An insider's take on the big party

By now, the familiar photos of Alibaba's 20th anniversary party, also the official retirement party for our company's Chairman, Jack Ma, have made its rounds. Many would have seen his rock-star costume, complete with an electric guitar, cheered on by 60,000 Aliren who turned up on Sept 10, 2019 at the Hangzhou Olympic Stadium to bid farewell. Three months ago when I was first notified of my role, I was a little sceptical. I just don't see how this big ra ra "party" can really bring together a group of Lazadians, let alone forge a common Alibaba identity. A party is a .... well, party. Isn't it? That's what I thought. And how wrong was I.

In my years of working for American MNCs, I have never seen a company whose organizational culture is as fervent as Alibaba's. Some say it was based on a cult-like following that Jack Ma has built over his years as the company's co-founder and vocal leader. I beg to differ. This company's culture is undoubtedly tied to Jack's charisma, but it is not his and his alone that drove Alibaba to where it is today. Since the company's early founding years, it is Alibaba's values that have formed a rock-solid foundation by which all Aliren lived, breathed and worked. While many American MNCs are still courting their bottom lines and profit margins, Aliren are fully aware that they live for a bigger mission that goes beyond the financials. It is this common set of values that forged a strong organizational culture, one that still continues to drive Alibaba today even when its founder has retired. That is the legacy that Jack Ma and his co-founders have given to Alibaba.

In the bigger scheme of things, Alibaba is by all measures considered a young company, having been around for the last two decades only. But what a 20-year-old company has achieved is nothing short of phenomenal. During the party, we saw skits and performances that tracks the historical moments - the first time Taobao was conceptualised, the first engineer who created the ubiquitous Alipay app, the first 11.11 etc. Seeing these scenes brought fond memories of joy (or perhaps pain?) to some in the audience. I can clearly see these historical moments meant something to them, and for once I cannot find an equivalent momentous bookmark in my own career up to this point. Perhaps this is that "moment" I've been looking for?

Fast forward to September 2019, the refrain of "We are Alibaba" song is etched well into my head by now. I've heard that song no less than a few hundred times, from the recording studio, to the rehearsals, to the internal vlogs I've been putting together since. I was fortunate to be part of the backstage committee and experienced something I may not experience again in this lifetime. It is clear from the way Aliren sang and danced to this refrain that they genuinely felt a belonging to this company. Strange as it may be, a party theme song can forge a common identity among what seem like disparate groups of employees.

Lazada holds a special place in the Ali ecosystem as Alibaba's flagship ecommerce firm in Southeast Asia. As we prepared for our performances, it became increasingly clear that expectations were high, so were the Lazadians' spirits. Every chance we got, we chanted "LA-ZA-DA! LA-ZA-DA!" backstage while rehearsing. It doesn't matter that our Lazadians were scattered across eight countries, most have never seen or interacted with each other before arriving in Hangzhou. It doesn't matter that we did not have spectacular floats like other Alibaba BUs, what we had was an indomitable spirit of unity. It doesn't matter that we have only less than 36 hours to rehearse. Our Lazadians bonded over the common goal of delivering a perfect show. And a perfect show did they put up! When we heard the crowds roaring and cheering on, the past three months of toiling and worrying seem to evaporate into pride and joy. Proud to be Lazadian, joyful for having overcame what seemed like insurmountable hurdles.

If ever there was anything that shows unity in diversity, then this 20th anniversary party is one that has really brought that to life. Of course, organizational culture goes beyond a great celebration. It is our common mission and values that defines our culture, that makes every Lazadian proud of what we have accomplished to date.

I will probably not find another company as fervent as Alibaba in defining a distinct culture and values. And if so, then let this be my first and hopefully, not the last, Alibaba anniversary celebration.