If you don’t already know it, paying people more money – at least beyond a certain point – will not result in better performance. In fact, the old carrot-and-stick approach to management is broken.
That’s what bestselling author and careerist Daniel Pink claims. According to the motivational speaker and writer, higher financial incentives only work for traditionally mechanistic roles – manufacturing tasks, book-keeping, software programming and the like.
Zach Tumin (Source)
At the recent GovCamp in Singapore, Professor Zachary Tumin from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government shared several strategies on how public and private organisations can lead in an increasingly connected and networked world.
According to Tumin, organisations around the world should work more closely with their citizens to “do together what no one can do alone”. In his words, collaboration is the “Difference Maker”, “Game Changer” and “Force Multiplier” (you get the point).
Is the difference between success and failure that clear? (source)
Success is a perpetually debated and discussed topic. It drives us both as a group and as an individual, steering our corporate, personal and social lives.
Some feel that success can only be metered by quantitative indicators. These measures tend to be financial, cumulative, self-oriented and tangible in nature.
One of my family’s favourite tradition every Chinese New Year Eve is to squeeze in with the masses at the Chinatown Night Market. Located along Trengganu, Sago, Smith , Pagoda and Temple Streets, the annual nocturnal bazaar is a celebration of sight, sound, scent, touch and tastes, mingled with hordes of humanity. Organised by the Chinatown Business Association with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board from 14 Jan to 6 Mar, the open air stalls offer all manner of calorific goodies, decor, toys, clothes, souvenirs, and of course, food glorious food.
After reunion dinner at my parent’s place, my wife and I decided to join the festive fray and mill with the crowd. Our aims were to grab some last minute bargain items (since this was usually the last night for people to fill their larders and wardrobes), catch some festive spirit, and just check out what’s popular in the retail scene. The cool night air after many days of non-stop rain made for a pleasant night out.
Courtesy of Leong, Cheng Chit
As we hunker down to celebrate Chinese New Year and usher in the year of the metal rabbit, I thought it’d be interesting to compile a list of useless trivia about this long-eared cuddly beast.
According to the Chinese Horoscope, the coming 2011 year of the metal rabbit is one that is sophisticated and intuitive with gracious manners and sensitivity. A rabbit year is usually more quiet and peaceful, especially coming after the normally more torrid year of the Tiger in 2010.
Is it true that quitters never win and winners never quit?
Well, the answer is no – at least according to Seth Godin, business blogger extraordinaire and prolific author of small “hit ’em hard” books.
Catering to families can be a highly profitable venture for any consumer facing business. Don’t believe me? Consider the following research commissioned in 2005 by Family Matters! Singapore and MCYS:
– Households with young children collectively spend $1.5 billion annually
– They tend to shop as a family nearly 2/3 of the time
Remove Our Pain and We’ll Reward You For it (source)
It often puzzles me why companies and businesses don’t focus on the obvious pain points of their customers. Why do they not listen to the repeated complaints and criticisms that have emerged both online and offline by their regular customers?
Examples of commonly felt “pain” points include the following:
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.
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.
