Law of attraction:
What I want: Happy Cafe operator, who helps in managing employee expectations.

Situaion:
The cafeteria in Coke's manufacturing site started ops in Oct 2011. While the cafe operator doing a good job in managing it, they faced with several ops issues. Among the serious ones are 1. too small kitchen, causing challenges to respond during peak hours 2. the location near plantation area attracts flies 3. high turn over of staff due to distance. Nevetheless, they have been reasonably coping with the expectations.
However, HR kept receiving complains from employees on their services, price, quality of food etc. The cafeteria committee and HR has been conveying these expectations, feedback to the operator on periodical basis. Its frustrating and unappreciative situaion for the operator, who is facing some real issues beyond his control. Recently, the operator - who got frustrated - responding with reuqest of additional subsidy or payment from company for some of these demands of employees.

note:
From my 20 year experience, I have never seen a cafeteria where ALL employees are happy about cafeteria..!!

Action:
I have asked my ER Manager to do a night audit on cafeteria performance. During a con-call he shared his feedback, which is usually not very positive. I focused his attention to what went well during the audit. Requested him to write a note to the Cafe operator (to the owner, cc to ops manager) with 4-5 good observations, with 1-2 areas we needed help. Can you guess the response from Cafe operator?

Result:
The cafe owner, who was positively surprised with the feedback, thanked my ER Manager, pledged to do more to ensure the employees are happy. He also offered to meet to enhance the current operation efficiencies. The ops manager, wrote another email, thanked the management for the support and greatly appreciate the feedback. He committed to do even better. (note that nowhere both the owner or the manager mentioned about extra money).

Since the above incident, the routine meetings with cafe operator has been pleasant, engaging. I have not heard any significant complain from employees. Whenever I visit cafe, the operator and team is happy serving employees. Not sure how long this will last. I know that if I am conscious about 'what I want', and take responsible action, I will always get it. (END)

Singapore Traffic lights confusion

Dear Editor (Straits Times) /  Land Transport Authority:

.

"Since I came to Singapore over the last 4 years, I am watching in horror several road accidents, which in my opinion, could have been prevented. The most recent case was reported in ST / 27th April 2011: 'Pedestrian's death; Driver jailed'. A few weeks ago, A SBS bus driver was punished for causing death to another pedestrian and the list goes on.

All these cases are related to situations where traffic signal goes 'green' for drivers as well as for pedestrians. To make this worst, such situation usually occurs in junctions where drivers make a turn after seeing 'green' light and pedestrians start crossing the corner roads at the same time. We also have, for example, bicycle riders and head-phone wielding youngsters crossing the roads even if few seconds left for 'red' light to appear. This is a 'perfect condition' for accidents to happen. If LTA is expecting drivers to be alert all the time to watch out for crossing pedestrians / cyclists, while the traffic signal says 'Go'. it is a mere wishful thinking and will cause lost of more innocent lives.

In my daily discussions with local taxi drivers, they hate this system too. While I am sadden to see the injuries and lost of innocents lives, also sympathize the drivers who can get easily confused with the current traffic signalling system. I sincerely hope LTA will seriously review our current system before more innocent lives are lost.

A concerned resident

Thivi 

My favourinte QUOTES

‘Doubt is the father of invention’ – Galileo

‘Necessity is the mother of invention’ – Plato

‘Inventions have always had many parents - unknown

 

MARK TWAIN - do you know.....?!

A FULL MEMOIR AFTER 100 YEARS?

Twain, 1871

Mark Twain – an American author and humorist – died April 21, 1910.  However, until now, no one ever produced a complete manuscript of his memoir. Why? At his death, Twain stipulated that the manuscript of his memoir was not to be published in its entirely for 100 years..!!

As I read the descriptions of his memoir (Volume 1 of, possibly, a total of 3), I am intrigued to read the full Volume. Ah..Ah… surely during my retirement.

Some of Twain’s words caught my attention are:

-          In writing your memoir ‘start at no particular time of your life; wander at your free will all over your life’. Interesting. I like this approach and will follow if I am writing one.

-          ‘when a man is writing a book dealing with the privacies of his life – a book to be read while he is still alive – he shrinks from speaking his whole frank mind’. I wonder how would Decision Point (Bush), A Journey (Blair) or The Singapore Story (LKY) would be seen if Twain still around.

(thanks to Time, Nov 22 /2010)

MARK TWAIN QUOTES
(http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Mark_Twain/)

QUOTES of Mark Twain

A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining, but wants it back the minute it begins to rain.

A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.

Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.

Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.

An Englishman is a person who does things because they have been done before. An American is a person who does things because they haven't been done before.

Barring that natural expression of villainy which we all have, the man looked honest enough.

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.

By trying we can easily learn to endure adversity -- another man's I mean.

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.

Do something every day that you don't want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.

Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.

Education: that which reveals to the wise, and conceals from the stupid, the vast limits of their knowledge.

Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable.

 Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't.

Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.

Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.

Honesty is the best policy - when there is money in it.

Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place.

I am opposed to millionaires, but it would be dangerous to offer me the position.

I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying that I approved of it.

 I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.

I have a higher and grander standard of principle than George Washington. He could not lie; I can, but I won't.

I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.

I have never taken any exercise except sleeping and resting.

Fathers' Day message

2010 Fathers' Day Message / sms from Baenita


"May this father's day be filled with happiness and the whole year ahead be just wonderful too. i love u appa, though we r unable to celebrate together father's day, it doesnt matter, everyday when we eat together, play together, they r all fathers day. happy father's day!"

My Perfect Day

My perfect day starts with a 45 min yoga session, good hot-shower, oats breakfast and then off to work. Work is always fun with unexpected people issues. Return home by 6.30pm and join my wife on a 5km walk at Jurong Lake Garden, which is 5min away from home. Then, baeutiful family dinner with wife-cooked food. This follows by reading the day's paper or Times /HBR megazine. A family prayer before hit the bed by 11pm......

SNEF Conference Panel Speaker

On the 27th July 2010, my boss, Amit Oberoi, and I shared stage as panel members to discuss, share views and answer questions on "CEO & HR partnership towards producitivity, innovation and growth" at a conference organized by Singapore National Employers Federation. This function was attended by more than 1000 CEOs of Singapore companies, ministers and professionals. It was officiated by the Prime Minister and the guest of honor was MM Lee Kuan Yew.

When SNEF approached us / Coke a few months before this conference on this speaking opportunity, I declined it due to work commitments. However, my boss felt that participation in such forums is good opportunity to build our brand image in Singapore. Though I was relunctant, I have full trust in his wisdom and started to work towards the preparation work. Anu, our OD/Learning Manager, was tasked to compile the information for Amit's presentation. From close to 100 power point slides, we bring this down to 30+ slides for the final presentation. This work took about 2+ months, multiple meetings with line managers / corporate office / marketing division to verify data / information, as well as reviews by Amit to align the flow of message delivery.

During the same period, I was extremely busy with several key projects ie Union Agreement negotiation, HR Meeting in Atlanta, HR Assessment in London as well as guiding new HR managers both in Malaysia and Singapore. Nevertheless, Anu's commitment in following up and Amit's wisdom is seeing big-picture (instead of finding gaps in our prep work or jumping into the details), made this a successful and satisfying effort.

Yes... Coke's participation in the conference was a great success... and, thanks goes to Amit (and Anu, who was working behind the scene).   

(Below photo - A scene during the panel discussion. Photo taken by Grace Lai, one of my strong Human Capital team member.)