Business and management articles | Cooler Insights

Visitor Strategies @ V&A Museum

April 25, 2011 • Blog • 1 comment

The V&A (formerly Victoria and Albert Museum) in the UK is one of the leading museum groups on the British isles and an international cultural brand. It comprises the V&A Museum at South Kensington, the V&A Museum of Childhood at Bethnal Green, and its archives and stores at Blythe House, Kensington Olympia. Like many British museums, all V&A museums provide free entry to visitors.

First opened in 1852 and named after Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, the V&A has a massive permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects. Its flagship museum at South Kensington has since grown to now cover 12.5 acres (51,000 m2) and 145 galleries, and is touted as the “world’s greatest museum of art and design, with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity”. Visitors to V&A at South Kensington can uncover 3000 years of cultural treasures gleaned from many of the world’s richest cultures. They include ceramics, furniture, fashion, glass, jewellery, metalwork, photographs, sculpture, textiles and paintings.

Lessons in Leadership from Jesus

April 22, 2011 • Business and Management • 3 comments

Jesus displays servant leadership by washing his disciple’s feet (courtesy of Turn Back To God)

A carpenter’s son born in a humble manger, Jesus of Nazareth could hardly be considered a superstar CEO by today’s yardstick.

However, few others have inspired or influenced as many lives as He has.

How to Build a Great Association

April 18, 2011 • Business and Management • 1 comment

Association dinners and trips can be good bonding events (ASA Exco 2005)

Through the kind invitation of MCI, a global association management company, I had the privilege of diving more deeply into the world of associations at a recent conference at Suntec City Convention Centre. As the Sec-Gen of the Association of Singapore Attractions, I am always interested to learn about the best practices of running and managing an association.

According to a white paper published by the firm, there are 8 key strategies for associations (whether professional or trade) anywhere in the world to remain relevant in a fast changing future. Key findings from these paper hail from a survey of European associations conducted by MCI, but many of them are relevant to associations here in Singapore. They are:

The Importance of Closing the Loop

April 15, 2011 • Blog • 2 comments

Courtesy of Computer Technology Review

One of the most fundamental lessons in any professional, personal or social endeavour is to close the loop. Don’t leave things hanging in mid-air or wait until they’re forgotten (and forgiven). Chances are that they might come back again to haunt you if you don’t hit that nail on the head until its well and truly level.

Now closing the loop doesn’t mean that you should try to go for quick and easy wins all the time. Occasionally, one needs to consider if closing a small loop may result in tearing open a larger issue in the long-run. However, the key principle is that you should not leave issues or projects in limbo as far as you can help it.

Revisiting Ethan’s Gift of a Lifetime

April 10, 2011 • • 5 comments

Slightly more than three years (or 40 months) ago, my wife Tina and I gave our son Ethan a Christmas gift of a Marang tree as part of NParks’ Plant a Tree Programme. Over the months, we’ve always made it a point to revisit our tree every now and then, just to see how healthy it has grown. Occasionally, I will also jog to the trail area where the tree grows just to see how well the sapling is doing.

On a recent trip to the Marang Trail at the foot of Mount Faber, we’re glad to see that our tree is still doing well and growing both tall and lush. To me, this tree is especially meaningful when I make the connection between how my son Ethan grows and how the tree increases in size and girth. Let’s hope that it will continue to spring forth and grow, just as my son Ethan continues to mature and grow as a young boy every day of his life.

Ethan gazing at the map of Mount Faber park at the foot of the hill.

Touring and Learning from the Tate Modern

April 8, 2011 • Blog • 1 comment

Occupying a disused power station in the heart of London beside the River Thames, Tate Modern is one of the world’s leading modern art museum. With an impressive display of art from 1900 to the present, Tate Modern attracts some five million visitors annually, and is one of a family of four Tate galleries in the UK (which includes Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives).

Collectively, the Tates cover the national collection of British art from the year 1500 to the present day, and of international modern art. All their collections are accessible online, and the Tate Group embraces an extensive social media engagement strategy encompassing Facebook, Twitter, Youtube videos, photos on Flickr, a Video Channel, and a Blog.