Eye on Business (CNA)

Just sharing some things read online

Extensive research has been done to find out why employees quit or jump ship. Interestingly it shows that the top reasons employees jump ship are: to find new opportunities or challenges; get better leadership; have better relations with their immediate superior or manager.

I say it is interesting because none of the top reasons is about salary increase or bonuses. Yet if you're a business owner, you might think that the biggest reason an employee left to join another company is because the other company is offering a higher salary. The fact is, it is the convenient reason. If they leave because of a better offer that you can't match, then it's really not your fault is it? There's nothing you can do about it. Well, think again.

In essence, the biggest reason employees leave is because they feel stuck in a rut. They don't see any growth in their future and they feel that there is a lack of leadership in their company. It's a bitter pill to swallow but that becomes your "fault". And the good news is there is something you can do about it.

The leadership crisis in SMEs

Majority of business owners (including big companies) don't bother about "complicated" management things like leadership because they are focused on making the business work and getting in the sales. But by doing that, they neglect the human resource that they depend on to make their business work.

Sure, pay increases and bonuses are wonderful. But the fact is those are not the most important things to your employees. If they are, then they wouldn't be resigning after they receive their bonuses, would they?

"Where there is no vision, the people perish." - The Bible.

Well, in this case, where there is no vision, employees jump ship. You see, people want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. They want to have a sense of growth. They want to be acknowledged. They want to feel that they matter.

If you research some of the most respected leaders in history, you will find that all of them… let me emphasise that, all of them, not most of them, inspire and rally their followers with a strong and clear vision.

From Mohandas Gandhi to John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, all of them have very clear and strong visions of what they wanted to achieve. And because of their visions, they were able to attract talent to support their causes and inspire loyalty.

More specifically, if you take a look at business leaders such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg, and closer to home, Wee Cho Yaw, Olivia Lum, Ho Kwon Ping and many others, they too have very specific visions that they keep selling to their partners, associates and employees.

Do you have a clear vision of your business? Do your employees know about or share your vision? If they do, the next question is do they know what part they can play in your vision?

I know of successful entrepreneurs who actually attract and retain talent even though they are offering lower salary than their competitors. How do they do it? They sold their talent their visions and how they can play an important role in their history making venture. It's a lot like an election campaign. Obama won because he sold the nation the vision of hope and change they can believe in.

Of course, another key ingredient to retaining valuable talent is to make them feel comfortable and happy with their working environment. When they have a strong vision they believe in and they are comfortable and happy with their working environment, they have no reason to leave.

By Sant Qiu

Quoteworthy (that's Life...)

"This time here on this earth is but for a brief few years. In light of eternity, whether we live 1 day, 1 year, 10 years, 20 years, 50 years, or 100 years, really makes little difference. Our purpose is NOT to see how long we can live, how much wealth, fame and material possessions we can accumulate. The fact is, we all will die. Some through natural causes in old age. Some by disease. Some by accidents. Some through war. Regardless of how, we ALL will die one day. "

Why should you continue voting for PAP?

Haha, read this somewhere, just wanna share(I'm not trying to be political). Funny but true to certain extent :P

Why should you continue voting for PAP? Here is why:

You voted for PAP, and you get to pay 7% GST instead of 5%.

You voted for PAP, and they peg power to the price of oil even when 80% of Singapore's power comes from natural gas.

You voted for PAP and your CPF money gets lock up for another 3 years more than the original.

You voted for PAP, and your ministers demanded a 85% pay raises.

You voted for PAP, and your job went to a foreigner.

You voted for PAP, and your neighbors become foreigners.

You voted for PAP, and your elderly gets to enjoy the dignity of employment by cleaning toilets, scavenging trash bins for aluminum cans and selling tissue papers.

You voted for PAP, and your minsters tell you it is your fault that Mas Selemat escaped.

You voted for PAP, and your government would rather lose millions at sinking foreign banks rather than to save you from starvation.

You voted for PAP, and not only do your ministers literally spit on you, but their scions tell you to "get out of their elite uncaringfaces".

You voted for PAP, and you are amply rewarded with ERPs at your doorstep.

You voted for PAP, and Lee Hsien Loong pledged to fix the oppositions.

You voted for PAP, and you got a Division 3 Prime Minister who needs 2 mentors to hold his hand.

You voted for PAP, and you got a large serving of Mee Siam Mai Hum, at your own expense.

You voted for PAP, and your salary stayed stagnant for more than a decade while the cost of living shoot sky high.

You voted for PAP, and you see the foreign kids get a place in school while you child get zilch.

You voted for PAP, and you find that your public transport is no longer "public".

You voted for PAP, and your ministers want to house 1,500 foreign workers right smacked in the middle of a peaceful neighborhood without any concerns for you.

You voted for PAP, and the government readily reward your men with more hookers than they can ever poked in Geylang.

You voted for PAP, and your government happily demands $5000 ang pao from you when your maid runaway or get pregnant even though you had nothing to do with it.

You voted for PAP, and your government glorify themselves with Olympic sized banners of their ghastly faces to scare away ghosts during the Chinese 7th month, courtesy of your S&C contribution to your town councils which is suppose to go toward making life in your neighborhood better.

You voted for PAP, and they protect the interests of the petrol companies by making you pump 3/4 tank before you cross the causeway.

You voted for PAP, and they see nothing wrong with fining you for driving a foreign registered car into Singapore.

You voted for PAP, and you discover that world-class super talented multi-million dollar minister with all the state resources and manpowers cannot even catch a limping man in this tiny island state after more than half a year.

You voted for PAP, and you realise that your MP's job is not to speak out for you in parliament, but to tell you to tighten the belt, bite the bullet, eat lesser and work longer.

You voted for PAP, and your kids have to stay with you till 40 years old, as they cannot afford the cheapest "public" housing.

You voted for PAP, and your government tells you that their interpretation of subsidies is the profit that they forgo making, instead of actually paying part of the cost.

You voted for PAP, and everyone in Singapore suddenly got elevated to Swiss standard of living, except you, and everyone around you.

You voted for PAP, and your neighbors can sell your home for you(en-block), whether you like it or not.

You voted for PAP, and your organs automatically belongs to the government (HOTA).

You voted for PAP, and you have to pay administration fee to use your own money when you are sick (Medisave).

You voted for PAP, and your sons get to spend 2 or more years as free labour in National Service and 13 more years as reservists, so that the foreigners can have a safe country to work in.

You voted for PAP, and you found out that each of your son is worth $30k, because that is what you are going to get if your son die while serving the foreigners.

You voted for PAP, and you get a grand party every year on 9th August celebrating more salaries for PAP. Not everyone is invited though, you will still have to ballot for it.

You voted for PAP, and they tell you that there is a corner called Hong Lim Park where you can go to talk all you want, other than that, shut up unless you have something nice to say.

You voted for PAP, and you get a world-bottom "nation-building" press serving you the latest propagandas, regardless of truth.

You voted for PAP, and in order to buy a car, you have to first pay for a piece of paper that cost more than the car itself.

You voted for PAP, and you must vote for PAP! You cannot even think about not voting for PAP. Because a certain inaccurate old man said that he will call in the army if you don't.

So vote for PAP. Read the list above again, and vote for PAP. Go ahead, vote for PAP. More good years eh? Vote for PAP. For Swiss standard of living. Vote for PAP. Mee Siam Mai Hum ok?

People are just waiting for death

Just chance upon this article, and feels that it is very relevant to how I feel. Humans have become slaves, to something so worthless yet important in Life, something called money...

When we were young we had dreams. “When I grow up I want to be a magician!” “I want to be an inventor!” “I want to be a doctor!” “I want to be banker like my father!”
I had always believed that this “life” thing that we were all given, was to allow us to use it to pursue happiness and something enjoyable, so life can be lived fulfilling before we become fertilizers for weeds.
When I was young I wanted to grow up quickly, to live those dreams and to be successful. That is everyones’ dreams too.
But then as we grow older, dreams were discarded. We are all not free, not free to enjoy life at all.
We humans are slave to many needs, and these are the very needs that were used by authority to bind us.
We have to work to earn money to fulfill our very basic needs. Everything we do, we need money in one way or other to do them. We become slaves to our jobs.
Those with money to give are hence able to exploit those who have a empty pocket to be filled.
Customers must be treated with respect. Employer’s requests must be strictly followed. To make life comfortable we need money. To enjoy the service from others we need money. To feed we need money. To love and to have a relationship we need money. To travel we need money.
When I was young I always thought that we get to choose our jobs and choose those that are enjoyable for us to do, and while doing these enjoyable jobs we get money as a form of compensation. I thought that job satisfaction was the most important to me as job is something that occupies so much of your life, and most of us probably spend more time at our jobs then at home or with loved ones.
When I stepped into the working world for the first time I only see sadness. The dreams had long been abandoned and there is this certain look on everyone’s face. The look of being imprisoned in a virtual jail. A confinement of the body and soul. There is no dreams or freedom of happiness. Everyone have to force himself or herself to work to have money to survive and to feed and support loved ones. A job, something that you spend most of your life doing, is something that is sad and miserable and the only reason that forces you to continue doing that is money.
The above may not be true for everyone, but it is true for just about everyone.
There is something wrong about this. Because of money we do not live life fulfillingly. We are not really living. A machine operator. A customer service operator. A receptionist. A doctor. A lawyer. A waitress. A sales representative. Is that living? Is that why we were given life? What is our purpose?
There is no purpose for life because at the end of the road, what do we get? Death.
If there is a paradise waiting for us after death, why not get there right now. Why struggle?
If there is no life after death, then why should we not end it now? Why carry on the struggle when sooner or later it comes a day when nothing matters anymore. Just like in a dreamless sleep, we won’t even be aware of our own existence or inexistence. Isn’t that good?
People are just waiting to die. But they are not capable of ending it themselves. When I was young I would always go down with my grandmother when she chit chat and play cards with other old folks living in the same block at the void deck. Day by day, the same seat, the same chat, the same activity. But the headcount gets smaller over the years and it as a fact of life. The remaining ones only asked quietly, “When is my turn?” There is no regret, no sadness, only inevitability. One day there was not enough headcount left for a game of card. They stopped meeting.
When you retire from your job what you get is not freedom but weariness. There is nothing else for you to do except wait for death.
The old man of the elderly couple living next door to me passed away a few years back. The remaining lady passes her time with the 4 walls of her barren flat as her companion, wondering when she will get to join up with her life partner. But she was not able accelerate the process herself.
Why do we value life so much when we are slave to jobs and money. When we have been cheated from young that life is fulfilling and has purpose, just like how we had been scammed about the existence of Santa.
Death is the ultimate reward of our struggle and nothing else. Why work so hard, why delude ourselves that there is a purpose and meaning and happiness when at the end there is only nothingness?
Why does job takes up more than 50% of our life? We live 70 years but we have only really lived for 20. The other 50 years were spent to acquire money to meet basic needs. What took the 50 years away? Money. Jobs. The simple process of those without money selling their body, mind and soul to get some from those with money. 50 years spent this way. What is the purpose?
I want life to be enjoyable again. I want to have a purpose again. I am lost in the desert and I need help. I need someone to guide me back on the road again.
Show me the way.
Show humanity the way.

Personality type

Do yours here: http://www.personalitytest.net/cgi-bin/q.pl

My personality type is INTJ

INTJ: "Scientist". Most self-confident and pragmatic of all the types. Decisions come very easily. These are the most independent of all types. They love logic and ideas and are drawn to scientific research. They can be rather single-minded, though.. 1% of the total population.

INTJs’ precision thinking and need for accuracy causes them to be inflexible at times. Having thought out a strategy, the INTJ may stubbornly disregard those who they think have not spent as much time reflecting on an idea as they have. This, along with their drive to produce something significant, can make them demanding and difficult. If their plans and solutions fall short of their high standards, INTJ's feel pressured — as if everything is on the line. "Everything," for an INTJ, is the competence and ability to produce something significant. Fear of not living up to this expectation will increase their stress and possibly dissuade them from risking or trying out their ideas. They may then find themselves thinking about ideas that do not have a meaningful or productive end.

When stress increases, the INTJ can become argumentative and disagreeable. Social interaction, which is not their strength, becomes increasingly difficult for them. Not trusting their own abilities, they become preoccupied with obsessive notions. The INTJ may then find themselves spending an inordinate amount of time fighting horrible thoughts, tempting absurdities, and feelings of worthlessness. Fearful of others recognizing their perceived failure, the INTJ incessantly ruminates about mistakes, inadequacies, weaknesses, ineptness, and incompetence. Because this distracts them from risking what little confidence they may have left in themselves, it therefore keeps them from obtaining the success and achievement they so desperately need.

Careers
This lists represent careers and jobs people of your type tend to enjoy doing. The job requirements are similar to the personality tendencies of your personality type. It is important to remember that this is not a list of all the jobs possible. And it is very important to remember that people can, and frequently do, fill jobs that are dissimilar to their personality... this happens all the time...and sometimes works out quite well.
management consultant
economist
scientist
computer programmer
environmental planner
new business developer
curriculum designer
administrator
mathematician
psychologist
neurologist
biomedical researcher
strategic planner
civil engineer
intellectual properties attorney
designer
editor/art director
inventor
informational-graphics...designer
financial planner
judge

放棄．快樂．幸福

看到一篇文章，标题是「真正的快乐是放弃，而不是得到」，真是这样吗？ 通常不都是得到的时候才会快乐吗？特别是小时候，拿到压岁钱、领到奖状、得到赞美，都是快乐的记忆，怎么反而真正的快乐是放弃呢？我想，这是针对大人来讲的吧，是对经历过人世沧桑、尝过挫折失败、体会过痛苦滋味的大人讲的。

因为长大的过程，心也积累了很多包袱，快乐就不像小时候一样如影随形了。这个时候，懂得放弃的人反而快乐，这是不是有那么点哲理呢？今天我们首先就来分享这篇短文，「真正的快乐是放弃，而不是得到」。

放弃，你就可以轻装前进。放弃，你就可以摆脱烦恼，摆脱纠缠，整个身心沉浸在轻松悠闲的宁静中。

生活有时会逼迫你，不得不交出权力，不得不放走机遇，甚至不得不抛下爱情。你不可能什么都得到，生活中应该学会放弃。

放弃会使你显得豁达豪爽。放弃会使你冷静主动，放弃会让你变得更智能和更有力量。

然而，什么应该放弃？放弃失恋带来的痛楚，放弃屈辱留下的仇恨，放弃心中所有难言的负荷；放弃费精力的争吵，放弃没完没了的解释；放弃对权力的角逐，放弃对金钱的贪欲，放弃对名利的争夺……，一切源于自私的欲望，一切恶意的念头，一切固执的观念都应该放弃。

其实，放弃是一种心灵升华后更高境界的一种体现，那么如何才能达到坦然放弃的境界就至关重要，也的确是值得每一个人认真思考的问题。因为她绝不是一种什么技巧或强求，为了达到一种心理的平衡而强迫自己忘掉或变得麻木，回避不是真正的放弃，真正的放弃一定是坦然的，理智的，明明白白的。

其实，真正的快乐是放弃，而不是得到。

刚才这篇文章里提到的放弃，其实应该说放下会更贴切一点，也就是说，是一种跟随着人生智能增长而有的看透和自在，而不是那种迫于情势不得不然的放弃，那样的放弃，是一种含着怨愤的不得已的选择，怎么会快乐呢？如果智能已经到了那一步，对欲望已经看得那么开，自然而然的放弃一些东西，才会是一种快乐的境界吧。接下来再与您分享一篇与快乐、幸福有关的文章，「快乐何必无穷大」。作者是刘心武。

一家房地产开发商把所开发的商品房品牌定为「快乐无穷大」，想来是为了摆脱动辄号称「花园」、「广场」的命名风气，别出心裁，颇为有趣。

人的生活是否幸福，究竟以什么为衡量的标准？名声？地位？财富？健康？各人取舍不同，当然，也有想「鱼」与「熊掌」兼得的。

一个生命活体，就其所装载的心理情绪而言，很像一个「五味瓶」。哪五味？酸、甜、苦、辣、咸。这是以味觉打比方，直接说情绪，则是喜、怒、哀、乐、怨。

其实，「五味」的「五」，是很多的意思，人的心理情绪，岂止五种而已。我们常用的词汇里，把人生际遇和心理情绪合起来说的很多：悲欢离合、爱恨情仇、苦乐忧喜、愁怨嗔怒、愉悦舒畅、生死歌哭……。一个健康的生命，他的心理情绪应该是「五味俱全」而又不会「打破瓶子」。如果只保留一味快乐，或者只保留一类喜、乐、悦、畅，不是更好吗？

我个人却以为，那并不好，因为，人活在世上，应该有正义感，而正义常常是与对贪污腐败、邪恶堕落的愤怒、鄙夷、痛心等情绪联系在一起的；一个人如果只知自已快乐，而罔顾他人的不幸，对自已所置身的群体漠不关心，特别是缺乏一份对世界和平、环境保护的忧患情绪，那至少是「缺心眼儿」，不是一个健康美丽的好「瓶子」。以上是从大处说。

从小处，自已对自已，毫无愧悔内疚，不能体味怀旧的苦涩，不能氤氲出淡淡的哀愁，不知离别或邂逅时的酸辣，缺乏清夜扪心时的惊悚……。

那么，人生很难说是完整的，而没有全方位的人生体验，人生滋味不全，也就很难说获得了多大的幸福。人这个「瓶子」里的「五味」情绪，不应该是均等的，更不应该也不可能僵在那里不波动不翻腾，不互相渗透乃至转化。人的心理情绪的健康，其实也就是把「人生五味」阴阳调和得恰到好处的那么一种状态。这种状态的标志，常常是快乐，特别是「知足常乐」，但也不尽然，也可能是「难得胡涂」。

总之，快乐是幸福的必需品，但快乐何必无穷大，因为幸福的滋味不能仅仅是快乐这一种。一位富翁，他刚从美国拉斯韦加斯豪赌回来，便到高级俱乐部约朋友先吃鲍翅燕窝，又在夜总会看巴黎「红磨坊」式的歌舞，然后是泡药浴、洗桑拿，再全身泰式按摩，再吃港式宵夜，凌晨才驾著名车回到他郊区的豪宅，天亮时，人们发现他淹死在宅后的游泳池里了。

经警方调查并非他杀，那么是否自杀呢？难以判断。而当他没火化时，与他有关系的一群人已经在为分割其财产而撕破脸争斗了。他彷佛一只气球，把里面的快乐气体膨胀到一定的程度后，就陡然崩溃了。这究竟是快乐死，还是痛苦死？

相比之下，小康人家、知足人士的快乐，比较扎实，也容易持久。那快乐基本上属于「琐屑的生活小乐趣」，比如全家人共享一只刚熟的大西瓜。能把自已的心理情绪控制得恰到好处，该在什么情况下深刻沉重，该在什么情况下轻松幽默，融入性情，自自然然，那状态，才是真正的幸福吧！

快乐、幸福是大家都希望拥有的，而快乐幸福的定义却因人而异。如果在追求幸福快乐的路上，觉得累了，是不是停一下脚步，把心沉淀一下，想想您真正要的是什么？您是不是已经拥有了，却还埋头在追求呢？学会放弃、放下，快乐和幸福其实垂手可得。

测试一下…你几岁结婚

1.受委屈时直言不讳
YES(到9) NO(到2)
2.个性任性
YES(到6) NO(到3)
3.唱片不喜欢留下指纹
YES(到7) NO(到4)
4.早晨太早起不来
YES(到8) NO(到5)
5.常和家人一起看电视
YES(到10) NO(到9)
6.自己的过错会认真改正
YES(到14) NO(到13)
7.用餐时,没人开动就不动手
YES(到13) NO(到8)
8.常常粗心大意
YES(到15) NO(到11)
9.对混乱的大拍卖,没有兴趣
YES(到12) NO(到15)
10.再吵杂的地方也能看书
YES(到11) NO(到7)
11.经常替家人做饭
YES(到20) NO(到17)
12.用餐时间不规则,也无所谓
YES(到17) NO(到19)
13.喜欢穿传统式的服装
YES(到19) NO(到12)
14.不想成为未婚妈妈
YES(到18) NO(到16)
15.喜欢运动
YES(到16) NO(到20)
16.只要和喜欢的他结婚,一起工作也不要紧
YES(到21) NO(到24)
17.假日无法老实待在家里
YES(到25) NO(到23)
18.即使结婚后也希望像是朋友
YES(到22) NO(到17)
19.排除父母反对意见前绝不结婚
YES(到23) NO(到21)
20.外出旅行时都会尽早出发
YES(到24) NO(到25)
21.团体旅行时常担任领队
YES(到27) NO(到28)
22.和他的母亲关系良好
YES(到29) NO(到25)
23.常是晚辈商量的对象
YES(到26) NO(到29)
24.卜卦时出现凶卦会非常在意
YES(到30) NO(到27)
25.会反抗命令
YES(到28) NO(到30)
26.擅长编织或料理
YES(属于C) NO(属于E)
27.想到就立刻去实行
YES(属于B) NO(属于D)
28.像男人般沉迷于工作
YES(属于E) NO(属于A)
29.除喜欢的人外,其它的人连看都不看
YES(属于A) NO(属于C)
30.即使买一件裙子也这个那个的犹豫不决
YES(属于D) NO(属于B)



A.10几岁的早婚型
你的内心还很幼稚，对结婚持有很大的梦想，是将结婚想象成家家酒般的一型。一旦恋爱凡事皆不深入考虑就结婚，可以相当适应婚姻生活。但是婚前和男性交往时，一旦被背叛，就会对婚姻产生猜疑，容易失去结婚的机会。要注意。

B.20到25岁的前半型
你对任何事都相当积极，是想到就立刻行动的一型。自己的事一定得自己决定，结婚的事也只考虑到自己就毅然决然的结婚，事后才会向双亲报备。如果父母激烈反对或过于麻烦，会比较难以结婚。请留心。

C.25岁以后到29岁的后半型
是在大家的祝福下结婚，可以建立坚固美满家庭的一型。经常在意周遭的想法，对于结婚不是只考虑到自己的欲求，会多听听亲人或周遭朋友的意见才会行动。但是若过于参考别人的意见而受到影响，相反的反而会因此错过婚期。

D.30到35岁的过渡型
你在任何一方面都非常慎重，是会认真深入考虑的一型。即使结婚的机会到来，还是会考虑再三，难以下定决心。过了30岁一直相亲，或许会结交到诚实稳重的伴侣。如果不喜欢晚婚就不要怕失败，若是可以抓到对方的心，有可能在20几岁就结婚了。

E.35岁以上的晚婚型
妳是在工作上才可以找到生命意义的一型，不过应做家庭主妇。一旦投入一项工作中会发挥比男性还强的能力，经济上可以自立。透过工作认识的朋友会比较迟才结婚，但也是因此才会获得结婚的机会。此外，说不定辞去工作后，结婚的机会反而会悄悄的来访。