...and so it draws to an end.

yup... have not been blogging for quite some time already... been rather busy / slack (the latter being the more dominant reason) for the past 2 weeks or so.

very much settled down i guess. yesterday i attended the ceremony for the l'oreal brandstorm competition that was held at MOS. l'oreal booked the entire studio for us (well.. they're rich rite) and gave, i suppose, a goodie bag to each participant which is worth 100+ on the retail market. 3 products and 1 comb (which i dun use) and well... i didn't stay for long as i was very tired... and thus for 2007, brandstorm draws to an end.

i've managed to secure a 3 day week... yup... after some add-dropping now i'm taking 4 cores + 1 ge for this upcoming semester. previously i told some friends abt the ge i was taking... intro to public admin... my advice to fellow ntu mates if u ever are considering this ge (code ha101):

if you do not mind the following -
1) a rather boring lecture
2) slide content a ripoff from the text
3) you have to buy a textbook (for 3 au?!) costing abt 30
4) a total disregard by the lecturer on slide presentation i.e. 1 slide all filled with words
5) constant skipping of slides (min 5 at a time)
6) the drag (approx 100 slides per lect)
7) an effortful decryption of the lecturer's speech (i.e. you need to bypass the pronunciation)
8) a passive tutorial session
9) a debate and an individual assignment, with accompanying reports of 2000 words min
9) endless frustration due to the combination of the above factors esp 7 - 9

you can go ahead and spend 13 weeks with the best lecturer i've come across in ntu.

i was really halfway thru on dropping this after i attended the lecture. i mean, public admin is so dry a subject, and reading off the slides is not gg to be very helpful in stimulating interest. well, not that i care about interest, i juz wan to take the ge and clear my damned requirements. the spur came when i attended the tutorial (okie... there was a chick but it wasn't wat i wanted in the course). we were organized into 2 groups and the lecturer simply came in and wrote the topic for discussion. it was "why do we need a government?" i was in the group that required more prompting.

so then, someone started the ball rolling. finally. after, like, 5 minutes of silence and looking at each other, while the other group is busy chatting and discussing away. the group took turns to speak: each gave a reason why do we need a government. now, language nuances aside as that they're asking "why" and not "do we need", the entire discussion was hilarious.

the person who prompted is hereon named P. also there's the active speaker (A) and the knowledgable speaker (K).

P: ok, let's start with me. I think we need a government because (i forgot)
A: yah, blabber blabber.
me: i think we need a govt because the country requires some form of representation that it exists, with proper law and order, in this world and that it may present itself to the international community. (go wow - no la joking only)
P: Actually, why do we need the govt? Why can we juz behave as we are and don't do bad things? Let's say today we don't pay taxes, or have complete disregard for traffic lights (i.e. juz go on red), and we don't care wat the govt says, and it cant do anything abt it! (omg... smart)
A: more blabber
K: (i really salute this guy) (to P) then wat is your definition of right and wrong? (juz wat i was thinking as well... P, you're suggesting that every person comes out from the same moral mould that you come from, which sadly isn't the case and probably, your words of "unwisdom" has gotten the group to wanna either laugh at you or kick your ass) law exists so that each individual are subjected to a fair (debatable though) form of treatment and... (more... but each word made more sense than P)
A: more blabber
P: actually (haha you like a lot of actually... actually i also like actually) why need a govt? you see in other countries they have royal families and they blah blah...
K: they have because its part of their history. but you must remember they do not have so much of authority as they had in the past. they existed simply becos of respect and tradition.
A: (smartest statement of the day) well, in our history, we didn't have royal families ruling us so there wasn't a need to have one in place, but we do have one already that's ruling us.

the tutorial lasted 1 hr. it was like hell... imagine another 12 weeks in the same group. the tut wrapped up aft each group had a rep to say the reasons out (my group - by P)

after the lesson i met my friends in fal. i opened stars and guess wat... the index vacancy for my slot was initially 0, then i saw 1, and saw 2... all coming. might as well make it a 3. i gave that number 3 to the system. and so it draws to an end. i've just checked too... it stayed at 3. maybe ppl dropped. then ppl added it. so have fun, those who've added. and those who've dropped, welcome to the club.

to P: you are displaying an outright naviety towards the topic. the topic is generally a good discussion issue but you are showing your plain ignorance to the situation and context. you've deviated too far from the core issues: that is, why do we need a govt, NOT wat we can do to bring the govt down.

crap, i think everyone's suppressing their laughters. either you're still in the bloody secondary school mindset, or you're in the wrong place, or you're just trying to prove how limited your worldview is. you remind me of a classmate (but not friend) of mine. ppl would wan to slap you with a smile wide across their faces. pls stop being in your comfort zone and say, you're in uni alr rite? start behaving like you're an undergrad! i dunno if you've jus came in or it simply just being your own character, but apart from giving us a good (though silent) laugh it's really time, you know, to stop behaving like the sheltered child your parents have been treating you all along.

no wonder ppl say that undergrads nowadays suck. it's becos of ppl like you who show your stupidity and having no tact watsoever that ppl who are really good gets shadowed by you. but thankfully, as with that previous classmate, i shall not see you again. i feel... revolted by your sheer incompetence.

i mean, i would not mind if you take more time to understand material. i would not mind too if your foundations are not good. what i would mind is that kind of childish attitude you show.

and so, this entry draws to an end. wake up lar, P!

"we're talking about big money here"

my first taste of "real" marketing today left myself stabbed (injure but not dead) and yet, every moment savoury even till now. took away several priceless learning points from a MNC no less, the all famous comestics and beauty company, L'oreal.

according to the 2 judges, the presentation:

1) was too vague
2) lacking in content
3) actual survey data was not present and instead replaced by personal views and opinion leaders
4) needless repitition of redundant information
5) misc. others

which was all very true and left us basically slightly disappointed but then we know, with this invaluable experience, we can apply them to subsequent assignments and projects in school with a clearer focus in mind. frankly, i think marketing is damn shit. easy to pass, not too difficult to score but hard to succeed (real life). i'm not so concerned about the grades as i juz heard from my fellow group mate for this competition that P&G, my ideal PA org and hopefully future employer, employers 1st class and 2nd uppers to do event mgt tasks... so i suppose u'll see me at orchard road passing out samples of Lux shampoos one day... then u'll noe i have min 2nd upper and i work at P&G as marketing exec to push sales at roadshows.

anyway, it was a great brush with reality. which makes me think how really useful the subjects i am studying now is. well, i feel very lucky i'm still in school. not shrinking from any responsibility, but assured of the fact that the life i am leading now is much more easier, simpler and sheltered from what is going to happen.

so that's abt all... it has been a very heavy and taxing month for all three of us. so wh and neri... u ppl done a real great job and it has not been easy this period. late nights, meetings during a hard-earned hols and vexing times were present, but it didn't deter us. we did wat we could and delivered our 2 cents. so then again, thks for the excellent job done and hope this be an invaluable learning lesson for all.

so let's get back to studies... after all, they're much simpler not juz becos it only means reading and taking exam, but also wif the exp we walked away today.

happy 21st bday!

juz came back from my fren's bday celeb at downtown east... happy bday jas!!!

hmm it was held at downtown east chalet. bbq and super mini buffet (at the back) all she tk care one. food very nice. clap clap to jas!

anw i was expecting some fellow uni frens (our common frens) to show up but... well... nvm.

in any case i left early... abt 1 hr after i arrived. didnt stay for the cake but took 2 pics wif her to rem the special occasion.

hmmm 21st bday... always a special day for all. no matter where u are or how u are doing then, the 21st bday marks a new beginning of your life. a brand new phase to be exact. i went to one of my ns fren's bday party last yr and the cake was shaped like a key. seemingly it has the significance of opening up something. new opportunities, new doors, new everything.

in sg, the applicable context is:

1) 16 years: no jail (only home) no mentioning of name in press
2) 18 years: jail ok no mentioning of name in press (not sure abt 2nd part) cig ok alcohol ok
3) 21 years: no more minor (so minor contracts act not applicable except for special circumstances) so jail ok name mentioning ok R(A) ok progress package (or equivalent) ok

the above 3 as i rem.

i managed to catch a glimpse of jas bday cake... its shaped "21" and in white. dunno if its cream or white choc (anw i dun like cream so if anyone wanna buy me cake buy either ice cream cake or choc cake or fruit cake or cheese cake no "self-made" cake from WC ok le - however my bday still long from now la)

hmmm... my 21st bday... a year plus ago le. as i get older more responsibilities and more stuff. its quite ok la i'm shedding my old self along the way. perhaps i shld say i've wisened up alot. from the beginning when i was quite "dull" (as opposed to nerdy) to wat i am today... i have many ppl to thank for.

NS: tis is the crucial period. i'm very lucky to be posted to a relaxed place and then got to noe ppl who influenced and changed the direction i was heading in life. of cos it meant tt i had to step out, which i eventually did and feel lucky tt i did so.

13th Aug 2004: A, if u are reading tis, thank you very much. u dunno how much u hv helped me and i am grateful for wat u hv done for me. both mentor and friend to me. i cannot imagine myself w/o yr advice every now and then.

2005/2006 Yr1: mixed. reading of prev entry a summary of 2006 may help. but still, experience.

today + future: more will come.

as i write tis entry, i didnt hv any particular idea or focus in mind. juz writing watever came to me. END.

effective human resource management 101

something i picked up over december when i worked part-time at my previous co... just sharing with you future managers out there.

what exactly is "effective human resource management" you ask? i'm not a HR major so i cannot really explain here, but i can tell you what i saw and how i felt which had an impact on my personal job performance.

EHRM in my perspective is about a human-based approach to management. you ask again, doesn't this scope of management revolve about managing people? realize that i'm not talking about management of people... but instead using a human-based approach to management of people. that is, cast away the policies and red tape. throw them in the bin. shred them. dump them.

the human-based approach of management is concerned about management via the individual. be individual-oriented. i cannot say that this works for a large group but roughly a number of 5 - 10 should not pose as a problem. given that we are now working as cross-functional teams instead of the typical i'm-from-HR-dept-so-you-who-are-from-marketing-don't-concern-me method, this approach works great (at least for me).

having gave an intro to EHRM, basically the underlying principle is to LISTEN to your subordinates. not HEAR, mind you, a very passive action. LISTEN. SHOW CONCERN. PAY ATTENTION and VIEW THINGS FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVES.

LISTEN: Sometimes employees gripe about things in the company and about customers who pay late, default on payment, show attitude, banks who cock up... etc. Listen to what they have to say and suggest solutions, but of cos take into account their own suggestions too. Remember, you being the manager doesn't make you the expert in everything. realize that. you don't graduate with a business degree and do things your way without taking into account the views of the IT staff, which is the REAL expert here. if i were to use armed forces lingo, you are the officer and your employees the specialists. being the generalist (know a bit here and there, mostly concerned with strategic management and direction) doesn't mean you can just use your rank (although in saf is can la...) and then suppress your subordinates. they are the specialists, people who are specially trained in their areas of expertise. give them due credit for this.

SHOW CONCERN: Please, you are managing humans, not the trashy table you have at home. sometimes i feell even pets get better treatment that humans. When they come in to your office and start pouring out things about their personal lives, please... LISTEN again. and SHOW CONCERN. then, grant them permission or give concesssions on certain requests. if they are sick, tell them to rest at home. if they have something urgent, grant them urgent leave and follow up by asking if everything is alright. talk to them as if they are your own family, your own friends. i believe power distance to be crap. you mean, as a human, albeit in high-power distance countries, you cannot show compassion to a fellow human?

PAY ATTENTION: Some overlapping perhaps with the previous 2 headings. again, listen with attention. this shows that you actually care and respect your employees. this will in turn gain their respect for you. Respect... earned not coerced.

VIEW THINGS FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVES: the old adage, standing in their shoes. an employee-oriented approach. the heading says pretty much for itself.

you can expect some benefits from this:

1) employee respect

2) employee motivation - motivation doesn't always require the use of cash or fat bonuses. some simple words of encouragement, heartfelt concerns... they work great. i read somewhere this very true statement... the only thing humans need more than sex is recognition

3) savings and lower labor turnover - with part 2 comes the part of saving on bonuses. actually i'm not a strong advocate of this, being that i have myself to support and that year-end bonuses ought to be sufficient as proper compensation and ancilliary motivation. if the company is doing well, please hand out 2 - 3 month bonuses. you cannot even begin to fathom how this bonus can spur your employees to strive even harder along with the recognition (verbal) you just given to them. lower labor turnover comes from the usual... if employees are happy, they are less likely to job-hop and thus you really save on classified advertisements, interviews, selection... etc. and dun forget this. customers and suppliers want to talk to ppl they are familiar with. if they like to talk to a sales exec / purchaser X (but disgruntled with a fucked-up boss) and the latter leaves, think! you gotta waste time and money to get another 1, teach the basics again and establish trust from level zero. how is that for you? you sure wont like that! i'm not talking abt zero turnover... just minimizing it.

this basically concludes EHRM 101. hopefully there will be 102, 103... will share whenever possible.

first entry 2007... a recap on 2006

a very happy new year to you, my audience, and all the best wishes for you this coming year.

2006 frankly has been a very long year of hurdles, challenges, trials and fortunately, rewards that waited at the end of the race. i'm attempting to recount each possible significant event that has ever happened to me in 2006. perhaps i should start from january and go down the months.

jan: a fateful month which now resides in my mind as a blurry image. i've talked of this enough times with my close friends and it's something which i still do think of once in a while, but the associated feelings have gone, leaving only traces of memory. perhaps what was said was right. let them be just memories. haha i vividly remember my god-sis telling me on CNY day 1 to get a gf soon... haha... of cos i never really did tell her what happened exactly a week ago (how's that for a CNY present...) but i just returned a smile. weak smile.

feb - april: i do not remember much of this period. the only things i rem are late nights spent on catching up on studies, persistent memories of the said event in jan and tormenting dreams of lousy results again. i muz say i went to bed basically every night with the number 2.75 in my head (my first yr, first sem gpa) which haunted me. i did not know what would the sem 2 results yield, as i did not have much hope too. juz realli concentrate and not think about other things. which was ok cos the thing, though it was in my mind often, was actually the spur. i can only say it was a mixture of loss, hopes, love, hate. i really cannot say which is more dominant. luckily, the results that came out were good.

may - end july: i was working during this period of time with my friend from sch. it was a very nice place with lots of nice ppl that made life consideraby easier. i was sorting through some papers yesterday and saw actually how many times i OT-ed during that period. of cos that earned me a lot of money which proved useful for my vices in yr 2. i left the place contented and happy that i've made several friends and contacts which would definitely be useful some time later in life. dunno when, but sure it would. good to noe more ppl tt's wat i always think.

august: i signed up for the 07 freshmen orientation program. which was a big step as i usually click delete on such email solicitations. i was interviewed by my econs tutor and had a long chat with her. basically, it revolved around the idea of reaching out to others. there was training of cos, and at the end of the day my group secured 2nd place in the poster design competition. very very rewarding spiritually. of cos, it also meant the increase in contacts again.

august / september: i had the honor and chance to acquaint myselves with the best people i have met around in sch yet. they are my 4 seniors (marketing majors) who invited me on several occasions to outings and a in-hall housewarming party. haha. i love this group of ppl who are juz simply great. Very lucky to know you all and you still are the best. Fun, outgoing, helpful... kudos and thanks very much for what each of you have done for me.

same period as previous + oct: i met this girl. haha. how should i say it... gorgeous. hmmm. but nothing la.

november: exam time. i remember i fucked 2 of my papers. research methods and retail management. but in the end i got a B for both. not too bad really! expecting B- / C+ though. i muz say i am very lucky... thank the gods for this! it muz have been an answer to my prayers and to my "honesty".... read my previous entry. really nothing below B- this time. improvement? probably. lucky? definitely. happy? of cos.

december: went back to working again and now established even more contacts with ex-colleagues (then become colleagues) and made new friends. it was a long and hectic month, plus having to commit to an external competition. very enriching life as i gained an insight into what real marketing is. its not "smoking" through, not just 4Ps and SWOT and simply just that. very in depth. basically gave me an idea into what my future career possibly might be like. anyway. haha. leave it till then.

2006: in summary, ups and downs. very very fortunate to have picked myself up and made new friends and living an enriching life day by day. it wasn't a particularly good year (not talking about a good year for wines) but not too bad either. bonds were strengthened and horizons expanded. not too shabby i thought! i know that no one year is going to be perfect but it really isn't too bad. lets make 2007 a better year for all, including you who is reading this.

thanks to my friends who stood by me when i was down and have to bear with my recounts of a sad event. maybe what they say is true:

smile, and it'll go away. it really did. thanks so much again.