A physical deficiency could cause misery at work for many individuals, particularly those who hold executive titles, but Sombat Kitjalaksana, managing director of Bangkok Metro, the operator of Thailand's first subway, is not included.

While studying at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Engineering 30 years ago, Sombat first learned about a deficiency - he could not see things clearly at night - a symptom of a physical illness known as "night blindness". Due to this, he could not drive at night and could not properly identify people he met during social functions after dark or in dimly lit venues.

"People often take me to be an arrogant man because I rarely say 'hello' to anybody at social functions in the evening. I seldom greet people, not because I don't want to do but because I do not see them clearly. I can't identify who they are. I have never told anybody that I suffer from night blindness," he says.

Despite the physical problem, Sombat had no difficulty finishing his studies. Rather he turned the deficiency into an advantage. After obtaining a bachelor's degree, he furthered his studies and eventually received a doctorate in engineering in Austria. On returning to Thailand, he joined Ch Karnchang as an engineer.

"Deficiency forces us to adapt ourselves and our ways of thinking. I could not hang out much with friends at night, but the advantage was I had more time to read and to plan my life. Few people knew about the deficiency, even when I applied for a job. They couldn't know if I didn't tell them," he says.

With limited time to socialise, the executive has had much time to ponder his life plan.

Sombat has set a goal every five years, a goal that he must go for and achieve. He also plots and prioritises the plan in stages: what he needs to do during the period so that he will achieve the goal. Then he devotes most of his time to that, with the motto that "in everything you do, you must do it fully and happily".

He attributes the skill of procedural thinking to the study of engineering. Engineering taught him to prioritise what comes into his life and how he copes with it. He lives every day with a goal, but that does not mean that he is overwhelmed by the goal without feeling happy with what he is doing.

"I'm ready to appreciate everything that comes into my life, and I can be unconditionally happy with everything. I have no conditions, no thinking that I will feel happy when things are this or that. I suppose this is a positive-thinking way of life," he says, smiling.

Sombat realised that many people imposed many conditions on their lives. To him, this unnecessarily complicates the situation. For instance, some prefer to dine at their favourite restaurant if they want to eat something delicious. Or if they are going anywhere, they prefer travelling in their personal car. Sombat is happy whenever and wherever he is eating, no matter if the restaurant or the food shop he visits is his favourite or is famous or not. Plus, he can travel by all means of transport. Sometimes he walks or rides in others' cars. He also enjoys the good times when he realises how devoted his subordinates are. "That is an immense joy," he says.

He is also making use of his physical deficiency to build up the organisational culture. He admits that it is a difficult task to establish a culture. It is difficult to make people work happily, to command them to devote themselves, or force them to love the organisation. He has tried to show them how in the easiest ways. They know that even if he suffers from night blindness, this does not affect his work life.

"My subordinates know this, and they even help me arrange schedules. They tell me which night functions I should attend and which I need not. Instead of wasting time on social functions, I have more time to spend with my family. Other executives probably don't have as much as time as me, even though their eyes are normal," Sombat says.

Sombat methodically splits his time into three parts, work, family and personal, which includes meetings with friends and social functions. The proportions vary, depending on the goal that he sets for a certain period. Each day he tries to ensure that the three parts do not overlap or conflict.

"If, in a particular period, I want to succeed in work, I devote more time to work. That means I have to make my plans clear to my family and friends. In those periods, I hardly ever go out to see movies, embark on personal matters or attend social functions," he says.

Approaching 50 years of age, Sombat plans to spend more time with his family during the next five years. As his work at Bangkok Metro is well established, he is ready to step back to look for someone who is capable enough to succeed him. From now until 54 he intends to join in more family activities, probably helping improve the house or tending the garden together. He also plans some activities to connect his generation with the elder and younger generations.

"In the past five years I considered myself a boxer who needs to devote himself to training and boxing. We need to fight and solve problems. However, in the next five years I will be a coach, to push capable and better men to a higher stage. I have knowledge for them, and I will find them rings to fight in," says the executive, whose company is one of those interested in bidding for more subway routes.

Watcharapong Thongrung

The Nation