I really love the acoustic version of this awesome piece from Bon Jovi. His band really rocks. He pens his songs from the heart. His lyrics speak of mountains of personal faith. I think he will make one hell of a hillsongs singer, if only he believes in a higher being.
"We've got to hold on, ready or not. You live for the fight, when it's all that you've got."
And I have you in my prayer.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Eating humble pie
Funny how bad news seems to always come at the wrong time, just before my first paper today.
I really appreciated the call and the subsequent clarification. But we definitely blew the chance of being the top team. If only we did things differently before but oh well, it was just the wrong fit.
Plays out just like the stock market eh? If there is too much of a good thing, it will all come crashing down sooner or later. And I take personal responsibility for this failure.
It is a day of eating humble pie. It does not taste good and it is very demoralising. But like all market corrections, it's always for the better.
I really appreciated the call and the subsequent clarification. But we definitely blew the chance of being the top team. If only we did things differently before but oh well, it was just the wrong fit.
Plays out just like the stock market eh? If there is too much of a good thing, it will all come crashing down sooner or later. And I take personal responsibility for this failure.
It is a day of eating humble pie. It does not taste good and it is very demoralising. But like all market corrections, it's always for the better.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Who says Singaporeans aren't patriotic?
I was going through some old videos of Singapore political party rallies and chanced upon this from the last elections. In the video, Ms Sylvia Lim, the Chairperson of the opposition Workers' Party, was leading the crowd to recite the national pledge.
The crowd may be a small (and biased) sample size and reciting the pledge at a hyped-out rally may not be an accurate and comprehensive indication of patriotism but I scoffed at the age-old accusation that Singaporeans are not patriotic. Who says?
Let us take a step back from the romantised version of US patriotism and how Americans will say how they will fight and die for democracy (which has become synonymous with their national identity) and let's wonder: Should patriotism be narrowly defined in such a way?
This brought up a debate during class two Thursdays ago. I argued that short of staying in Singapore to fight a war against potential aggressors (we will never know until it happens), Singaporeans are patriotic as we do generally have an unabashed appreciation of our way of life and systems.
Yes, we may rant on and on about bread and butter issues, and one will find no lack of criticisms on online forums of our systems, ranging from education to job security to political representation. But ask Singaporeans if they would prefer other countries' (incl. liberal western democracies) way of life to ours and if they would willingly trade places with one of their citizens, they would generally say no. Why?
It's our innate attachment to the place we were borne in despite being raised in a oven-baking education system, and then subjected to an even more competitive corporate culture. Beyond that, it's our way of life: our heartland culture of HDBs, our numerous shopping centres or the hawkers centres that churn out almost anything and everything on local fare that every Singaporean eats at at least once a week, or the fact that almost street in Singapore has a row of trees that keeps our environment cool, or that we have family and friends here, and so on.
And it's also about our systems that actually work: our ERP that has reduced traffic jams, our trains that arrive every 5 minutes without fail, our efficient police and low crime-rate that allows you to walk outside at night by yourself without being mugged, our CPF and healthcare policies that serves as a social safety net for many, and our education system that subsidizes up to 80% of your varsity fees and makes our students top the world in science and maths tests, and more!
This is tied to one important aspect of our national identity: The Singapore Success Story. In 40 years, we have come from third world to first world, a feat that few countries had managed. And there are many countries that have taken an interest in us such as China, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, UAE, Nigeria, etc. - and have introduced similar policies to replicate our success story.
Go to most countries, especially in Asia, say you are from Singapore, and they will nod at you as a sign of respect or awe. I have even met hilltribes peoples in Thailand who have heard of Singapore. Singapore is more than just a country - we are also a brand that has instilled confidence and trust in us - more than we sometimes care to admit.
As Singaporeans, we live the fruit of our ancestors, and we are the ones who have to make the Singapore Success Story a continued reality through our continued emphasis on our shared national values of multiculturalism, contribution and meritocracy.
No wonder our Minister Mentor quipped at this year's Ministerial Forum that the most important ethic young Singaporeans need to have is to be "as hardworking as our forefathers", not to "take for granted what is ours", and continue "to aspire and improve ourselves". As a nation, this is more than just a bed-time story or a drap piece from our national education curriculum. This is the fruit of our success.
But there are powerful trends that could alter this. Unprecedented immigration and a skewed demographic ratio of locals to foreigners may change our national culture and values in the long-term, if not handled properly.
And there may be more changes too. When I asked Mr Pal Khattar who founded Khattar Wong & Partners - one of our oldest and biggest law firms - whether demographic changes in our population could lead to a change in the orientation of our laws (i.e. more emphasis on individual rights as compared to communitarian rights) in the long-term, he concurred. After all, laws are man-made and they do reflect the wishes of the citizens. As we evolve as a nation and people, our culture, laws, systems and society may change too.
However, it is my wish that Singapore can still retain its unique identity - one that will continue to make past, present and future generations of Singaporeans proud.
The crowd may be a small (and biased) sample size and reciting the pledge at a hyped-out rally may not be an accurate and comprehensive indication of patriotism but I scoffed at the age-old accusation that Singaporeans are not patriotic. Who says?
Let us take a step back from the romantised version of US patriotism and how Americans will say how they will fight and die for democracy (which has become synonymous with their national identity) and let's wonder: Should patriotism be narrowly defined in such a way?
This brought up a debate during class two Thursdays ago. I argued that short of staying in Singapore to fight a war against potential aggressors (we will never know until it happens), Singaporeans are patriotic as we do generally have an unabashed appreciation of our way of life and systems.
Yes, we may rant on and on about bread and butter issues, and one will find no lack of criticisms on online forums of our systems, ranging from education to job security to political representation. But ask Singaporeans if they would prefer other countries' (incl. liberal western democracies) way of life to ours and if they would willingly trade places with one of their citizens, they would generally say no. Why?
It's our innate attachment to the place we were borne in despite being raised in a oven-baking education system, and then subjected to an even more competitive corporate culture. Beyond that, it's our way of life: our heartland culture of HDBs, our numerous shopping centres or the hawkers centres that churn out almost anything and everything on local fare that every Singaporean eats at at least once a week, or the fact that almost street in Singapore has a row of trees that keeps our environment cool, or that we have family and friends here, and so on.
And it's also about our systems that actually work: our ERP that has reduced traffic jams, our trains that arrive every 5 minutes without fail, our efficient police and low crime-rate that allows you to walk outside at night by yourself without being mugged, our CPF and healthcare policies that serves as a social safety net for many, and our education system that subsidizes up to 80% of your varsity fees and makes our students top the world in science and maths tests, and more!
This is tied to one important aspect of our national identity: The Singapore Success Story. In 40 years, we have come from third world to first world, a feat that few countries had managed. And there are many countries that have taken an interest in us such as China, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, UAE, Nigeria, etc. - and have introduced similar policies to replicate our success story.
Go to most countries, especially in Asia, say you are from Singapore, and they will nod at you as a sign of respect or awe. I have even met hilltribes peoples in Thailand who have heard of Singapore. Singapore is more than just a country - we are also a brand that has instilled confidence and trust in us - more than we sometimes care to admit.
As Singaporeans, we live the fruit of our ancestors, and we are the ones who have to make the Singapore Success Story a continued reality through our continued emphasis on our shared national values of multiculturalism, contribution and meritocracy.
No wonder our Minister Mentor quipped at this year's Ministerial Forum that the most important ethic young Singaporeans need to have is to be "as hardworking as our forefathers", not to "take for granted what is ours", and continue "to aspire and improve ourselves". As a nation, this is more than just a bed-time story or a drap piece from our national education curriculum. This is the fruit of our success.
But there are powerful trends that could alter this. Unprecedented immigration and a skewed demographic ratio of locals to foreigners may change our national culture and values in the long-term, if not handled properly.
And there may be more changes too. When I asked Mr Pal Khattar who founded Khattar Wong & Partners - one of our oldest and biggest law firms - whether demographic changes in our population could lead to a change in the orientation of our laws (i.e. more emphasis on individual rights as compared to communitarian rights) in the long-term, he concurred. After all, laws are man-made and they do reflect the wishes of the citizens. As we evolve as a nation and people, our culture, laws, systems and society may change too.
However, it is my wish that Singapore can still retain its unique identity - one that will continue to make past, present and future generations of Singaporeans proud.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
3 types of people you need in your organisation
I finished reading Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. He's the sort of perceptive writer who knows how to scratch beyond the surface of everyday life and dig the scoop out of the most reluctant of news-makers.
I was particularly interested in the Law of the Few which hypothesizes that the success of any social epidemic depends on the involvement of people with a very specific and rare set of social skills.
The Connector has the extraordinary gift of knowing people and acquaintances. They are expert networkers and are often involved in many social and professional circles by virtue of their love to know people. As such, they have the ability to connect different circles of people together.
My BSM Prof, Dr Yeoh, is an example of a Connector. She has this unparalleled ability to network with people from all types of sectors - academia, entrepreneurial startups, government, real estate, banking, consulting, healthcare, fashion etc. - and make an unforgettable impression with them. The fact that we are already into the 7th round of the BSM Middle East (SMU's longest running BSM programme) since 2006, and benefitting from the contacts, discounts and offers of assistance (even during a recession) shows the relational power she has with the Arabs (who are very relational people) and our BSM partners. Indeed, her name has become synonymous with the BSM programme and it is impossible to imagine if the BSM Middle East programme will be possible without her.
The Maven are information brokers who are experts in a particular field or market, not by virtue of their work, but by their passion. They desire to pass on what they know to others out of a genuine want to help others.
My friend, Nathaniel, is a politics Maven. He's the go-to-guy if you need the latest updates on politics in Singapore, and he will gladly spend the afternoon with you just to persuade you to get involved with politics. He's the guy who asks the longest questions at forums - with a prepared sheet of questions (along with facts and data from his pre-forum research), and spams his friends with news updates on politics or to get them to sign-up for related events.
The Salesmen are charismatic people with powerful negotiation and sales skills. If there's anyone who can sell ice to eskimos, it's them - people with the gift of the gap and the ability to make people agree with them.
They remind me of two guys from the SMU Broadcast & Entertainment - Ben and Terence. They are the typical guys you need on your team if you want to make a sales presentation or craft a sales pitch. They have the uncanny ability to communicate their point across and make you want to agree with them without making you feel wrong (or dumb). These are the guys who have already anticipated your question and doubts during the Q&A, and have already prepared three possible answers to any question.
Based on social network theory, these three types of people are what we call social nodes. As shown below, they form the basis of linkages between different groups of people and organisations, facilitating the spread of information and ideas that has allowed tremendous progress to be made in various fields and our way of life.
So where does this bring us?
Moving beyond the context of starting a social epidemic, how about recruiting or identifying such people in any organisation, and allocating them to a role that best brings out their gifts that will benefit the organisation?
Most of the time, we fail to appreciate such people for their gifts, or underestimate the immeasurable importance of their roles within the organisation.
Two years ago, I made the case that every EB team in AIESEC should at least include someone with the inside knowledge of how the school functions, who knows the right people from the various school offices or student groups, and takes an added interest in how things function beyond their AIESEC community. It will be a bonus to have an expert networker who knows people from different social and professional circles.
They have the potential ability to link their AIESEC community up with so many possible partnerships, people and resources in their own backyard. By virtue of their exposure to different circles and ways of doing things, they also bring a fresh perspective and approach to the organisation.
But yet, we discourage our members from joining other CCAs or take up other commitments beyond AIESEC, nor do we actively nurture such people to take up leadership positions within AIESEC. Worse still, we let these people leave the organisation by flawed member retention strategies.
I do hope that we can one day conduct some social audit of the organisation to identify such people, and bring them into the fold from the peripheral. It's truly a waste of their talent and unique social roles if they are not properly utilised.
I was particularly interested in the Law of the Few which hypothesizes that the success of any social epidemic depends on the involvement of people with a very specific and rare set of social skills.
The Connector has the extraordinary gift of knowing people and acquaintances. They are expert networkers and are often involved in many social and professional circles by virtue of their love to know people. As such, they have the ability to connect different circles of people together.
My BSM Prof, Dr Yeoh, is an example of a Connector. She has this unparalleled ability to network with people from all types of sectors - academia, entrepreneurial startups, government, real estate, banking, consulting, healthcare, fashion etc. - and make an unforgettable impression with them. The fact that we are already into the 7th round of the BSM Middle East (SMU's longest running BSM programme) since 2006, and benefitting from the contacts, discounts and offers of assistance (even during a recession) shows the relational power she has with the Arabs (who are very relational people) and our BSM partners. Indeed, her name has become synonymous with the BSM programme and it is impossible to imagine if the BSM Middle East programme will be possible without her.
The Maven are information brokers who are experts in a particular field or market, not by virtue of their work, but by their passion. They desire to pass on what they know to others out of a genuine want to help others.
My friend, Nathaniel, is a politics Maven. He's the go-to-guy if you need the latest updates on politics in Singapore, and he will gladly spend the afternoon with you just to persuade you to get involved with politics. He's the guy who asks the longest questions at forums - with a prepared sheet of questions (along with facts and data from his pre-forum research), and spams his friends with news updates on politics or to get them to sign-up for related events.
The Salesmen are charismatic people with powerful negotiation and sales skills. If there's anyone who can sell ice to eskimos, it's them - people with the gift of the gap and the ability to make people agree with them.
They remind me of two guys from the SMU Broadcast & Entertainment - Ben and Terence. They are the typical guys you need on your team if you want to make a sales presentation or craft a sales pitch. They have the uncanny ability to communicate their point across and make you want to agree with them without making you feel wrong (or dumb). These are the guys who have already anticipated your question and doubts during the Q&A, and have already prepared three possible answers to any question.
Based on social network theory, these three types of people are what we call social nodes. As shown below, they form the basis of linkages between different groups of people and organisations, facilitating the spread of information and ideas that has allowed tremendous progress to be made in various fields and our way of life.
So where does this bring us?Moving beyond the context of starting a social epidemic, how about recruiting or identifying such people in any organisation, and allocating them to a role that best brings out their gifts that will benefit the organisation?
Most of the time, we fail to appreciate such people for their gifts, or underestimate the immeasurable importance of their roles within the organisation.
Two years ago, I made the case that every EB team in AIESEC should at least include someone with the inside knowledge of how the school functions, who knows the right people from the various school offices or student groups, and takes an added interest in how things function beyond their AIESEC community. It will be a bonus to have an expert networker who knows people from different social and professional circles.
They have the potential ability to link their AIESEC community up with so many possible partnerships, people and resources in their own backyard. By virtue of their exposure to different circles and ways of doing things, they also bring a fresh perspective and approach to the organisation.
But yet, we discourage our members from joining other CCAs or take up other commitments beyond AIESEC, nor do we actively nurture such people to take up leadership positions within AIESEC. Worse still, we let these people leave the organisation by flawed member retention strategies.
I do hope that we can one day conduct some social audit of the organisation to identify such people, and bring them into the fold from the peripheral. It's truly a waste of their talent and unique social roles if they are not properly utilised.
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