1-Minute Insight: Doing business post-pandemic — I met an old friend and asked how his business was doing. He replied that it had improved but was far from pre-COVID days. He added that he has mortgaged his house and is hanging on as he believes it will only be a matter of time before things go…

Living with COVID-19 in Singapore — Overheard at lunch today …. Colleague: Did you see the news? The number of COVID-positive cases in Singapore is getting very high. Me: I know. That is why I have a headache. I am thinking if I should WFH for the next two weeks. Colleague: Huh? Too much work in the office? Me: No. No…

As an officer in the Singapore Armed Forces, I received and returned thousands of salutes. With each salute I received and returned, I was deeply aware of the price that came with this simple exchange. In the military, subordinates salute a superior officer as a sign of respect for the…

Murphy’s law is an adage that we have all heard, and it typically states that if anything can go wrong it will. The truth in this adage lies in probabilities. In other words, over a large enough number of occurrences and a long enough period, even the most improbable will…

The formal and informal power structure in every organization — This might sound strange to some, but the “boss” might not be the boss. One important skill I learned from my previous role was to ‘read the room.’ By paying attention to both the explicit and the underlying conversations, I am able to identify the power brokers in the meeting…

Why people stay in dead-end jobs. — I bumped into a friend whom I had referred for a job two years ago. As we spoke I realized he was still in his old job and as unhappy as ever. I asked him what happened. The job I had referred him to was practically a sure thing as…

What do you say during your exit interview — #CoffeeWithFriends My friend recently tendered his resignation and he has been invited to have an exit interview with the President of his company. During coffee, he asked if I thought he should be honest and tell the President about the toxic work culture in his Department — in the past…

I was recently on the panel for a job interview. After a few minutes, it was clear to me that the candidate was not qualified for the role. Rather than beat around the bush, I asked him directly, if offered the role, how confident he was in excelling in it. …

Lessons for democracies like Singapore — As I watch the January 6th Hearing, I am reminded that democracy is a concept that is unnatural. Strength will always have might and it is human instinct to seek to survive and reproduce by asserting ourselves — relentlessly, unwittingly, savagely — against others. For democracy to survive, three things…