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RESOURCES

MAY 2016

MAY 2016


Right jobs, right skills key to transforming Singapore’s economy: PM Lee

"To stay competitive, Singaporeans must become more productive, innovative and adaptable, and constantly develop new and better ways of doing things" - PM Lee Hsien Loong
Dear PM, we would like to also suggest one more, mindset change stemming from strategic self awareness and acceptance.

 

Stanford psychologist tells us how to fight workplace burnout

Burnout occurs when one fails to manage his/her energy in the midst of working hard. How can we keep calm so as to have the energy when we really need it? Here are some tips.

 

‘Do not fear failure’: The best pieces of life advice from General George S. Patton

General George S. Patton was a leading officer in the US Army who commanded troops during World War II. Even though most of his experiences relate to the military, his insight remains highly applicable to our daily life and work. Read on for some of his quotes.

 

5 Important Ways Your Relationship With Your Mother Affects Your Success

We all know moms are important, but the root of your psychology and how you orient yourself towards success is more connected to your mother than you may realize.
The hand that rocks the cradle rocks the world....?

 

Goldman Sachs’ HR chief explains why the firm is moving away from brainteaser interview questions

To those who aspires to join Goldman Sach, take note....

 

Employees Leave Good Bosses Nearly as Often as Bad Ones

We understand why employees leave bad bosses, but do you know that employees leave good bosses at comparable rates as well? This is because good bosses develop their staff to become strong external candidates - this then increases the probability of such employees leaving their jobs for better opportunities elsewhere. However, the silver lining is that these employees often turn out to be "happy quitters", with many sustaining valuable relationships with their companies as alumni.

 

Overconfidence linked to one's view of intelligence

Does overconfidence hinder learning? Recent research found that students who believe that intelligence is unchangeable are likely to be more overconfident when compared to students who think otherwise. Those with fixed mindsets also tend to spend less time on difficult tasks – a display of overconfidence. Therefore, while overconfidence can affect learning, a possible intervention is to develop a growth mindset.

 

Why Bullies Make Bad Leaders

We often mistake aggression as strength, and bullying for leadership. As a result, the loudest member of a group typically rise to the top, but are they truly effective leaders? In this article, the author explains why we should look at leadership from a different perspective, and argues his case for servant leadership.

 

How People Learn to Become Resilient

Years of research has led to the conclusion that resilience is a set of skills that can be learned, and the key lies in perception. Whether an individual conceptualises an event as traumatic, or as a chance to learn and grow, can make all the difference in how one bounces back from adversity.

 

Why the modern world is bad for your brain

Is the rise of technology hurting our brains? Email and Facebook might have enabled us to lead more connected lives, but does this improvement come at a price? According to neuroscientist Daniel Levitin, technology can in fact make us less efficient due to an information overload, simply because our brains are not built for multitasking. Read on for an extract from Levitin’s bestselling book, “The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload”.

 

Your Brain Sees Things That You Don't

“Awareness” and “attention” may be defined similarly, but in psychological research, they are distinct concepts. Do you know that we are able to attend to a visual object, yet remain unaware of it? This is most aptly demonstrated by a phenomenon known as “blindsight” – individuals who are blind in their visual fields (due to brain damage) may not consciously experience the object, but are still able to point in its direction when prompted.

 

Why ‘positive thinking’ is a waste of time

When we are feeling down, forcing ourselves to think positively can backfire on us. Instead, it may be more effective to adopt “useful thinking”, by considering how we should make the best of the bad situation we are in.

 

Leaders Behaving Badly

Scientific data clearly indicates that employee engagement drives organizational profitability; nonetheless, only a minority of employees in most organizations are engaged. “The evidence suggests,” said Hogan CEO Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, “that disengagement is not just the norm, but a worldwide epidemic.” 
Global surveys show that many employees dislike their jobs. LinkedIn and other recruitment firms estimate that 70% of the workforce consists of passive jobseekers – people who are not actively looking for jobs, yet still hopeful for better alternatives. In the realm of relationships, this would equate to 70% of married people being open to replacing their spouse – or at least looking for something better.

 

Becoming a leader for the first time

Many first-time managers end up performing poorly after transitioning into leadership roles, despite being top-performing employees previously. What are the reasons, and what can be done to ensure a more successful transition?

 

Learning to see things from another's perspective

Differences in perspective can lead to conflict, but that does not mean we should avoid addressing such differences. By taking the time to understand others’ perspectives, what appear to be conflicting viewpoints initially may turn out to complement each other, or even converge.

 

How narcissistic perfectionists hurt those around them

We know about narcissism and perfectionism, but what about narcissistic perfectionism? According to emerging research on this topic, a narcissistic perfectionist can be described as an entitled individual who critically demands unrealistic standards and perfection of people around them. Apart from Donald Trump and Simon Cowell, researchers believe that Steve Jobs, who is widely known to be perfectionistic, may also be an example of narcissistic perfectionism.

 

How Do You Survive Office Competition?

Workplace competition can help us to thrive on the job, but what happens when it is taken to unhealthy levels? When faced with a hypercompetitor, do you fight back or retreat? Studies have established that people who shy away from hypercompetition (i.e. “worrier” instead of “warrior”) often perform poorly at work. What are some ways to manage and work with hypercompetitive colleagues?