Business and management articles | Cooler Insights

Chief Culture Officer – A Book Review

January 24, 2011 • Blog • no comments

On a recent visit to the public library at Bukit Merah (I love them for their wide selection), I managed to locate a copy of Chief Culture Officer by cultural anthropologist Grant McCracken.

With the tagline “How to Create a Living, Breathing Corporation”, McCracken proposed that a new professional – the Chief Culture Officer or CCO – is needed to keep corporations on the pulse of consumer cultures. While certain organisations has the fortune of having a CEO who is also a CCO, relying purely on the gut feel of executive tastemakers alone may be dangerous and un-strategic for organisations keen to differentiate themselves.

Why I Love the 3 A’s of Awesome

January 22, 2011 • Blog • 3 comments

Neil Paricha – living an awesome life (from The Webby Awards)

Do you know who the man above is?

Well, Neil Pasricha is the son of two Canadian immigrants of South Asian origin, and a 30 something guy who faced some rather big issues in life. His wife divorced him recently, despite him loving her very much, and his best friend committed suicide.

nex – Colossal Cathedral of Consumption

January 20, 2011 • Blog • 2 comments

To satisfy my curiosity and to keep in touch with what’s new, hot and happening in Singapore’s suburban towns, my family recently visited nex, the biggest shopping mall at the Northeastern part of Singapore.

Understanding Government 2.0

January 16, 2011 • Blog • 1 comment

A view of what Government 2.0 could be (courtesy of ZD Net)

What does Government 2.0 mean? Does it merely entail government agencies embracing the use of multiple social technologies and community platforms? Is it reflective of a more open, engaging and inclusive approach to governance? Or does it epitomise the beginning of active citizenry in all public affairs?

As I’ll be moderating a Gov 2.0 session on ‘Connection’ next week at Govcamp, I thought I should dig in deeper into this topic. For a start, here’s a definition of what Government 2.0 means according to Gartner

Why Do Crowded Buses Still Happen?

January 12, 2011 • Blog • 7 comments

One of the most befuddling things I encounter, day after working day as a bus commuter, is this:

Why are the same crowded buses always crowded?

Don’t Lose Your Way (Garmin-Asus A10 Review)

January 10, 2011 • Blog • 2 comments

When Alvin from Omy.sg first called me to ask if I’m keen to review a new GPS smartphone from Garmin and Asus, I immediately agreed. After all, I do know of Garmin’s expertise in developing easy to use GPS navigation devices – an ever useful feature whenever you are driving abroad in strange roads around the world (like the one below along California).

Day Trippin’ in Johor Bahru

January 5, 2011 • Blog • 2 comments

In my previous post, I’ve shared how my wife and I decided at the spur of a moment to take a train from Tanjong Pagar to Johor Bahru. Naturally, the train ride itself was an experience in itself. Upon reaching our nearest Northern neighbour, our mission was to explore its newest shopping malls, eat till we burst, indulge in some massage, and shop during the post-Christmas sale (especially for Chinese New Year clothes).

The trip was certainly an eye opener. It revealed how similar yet dissimilar JB is to Singapore. While the shopping malls were every bit as impressive as ours – give or take a couple of years in terms of fashion tastes and trends – what particularly charmed me were the old style kopitiams (coffee shops), hawker centres, and street scapes which can no longer be found in Singapore. Although the roads are more chaotic (and dirty) than the streets here, I love that sense of rusticity and nostalgia in JB.

We were also charmed by the hospitality, warmth and sincerity of the Malaysians working in the service industry there. Their earnestness, proactiveness, and friendly banter made all the difference in our shopping, massaging and eating experience.

Who Should You Hire?

January 3, 2011 • Business and Management • 1 comment

Courtesy of Diverse Connections

One of the key strategies in the Human Resource function of any organisation is to hire the right people at the right price.

While human capital are the most important assets in any organisation, the process of recruitment is often more like a “hit and miss” strategy which usually depend on the following factors…