Commentary

In the field of public relations, there is a basic element that is often overlooked and given far too little importance, but when applied correctly it can give a solid foundation for success in dealing with the media. That is, good manners. Most successful PR agencies are made up of gracious and good mannered personnel. They do not compromise their decorum even if it’s hot and sweaty under the collar. While the sole intention is to achieve their media target they do not blame or make excuses about their shortcomings. In short, they inspire confidence and trust. The businesses they lead are empowered and success ensues.

At the recent Singapore Human Summit conference, Goh Chok Tong said that Singapore is becoming an Asian hub for human capital development. Indeed, many multinationals have set up regional and global headquarters and locate their senior management here. For executives taking on new senior roles here, the first 100 days are often seen as a rite of passage. At CTPartners, we find that the typical concerns from those who make their jump up the ladder often surround how they can transition into their new senior roles smoothly. Welcome to your first 100 days The key thing to remember is that your new job, whether it is an internal promotion or an external appointment, is not just an extension of the one you have just left. Your first 100 days will be used as a benchmark for how a new senior executive is faring as a leader. Wider stakeholders and investors – and even the chairman – may use this early period to determine whether you are off to a good start. Therefore, it’s important to start by formulating a communications strategy and timetable. Remember that you are ultimately measured by your ability to resolve issues, set strategy, grow the business and achieve objectives. 100 days gives you time to barely scratch the surface, but this crucial period will help to establish a base for the longer term when you will be scrutinised and judged by what you can really deliver. This is a time for making careful assessments about the task ahead, and winning the trust and confidence of those around you before implementing any changes. In the very early stages, it is crucial to size up the organisation and its people. Failing to understand the business and failing to develop the right relationships can undermine the position of any new executive. Every conversation that you have will be of value in providing insight into the company and its culture. You should be able to define the prevalent management style, identify the individuals who you need to build relationships with and to ascertain what the organisation expects of you. Make an effort to make your presence felt but in a subtle way, by engaging with the organisation, being visible, and communicating and enquiring among those you have identified as key stakeholders. Unless there are urgent issues to deal with, it helps to take some time to acquire the information you need, to gain a real sense of the organisational culture, identify what is important and to differentiate between the signals and the noise. Also, take time out to reflect on any unexpected issues that have arisen, so that this learning can be incorporated into your personal success plan for the role. Leading your team It’s important to develop strong relationships quickly with the key people in your executive team – usually, it’s the financial director, the chief human resources director and the key business leaders first. You’ll be very reliant on these leaders, as even if you’ve been working for the company a while, you won’t necessarily know the details of the other business divisions or their organisational dynamics. Form these alliances quickly to ensure you assimilate easily into the culture of the various businesses or you risk organisational ‘tissue rejection’ which can be hard to come back from. Meet regularly with those who report directly to you, as well as their own direct reports. This will help you understand what each person does, what their skills are, and where they are coming from more generally. Keep the meeting groups small in order to build rapport and trust with those who will be working closest to you. In days 60 to 90, you should be ready to reach out to the wider organisation. When it comes to communicating with employees and divisional teams, most senior executives now understand that an all-staff email won’t do. The best will offer employees a range of options, from town hall meetings to a webcast or video conferencing and small group Q&A sessions. Don’t risk disengaging the company’s employees by being inaccessible. Often, the expectations of a new CEO or Asia Pacific head are that he or she will make an early announcement of a change of strategy, but a new leader should resist the urge to act immediately, and instead spend time listening to colleagues and customers to gain insights about the business. Beware of trying to change the world before you’ve fully understood the world you’re changing. But likewise, don’t spend so long listening that you don’t act. There’s a balance to be struck; some go too far in the listening mode, leaving people to wonder whether they’ve hired an apprentice boss-in-training. Gregory J. Lovas, Partner at CTPartners in Singapore. Greg leads the firm’s Life Sciences Practice in Asia Pacific.

With technology continually evolving and the marketplace constantly changing, it goes without saying that improvement projects are a necessity in gaining or maintaining competitive advantage. Managing change has become a way of life at corporate level and educating people is a vital factor in its success. It’s surprising, then, how many executives still get it wrong.

A guide to embracing a multi-device workstyle.

Back in my homeland of New Zealand, almost every 20-something university graduate gives in to their ‘itchy feet’ syndrome and heads off on their Overseas Experience (OE). More often than not, the destination has always been somewhere like London (a rite of passage), but it seems an increasing number of skilled, young professionals like myself are getting a whiff of Singapore as a more viable option. We hear about the competitive salaries, an exciting cultural experience and we understand the benefits of gaining overseas experience. We know commodities are affordable, services run smoothly and salaries are high.

Although homebuyers are increasingly knowledgeable, savvy and discerning, particularly with the influx of property information available as pre purchase references, there are still some who will ‘wake up’ after signing on the dotted line. The reasons were varied, ranging from reliance on a particular party such as the sales representative, the property showcased or temporal ignorance even if the home seeker had already considered a holistic set of issues and possibilities, but leaving out the most critical aspects which only came to his realization after a purchase.

Some of us at one point or another would have toyed with the idea of starting our own business in Singapore; some would have had this ambition since young, some mid-way along their careers, some after ending a long corporate career.

The world is rapidly becoming a smaller place, and in line with this, workplaces should be growing increasingly more diverse. A diverse workforce includes mature age workers, flexible workers (such as working mothers), people from multicultural backgrounds and workers with disabilities.

As Asia becomes increasingly important to companies seeking business growth, Singapore has become an increasingly popular choice as a regional hub because of its strategic location and access to top local and regional Asian talent. In fact, it was ranked as the third most attractive city in which to establish an Asia-Pacific headquarters after Shanghai and Hong Kong, according the Asia-Pacific Headquarters Study 2011.Within this year alone, over 15 companies have either established regional headquarters in Singapore, or have announced their plans to do so.

Justifiably, Asia is generating a lot of attention as the most exciting frontier in recent years for the cruise industry. We are seeing growing consumer awareness and interest in cruising, emerging infrastructure developments and more international cruise companies and brands entering the market. In Singapore, the country has invested about S$500 million in the new cruise terminal and cruise traffic is expected to reach 1.5 million by 2015, according to industry sources.

I have to give a presentation to my company’s business partners next month. I am petrified of speaking in front of people! Somebody help me!

It is the moment every manager fears; the one when your top performer knocks on your office door and asks if you can talk privately and then hands you their resignation letter. With the economy back on track and Singapore’s labour market the tightest it’s been in ten years, finding replacements for top talent is harder than ever.

More than half a year since the last round of direct private residential property cooling measures were implemented in January, private home-buying interest seem to have been moderated and probably, optimism has become a thing of the past.

With the Singapore Economic Development Board reporting that factory outputs have increased 3.9% since July, and 21.7% from a year earlier, national economic growth is looking strong.

In Singapore and across the rest of Asia, a rapidly growing middle class has resulted in a booming demand for products and services that support an urban lifestyle. Sectors as diverse as financial services, hospitality, construction, manufacturing, telecommunications and fast moving consumer goods are benefiting from this growing class of effluent consumers, despite an uncertain global outlook.

The excitement is growing amongst the hundreds of thousands of Grand Prix (GP) (and Linkin Park) fans as the Singapore GP comes closer and closer. But it’s also growing amongst the Singapore tourism board who have been masters at using the Grand Prix to be the ultimate marketing vehicle for the Singapore country brand. Singapore GP is a unique event in the world of F1 in that it’s a dazzling night race on the streets of Singapore. The decision to have a night time race was a masterstroke by the Singapore government as it shows all the glitter and sparkles that Singapore has to offer in its best light. The decision to go with a street circuit was the icing on the cake as the street circuit takes the hundreds of millions of viewers around one of the most beautiful cities in the world or two hours on prime time TV. One of the most exciting things about it being a street circuit is that it takes months of preparation to actually create the circuit. It slowly builds and builds as more and more lights go up, more and more barriers go up and more and more stands go up. Taxi rides around what slowly becomes the actual GP race track senses a thrill of excitement down your spine in anticipation. We’re now into the final week before the roads become closed and the whole city country celebrates the influx of even more visitors and pride of seeing the race on TV knowing the glimmering beauty of Singapore will be seen across the globe. Singapore Tourism board cleverly use the GP as no other country marketing team do, to create awareness, shatter the misconceptions and communicate the brand values of Singapore. The British Tourism body have a long way to go to be able to market the British GP at less than glamorous Silverstone in quite the same way. With the addition of the iconic Marina Bay Sands integrated resort (now with it’s sister casino resort at Singapore’s Sentosa island larger than Las Vegas) overlooking the entire circuit along with the jaw droppingly stunning CBD all lit up Singapore looks like the modern, sophisticated, business focused, international hub that it is and why so many businesses are moving to Singapore at the expense of Europe and America. Linkin Park top the bill of musical entertainment – another innovative part of the whole F1 experience in Singapore . All free when you buy an F1 ticket. Personally I did it the other way around, bought the F1 ticket to see Linkin Park and gained a free race on top!