Beyond Academics

Full e-mail interview transcript - Blue & Gold (Issue 17) 

1) First off, please tell me more about yourself- what is your specialty, and what were you doing before you decided to take into your hands the education of young adults?

I used to be a Brand Manager in my previous life, managing the Singapore arm of a publicly listed Malaysian company. After more than 7 years in the business of marketing, I decided to take the plunge and switch careers 5 years ago, pursuing my interest in teaching and helping leaders manage their organizational challenges. Specifically, I have a passion to nurture leaders for the future and I have not regretted it my decision!

My research interests lie in Mentoring and Multi-Generational Leadership. I enjoy teaching topics related to Organizational Behaviour, especially those related to Conflict Resolution, Negotiation and Power & Influence.

2) As a professor, or an academic yourself, what do you expect from your students when they sit in your class?

I am aware that different students have different motivations for signing up for a class. Some do so because they are interested in learning. Others, because their friends have signed up for it. And there are others who are there to fulfill the school’s requirements for graduation. Whatever the reasons are, I welcome all students to my class. Students who benefit the most are those who come with an open mind; ask good questions; and put in some thought when doing their work.

3) There is definitely a huge difference between 'academics' and 'learning' even though both are closely related. What are your views on the difference?

Academic research study is important and is one of the three tenets of a good university – the other two being teaching and industrial engagement.

Academic study will most definitely lead to an increase in knowledge in the researcher. However, whether the researcher has learned well from the results of the study is another thing. I have this belief that learning is comprised of Knowledge, Understanding and Application.

First, you obtain Knowledge from your readings or other people. One has to then Understand and digest the information obtained. Lastly, Application sees you putting what you have understood into action, thus completing the cycle of learning.

So yes, Academic study has the potential to increase one’s learning of a subject.

4) Other than for the sake of a degree and a "better future", why do you think people go to university, and what do YOU think people should go to university for? Could you list some examples of students you know who do not go to university for academics only?

To seek your future spouse? And why not? I found mine when she was on exchange program with the university I was studying at!

The process of attending university is to gain theoretical knowledge and to go through the rigours of a higher education in preparation for the demands of the workplace. Most of us attend university because it is expected of us to do so upon completion of our pre-university. However, it is important to ask ourselves why we attend university and what we hope to achieve upon graduation.

Some people I know attend university to network with the ‘right’ crowd – those interested in start-ups and IT go to schools in San Francisco, near the Silicon Valley. Others attend a certain university in order to understand an emerging market – this is especially so in the case of students going to China to study.

5) In relation to questions 3 and 4, how do you think the notion "beyond academics" can be applied to our university education?

You should enjoy your time in university. I can well appreciate that workload at SMU can be rather heavy, but I think with a little time management and a conscious effort not to overstretch yourself, one can definitely have a more rounded experience at SMU. Some of our foreign friends attend my class on the exchange program. Every semester, I am slightly amused when the quiz results are finalized. Despite their frequent travels during the school term, they seem to be getting top grades. Local students would put in a whole lot of effort to study for the quiz and would end up getting the same top grades. I discovered that when these exchange students studied during their travels, they would either do it on the plane, at the airport or by the beach.

Hard work is a virtue. But studying smart certainly makes the process more bearable!      

6) Do you think that "creativity" and "fun" are impossible to achieve in schools (other than university)?

Absolutely not.

Research has shown that we learn better when we enjoy our lessons. At least one institution in Singapore has made an effort to make classes fun and promote creativity in their lessons. The challenge though, is to ensure that ‘fun’ and ‘creative’ lessons will lead to measurable results and good ones at that.

That said, it does take a lot of effort and resources to ensure that lessons are engaging, but this is necessary for the benefit of the Generation Y population and beyond.

7) I am aware that you have a blog and I read your entry "Is there hope for Generation Y?". You wrote that "speed is not an option" but an "expectation" for post-1980 babies. How do you think this has affected students these days while pursuing their education? How do you think they can ensure that this does not negatively influence the way they lead their university life?

It is not wrong to find shortcuts in life. Louis Pasteur once said that “Fortune favours the prepared mind”, and a ‘prepared mind’ usually leads you to find the best and shortest way towards your goal. In the past, people were more willing to accept the process of time before achieving gratification. With the inception and proliferation of the internet, we are now in a world that moves at lightning speed, affecting the way we work and see life. Generation Y (millennials) are the result of such an environment. There will be changes in the way millennials view school work. Completing the assignment might be foremost on their minds rather than taking time to verify from quality sources. Plagiarism may not be viewed as morally wrong but as a means of expediting one’s work. We can see precedence in Harvard University’s school of government’s widespread cheating case in one of their take-home exams, in which almost the whole class cheated. As of 1^st Sept, the case is still being investigated.

We will also see fewer students enroll for PhD programs, given its rigour and intensity without a tangible and quick enough return on investment.

In order not to fall into the trap of the ‘need for speed’, it is important to go back to basics and ask yourself many questions – why have you embarked on a university education at SMU? What do you want out of your time here? Is the faster way the better way in the long run? Who can I get objective advice from when I have to decide on courses or majors? My friends are all choosing this path – is this the right path for me? 

8) Again, with reference to the notion "beyond academics", do you have any advise to students as to how to make their university life more fulfilling?

Take it easy – grades are important but are not the only thing employers look for in a graduate. University time is a great time for you to discover yourself and to do some serious self-reflection. Don’t just join CCAs for the sake of looking good on your resume – will you be able to do a good job and contribute well once you signed up for it? Remember, to preserve your good reputation – what goes around comes around.

Finally, make many friends and build up your network within SMU. Such an opportunity is only opened to those within the SMU community – take advantage of it – you might just end up finding your life partner here!     

Libertarian or Utilitarian?

 

picture: telegraph.co.uk

“Eh, I hungry lah,” mumbled the mak cik as she rubbed her knee. “And just now stand so long, knee sakit, sakit lah!”

I chuckled as I downed a bottle of ice cold, mineral water. It was already past 11pm and the crowd that was seated above our lounge earlier in the day has presumably, headed for the Katy Perry concert.  

“Hey! They are giving out free food!” yelled one of the younger chaps.

Soon, groups came back with their spoils of war – freshly prepared food that had to be otherwise thrown, had now found a new lease of life with these young men.

“Oi! I also want!” shrieked mak cik as she struggled to stand to her feet.

“Mak cik, you duduk, jangan pergi,” I literally boomed in her face. “Let adik go get them.”

Turning to a strapping young man beside me, I gestured at her, then at him. “Mak cik wants some free food, tolong lah, boleh?”

“Boleh!”

In a flash, he returned with a see through bag full of goodies cleared from the shelves of 7-eleven and Starbucks. Made out of sandwiches and muffins mainly, mak cik gleefully kept them aside while she thanked the young man. Demonstrations of filial piety and respect for elders is still highly prevalent and regarded within the local Malay community.

“Ah, all these for my children.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a plastic bag.

“What is this for?” I inquired.

“Must come prepared! Hee hee hee!”

With one swipe of the hand, she reached across the table and grabbed whatever packets of cream buns and Nature’s Valley granola bars she could get a hold of, unceremoniously dunking them into the plastic bag.

“And that is how my children get fat!” she beamed.

Leaving the lounge, mak cik hobbled as she carried her 2 bags of booty. Like one of the forty thieves in the tale of Ali Baba, she would not think of leaving behind her goodies, no matter how heavy they were.

“Mak cik! I tolong lah!” grabbing her items without allowing her to even put up any resistance.

“Aiyah, thank you you lah. Sakit lah, stand too long in sun and rain. I must go back and urut.”

“Mak cik, jangan! Only massage when after 2 days. Now you pulang, make sure you use ice pack and wrap around your knee. Remember, Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate – RICE.”

“Hah? Jangan urut?”

“Yah, trust me. I first aid trained one,” I replied in what I hoped was the most assuring and comforting voice.

With a pout on her face, she retorted, “You sure ah?”

“Definitely,” I replied with a wink.

Returning her bag of goodies, I bade her farewell and perhaps, we might see each other again. Mak cik then hobbled a few steps to the taxi stand and found her cab home.

Taking a taxi after midnight is not common practice among mak cik and her colleagues. The surcharge is too expensive and a ride home could easily wipe out what they had earned in the past few hours. After such events, they would usually take the Night Rider late night bus home. But the Night Rider bus does not operate today, Sunday.

There is a whole segment of society that many Singaporeans are not aware of. They are the unseen, unsung and uneducated. Take for instance, the adik who helped mak cik get the goodies – he is a part-time lasher, tying bulky equipment to containers at the ports. He works 12 hours straight for $10 and hour – neither additional benefits nor CPF employer contribution included. If he gets work, he gets work. If not, he moonlights at events such as the one we participated in. Mak cik specializes in relief duty, when those who are scheduled to work, do not turn up. She then turns up on short notice, often pocketing $50 to $70 for a night of work.

The elderly and the young; the retrenched educated and the able bodied uneducated. All have a story to tell, and none are above each other. Nature’s elements and the long hours of duty do not discriminate whether you have good knees or great stamina. If you endure, you get paid in full. If not, you get partial payment, on a good day with a good agency.

Before we actually take pity on these folks, let us take a step back and get off our high horse.

Do they want a better life?

Definitely.

At some of their ages, no one should be subject to such hard work. But they question is – do they want help?

The answer might surprise you.

In your pursuit to soothe your conscience, in your rush to help others, you see only what you think you see and you provide what you think needs to be provided. And in doing so, you end up denying mak cik the joys of finding, and then taking the leftover goodies home.

Fundamental Attribution Error says that we over value the disposition of a person much more than considering the potential situational factors. In simple English, what it means is that when you see an able bodied beggar on the street, you attribute his inability to find work to his lazy nature, rather than consider that life may have dealt him a poor hand.  

In the case of mak cik, the opposite is true – we over assign the situational factors to her and undervalue her disposition.

Repulsive?

I think not, because first, you have to be with them, be one of them, before you can even begin to comprehend. Even then, it still can be very difficult removing the beam that is already in your eye.

Living in black and white

image from www.debrapasquella.com

The man who sees the world in only black and white is a danger to no one but himself. But if this man is a leader, he risks the very existence of the organization he leads.

Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones

 walkingwithspoons.com

It has been some time since I last penned an entry into my blog. But since I have another week of break to go, I thought that I would pen my thoughts in this entry as this issue has been on my mind for the past few months.

The use of social media has tremendously helped mankind in many ways.

A couple of days ago, local blogger Mr Brown's autistic daughter was lost and found within the space of an hour in Singapore's MRT subway system during the Friday evening rush hour period - thanks to his pleas for help and accurate regular updates on Twitter, which were subsequently shared amongst Facebook users.

Some months ago in China, numerous dogs were saved from ending on dinner plates when increasing awareness from social media netizens led to blockades of trucks delivering these dogs to end customers.

About a year and a half back, the use of social media created the Arab Spring, which resulted in some Middle Eastern countries overthrowing their leaders who were perceived as dictators and authoritarian (I use the word 'perceived' as I have never visited or lived in the Middle East). This was done in a matter of weeks, rather than months or years, as history has shown. Reports from various news agencies reported on the new found freedom that these countries had experienced, with many dancing on the streets.

It is true, social media has done wonders for many and liberated introverts the world over. Previously, if you had an opinion, you might not possess the voice for fear of saying the wrong thing; negative backlash from the relevant authorities; or just a simple case of stage fright.

Today however, everyone can simply voice their opinions by posting them online and sharing them with the touch of your fingers. This process is easy, efficient and effective in getting your point across, a little too efficient at times.

This is not the only case I know. However, I was made aware of a couple who had a nasty break up which resulted in hundreds of 'shares' and thousands of 'likes' in response to both parties' airing of unmentionable grievances on cyberspace. Friends supported either party via comments, leading to further 'mini altercations' online between their friends.

An NUS (National University of Singapore) student hailing from China commented on social media about his not-too-pleasant views on Singaporeans. Within days, he was identified and hung out to dry on the clothes line of shame.NUS responded by revoking his scholarship support, imposing a fine on him and requiring him to do community work.

Yes, you have the freedom to voice your opinion. However, one must be prepared of the repercussions that will come one's way. In the past, one might be being called up by the Police for an interview. Today, you still could be called up by the Police, but an even worse outcome might be a loss of personal reputation.

During the run up to the Hougang by-election, some chaps decided to comment on a photo of local blogger, Xiaxue, and her friends who were at a People's Action Party rally a year before. The comments made were unflattering and possibly defamatory. I have been told that Xiaxue could have successfully taken legal action against them. However, she did herself a favour and saved some money in the process by simply tracking them down on their unprotected Facebook accounts and putting their pictures on her blog. As if to add salt to their already raw wounds, the mainstream media picked up on it (I have a good idea who their source might have been) and it soon became national gossip. I understand that one of the chaps actually got fired from his job because of this saga - this, of course, is unsubstantiated hearsay that still makes for a great conversation topic to itching ears.   

Social media is neither good nor bad, but it has to be handled well lest you answer for your actions in terribly unpleasant ways. The following are some thoughts that guide me (most of the time) when dealing with social media, thoughts that have resulted from having worked in advertising, customer service and education:


1) The internet is a public platform

Let's say you feel strongly about a national issue - say you want cheaper bus fares. Would you write 'I want cheap bus fares' on a big piece of vanguard sheet and walk around Orchard Road's shopping belt with this sign held high above your head? Probably not (yes, I am talking to the Singaporean). Why? Too public?

But that is exactly what you do every time you update your blog, Twitter account and Facebook status - to the world!


2) Time is needed to create a response

In public relations or the realm of foreign relations, a response to a question from the public or nations is carefully crafted to provide clear communication. Sometimes, hidden messages are subtly embedded in the spoken or written message to give signals to the receivers. At other times, responses are direct and informative. Ambiguous responses are to be avoided and the response must be vetted through by the relevant stakeholders before it is released.

Because anything you post online can be virtually viewed by anyone around the world, I would think twice before posting something or commenting on someone else's opinion.

But why? You may ask. Don't I have a right to free speech and expression?

Yes you do. So do your employer, colleagues, friends and family members - your stakeholders. Impulsive posts or responses that are inappropriate can lead to consequences enacted by the people around you.
  
The point I am trying to make - responses need time to craft and must be done in good time.


3) Keeping emotions/judgement in check

It is rather common for us to read an article or post online and respond/judge in an emotional state, resulting in typing things you never intended to 'say'. The ease of posting a response online just makes it that more difficult to remember that you should first calm down. The Paradigm Mall case in Kuala Lumpur is a good example of this.

Similar to how we react in face-to-face situations, we need to deal with online conflict in a measured way. I remember the time I was minding my own business in the office early one morning when the phone rang. I answered the call and got a earful from a colleague who was shouting me down over the phone. I had no clue as to what he was angry about. After he finished ranting and raving, I communicated to him that he was not making sense and that he should call me back once he had calmed down. With that, I put down the phone (the avoidance method according to Thomas-Kilmann).

Half an hour later, he called back, in a much calmer tone, and apologised to me. He confessed that he was going through some tough issues at home and was very stressed. And while he had some work matters to discuss with me, the stress in his mind sub-consciously affected his phone conversation with me in an unexpectedly abusive manner. We then put this matter behind and got down to working.
 
    
4) Read the reason behind the obvious

This requires disciplined thought - like in the example above, people sometimes write things online they do not actually believe in or subscribe to. People are not rationale, period. Because we are emotional beings, we write or respond online because of unchecked emotions or negative experiences. A retrenched worker may write negative things about foreign talent because he recently lost his job to one. However, somebody else may be writing positive things about foreign talent because she just experienced romance in one, or negative things because he lost his girlfriend to that same one.

The thing is this - many of us do not write the true reasons for how we feel, because we afraid that we might be proven wrong.  It pays for me to remember that I should read in between the lines.

 
5) Face time

And the antidote to succumbing to popular sentiment online is to actually know who wrote what and find out more about what persuaded the person to do so. If we do not do our checks and inadvertently 'like' a popular but inaccurate post, what does that do to our character? What message are you sending to the writer and the victim/s of the inaccurate post?

In the most ideal situation, check out the person him/herself. Spend some time with them, chat with them, and you will soon know the person's character make up. My rule - if I do not personally know the person, it is unlikely for me to respond to the post, even 'liking' the post. 

I like the old fashion way best - talk face to face. Words typed online does no justice to body language, and body language is so very important when determining a person's intention behind the message.



A final word.

We are all aware of the complaints that netizens have made online about the ruling party and the government. I have to admit that certain national issues could have been handled by the powers that be. However, leading an organization, a business or a country is not easy. From time to time, leaders need the people to speak up to keep them in check. Yes, speak up!

Speak up not by creating 'noise' online. Yes, it will garner many 'likes' but it may not result in a solution to the problem. Go personally and approach the relevant authorities. Get your facts right and find the right method and time to present them to the people who are in a position to escalate your case.  How you pitch an idea is in many cases, more important than the idea itself.

A secret you might not know already - as leaders, we actually do not have answers to many problems! Good leaders know that they do not have all the answers and appreciate the value of engaging a well meaning person who constructively points out their faults and mistakes.

If you have tried and not been successful, do something about it! Approach the higher powers or even create your own political organization/advocacy group with like minded concerned citizens!

If you truly care about these national issues, do not give up after you have tried and failed. George W. Bush probably ranks as one of the most unpopular presidents in the history of the United States of America. My personal view is that he was too honest and surrounded by wrong advisers. When Bush first ran for political office in Texas, he failed on his first attempt and made mistakes along the way. Imagine driving through a town on an open top vehicle, waving to people and not a single person waved back at you. That really humbles a person. Yet, he bounced back failure after failure to eventually become the most powerful person in the world. 


Paul Lim is an adjunct faculty member with the Organisational Behaviour & Human Resources (OBHR) discipline at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University; and an Academic Associate and an Adjunct Associate with the Centre of Innovation & Enterprise, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore. He teaches courses in Leadership, Organisational Behaviour and Cross Generational Management. A doctoral student with French business school - Grenoble Ecole de Management, he is currently writing his dissertation on mentoring for employee retention in the millennial generation (Gen Y). This article is based on the writer's personal opinion and is not representative of any organisation or persons he may be associated with.

Choosing the best leaders...it takes guts

Today, various media sources reported on that Former Commissioner Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Mr Peter Lim Sin Pang, and former Director of the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) Mr Ng Boon Gay are currently assisting the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in its investigations into allegations of serious personal misconduct, with sources alluding that "money and women" were involved in the investigations.

It is CPIB's job to conduct investigations in order to maintain the highest form of integrity in the public services, as such, such investigations are not out of the ordinary. However, there are some things in this case that are worth noting:


a) News released on 2nd day of Lunar New Year

The timing of the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) press release and confirmation is certainly worth taking note of, since it was done on a major public holiday. Why the need to confirm this news now when the investigations had already been in progress for about two to three weeks? Perhaps, it might be the government trying to send a strong message that such cases have zero tolerance. However, my view is that news of this investigation was leaked out to the media and the government had to hastily respond to the leak.


b) Uncanny timing - just after parliament debated on ministerial pay

It is rather uncanny that news of this case surfaced just a week after parliament debated on the issue of ministerial pay. The ruling party (PAP) has put forward its rationale that a good salary is needed to dissuade corruption among the government elite. News of the ongoing investigations is certainly going to shake the ruling party's prevailing argument and provide the opposition with a perceived upper hand on this issue.


c) Both are reported to be former Public Service Commission (PSC) Scholars

It is no secret that the Singapore Government prides itself in its Administrative Service elite where scholars are earmarked early in life for key positions in the government and government linked companies. Based on imperial China's philosophy of the selection of bureaucratic Mandarins, candidates are put through rigourous tests and observation sessions. Their career paths are carefully planned and progress keenly tracked . Observers will raised questions on whether the PSC needs to review its selection process.


People have started to speculate that where 'there is smoke, there will be fire'. Before anyone casts the first stone, let us try not to speculate on the results, for they are innocent until proven guilty.

Being a leader in today's world is no trifle matter. Even more so if you are in the public eye. I have been informed by a reliable source that one of the incumbent ministers is so busy with his portfolio that he has opted to give certain grassroots events a miss.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

On the topic of what we can do to sift out the best people for leadership, I have some thoughts to share:


i) Choose those who do not love money

A former business associate related to me that since the creation of the casinos, they have decided to run background checks on their current and potential customers to see if they are gambling addicts. Their concern is that their addiction to gambling will lead them to embezzle company funds, and an inability to pay their business partners.

Leaders are only as good as how they manage their weaknesses. However, if one has a natural love for money, we have a problem. Don't get me wrong - I am all for paying a man his worth in salt. However, there is a fundamental difference in choosing a job because it pays well versus choosing a certain job because it happens to pay well. The bigwigs at Enron and Tyco were paid obscene amounts of money - and look at what happened? They still embezzled, they still cheated.

Good leaders are those who do not love money.


ii) Test values, not aptitudes

One of things I have been pushing for, is the need to test for values and not aptitude. Aptitude tests like the MBTI, Big 5, DISC and so on, are good - but only to a certain extent. The onus is on the candidate to be honest. Additionally, choosing a 'correct' answer on the test does not show the tester why that answer was chosen. Testing of values is not an easy task. It takes time, resources an skillful assessors. And the biggest elephant in the room - it is hard to quantify it.

An example of testing values would be throwing a group of potential candidates into an unplanned and perhaps mentally strenuous activity that seeks to throw them off guard, thereby exposing each candidates strengths and weaknesses. My personal favourite options might be sending candidates on kayaking or mountain hiking trip that will allow the assessors to discover the candidates' true colours.

Another method is to make candidates feel completely at ease during say, a cocktail session. A friend of mine deliberately cozies up to candidates and throws at them a few drinks before slipping them certain questions to test their views. They are surrounded by numerous assessors (very sober ones) who keenly observe the candidates' body language and responses. You might be surprised at how easy it is to set someone's tongue loose with a couple of martinis.


iii) Past achievements does not equate to future success

This current world we live in is obsessed with the need to quantify everything that cannot be quantified - purely because of accountability and marketing issues. As such, a person's past track record is regarded as the best predictor of future success. To some extent, this can be true. But what I advocate is finding out if one has failed before and how this person has overcome that failure. I am sometimes rather apprehensive when faced with a candidate that has a perfect track record. Life is never linear. If life has been good to you so far, and if you faced your first failure while working for me, wouldn't I be collateral damage? That would be a risky proposition indeed. However, if you have faced challenges in life, been trampled upon and despised, but against all odds you were able to make good, I will certainly take a closer look at this person. Alas, it will be tough for organizations to accept such people, for the Human Resources manager has to be held answerable to the higher ups on such a decision. In our risk averse society, charity has no place when your job is on the line.


The answers are easy, but the execution is cumbersome. Organizations whose leaders have the guts and gumption to make a concerted effort to find the best leaders, will find them.

image from smexcellence.com.au

I like his style...

"I've thought about that. But what I've thought more about, because Mitch McConnell put it out there, is offering to match the total amount of voluntary contributions made by all Republican members of Congress. And I will. I will go 1 for 1 with any Republican. And I'll go 3 for 1 with McConnell...and I'm not worried."

Warren Buffett in response to whether he will consider writing a cheque for what he thinks his taxes should have been. Buffett had earlier pushed for higher taxes on the rich, which made Republican Mitch McConnell comment that if Buffett felt guilty, he should "just send in a cheque". Warren Buffett is worth US$45 billion, but gives away 99% of his fortune.

A most valuable skill

"The most valuable skill anyone can learn in college is how to learn efficiently - how to figure out what you don't know and build on what you do know to adapt to new situations and new problems."

Virgina Postrel