of opinion, which then is

transformed into an idea or a phenomenal management concept.
Let us be aware that there is no right or wrong about an opinion or
an idea. An opinion or idea can and may be correct to one, and
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might be false to others. An opinion is usually based on logical or

analytical thinking mind. It is a Philosophy of the Mind. In short, an
opinion is a ‘mind speaks’ - an idea, concept or thought.
Two, taking all the comprehensions above, there are 2 perspectives

in which one can look at to define what an opinion is about:
• Inside-Out (outward) - from within self to outside of the world
(the people or your fans and followers).
• Outside-Within (inward) - from the other people (or society’s)
point of views to you or about you.
Three, from those perspectives will come two kinds of human views:
• Micro-Macro approach view: your own view about an opinion
toward others, the society, people, organization, the outside
world.
• Macro-Micro approach view: other people (surrounding) view
about an opinion which is imposed or superimposed upon you.
Finally, let us also understand these 2 basics:

• The truth is among all technological advent, human is still the
highest form of technology in its existence. The creators of
technologies are human. Technology is seen to be superb only
to users and the masses, but not to the inventors of it.
• There are few things which science could not explain
“accurately or exactly” because the coherence of “fact and
reality” will always cohere, re-cohere and de-cohere through
time, space and other dimensions. What science does is a
usual deduction (reduction or production) of a concept on
principle(s) from one unified whole as an empirical.
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2. WHAT MAKES THE OCEAN YELLOW?
In essence, there are 3 primary colors: Red, Blue and Green. When
Red and Green are combines together, they will turn into Yellow.
Most businesses are quite familiar with these Red, Blue and Green
Ocean strategy; or the Purple, White and Black Ocean strategies. All
these oceans strategies have their unique core elements. All oceans
have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is how one uses
the strategy, makes it beneficial and not.
The Red Ocean is made of a bloody competition. The Green Ocean

Strategy creates environmental opportunities from its surroundings.
But, when Red combines the Green, the Yellow Ocean Strategy
emerges as to avoid the Red Ocean market warfare. The Yellow
Ocean prepares an adaptation strategy towards its surrounding.
Sailing the Red Ocean requires awareness and readiness. Swimming
the Green Ocean too, requires you to be aware and ready.
Instead, whether one is inside the White, Black, Purple or Blue Ocean,
awareness and readiness is always required. The YO can be used to
face off the Black Ocean strategy, to uplift the White Ocean, to
strengthen the Purple Ocean, and to support the Blue Ocean. The
emergence of the Yellow Ocean sustains the one or many
advantages of the positive oceans (i.e. Blue, Green, Purple and
White Ocean) and to overcome the disadvantages of the negative
oceans (Red and Black Ocean). Yellow Ocean is a valuable strategy
to develop people inside the White Ocean, to create further niche
inside the Blue Ocean and to diverge from those who use the Black
Ocean strategy.
In short, in Yellow Ocean, one must be aware and ready to almost

anything and everything. One must be aware of the positive and
negative vibes, action, changes and consequences. The awareness
and readiness must be converged into other oceans’ management
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strategies. One must be able to converge and to diverge, to convert

and to divert. Only then you can emerge out of the situation, out of
failures, out of the competition, out of the rivals, out of the conflicts,
out of chaos, out of the problems, out of your weaknesses and out of
the potential risk that gives threats.
Awareness and readiness are always required when using the Yellow
Ocean strategy. These 2 are the most important elements in YO. Your
readiness is required to hope for the positive changes. Changing
expectation into reality requires hope and attentiveness.
Constructive change is a process of converging, diverging and
emerging into a better state or surrounding – from the very worst to
slightly worst, from worst to bad, from bad to good, from good to
better, from better to best, from best to become best of the best.
IG1: Yellow River flood meets the Bohai Sea
There is no real “Yellow Ocean” on this planet Earth. What we actually have inside
the current world map is only the Yellow Sea. “The Yellow Sea or West Sea is located
between China and Korea. The name is given to the northern part of the East China
Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean”
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Origin of the Yellow Ocean Strategy [YOS]
“The Yellow Sea is an inlet of the Pacific Ocean lying between

mainland China on the west and north, and the Korean Peninsula on
the east. It is located north of the East China Sea, and measures
about 600 miles (960 km) from north to south and about 435 miles (700
km) from east to west.”
Inside the world map, this Yellow Sea spreads from the edge of
Shanghai and Tianjin in China through the city of Pyongyang in North
Korea, Seoul and last behind Jeju Island in South Korea.
“The Yellow Sea was given its name because of the yellow color of
its water. The water turns yellow from sand particles that originate in
the Gobi Desert and are washed into the Yellow Sea via the Yellow
River and the Hai He River.”
The writer came across this Yellow Sea as a thoughtful concept for
her school’s leadership-management program. It happened during
and after her visit to Jeju Island in the middle of 2018. The thought
emerged on her way back after the sight full trip of the Yellow Sea
along the Jeju island coast. It was first originated inside the bus which
took her back to the hotel she resided. The Yellow Ocean idea
wondered when the bus stopped in front of the traffic light. The red,
yellow and green lights initiated her provoking thought on a new
strategic conception and application towards her Yellow Ocean
Strategy writing. When approaching traffic lights, all vehicles are
required to slow down on Yellow, to stop on Red and get ready to go
on Green. This is where the awareness and readiness ideally
protruded from her mind.
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3. FROM INDUSTRIAL INTO ELECTRONIC AGE
What is IR4.0 about?

Tapping the Unknowns
High Technology Era
Industry
Leadership Era Industry 5.0-
4.0- Future
Industry Digital
Management Era 3.0-
Industry Service
Knowledge Era 2.0-
Mfctg
Industry
1.0-Basic
Birth of Industry
IG2: Industrial Revolution Shifts
Looking back at the birth of industries in the 1700s and the 1800s, they
all started from the basic agriculture and mining businesses. The basic
industry [or Industry 1.0] is the starter pack of the latter industrial
revolution which happened in America, Europe and other parts of
the world. The birth of an industry comes with the Knowledge Era
[from the Renaissance Period]. With knowledge came the
Management Era and many more scientific discoveries, which then
led to the manufacturing of cars by Henry Ford in 1920s. This idea
gave rise to the making of an Industry 2.0.
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Thereafter, when humans were realized as the potential assets of an

economic growth factor in return of the service industry. Then the
leadership term has been popularized as a new management notion
for many. This Leadership Era gave birth to Industry 3.0.
However, the rise of scientific discoveries has no ending period. The

technological advances came together with the birth of all other
industries - from analog, they became digital and from manual, they
became automatic. These processes gave rise to what we have
been seen and used today - The High-Tech Era, in which we called it
as the IR4.0.
The birth of many industries had also polarized the global socio-
graphy and eco-structure of the world. From the birth of the old
school to the new school system of thought, they gave rise to the
baby boomers, Gen X (the old schools), Gen Y (the millennials) and
Gen Z (the centennials). The boomers, Gen X, Y and Z have then
shaped the today’s many nations.
In summary, Industrial age used mechanical means and bio-fuel

as energy. Electronic age used electrical power, digital means and
higher technology.
The basic difference started during the mechanical shift from analog
into electronic and digital mode of communication.
This shift was permanently marked as the rise of the information age
(or post-modern era) instead of the age of reason (as in the
renaissance era).
Looking at this scenario from the Leadership-Management stand

point, the Industrial Age has 4 stages:
1] The First Industrial Revolution - from late 1700s to 1800s. This marked
the rise of Knowledge Era - Industry 1.0
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2] The Second Industrial Revolution - from late 18th century onwards.

This marked the rise of new Management Era – Industry 2.0
3] The Third Industrial Revolution - started in the late 1950s. This

marked the rise of new Leadership Era – Industry 3.0
4] The Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0 started in the late

1900s and early 2000s – this marked the rise of High-Tech Era (also
Digital Era or Digitalization Era, Industry 4.0 or IR4.0). It will soon then
be the Quantum Era. QUANTUM is where (the large amount of)
QUANtity and (the highest best of) QUAlity go together hand-in-hand
with (the most speedy) momenTUM. This is the new concept design
for the coming future.
The Industrial Epoch to Education 4.0

“The Industrial Epoch to Education 4.0 is a revolutionary process
towards a new multidisciplinary learning and teaching”. The
approach, method, and technique will absolutely change in many
during this IR4.0 period. With the budget constraints we all have, IR4.0
demands a bigger
parameter to be covered.
You cannot
change Reality, but
This Industrial Epoch to you can change
Education 4.0 is sparked your Expectation
through the “rise of digital by changing your
ocean” which are fueled by Perception,
the information, technology, Intention and
Attention. Reality,
knowledge and big data
Expectation and
through the usage of Result are just
internets, SosMed (social Mathematical
media), IoT (internet of Equation
things), AI (artificial
Reality vs Expectation
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intelligence), humanoids (human+androids), machine learning,

multi-lever tasking, quantum computing, etc.
The industrial epoch to education 4.0 inadvertently benchmarked

the "big shift” from traditional hierarchy organizational structure into
a highly multi-grated topology of network system, strategy, structure
and socio-culture.
IG3: THE NEXT PARADIGM LEAP
Together with the rise of IR4.0, this digitization age, has led us into the
social bombing of information overloaded by the one, few or many
various sources of data for varieties of factual or fake reasons,
together.
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Reality sometimes camouflages itself in its own sensible way of being

and becoming real.
“It's pretty clear that digitalization is the way businesses are going in
the world today. But contrary to what it may seem, digitalization is
not just putting everything on digital format and being done with it.
With the technologies available to us today, there are a myriad of
options and, yes, challenges”.
The Industrial Epoch to Education 4.0 is a revolutionary process

towards a new multidisciplinary learning and teaching. The
approach, method, and technique will absolutely change in many
during this IR4.0 period. With the budget constraints we all have, IR4.0
demands a bigger parameter to be covered.
Unveiling the Malaysia's Budget 2020, one of the thrusts is geared

towards driving new economic growth in the new economy and
digital era. Embracing challenges in IR4.0 format requires a new
paradigm set of system thinking and dynamic ability - a new level of
executive competencies, be it in business or education, and the rest.
In order to avoid our own reality blind spot, we need a mind-reset:

• to change our individual and groups perspective and
thinking,
• to change our behavioral format, pattern and ways of doing
thing.
Thus IR4.0 requires us to have multiple thinking skills with
multidisciplinary format of adaptation, agility and applicability – the
3As.
A change in perspective requires a paradigm shift. How we look at

things and how we react to things, will change our feelings, emotion,
thinking and behavior. This is the systemic effect.
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Whether big or small, every system has its own dynamicity. A system
inside a system creates a bigger network paradigm. With a bigger
network topology, there will be an increased in connectivity,
nonlinearity and complexity. These will then change the system,
strategy and structure of the many – including political, economy,
social, technology, environment and legal (just to cite few).
Personal Leadership
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4. THE PURPOSE OF YELLOW OCEAN
Few of the concepts are borrowed from the Complexity

Management Theory. This writing about the Yellow Ocean Strategy
(YOS) is dedicated mostly to leaders and managers, educators and
students. YO is an ideational strategy. YO is an additional knowledge
that complements the other leadership management strategies on
how to plan, lead, organize, manage and control a complex
organization. YO is an additional improvisation to other strategies
and concepts that gives choices to leaders and managers around
the world to decide what best possible and probable action for one
to strategize, lead and manage the complexities in the IR4.0 era.
The Yellow Ocean provides betterment in the following regards:

• To change the triple of double negative to only one negative
• To change the negative state into a positive state
• To change the positive into double or triple positive
In short, betterment is about to change the negative into positive.

One can relate this to positivism concept. Betterment is none about
destruction but it is about construction of one, few or many, into a
meaningful state and value.
The reason that all identifiers are brought forward is to give a deeper
understanding into the YO elements on awareness and readiness.
Awareness in YO must deal with these company SWOTS, PESTELs and
VUCAs. Readiness in YO must deal with these identifiers too.
One must be aware and ready to the company strengths,

weaknesses, opportunities and threats. One must be aware and
ready to the company’s political, economy, social, technological,
environmental and legal factors which co-exist inside and outside of
any organization. The degree of challenges or changes lies in
between the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of the
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situation or state. There are few, some and many tangible and
intangible factors, internal and external for a company or any
organization. All these factors must be identified and prioritized when
using the YOS. As such, we can call them as the identifiers. These
identifiers, they are just actors and attractors.
In YO, identification is a process of quantifying and qualifying the

change enablers. The reason for change is to provide betterment.
Some changes could not happen so drastically. So, making a slight
change from the triple negative situation (meaning from the very
worst) into double negative (to become worst) is still considered as
an improvement. The main point here is to making a progress or to
being progressively constructive, not destructive.
Some changes are quite simple and linear. However, sometimes

changes are also very rapid, dramatic, drastic, wicked and
instantaneous. This is why awareness and readiness are the most
important strategy inside YOS. Changes are sometimes unexpected,
uncertain, very abstract, thus ambiguous. Changes are volatiles, and
sometimes messy, massive, very intense and sometimes abrupt. Thus,
changes have their own magnitude, height, length, span and depth
- just to say a few. A leader, a manager, a company, or anyone, and
any organization must be aware of and be fully ready to adapt, to
absorb or to cushion these changes might so impact.
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5. THE YELLOW OCEAN ELEMENTS

There are many elements which the author talks about inside her YO
writing. We divide these elements into 3 categories - basic, major and
minor elements. All these elements are the composites of the YOS.
These composites are the main actor and attractor of the YO
discussion.
The most basic YO element comes from our own Questions and
Answers [Q&A] we are seeking for. This is the very basic thing. This is
the basis. What are we writing about? Who is writing it? Why we write
this? What is the usage? How to use it? These are some basic
questions that we need answers. This basic Q&A is the origin of
Awareness and Readiness [A&R].
IG4: The 6W+3H - Being aware makes you ready
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First, imagine this A&R as the vehicle Spark Plug. Take a car as an
example. To start a car engine, we need a spark and a plug. So
which one of the A&R is the spark and plug? It is awareness that
sparks the ready plug. This is the first approach. With this A&R head
start, then born the mind and body approach. Mind and body
approach give the ignition. Mind approach is about conception and
body approach is the application.
IG5: Conception (mind) vs Application (body)
Next, to start a car engine, we need the car key. We cannot start a
car engine without a car key. So, where is the key? We need to turn
the key ON. YOS is the vehicle’s key. It is not just any regular key. It
must be a strategic key to start a different model of cars. We cannot
start driving a BMW with a Proton key. It must be the exact key.
Meaning you must use the exact strategy.
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Though, it is not only the car key which is important. There are other
few factors to consider too. Examples, destination point, time
estimation, weather condition, financial need for fuel and tolls and
road situation i.e. road blocks, accidents, heavy traffic, lights and
road diversions – all these tiny concerns need to be taken care off as
well. Therefore, to start and drive a car we need knowledge of the
mind and action of the body – i.e. movements of hands, and legs,
including eyesight and hearing. We need the mind and body to work
simultaneously and accordingly. This is where your Executive
Competency or EC is vital. Again, this is the mind and body
approach – conception and application.
IG6: Stronger executions produce more results
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IG7: Strongest realization produces maximum RESULT
Then, what is next? We need to put the gear ON. This is the Method.
Which method we used in YOS? It is the CDE methodology. Which
gear to use? Manual mode is 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th gear, and
Auto mode are Reverse, D, R, N, P. For this, we need to refer to our
own ECs again.
Finally, we press the oil pedal and we drive - this is the Technique.
That is the 3A application. How do we drive? We adapt to the current
road situation. At what speed should we drive? We use the correct
vehicle speed. If we drive on highway, we use the allowed speed
stated by the road authority. But if we are caught inside heavy road
traffic, how should we drive? City roads are not like highways.
Sometimes vehicle drivers just stop, twist and turn all of a sudden
along the heavy traffic. Answer to this, we need to use our agility.
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Your agility comes from your ECs. To drive a car from one point to
another part of town, we need to integrate all of our approach,
method and technique. We need a strategic integration.
What is the car for? That car is your Organization. We use that as our
Base, together with the other Organizational 4S, SWOTs, VUCAs,
PESTELs and the rest within our own surrounding.
From educational stand point, YO is about strategy. A strategy is

formed from or by a Concept. It can be devised from one, few or
many concepts. So, YO concept is a strategy. YOS complements the
organizational strategy. Though, a concept is premature without
application. A concept needs to be applied. A strategy must be
strategic not only in its conception but also on its application. Only
then it can become a good strategy. We contended this issue inside
the YO Conception and Application.
Inside our discussion, YO strategy is a 3-tier level of [1] Approach, [2]

Method and [3] Technique. We refer to this as the 3-tier AMT layers.
+[A=Approach, M=Method, T=Technique]. This AMT [Approach-
Method-Technique] is singular but it could also be applied to as plural
in meaning. AMT is the first set element in YO basic discussion.
In its simplest definition, YO is about Awareness and Readiness. We

framed these elements as AR, AnR, or A&R, to ease the purpose of
the writing. In YO, AR elements are the first mandatory approach. The
first approach is derived from the basic. It starts with your FOCUS.
Literally, they could be initiated from the 6W and 3H – what, when,
where, who, why, which and how, how many (to quantify) and how
much (to qualify). This is the basic fundamental.
30
IG8: The first THINK is to keep focus
In content and context, awareness and readiness both refer to mind

and body approach. But for a contextual execution of the AR
definition, YO associated awareness to mind approach and
readiness to body approach. In facts and reality, mind and body
work in tandem to and with each other. Further to this, we refer to this
mind approach as the YO conception, and the body approach as
the YO application.
Next, we go on digging your personal or organizational standpoint

on the Org 4S, SWOT, VUCA and PESTEL elements from your own basic
understanding of Questions and Answers [Q&A] session. Finally, we
take the other ad-hoc surrounding elements which are out of the
league as additional factors or elements. All these, they are just
actors and attractors too.
31
IG9: The 6W +3H – understanding the basic
The second major element discussion will be on the YO method. From

YO stand point, a method is subdivided into 3 main categories. They
are subset of the Convergent, Divergent and Emergent elements. We
abbreviated them as the CDE. When grouped together, these CDE
formed as a unique concept. CDE can be formed as the way we
view things, or as our capacity and ability which finally come from
our experiences and skills.
Then YO talks about the Executive Competency or competencies.

We refer to this Executive Competency as the EC and ECs for many.
These competencies refer to the competency of the mind and
competency of the body. Again, they are interrelated to the mind
approach and body approach. In context, EC relates more to
32
readiness rather than awareness because EC is the main app

[application] for a concept or conception and conceptualization.
When we talk about human mind and body approaches, we could

not neglect the fact that we also have the emotion and our soul
attached to them. In academic format, we are referring these
approaches as the JERI [Jasmani-Emosi-Rohani-Intelek - in Malay]
parameters. In English format JERI refers to Physical, Emotional,
Spiritual and Intellectual.
Finally, YO talks about its technique. In YO technique - Adaptation,

Agility and Applicability, or the 3A fundamental elements. When
grouped together, these 3A would also form another unique
concept.
In conclusion, all of the discussed YO elements will make the main YO

setting. Remember when you first time use your smart phone? We
need to align to the right setting before using our smart phone. We
need to tune the setting to our own bandwidth of knowledge and
understanding.
The same goes with YO. YO is just a basic concept and YOS is the
application. Inside any application, there will be general setting and
specific setting. YO method is for the general setting. YO technique
is for the specific setting. In YOS, we use the basic Q&A as the first
approach. We use the A&R as the base. This is the platform – the
ground strategy. In a company specific, we then structure this
general framework into the Organizational Inner Core, Org 4S,
SWOTs, VUCAs, PESTELs and the rest. We finally cover all structures
within the YO method and close them off with the YO technique.
Last but not least, we summarized all these YO strategic elements into
a table format for our easy reference. This format will serve as the YO
standing guide for a general understanding. In specific, YO is a
unified concept. Thus, all of the YO elements should be understood
as a whole - in a holistic way.
33
Basic Q&A Major Element Minor Element

6W+3H (Strategy) (Organization)
Approach Mind E Organizational 4S

• Awareness Approach X • System
• Readiness *Conception E • Strategy
• RESULT C • Structure
U • Socio-Culture
Body T
Approach I SWOT elements
*Application V • Strength
E • Weakness
• Opportunity
Method *Convergent C • Threat(Challenge)
• CDE O
*Divergent M VUCA elements
P • Volatility
*Emergent E • Uncertainty
T • Complexity
E • Ambiguity
Technique *Adaptation N
• 3A C PESTEL elements
*Agility I • Politic
E • Economy
*Applicability S • Social
• Technology
• Environment
• Legal
Table1: The Yellow Oceans Elementals – Basic, Major and Minor
34
YO 3Tier Strategy
Approach Method Technique
Tier_1 Tier_2 Tier_3
Converge,
Aware, Adapt, Apply,
Diverge,
Ready, EC Agile
Emerge
CONCEPTION APPLICATION REALIZATION

8/23/2020 7
IG10: YO 3-tier Strategy – The Abstraction of a YOS
The IG above is self-explanatory. Tier-1 is Approach: The A&R:

Awareness, Readiness, by using the Executive Competencies, Tier-2
is Method: the CDE concept: Convergent, Divergent, Emergent
Factors, and Tier-3 is Technique: The 3As: Adaptation, Agility,
Applicability. The CAR concept: Conception, Application &
Realization of Result, ties all the tiers, tier-1, 2 and 3, and finally making
into a YO Trilogy.
35
6. CLOSED SYSTEM VERSUS OPEN SYSTEM

Inside an org, a system is an established pattern of how the company
is organized by its people. Organized means how the company is led
and managed, or administered, operated, executed, or conducted
by its fellow citizen, members, staffs, workers, down-liner, middle and
up-liners. In short, organized means how the company runs itself in its
closed system environment. Closed system means that the company
could not simply be operated by any outsider or stranger in town. This
is from one point of view – the old school belief.
The other view says that the emergence of an established pattern is

not only organized by the company people, but also it is self-
organized on its own. This is happening because an org is actually
running not only by itself but also within and without the other entities
inside and outside of its league. In today’s complex environment, an
org co-exists with many other orgs and lot more other entities.
Meaning, any org is actually running inside an open system. An org is
just a small system inside a bigger loop of another system. A universe
is an example of an open system. This new organized and self-
organized pattern formed the real organizational structure of the
company. This is from the new schools of thought.
What is the main difference between open and closed system? The
main difference between an open system and a closed system is the
access of entry inside the system.
Open system is universal. The universe is a good example of an open

system. Almost everybody and everything is included inside this open
system. The earth is an open system. It operates inside its own polar
and circulates the sun. There is no exclusion to what can consist inside
the earth. Everything and everyone contained are inclusive.
Closed system is limited. The university is an example of a closed

system. Not everybody and everything can get the access to this
closed system. Only the privileges get inside. It operates under its own
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rules, policy and procedures. A university is run by a private

organization. It is not a place for any Tom, Dick or Harry. It is exclusive.
In short, Open System is generic but Close System is specific.
The same goes to definition, views or perspective and perception.

There are open definition and close definition. Open definition is
generic-specific. Closed definition is specific-generic. Views are the
way we see at things. They are visual perspectives. They are part of
our external body approach. Perception is the way we perceive
things inside our minds. It is our internal mind approach.
IG11: How views and perspective change our live
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New Organizational Perspectives
IG12: The new organizational paradigm – a new outlook
Inside an open system, an org co-exists within a bigger system and

much more complex environment. From a macro level view, we can
combine the PESTEL, VUCA and SWOT elements together with the
organizational basic layers. Then we converged all these elements as
illustrated in the pictographic format above.
By doing this, we could understand a system as a unified whole

concept even better than just understanding the organizational
internal layers alone. This is an example of a system inside another
system. The macro level view depicts an organization structure in a
bigger perspective which consists of many layers.
38
These are the change indentifiers:
• The org Inner Core circle – Company, People, Organization,

Behavior – The Molecular Base
• The 4S Quadrant - System, Strategy, Structure, Socio-culture –

The Diamond inside the whole Polygon
• The SWOTs [or SWOCs] square – Strength, Weakness,

Opportunity, Threat – The Challenge Box
• The VUCA lines – Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity

– The Lineages
• The PESTELs Hexagon – Politic, Economy, Social, Technology,

Environment, Legal [and the uncategorized or the other
miscellaneous].
Macro-micro view – from big to small

Macro is big (many, more, lot). The principle concept of macro-micro
approach is from many into one. It uses synthesis method. Synthesis
takes the holistic approach. We use synthetic thinking skill. The
synthesis method converges the many interrelated components into
one aspect. This is a convergent thinking style. Convergent views are
generic-specific. It uses focal approach – focused on inter related
components to form one connected whole – single focus.
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IG13: Macro-Micro View – from Big to Small
Micro-macro view – from small to big

Micro is small (few, little, tiny). The principle concept of micro-macro
approach is from one to many. It uses analysis method. Analysis takes
the reductionist approach. We use analytic thinking skill. The analysis
method breaks the individual components into many interrelated
parts. This is a divergent thinking style. Divergent views are specific-
generic. It uses diverse (multiple) approach – enlarge one
component into isolation of more properties, elements or parts.
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IG14: Micro-Macro view – from Small to Big
In general, our human perspective is based upon two basic things. It

could be from an open perspective or a closed perspective. It could
be from a wide angular view or from a close knitting view. Vis-à-vis, it
is the synonym and the antonym. It is the similarities or the differences
which we focus upon. Either we have a single focus or in multiple
focus.
Our approaches to perspectives on a system view will create our

assumptions towards the methods and techniques that we used to
create our system thought and thinking paradigm. From views and
perspectives, we create thoughts and perceptions and from these
we generate our action and behaviors. In short, it is from mind
approach towards body approach - from conceptions into
applications.
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7. YOS: APPROACH-METHOD-TECHNIQUE [AMT]
A combination of an approach, a method and a technique are what

we called a strategy. In YO, a strategy consists of this trio – approach,
method, technique. AMT in short is the YO backbone strategy.
However, there are few questions. First, what does strategy mean?
We already answer this from YO perspective. Next, how do we look
at it or view it as a strategy? We will take a few point of views (POV)
on these.
The next following infographic illustrations are just a few ways to

represent perspectives or views on what we claimed as a strategy
look like. In describing and defining AMT, we have few ways of doing
it. The above illustrations showed how we can structure a strategy in
a pictographic formative arrangement.
There are many other ways to arrange the strategy format. However,
in YOS we just compare them from several stand points or views,
which are from the analytical view versus the holistic view and the
convergent view versus the divergent view.
42
Analytical View
IG15: Analytic YO-AMT View
From analytical stand point, YO strategic components are the

Approach, Method and Technique (the AMT). Analytical view breaks
the strategy into individual components or parts. As depicted in
infographic 1, the AMT is composed of separate units. They do not
intercept with each other. This mean they are fully independent on
their own.
43
Holistic View
IG16: Holistic YO-AMT View
Holistic view takes a different approach. As shown by the infographic

2, the YOS draws all these AMT components as one whole unit. They
are fully aligned together where Approach is the most dominant
component, Method is the second layer and Technique becomes
the base. Holistic approach viewed the strategy as inter-related
components and overlapped each other within one dominant.
44
Convergent View
IG17: Convergent YO-AMT View
From the convergent viewpoint, all of the strategic elements (the

AMT are merged together from a different angular position. As
depicted in infographic 3, the AMT intercept and overlap against
each other. They have few strategic areas in between the separate
components. These strategic areas are then intercepted against
each other which finally emerged as one strategic point. Infographic
6 shows a higher degree of interception where the area coverage of
the strategic point is even larger than infographic 3. Convergence
takes a deductive approach.
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Divergent View
IG18: Divergent YO-AMT View
Divergent point of view always differs in stages of interception.

Infographic 4 shows the linear arrangement of the AMT. The
interceptions only happened at 2 strategic areas. But in infographic
5, the degree of linear interception is very large where they can
emerge into another strategic area for another take-off point.
Divergent takes an inductive approach.
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Strategic Alignment
IG19: Convergent Alignment IG20: Divergent Alignment
Both infographic 21 and 22 happen through the result of a strategic

alignment. When components are strategically aligned closer to and
deeper into each other, the overlapping area will be enlarged
(bigger). This enlargement of strategic areas will then give us lots of
points for a strategic takeoff. In YO, this is how and where we can find
and build a strategic advantage.
When all of the AMT are separated together without overlapping

view, they became as a separate unit. When these AMT units are
separated far apart, they become analytic and not holistic.
Analytic is an ala carte approach, while holistic is a package deal.
Strategic alignment basically comes from an integrated thinking skill.
47
8. YELLOW OCEAN - THE CONCEPT EXPLAINED
Imagine yourself as a chef at your own home.
You have meats and kinds of vegetables (in short, veges) inside your
kitchen. You are going to cook. But first you have to do the basic or
whatever is necessary – meaning to put first thing, first.
The first thing before cooking is to cut or to slice the meat and veges.
This is your approach. You can cut the veges and slice the meat using
knife. A knife is just an instrument you use. Or maybe you would like
to use scissor when cutting the veges. This is your alternative, or your
other choice. A scissor is also an instrument.
Now, cutting the veges using a knife or a scissor is the method that
you are going to use. Using a knife for cutting purposes is a method.
Using a scissor is also another method.
OK. Let us cut the veges now, and the meat later. You can either cut
the veges using knife vertically or slanting a bit up to your degree of
taste. Cutting veges either vertically or in slanting degree, this is
technique.
As a chef, you might cut the veges very fast or you can also cut it in
a slow-mo. Cutting veges in a fast motion mode, equally, will require
skill, and skill is usually gained or acquired through experience. A skill
is your demonstrated ability.
Question [Q]: where is the strategy?
Answer [A]: the strategy is to cut the veges, quickly, in a least possible
time, at equally of the same size, either by using a knife or a scissor.
Those are your strategies. Or maybe you will just get someone to do
it for you! This is another strategy.
48
Q: If you are at work with leading people and managing task or

project. What instrument will you use to get these things done?
A: I will leave this to your good knowledge and own judgement.
Briefly, YO concept few tiers or set of layers. The first 3-tiers are:
• Approach – how are you going to do it?
• Method – what are the ways you choose?
• Technique – which is the specific style you choose?
YO concept is simple. What I mean by simple is that, in YO, we use

simple and logical terms to derive towards any and many concepts,
conceptions or conceptualization.
First, we have to know [to identify, to find, or figure out] how we are
going to do it. This is the approach. What is your approach? This is the
first question, putting first thing, first. How are you going to do it? This
is method. When are you going to do it? This is timing. When do you
want to get it done? This is target. Which way is the best? This is
technique. Why this is the best way to do? This is justification. Who is
going to do it? This is staffing. How much time is needed? This is how
you qualify. How many items are needed? This is how to quantity. All
these questions are just examples on how you are going to approach
a subject matter.
In this writing, we are talking about organization. Instead of a chef,

we sample out organization. To restate, organization consists of a
company, its people and organizational behavior. An organization
is built up within its own system, strategy, structure and socio-culture.
This is simple approach of understanding what an organization is all
about – another POV.
49
In YO, we use organization as the center of our subject for discussion.

An org is the basic modality. We take organization to be the subject
matter because YO is a strategic leadership-management concept.
Thus, a company or an org is the best sampling method, because in
an org, we need to strategize, lead and manage.
YO concept called this approach, method and technique as

strategy. In YO, a strategy is a combination of approach, method and
technique [this is convergence method]. In management, we usually
strategize planning using the tactical, functional and operational
approach. Thus, we have the tactical, functional and operative
issues per se.
As defined from my Google search:

• Approach - a way of dealing with a situation or problem.
• Method - a particular way of doing something (i.e. situation or
problem).
• Technique - a skillful or efficient way of doing or achieving
something.
A strategy is the specification of the general. A strategy is generic-

specific – meaning that it is from general to semi to specific. It is from
macro to meso to micro. It is from hypothesis to synthesis to analysis.
It is from big to medium to small. This is the convergence view. We
could name it as the convergent strategy.
A strategy is the generalization of the specific. A strategy is specific-

generic – meaning that it is from specific to semi to general. It is from
micro to meso to macro, from analysis to synthesis to hypothesis. It is
from small to medium to big. This is the divergence view. We could
name it as the divergent strategy.
When both are combined, then you will have that Emergent Strategy.
50
You have challenges, situations, problems, alternatives, solutions,

choices and motives. The way you converge and diverge all these,
that is how things will emerge.
IG21: The integrative thinking skills set
The degree (level of intensity) of your convergence and divergence

integrity will produce the result of your emergence. Thus, you may
either have a strong emergence or a weak emergence (or just in
between). The stronger your convergent and divergent skill, then the
stronger will be your emergent result. The weaker your convergent
and divergent skill, then the weaker will be your emergent result.
Without doubt, the convergent, divergent and emergent skills will
come from your convergence, divergence and emergence thought
which flows as action into realizing your final result.
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In YO, emergent skill is the capability [=capacity+ability] of your

careful integration of approach, method and technique. Then you
can have this strategic emergence. Emergence is not just integrated,
but also multi-grated.
IG22: Almost a full emergence scenario
A full emergence occurs when the convergent and divergent point

get really integrated with each other and blended so well, where the
overlapping section of divergence area and convergence area
grow bigger and they balance with each other.
52
STAGE 1 – APPROACH
IG23: YO 1st Tier Level - APPROACH
1-First and foremost, YO is about awareness and readiness. This is the

first and the most basic principle to each an everyone of us. You must
willingly be aware and ready. How do you trace this awareness? You
trace your awareness from the very basic Qs – 6W3H. Then how you
will get you readiness? Your answer to those Qs will provide you the
readiness. Awareness and readiness start with your mindset
approach. Remember, the first think is to focus on what matters and
not. You can easily be ready when you are aware. If you are not
aware, then you can never be fully ready.
What is the Q that you want to ask about? In YO, we are sampling
out the organization as the platform. Within organization, awareness
53
must be built within the SWOTs, VUCAs and PESTELs. These are the
most basic identifiers. There are a lot more Qs inside any org. YO
could not sample out all of those issues. The point is, answering all of
the Qs will give you the setting for your own readiness. Then you are
mindfully ready.
ORG DUAL CORE
54
STAGE 2 - METHOD
IG24: YO 2nd Tier Level - METHOD
2-Thoughts must be followed by actions, [The 2nd principle]. You

cannot get what you want unless you do it. Thinking without acting
could not achieve anything. Thinking and doing is totally 2 different
things. Awareness is thought. Readiness is action. This is where you
need your executive competencies.
3-You must have the executive competencies. [The 3rd principle].

What are those competencies? There are two: 1-mind, 2-body. In YO,
we called these as your executive competencies. This could either
be your personal, or group or organizational competency. If you are
working alone, then this requires your personal competency. If you
55
are working with a group, then you need your group competency.
Group competency is the individual competency of each one inside
the group combines. We can also call this as the multiple executive
competencies. If you are running a company or an organization,
then you need organizational competencies. Of course, that
organizational competency will require more parameters. For
example, the span will cover financial aspect, and further divisions.
In YO, executive competency requires a combine set of integrative

abilities. They are as follows:
SET ONE
• With the thinking mind and the physical fitness of your body
you must also possessed these 3 abilities or skills:
(1) Convergent Skill

Your convergent skill actually comes from you thought. It started with
your convergence thinking. To converge is a focused approach -
from general to specific, from macro to meso to micro. It is a synthesis.
You can have many alternatives, but only one is most suitable,
practical, and applicable to your goal. You only have one possible
solution. This is like a multiple-choice question in exam with only one
correct answer. Only one is possible or correct, as we always say it.
The simplest example is you want to go inside Kuala Lumpur city from
the airport. There are many roads and highways that can take you
there, but if your motive is to save time, you might be spending
money on toll because you need to take the highway to get into
town. Where else, if your motive is to save money, then you might
lead to a longer route. You have one specific goal, thus, only few
options, or less options available. This is from many alternatives, but
only one comes as your favored solution.
56
(2) Divergent Skill

Your divergent skill comes from your divergent thinking. In YO,
divergent ability is your maneuvering, or your navigation skills. To
diverge is a diversion approach. This is your ability like in the case you
get stuck, you are able to see options and re-route your activities so
that you can finally reach your goal. This is like you have a subjective
question in exam where your answer is justified upon the content and
context of a question. Your solution varies. You may have many
probable solutions.
Again, the simplest example for this is you are inside the KL city but
you just want to get out of KL area. Then there are many roads which
can take you out of town. As long as you can be out of town, which
is your motive, then you already reach your goal. You have one
general goal, thus many methods can reach you there. This is for one
solution but with many alternatives.
(3) Emergent Skill

Your emergent skill comes from you merging thought towards a
viable action and solution to a problem or situation. Emergent is your
final or actual path that you take to reach you goal. You can have
so many choices (alternatives and solutions) but only one is best fit
to balance ALL situations. This is the probabilistic approach.
Example, if you are from the airport and you want to get into KL city,
but your motives are many. i.e, you want to save money on toll, you
want to avoid the traffic and you want to save time as well. Then this
route is your emergent solution. It is the best possible-probable
approach. It is the confluence of convergence and divergence
thought.
In emergent case, you have many alternatives and also many

solutions, but only one is the best fit to balance ALL your needs. i,e,
57
you may need to consider all factors like cost, time, effort, distance,
condition, situation.
Another example, If you are a project manager, you may have to

take look at budget, target scheduling, worker productivity, client
specification, supplier delivery, resource availability, climate
condition, etc.
YO TRILOGIES
58
STAGE 3 – TECHNIQUE
IG25: YO 3rd Tier Level - TECHNIQUE
4-Executive competencies are the confluence of approach, method

and technique. [The 4th principle].
SET TWO
• With SET ONE, you must also possess these 3As abilities:
• Adaptation
• Agility
• Applicability
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FINAL STAGE
5-It is your executive competencies that will produce the result.

Though without awareness and readiness, one could not execute
task, thus could not deliver desired result – this is the principle
reminder.
IG26: YO the Final Stage – the Emergent (Kemenjadian)
Emergent must not be only understood as the state of being.

Emergent is also the state of becoming. Emergent is an ongoing
process to become better and better. The best example to state
emergent case is “water”, which from liquid can evaporates itself
into gases and can convert itself into a solid ice.
60
Adaptation must come with a strategy and purpose. With a strategic

purpose, people and things can be aligned towards the same
motive, goal and objective.
Agility comes with precision and speed. Your agility towards

adaptation and application of strategic move could give a strong
emergence – this creates your strategic edge, and thus a strategic
advantage.
Applicability must come with a strategic alignment. All these are

required for a stronger emergence.
The CAR Concept
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CONVERGENT VERSUS DIVERGENT
In most simple words, convergent is from many to one, and divergent

is from one to many. This is the basic concept. We have a table below
which summarizes the conceptual application of these 2 terms:
Convergent Divergent
From many to one – it is just From 1 to many – therefore the

single concept concept becomes multiple
Reductionist approach Holistic view approach
Closed system – closed Open system – open structure

structure
Bike/Bicycle approach – single Bus/Train approach – many

rider passengers
From general to specific From specific to general
It is generic-specific It is specific-generic (inductive)

(deductive)
Specification technique Generalization technique
Focal view – focus approach Diverse view – expanded

approach
Scoping view – narrowed Breadth view – expansive, wide

down
Microscopic view Telescopic/binocular view
Macro to meso to micro Micro to meso to macro
Large to narrow or Big to small Narrow to large or Small to big
62
Analysis method, breakable Synthesis method, unified whole

parts
Analytic thinking Synthetic thinking
Breaking into parts Combination of parts
About Similarities About Differentiation
Concentration Deviation
Inside the box Outside of the box
Possible solution Probable alternative
Table2: Convergent Factors vs Divergent Factors
By Oxford definition, convergent means “coming closer together;

converging” and divergent is “tending to be different or develop in
different directions”. Cambridge definition on convergent is “coming
closer together or becoming more similar”, and divergent is “different
from each other”.
From YO standpoint, these 2 words are having a different direction.

They go in opposite ways. Meaning if convergent is going north, then
divergent is going south. If it goes west, the other goes east. If one is
inward, then the other is outward. If one is internal, the other is
external. If one is positive, the other is negative. If one is going clock
wise, the other is going anti-clock wise. If one is a straight thinker, the
other is reversed thinking. If one is about unity, then the other is about
division. When one is in addition, the other is doing a subtraction. They
are like Yin and Yang.
Both have different points of views. It is like a coin with two faces –
with one head and a tail. At a flip of a coin, it will either show head
or tail. When you see the head, you could not see the tail and vice-
63
versa. This is reality – what you see on the surface (a head) is real, and
what you cannot see underneath (a tail), is also real, which
sometimes makes our reality blind spot.
IG27: Convergent vs Divergent – back to basic
When convergent and divergent are merged (or sub-merged)

together, the result is emergent.
The basic concept from many-to-one and one-to-many is about

convergence and divergence. However, the technology could be
more advance than this. Starting from one-to-one and one-to-many,
techno could go from many to many, thus giving a quantum effect.
|A quantum=quantity+quality+momentum|. In IR4.0 this is the nexus.
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EXECUTIVE COMPETENCIES
IG28: THE EXECUTIVE COMPETENCIES
When we talk about Executive Competency [in short EC, for many
ECs], we would come back to the same basic Qs – the 6W+3H, what
(description), who (person or things), where (location), when (timing,
target), why (justification, reason), which (choice, alternative), how
(method, technique), how much (qualitative aspect) and how many
(quantitative aspect). We need to ask the same basic Qs to create
awareness and their answers will create readiness. Below are some
example questions:
• What is EC?
EC is like the electrical currents. It is one source of energy. Machines
use electrical currents to operate. Humans use executive
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competencies to convert their potentials. EC is the ability to execute

or performance of daily functions [i.e. duty, task, responsibility or
activities] within one competencies or capability [capacity+ability].
• Who uses EC?

Same like electrical current, EC can be used by everyone and
anyone. Its conception and application can be used by any
individual, team and leadership-management professionals.
• Where we use EC?

Electrical currents are used wherever. EC are needed everywhere
and anywhere. It can be applied at any place, location and level -
personal, group, professional and organizational.
• When to use EC?

We can use EC whenever we need want to apply any concept,
approach, method, technique or strategy. From YO standpoint, EC is
meant to be applied and adapted with agility towards its approach,
method and technique.
• Why we need EC?

Like electrical current, EC is the power supply. Without power supply,
we could not operate machines and many more things. That is why
human need EC. We need EC to adapt towards many things i.e.
working situation, workers, nature and environment. We need to
apply EC for work performance. When performing EC, we need the
agility. Agility comes with speed and precision. That is why YO uses
the term Executive Competencies or ECs in short. We need to be
“exact” and “competent”. We use the exact (not more, not less)
amount of quality and quantity, so that there is no waste to time, cost
and effort. In order to be exact, we need to be competently ready.
• Which EC to use?
Electrical currents need wires to move its power to kick start most
equipment. The electrical wire is like our human body. The electrical
currents are like our thoughts. Thus, EC of the mind is as of equal
importance to the EC of our body. We need a balancing act
between the mind and body. We need to use both concept and
application.
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• How to use EC?

Like electrical currents, they have an on-off switch. In EC, mind is the
switch. From YO standpoint, EC should be applied towards the mind
first. Once adapted through our human body, then we can use EC
within our means and agility to achieve objectives like the
organizational 4S, SWOTs, VUCAs and PESTELs.
• How much EC impact on YOS?

EC requires application of the mind and adaptation through body.
The degree of impact depends on one’s agility. As said, agility
requires precision and speed. Speed saves time. Time is money.
Saving time means saving money. Precisions save energy and effort.
Thus, we save cost.
• How many EC we need?

What happen when we overused the electricity? It will be fuse
overblown, machines breakdown and accelerated billing. We don’t
want these to happen. We just need the exact amount. Executives
use exact execution of approach, method, technique or strategy.
That is how and why they became executives. By doing so, we can
be efficient at responsibility and tasking.
In short, EC is ACTION. EC is the mind and body approach towards

method and technique. EC is concealed inside conception and
revealed through its application of YOS. In YO, approach, method
and technique make the strategy. The approach, method and
technique structured the systemic strategy. They are the main
ingredients and properties of YOS.
A strategy needs implementation – in short, plan, execute, control. In

YOS, the plan is buried inside the approach, the execution is hidden
inside the method and the control is gained through the technique
we use. This is how we strategize, lead and manage an org (short
form for ‘organization’) in YO.
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IG29: Executive Competency for the Mind and Body
The infographic above summarizes the EC concept:

• First and foremost, EC is about one mind (awareness) marrying
and intimating his body (readiness). You must be truly aware and fully
ready. This is the very first basic principle - your equipment.
• [The 2nd principle] Thoughts must be followed by actions. In
general, we can only get what we DO, not wants. Thinking, saying,
planning and doing are 4 different things. Your action matters.
• [The 3rd principle] From YO standpoint, you must possess the
executive competencies to adapt and apply a strategy with agility.
EC is the YO strategic conception and application - your strategy.
• [The 4th principle] ECs are based on the confluence of
approach, method and technique. Your need a platform.
• It is your ECs that produce the emergent and result. Though,
without awareness and/or readiness, one could not execute task,
thus could not deliver result – this is the principle reminder, your
principal – back to basic.
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Yellow Ocean: The 3As Concept
Adaptation must come with a strategy and purpose, or an aim or

ambition. Purpose is focus. With a strategic purpose, human and non-
human factors can be aligned and balance towards the same
motive – be it an aim, goal or objective.
Agility must come with precision and speed. Your agility towards
conception and application of strategic move could give a strong
emergence. From YO stand point, EC is your strategic move. This
creates your sustainability and edge, plus growth and advantage.
Applicability must come with a strategic alignment and balancing of

an act. This involve all actors and attractors. All these are required for
a strong, integrated and strategic emergence in YOS.
Adaptation, agility and applicability are the 3As. These 3 elements

are combined into one conception because they work in tandem
with one another. They must work together well with each other.
In addition, this 3A concept must be applied together with the YO

strategy. From YO standpoint, a strategy consists of approach,
method and technique. As a reminder, the YO approach, method
and technique are the strategy – the Yellow Ocean Strategy [in short
YOS].
The 3A concept must be blended together with the YOS. They must
be built inside the conception and application. They are 3-in-1, put
together inside one strategic package.
The whole YO package is a mixture of approach with strategy, a

mixture of concepts with method, a mixture of applications with
technique. They are sets of strategic concept and strategic
application. They are sets of approach, method and technique.
What most people do not understand is that many things come in a

package form, in a unified whole. Our bundle belief makes us see
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things in separation, in isolation, so that we became so individualist

at times. Just like health, wealth, success and happiness. All these are
the elements of wellness. They are branches of peace. Health alone
is not enough. Wealth alone is not sufficient. Success alone is not
complete without the rest. Happiness alone without the others is not
satisfactory. Each of these elements needs each other. Without one
or the other, wellness could not be completed.
The same goes to YOS. A method needs a correct approach. A

method needs an affluent technique. When all these AMT are
combined, they could give a strategic advantage or a strategic
emergence (whatever you like to call it).
Adaptation, Agility and Applicability
There are 3 technical elements of YO technique:

• Adaptation
• Agility
• Applicability.
Technique is defined as “a way of carrying out a particular task,
especially the execution or performance of an artistic work or a
scientific procedure”, or as a “skill or ability in a particular field” and
“a skillful or efficient way of doing or achieving something”.
YOS comes in a package form. It is a 3-in-1 concept, as if there are

coffee, sugar and creamer. Technique is the specific application of
YO concept. In YO, a technique is simply defined as a specific way
of how one is applying his method.
Adaptation is generic specific. Applicability is specific generic. Agility

falls in between. Agility is the application aspect of carrying both (to
adapt and apply) in practice.
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ADAPTATION
By nature, water from the mountain grow as a river that flows into the
ocean. From the high land the water will flow down searching for its
way down until it reaches the open ocean. If there is obstruction, the
water will divert itself by making another pathway. If the blockage is
too strong, the water will accumulate and level-up itself until it can
pass the building block. This is an example of a natural adaptation
within our eco-system. The water self-organized itself. This is how water
adapt to its environmental topography.
In IR4.0 era, an org will need to adapt within its surrounding too. In this
writing, YO focus is how to strategize, lead and manage an org within
this IR4.0 complexity. As illustrated earlier, an org is surrounded by its
change archetypes – the 4S diamond, SWOTs quadrant, VUCAs
lineage and PESTEL hexagon. An org is the subject which co-exists
within its own state of environments. They are the internal, mixed and
external organizational enablers.
From YO standpoint, we will discuss about organizational adaptation

within personal capacity first, as a leader-manager. The main key
word inside this discussion will be the organizational strategy.
How to adapt a strategy inside this endless changing complexity?
Why does an org need to adapt? A simple answer to this will be for
sustainability – to sustain and maintain. On personal level, we need
to sustain life. On an organizational level, a company needs to sustain
its business for long profitable tenure. For the non-profit organizations,
they need to sustain their activities, to stay afloat doing services.
Adaptation has many needs. For example, adaptation is needed to

maintain security, to maintain peace and harmony, to seek
economic balance and to balance resource utilization, just to say a
few. The other motives towards adaptation will be for growth. In order
to develop and grow, an org need to level-up its fellow staff
members to the current demand and standards. We do personal
adaptation on organizational level first before reaching to group and
company level towards the national and international level.
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The main reason we need to adapt is to seek balance in PESTEL. We

need a balance politic of a nation, so that the society will be working
at peace, in harmony. We need a balance economy so that all of us
could survive and prosper. We need a balance in the social system
so that there is no riots, chaos, or emotional hatred among each. We
need a balance technology according to our budget constraints.
We need to balance the environment so that we could preserve for
the future generation use. We need a balance law and legal system
so that we could have justice. We need to balance all these,
because we need tranquility and peace.
Organizational Leadership
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APPLICABILITY
Applicability is defined by Oxford as “the quality of being relevant or

appropriate”. It is synonym with “aptness, suitability and usefulness”.
In YO applicability is simply defined in question forms “is it workable

or not? is it practical or not?”. If the answer is “yes” then the technical
aspect of the term is appropriate, suitable and is of a high value to
the YO practical application of the concept.
There are 2 main ingredients that make the YOS:

1• Conception
• Mind Approach – this is the setting.
2• Application
• Body Approach – this is the application or the app.
Mind and body approach are actually the essence of ECs. In YOS,
one need to apply these two, the concept and its application. In
technique, EC is more geared towards the practicality aspect – the
application of YOS.
How do you apply strategy, approach, method, technique, skill or

whatever?
• Immediately, now, on the dot, current
• In stages, step-by-step, in phase, gradually
• Holistic, in whole bunch, in total, in bundle
• Continuous, on-going, never ending process
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AGILITY
With reference to Google, agility is defined as the “ability to move

quickly and easily” (body approach) and the “ability to think and
understand quickly” (mind approach). In short, agility is about
thinking and action.
However, this is not convincing enough for human because thinking

and action would create emotion as to what Dr. Susan David
recalled earlier. When mind gets intimate to the body, they emerge
our feeling. With this feeling we then have emotion. Within this
context, agility could also be defined as the ability to feel and
instinctively react. Thus, we also have emotional agility.
As a note “The term 'emotional agility' was first coined by Susan David
and Christina Congleton in a Harvard Business Review article
published in 2013, and has since been hailed as a “management
idea of the year” and the “next emotional intelligence”.
Further to this, the word “ability” alone is not enough to derive at our
human potential. From YO standpoint, ability must be understood in
a wider word conception. Ability is a capacity plus an ability, which
is capitulated as our capability. Though, we generally refer and
understood capacity and capability as ability, at the slip of our
tongue.
Once redefined in YO meaning, agility involves the conceptual

meaning of the human mind, body and emotional approach,
method and technique.
Agility is a potential source of energy. In other words, agility is the

potential capability [capacity +ability] of the human mind, motion
and emotion. Mind means the thinking, thought, mindset and our
brain – everything about mind. Motion means the act, action,
reaction, behavior and other non-verbal gestures – everything relates
to body, which includes our feeling and emotion. These what make
human become volatile and versatile.
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Question here, where is this potential source of energy comes from?

In specific where is agility comes from? We all know that energy is
neither created nor eliminated. Energy just changes in form. From
where do we got this mind, body or emotional act, action or
reaction?
From a molecular point of view, this energy starts from the air that we
breath-in. With the air inside our body, it adrenalizes our blood
circulation and neurotically impulses the mind to the other human
organs and function. It is the oxygen that we feed into our lungs, that
feeds into the blood veins and carry it to the brain, and giving it back
as the neurotic emotional pulsation to the other parts of the body
that makes all of our organs function to work. The air is our soul source.
AGILITY
adapt apply
AGILITY is about SPEED & PRECISION
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THE SPIRIT OF CHANGE
The 3-tier technique in YO will ask you these questions?

• How do you adapt a strategy?
• How do you apply your strategy?
• What do you need to adapt and apply?
The 3rd stage is technical in nature. These questions will create

awareness. Your answer will get you to the readiness level.
The answers for these question are below:

• Building a concept
• Applying a concept
• Realizing a concept
A concept could be devised into a strategy.
It can be devised from one, few or many basics.
A concept is a raw strategy.
A concept is premature without application.
A concept needs to be applied.
The applicability of a concept tells whether it is strategic or not.
A strategy must be strategic in its conception.
A strategy must also be strategic in its application.
Thus, we have strategic conception and strategic application.
Only then it can become a good strategy.
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YO is an integrated concept. It is a 3-tier strategy where the

integration of approach, method and technique will give you the
emergent result you want.
Building a concept is a mind approach and applying a concept is a

body approach. In short, YO is talking about conception (mind
approach) and application (body approach) of technique. Thus,
mind and body must have not only having a conceptual approach,
but also methodological and technical ability and skills required to
execute action.
There are two most important dependents:

• Applicability of a conception
• Applicability of an application.
Concept and application are parts of YOS. A concept is a strategy,

so does the concept application [applying the concept].
Applicability of a concept and applicability of its application is

important. We need to know whether the concept and the app are
workable or not. We need to assess their suitability, practicality,
relevancy and the significance of both.
But how do we know the concept work or not work? Answer, we

don’t know. This is why we need agility to apply the technique.
Should we intend to have a strong emergence, then one must have
high agility, because with low level of agility, we could only get a
weak emergence.
Agility is the answer to the 3rd question, but what is agility means?
Agility is the power of the mind and body combined. But mind and
body agility are not enough to take us far forward. We could still be
vulnerable during the transformational process. The ultimatum of
adaptation is sustainability. Besides sustenance, we also need to
align and balance on the same path way. The viability of our thought
and action need a strong driver to sustain the energy level towards
the end of our journey.
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We need something else to support us - another potential, but where

is it?
It is all here with us – inside and within. When our mind gets intimate
with our body, we could then have this emotional agility as an
additional enabler. Thus, when we have these mind and body plus
emotion, finally we have the spirit of change. This is the spiritual ability
we need for adaptation to change for IR4.0 period. We need to
understand our own setting first. We need to know how to set it. We
design the way we want it. We need the correct workable setting of
self before embarking toward the others.
IG30: Balancing Act of Mind Body Emotion and Soul
As one had mentioned earlier, “there is no secret to success. Success

is just an implementation of a good design”. We need the agility and
ECs. Not more, not less. Like food we cook, we just need enough
78
condiments to make it deliciously superb to eat. With everything in

correct alignment plus the balancing act, we could then achieve
sustainability. In YO specific technique, we need to balance all the
3As – adaptation, agility and applicability.
New EMERGENCE
In specific, these 3 condiments of YO technique are relative to the

either a strong or weak emergence. We could table the 3 essence
as follows:
Adaptability Applicability Agility EMERGENCE
high high high Very Strong
high low high Strong
high high low Strong
low high high Strong
low low high Weak
low high low Weak
high low low Weak
low low low Very Weak
Table3: Relational Emergence towards the 3As
In conclusion, with high degree of adaptability and agility plus

adaptability, then we could have a very strong emergence.
However, with a low level of adaptation and agility plus applicability,
then we could only have a very weak emergence.
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9. YOS SUMMARY
YO Conception & Application

• YO strategy is a combination of Approach, Method and
Technique - AMT
• YO approach is a combination of Awareness and Readiness –

AR
o Awareness is one concept
▪ In general, awareness is a mind approach
▪ Awareness is based on asking the basic Qs-6W+3H
▪ The basis of Qs is based on the Change
Archetypes
• The Change Archetypes are these:-
o The Organizational Archetypes
▪ Internal Archetype
• Company
• People
• Organization
• Behavior
▪ Mixed Archetype
• SWOTs – int, ext, +ve, -ve
• VUCAs - ubiquitous
▪ External Archetype
• PESTELs
• Others
o Readiness is another concept
▪ In general, readiness is a body approach
▪ Readiness is based on answer from the basic Qs-
6W+3H
▪ Readiness is based on Executive Competencies
• Executives Competencies are:
o Conception of the mind
▪ Mind Approach
o Application by the body
▪ Body Approach
o Realization of Result through EC
• YO method is a combination of mind and body approach
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o Mind approach is a combination of Thinking Ability on

these:
▪ Convergent Thinking
▪ Divergent Thinking
▪ Emergent Thinking
• Mind approach requires multiple thinking
skills, multi-level understanding
o Body approach is a combination of one Capability on
these:
▪ Convergent Ability/Skill
▪ Divergent Ability/Skill
▪ Emergent Ability/Skill
• Body approach requires multiple
competencies, multi-level action
o Mind & Body Approach make the Executive
Competency
▪ Executives Competency is a full-pledged
concept, including Emotion and Soul
• YO Technique is a combination of 3As

o Adaptation
▪ Adaptation of and to many concepts -
conception, conceptual, conceptualization,
▪ Adaptation of and to many applications
o Applicability
▪ Application of Executive Competencies toward a
Strategy
• Alignment
• Balancing Act
o Agility – precision and speed
▪ Mind Agility – precision, exact
▪ Body Agility – speed, velocity
▪ Emotional Agility – stable, stability
81
IG31: YOS summary package
IG31 summarized the Yellow Ocean Tier-Strategy. The higher the

vibrations of the VUCAs in PESTELs, the higher the waves of the Ocean
will be. In short, YO awareness is emphasized upon company SWOTs,
PESTELs and VUCAs. Aside from the company’s System, Strategy,
Structure and Socio-Culture, there are other identifiers, which act as
the change enablers. Readiness is based upon Adaptability, Agility
and Applicability. The leader strategy is to Converge, Diverge and
Emerge out of the situation to provide solution and solving problems.
In YO, emergence happens at the tip of the tidal ocean waves,
divergence is the wave body and the ocean serves as the
convergence platform. The wave starts from the ocean surface - this
is the convergence ground (where everything is merged and sub-
merged). When the wave body is going up, that is the divergence.
The wave end tip is where we should emerge using the YOS.
82
In essence YOS consists of 3 layers of conceptual Tiers:

• Surface - Awareness & Readiness (Outer parts)
• Middle - Convergence, Divergence and Emergence
• Inner layer - Adaptability, Agility and Applicability
We can then conclude the key summary to the Yellow Ocean

Strategy as follows:
TECHNIQUE Adaptability Applicability Agility

METHOD Converge Diverge Emerge
APPROACH Awareness Readiness

Executive
Competencies
YOS Tiers Conception Application Realization
IG32: summary of YOS 3-tier strategy from an up-slope perspective
We can then conclude the key summary to the Yellow Ocean

Strategy as follows:
On the surface, YOS is about awareness and readiness. This is the

approach. Being convergence, divergence and emergence are the
methods. These are the main driving strategies. Adaptability, Agility
and Applicability are the inner parts and concepts. All these are the
settings for the YOS.
83
Yellow Ocean Strategy [in short YOS] is a new leadership-

management term which originates from the other Oceanic
strategies. To name a few, these ocean strategies like the Blue & Red,
White or Black, Green and Purple Ocean all have their own
underlying ground strategies and basic principles in content and
context for management discussions and leader’s usage.
Even though Yellow Ocean [YO] is a just complimentary to the others

but YO is a very powerful strategy to look at, especially in the rise of
the Digital Ocean in the Industrial Revolution Four point Zero [IR4.0]
era.
“For many, the success ladder is very steep, the roads are narrow,
and the tunnel is slim”. The future is now. Thus, we need to prepare
the correct and workable setting. Maybe the chance is very really
slim, but with a careful navigation, all of us, could drive through that
very thin tunnel.
In reality, we don’t really know actually whether it is correct or not,

right or wrong. We don’t really know whether it is the best either. But
once, we can pass through the funnel with a minimal collateral
damage, only then we know the truth. Only then we know that we
are heading toward our correct and right destination. It is not only
destiny, it is the journey – we need to maneuver the approach,
method and technique and to balance ALL, in one, and at once.
Life is not a Competition,

neither life is a Comparison
Living a Legacy
84
Yellow Ocean: Strategize, Lead, Manage
Prior to reaching and utilizing other people (your staffs and followers)
skills you got to have your own skills first. If not, then how could you
earn the down-lines respect? As a leader-manager or a manager-
leader, one must have his/her conceptual, human and technical
skills built-in. These are what Robert Katz has suggested for most
leaders and managers.
In YO, to strategize, lead and manage requires 3 fundamental

elements - approach, method and technique. These 3 fundamentals
are equivalent to
• having a conceptual skill to establish approach,
• having a human skill to establish method and
• having a technical skill to establish technique.
In short, it is how you strategize your approach, lead your method,

and manage your technique.
It is very important to know these skill sets because being in IR4.0

requires a subset of multiple skills. We should not fall only to few
starter-pack skills. Beside re-skilling and up-skilling on selves, we need
to advent new sets of skills too.
The uprising of the digital ocean comes with precision, speed,

volume and bigger coverage. The widespread is massive and
intensive. This is what quantum [=quantity+quality+momentum]
computing is all about, and may be more... AI, robotic, big data,
and network science will give a sharp impact on human. Humans will
soon become humanoids [=humans+androids].
Humans agility are limited to their capability [=capacity+ability], but

the robots never get tired as humans do and the AI potentials look
like infinitive. Once started, the quantum will never sleep unless it is
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shut down. Thus, the IR4.0 will be very robust with increased
connectivity, complexity and nonlinearity, and may be more
mysterious. It might be wicked and can be very abrupt.
In order to align with the current wave, we need to level up skills

accordingly to time, place, people, event, situation and other
dimensional concern. Like it or not, the forth coming of a High-Tech
era requires more than just a skill plus. Being a future leader or
manager requires a bigger parameter and skills to be covered. While
students need to expand their “jeri-meter”, teachers will be more
prudent inside this High-Tech chain loop. This is what the industrial
epoch to education 4.0 all about. The High-Tech Era will give only 2
choices - either positive or negative feedback loop.
Can it be neutral? I don’t think so. The new IR4.0 format will soon lead
us into a vast array of dimensionalities and more concerns. We need
to be immensely versatile with this new formative dimensionality and
try to get used to it, and to use it. Use or be used, don’t just let the
IR4.0 controls us. Be aware and ready.
A good start usually gives you a good

end, but it does not matter how you
start, what matter most is how you end.
Living a Legacy
86
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
| YOS CRV – 2nd ED. UPGRADED |
This writing is upgraded based on the actual Yellow Ocean Raw

Manuscript which is not yet officially published in a book format.
However, the purpose of making the earlier found YO Compact
Raw Version 2nd Ed. is for the public to absorb first the knowledge
and to quickly apply any meaningful lesson or value found in it
into practice wherever, whenever and to whomever it should
become useful and applicable.
The author as the ideal originator and the editor as the language
translator from the original drafted YO manuscript hereby convey
this writing mostly from our own ideation, innovation and
creativity. Aside from the Quora writings, LinkedIn and Academia
submissions, we are cordially extending our greatest compliments
to Systems Innovation for its outstanding manifestation of
knowledge towards the masses. Not to forget, our thank you to
the other unsung and the non-mentions, who have helped us in
the realization of our Yellow Ocean Strategy: YO CRV 2nd Edition
plus this UPGRADED version.
PUBLISHED BY:
The Author: Sabaryah @ Sabariah Binti Shafiee
SK Brickfields 1, Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad,
50470 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
*** All rights & copyright reserved ***
87
About the Author
IG33: Personal Tribute to the Author from NST
Sabariah@Sabaryah was born in 1967 in State of Johor. Pn. Sabariah

Shafiee is currently serving as a Head Master (Guru Besar) at SK
Brickfields 1 Kuala Lumpur since 2017, and will be retiring in year 2023.
She was equipped with a Teaching Certificate from Maktab
Perguruan Teruntum, Kuantan, Pahang.
She extended her Teaching Bachelor at UPM Serdang, Selangor, one

of the most prestigious universities in Malaysia. She then enrolled into
the MQA Leadership Course Modules at the Aminuddin Baki Institute,
Genting Highlands, Pahang, before embracing her Educational
Leadership-Management role inside her administrative office.
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Selective Citations & References ONLY
Dzamiri Jahaya. [2019, October]. Yellow Ocean: The Concept: YOS

3-Tier Level Concept. LinkedIn. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dzamiri-jahaya-4a636021_activity-
6590809865340444672-0EA7/
Dzamiri Jahaya. [2019, November]. Executive Competencies [ECs]

meaning in YOS – Conception & Application. LinkedIn. Retrieved
September 19, 2020, from
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dzamiri-jahaya-
4a636021_executive-competencies-meaning-in-yos-activity-
6598110237486612480-BF-3/
Dzamiri Jahaya. [2019, November]. The Industrial Epoch to Education

4.0: An Industrial Epoch to Education 4.0 - What does it mean?
LinkedIn. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dzamiri-jahaya-4a636021_the-
industrial-epoch-to-education-40-activity-6593482849125523457-
UhRp/
Dzamiri Jahaya. [2019, November]. Rise of the Digital Ocean (with

IR4.0): Rise of Digital Ocean. LinkedIn. Retrieved September 19, 2020,
from
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dzamiri-jahaya-4a636021_rise-of-
the-digital-ocean-with-ir40-activity-6595504897649664000-QE1P/
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• Credits to Russell Carter for front cover background image.
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YOS: CRV – 2ND ED.

The Yellow Ocean

Author: SABARIAH SHAFIEE Editor: DZAMIRI JAHAYA

The Yellow Ocean – A Prologue

[ The Yellow Ocean Strategy ]

YELLOW OCEAN OUTLINEs

The Yellow Ocean – A Prologue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Yellow Ocean Outlines 4

1. The Making of a Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

• Philosophy of the Mind 13

2. What makes the ocean yellow? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

• Origin of the Yellow Ocean Strategy [YOS] 17

3. From Industrial into Electronic Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

• The Industrial Epoch to Education 4.0 20

4. The Purpose of Yellow Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

5. The Yellow Ocean Elements 26

6. Closed System versus Open System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

• New Organizational Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

o Macro-micro View – big to small 39

o Micro-macro View – small to big . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

7. YOS: Approach-Method-Technique [AMT] 42

8. Yellow Ocean - The Concept Explained 48

• Convergent versus Divergent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

• YO Technique: The 3As Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

• The Spirit of Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

• YO Conception & Application 80

• YOS Summary Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

• Yellow Ocean: Strategize, Lead, Manage 85

About the Author 88

Selective Citations & References ONLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

A&R Awareness and Readiness

CDE Converge-Diverge-Emerge / Convergent-Divergent-Emergent

ECs Executive Competencies

NST New Strait Times

PESTEL Politic, Economy, Social, Technology, Environment, Legal

POV Point of View

Q&A Question and Answer

SWOC Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Challenge

SWOT Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat

VUCA Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity

YO Yellow Ocean / Implies YO Concept

YOS Yellow Ocean Strategy

IG2: Industrial Revolution Shifts

IG24: YO 2nd Tier Level - METHOD

Table1: The YO Elementals – Basic, Major and Minor . . . . . . . . . 34

Table2: Convergent Factors vs Divergent Factors 62/63

Table3: Relational Emergence towards the 3As . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Within content and context of this writing we use some abbreviations.

These 2 abbreviations [YO and YOS] are sometimes used

1. THE MAKING OF A CONCEPT

So, where is the Yellow Ocean among all those mentioned

In my writing here, I am proposing to you this new metaphorical

Let me bring you back from the ocean to the mainland.

Why do I have to bring you back to the actual horizontal landscape?

Another question, upon approaching the traffic light, what are

When stopping at the traffic light, one has to be alerted, to take a

Awareness is a part of readiness. It is a physical reflex of the mind.

Awareness in the Yellow Ocean Strategy however covers more

Philosophy of the Mind

One, Yellow Ocean Strategy is a matter of opinion, which then is

might be false to others. An opinion is usually based on logical or

Two, taking all the comprehensions above, there are 2 perspectives

Finally, let us also understand these 2 basics: