Make failure a positive experience

This post came out from The Straits Times (3 March 2016)
Title - Make failure a positive experience

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Take the lesson and leave the story behind
2. Failures build stronger wings than success
3. Climb the ladder of success

On Take the lesson and leave the story behind

• We tend to be too involved when things go south. We label ourselves as victims and choose to suffer when we can simply take a step back and ask: What can I take away from this? We should take the lessons and leave the story, or the circumstance, behind. The lesson we learn is more important than the story, as it will be useful for us in the future. 

On Failures build stronger wings than success

• When we can frame our failures into something meaningful, that is when we can turn them into strengths. That is a powerful ability to harness as it builds one's resilience, which is what will help us fly higher.

On Climb the ladder of success

• Most of the time, we need to experience multiple failures before we finally taste success. The successes that we see around us are the results of multiple failures. Failures have the capability to skyrocket a person to success. Without failure, how will you know what works and what doesn't? Those who succeeded took the ladder, not escalator, of success. There is no such thing as the escalator of success. 
• You need to climb up slowly with effort, missing steps along the way and even falling a steps down. When you are tired, you can stop for a rest, but do not ever stop. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Keep job burnout at bay

This post came out from The Straits Times (2 March 2016)
Title - Keep job burnout at bay

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Acknowledge the issue
2. Set aside time for relaxation
3. Increase your work productivity
4. Concentrate on what you can control
5. Re-evaluate your strengths, passion and values

On Acknowledge the issue

• Do not sweep the problem under the carpet and wait for it to go away. Take concrete steps to resolve the issue. Re-evaluate your current work practices and workload. If you cannot manage your workload well, it is unlikely you can sustain producing good quality work. Think of long term solutions and apply them, rather than short term quick fixes.

On Set aside time for relaxation

• Giving yourself permission to take a break from work. Set appropriate boundaries and refrain from checking emails or answering calls during those periods. Have an active non-work life. Keeping to a regular exercise routine helps to release the physical tension and stiffness accumulated from sitting at your desk for long hours. Being part of interest or hobby groups can help tot take your mind off work and leave you feeling more recharged.

On Increase your work productivity

• Dropping unnecessary tasks to give additional attention to more important ones. Be organised. Put aside 10 minutes to 15 minutes at the start of each workday to play your day and week ahead. With competing deadlines and rapidly changing priorities, list all the tasks you have to complete and highlight those that are more urgent or important. Often, job stress is related to time - having to accomplish something within a specific time limit. 
• As mornings are usually when you are the most well rested and alert, attend to urgent or important priorities first, although they may not be the most enjoyable or simplest of tasks. During the course of the day, allocate time for strategic breaks to rejuvenate yourself and get more work accomplished.

On Concentrate on what you can control

• Identify the sources of your stress and differentiate between those you can control and those you cannot. Be positive and stop agonising over matters you have no control over, such as how your supervisor works. 
• Instead, channel your energy into areas you can control, like improving your productivity level or the quality of your work. Spending effort on what you can control propels you forward and invigorates you.

On Re-evaluate your strengths, passion and values

• Ideally, your career should be in line with the above three factors. People are more fulfilled when their careers are meaningful, and offer them opportunities to utilise their skills and excel in their areas of expertise. If you feel your current job offers you none of these aspects, it is time to rethink if you are truly suitable for it. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Brand yourself right without boasting

This post came out from My Paper (1 March 2016)
Title - Brand yourself right without boasting

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Project a positive attitude
2. Build yourself as an expert
3. Spread your influence

On Project a positive attitude

• Build a positive attitude within before you brand it for others to see. People flock to others who have a positive attitude because they feel better when they are around them. Be the kind of person whom others want to be around. Furthermore, your personal brand must communicate the right message about yourself to others. 
• It must represent who you are and what you want to be known for. It is seen by many as a statement about both your professional expertise and personal style. Next, internal values must be projected outward. Do not neglect personal grooming. Impressions - how you project and present yourself - matter. 
• The image you present is about what you wear, body language and personal brand. Just standing upright makes you look more respectable.

On Build yourself as an expert

• Decide on what you want to be known for and build your brand around it. 
• Establish a presence on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Use your social media links in your e-mail signature. Create a blog to showcase your expertise in being known as a thought leader, or odder to be a guest blogger for well-established blogs. Interview others who are knowledgeable about issues that are of interest to people working in the industry. Interviewing experts not only enables you to develop relationships with them but also allows you to provide a service that keeps people up to date on events in the industry.
• By showcasing your expertise and providing critical information about the industry, you are engaging in a form of self-promotion that is comfortable for you. 
• Go one step further: Develop courses based on your expertise. The courses should address issues that you observe are affecting the industry. Offer them on Udemy, a platform for online courses. 

On Spread your influence

• Connect with like-minded people on these social networks, with whom you can forge relationships. Start with your ready circles: people with whom you have worked and went to school with and those who share your interests. Share articles that they may be interested in, adding your own insights to them. Scoop it is a website that makes it easy to do that. Be of service to the people you are connected with and become their go-to person.
• After you have formed ties online, meet offline for some face to face time to build on relationships. Learn more about your contacts and tell them about yourself. Prepare a 30 second elevator pitch for when you meet up with new contacts or attend job interviews. Rehearse and refine the statement till you are comfortable with it. The pitch should sound impressive yet real, and should engage others, so they want to learn more about you.
• And, in daily interactions, ensure that your personal interactions reflect the brand that you have built. To live your personal brand means dressing that part, speaking the part and acting the part. Promoting and living your personal brand requires making a habit out of it. By being consistent, more people will learn about you and your personal brand, which creates opportunities for yourself. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

8 ways to be a good conversationlist

This post came out from The Straits Times (1 March 2016)
Title - 8 ways to be a good conversationalist

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Increase your knowledge - Read up on fiction and current affairs. This allows you to understand different perspectives of the world and prepares you to contribute more to conversations.
2. Smile - A smile defuses tension, especially when the other party is feeling out of place. It also breaks the ice and paves the way for small talk.
3. Speak simply and clearly - Get straight to the point. A great conversationalist is someone who communicate ideas clearly and in a straightforward manner.
4. Maintain eye contact - This tells the other party you are paying attention and interested in what he or she is saying.
5. Listen attentively - This enables you to craft good responses and contribute to the conversation. When you really pay attention to what the other person has to say, it adds a level of depth and meaning to your conversation and allows you to connect with him or her in ways like never before.
6. Ask meaningful questions - This allows deeper conversations to take place. Asking context-related questions is a good way to start a conversation.
7. Give the other party some room - We all have our own psychological safety distance, and if anyone crosses this barrier, we go into defensive mode. It is safer to maintain an arm's length or more from the other party, and adjust this as the conversation progresses. When the other party feels comfortable that his or her space is not being invaded, he or she will become more relaxed.
8. Show genuine interest - Your body language can make or break a conversation. Be natural. Use a smile or friendly touch to show that you enjoy talking to the other person.

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Is a lack of self confidence holding back your career?

This post came out from The Straits Times (26 February 2016)
Title - Is a lack of self confidence holding back your career?

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Understand the cause of fear
2. Keep fear in the dark
3. Stay positive
4. Be self-reliant
5. Demonstrate commitment to your vision

On Understand the cause of fear

• First, one needs to believe wholeheartedly that the fear he or she faces is caused by his or her mind, instead of looking for an external cause. Doing so would not only be futile but result in more disappointment and frustration. Turn inward and be responsible for your own emotions. The conditions you face are a reflection of your inner thoughts.

On Keep fear in the dark

• Instead of giving fear less attention, we tend to do the opposite. We talk about what we fear most. This is because humans find comfort when they know they are not alone. Limit or eliminate the attention you give to fear. Focus on the desired outcome you want instead. Imagine your family congratulating you on your success.

On Stay positive

• The more we focus on the desired outcome, the more motivated we become, and the more we will seek bigger challenges that reward us with better opportunities and prospects. Be positive and genuine, and cultivate friendships with sincere people. Be selective of the types of movies you watch as they can have a powerful effect on your thinking and decision-making process.

On Be self-reliant

• When facing work or personal challenges, it is sometimes too easy to ask someone for advice to solve your problems. Instead of seeking second opinions, quiet the turbulence within yourself. Learn to ask yourself different questions and have patience the answers or desired outcome will come to you. Nobody should know you better than yourself. We must reclaim the power that we already have within us and learn to be still.

On Demonstrate commitment to your vision

• During good or bad times, this means being able to hold on to your vision until it materialises. How long it takes to reach the end point is the true test if we are indeed loyal to what we want. Changing course or giving up halfway means that our commitment is not strong. 
• To succeed, we must imagine ourselves achieving the desired outcome. We need to hold on to this image until we attain our goals. It is important to gain clarity on our goals before we embark on ways to achieve it. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

The road to innovation - Organisations must first ask themselves what they want to achieve

This post came out from The Straits Times (20 February 2016)
Title - The road to innovation - Organisations must first ask themselves what they want to achieve

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Keep in touch with our customers' needs and industry shifts to ensure that we have a pulse on what is of real value to our customers and organisation.
2. Have an open mind. Be enriched by the diversity that different people, environment and life experiences bring. Stay curious and keep our minds stimulated. This richness of input will create a corresponding richness of output in our thinking.
3. Have a reasonable margin of risk tolerance to fuel the spirit of adventure in us. If we only want to stick with the safe and proven, we will never venture into the unknown and discover exciting opportunities ahead.
4. Question old assumptions. Assumptions that worked in the past cannot remain inviolable when circumstances have changed. We need to break the frame created by old assumptions and avoid groupthink. Question orthodoxy and think afresh.
5. The ability to understand linkages between things seemingly unrelated is what drives innovative thinking. This depends on the diversity of the ideas and experiences that we expose ourselves to.
6. Finally, be enthusiastic about innovation. Passion and openness to others' ideas will in turn enthuse and encourage them to think differently. Ideas breed ideas and success breeds success.

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

What next after being passed over for promotion

This post came out from The Business Times (21 February 2016)
Title - What next after being passed over for promotion

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Hit pause
2. Talking to the boss
3. No perks of being a wallflower
4. Time to leave?

On Hit pause

• First thing first: stop. And breathe. It is normal to experience a gamut of emotions. But let yourself calm down before you take any action. It stings, but try not to behave abnormally in the office. That just makes things awkward and it looks unprofessional.
• Next, congratulate your colleague, no matter how you feel inside. He or she is still a teammate (or new boss), and you will have to continue working with that person. 
• Once all the niceties are out of the way, the introspection can begin. Finding space and time for reflection is extremely valuable. From that process, employees can learn more about themselves and the company: What qualities or attributes did the successful person have that I didn't? What new experiences would increase my value? Was there already a succession plan in place? 

On Talking to the boss

• After which, speaking to your manager is a must. Don't wait for your manager to initiate a conversation - be proactive and arrange a meeting after a day or two. Getting feedback on where your expectations were not aligned and what you can do better for the future is crucial if you want to move ahead. Such a conversation builds trust, creates empowerment and maintains motivation.
• One important point to note throughout your conversation is not to speak negatively about others - especially the person who got the job instead of you. If you consider that promoted colleague's performance to be inferior to yours, tread lightly and be gracious. It is almost impossible for a co-worker to know about all aspects of another's job. So, one's perception of another as a low performer may not be a representation of the employee as a whole.

On No perks of being a wallflower

• Sitting quietly and letting it slide can be one of the worst decisions one can make - promotions hardly ever fall from the sky. No matter how good a worker you are, being proactive about your career progression can make a world of difference in the competitive workplace. This means initiating regular conversations with your manager about your career, and not just once a year. 
• Beyond intelligence and aptitude, gritty people, by virtue of their interest, focus and drive typically achieve higher levels of success. The people who get on in this world are the people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they need... Seeking a promotion demonstrates a person's ambition, loyalty and commitment to the organisation.
• Workers should actively seek opportunities and put themselves up for them instead of waiting for management to notice. Some exceptional traits that these successful candidates have are that they are easy to work with, as well as take and give feedback constructively. 
• Other traits also include: proactively owning solutions where others cannot or do not; energising people with contagious positivity, being good listeners, and being able to stay calm and unify others. 

On Time to leave?

• Failing to get a promotion doesn't mean there's no opportunities in the organisation at all. Career opportunities can take many forms, such as lateral movement within the same function, and special projects or cross-department assignments. Before you make your decision, it is best to ask your manager what opportunities can open up to you. 
• Quitting is the only answer if your manager suggests that an opportunity will take longer than you are willing to wait, or there's no opportunities at all. Ultimately, it's about whether an employee still finds meaning in his or her work. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Learn to lead

This post came out from The Straits Times (13 February 2016)
Title - Learn to lead

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Connect with others
2. Help others grow
3. Set high standards
4. Lead with clarity
5. Think positively

On Connect with others

• Show that you can lead others - not only with your head, but with your heart too. Most people think that being competent in one's job is good enough. But great things are accomplished through people. This is what it means to have influence. Being emotionally connected with your team entails knowing what your team members want and ensuring that they know what you want.

On Help others grow

• Apart from teaching your team members how to do their jobs better, it is important to acknowledge them when they do things correctly. Always remember to let your people Go, Grow and Glow.
• If you can grow your people, they will grow you and your team. Identify your team members' strengths and delegate responsibilities to them purposefully. Being aware of their career plans enables you to help them succeed. 

On Set high standards

• Great leaders are not just people-oriented, but also performance-oriented. Good leaders give people opportunities to grow and make mistakes, but expect them to learn from mistakes and not repeat them. Leaders who set high standards ensure consistency. This enables team members to know what is expected from them.
• When problems arise, it is crucial for leaders to be part of the solution and not the problem.

On Lead with clarity

• A leader must be clear about how the team should do their work or make tough decisions. This establishes the team's identity. When a leader's behaviour is consistent, the team will find it easier to do the right thing.
• Leaders need to keep the big picture in mind. They also need to check their biases to maintain objectivity.

On Think positively 

• When faced with problems, leaders need to stay positive to come up with solutions. This is when being resourceful is key. Learn how to reframe your perspective to move things forward.

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Why high achievers feel they are not good enough

This post came out from The Straits Times (17 February 2016)
Title - Why high achievers feel they are not good enough

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Normalise your impostor feelings
2. You don't have to be a perfectionist all the time
3. Reflect on your achievements
4. Hone your craft and keep improving
5. Handle criticism more objectively

On Normalise your impostor feelings

• If you experience persistent self doubt and fear, know that you are not alone. This realisation can be liberating and allows you to put your feelings of self doubt and inadequacy into perspective.

On You don't have to be a perfectionist all the time

• Adjust your mindset in order to set a more realistic and attainable benchmark for yourself. People who feel like impostors usually have unrealistic and unsustainable self-expectations.
• In reality, no one can do everything perfectly all alone. No one knows everything. Mastery takes time. Take the shame out of failure and lower your overly high yardstick of what you deem as competence. 
• People who suffer from the impostor syndrome tend to feel like they need to live up to a certain role as an expert. When they don't, they feel like frauds. Lose your 'expert hat' and stop feeling like you need to know all answers.

On Reflect on your achievements

• What are your strengths? Take credit for them as you have taken the effort and time to develop them.
• What challenges have you faced and overcome in life? Celebrate your resilience and crisis management skills.
• What have you accomplished in the course of your life? These can be in the areas of work, hobbies, relationships, health and finance. 

On Hone your craft and keep improving

• Aim to be a lifelong learner who tirelessly strives to better his or her skills. Jeep going regardless of how you feel. 
• This is important because impostor feelings are the last to change. Firstly, change hoe you think. Then change how you behave by challenging yourself regardless of how you feel. Over time, your feelings will change.
• Acknowledge your knowledge gaps and continuously upgrade your skill level to close this gap. Do more research, consult industry experts, attend training and get more hands on practice.

On Handle criticism more objectively

• Learn not to take negative feedback too personally. Be learning to view feedback in a more objective light, you prevent negative comments from eroding your self esteem excessively. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Get ahead of future job challenges

This post came out from My Paper (16 February 2016)
Title - Get ahead of future job challenges

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Consider your goals
2. Update your resume quarterly
3. Build your network
4. Speak at industry events
5. Be active online
6. Be in the know
7. Adopt a new mindset

On Consider your goals

• Study the trends that are shaping your industry and niche. Pay attention to what the experts are saying. Know your strengths and which skills are marketable. Take an assessment test if you have to.
• Map out a path to get to where you want to in your career, knowing that you will have to make changes as the work environment changes.

On Update your resume quarterly

• Avoid the tyranny of being caught up in the tactical (urgent day to day duties) and missing out on the strategic (long term planning). 
• One of the strategic responsibilities is to ensure that you update your resume. Do this at least every three months. Be sure to include important projects you have worked on, the in-demand skills you have acquired and, importantly, targets you have achieved.

On Build your network

• Cultivate networks inside and outside your organisation - both online and offline. Find ways to be of service to the people in your network. It could be as simple as introducing them to each other or sending them articles and other information that are meaningful or valuable to them.
• Attend events to continually build and expand your base of contacts. When you hear of an event that is worth attending, pass on the information to people who might benefit from attending too. Let them know why you thought of them.

On Speak at industry events

• If you are at the right level to do so, put your name out to speak at industry events and conferences. Apart from widening your network, this also enables you to build your personal brand.
• More importantly, speaking engagements cement yourself as an authority in the field. 

On Be active online

• Given that people expect to reach and be reached on multiple online platforms, maintaining an active presence on social media is essential to building your brand. 
• In fact, go a step further by creating a Facebook group, publishing interesting studies or reports on LinkedIn or hosting a Twitter chat.

On Be in the know

• Read industry journals, blogs in your niche and industry as well as recruitment and career management sites. Or, set up Google Alerts on topics important to you. Every quarter, have a chat with industry experts and thought leaders to keep yourself up to date on trends.

On Adopt a new mindset

• Given the changing world of work, employees must shift their mindset to take responsibility on how to manage their own career and create value for themselves and the company they work for.
• That said, the most critical skill for any employee is the ability to continuously learn. One can no longer expect job security based on tenure. 
• Rather, job security will come from your ability to adapt and acquire new skills. The new equation should look like this: Continuously learning = agility and relevance. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

8 ways to excel at work

This post came out from The Straits Times (24 February 2016)
Title - 8 ways to excel at work

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Keep learning
2. Be grateful
3. Take up the challenge
4. Add value
5. Be passionate about your work
6. Create a new role
7. Think of the big picture
8. Change your thinking

On Keep learning

• Learn something new everyday and apply it to your work. Better yet, help others and learn in the process. 

On Be grateful

• Remember that your job impacts society in some way. Understand the value of your work. If we do not do our jobs well, our society suffers. List 10 good things about your job. Start to appreciate what you have and you will make the best of your job. 

On Take up the challenge

• See your job as a form of training. What is the most painful thing about your job? That is the thing you are being trained on.

On Add value

• Championing improvement creates a sense of purpose. Do something about that problem that everyone's been talking about. Do it because you can and you want to.

On Be passionate about your work

• A bit of zest goes a long way. Put in passion into your work. Move faster, speak with more passion, and always do things with enthusiasm.

On Create a new role

• Explore a new role within the company if there is a vacancy. You don't have to wait for an official opening. Create a job by presenting the problems you can solve and the holes you can plug.

On Think of the big picture

• Don't think of your job as a job, but a career. What kind of role do you want to be doing three years from now? What needs to happen in your job so that you will be happy to go to work everyday? Determine the result you want, then plan backwards to achieve it.

On Change your thinking

• The only thing we have absolute control over in this world is our own thinking and our own response to what has happened. The more you improve on your thinking, the better it will be, and your work will flow from here.

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Stand up to the bully in workplace

This post came out from My Paper (23 February 2016)
Title - Stand up to the bully in workplace

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. What to do
2. Three key steps employees can take
2. Types of unwarranted behaviour

On What to do

• The workplace bullying institute defines bullying as "repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators".
• It is important to recognise that you are a victim of workplace bullying and address concerns with the HR manager before the situation gets out of control and impacts your work. 
• Managers can also do their part to look out for employees with low morale and decreased efficiency or productivity. These could be signs of someone who has been subjected to workplace bullying. Sometimes, such employees take sick leave frequently, suffer from psychological illness and are less committed towards their job. Some may eventually quit the organisation. 
• To assess if you are a victim of bullying, ask yourself if the behaviour in a particular situation is reasonable, if that behaviour is repetitive and if it impacts your emotional well being.
• Do note, however, that bullying is not the same as rudeness or a lack of tact that some people display at work. This could be linked to their personality rather than ill intentions. 
• If you think you are being bullied, document the incident right away by recording the date and time of the incident, verbatim if possible. Include details like the location and how you felt and responded, as well as the responses of other people who were present. Discuss this immediately with your HR manager to initiate prompt action. 

On three key steps that employees can take

• Talk to people you trust at work about your concerns. Have a one to one discussion with the person whom you believe has bulled you. Provide examples of his actions that affect your performance, productivity and morale. Highlight actions that negatively impact the team.
• Document behaviours that are not appreciated at work. Maintain a record of instances of workplace bullying, detailing the act and quoting in verbatim who said that.
• Maintain your cool at all times and seek support from the HR management. If you feel that the management did not respond adequately, seek help from the authorities.

On Types of unwarranted behaviour

• Direct bullying and Indirect bullying
• Direct bullying 
• Belittling remarks that undermine your integrity, or lies that put your sense of judgement into question.
• Deliberately ignoring you or failing to respond or reply to your questions or inquiries.
• Attacking your personal beliefs, lifestyle and preferences, creating rumours that sully your character.
• Shouting and yelling at you, making threats to sack you, insulting your lifestyle and publicly humiliating you.
• Use of offensive or abusive language, spying or stalking you, and harassing you when you are off duty.
• Making inappropriate sexual advances, suggestive glances and offensive gestures at you during work.
• Indirect bullying
• Giving you unrealistic deadlines or unachievable tasks and assigning you too much work which would set you up for failure.
• Asking you to do meaningless tasks, undermining your credibility on the job and ridiculing you in front of clients and colleagues.
• Withholding and concealing important work-related information, and failing to reply to messages or return calls. 
• Undervaluing your contribution and failure to give you credit where it is due, or taking credit for your work.
• Giving you work that is below your level of competence, or demoting you unreasonably.
• Denying leave, ignoring your views, changing work targets at the last minute without prior notice.
• Failure to provide enough training or resources and denying you an opportunity for growth within the company in an unfair way.

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Make a wise decision - If you are pondering multiple job offers, here's what to think about before making a choice

This post came out from The Straits Times (15 October 2011)
Title - Make a wise decision - If you are pondering multiple job offers, here's what to think about before making a choice

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Ask for time to consider your offers - Most employers will allow you time to decide whether the offer is right or not for you.
2. Look at your long term objectives - Is this a company you want to be working for in five years' time? Does it provide you with opportunities to advance your career, mobility or benefits compared to those that another company can offer you? Draw up a list of pros and cons for each organisation.
3. Who pays more? A higher salary is always an attractive incentive but it should not be your main motive for choosing one job over the other. The lower-paying role may offer greater challenges or career- advancement potential.
4. Process of elimination - Is there a job you can easily eliminate that doesn't meet your career objectives?
5. Communicate your intentions - Advise the company that you have chosen that you will be accepting its offer. Let the others know, in a professional manner, that you have chosen to go with another offer but that you are grateful for the opportunity that they offered you.

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Navigate your team to success

This post came out from The Straits Times (20 June 2012)
Title - Navigate your team to success

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Navigating productivity
2. Navigation system
3. The NEWS Compass

On Navigating productivity

• Be the productive role model - This is a powerful way to demonstrate how serious you are about productivity. Your team members can see, hear and feel the productive behaviours expected.
• Have the mindset of a learner and coach - Like a learner, a leader should continuously acquire new knowledge and skills. Learn what works and what can be improved in the current processes. As a coach, a leader should coach team members on skills they may not have or which are not up to mark. 
• Establish a navigation system - This is a trustworthy "compass" that works together with other tools and techniques to navigate through productivity crossroads and challenges.

On Navigation system

• Easy to understand and simple to use
• Structured and holistic
• Consensus-based and empowering
• Scalable (can be used at individual, team or organisation level)
• Provide a common language for the team to communicate in
• Applied to other areas besides productivity, for example, change management,strategy development, decision making, innovation, projects, coaching, etc
• Incorporate with other programmes (such as Six Sigma, Lean Management, or Business Process Re-engineering).

On The NEWS Compass

• North - Where to? for setting a direction and vision for productivity. Takes into account the current position and trends taking place. The key here is how accurately you are able to locate the current realities and trends
• East - Why? identifies the core drivers, motivations and meanings for the team to be productive. These are powerful engines to propel the team towards its intentions.
• West - This looks at 'How shall we execute the plans?' and comprises of planning (including setting critical goals and reviewing the necessary skills and resources) and execution (requires discipline, consistently collecting feedback and making improvements to the plan)
• South - 'Why not'? Looks at external difficulties or stoppers and internal limiting factors.
• It is important to pay attention to the South point and address the concerns or these will drain the energy your team requires to succeed. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Build team spirit

This post came out from The Straits Times (1 July 2014)
Title - Build team spirit - Use these secrets of motivation to deter "skiving" and make your office a better place

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Spend quality time with your people
2. Give feedback and coach
3. Be a believer

On Spend quality time with your people

• You need to get to know your team members better and they need to get to know you. It will help you build a relationship with each person. You will gain a much better understanding of your staff and how they are handling the job.
• It will also give the impression that you care about each individual and show you are there to help with problems of both a business and personal nature. 
• Spending quality time will encourage opinions and ideas to flow from your people, and allows you to explain the company's mission. It gives the ma feeling of being in on things, which is a big motivator. It will also help you build an "early warning system" that goes off at the first sign of any problems your staff may have.

On Give feedback and coach

• You need to regularly tell each member of your team when they are doing well and not so well. 
• Successful managers realise that almost everyone reacts positively to confirming feedback, that is, telling a team member you support whatever you have seen him do or heard him say. It is a compliment or a thank you. Your team member will feel good and be motivated to repeat the behaviour. 
• But it is also important to tell people when they are not performing. There are too many managers who either ignore poor behaviour or come down on the person like a ton of bricks. Changing unacceptable behaviour through productive feedback involves certain steps.
• Do it as soon as possible.
• Do it in private. Tell the person how you feel about his unacceptable behaviour, not how the organisation or anyone else feels.
• Focus on one thing at a time and don't confuse the other person with a whole list of behaviours. Be specific and get input from him. Most importantly, don't leave him feeling low.
• Agree on a way forward through coaching. Find out the cause of the poor performance or behaviour and discuss with the team member how to put it right. 

On Be a believer

• Empowerment is about using the knowledge, skills, experience and motivational power that are already within your people. Most people in teams and organisations throughout the world are under-used. Your team members probably have a lot more to offer in terms of skills, knowledge and experience.
• If you can engage them to use these talents, you will motivate them and achieve your business goals. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Be an effective listener

This post came out from The Straits Times (8 June 2012)
Title - Be an effective listener - Increase workplace productivity by lending an ear to your employees

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Benefits
2. An active process

On Benefits

• Creating a trusting environment - Managers who listen effectively make people feel valued and encourage the sharing of ideas and thoughts. 
• Objective decision making - Through effective listening, managers get more information and feedback from their staff. This allows issues to be understood and examined with greater depth and basically support the making of careful, informed decisions.
• Resolving workplace conflicts - Volatile emotions can be diffused when people feel they are being listened to. The feeling of not being heard is a major reason for workplace aggression and rudeness. Managers who practice effective listening are better able to anticipate and reduce inter-personal conflicts and seek resolution through win-win solutions.
• Playing multiple roles -  Effective listening also helps managers play other important roles in the organisation as mentors, coaches and counsellors.

On An active process

• Objective - Must be to truly listen to what the speaker is saying and to fully understand the meaning, ideas and concepts being presented. This involves a deliberate effort to concentrate entirely on the conversation.
• Focus - Involves focusing entirely on the speaker, maintaining appropriate eye contact and playing careful attention to the spoken words and speaker's body language. The listener must concurrently avoid emotional, physical and cultural distractions like wandering thoughts, background noise, speaker's way of dressing, his accent or choice of vocabulary.
• Emotional detachment - Must remain attentive to the content and context of the conversation by detaching himself from personal prejudices and unproductive emotional triggers such as anger, fear and shame. This helps to keep situations from spiralling out of control and is especially important when cultural assumptions and biases can become serious barrier to the listening process.
• Encouragement - Give encouragement to the speaker without interrupting by deferring judgement and counter arguments. Also, show the speaker that you are listening through appropriate body language, facial expressions and gestures. 
• Evaluation - Come to a clearer understanding of the speaker's message without jumping to conclusion based on emotional filters and incomplete information.
• Acknowledgement - Respond appropriately and respectfully by summarising what the speaker has said, to make sure that the message has been understood. Ask questions, make comments and assert your opinions with sensitivity. This helps to convey to the speaker that you have been listening but are not necessarily agreeing with everything that has been said. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Leading the unseen workforce

This post came out from The Straits Times (19 November 2012)
Title - Leading the unseen workforce

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. For group cohesion

• Provide the structure required to get the work done
• Build a shared picture of success to positively impact virtual team productivity
• Make it personal by helping team members at a distance recognise how the work matters - that it leads to meaningful outcomes
• Communicate clear direction and a consistent message
• Set expectations that encourage inclusion and responsibility

2. For individual commitment

• Engage virtual team members and support their efforts
• Provide opportunities for success
• Take the initiative to communicate often and encourage team members to do the same
• Empower the group and individuals 
• Encourage self-leadership and resist the temptation to micro-manage virtual employees 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Build better relationships - Earn the respect and trust of your colleagues with these tips

This post came out from The Straits Times (27 February 2012)
Title - Build better relationships - Earn the respect and trust of your colleagues with these tips

Some pointers that I've got are:

1. Value the relationship
2. Communicate effectively
3. Provide solutions
4. Don't blame people
5. Be reliable
6. Be professional
7. Always give your best
8. Treat everyone equally
9. Resolve any conflicts quickly
10. Have informal meetings
11. Share credit
12. Pick your battle wisely

On Value the relationship

• You need to invest time and effort to understand your colleagues' needs and to deal with obstacles. Even if you try and fail, at least you've given it your best shot.

On Communicate effectively

• This forms the foundation for a positive working relationship. Open lines of communication keep information, opinions and support flowing. Put yourself in your colleagues' shoes and respect their points of view that may be different from your own.

On Provide solutions

• Some employees spend a disproportionate amount of time identifying problems. Thoughtful solutions take more effort and will earn you respect and admiration. 

On Don't blame people

• You alienate your colleagues when you play the blame game. Focus on the process and issues that cause and employee to fail. Publicly identifying and blaming others for failures will only earn you enemies.

On Be reliable

• In an organisation, work is interrelated. If you fail to meet deadlines and commitments, you affect the work of others. Always keep commitments. If you can't, make sure the affected employees are kept up to date. Provide a new deadline and make every possible effort to honour it. 

On Be professional

• Never participate in gossip or discuss your colleagues' business behind their backs. People will trust you and know that what they tell you is safe and in your hands. Relationships thrive only when trust is present.

On Always give your best

• When working on a project together, always be the person who is willing to do extra to strengthen the collaboration and the outcome or product.

On Treat everyone equally

• No matter their position within your organisation, all people are equal. They just have different jobs. 

On Resolve any conflicts quickly

• Unresolved conflicts festers under the surface in organisations. Unresolved conflicts undermines relationships and mutual, purposeful progress towards accomplishing personal and organisational missions.

On Have informal meetings

• When meeting with someone with the specific purpose of developing your relationship with that person, think about holding the meeting in a setting in which he will feel comfortable. When people are relaxed, they tend to share what is important to them more openly.

On Share credit

• Take the time to thank, reward, recognise and specify the contributions of the people who help you succeed. This is a sure-win method to build effective work relationships.

On Pick your battles wisely

• Sometimes letting a colleague's differing opinion prevail to gain support on other more important issues may be the best thing to do. Give in on the little decisions, or those that appear to be more important to the colleague. You'll easily gain support for the decisions that are important to you. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Finding common ground

This post came out from The Straits Times (19 May 2014)
Title - Finding common ground - Focus on spotting the similarities between Gen X and Gen Y staff to manage them better

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Managers and supervisors can help Gen X staff (1965 to 1980) in these areas:

• Offer better career progression and training opportunities
• Achieve a better compensation and benefits package
• Achieve a better work-life balance between career and family

2. For Gen Y staff (1981 to 2000), managers and supervisors could help them in these areas:

• Assign wise mentors and coaching buddies to them
• Give them meaningful and challenging tasks to stretch them
• Expose them to different types of work

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Laid off? Get moving with a plan

This post came out from The Straits Times (11 June 2012)
Title - Laid off? Get moving with a plan

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Stay energised
2. Gauge your finances
3. Take control
4. Update your CV
5. Be frank about layoff
6. Move forward

On stay energised

• It is easy to slump into a funk. Instead, tell yourself that you have an important goal: To look for a new job. In the meantime, you may want to get to the tasks that you've always been wanting to do.

On Gauge your finances 

• Next, look at your expenses and see if it is time to cut down on dining out or not other luxuries. If you are lucky enough to get a good retrenchment package, do not splurge it on a luxury item that you do not need, just to feel good temporarily. Save or invest the money.

On Take control

• Before you start looking for a new job, think about what you can do, what you want to do or what motivates you. We are often so caught up with work that we may not have time to consider what we really want to do. A layoff could provide that vital break enabling you to reinvent yourself. 
• Many people have found that a redundancy pushed them to bigger things, like starting their own business or switching to an entirely different field that they love. 

On Update your CV

• Rewrite your CV and keep it clear and succinct. Make sure your CV highlights your achievements and reflects your potential. Build an online network, which can help you land a job, or update the network if you already have one. 
• Let those in your network know that you are looking for a new job, and make use of online search engines to check for jobs. 

On Be frank about layoff

• Experts advise that an applicant should be upfront with a potential employer about his retrenchment. There is no need to volunteer that you were retrenched in your application material. However, be prepared to talk about the situation tactfully and truthfully in an interview. Misrepresenting the circumstances of your departure could quickly come back to haunt you. 
• You might say something like "I realised early on that I wasn't the right fit for this particular position and corporate culture. Instead of speaking up and trying to improve the situation, I stayed silent and hoped things would get better. It's not a mistake I'll repeat. I'm looking towards the future, and, based on my research of your organisation, I'm confident I possess the skills, attributes and values you seek. 

On Move forward

• Talk about what you achieved in your old job and not about the old job itself. During a job search, the job seeker should emphasise the value and contribution he can bring to the prospective employer, rather than the reason for the layoff. 
• Remember not to display bitterness or criticise your former employer, as it will only work against you. Just be neutral and objective. Displaying sincerity and honesty is most important in such a situation, so focus on what you can offer to the organisation.

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

The Art of Evangelism

Article from Harvard Business Review by Guy Kawasaki

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. About evangelism
2. Schmoozing
3. Public speaking
4. Social media

On About evangelism

• When you become an effective evangelist, you don't just promote your organisation - you set an example for other employees. You show that you are a passionate, engaged team member. You inspire your colleagues. And you demonstrate your leadership ability. Look around your office and you'll see evanglists everywhere - the EVP who regularly contributes to conference panels; the teammate who tweets about industry research; the executive assistant who puts photos of new products in her Pinterest feed. They are the kinds of leaders companies want in their ranks today. So you should develop the skills yo uneed to join the club. 
• In my experience, there are three ways to effective evangelize: old-fashioned schmoozing, public speaking, and social media.

On Schmoozing

• It's much easier to evangelize to people you already know or people who already know you. The process of building such social connections is what we call schmoozing. If you're hesitant about this, because you are shy or you consider it offensive or manipulative, you need to change your mind. Doing this helps you to discover what you can do for someone else, and is the key to building the extensive, long-lasting, and trusting relationships that will make people believe what you have to say about your organisation. 
• Get out - Schmoozing is contact sport. You can't do it from your cubical, so force yourself to walk around the office, visit different floors and corporate locations, attend trade shows, conventions, seminars, conferences, and cocktail receptions.
• Ask questions - Good schmoozers don't dominate the conversation. They initiate it and then shut up and listen.
• Unveil your passions - If you can talk only about your job, you're a boring person. Successful schmoozers are passionate about multiple and diverse interests. A benefit of those passions is that they provide additional ways to connect with people. 
• Follow up - Send an email or call within 24 hours of meeting someone. Few people ever follow up, so the ones who do distinguish themselves as worth knowing.
• Email effectively - Email is a key tool. Make sure to optimize your subject lines and keep your messages short and simple, resend unanswered emails as a nudge, and always respond within 48 hours. 
• Make it easy to get in touch - Many people who want to be great schmoozers fail because they don't print their cell numbers on their business cards or include contact information in the signature area of their emails. Don't create hurdles to connection.
• Do favours - I believe there's a karmic scoreboard that tracks what you do for people. If you want to be a world-class schmoozer, ensure that your number on that scoreboard is high.

On Public speaking

• Deliver quality content - It's much easier to give a great speech if you have something to communicate. If you don't have anything to say, decline the opportunity. If you don't want to decline, do some research and find something interesting to say. That is 80% of the battle.
• Omit the sales pitch - Don't spend your time promoting yourself and your organisation or denigrating the competition. The worst speech you can give is one that people can interpret as a sales pitch.
• Customise - Tailor the first three to five minutes of every speech you make to the audience you're addressing that day. This will demonstrate that you've done your homework and have made an effort to provide a valuable and special experience. Try to find a personal link to the audience.
• Focus on entertaining - Many speech coaches will disagree with this, but they probably don't speak 50 times a year, as I do. My theory is that the goal of a speech is to entertain. If people are entertained, you can slip in a few nuggets of information. But if your speech is dull, no amount of information will make it great.
• Tell stories - The best way to relax when giving a speech is to tell stories - about your youth, kids, customers, things you have read. When you tell a story, you lose yourself in the storytelling. Good speakers are good storytellers, great speakers tell stories that support their message. 
• Circulate in the audience beforehand - Heighten interest in your success by meeting your listeners before the speech. Talk to them. Let them make contact with you - especially people in the first few rows. Then, when your're onstage, you'll see their friendly faces and your confidence will soar.
• Control what you can - If you have a choice, speak at the beginning of an event and ask for a small room. A  just-seated audience is more apt to listen to you, laugh at your jokes, and follow along with your stories, and a packed room is a more emotional one. It is better to have 200 people in a 200 seat room, rather than 500 people in a 1,000 seat room. 

On Social Media

• Offer value - Good stuffs come in four forms: information (what happened?), analysis (what does it mean?), assistance (how do I do that?) and entertainment (what the hell?)
• Be interesting - Many people mistakenly assume that their followers want to read about a narrow band of subjects. To do so would be boring, which doesn't work on social media. You should think more broadly.
• Take chances - Social media favour the bold, so don't hesitate to express your feelings and agenda. Take strong stands on issues that affect you, your organisation and your customers. 
• Keep it brief - People make snap judgments and move along if you don't capture their interest quickly. 
• Be a mensch - A mensch is a kind and honorable person who does the right thing the right way. Share other people's posts, make positive and intelligent comments, and suggest resources and solutions. Especially when you're curating, every post should contain a link, which sends traffic to the source as an act of gratitude, enables readers to learn more, and increase your visibility and popularity with bloggers and websites.
• Add drama - Every post should contain 'eye candy' in the form of a photo, graphic, or a video. If you have more than four paragraphs, try to use a bulleted or numbered list. 
• Tempt with headlines - I find posts titled "How to...", "Top 10..." or "The Ultimate..." irresistible. These words say to me, This is going to be practical and useful.
• Use hashtags - Hastags connect posts from people all over the world and add structure to an otherwise unstructure ecosystem. When you add hashtag to a post, you are telling people the post is relevant to a shared topic.
• Stay active - Be active I mean three to 20 different posts a day. As long as your posts are good, you can share more than that. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Overcoming obstacles to effective scenario planning

Article from McKinsey & Company by Drew Erdmann, Bernardo Sichel, and Luk Yeung

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Availability bias
2. Probability bias
3. Stability bias
4. Optimism, over-confidence bias
5. Social bias

On Availability bias

• Counter the tendency to make decisions based on what you already know: Availability bias
• Scenario planning begins with intelligence gathering to understand and define a strategic problem. A planning team identifies emerging trends and potential disruptions that may affect the business. The output is typically a long list of trends, along with a high level assessment of each trend's potential impact.
• At this point, the process is most susceptible to the tendency people have to base decisions on information readily accessible in the decision maker's mind - an availability bias. For example, it's easy to fall into the trap of focusing on trends within your own industry or geography or on only part of a problem, perhaps because that's where information is more easily gathered. All these lead to blind spots. 
• When scenario planners make an effort to understand the confluence of technological, economic, demographic, and cultural trends within and beyond their own countries, they're more likely to generate valuable counter intuitive ideas. 

On Probability bias 

• Beware giving too much weight to unlikely events: Probability neglect
• As scenario planning progresses, attention turns to the unknowns. The company evaluates and prioritises emerging trends by their potential impact and their degree of uncertainty and then builds scenarios around the handful of residual uncertainties that typically emerge from the process. 
• The challenge here is that attempts to quantify what is intrinsically uncertain often lead to over scrutiny and analysis paralysis. Low probability events can also easily be dismissed as outliers or overemphasied, creating a false sense of precision. Assigning low probability events excessive weight, or completely ignoring them, is a phenomenon called probability neglect. 
• In scenario planning, it's critical to avoid the temptation to rush to model trends and uncertainties before assessing them qualitatively to set them in perspective and generate intuitions about how trends may collide and interact. This assessment should embrace several realities: some elements of the future are so uncertain they can't be quantified with any precision; simply evaluating the uncertainties relative materiality to the business is valuable. 

On Stability bias

• Counter assumptions that the future will look just like the past: Stability bias
• As managers build scenarios, the implications for each uncertainty are extrapolated into the future to project different outcomes, and the combination of those outcome becomes the basis for scenarios. The challenge, when managers anticipate the future, is to overcome a natural tendency to assume that it will look a lot like the past.
• Properly executed, scenario planning prompts participants to convert abstract hypotheses about uncertainties into narratives about tangible realities. It can thus help decision makers to experience new realities in ways that are both intellectual and sensory, as well as both rational and emotional. Good narratives not only help us perceive alternative futures but also inspire us to act in response to them. 
• This experiential aspect is essential, and it's here that a critical mistake often occurs: decision makers outsource the creation of scenarios to junior team members or external vendors and reengage only in the final stages. This is problematic because when senior leaders aren't part of the process of developing scenarios, they are less likely to make sense of or act on them. Their natural bias towards stability is therefore more likely to hold sway. 

On Optimism, over-confidence bias

• Combat overconfidence and excessive optimism
• Once scenarios are defined, decision makers turn their attention to identifying the risks and opportunities that each scenario presents and compare them with those of the current business plan. At this point in the process, they will develop a new portfolio of potential strategic actions and contingency plans - as well as a clear understanding of the organisational, operational, and financial requirements of each. 
• Countless business initiatives fail because executives underestimate uncertainty and the chances of failure - and instead move directly to action. Many organisations reinforce this kind of behaviour by rewarding managers who speak confidently about their plans more generously than managers who point out how things might go wrong. Overoptimism and overconfidence lead to projects that run over budget or time, to mergers and acquisitions that fall short of estimated cost and revenue synergies, and to business plans with unreasonable growth expectations. 
• Overoptimism and overconfidence can be countered by scenario planning but can also infect it. To stay on the right track, managers should avoid the temptation to choose the scenarios they deem most likely and to focus planning efforts solely on them. A good reality check is whether your scenario planning forces executives to consider unpalatable through plausible scenarios. 

On Social bias

• Encourage free and open debate: social bias
• Make scenario planning part of a company's modus operandi rather than a one-off exercise. In fact, without institutional support, the biases described previously can be reinforced and amplified by the social biases of groupthink and "sunflower management" (the tendency for groups to align with the views of their leaders). Embedding an awareness of uncertainty, scenarios and biases gives people the language and license to keep one another in check. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Fooled by experience - What you think you've learned may be wrong. A guide to figuring out the real lessons

Article from Harvard Business Review by Emre Soyer and Robin M. Hogarth

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. We focus on what we can see
2. We trust our circle of advisers
3. We overvalue our own experiences
4. 6 ways not to be fooled

On We focus on what we can see

• In the business environment, the outcomes of decisions are highly visible, readily available for us to observe and judge. But the details of the decision process, which we can control far more than the result, typically don't catch our attention. If the aim is to learn from experience - mistakes as well as success - acknowledging that process is crucial. 
• The tendency to over-reward the results of a decision and under-reward its quality is known as the outcome bias. This bias can influence our actions in subtle ways. 
• A good outcome can lead us to stick with a questionable strategy, and a bad outcome can cause us to change or discard a strategy that may still be worthwhile. 
• A focus on outcomes can also influence our sense of ethics. A Harvard Business School working paper finds that "the same behaviours produce more ethical condemnation when they happen to produce bad rather than good outcomes, even if the outcomes are determined by chance." In other words, if everything turns out OK, we're more likely to think that the decision was not just effective but also morally sound. 
• Our attention to outcomes - and disregard of the processes that create them - makes solutions seem more valuable than preventive actions. A decision maker who solves a burning problem can be identified and rewarded, while one who takes action to avoid the same problem is far harder to spot. 
• Among outcomes, successes are more visible than failures. The business world is awash with success stories. Relying on stories of successes and on analyses of what those successes have in common is as unreliable a practice as it is popular. 
• Observing the common managerial practices of existing organisations can mislead us in a couple of ways. First, failures can share some of the same traits as successes. Second, if certain factors always lead to failure, we won't be able to discover them by studying on successes. 
• Ignoring failures has another effect. It masks the failure rate. It the rate is high, chances are there is no magic formula for success. And if there's no magic formula, then a manager can't be faulted for missing it. By concealing the prevalence of failures, the environment makes it more difficult for us to learn from them. Instead, we are fooled into thinking that we have more control over success than we actually do.

On We trust our circle of advisers

• Honest feedback - an unbiased, undistorted assessment of one's experience - is essential for improving decisions. Yet decision makers are often surrounded by individuals who have incentives to feed them censored and self serving information - and these people are not necessarily a crowd of yes-men. 
• Censorship is a powerful tool for influencing opinion. Restricting the information that reaches decision makers installs a strong bias in their perceptions. Even if we are aware of the existence of censors, it can be difficult to think beyond the immediate available information. Our intuitions are often shared by the evidence we recall, no matter its relevance - a tendency cognitive scientists call the availability bias. 
• Leaders run the danger of being surrounded by followers who fool them with flattery and isolate them from uncomfortable realities. In this way, flattery can be an especially powerful filter. 
• Your demeanor can make matters worse. Shooting the messenger doesn't facilitate healthy communication. Indeed, welcoming criticisms is hard, especially for people with a high status. 
• Censorship and a desire for conformity give decision makers a distorted view of their strategic competence, a bias that can result in their downfall. 
• Executives who are surrounded by people who agree with them may also experience decreased creativity and problem-solving abilities. Conceiving an idea, a strategy, or a methodology is rarely a solo act. A successful creative endeavor involves input from a diverse set of people. If everyone is simply trying to confirm, the group cannot benefit from people's background, perspectives and experiences.

On We overvalue our own experience

• We can't place all the blame for our distorted view of the world on the environment and our inner circle. Some of the lame lies with us. Our own reasoning ability can sabotage how we collect information and evaluate evidence. We end up learning the wrong lessons from our experience - even when it's possible to learn the right ones. 
• One issue is that we tend to search for and use evidence that confirms our beliefs and hypotheses, and we gloss over or ignore information that contradicts them - an exercise of selectively building and interpreting experience known as confirmation bias. We can easily support our beloved superstitions, spurious correlations and bogus connections. This natural tendency of the human mind hinders competent decision making. 
• Some see external, information-rich big data as a possible remedy, but data is subject to the same kinds of bias. If analysts cherry-pick information to suit managers' expectations, managers will be reassured about their decisions and see no need to improve them. And once misleading insights are data-approved, they are even harder to challenge. 
• Another issue is our memory. The philosopher John Staurt Mill wrote in On Liberty, "There are many truths of which the full meaning cannot be realised, until personal experience has brought it home." Mill's sentiment assumes that we record and remember events accurately. We don't. 
• In addition to the poor quality and reliability of our memory of experience, there is the crucial problem of quantity. The issue is sampling variability: A manager's personal experience is inevitably based on small samples of incidents that are most likely unrepresentative of the whole context. 
• Our belief in the relationship between the past and the future also can interfere with our view of the world. Predictions based on experience make the crucial assumption that the future will resemble the past. 
• Managers should be aware that just because something seems obvious after the fact does not mean that it could have been predicted. Decision makers often fall into this hindsight bias, which can lead to overconfidence and illusions of control. When it comes to effective decision making, not knowing that you cannot predict is a bigger sin than not being able to predict. 

On 6 ways not to be fooled

• Sample failure - Failures and the process that lead to them are doomed to stay in the dark unless special occasions are created to share their experiences of defeat. To identify what could be done better in the future, companies can also conduct decision postmortems to analyse underlying processes. Of course, the goal of learning must dominate the natural tendency to assign blame. 
• Don't miss near misses - Another often ignored event is the near miss, a failure that's disguised as a success, but only because there are generally no dire consequences. Having a risk-free, anonymous reporting channels can reduce close calls and disastrous mistakes in many sectors.
• Pursue prevention - Recognising a potential problem requires a different approach than solving an actual problem. One strategy is to harness employees' collective talents by allowing people to raise concerns about the firm's operations. Many companies' incentive mechanisms work exactly to the contrary, and employees often hesitate to speak up for fear of reprisal or being labeled a nuisance. Employees should be made to feel comfortable reporting issues to the very top - even obliged to do so. 
• Disagree - To devise healthy strategies, executives need to hear many perspectives, including feedback that is critical of their own actions. Executives should surround themselves with people from diverse backgrounds and promote independent thinking in their team. 
• Disconfirm - Rather than finding clues that corroborate your hunch - all too easy in an information rich world - start by asking yourself how you could know you were, in fact, wrong. What evidence would contradict your belief and how likely is it hat you would see it? One technique is to use this thought experiment: Imagine that you are already in the future and things have not turned out as you had oped. Now use your new hindsight to ask how this might have happened. If you do go the route of using big data, refrain from revealing your hopes and dreams to the data scientists you hire to collect and mine information. Ask questions in a way that prompts them to look for caveats that would endanger your mission but that doesn't reveal what you actually hope they'll find. 
• Lose focus - It may seem that to mine our experience for valuable lessons, we must focus on the experiences we think really matter. In fact, a narrow perspective can be a serious impediment. When people focus too much on an issue or a task, they inevitably miss out on unexpected opportunities. Being open to the unexpected is also critical for individuals. A wide perspective can help, giving new meaning to our varied experiences and allowing us to learn from them and draw on them in surprising ways. The result is often serendipitous discovery and innovation. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

The innovative power of criticism

Article from Harvard Business Review by Roberto Verganti

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. The art of criticism
2. Individual reflection
3. Sparring partners
4. Radical circles
5. Outsiders

On The art of criticism

• Whether for products, services, processes, or business models, two levels of innovation are possible: improvements and new directions
• Improvements are novel solutions that better satisfy existing definitions of value. Whether incremental or radical, they address problems that are already widely recognised in the marketplace.
• In contrasts, new directions arise from reinterpreting the problems worth addressing. They redefine what customers value. 
• In order to find an exploit the opportunities made possible by big changes in technology or society, we need to explicitly question assumptions about what is good or valuable and what is not - and then, through reflection, come up with a new lens to examine innovation ideas. Such questioning and reflection characterise the art of criticism.

On Individual reflection

• Ask members of the group to spend time thinking about one or more proposals for products or services or business models. To ensure that they would focus on new directions rather than mere improvements, give them a strict directive: Solutions should be based on brand-new concepts of value. To make the new direction explicit, each proposal should contain an arrow indicating the change from the existing value proposition to the proposed one.
• This approach differs from popular innovation methods in several way.
• First, the staff are not asked to start with the insights of customers or other outsiders. They start with their own. We all sense changes in our environment, and we all have hunches, both conscious and subconscious, about how the world might become better. We often keep these personal hypotheses private. So, get the members to make their hypotheses explicit. Once made explicit and then challenged, those intuitions would become precious raw materials for creating new visions. And the process would combat the natural tendency of individuals to let their subconscious intuitions affect how they perceive the insights of others. This enables the leader to more clearly see and objectively consider visions that would ultimately have been proposed to him.
• Second, everyone reflect alone rather than as a team. This allowed people to dig deep into their own insights and not dilute or withhold them, as they might in a group brainstorming session. It gave each person freedom to perform the task as he or she saw fit - relying on a particular analytical framework, on data, or simply on intuition.
• Third, people have longer time for reflection, such as one month. They are expected to keep performing their regular jobs, but the time was sufficient for each individual to sketch out thoughts, let them percolate for a few days, and then refine them and add new ones. This is especially important for coming up with provocative or outlandish hypotheses - those that are often so blurred in the early stages that they can be quickly dismissed. 

On Sparring partners

• In the second step each person subjects his or her vision to the criticism of a trusted peer. The peer acts like a sparring partner, providing a protected environment in which the person can dare to share a wild or half baked hypothesis without being dismissed. 
• How can you find a sparring partner who shares your general vision? You needn't have had a previous relationship. Nor must companies rely on serendipity. The odds can be improved with a sort of speed dating process whereby people with similar visions can find each other and agree to work together to polish their ideas. After step one, in which individuals reflect independently on possible directions, invite them to a meeting and ask them to briefly illustrate their ideas, which can be posted on a wall. Then have each person choose another's idea that he or she would like to explore. If more than one person chooses the same direction, ask them to a second and if necessary, a third choice. 

On Radical circles

• In step three these promising hypotheses are subjected to deeper criticism through discussion in a group of 10 to 20 people who have envisioned other new directions. Its purpose is not to decide which hypotheses are right or wrong; it is to judge why and how they are different, what important underlying insights might have been overlooked, and whether a value proposition even more formidable than all the hypotheses might be found.
• This exercise, which can be held in an intense two or three day workshop or over the course of four weeks, needs to be conducted carefully so that it is constructive, not destructive. Clashes should push people to dig deeper and identify more innovative spaces, and shouldn't constrain thinking or compromise good ideas.
• The circle should include people with a variety of background, perspectives and personalities. 
• You can keep the process positive and creative by having the radical circle focus initially on where everyone believes the company should not go and who its enemies are. Often members can converge more easily on what they dislike than on what they like, and a common enemy is a powerful incentive to come together and articulate a new direction.
• Then contrasts the visions and try to combine them, two at a time. Are there places where they overlap? Are there strong elements of the individual visions that didn't occur to others? 

On Outsiders

• A radical circle may converge on one or a few possible directions, which should then be subjected to the criticism of outsiders - step four. Remember that, unlike open innovation approaches, involving outsiders is not intended to generate new ideas. Rather, it is meant to raise good questions - to challenge the innovative direction you propose in order to help you strengthen it. In addition to targeted users, outsiders should include experts from far flung fields with novel perspectives. Their ability to find meaning in trends that might not occur to the product's users. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

How to have effective working relationships

This post came out from The Straits Times (3 February 2016)
Title - How to have effective working relationships

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Staying positive
2. Building long lasting relationships
3. Handling tough people

On Staying positive

• The workplace is an extension of your daily life, and just like in life, it is always good to surround yourself with positive people at work. That does not mean you avoid people you do not get along with. Try to make the best out of any situation and focus on being in positive situations to succeed at work. This will in turn increase the confidence your colleagues have in you. 
• It is important to maintain good relationships with everyone regardless of their role, seniority, and influence on your career progression. Over the course of your work, you may disagree with others but it does not mean you should not have a good relationship with them. Maintain healthy debates and discuss on matters, yet leverage on combined skills and expertise for the overall benefit of the team and company.

On Building long lasting relationships

• Trust is an important component of any relationship, be it personal or professional. Building up the trust people have in you by demonstrating empathy, effective listening, respecting differences in opinions, accepting and celebrating diversity at the workplace, handling failures with accountability instead of blaming others, and recognising effort and achievements. 
• The foundation of all these acts is a sincere desire to develop positive relationships which can drive appropriate and sustainable behaviour.

On handling tough people

• The most common habit people have is to let a strained relationship worsen. Communication is important when it comes to talking to a boss or colleague who may not see eye to eye with you. There may be tough and uncomfortable conversations but you just have to brace yourself and face the situation if this is a colleague you want to have a smoother working relationship with.
• Initiate a private, preferably face-to-face conversation. It is important to be able to see his or her body language in order to fully understand and move past the situation.
• Be honest, positive, open and do not be confrontational about the purpose of your meeting.
• Be factual. Ask open-ended questions that effectively probe the problem. For instance, if he or she points out some of your negative traits, ask him or her for specifics as well as what would be an ideal situation should the incident happen again. The more descriptive, the better.
• Listen. Respond when appropriate but do not defend yourself or react emotionally. The objective of the conversation is to get the other party to open up about what they are bothered about. You want to be able to agree with each other and move forward sincerely. 
• If the person does not wish to communicate with you, try again another time using a different approach. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Five rules that guide top leaders

This post came out from The Straits Times (28 June 2008)
Title - Learn from the best - Here are five rules that guide top leaders

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Practice what you preach
2. Walk the tightrope
3. Be a good follower
4. Treat your people a assets
5. Assess yourself regularly

On Practice what you preach

• More often than top managers realise, there are discrepancies between what they preach and what they actually do. Such discrepancies might even seen insignificant but could potentially cripple their credibility. 
• For example, if you preach work life balance in your company and then set targets that require your staff to work long hours, it comes across as insincere.

On Walk the tightrope

• There are times when being a leader requires sound judgement and the ability to make tough or even unpopular decisions so that things can get done. People look up to their leaders for direction so that they know where to go and how to get there. The difference between a leader and a boss is that a leader leads, clearing all obstacles along the way, while the boss simply drives where he is told to go. 

On Be a good follower

• He who has never learnt to obey cannot be a good commander - Aristotle.
• The best way to learn is to be a good follower and constantly benchmark yourself against those whom you aspire to be. As you emulate the best leaders and learn from their success, you also learn to adjust your responses to your seniors and situation at hand, and gain insights on how to communicate with your staff.

On Treat your people as assets

• One common trait among great leaders is that they have a strong self-awareness of their strengths and capabilities, as well as the confidence to surround themselves with great people who can complement them and compensate them in areas where they are lacking.
•  A good leader should also intentionally intervene, coach, mentor and influence people to perform at their best. Exercising leadership also means being able to articulate your vision powerfully and inspire your people to rally around it. 

On Assess yourself regularly

• Leadership is a constant, on-going process of learning and refining your management styles, influencing skills, approaches and understanding of the people working with you and for you.
• To lead effectively, you need to stay ahead of the game all the time and be highly adaptable to changes and shifts in trends and attitudes. 
• Regular self-assessment not only keeps you on track, but it also provides great guiding principles in your leadership duties.
• Do you take responsibility when things go wrong, and turn the spotlight on people around you in good times?
• Do you delegate tasks that should be yours or do everything yourself and delegate nothing?
• Have you done all in your power to spur people to do their best and encourage those who haven't?
• Do you allow people to take risks, make mistakes and learn from them, or are you quick to blame?

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Five time saving work tips

This post came out from The New Paper (26 January 2016)
Title - Five time saving work tips

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Prepare in advance
2. Wake up earlier
3. Plan your day
4. Ask questions
5. Find uninterrupted time

On Prepare in advance

• Are you always forgetting items or getting dressed in a hurry in the morning? Avoid leaving things until the last minute. 

On Wake up earlier

• Sleep early, and wake up 10 minutes earlier to give yourself a slight buffer. Waking up earlier boosts your mental alertness and puts you in a better mood because you feel less stressed about being late. 

On Plan your day

• Think about what the day holds in store for you in the morning before you reach the office. If you have a long work commute, think about what you need to do for the day on the bus or train so you know better what to expect.

On Ask questions

• When faced with a challenging assignment, get a clear picture of what you need to do before starting. This prevents you from doing the assignment wrongly, which is what may happen when you rush into a task before you understand what is required.

On Find uninterrupted time

• If you are constantly being interrupted at work, find other ways to complete your assignments on time. If your office is noisy, work on your laptop in a meeting room during lunch, or refrain from checking your email or chatting with your colleagues until you have completed your tasks. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Grab their attention - Practice these 10 ways to create an authoritative presence

This post came out from The Straits Times (9 July 2014)
Title - Grab their attention - Practice these 10 ways to create an authoritative presence

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Check your posture and stance
2. Adopt the power position
3. Smile and nod less
4. Establish eye contact with everyone in the room
5. Be expressive
6. Look the part
7. Enunciate and articulate words clearly
8. Language accuracy
9. Speak with a down tone, not an up tone
10. Use a low pitched voice and vary your voice tone

On Check your posture and stance

• In the animal kingdom, the fastest, strongest and biggest survive. We can mirror this by standing up straight and tall to take up as much 'space' as possible 
• How we place our feet makes a difference too. The champion stance for women is recommended, with one foot in front of the other, 10cm to 15cm apart. Men should adopt a stance which is 20cm apart. 

On Adopt the power position

• Your hands should be clasped and placed in front of your navel. This is what is called the power position and all hand gestures must start from this position and return when they are not needed.
• With this position, you will exude a sense of calmness, similar to the "ready" position in martial arts. Hand gestures must never be excessive and too big. They should be kept within the power zone which spans across the shoulders, and vertically between your shoulders and waist.

On Smile and nod less

• You don't want to appear overly eager by overdoing the smiling and nodding. This gives the impression that you are desperately trying to impress and please your audience.

On Establish eye contact with everyone in the room

• If you are speaking to a small group of about 30 people, make it a point to look at everyone at least once during your speech. Spend one to three seconds or move on when you notice the colour of the person's eyes. No one should be left feeling ignored or neglected.

On Be expressive

• An expressionless speaker brings no joy to his listeners. Connect with your audience by speaking as if you are in an animated conversation with them. Move your eyebrows or scrunch up your nose, for example. Express emotions that are appropriate to the message you are delivering. 

On Look the part

• Dress with style and elegance, and ladies, don't be afraid to look beautiful. Invest in clothes that look expensive, but don't burn a hole in your pocket.

On Enunciate and articulate words clearly

• There has to be a clear distinction between long and short vowels (such as "caught" and "cot"). It is our responsibility to speak with clarity; consonants, for example, need to be deliberately enunciated.

On Language accuracy

• Mispronunciations and grammatical errors such as subject-verb disagreement will damage your credibility. Avoid this at all costs.

On Speak with a down tone, not an up tone

• If you record your voice and discover you have been ending every sentence with an up tone, stop. In English, an up tone is used when asking questions. If an up tone is used in a sentence, the impression generated could be that of immaturity, lack of intellectual ability and conviction. Use the down tone to enhance your credibility and to mean what you say. 

On Use a low-pitched voice and vary your voice tone

• It is well known to many charismatic speakers that a lower-piched voice suggest credibility, intelligence, reliability and trust worthiness.
• In addition to voice pitch, vary your voice tone though pace (fast and slow) and volume (loud and soft). Pauses should be used for dramatic impact or suggesting you are thinking or listening to your audience. To demonstrate more conviction, try placing greater emphasis or stress on important content words. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Go the extra mile to add value

This post came out from The New Paper (21 January 2016)
Title - Go the extra mile to add value - Some initiatives in the office goes a long way

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Keep everyone in the loop
2. Step out of your comfort zone
3. Don't doubt yourself
4. Recognise areas for improvement
5. Be a champion of new ideas
6. Learn from your mistakes

On Keep everyone in the loop

• Communication is key. Be sure to communicate with those who are connected with your work - be it your peers, supervisors, managers, or stakeholders. Our decisions and actions can impact others.

On Step out of your comfort zone

• Every endeavour requires some risk taking. Be ready to seize opportunities to display some initiatives and act with confidence.
• Learn from constructive comments and ignoring malicious criticism will give you the belief and confidence that you need to take the initiative when necessary.

On Don't doubt yourself

• Being confident entails keeping a delicate balance that many people have difficulty with. Over-confidence can lead to arrogance, whereas a lack of confidence causes self-doubt that will hinder your ability to demonstrate initiative. 

On Recognise areas for improvement

• Set aside some time to perform your daily tasks as if it is the first time you are doing them. View such tasks with a set of fresh eyes. In doing so, some elements of the process may be improved and in turn result in greater efficiency, and may even save time and costs. "Good enough" is never enough.

On Be a champion of new ideas

• Don't settle for the old way of doing something just because that is what has been done for years. There could be a more efficient way of doing it.
• Do your homework. Ensure you understand all aspects of your proposal - including its limitations, before you recommend a change or improvement to a product, service or process.

On Learn from your mistakes

• Sometimes, the most well thought out plan can fail in execution. When mistakes occur, use them as learning opportunities. Take the responsibility to look after an issue or event by finding the answer is what it means to show initiative. 
• Don't give up on demonstrating initiative because of a single negative experience. Use the experience wisely to ensure such mistakes or omissions will never recur. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

Avoid these common mistakes that salesmen often make

This post came out from The Straits Times (18 October 2011)
Title - Get your clients to say yes - Avoid these common mistakes that salesmen often make

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. You talk more than you listen
2. You are not buyer centric
3. Your pitch is forgettable

On You talk more than you listen

• When your well-oiled sales pitch focuses too much on your product or services, you lose the chance to truly understand what your client needs. People buy with their emotions. 
• To cash in on your clients' emotions, start by listening and engaging them in a conversation. You should build sufficient rapport with your client and create either a knowledge or dream gap large enough to drive your client into buying from you.
• A knowledge gap - When your client discovers there is something he doesn't know or something that others know and he doesn't, a knowledge gap is created. You generate interest, involve clients and you cause the pain of not knowing. Entice your clients with tidbits of knowledge that they don't ave instead of telling them everything. This sets them thinking and hunting for more. 
• The dream gap - The dream gap is that between your current status (X) and desired state (Y), which is what you want to achieve. A skilful salesman is able to get his prospective client to experience the gap during the conversation. The bigger the gap, the more emotional pain it will generate, and the more the client will be motivated to take the necessary action to achieve the desired state. And of course, the savvy salesman will position his product or service as the solution to bridging the gap.

On You are not buyer centric

• One of the most important questions to ask yourself as a salesman is "What's in it for your buyers?". What you think are benefits to your clients are really just features. For a benefit to be effective, it needs to either bring your client pleasure or take them away from pain. 
• It also helps if you know what your client's current status (X) and desired state (Y) are. The current status will give you clues to your client's source of dissatisfaction while the desire state will reveal his wants. 

On Your pitch is forgettable

• Most sales pitches will be forgotten the minute you leave the room because: They don't involve the buyer; the benefits are too abstract; and there is too much talk but too little show.
• Provide tangible paybacks - Ensure that your benefits have concrete paybacks that your clients can really experience, for example, saving $2,000 on medical bills and beauty products every year when they exercise regularly with your product because it keeps them healthy and youthful-looking. If you can get your clients to imagine the benefits they will get when they buy your product or service, all the better, because research shows that imagination has the power to make your sales pitch stick memorably. 
• Show more, tell less - (1) Tell a story - Think of an interesting tale that can do for your sales, (2) Make an analogy - Tailor your pitch according to how your client's mind works, (3) Use a picture - A picture speaks a thousand works, (4) Include props where needed for effect. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big