In my current workscope, I thought I really need to improve my strategy thinking. So i started to search for books which teaches about coming up with good strategies. I was unable to find one which I was looking for until i saw this book in MPH or Times in Changi Airport when I was going to Phuket for a short trip. That has been about 9 months ago.
I must say that after going through about 50 pages, I was kind of disappointed as the author seemed to just want to tell the readers that most companies do not have strategies and just have goals or plans. Anyway, I read on as I can't find another strategy book. Below are just statements from the book or some thing i figured out from reading the book.
1) A good strategy has coherence, coordinating actions, policies and resources so as to accomplish an important end.
2) Strategy is at least as much about what an organization does not do as it is about what it does.
3) Use your strengths to exploit opposition weakness.
4) Once you develop the ability to detect bad strategy, you will dramatically improve your effectiveness at judging, influencing and create strategy.
5) A strategy is a way through a difficulty, an approach to overcome an obstacle, a response to a challenge. If the challenge is not defined, it is difficult or impossible to assess the quality of the strategy. And if you cannot assess a strategy's quality, you cannot reject a bad strategy or improve a good one.
6) Bad strategy is the active for avoidance of the hardwork of crafting a good strategy.
7) The transformational leader a) develops or has a vision b) inspires people to sacrifice (change( for the good of the organization, and c) empowers people to accomplish the vision
8) Strategy is the craft if figuring out which purposes are both worth pursuing and capable of being accomplished.
9) Good strategy is coherent action backed up by an argument, an effective mixture of thought and action with a basic underlying structure. Structure contains:
A) A diagnosis that defines or explains the nature of the challenge
B) A guiding policy for dialing with the challenge
C) A reference of coherent actions that are designed to carry out the guiding policy
10) To concentrate on an objective - to make it a priority - necessarily assumes that many other important things will be taken care of.
11) One of a leader's most powerful tools is the creation of a good proximate objective - one that is close enough at hand to be feasible.
12) A series of chain linked activities are all maintained at a high level of quality, each benefiting from the quality of the other and the whole being resistant to each imitation.
13) A good strategy coordinates policies across activities to focus the competitive punch.
14) A more tightly integrated design is harder to create, narrower in focus, more fragile in use, and less flexible in responding to changes.
15) At the core, strategy is about focus, and most complex organization don't focus their resources. Instead, they pursue multiple goals at once, not concentrating enough resources to achieve a breakthrough in any of them.
16) If a business can produce at a lower cost than its competitors, or if it can deliver more perceived value than its competitors, or a mix of the 2, then you have a competitive advantage.
17) Increasing value requires a strategy for progress on one of the 4 different fronts:
A) Deepening advantages
B)Broadening the extent of advantage
C) Creating higher demand for advantaged product or service
D) Strengthening the isolated mechanisms that block easy replication and imitation by competitors.
18) Deepening advantage
- either increasing value to buyers, reduce cost or both
- improvement come from re-examining the details of how work is done, not just from cost control or incentives.
19) Broadening extent of advantage
- build on strength
20) Creating higher demand
- Higher demand will increase long term profits only if a business already possesses scarce resources that create a stable competitive advantage.
21) Strengthening Isolating Mechanism
- Work on stronger patents, brand name protection and copyrights
- be a moving target for imitators (keep improving)
I quickly went thru the rest of the book as there are too many stories and too few principles to be learned. Of the above 21 points, I hope any reader is able to get something out of it.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014
The Leader's Checklist by Michael Useem
I bought this book because of 2 reasons:1) it has only about 100 pages. 2) Its published by Wharton. I find books published by Wharton mostly more credible and easier reads.
There are a few good statements. One which stands out is "Leaders connect, collaborate and coordinate".
There are 15 mission-critical principles:
1) Articulate a Vision. Formulate a clear and persuasive vision and communicate it to all members of the enterprise.
2) Think and Act Strategically. Set forth a pragmatic strategy for achieving that vision both short and long term, and ensure that it is widely understood; consider all players and anticipate reactions and resistance before they are manifest.
3) Honor the Room. Frequently express your confidence in and support for those who work with and for you.
4) Take Charge. Embrace a bias for action, of taking responsibility even if it is not formally delegated, particularly if you are well positioned to make a difference.
5) Act Decisively. Make good and timely decisions and ensure that they are executed.
6) Communicate Persuasively. Communicate in ways that people will not forget; simplicity and clarity of expression help.
7) Motivate the Troops. Appreciate the distinctive intentions that people bring, and then build on those diverse motives to draw the best from each.
8) Embrace the Front Lines. Delegate authority except for strategic decisions, and stay close to the most directly engaged with the work of the enterprise.
9) Build Leadership in Others. Develop leadership throughout the organization.
10) Manage Relations. Build enduring personal ties with those who look to you, and work to harness the feelings and passions of the workplace.
11) Identify Personal Implications. Help everybody appreciate the impact that the vision and strategy are likely to have on their own work and future with the firm.
12) Convey your Character. Through gesture, commentary and accounts, ensure that others appreciate that you are a person of integrity.
13) Dampen over Optimism. Counter the hubris of success, focus the attention on latent threats and unresolved problems, and protect against the tendency for managers to engage in unwarranted risk.
14) Build a Diverse Top Team. Leaders need to take final responsibility, but leaders is also a team sport best played with an able roster of those collectively capable of resolving all the key challenges.
15) Place Common Interest First. In setting strategy, communicating vision, and reaching decisions, common purpose comes first, personal self-interest last.
After reading the book, good thing is it is even shorter than 100 pages, if you do not count the interviews. What I do not like are the only few references which consists of the Chilean mine collapse, NY 911 twin tower collapse, near collapse of AIG and surrender of Confederation Army. Find it too narrow. But overall, it has been a good read.
There are a few good statements. One which stands out is "Leaders connect, collaborate and coordinate".
There are 15 mission-critical principles:
1) Articulate a Vision. Formulate a clear and persuasive vision and communicate it to all members of the enterprise.
2) Think and Act Strategically. Set forth a pragmatic strategy for achieving that vision both short and long term, and ensure that it is widely understood; consider all players and anticipate reactions and resistance before they are manifest.
3) Honor the Room. Frequently express your confidence in and support for those who work with and for you.
4) Take Charge. Embrace a bias for action, of taking responsibility even if it is not formally delegated, particularly if you are well positioned to make a difference.
5) Act Decisively. Make good and timely decisions and ensure that they are executed.
6) Communicate Persuasively. Communicate in ways that people will not forget; simplicity and clarity of expression help.
7) Motivate the Troops. Appreciate the distinctive intentions that people bring, and then build on those diverse motives to draw the best from each.
8) Embrace the Front Lines. Delegate authority except for strategic decisions, and stay close to the most directly engaged with the work of the enterprise.
9) Build Leadership in Others. Develop leadership throughout the organization.
10) Manage Relations. Build enduring personal ties with those who look to you, and work to harness the feelings and passions of the workplace.
11) Identify Personal Implications. Help everybody appreciate the impact that the vision and strategy are likely to have on their own work and future with the firm.
12) Convey your Character. Through gesture, commentary and accounts, ensure that others appreciate that you are a person of integrity.
13) Dampen over Optimism. Counter the hubris of success, focus the attention on latent threats and unresolved problems, and protect against the tendency for managers to engage in unwarranted risk.
14) Build a Diverse Top Team. Leaders need to take final responsibility, but leaders is also a team sport best played with an able roster of those collectively capable of resolving all the key challenges.
15) Place Common Interest First. In setting strategy, communicating vision, and reaching decisions, common purpose comes first, personal self-interest last.
After reading the book, good thing is it is even shorter than 100 pages, if you do not count the interviews. What I do not like are the only few references which consists of the Chilean mine collapse, NY 911 twin tower collapse, near collapse of AIG and surrender of Confederation Army. Find it too narrow. But overall, it has been a good read.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
WellBeing - Tom Rath and Jim Harter
If we can find short term incentives that are consistent with our long
term objectives, it is much easier to make the right decisions in the moment. When we can see an immediate payoff, we are more
likely to change our behaviour in the moment.
Career Wellbeing
A) Most essential of the 5 elements. If you don’t have the opportunity to regularly do something you enjoy, the odds of your having high wellbeing in other areas diminish rapidly.
B) Study showed that our wellbeing actually recovers more rapidly from the death of a spouse than it does from a sustained period of unemployment(>1 yr)
C) For those who are engaged in work, happiness and interest throughout the day were significantly higher. Conversely, stress levels were substantially higher for those who are disengaged. The disengaged workers’ stress levels decreased and their happiness increased towards the end of the workday. People with low engagement and low career wellbeing are simply waiting for the workday to end.
D) Engaged workers have similar happiness levels on working and nonworking days, with only slight increase in stress and a positive boost in interest levels when they are at work. However, disengaged workers experienced dramatic drops in happiness and interest – as well as major increases in stress – during workdays.
E) If your career wellbeing is striving, you are able to have good weekends and good weekdays, and the time you are at work is as enjoyable as the time you spend away from work.
F) For people with thriving career wellbeing, they love their work so much that it is closely aligned with – and can’t help but spill into – their personal lives.
G) As employees’’ levels of engagement at work increases, their total cholesterol and triglyceride levels significantly decreased. Boosting your career wellbeing might be one of the most impt priorities to consider for maintaining good health over the years.
H) The person we least enjoy being around is our boss. More incompetent is the boss, the higher risk of a heart attack.
I) If your manager is primarily focusing on your strengths, the chance of your being actively disengaged is just 1% or 1 in 100.
J) Most people strive to minimize the no of hours they need to work in a day and they want to retire as early as possible. But when they are going to retire, most of them want to keep working.
K) One of the essentials to having fun at work is getting opportunity to use your strengths every day. When we build our strengths and daily success – instead of focusing on failures – we simply learn more.
L) People with high career wellbeing wake up every morning with something to look forward to doing that day. Those with thriving career wellbeing have a deep purpose in life and a plan to attain their goals. In most cases, they have a leader or manager who makes them enthusiastic about the future and friends who share their passion. While you might thing people with high career wellbeing spend too much time working, they actually take more time to enjoy life, have better relationships, and don’t take things for granted. And they love what they do each day.
M) 3 recommendations: i) Use your strengths every day. Ii) Identify someone with a shared mission who encourages your growth. Spend more time with this person. Iii) Opt into more social time with people and teams you enjoy being around at work.
Social Wellbeing
A) When you reflect on the most memorable events, experiences and moments in your life, you’ll notice that they have something in common: the presence of another person.
B) We tend to synchronise our moods with the people around us, our emotions influence one another throughout the day.
C) Odds of being happy increase by 15% if a direct connection in your social network is happy.
D) People with a best friend who has a very healthy diet are more than five times as likely to have a very healthy diet as well.
E) Relationships serve as a buffer during tough times, which in turn improves our cardiovascular functioning and decreases stress levels.
F) It took almost twice as long for wounds to heal for couples who reported having hostility in their relationship.
G) When we get at least 6 hours of daily social time, it increases our wellbeing and minimizes stress and worry.
H) Those who have a best friend at work are 7 times as likely to be engaged in their jobs, are better at engaging customers, produce higher quality work, have high wellbeing, and are less likely to get injured on the job.
I) People who have at least 3 or 4 very close friendships are healthier, have higher wellbeing, and are more engaged in their jobs.
J) Key to great relationships is to focus on what each friend does contribute, instead of expecting one person to do it all.
K) People with thriving social wellbeing have several close relationships that help them achieve, enjoy life, and be healthy. They are surrounded by people who encourage their development and growth. Those with high social wellbeing deliberately spend time – on average about 6 hours a day – investing in their social networks. They make time for gatherings and trips that strengthen these relationships even more. As a result, people with thriving social wellbeing have great relationships, which gives them positive energy on a daily basis.
L) 3 recommendations: i) Spend 6 hours a day socializing with friends, family and colleagues (this time includes work, home, phone, email and other communications), ii) Strengthen the mutual connections in your network, iii) Mix social time with physical activities. For example, take a long walk with a friend so you can motivate each other to be healthy.
Financial Wellbeing
A) Money matters only up to the point at which people have enough money to afford their basic needs.
B) Money can increase short term happiness by giving us more control over how we spend our time, whether that means a shorter commute, more time at home with family, or additional social time with friends.
C) Study showed that spending on oneself does not boost wellbeing. However, spending money on others does – and it appears to be as important to people’s happiness as the total amount of money they make.
D) We spend the most when we feel the worse.
E) Buying experiences such as going out to dinner or taking a vacation increases out own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. Material items lose their novelty, but we can relive memories indefinitely.
F) It hurts a lot more to lose $50 that we already have than it feels good to win $50. Set default accounts to save money and grow financially.
G) Financial security (the perception that you have more than enough money to do what you want to do) has 3 times the impact of your income alone on overall wellbeing. Furthermore, a lack of worry about money has more than double the impact of income on overall wellbeing.
H) Managing your finances well allows you to do what you want to do when you want to do it.
I) People with thriving Financial Wellbeing are satisfied with their overall standard of living. They manage their personal finances well to create financial security. This eliminates day-to-day stress caused by debt and helps build finance reserves. People with high Financial Wellbeing spend their money wisely. They buy experiences that provide them with lasting memories. They give to others and don’t just spend on themselves. As a result of managing their money wisely, they have the financial freedom to spend even more time with the people whose company they enjoy most.
J) 3 recommendations: i) Buy experiences – such as vacations and outings with friends or loved ones. Ii) Spend on others instead of solely on material possessions. iii) Establish default systems (automated payments and savings) that lessen daily worry about money.
Physical Wellbeing
A) Many critical signalling genes that promote inflammation, autoimmune, and allergic responses were markedly reduced in just 5 weeks due to dietary changes.
B) When we eat meals high in carbohydrates and sugars, it essentially damages our appetite-control cells and sends a message to our brain to consume more, even if we don’t need more food at that time.
C) Look for vegetables and fruits that have darker tones of red, green and blue.
D) People who exercise at least twice a week are happier and have significantly less stress.
E) Exercising is much more effectively at eliminating fatigue than prescription drugs.
F) Having a good night’s sleep gives us a fresh start, and increases out chances of having energy and high wellbeing throughout the day.
G) Study showed that we learn and make connections more effectively when we are asleep than we do when we are awake.
H) Sleep 7-8 hrs. Too short or too long can cause problems. Short sleeps were 35% more likely to experience a substantial weight gains and long duration sleepers were 25% more likely to have a substantial weight gain.
I) Making the right choices in advance can help us get ahead of our short term desires. Choose the place you want to eat correctly.
J) People with thriving Physical Wellbeing effectively manage their health. They exercise regularly and feel better throughout the day as a result. They make good dietary choices, which keeps their energy high throughout the day and sharpens their thinking. They get enough sleep to wake up feeling well-rested and to process what they learned the day before – and to get a good start on the next day. People with thriving Physical Wellbeing look better, feel better and will live longer.
K) 3 recommendations: i) Get at least 20 minutes of physical activity each day – ideally in the morning to improve your mood throughout the day .ii) Sleep enough to feel well-rested (generally 7-8 hrs) but not too long (more than 9 hrs). iii) Set positive defaults when you shop for groceries. Load up on natural food that are red, green and blue.
Community Wellbeing
A) Besides basic sense of security, aesthetics of the community (parks, playgrounds etc), social offerings (places where friends meet, nightlife etc) and general openness to all types of people are factors.
B) Unless you make an effort to get involved in social groups, it is unlikely your community wellbeing will grow.
C) Thriving community wellbeing is about what we do to give back to our community.
D) At the highest end of the community wellbeing continuum is giving back to society.. This may be what differentiates an exceptional life from a good one.
E) When we do things for others, we see how we can make a difference, and this gives us confidence in our own ability to create change.
F) Creating sustainable change may be 2-3 times as likely to happen in the context of a group, company or community organization. Eg, if you enrol in an intensive weight loss program alone, there is a 24% chance that you will maintain your weight loss after 10 months. If you enrol in the same program and then join a social support group of 3 strangers, there is a nearly 50% chance you will maintain the weight loss 10 months later. But if you enrol in the program with 3 friends or colleagues, you already know, the odds of maintaining your weight loss of up to 66%.
G) Workers who were the most engaged in their jobs donated 2.6 times more than those who were not engaged in their careers.
H) People with high Community Wellbeing feel safe and secure where they live. They take pride in their community, and they believe it is headed in the right direction. This often results in their wanting to give back and make a lasting contribution to society. People with thriving Community Wellbeing have identified areas where they can contribute to their community based on their own strengths and passions. They tell others about their interests to connect with the right groups and causes. Their contribution may start small, but over time, it leads to more involvement and has a profound impact on their community. The efforts of people with thriving Community Wellbeing are what create communities we cannot imagine living without.
I) 3 recommendations: i) Identify how you can contribute to your community based on your personal mission. ii) Tell people about your passions and interests so they can connect you with the relevant groups and causes. iii) Opt in to a community group or event. Even if you start small, start now.
Career Wellbeing
A) Most essential of the 5 elements. If you don’t have the opportunity to regularly do something you enjoy, the odds of your having high wellbeing in other areas diminish rapidly.
B) Study showed that our wellbeing actually recovers more rapidly from the death of a spouse than it does from a sustained period of unemployment(>1 yr)
C) For those who are engaged in work, happiness and interest throughout the day were significantly higher. Conversely, stress levels were substantially higher for those who are disengaged. The disengaged workers’ stress levels decreased and their happiness increased towards the end of the workday. People with low engagement and low career wellbeing are simply waiting for the workday to end.
D) Engaged workers have similar happiness levels on working and nonworking days, with only slight increase in stress and a positive boost in interest levels when they are at work. However, disengaged workers experienced dramatic drops in happiness and interest – as well as major increases in stress – during workdays.
E) If your career wellbeing is striving, you are able to have good weekends and good weekdays, and the time you are at work is as enjoyable as the time you spend away from work.
F) For people with thriving career wellbeing, they love their work so much that it is closely aligned with – and can’t help but spill into – their personal lives.
G) As employees’’ levels of engagement at work increases, their total cholesterol and triglyceride levels significantly decreased. Boosting your career wellbeing might be one of the most impt priorities to consider for maintaining good health over the years.
H) The person we least enjoy being around is our boss. More incompetent is the boss, the higher risk of a heart attack.
I) If your manager is primarily focusing on your strengths, the chance of your being actively disengaged is just 1% or 1 in 100.
J) Most people strive to minimize the no of hours they need to work in a day and they want to retire as early as possible. But when they are going to retire, most of them want to keep working.
K) One of the essentials to having fun at work is getting opportunity to use your strengths every day. When we build our strengths and daily success – instead of focusing on failures – we simply learn more.
L) People with high career wellbeing wake up every morning with something to look forward to doing that day. Those with thriving career wellbeing have a deep purpose in life and a plan to attain their goals. In most cases, they have a leader or manager who makes them enthusiastic about the future and friends who share their passion. While you might thing people with high career wellbeing spend too much time working, they actually take more time to enjoy life, have better relationships, and don’t take things for granted. And they love what they do each day.
M) 3 recommendations: i) Use your strengths every day. Ii) Identify someone with a shared mission who encourages your growth. Spend more time with this person. Iii) Opt into more social time with people and teams you enjoy being around at work.
Social Wellbeing
A) When you reflect on the most memorable events, experiences and moments in your life, you’ll notice that they have something in common: the presence of another person.
B) We tend to synchronise our moods with the people around us, our emotions influence one another throughout the day.
C) Odds of being happy increase by 15% if a direct connection in your social network is happy.
D) People with a best friend who has a very healthy diet are more than five times as likely to have a very healthy diet as well.
E) Relationships serve as a buffer during tough times, which in turn improves our cardiovascular functioning and decreases stress levels.
F) It took almost twice as long for wounds to heal for couples who reported having hostility in their relationship.
G) When we get at least 6 hours of daily social time, it increases our wellbeing and minimizes stress and worry.
H) Those who have a best friend at work are 7 times as likely to be engaged in their jobs, are better at engaging customers, produce higher quality work, have high wellbeing, and are less likely to get injured on the job.
I) People who have at least 3 or 4 very close friendships are healthier, have higher wellbeing, and are more engaged in their jobs.
J) Key to great relationships is to focus on what each friend does contribute, instead of expecting one person to do it all.
K) People with thriving social wellbeing have several close relationships that help them achieve, enjoy life, and be healthy. They are surrounded by people who encourage their development and growth. Those with high social wellbeing deliberately spend time – on average about 6 hours a day – investing in their social networks. They make time for gatherings and trips that strengthen these relationships even more. As a result, people with thriving social wellbeing have great relationships, which gives them positive energy on a daily basis.
L) 3 recommendations: i) Spend 6 hours a day socializing with friends, family and colleagues (this time includes work, home, phone, email and other communications), ii) Strengthen the mutual connections in your network, iii) Mix social time with physical activities. For example, take a long walk with a friend so you can motivate each other to be healthy.
Financial Wellbeing
A) Money matters only up to the point at which people have enough money to afford their basic needs.
B) Money can increase short term happiness by giving us more control over how we spend our time, whether that means a shorter commute, more time at home with family, or additional social time with friends.
C) Study showed that spending on oneself does not boost wellbeing. However, spending money on others does – and it appears to be as important to people’s happiness as the total amount of money they make.
D) We spend the most when we feel the worse.
E) Buying experiences such as going out to dinner or taking a vacation increases out own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. Material items lose their novelty, but we can relive memories indefinitely.
F) It hurts a lot more to lose $50 that we already have than it feels good to win $50. Set default accounts to save money and grow financially.
G) Financial security (the perception that you have more than enough money to do what you want to do) has 3 times the impact of your income alone on overall wellbeing. Furthermore, a lack of worry about money has more than double the impact of income on overall wellbeing.
H) Managing your finances well allows you to do what you want to do when you want to do it.
I) People with thriving Financial Wellbeing are satisfied with their overall standard of living. They manage their personal finances well to create financial security. This eliminates day-to-day stress caused by debt and helps build finance reserves. People with high Financial Wellbeing spend their money wisely. They buy experiences that provide them with lasting memories. They give to others and don’t just spend on themselves. As a result of managing their money wisely, they have the financial freedom to spend even more time with the people whose company they enjoy most.
J) 3 recommendations: i) Buy experiences – such as vacations and outings with friends or loved ones. Ii) Spend on others instead of solely on material possessions. iii) Establish default systems (automated payments and savings) that lessen daily worry about money.
Physical Wellbeing
A) Many critical signalling genes that promote inflammation, autoimmune, and allergic responses were markedly reduced in just 5 weeks due to dietary changes.
B) When we eat meals high in carbohydrates and sugars, it essentially damages our appetite-control cells and sends a message to our brain to consume more, even if we don’t need more food at that time.
C) Look for vegetables and fruits that have darker tones of red, green and blue.
D) People who exercise at least twice a week are happier and have significantly less stress.
E) Exercising is much more effectively at eliminating fatigue than prescription drugs.
F) Having a good night’s sleep gives us a fresh start, and increases out chances of having energy and high wellbeing throughout the day.
G) Study showed that we learn and make connections more effectively when we are asleep than we do when we are awake.
H) Sleep 7-8 hrs. Too short or too long can cause problems. Short sleeps were 35% more likely to experience a substantial weight gains and long duration sleepers were 25% more likely to have a substantial weight gain.
I) Making the right choices in advance can help us get ahead of our short term desires. Choose the place you want to eat correctly.
J) People with thriving Physical Wellbeing effectively manage their health. They exercise regularly and feel better throughout the day as a result. They make good dietary choices, which keeps their energy high throughout the day and sharpens their thinking. They get enough sleep to wake up feeling well-rested and to process what they learned the day before – and to get a good start on the next day. People with thriving Physical Wellbeing look better, feel better and will live longer.
K) 3 recommendations: i) Get at least 20 minutes of physical activity each day – ideally in the morning to improve your mood throughout the day .ii) Sleep enough to feel well-rested (generally 7-8 hrs) but not too long (more than 9 hrs). iii) Set positive defaults when you shop for groceries. Load up on natural food that are red, green and blue.
Community Wellbeing
A) Besides basic sense of security, aesthetics of the community (parks, playgrounds etc), social offerings (places where friends meet, nightlife etc) and general openness to all types of people are factors.
B) Unless you make an effort to get involved in social groups, it is unlikely your community wellbeing will grow.
C) Thriving community wellbeing is about what we do to give back to our community.
D) At the highest end of the community wellbeing continuum is giving back to society.. This may be what differentiates an exceptional life from a good one.
E) When we do things for others, we see how we can make a difference, and this gives us confidence in our own ability to create change.
F) Creating sustainable change may be 2-3 times as likely to happen in the context of a group, company or community organization. Eg, if you enrol in an intensive weight loss program alone, there is a 24% chance that you will maintain your weight loss after 10 months. If you enrol in the same program and then join a social support group of 3 strangers, there is a nearly 50% chance you will maintain the weight loss 10 months later. But if you enrol in the program with 3 friends or colleagues, you already know, the odds of maintaining your weight loss of up to 66%.
G) Workers who were the most engaged in their jobs donated 2.6 times more than those who were not engaged in their careers.
H) People with high Community Wellbeing feel safe and secure where they live. They take pride in their community, and they believe it is headed in the right direction. This often results in their wanting to give back and make a lasting contribution to society. People with thriving Community Wellbeing have identified areas where they can contribute to their community based on their own strengths and passions. They tell others about their interests to connect with the right groups and causes. Their contribution may start small, but over time, it leads to more involvement and has a profound impact on their community. The efforts of people with thriving Community Wellbeing are what create communities we cannot imagine living without.
I) 3 recommendations: i) Identify how you can contribute to your community based on your personal mission. ii) Tell people about your passions and interests so they can connect you with the relevant groups and causes. iii) Opt in to a community group or event. Even if you start small, start now.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Book Warehouse Sales Review
Price of books in Singapore are relatively competitive as compared to most countries. Over the last 5 years, more book warehouse sales are held in either Expo or Suntec. Depending on the types of books you like and buy, some of the books are really cheap in some of these warehouse sales. I believe I have been to all the book warehouse sales organised by the big bookstores in Singapore and below are my observations.
Borders
I went to Borders sale today and I believe this might be Borders last book warehouse sales in Singapore. It is under liquidation and is selling whatever they have from its Wheellock store. The previous Borders sales were disappointing. Most books were either old, with all the browsing or outdated. To make it more uninteresting, the books were only slightly discounted. The crowd today was great. The discount was at 50% off which was great and the main draw. The main drawback of the event was that the books are too disorientated and too messy. The books are categiorized only to Kids, Fiction and Non Fiction and are all thrown into large boxes. 90% sold are books. In any case, this may well be the last time I go into a Borders store.
MPH
I started with MPH due to a recommendation from a friend about 4 years ago. Back then, I was amazed at the steep discount this warehouse sale has. I still remembered that I bought a Lords of the Ring Trilogy book for $8 at the warehouse and the same book was selling at about $40 in a MPH store. Back then, most nonfiction books are going at $7 and fiction books are at $5(if I did not remember wrongly). That is about 60-80% off shelf rates. Since then, I have search for my books in MPH sales. MPH started with an annual sale, but they have now half yearly sales, and sometimes for whatever reason, organising one every 2-3months. Besides books, they do have a small portion for stationaries. Though prices have increased in the walehouse sales, they are still about 50% off shelf rates.
Times
I think I have only gone to Times book warehouse sales a couple of times. The only thing i remembered was that the book selection was limited and the discount was dismayed. No interesting at all.
Popular
Popular has been organising bigger warehouse sales each year. They have a big difference among all the other bog players. they have a wide selection of chinese books and stationaries. They have a small section on english books though. So only go there if you want to buy some chinese books and stationaries.
There is an annual chinese books sales, or more of an exhibition, with talks included. I can't remember what is the name of the event, so sorry.
Overall, as I am most interested in self-help books, the MPH sales has been my main source to get my books over the last 4-5 years. Each time, i spent about $200 there.
Borders
I went to Borders sale today and I believe this might be Borders last book warehouse sales in Singapore. It is under liquidation and is selling whatever they have from its Wheellock store. The previous Borders sales were disappointing. Most books were either old, with all the browsing or outdated. To make it more uninteresting, the books were only slightly discounted. The crowd today was great. The discount was at 50% off which was great and the main draw. The main drawback of the event was that the books are too disorientated and too messy. The books are categiorized only to Kids, Fiction and Non Fiction and are all thrown into large boxes. 90% sold are books. In any case, this may well be the last time I go into a Borders store.
MPH
I started with MPH due to a recommendation from a friend about 4 years ago. Back then, I was amazed at the steep discount this warehouse sale has. I still remembered that I bought a Lords of the Ring Trilogy book for $8 at the warehouse and the same book was selling at about $40 in a MPH store. Back then, most nonfiction books are going at $7 and fiction books are at $5(if I did not remember wrongly). That is about 60-80% off shelf rates. Since then, I have search for my books in MPH sales. MPH started with an annual sale, but they have now half yearly sales, and sometimes for whatever reason, organising one every 2-3months. Besides books, they do have a small portion for stationaries. Though prices have increased in the walehouse sales, they are still about 50% off shelf rates.
Times
I think I have only gone to Times book warehouse sales a couple of times. The only thing i remembered was that the book selection was limited and the discount was dismayed. No interesting at all.
Popular
Popular has been organising bigger warehouse sales each year. They have a big difference among all the other bog players. they have a wide selection of chinese books and stationaries. They have a small section on english books though. So only go there if you want to buy some chinese books and stationaries.
There is an annual chinese books sales, or more of an exhibition, with talks included. I can't remember what is the name of the event, so sorry.
Overall, as I am most interested in self-help books, the MPH sales has been my main source to get my books over the last 4-5 years. Each time, i spent about $200 there.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
How Successful People Think By John C. Maxwell
This tiny book measuring 6.5" x 4.5"with 124 pages took me too long to complete. I started when i went for my cruise last Nov and I just completed....after 9 long months. Anyway, here is a detailed summary.
Big Picture Thinking
Why Big Picture
A) Allows you to lead
- See the vision before others do.
- Size up situations, taking into accounts many variables
- Sketch a picture of where the team is going
- Show how the future connects with the past to make journey more meaningful
- Seize the moment when the timing is right
B) Keeps you on target
C) Allows you to see what other people sees
D) Promotes teamwork
E) Keeps you from being caught up in the mundane
F) Helps you to chart uncharted territory
How to acquire wisdom of big picture thinking
A) Don’t strive for certainty
B) Learn from experience
C) Gain insight from variety of people
D) Give yourself permission to expand your world (out of your experience and what you know)
Focused Thinking
Why focused thinking
A) Harnesses energy towards a desired goal
B) Gives idea time to develop
C) Brings clarity to the target
D) Will take you to next level
Which area to focus
A) Identify your priorities
B) Discover your gifts
C) Develop your dreams
How to stay focused
A) Remove distractions
B) Make time for focused thinking
C) Keep items of focus before you
D) Set goals
E) Question your progress
What to give up to go up
A) Not knowing everyone
B) Not doing everything
C) Not going everywhere
D) Not being well-rounded
Creative Thinking
Characteristics of creative thinkers
A) Value ideas
B) Explore options
C) Embrace ambiguity
D) Celebrate the offbeat
E) Connect the unconnected (Think – Collect – Create – Correct – Connect)
F) Don’t fear failure
Why creative thinking
A) Adds value to everything
B) Compounds
C) Draws people to you and your ideas
D) Helps you learn more
E) Challenges the status quo
How to be creative
A) Remove creative killers (“I’m not a creative person”, “Follow the rules”, “Don’t ask questions”, It can’t be done”, It’s too much work”, “Failure is final”)
B) Asking the right questions (“What is the root problem?”, “Why is this impt?”, What is the opposite?”, “Why must this be done this way?”)
C) Develop a creative environment
- Encourages creativity
- Place high value on trust among team members and individuality
- Embrace those who are creative
- Focuses on innovation
- Willingness to let people go outside the lines
- Appreciates the power of a dream
D) Spend time with other creative people
E) Get out of the box
Realistic Thinking
Why
A) Minimize downside risk (because pls for worst case scenario)
B) Gives a target and game plan
C) Catalyst for change (people rely on hope rarely make changes)
D) Provides security (because you make contingency plans more confidently and secure)
E) Gives credibility (not surprised by the unexpected)
F) Provides foundation to build on
How
A) Appreciates the truth
B) Makes one do his/her homework
C) Think through the pros and cons
D) Picture worst case scenarios
E) Align with your resources
Strategic Thinking
How to release the power of strategic thinking
A) Break down the issue
B) Ask why before the how
C) Identify the real issues and objectives
D) Review your resources
E) Develop your plan
F) Put right people in right place with right plan
G) Keep repeating the process
Question Popular Thinking
Why?
A) Sometimes means not thinking
B) Offers false hope
C) Slow to embrace change
D) Brings only average results
How?
A) Think before you follow
B) Appreciate thinking differently from your own
C) Continually question your own thinking
D) Try new things in new ways
E) Get used to being uncomfortable
Benefits from Shared Thinking
Why?
A) Faster than solo thinking
B) More innovative than solo thinking
C) More matured than solo thinking
D) Stronger than solo thinking
E) Returns greater value than solo thinking
F) Only way to have great thinking
How?
A) Value ideas of others
B) Move from competition to cooperation
C) Have agenda when meetup
D) Get right people around the table
E) Compensate good thinkers and collaborators well
Practice Unselfish Thinking
Why?
A) Brings personal fulfillment
B) Adds value to others
C) Encourages other virtues
D) Increases quality of life
E) Makes you part of something greater than yourself
F) Creates a legacy
How?
A) Put others first
B) Expose yourself to situation where people have needs
C) Give quietly or anonymously
D) Invest in people intentionally
E) Continually check your motives
Rely on Bottom Line Thinking
Why?
A) Provides great clarity
B) Helps you assess every situation
C) Helps you make best decisions
D) Generate high morale
E) Ensures your future
How?
A) Identify the real bottom line
B) Make the bottom line the point
C) Create strategic plan to achieve the bottom line
D) Align team members with the bottom line
E) Stick with one system and monitor results continually
You can see that my writings for each chapter gets shorter and shorter. I apologise for that. John Maxwell seems to be my favourite self-help(leadership) author for the moment. I ahve listened to his audio book and
Big Picture Thinking
Why Big Picture
A) Allows you to lead
- See the vision before others do.
- Size up situations, taking into accounts many variables
- Sketch a picture of where the team is going
- Show how the future connects with the past to make journey more meaningful
- Seize the moment when the timing is right
B) Keeps you on target
C) Allows you to see what other people sees
D) Promotes teamwork
E) Keeps you from being caught up in the mundane
F) Helps you to chart uncharted territory
How to acquire wisdom of big picture thinking
A) Don’t strive for certainty
B) Learn from experience
C) Gain insight from variety of people
D) Give yourself permission to expand your world (out of your experience and what you know)
Focused Thinking
Why focused thinking
A) Harnesses energy towards a desired goal
B) Gives idea time to develop
C) Brings clarity to the target
D) Will take you to next level
Which area to focus
A) Identify your priorities
B) Discover your gifts
C) Develop your dreams
How to stay focused
A) Remove distractions
B) Make time for focused thinking
C) Keep items of focus before you
D) Set goals
E) Question your progress
What to give up to go up
A) Not knowing everyone
B) Not doing everything
C) Not going everywhere
D) Not being well-rounded
Creative Thinking
Characteristics of creative thinkers
A) Value ideas
B) Explore options
C) Embrace ambiguity
D) Celebrate the offbeat
E) Connect the unconnected (Think – Collect – Create – Correct – Connect)
F) Don’t fear failure
Why creative thinking
A) Adds value to everything
B) Compounds
C) Draws people to you and your ideas
D) Helps you learn more
E) Challenges the status quo
How to be creative
A) Remove creative killers (“I’m not a creative person”, “Follow the rules”, “Don’t ask questions”, It can’t be done”, It’s too much work”, “Failure is final”)
B) Asking the right questions (“What is the root problem?”, “Why is this impt?”, What is the opposite?”, “Why must this be done this way?”)
C) Develop a creative environment
- Encourages creativity
- Place high value on trust among team members and individuality
- Embrace those who are creative
- Focuses on innovation
- Willingness to let people go outside the lines
- Appreciates the power of a dream
D) Spend time with other creative people
E) Get out of the box
Realistic Thinking
Why
A) Minimize downside risk (because pls for worst case scenario)
B) Gives a target and game plan
C) Catalyst for change (people rely on hope rarely make changes)
D) Provides security (because you make contingency plans more confidently and secure)
E) Gives credibility (not surprised by the unexpected)
F) Provides foundation to build on
How
A) Appreciates the truth
B) Makes one do his/her homework
C) Think through the pros and cons
D) Picture worst case scenarios
E) Align with your resources
Strategic Thinking
How to release the power of strategic thinking
A) Break down the issue
B) Ask why before the how
C) Identify the real issues and objectives
D) Review your resources
E) Develop your plan
F) Put right people in right place with right plan
G) Keep repeating the process
Question Popular Thinking
Why?
A) Sometimes means not thinking
B) Offers false hope
C) Slow to embrace change
D) Brings only average results
How?
A) Think before you follow
B) Appreciate thinking differently from your own
C) Continually question your own thinking
D) Try new things in new ways
E) Get used to being uncomfortable
Benefits from Shared Thinking
Why?
A) Faster than solo thinking
B) More innovative than solo thinking
C) More matured than solo thinking
D) Stronger than solo thinking
E) Returns greater value than solo thinking
F) Only way to have great thinking
How?
A) Value ideas of others
B) Move from competition to cooperation
C) Have agenda when meetup
D) Get right people around the table
E) Compensate good thinkers and collaborators well
Practice Unselfish Thinking
Why?
A) Brings personal fulfillment
B) Adds value to others
C) Encourages other virtues
D) Increases quality of life
E) Makes you part of something greater than yourself
F) Creates a legacy
How?
A) Put others first
B) Expose yourself to situation where people have needs
C) Give quietly or anonymously
D) Invest in people intentionally
E) Continually check your motives
Rely on Bottom Line Thinking
Why?
A) Provides great clarity
B) Helps you assess every situation
C) Helps you make best decisions
D) Generate high morale
E) Ensures your future
How?
A) Identify the real bottom line
B) Make the bottom line the point
C) Create strategic plan to achieve the bottom line
D) Align team members with the bottom line
E) Stick with one system and monitor results continually
You can see that my writings for each chapter gets shorter and shorter. I apologise for that. John Maxwell seems to be my favourite self-help(leadership) author for the moment. I ahve listened to his audio book and
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
I do not know if it is because of my reading taste changed or the author wrote this book halfway before he died, but i do not know if i will finish reading this book.
The story is set in the 1665, with marine rivals between the British and the Spanish. Mostly about lifes of pirates and officers(good and bad). Storyline was nothing like what Michael Crichton has in Jurassic Park, Congo nor his more recent works; Prey and Next.
I am halfway but i am putting the book down...at least for some time till i am less bored with it.
The story is set in the 1665, with marine rivals between the British and the Spanish. Mostly about lifes of pirates and officers(good and bad). Storyline was nothing like what Michael Crichton has in Jurassic Park, Congo nor his more recent works; Prey and Next.
I am halfway but i am putting the book down...at least for some time till i am less bored with it.
Monday, November 1, 2010
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
It has been ages since I last read a "storybook". The last was "Five Persons you meet in Heaven"by Mitch Albom and that was in May 2009. have read all the 4 previous Dan Brown books. Was putting this book for a while as I hope this was not a similar book as Da Vinci Code.
I am glad that this story was as intridging as the Da Vinci Code. The story was full of logical explanations (to me) with twists and turns along the way. That is the no. 1 plus point about Dan Brown because most fiction books do have quite a bit of illogical plots.
Now about the negative stuff in this book. Firstly, I do not understand why must there be a woman with the hero in all his books. Does Robert Langdon need a sidekick? Secondly, I do not like the way the story unfolds itself in the end. Lastly, I thought it was a bit illogical, though not completely, that the villian was a one-man show. It seemed like this villian was able to beat all the CIA, professors, police etc.
Anyway, this nearly 700 pages long book took me >2 weeks and with my workload, I felt it was quite an accomplishment for me to even finished the book. Overall, it was a very good read and the storyline was nearly as good as Da Vinci Code.
I am glad that this story was as intridging as the Da Vinci Code. The story was full of logical explanations (to me) with twists and turns along the way. That is the no. 1 plus point about Dan Brown because most fiction books do have quite a bit of illogical plots.
Now about the negative stuff in this book. Firstly, I do not understand why must there be a woman with the hero in all his books. Does Robert Langdon need a sidekick? Secondly, I do not like the way the story unfolds itself in the end. Lastly, I thought it was a bit illogical, though not completely, that the villian was a one-man show. It seemed like this villian was able to beat all the CIA, professors, police etc.
Anyway, this nearly 700 pages long book took me >2 weeks and with my workload, I felt it was quite an accomplishment for me to even finished the book. Overall, it was a very good read and the storyline was nearly as good as Da Vinci Code.
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