This was an interesting study that I heard over the radio. There were many people who flirted with another person via SMS and the recipient of the SMS was not their partner.
Sending SMS to keep in touch with another friend is a convenient way of sending our regards. Sometimes, the messages can be more flippant or humour depending on how you read it. In these instances, will these messages qualify as flirting? If these messages are sent to a casual friend rather than only to your partners, is this then an act of unfaithfulness?
SMS is a useful communication tool espcially for the less verbally expressive people. In case you have not noticed, many of us are more articulate and daring when we get to hide behind our mobile phones. We are bolder than a face-to-face conversation. There is no 2-way communication. Our courage is not deterred by a less friendly body language of the other. We can always be more thick-skinned as the mobile phone also provides a shield against any impact from disapproval of the other person. We will not let down our guard in front the person as he/she will not see the hurt his/her rejection causes. Hence, many use it to profess their admiration for another or even to break up with their boyfriend or girlfriend.
To successfully flirt over SMS is also an art with the constraint of text and also the lack of body language. Yes, you have not read it wrongly. The non-face-to-face interaction can both be a boon and a bane. Many people flirt successfully through body language, from the tilt of your head, to the wink of your eyes. SMS means that you can flirt solely using words. For those who are less proficient in the language, this hampers rather than aids.
So what are you? Are you for or against flirting via SMS? Have your sent a more flippant message before to a dating candidate?
Showing posts with label Social Issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Social Issues. Show all posts
September 18, 2009
Utterly Embarrassed!
I never expected myself to join the ranks of those who were constantly featured in the forum or "snap-and-tell" websites for committing socially uncourteous acts.
In fact, I often show black faces to those who pretend to be busy or asleep when a person in need of a seat stands near. Shameful to say, I have not progressed beyond angry stares to telling these pretenders off directly yet. My black faces are of little help when these pretenders are pretending to be asleep. I always feel strongly that Singapore is still far from being a gracious society. Notwithstanding how small a part, we should all work towards being a more considerate and friendly country.
Yet, I never expect myself to behave so badly.
I was on the way home from class. I was lugging my laptop and my super thick file home for study and work. My arms nearly gave way from the weight of the thick file. My 'auntie' nature kicked in when I saw a young man getting up from his seat. I immediately moved ahead and sat down. I then flipped the file open to continue my revision for the test.
Strangely, the young man should be alighting soon, but he did not get off. Instead, he hovered near the seat somewhat lost. Only then I noticed that there was a more senior lady, probably in her sixties standing nearby. Apparently, the young man gave up his seat for her, but I was so engrossed in my revision moments before that I failed to notice the elderly lady. I was simply thankful to grab a seat at last.
Now that I was seated, I was caught in between. Should I stand up and give up this 'usurped' seat or should I just pretend that I have not noticed the old lady? The latter was the more morally and socially correct. However, I was too thin skinned and embarrassed and simply froze there. The young man sitting besides me and who was the travel companion of the first young man decided to give up his seat for the elderly lady. This saved me from further action, but without first making me feel like digging a hole there on the spot and bury myself.
To avoid further embarrassment, I kept my eyes glued to my file and refused to make any eye contact with the fellow passengers. I just hoped I would reach my destination soon and alight.
In fact, I often show black faces to those who pretend to be busy or asleep when a person in need of a seat stands near. Shameful to say, I have not progressed beyond angry stares to telling these pretenders off directly yet. My black faces are of little help when these pretenders are pretending to be asleep. I always feel strongly that Singapore is still far from being a gracious society. Notwithstanding how small a part, we should all work towards being a more considerate and friendly country.
Yet, I never expect myself to behave so badly.
I was on the way home from class. I was lugging my laptop and my super thick file home for study and work. My arms nearly gave way from the weight of the thick file. My 'auntie' nature kicked in when I saw a young man getting up from his seat. I immediately moved ahead and sat down. I then flipped the file open to continue my revision for the test.
Strangely, the young man should be alighting soon, but he did not get off. Instead, he hovered near the seat somewhat lost. Only then I noticed that there was a more senior lady, probably in her sixties standing nearby. Apparently, the young man gave up his seat for her, but I was so engrossed in my revision moments before that I failed to notice the elderly lady. I was simply thankful to grab a seat at last.
Now that I was seated, I was caught in between. Should I stand up and give up this 'usurped' seat or should I just pretend that I have not noticed the old lady? The latter was the more morally and socially correct. However, I was too thin skinned and embarrassed and simply froze there. The young man sitting besides me and who was the travel companion of the first young man decided to give up his seat for the elderly lady. This saved me from further action, but without first making me feel like digging a hole there on the spot and bury myself.
To avoid further embarrassment, I kept my eyes glued to my file and refused to make any eye contact with the fellow passengers. I just hoped I would reach my destination soon and alight.
April 17, 2009
Food and Poisoning
Singapore is well-known for its variety of delicious local fare which can be found almost anywhere. With the multiracial society and being an open country dating back to even before our independence, we are adventurous when it comes to food. Eating is a national hobby after shopping. What do most Singaporeans do during their spare time? We will reply in earnest that it is likely to be eating out or shopping. We can travel far and withstand long queue just to indulge in our favourite nasi lemak or chicken rice.
We are also often guided by the many food guides (both on TV and in the papers) of the best food in town. Singapore has also prided ourselves our high hygiene level even at the roadside stalls. Hence, most Singaporeans were shocked and perturbed when news of severe food poisoning affecting a large group of people and causing fatalities hit the headlines.
People started asking themselves what had gone wrong? Do we need to now only buy from stalls with 'A' gradings? How often do we not see the gradings prominently displayed in many stalls?
Once triggered, more and more incidents of food poisoning occupied the headlines of the local news. Many also started questioning the policies and penalties to be put in place, such as refusal of rental renewal for stalls below a certain hygiene standard or why the hygiene level of a temporary market does not fall under the purview of NEA. Many theories of how the food poisoning had arisen also were speculated.
Indeed, complacency is often a precursor to problems. How often do we note a less than satisfactory hygiene level in many foodcourts and hawker centres? Rats scurrying around the markets is not a sight confined only to Geylang market. I have seen rats even outside some coffee shops and steamboat stalls. Hence, one can imagine what will happen when the lights are out. Food not properly stored will be a paradise for the rodents. Rats are not the only pests which we should be mindful of. Flies circulating around your food and immediately swarming leftover food when the patrons left the tables are common sights. The sloppy attitude of many cleaners do not help when the wiping cloth is rarely rinsed. When clearing the plates, the unproper disposal of the plates and bowls cause the leftover soup and sauce to drip over the tables, the chairs and the floor. Needless to say, such leftover food lures and continues to feed the flies.
We need to do more to maintain the high hygiene standards of Singapore food. After all, the high hygiene standard of food hygiene in Singapore provides assurance to both the locals and the tourists.
We are also often guided by the many food guides (both on TV and in the papers) of the best food in town. Singapore has also prided ourselves our high hygiene level even at the roadside stalls. Hence, most Singaporeans were shocked and perturbed when news of severe food poisoning affecting a large group of people and causing fatalities hit the headlines.
People started asking themselves what had gone wrong? Do we need to now only buy from stalls with 'A' gradings? How often do we not see the gradings prominently displayed in many stalls?
Once triggered, more and more incidents of food poisoning occupied the headlines of the local news. Many also started questioning the policies and penalties to be put in place, such as refusal of rental renewal for stalls below a certain hygiene standard or why the hygiene level of a temporary market does not fall under the purview of NEA. Many theories of how the food poisoning had arisen also were speculated.
Indeed, complacency is often a precursor to problems. How often do we note a less than satisfactory hygiene level in many foodcourts and hawker centres? Rats scurrying around the markets is not a sight confined only to Geylang market. I have seen rats even outside some coffee shops and steamboat stalls. Hence, one can imagine what will happen when the lights are out. Food not properly stored will be a paradise for the rodents. Rats are not the only pests which we should be mindful of. Flies circulating around your food and immediately swarming leftover food when the patrons left the tables are common sights. The sloppy attitude of many cleaners do not help when the wiping cloth is rarely rinsed. When clearing the plates, the unproper disposal of the plates and bowls cause the leftover soup and sauce to drip over the tables, the chairs and the floor. Needless to say, such leftover food lures and continues to feed the flies.
We need to do more to maintain the high hygiene standards of Singapore food. After all, the high hygiene standard of food hygiene in Singapore provides assurance to both the locals and the tourists.
October 31, 2008
Smart Investing
Smart investing is a free talk organised by ICPAS (Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore). In the era of stock market crashes and financial turmoil, how to effectively invest and reduce risk are issues that plague many investors. We all know that putting our money in tin cans under our bed will work against us in the long run as the returns foregone will cause our wealth to shrink in this inflationary environment. Yet, even putting money into fixed deposits can be risky now with the collapse of numerous financial institutions.
The talk basically centred on the stock market more than any other form of investment. There was some academic sharing of the stock markets, such as the long-term returns of stock markets and the fundamentals of stock market performances from historical evidence. Laymen, like you and I, are probably aware of this basic information, such as both economy and stock markets work in cycles. However, what we often do not know is how severe or long a cycle is.
To invest smartly instead of speculatively, we also know that we often rely on some basic financial ratios as guide, eg the forecast or actual financial results of the companies, their debt-to-equity ratio (to check their liquidity), their price-to-earnings (PE) ratio to check whether their stock prices are overstated. Yet, we know that markets do not often perform efficiently because of the factors of market failures - people do not have all the information and most people do not act rationally.
The talk was certainly informative and educational. However, for many of us who were avid readers of Today's Business section, most of the points highlighted could be found in Today papers. To me, the talk affirmed the views reported by many financial analysts but delivered in a more anecdotal and light-hearted manner.
We should have more of such talks and to touch on other types of investment tools, so that we can raise the general investment awareness of more Singaporeans. This is so that more Singaporeans can take a more proactive approach preserving their wealth as well as be more discerning when unscrupulous fund or bank managers attempt to sell them unsuitable products.
The talk basically centred on the stock market more than any other form of investment. There was some academic sharing of the stock markets, such as the long-term returns of stock markets and the fundamentals of stock market performances from historical evidence. Laymen, like you and I, are probably aware of this basic information, such as both economy and stock markets work in cycles. However, what we often do not know is how severe or long a cycle is.
To invest smartly instead of speculatively, we also know that we often rely on some basic financial ratios as guide, eg the forecast or actual financial results of the companies, their debt-to-equity ratio (to check their liquidity), their price-to-earnings (PE) ratio to check whether their stock prices are overstated. Yet, we know that markets do not often perform efficiently because of the factors of market failures - people do not have all the information and most people do not act rationally.
The talk was certainly informative and educational. However, for many of us who were avid readers of Today's Business section, most of the points highlighted could be found in Today papers. To me, the talk affirmed the views reported by many financial analysts but delivered in a more anecdotal and light-hearted manner.
We should have more of such talks and to touch on other types of investment tools, so that we can raise the general investment awareness of more Singaporeans. This is so that more Singaporeans can take a more proactive approach preserving their wealth as well as be more discerning when unscrupulous fund or bank managers attempt to sell them unsuitable products.
October 09, 2008
Continuing Financial Turmoil
Just as we thought the storm had blown over in the financial markets, the tenacles of the bad assets (I wondered if I could still call them assets when they caused the financial institutions to write-off as losses and be laden with debts) extended across the Atlantic Ocean to the Europeans. Panic gripped the markets worldwide with stock markt plunging and government rushing to put in emergency funds to rescue these stricken organisations.
With some of the familiar financial institutions going under, the question is no longer whether this is the last to be hurt but rather who will be next. Retail investors like you and me start wondering if our miniscule savings stash in the bank are safe. Despite them being miniscule, they can represent our life-time wealth. For the extremely cautious people, they contemplated if not already act on their decision, to withdraw from the banks. In spite of progressing, we seem to be regressing to the times when people hide their savings in tin cans and hang on their roof or place below their bags or maybe even sew them into their pillows.
Therein lies the greatest dilemmas. When you have savings, you worry about where to put these savings and how to make money work for you instead of vice versa. When you have no savings, you worry about your future, your retirement and keep praying hard that you keep your job and no one in your family falls sick. Regardless of which side of the 'grass' you are on, it seems like we will still be burdened with worries. Different worries plague different people.
Which side would you prefer?
With some of the familiar financial institutions going under, the question is no longer whether this is the last to be hurt but rather who will be next. Retail investors like you and me start wondering if our miniscule savings stash in the bank are safe. Despite them being miniscule, they can represent our life-time wealth. For the extremely cautious people, they contemplated if not already act on their decision, to withdraw from the banks. In spite of progressing, we seem to be regressing to the times when people hide their savings in tin cans and hang on their roof or place below their bags or maybe even sew them into their pillows.
Therein lies the greatest dilemmas. When you have savings, you worry about where to put these savings and how to make money work for you instead of vice versa. When you have no savings, you worry about your future, your retirement and keep praying hard that you keep your job and no one in your family falls sick. Regardless of which side of the 'grass' you are on, it seems like we will still be burdened with worries. Different worries plague different people.
Which side would you prefer?
September 17, 2008
Dismal News
Incident 1: Bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers and the financial difficulty of AIG.
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae or Bear Sternes are names too remote to cause any alarm to Singaporeans. However, Lehman Brothers and AIG are certainly close to the hearts of many. The former offers high yield-high notes which are tied in with DBS where many retail investors in Singapore have subscribed. AIG, on the other hand, is the parent company of AIA which is also one of the largest insurance companies in Singapore. The ripple effect of the subprime mortgage crisis of US has finally hit home and gradually evolved to a widespread financial crisis.
To many people, money placed with Lehman Brothers and AIG could be their life-long savings. Any loss in money would be a pain in the heart, much less these are their life-long savings. Given the spate of the financial turmoils, it is inevitable that many laymen like you and I are increasingly more wary of placing our heart-earned money in investments, including insurance. Maybe we will retract to the time where we will place our money under our pillows where we can feel it every night we sleep to know that they are still safe with us.
Incident 2: Melamine found in many dairy products of China
Again, initially it sound remote with some of the Chinese brands being affected. Then, it hit home when some of the familiar household names such as Dutch Lady and the White Rabbit candies are also affected. Then, more brands are being named as Chinese milk powder is one of their ingredients. As we recalled that we have once consumed some of these products, we began to fear for ourselves. Has the toxin already taken root in our bodies? What other problems could there be in other food that we consumed and waiting to be uncover.
Sometimes, I wonder why businesses cannot be conducted with greater responsibility and ethics?
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae or Bear Sternes are names too remote to cause any alarm to Singaporeans. However, Lehman Brothers and AIG are certainly close to the hearts of many. The former offers high yield-high notes which are tied in with DBS where many retail investors in Singapore have subscribed. AIG, on the other hand, is the parent company of AIA which is also one of the largest insurance companies in Singapore. The ripple effect of the subprime mortgage crisis of US has finally hit home and gradually evolved to a widespread financial crisis.
To many people, money placed with Lehman Brothers and AIG could be their life-long savings. Any loss in money would be a pain in the heart, much less these are their life-long savings. Given the spate of the financial turmoils, it is inevitable that many laymen like you and I are increasingly more wary of placing our heart-earned money in investments, including insurance. Maybe we will retract to the time where we will place our money under our pillows where we can feel it every night we sleep to know that they are still safe with us.
Incident 2: Melamine found in many dairy products of China
Again, initially it sound remote with some of the Chinese brands being affected. Then, it hit home when some of the familiar household names such as Dutch Lady and the White Rabbit candies are also affected. Then, more brands are being named as Chinese milk powder is one of their ingredients. As we recalled that we have once consumed some of these products, we began to fear for ourselves. Has the toxin already taken root in our bodies? What other problems could there be in other food that we consumed and waiting to be uncover.
Sometimes, I wonder why businesses cannot be conducted with greater responsibility and ethics?
September 11, 2008
Stress Time: Maybe a Baby
The host - Flying Dutchman invited 4 male guests whom included Hossan Leong and Willin Loh to share why Singaporeans are not getting married and making babies. Before you go "Oh! No! Here again?!?!?", I assure you that it was pretty interesting to hear this issue from the perspective of another gender. For some time, we focused on the Singapore women and what stopped them from having babies. Now, we hear from the men why they too had a part to play, especially when a sloppy guy who wore flip flops to his first date was cited on national TV.
Before we even talk about having babies, we need to get people to tie the knot. The rising prosperity of Singapore's economy and the educational level of women had once been attributed as the main factors for later marriages and rising divorce rates. I wonder if these were the sole reasons. However, to completely dismiss them appeared illogical as trends showed a correlation. Increasingly, other reasons such as how it could be stressful juggling both careers and family for working mothers and the high cost of raising a child (from education to infant care) started to take centre stage. Such concerns normally came from the female perspectives. What were some of the thoughts of the men?
While women complained about the lack of social graces of some men, the men were stressed by women who judged each date on potential husband material checklist. This robbed the joy of dating. Indeed, this might put many men off. This was also one reason why some older men chose to date younger women to avoid this stress.
It was certainly entertaining and insightful to hear from the men. Let's face it. Sometimes, we women can get too preoccupied by our concerns, our stress, our difficulties that we inevitably influence our better halves. So, are the men freed of all charges? Well, personally, I have also had my fair share of lousy "dates" (both the persons and the events), mostly non-chivalrous men. To quote a few examples, I have met dates who are grossly late. Erm, if you are so busy with your other appointments, maybe I should not take up any more of your time. I have also met dates who completely disregard my presence by walking way ahead of me. Hello, I do not think I am such a disgrace to be walked beside. Moreoever, we are not in a short sprint here. I have met dates whose wallets miraculously disappear when it is bill-time. Come-on, many Singaporean women are financially independent these days. We will often offer to go dutch.
Does this mean that Singaporean men are beyond redemption? Certainly not, we women must also do some self-reflection too.
We shake our heads when our dates appear in flip flops and bermudas. No doubt, our dates have to be blamed for making such a social faux pas, especially when we are attending a concerts or dining at a restaurant, maybe it is signal that our dates are more comfortable in a more casual setting. Or, in the worst case scenario, our dates hinting BIG-time of their disinterest in us by simply not making any effort and appearing obnoxious?
We complain that the men are not helping enough with household chores and taking care of the family. Well, Singapore men, get off your couch and start vacuuming right away. Women, please keep out of the way, instead of being a commando, giving instructions and criticising continuously before jumping in and taking over. We have our fair share of being scolded by our bosses or snubbed by our peers at work, let us not create the same environment at home. Furthermore, everyone learns from mistakes. So what if the dust still accumulates at the corners or water drips on the floor during the mop. It can only get better the next time.
Everyone dislikes being judged as a potential husband or wife material on the first date. Everyone hates it more when the likelihood of the next date is determined completely by this first judgement. Hey, there are some late bloomers where their true potential will only reveal at a later stage. Much as we are anxious of ensnaring the most eligible male out there, we also want the feelings to be mutually reciprocated. By bringing out our checklist too prematurely, we will only be shooting ourselves with our guns. Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you. In the same manner, we also do not want our dates to judge us as a potential mother or wife material on the first date. Just relax and enjoy each other's company.
As much as it sounds very cliche, it does take take two hands to clap. While women always lament about men not understanding them, have we always try to put ourselves in the shoes of the men? If it is tough for women, it is similarly tough for men.
Before we even talk about having babies, we need to get people to tie the knot. The rising prosperity of Singapore's economy and the educational level of women had once been attributed as the main factors for later marriages and rising divorce rates. I wonder if these were the sole reasons. However, to completely dismiss them appeared illogical as trends showed a correlation. Increasingly, other reasons such as how it could be stressful juggling both careers and family for working mothers and the high cost of raising a child (from education to infant care) started to take centre stage. Such concerns normally came from the female perspectives. What were some of the thoughts of the men?
While women complained about the lack of social graces of some men, the men were stressed by women who judged each date on potential husband material checklist. This robbed the joy of dating. Indeed, this might put many men off. This was also one reason why some older men chose to date younger women to avoid this stress.
It was certainly entertaining and insightful to hear from the men. Let's face it. Sometimes, we women can get too preoccupied by our concerns, our stress, our difficulties that we inevitably influence our better halves. So, are the men freed of all charges? Well, personally, I have also had my fair share of lousy "dates" (both the persons and the events), mostly non-chivalrous men. To quote a few examples, I have met dates who are grossly late. Erm, if you are so busy with your other appointments, maybe I should not take up any more of your time. I have also met dates who completely disregard my presence by walking way ahead of me. Hello, I do not think I am such a disgrace to be walked beside. Moreoever, we are not in a short sprint here. I have met dates whose wallets miraculously disappear when it is bill-time. Come-on, many Singaporean women are financially independent these days. We will often offer to go dutch.
Does this mean that Singaporean men are beyond redemption? Certainly not, we women must also do some self-reflection too.
We shake our heads when our dates appear in flip flops and bermudas. No doubt, our dates have to be blamed for making such a social faux pas, especially when we are attending a concerts or dining at a restaurant, maybe it is signal that our dates are more comfortable in a more casual setting. Or, in the worst case scenario, our dates hinting BIG-time of their disinterest in us by simply not making any effort and appearing obnoxious?
We complain that the men are not helping enough with household chores and taking care of the family. Well, Singapore men, get off your couch and start vacuuming right away. Women, please keep out of the way, instead of being a commando, giving instructions and criticising continuously before jumping in and taking over. We have our fair share of being scolded by our bosses or snubbed by our peers at work, let us not create the same environment at home. Furthermore, everyone learns from mistakes. So what if the dust still accumulates at the corners or water drips on the floor during the mop. It can only get better the next time.
Everyone dislikes being judged as a potential husband or wife material on the first date. Everyone hates it more when the likelihood of the next date is determined completely by this first judgement. Hey, there are some late bloomers where their true potential will only reveal at a later stage. Much as we are anxious of ensnaring the most eligible male out there, we also want the feelings to be mutually reciprocated. By bringing out our checklist too prematurely, we will only be shooting ourselves with our guns. Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you. In the same manner, we also do not want our dates to judge us as a potential mother or wife material on the first date. Just relax and enjoy each other's company.
As much as it sounds very cliche, it does take take two hands to clap. While women always lament about men not understanding them, have we always try to put ourselves in the shoes of the men? If it is tough for women, it is similarly tough for men.
August 27, 2008
Generation Y Workers
How to motivate Generation Y workers have been plaguing the management consultants for a while, especially when Generation Y workers enter the workforce and having significantly different characteristics from the the Generation X workers. Generation Yers are defined as those who are between the age of 19 to 30 this year. Many of you who are reading the blog now could be falling under this category.
In the latest HR study conducted to determine what motivates the Generation Yers, the responses highlighted some of the key differences that corporate culture has to be shifted with the influx of these workers. Generation Yers are motivated more by intrinsic factors such as career development and job satisfaction. Most of them are more willing to job hop to find their ideal job. They also want more work-life balance.
How do you feel as a Generation Yer? Do you agree with them? What do you think as a Generation Xer? Do you agree with the findings?
By being more open about what they want and chasing after what they want, Generation Yer can change some of the corporate practices when they take up a greater and greater proportion of the current workforce. Yet, many companies are advised not to undertake drastic measures to accomodate the needs of the Generation Yers yet. This may be the advice given by the HR consultants. On second thoughts, is this plausible?
When the Generation Yers are not motivated, they can easily pack their bags and make a dash for the door at the sniff of a greener pasture. For those of us who have worked long enough, we can fully understand the cost to an organisation with every turnover. Cost comes not just in terms of the apparent recruitment cost (from hiring headhunters to setting time for recruitment) or increasing the compensation package to retain or attract new staff. Cost also comes in the form of disruption to existing work processes, demoralising of remaining workers (from increased workload to starting a turnover trend) and retraining of new staff. The situation is execerbated when the hired staff leaves only after a year as most workers can start contributing and adding value to their work only in the second year.
Am I criticising the Generation Yers then? The answer is no. In fact, Generation Yers can cause a shift in the corporate paradigm if their 'wishes' are fulfilled. To motivate and retain Generation Yers, some of the key factors are career advancement and work-life balance. This means that companies will need to take a more serious commitment to helping employees develop themselves and to communicate and fine-tune the employees' training and development plans constantly. Where this important aspect used to be side-stepped and kept hush-hush to among HR and the management, employees now can have a more direct influence over their progression. This means that career opportunities can be more customised to enable a better job fit.
Work-life balance is essential to inculcating a healthy culture and promotes a happier and efficient workforce. Work-life balance is greater emphasised with the increasing sophistication of the Singapore workforce as many are more aware of being more personally and professionally satisfied. How many used to forgo their personal time in pursuit of their career goals. This belief that work and life are mutually exclusive are being shattered. With advancement in technology, telecommuting and flexi-working hours can support a highly responsive workforce and yet allow them to enjoy time with family and friends.
I hope companies will move towards a more open and supportive culture as more and more Generation Yers join the workforce. In fact, these changes are essential in preparation of the Generation Zers for the Generation Zers are certainly more sophisticated and confident than the Yers, don't you think so?
In the latest HR study conducted to determine what motivates the Generation Yers, the responses highlighted some of the key differences that corporate culture has to be shifted with the influx of these workers. Generation Yers are motivated more by intrinsic factors such as career development and job satisfaction. Most of them are more willing to job hop to find their ideal job. They also want more work-life balance.
How do you feel as a Generation Yer? Do you agree with them? What do you think as a Generation Xer? Do you agree with the findings?
By being more open about what they want and chasing after what they want, Generation Yer can change some of the corporate practices when they take up a greater and greater proportion of the current workforce. Yet, many companies are advised not to undertake drastic measures to accomodate the needs of the Generation Yers yet. This may be the advice given by the HR consultants. On second thoughts, is this plausible?
When the Generation Yers are not motivated, they can easily pack their bags and make a dash for the door at the sniff of a greener pasture. For those of us who have worked long enough, we can fully understand the cost to an organisation with every turnover. Cost comes not just in terms of the apparent recruitment cost (from hiring headhunters to setting time for recruitment) or increasing the compensation package to retain or attract new staff. Cost also comes in the form of disruption to existing work processes, demoralising of remaining workers (from increased workload to starting a turnover trend) and retraining of new staff. The situation is execerbated when the hired staff leaves only after a year as most workers can start contributing and adding value to their work only in the second year.
Am I criticising the Generation Yers then? The answer is no. In fact, Generation Yers can cause a shift in the corporate paradigm if their 'wishes' are fulfilled. To motivate and retain Generation Yers, some of the key factors are career advancement and work-life balance. This means that companies will need to take a more serious commitment to helping employees develop themselves and to communicate and fine-tune the employees' training and development plans constantly. Where this important aspect used to be side-stepped and kept hush-hush to among HR and the management, employees now can have a more direct influence over their progression. This means that career opportunities can be more customised to enable a better job fit.
Work-life balance is essential to inculcating a healthy culture and promotes a happier and efficient workforce. Work-life balance is greater emphasised with the increasing sophistication of the Singapore workforce as many are more aware of being more personally and professionally satisfied. How many used to forgo their personal time in pursuit of their career goals. This belief that work and life are mutually exclusive are being shattered. With advancement in technology, telecommuting and flexi-working hours can support a highly responsive workforce and yet allow them to enjoy time with family and friends.
I hope companies will move towards a more open and supportive culture as more and more Generation Yers join the workforce. In fact, these changes are essential in preparation of the Generation Zers for the Generation Zers are certainly more sophisticated and confident than the Yers, don't you think so?
August 17, 2008
Singlehood = A National Concern
All of us are fully aware of the top concern of the Singapore Government - our declining birth rate. Despite dangling carrots in front of many young Singaporeans, the birth rates have not shown significant improvement. More drastic measures are required. This time round, not only are there more attractive baby bonuses being dished out, the Government decides to address the root of the problem, ie helping Singaporeans get married. For many who wish to get married but seemed not to be able to find the right one, the Government's intervention may be the long-awaited life-line.
Speaking from a perspective of a rather typical single Singaporean girl, being brought up with traditional Asian values, I totally agree that marriage and having children complete one's life. Yet, armed with the ability of being independent, I never see marriage as a 'ticket' to survival or a better life. Instead, marriage and having children becomes a choice rather than a necessity. I want to be sure that when I get married or when I have children, it is because I am ready to share my life with another person and to nurture the next generation. I certainly do not want to rush into marriage and parenthood to follow the Jones or succumbing to societal pressure.
The steps taken by the government are encouraging. Yet, as a single, I am not sure if my concerns are adequately addressed, especially with some of the pro-family measures, for eg, the 4 month's maternity leave.
I am certainly supportive of the 4 months' maternity leave as I understand from the experiences of many colleagues that infants in the first few months can be extremely demanding. These infants will wake up in the middle of the night for feeding and require more close attention. However, from the interests of singles, this policy hinders the ability to have a more active social life.
Why so?
With the competitive economy, many companies are lean and do not have 'buffers' manpower. With a full team, many of us still end up staying a good 10 to 12 hours or more in office each day. Inadvertently, when someone in team goes on maternity leave, the work is often spread and covered by the remaining team. Yes, the company can also hire a contract or temp to cover for the employee on maternity leave. However, it is not as easy to hire a contract in the current tight labour market. Moreover, it takes time to train up the contract for the contract staff to effectively take over the job. By the time training is completed and the contract staff can run on his own, the 4 months' time may be up. Hence, many companies often just make do with the remaining team to cover the work. With such long days, it leaves many singles no energy and time to 'meet new friends'.
Maybe, to have more personal and family time, the singles can choose a less demanding job. Well, in today's economy, knocking off on time is practically unheard of. Moreover, other than trying to resolve Singapore's social problem, we also have to safeguard Singapore's economic interest. Singapore already has a higher labour cost than our neighbouring economies. If we do not work harder and longer, more foreign investments may pull out of Singapore to the cheaper alternatives.
It was also pointed out that a lady whose main activity outside work is to bring her nephew out may unintentionally create a barrier and prevent other interested guys from chatting her up. From my rather superficial observation, most Singaporean guys are rather shy. Very few of them will take the initiative to 'chat someone up' on the streets. As Singaporean girls are generally not used to being chatted up, our first instinct when someone does make an attempt is to run for our lives, because that person may be a pervert or a crime-doer (burglar, cheater, murderer, all weird and unpalatable thoughts will run through our heads). This also stems from the constant inculcation (or nagging?) by our mothers not to talk to strangers.
So does this mean the Singaporean boys should then stop trying? No! All the more, they should take more initiatives to change this rather 'backward and protective' mindset of the girls. To share a secret with all Singaporean boys, although many Singaporean girls appear highly educated and confident, we are still pretty traditional in our thinking that proper girls should not take the initiative. Hence, if a girl reject your attempt once, do not despair. It can be an act of trying to be demure. Try again, for she is simply waiting for you to ask a second time.
This is not an easy problem because getting singles to marry require a softer approach rather than through implementation of hard policies. The Government can only facilitate a conducive environment while the rest of the responsibilities still lie with individuals and the community. Hey, for those of you who want to get hitched, get out of your office or your home. Join an activity or chat out that girl whom you find attractive for she may be waiting for you to make the first move. On the other hand, as a single, I too hope that while the Government takes care of the parents, the Government should also be mindful of some of the less-than-desirable spillover effects to singles.
Speaking from a perspective of a rather typical single Singaporean girl, being brought up with traditional Asian values, I totally agree that marriage and having children complete one's life. Yet, armed with the ability of being independent, I never see marriage as a 'ticket' to survival or a better life. Instead, marriage and having children becomes a choice rather than a necessity. I want to be sure that when I get married or when I have children, it is because I am ready to share my life with another person and to nurture the next generation. I certainly do not want to rush into marriage and parenthood to follow the Jones or succumbing to societal pressure.
The steps taken by the government are encouraging. Yet, as a single, I am not sure if my concerns are adequately addressed, especially with some of the pro-family measures, for eg, the 4 month's maternity leave.
I am certainly supportive of the 4 months' maternity leave as I understand from the experiences of many colleagues that infants in the first few months can be extremely demanding. These infants will wake up in the middle of the night for feeding and require more close attention. However, from the interests of singles, this policy hinders the ability to have a more active social life.
Why so?
With the competitive economy, many companies are lean and do not have 'buffers' manpower. With a full team, many of us still end up staying a good 10 to 12 hours or more in office each day. Inadvertently, when someone in team goes on maternity leave, the work is often spread and covered by the remaining team. Yes, the company can also hire a contract or temp to cover for the employee on maternity leave. However, it is not as easy to hire a contract in the current tight labour market. Moreover, it takes time to train up the contract for the contract staff to effectively take over the job. By the time training is completed and the contract staff can run on his own, the 4 months' time may be up. Hence, many companies often just make do with the remaining team to cover the work. With such long days, it leaves many singles no energy and time to 'meet new friends'.
Maybe, to have more personal and family time, the singles can choose a less demanding job. Well, in today's economy, knocking off on time is practically unheard of. Moreover, other than trying to resolve Singapore's social problem, we also have to safeguard Singapore's economic interest. Singapore already has a higher labour cost than our neighbouring economies. If we do not work harder and longer, more foreign investments may pull out of Singapore to the cheaper alternatives.
It was also pointed out that a lady whose main activity outside work is to bring her nephew out may unintentionally create a barrier and prevent other interested guys from chatting her up. From my rather superficial observation, most Singaporean guys are rather shy. Very few of them will take the initiative to 'chat someone up' on the streets. As Singaporean girls are generally not used to being chatted up, our first instinct when someone does make an attempt is to run for our lives, because that person may be a pervert or a crime-doer (burglar, cheater, murderer, all weird and unpalatable thoughts will run through our heads). This also stems from the constant inculcation (or nagging?) by our mothers not to talk to strangers.
So does this mean the Singaporean boys should then stop trying? No! All the more, they should take more initiatives to change this rather 'backward and protective' mindset of the girls. To share a secret with all Singaporean boys, although many Singaporean girls appear highly educated and confident, we are still pretty traditional in our thinking that proper girls should not take the initiative. Hence, if a girl reject your attempt once, do not despair. It can be an act of trying to be demure. Try again, for she is simply waiting for you to ask a second time.
This is not an easy problem because getting singles to marry require a softer approach rather than through implementation of hard policies. The Government can only facilitate a conducive environment while the rest of the responsibilities still lie with individuals and the community. Hey, for those of you who want to get hitched, get out of your office or your home. Join an activity or chat out that girl whom you find attractive for she may be waiting for you to make the first move. On the other hand, as a single, I too hope that while the Government takes care of the parents, the Government should also be mindful of some of the less-than-desirable spillover effects to singles.
August 15, 2008
Way to Go, Singapore Paddlers!
If you think that Olympics is quite distant from the minds of Singaporeans, you will be proven wrong from the support that Singaporeans show towards our table tennis team in their semi-finals match. It is the pivotal match which will decide if Singapore will be guaranteed a medal or another enduring fight is necessary at the bronze medal match.
The match against South Korea was in the late afternoon on a weekday. Many of us were slogging in front of our PC. Yet, many were still lured away from their mountains of work towards the TV at our lobby which was broadcasting the match via MioTV live. The match started late afternoon and continued even past knocking off time. Yet, many still lingered in the lobby and stared intensively into the screen, completely oblivious to the knocking off time. Seldom did we witness such a crowd in front of the TV screens. Even for those of us who could not catch the match, we were hearing news here and there from other colleagues about the latest development of the match. We were all rooting morally for Singapore.
When the news finally broke that Singapore has won, the whole country was elated. Finally, a confirmed medal after 46 years! Congrats, Singapore's Table Tennis Team! You have done us proud!
The match against South Korea was in the late afternoon on a weekday. Many of us were slogging in front of our PC. Yet, many were still lured away from their mountains of work towards the TV at our lobby which was broadcasting the match via MioTV live. The match started late afternoon and continued even past knocking off time. Yet, many still lingered in the lobby and stared intensively into the screen, completely oblivious to the knocking off time. Seldom did we witness such a crowd in front of the TV screens. Even for those of us who could not catch the match, we were hearing news here and there from other colleagues about the latest development of the match. We were all rooting morally for Singapore.
When the news finally broke that Singapore has won, the whole country was elated. Finally, a confirmed medal after 46 years! Congrats, Singapore's Table Tennis Team! You have done us proud!
March 11, 2008
Singaporeans are Getting Ruder?
Recently, I noticed Singaporeans seemed to getting more and more inconsiderate, such that going out becomes almost like a battle regardless of whether it is a working or non-working day. Many times I have witnessed inconsiderate acts on the road. This morning, another accident added to my list of inconsiderate acts.
A van was parked on a one-car street along the entrance to a housing estate carpark. The driver was absent from the van. Hence, for cars behind this van waiting to get into the car park, they had to wait. When my mum honked for the driver, the driver reluctantly came to fetch his vehicle. However, he came back without explicitly expressing his displeasure and signalling to my mum that she could have overtaken his van and illegally used the outcoming way to enter the carpark.
For one, he was not the only user of the road. If he needed to offload his goods, he could have gone into the carpark instead of illegally parking at the entrance of the carpark. Secondly, instead of being apologetic for his inconsiderate and illegal act, he made it seem as though we were the inconsiderate ones. If he wished to endanger himself and his vehicle by parking illegally, he could go ahead. He should not expect everyone else to endanger our lives as well by condoning his dangerous acts.
If we have to be constantly battling such rude acts , it is hard to remain courteous and calm. Soon, we will evolve into rude and impatient beings in order to survive such ordeals. I wonder how this will adversely affect the homeland we live in.
A van was parked on a one-car street along the entrance to a housing estate carpark. The driver was absent from the van. Hence, for cars behind this van waiting to get into the car park, they had to wait. When my mum honked for the driver, the driver reluctantly came to fetch his vehicle. However, he came back without explicitly expressing his displeasure and signalling to my mum that she could have overtaken his van and illegally used the outcoming way to enter the carpark.
For one, he was not the only user of the road. If he needed to offload his goods, he could have gone into the carpark instead of illegally parking at the entrance of the carpark. Secondly, instead of being apologetic for his inconsiderate and illegal act, he made it seem as though we were the inconsiderate ones. If he wished to endanger himself and his vehicle by parking illegally, he could go ahead. He should not expect everyone else to endanger our lives as well by condoning his dangerous acts.
If we have to be constantly battling such rude acts , it is hard to remain courteous and calm. Soon, we will evolve into rude and impatient beings in order to survive such ordeals. I wonder how this will adversely affect the homeland we live in.
January 29, 2008
Public Transport Enhancements
There was a series of enhancements proposed on both MRT and buses recently to encourage the use of public transport and reduce traffic congestion. The vision shared was one that would improve comfort and efficiency of the public transport, such as increasing frequency of train and bus services, create a wider train network, remapping of the bus network, etc. To the daily commuters, this is GREAT news!
The tenets of MRT network are still not as widespread as other countries, like Hong Kong and Taiwan. Many areas in Singapore are not available by train or even buses. Some of these places are even great tourist attractions, such as the Zoo and Changi Beach.
The greater density of the estates along the north-south and east-west lines also creates over-crowdedness on the MRT servicing these places. Many shun from taking public transport because of the difficulty of boarding the train during both peak and non-peak hours. Personally, I have tried taking the trains even on Sunday and Saturday morning. Many train cabins are packed to the brim.
For the buses, waiting time is often a put-off. The long and irregular waiting makes travelling by buses an unpopular option. Moreover, many buses go through a very long-winded routes to cover as many areas as possible for one bus service. Despite the short distance between two destinations, you can spend an incredulous long travelling time because of the detours.
Some of the enhancements proposed by MOT recently are very welcoming news indeed. Increasing frequencies to prevent overcrowdedness mean that we can get to our places in a more reliable time-frame, without having to spend long time waiting or not able to board onto the bus or train because of overcrowdedness. Travelling by bus and train will also be more comfortable as greater frequency will mean that we will not be packed like sardines in the bus or train.
Greater network for both buses and trains will also mean that private cars will not have an edge for being able to reach the more outskirt places in Singapore. In future, places like Marine Parade and Tuas will not be as 'ulu'. The overlap of trains mean we can also waste less time in detouring to get to the exchanges to 'transfer' lines.
Security for the above ground stations will be enhanced to prevent train disruption. This feature is already available in Hong Kong (the Lantau Island line). I am glad that Singapore has brought this in.
However, there is another feature in Hong Kong train stations which I thought Singapore should seriously consider. To prevent overcrowdedness in the central cabins, there are train crew stationed outside the doors of the central cabins. They will direct the crowd to the tail end cabin doors before the train arrives. No one is allowed to stand outside the central cabin doors. When the train arrives, they will allow the commuters who are rushing towards the departing trains in, so that we will not encounter a situation when last-minute crowd cannot board a train because the central cabins are full and they do not have time to move to the tail-end train cabins. This will also ensure more efficient use of the train service because the train can carry more people instead since the commuters will be equally spread in all cabins unlike the emptier cabins at the tail-end for Singapore's service.
For the ladies commuters, we were often concerned about personal safety in a packed cabin. In Taiwan, there are cabins devoted solely to female passengers especially in the evening and at night. This is especially reassuring to female travellers .
In Taiwan, structured and single-filed queues outside the cabin doors are mandated. This ensures that entire width of the doors could quickly allow the outgoing passengers to quickly file out while the incoming passengers can also go in quickly there after. In Singapore, one of the most annoying situations is that the boarding and alighting process is often a bottle-neck with everyone trying to squeeze in and out at the same time.
Do you often encounter the situations of missing your stations when you cannot hear the announcements of what is the next station? In Hong Kong, such situations are reduced as when the train is approaching a station, the map with all the stations will light up that station. These maps are situated above each door and at other various spots in the cabin.
Maybe I am asking too much, but I think such good measures adopted by other countries should be implemented to further improve the efficiency, comfort and safety of the public transport. Moreover, such measures should cost us an arm or a leg to implement.
The tenets of MRT network are still not as widespread as other countries, like Hong Kong and Taiwan. Many areas in Singapore are not available by train or even buses. Some of these places are even great tourist attractions, such as the Zoo and Changi Beach.
The greater density of the estates along the north-south and east-west lines also creates over-crowdedness on the MRT servicing these places. Many shun from taking public transport because of the difficulty of boarding the train during both peak and non-peak hours. Personally, I have tried taking the trains even on Sunday and Saturday morning. Many train cabins are packed to the brim.
For the buses, waiting time is often a put-off. The long and irregular waiting makes travelling by buses an unpopular option. Moreover, many buses go through a very long-winded routes to cover as many areas as possible for one bus service. Despite the short distance between two destinations, you can spend an incredulous long travelling time because of the detours.
Some of the enhancements proposed by MOT recently are very welcoming news indeed. Increasing frequencies to prevent overcrowdedness mean that we can get to our places in a more reliable time-frame, without having to spend long time waiting or not able to board onto the bus or train because of overcrowdedness. Travelling by bus and train will also be more comfortable as greater frequency will mean that we will not be packed like sardines in the bus or train.
Greater network for both buses and trains will also mean that private cars will not have an edge for being able to reach the more outskirt places in Singapore. In future, places like Marine Parade and Tuas will not be as 'ulu'. The overlap of trains mean we can also waste less time in detouring to get to the exchanges to 'transfer' lines.
Security for the above ground stations will be enhanced to prevent train disruption. This feature is already available in Hong Kong (the Lantau Island line). I am glad that Singapore has brought this in.
However, there is another feature in Hong Kong train stations which I thought Singapore should seriously consider. To prevent overcrowdedness in the central cabins, there are train crew stationed outside the doors of the central cabins. They will direct the crowd to the tail end cabin doors before the train arrives. No one is allowed to stand outside the central cabin doors. When the train arrives, they will allow the commuters who are rushing towards the departing trains in, so that we will not encounter a situation when last-minute crowd cannot board a train because the central cabins are full and they do not have time to move to the tail-end train cabins. This will also ensure more efficient use of the train service because the train can carry more people instead since the commuters will be equally spread in all cabins unlike the emptier cabins at the tail-end for Singapore's service.
For the ladies commuters, we were often concerned about personal safety in a packed cabin. In Taiwan, there are cabins devoted solely to female passengers especially in the evening and at night. This is especially reassuring to female travellers .
In Taiwan, structured and single-filed queues outside the cabin doors are mandated. This ensures that entire width of the doors could quickly allow the outgoing passengers to quickly file out while the incoming passengers can also go in quickly there after. In Singapore, one of the most annoying situations is that the boarding and alighting process is often a bottle-neck with everyone trying to squeeze in and out at the same time.
Do you often encounter the situations of missing your stations when you cannot hear the announcements of what is the next station? In Hong Kong, such situations are reduced as when the train is approaching a station, the map with all the stations will light up that station. These maps are situated above each door and at other various spots in the cabin.
Maybe I am asking too much, but I think such good measures adopted by other countries should be implemented to further improve the efficiency, comfort and safety of the public transport. Moreover, such measures should cost us an arm or a leg to implement.
January 13, 2008
SMS - A Way of Life
Singapore is one of the countries with the highest number of SMSes sent and received. SMS has taken over email and phonecall as THE mode of communication among many people. I, for one, am a strong advocate of SMS. It represents a quick and non-intrusive way of communication.
SMS has always been slammed as one of the primary 'suspects' of contributing to a deteriorating language standard. In fact, many youngsters have gradually unable to distinguish SMS language from its formal counterpart. Many have thought "thru" is the official spelling for "through" where we see more and more "thru" being used in emails and even policy papers.
Despite some of the adverse 'side-effects' of SMS, we can no longer stop its rapid progress to become THE most popular mode of communication among Singaporeans, especially the younger generation.
SMS adds to the 'spice' of life where I can out-right complain about something that irks us without the culprits ever knowing I am talking about them, unlike a phone call which will broadcast my complaints to the whole wide world unless my friend and I have established a cryptic code. The excitement of talking bad of the person in front of the person provides immediate gratification without hurting relationships.
SMS has also become one of the key activities for killing time. While I am en-route home or waiting in the queue, I will 'talk' about the trivialities of the day. Yet, some 'conversations' can be carried out at the convenience and leisure of both parties' time. Conversations need not require two parties to commit the same time and interval. I do not have to face rejections that the person whom I want to talk to at the moment cannot talk to me in return. We can still carry out a conversation, albeit a lengthier one with slower responses. Similarly, I do not need to dish out rejections to my friends if they call me during meetings as well. (My meetings can happen from 7 pm to 10 pm).
SMS can also be non-intrusive for getting quick answers and solutions from colleagues, especially when they or I am in meeting and need to validate something urgently. I can continue with my presentation while firing a quick SMS to my colleagues and then immediately answer management on their queries.
SMS is also a convenient way of saying something which we may lack the courage to say face-to-face. Perhaps it is a sign of cowardice, but it can be awkward to say it point-blank to another person.
SMS, with its emoticons, can also be a more interesting way of communicating, especially for tone-deaf person like me. It is difficult to discern if a person is joking, angry, or serious through their voices solely. It is also difficult to convey my feelings when I can be monotonously loud and brusque over the phone. Emoticons help to ease any tension and prevent any misunderstanding from my toneless voice.
Yet, sometimes I can suffer from SMS fatigue, where suddenly I abandon all wishes to reply any SMS and wish to be uncontactable for a while, uncontactable even from SMS. Shhh... please respect my hermit behaviour during those times. *Do not disturb*
SMS has always been slammed as one of the primary 'suspects' of contributing to a deteriorating language standard. In fact, many youngsters have gradually unable to distinguish SMS language from its formal counterpart. Many have thought "thru" is the official spelling for "through" where we see more and more "thru" being used in emails and even policy papers.
Despite some of the adverse 'side-effects' of SMS, we can no longer stop its rapid progress to become THE most popular mode of communication among Singaporeans, especially the younger generation.
SMS adds to the 'spice' of life where I can out-right complain about something that irks us without the culprits ever knowing I am talking about them, unlike a phone call which will broadcast my complaints to the whole wide world unless my friend and I have established a cryptic code. The excitement of talking bad of the person in front of the person provides immediate gratification without hurting relationships.
SMS has also become one of the key activities for killing time. While I am en-route home or waiting in the queue, I will 'talk' about the trivialities of the day. Yet, some 'conversations' can be carried out at the convenience and leisure of both parties' time. Conversations need not require two parties to commit the same time and interval. I do not have to face rejections that the person whom I want to talk to at the moment cannot talk to me in return. We can still carry out a conversation, albeit a lengthier one with slower responses. Similarly, I do not need to dish out rejections to my friends if they call me during meetings as well. (My meetings can happen from 7 pm to 10 pm).
SMS can also be non-intrusive for getting quick answers and solutions from colleagues, especially when they or I am in meeting and need to validate something urgently. I can continue with my presentation while firing a quick SMS to my colleagues and then immediately answer management on their queries.
SMS is also a convenient way of saying something which we may lack the courage to say face-to-face. Perhaps it is a sign of cowardice, but it can be awkward to say it point-blank to another person.
SMS, with its emoticons, can also be a more interesting way of communicating, especially for tone-deaf person like me. It is difficult to discern if a person is joking, angry, or serious through their voices solely. It is also difficult to convey my feelings when I can be monotonously loud and brusque over the phone. Emoticons help to ease any tension and prevent any misunderstanding from my toneless voice.
Yet, sometimes I can suffer from SMS fatigue, where suddenly I abandon all wishes to reply any SMS and wish to be uncontactable for a while, uncontactable even from SMS. Shhh... please respect my hermit behaviour during those times. *Do not disturb*
July 14, 2007
In Need of Some Consideration
Singapore’s current population is likely to hover between 4 million to 5 million currently. Yet, increasingly the claustrophobic feeling seems to close around me. The situation is especially prevalent in one of my ‘daily essentials’ – the MRT.
The MRT cabin is a daily companion for me and other fellow commuters. Similarly, it is also a harness of numerous stories and incidents. With the seemingly growing morning crowd, the lack of personal space sometimes worsens the commuting experience. The daily ‘battle’ to get into the train and survive the 15 minute of journey sets forth a series of frustration and irritation. I cannot help but wonder if the traveling experience can be improved if fellow commuters can be more considerate and the designs of the train be more ergonomically friendly.
“Bo Chup” Parents
Children are born naturally active and playful. However, the inside of a train cabin is hardly an ideal playground. “Playing” in the train does not only increase the probability of the children hurting themselves, but fellow commuters as well. Some of the parents simply act oblivious to their children’s actions, shirking responsibility towards the safety of their children as well as their consideration for the public. How often have we observed children running around the cabin, climbing up the pole or using the hand grips as swings. While being excited by the various “toys” in the cabin, the children scream and shout.
Some parents have also allowed their children to stand, with their shoes, on the seats to view the sceneries outside. The cabin seats are shared by many different passengers and are meant for ‘sitting’, not ‘standing’ on.
Children may not know the protocols of civic passengers. The parents bear the responsibilities of instilling in them a considerate attitude on public grounds and public transport. They should act as role models to inculcate civic-mindedness from young.
“Slow–motion” Passengers
A crowded train does not facilitate rapid exit and entrance. However, all passengers can definitely do their part in not aggravating the situation.
“Doo Doo Doo, Train doors closing” How often have we heard the too-familiar warning and we are still waiting outside the cabin and anxious to get in before the door closes. However, even at the eleventh hour, we must be patient and wait because there are passengers who are slowly making their exit. These slow-motion passengers often only make their way out after the train has stopped for some time, thereby slowing down the process of the alighting and boarding process.
If only they can be more considerate by getting ready for their exit before the train stops (ie at least pack their things or make their way nearer the exit), it definitely will reduce time and anxiousness for everyone.
We will be able to find these slow-motion commuters endangering other commuters’ safety when they slowly move away from the top or bottom of the escalators, often with a mobile phone in their hands or sticking to their ears.
If only, they can have a heart for those commuters who are behind them and move quickly from the bottom or top of the escalators before continuing with their conversations or SMS, it can greatly reduce pushing around and freak accidents at the escalators.
Low-hanging Hand Grips
The hand grips often result in the centre belt of the cabin being a “danger hot-spot” for the taller people. How often do we forget their existence as we move inwards / outwards to be knocked by their plastic casings.
Fortunately, for the newer trains, these are moved towards the side of the train and thereby creating more headroom in the centre belt.
No matter if it is due to increasing population which is increasingly taxing on our public amenities and transport or if it is due to cost cutting measures of the transport companies to cut back on the frequency of the trains, the trains seem to be crowded almost all times and all-week. Hence, to ensure that the commuting experience is less of a chore for all, we should all play our part in reducing the discomfort for one another by showing more courtesy and consideration.
The MRT cabin is a daily companion for me and other fellow commuters. Similarly, it is also a harness of numerous stories and incidents. With the seemingly growing morning crowd, the lack of personal space sometimes worsens the commuting experience. The daily ‘battle’ to get into the train and survive the 15 minute of journey sets forth a series of frustration and irritation. I cannot help but wonder if the traveling experience can be improved if fellow commuters can be more considerate and the designs of the train be more ergonomically friendly.
“Bo Chup” Parents
Children are born naturally active and playful. However, the inside of a train cabin is hardly an ideal playground. “Playing” in the train does not only increase the probability of the children hurting themselves, but fellow commuters as well. Some of the parents simply act oblivious to their children’s actions, shirking responsibility towards the safety of their children as well as their consideration for the public. How often have we observed children running around the cabin, climbing up the pole or using the hand grips as swings. While being excited by the various “toys” in the cabin, the children scream and shout.
Some parents have also allowed their children to stand, with their shoes, on the seats to view the sceneries outside. The cabin seats are shared by many different passengers and are meant for ‘sitting’, not ‘standing’ on.
Children may not know the protocols of civic passengers. The parents bear the responsibilities of instilling in them a considerate attitude on public grounds and public transport. They should act as role models to inculcate civic-mindedness from young.
“Slow–motion” Passengers
A crowded train does not facilitate rapid exit and entrance. However, all passengers can definitely do their part in not aggravating the situation.
“Doo Doo Doo, Train doors closing” How often have we heard the too-familiar warning and we are still waiting outside the cabin and anxious to get in before the door closes. However, even at the eleventh hour, we must be patient and wait because there are passengers who are slowly making their exit. These slow-motion passengers often only make their way out after the train has stopped for some time, thereby slowing down the process of the alighting and boarding process.
If only they can be more considerate by getting ready for their exit before the train stops (ie at least pack their things or make their way nearer the exit), it definitely will reduce time and anxiousness for everyone.
We will be able to find these slow-motion commuters endangering other commuters’ safety when they slowly move away from the top or bottom of the escalators, often with a mobile phone in their hands or sticking to their ears.
If only, they can have a heart for those commuters who are behind them and move quickly from the bottom or top of the escalators before continuing with their conversations or SMS, it can greatly reduce pushing around and freak accidents at the escalators.
Low-hanging Hand Grips
The hand grips often result in the centre belt of the cabin being a “danger hot-spot” for the taller people. How often do we forget their existence as we move inwards / outwards to be knocked by their plastic casings.
Fortunately, for the newer trains, these are moved towards the side of the train and thereby creating more headroom in the centre belt.
No matter if it is due to increasing population which is increasingly taxing on our public amenities and transport or if it is due to cost cutting measures of the transport companies to cut back on the frequency of the trains, the trains seem to be crowded almost all times and all-week. Hence, to ensure that the commuting experience is less of a chore for all, we should all play our part in reducing the discomfort for one another by showing more courtesy and consideration.
May 24, 2007
Work-Life Balance
I have first heard her story from my boss, with bare minimal details. It was a pity of her to pass away at such a tender age.
Today, a colleague has forwarded me a report featuring her story. After reading that article, I felt sympathy, sadness and some form of relation to her story. Some of the comments in her blog struck a chord in me. Her body of 29 years abandoned her after prolonged working.
The corporate culture today seemed to equate 12 or more hours of working as normal working hours. The weekend never arrives. Many weekends are utilized on catching up backlogs which seem impossible to complete. People who only chip in their 9-to-5 share are immediately labeled as cruisers or even slackers. Many are so knackered from their demanding jobs that on the occasions where they have a workless weekend, they devote the entire weekend to ‘recuperating’.
Are the workers getting less efficient such that increasing hours are required to complete the tasks? Do our workers slack during the official working hours so that they have to put in extra hours after office hours to clear work?
Given the recent study which shows that Singaporeans’ walking pace has increased tremendously and even surpassed many countries, it seems unlikely that our productivity has declined. Many likened the fast pace to the increasing stress of Singaporeans though.
Most people will prefer to have dinner at dinner time, rather than supper time. Most people will prefer to go home for a home-cooked meal and slouch on their sofa for their favourite 9 o’clock drama than be stuck in the cold office. Thus, I believe if one knows that they will need more time to complete the task, they will pull themselves from the afternoon tea cum gossip break.
Perhaps some organizations in their quest for continual excellence and lean methodology have taken cost cutting, particularly manpower cost cutting, a tad too far. When employees are overstretched, especially for prolonged period of time, it is both detrimental to the employees and the organization. In the short term, employees who overworked and overstressed are less healthy. There will be increasing medical reimbursements. Absences of the employees will also cause more disruptions. In the long term, employees become demoralized and leave the company. This causes greater disruptions and even brain drain. It is also more costly to recruit and retrain the replacement. Short terms gains can sometimes result in higher costs in the long term.
We should give our best in work. Yet, we must also strive for a work-life balance, for instance, by taking short breaks now and then to give our body time to recharge. When things seem to get out of hand, we should talk to our peers or our supervisors to work out a win-win solution. If all things fail, perhaps it can mean a mismatch of personal and corporate goals. It is timely then to part ways for the good of both the individual and the company.
Perhaps I am oversimplifying things. Afterall, it is difficult to say no, especially to your boss. With growing competition, to have a healthy bottom line, cost cutting becomes a constant battle for any organization. The balance between a healthy pay-check against our healthy and the balance between the employee welfare and shareholder value will constantly be on our and the managers’ minds. These balances have become harder and harder to juggle with an increasingly competitive world.
February 05, 2007
Management of Human Resources
Recently, there is an award given for recognizing organizations which have been successful in the management or retention of their human resources.
One of the comments reported was that many local organizations are not very proactive when it comes to talent search. These organizations often recruit the more junior staffs and groom their executives from within.
Grooming potential junior candidates to take over the rein of the company in future has both its pros and cons.
On the pro side, leadership and technical skills require time to build up. It is thus essential to start early so that the leaders will be skilled when the time calls for them to take over. Having a leader who is familiar with the culture and processes of an organization will facilitate a smoother handover with minimum disruption. Moreover, there will be faster buy-in of the management decisions.
On the con side, this can hamper adequate rejuvenation of organization and leads to group-think. A leader who has been submerged in a culture for a substantial time is less prone to think out-of-the-box. There is higher demand on the management than the technical skills of a leader. Depending on the training provided to the leader who is groomed from within, if the potential leader has not gained adequate management skills, this promotion may be both detrimental to the organization and the personal development of him / her.
I am not a management guru. It is difficult to ascertain whether it is more beneficial to have a leader groomed from within or be scouted in the market. Regardless of whether it is from the perspective of the organization or the potential leader, it is important to be aware of the pitfalls of the mode and the factors required for a successful leadership.
One of the comments reported was that many local organizations are not very proactive when it comes to talent search. These organizations often recruit the more junior staffs and groom their executives from within.
Grooming potential junior candidates to take over the rein of the company in future has both its pros and cons.
On the pro side, leadership and technical skills require time to build up. It is thus essential to start early so that the leaders will be skilled when the time calls for them to take over. Having a leader who is familiar with the culture and processes of an organization will facilitate a smoother handover with minimum disruption. Moreover, there will be faster buy-in of the management decisions.
On the con side, this can hamper adequate rejuvenation of organization and leads to group-think. A leader who has been submerged in a culture for a substantial time is less prone to think out-of-the-box. There is higher demand on the management than the technical skills of a leader. Depending on the training provided to the leader who is groomed from within, if the potential leader has not gained adequate management skills, this promotion may be both detrimental to the organization and the personal development of him / her.
I am not a management guru. It is difficult to ascertain whether it is more beneficial to have a leader groomed from within or be scouted in the market. Regardless of whether it is from the perspective of the organization or the potential leader, it is important to be aware of the pitfalls of the mode and the factors required for a successful leadership.
October 24, 2006
Peer Pressure?
I heard a piece of rather amusing report this morning and thought of sharing with you.
There was a report that the proportion of girls who were from girls' school was 50% among all the girls who have to receive help for eating disorders. My first reaction was it seemed very high and could it be due to peer pressure. On second thoughts, a girl will either come from a girls' school or a co-ed school, so the proportion of 50-50 is just a simple probability?
Then you may have argued that the proportion of girls' school to co-ed schools is definitely not 50-50, so the number of girls who suffered from eating disorders and who studied in girls' schools is still high. Then I will counter-argue that the number of girls in a girls' school is definitely higher than the number of girls in a co-ed school, thus the 50-50 again is a simple probability?
Am I getting more and more cynical about such reports and studies or am I over-defensive over girls from girls' school?
There was a report that the proportion of girls who were from girls' school was 50% among all the girls who have to receive help for eating disorders. My first reaction was it seemed very high and could it be due to peer pressure. On second thoughts, a girl will either come from a girls' school or a co-ed school, so the proportion of 50-50 is just a simple probability?
Then you may have argued that the proportion of girls' school to co-ed schools is definitely not 50-50, so the number of girls who suffered from eating disorders and who studied in girls' schools is still high. Then I will counter-argue that the number of girls in a girls' school is definitely higher than the number of girls in a co-ed school, thus the 50-50 again is a simple probability?
Am I getting more and more cynical about such reports and studies or am I over-defensive over girls from girls' school?
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