Creating a Better Future for Our Cities

August 31, 2011 • Blog • 3 comments

Is there hope for our planet as the world population continues to explode? What measures can cities do to reduce their resource and energy use, narrow their carbon footprints, and give our planet a fighting chance for survival?

In a recent TED video, Journalist and sustainable activist Alex Steffen unveiled some surprisingly effective solutions to the climate change problem. Founder of the online magazine Worldchanging.com, Steffen proposed a couple of “cool” solutions and ideas that urban planners can consider:

How to be Extremely Productive

August 29, 2011 • Blog • 2 comments

Unfortunately, most of us do not have 8 arms (Source of image)

From organisational speed, let’s move on next to individual productivity. Once again, Harvard Business Review’s Ideacast features good ideas worth considering.

In “Productivity Secrets of a Very Busy Man“, Bob Posen, a senior lecturer at Harvard and executive chairman of a major investment firm, offers some great tips. Other than holding down two jobs, Posen sits on a few boards and manages to write a couple of articles a year.

The Virtues of Writing Good Notes

August 22, 2011 • Business and Management • 1 comment

Designed by Freepik

One of the most important yet neglected skills in today’s workplace is note taking.

In an age of instant communication, smart phones and ever smarter social technologies, the discipline of writing good minutes still has its place.

Book Review: What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

August 20, 2011 • Book Reviews • disabled comments

Malcolm Gladwell has an uncanny talent. Like a detective, he weaves compelling yarns, spinning together sources of information from psychologists, food testers, doctors, animal trainers, criminologists, and other experts to challenge common notions.

With journalistic brilliance honed by his years in the New Yorker, Gladwell proffered radical answers to challenge age-old notions in his latest bestselling volume What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures. A compilation of 19 essays on a wide range of topics – espionage, war, hair colour, kitchen appliances, homelessness and more – the volume blended pop psychology, sociology, management and current affairs in a highly readable prose.

The Ultimate Start Up Entrepreneur

August 17, 2011 • Blog • 1 comment

After months of hard canvassing and pitching in a two stage competition, the winner of the Martell V.S.O.P. The Ultimate Start-up Space competition was announced last night. Mr Jeremy Nguee of the business idea “Preparazzi”, was selected by a panel of judges out of 10 finalists.

Anticipatory versus Predatory Marketing

August 15, 2011 • Blog • disabled comments

Predators are better in the movies than on the streets (source)

There are two forms of marketing out there.

The first is what I call Predatory Marketing. Almost every company and business selling to a consumer does this to some extent.

Are You Sure It Was That Obvious?

August 13, 2011 • Business and Management • disabled comments

Source of image

You’ve probably heard the saying that with hindsight, one has 20/20 vision.

“Why didn’t you do this then?”

Technology in Museums – Some Surprising Findings

August 11, 2011 • Blog • disabled comments

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read this 2009 article in Museum Audience Insight on how technology is actually preferred by older museum visitors to younger ones. Have a look at the chart below:

Courtesy of Museum Audience Insight

According to their findings of visitors to Outdoor History Museums,

Marketing (& Celebrating) Singapore’s 46th Birthday

August 8, 2011 • • 1 comment

Courtesy of NDPeeps

As our nation celebrate the Lion City’s 46th National Day on 9th August, I thought it’d be interesting to review some of the ways in which this festive occasion is “marketed”.

Like celebrations in previous years, there are lots of flags and banners being flown throughout the island – in public housing estates, private homes, and basketball courts.

Why Bugis Junction is Still Booming

August 7, 2011 • Business and Management • 2 comments

Is it all doom and gloom for Singapore’s retail scene? After all, we have read about so many empty tenant outlets around the once bustling Orchard Road area.

Well, there is one mall that seem to be one that is doing reasonably well amidst the impending shop-acalypse in our multiple malls…