Frontload or Backload?

She reviews our memo from last week's assignment and tells us it is very 'management speakish'. Errr...MBAs arent we? Think about it, the management communications prof is crying out loud to MBAs to not use 'management speak'. All hell break lose! We did NOT know HOW to do management speak before coming here! And now, we are being taught how NOT to use management speak...huh? Why Why Why are we here then?

Well, on a more serious note. Am sitting here, one of the 2-3 MBA students amongst the Nanyang Fellows, in this inconsequential irrelevant sounding class. Or atleast thats what most people probably think; nothing else could possibily explain why no else signed up for it. After all, what is this class about?

How to write emails?
How to structure presentations?
How to write memos?
How to choose subject lines for memos/emails?
How to be other-centered instead of self-centered when communicating?
How to communicate something without hurting feelings at the same time being assertive? (i.e. being diplomatic{I hate the word too}? But then, if diplomacy helps in helping people...why not?)
How to replace nouns with verbs in subject lines?
How to write cover letters? (have to mention this even if it disrupts the flow of the post:the key thing about cover letters is to make not more than 2 claims and support them with data...sounds too simplistic? Just send it to me and I'll help you shoot holes in it with a shotgun...already did that to mine)
How to critique your own argument and make it stronger (hopefully)?

The most amazing feeling that you can get out of an MBA lecture is to walk out thinking you can actually USE what you just learnt in the last few hours as soon as you get back to work. If thats the feeling you are after, you should have been here!

Now, a lot of you guys are probably thinking right this moment, all these learnings are just too obvious. We all know this...blah blah blah....He is just stating the unsaid obvious. You are correct. If you ask me, this class is all about that: 'stating the unsaid obvious'...

PS: This was a backloading post... my next post from the FA class will be a frontload...you will know what I mean....

Lost in translation

I just came back from a trip in Vietnam and Cambodia. Yesterday morning something interesting happened at a coffee shop in Siam Reap international airport, that is confirming what I already thought about how much gets lost in translation whenever I am traveling.

I only had 6USD left in my wallet and intended to buy 2 caffe lattes, which cost 3$ each. Since I saw some strange bill charged to the person in front of me, which had some decimals in it, I decided to double check the latte price with the bartender.

I asked him: "Does the price for caffe latte include the GST/tax or not?"

His reply was: "Orange juice?"

This is just one of many funny stories I encountered so far. Therefore we have to be open to everything when we are traveling to developing countries, since asking for the total price for coffee might in the end get you an orange juice.

part and full time work definition in Asia

Last week, I learned something new about Asian work/life balance again. My schoolmate from Nanyang MBA paid me a visit and I congratulated him on receiving an internship offer from a Singaporean company.

Our conversation:

I: Will you be able to handle full time studying and work at the same time?

He: That’s not an issue; I will be working part time only.

I: Ah, OK. So, you will have enough time for studies if you work part time and return home around 2or 3 PM.

He: No, Tom. Part time means working from 9AM to 5PM or 6 PM not from 9AM to 1PM.

I: Hahahahahahahaha. Are you kidding me or what? Part time from 9 to 5? Come on, that’s full time. So, what are the full time hours, then?

He: I guess – 9AM to 9PM.

I: Oh, my god. That’s incredible.

That’s how the working hours on average look like in Singapore or Asia in general. I, sort of, suspected that even before coming here, but after being here, talking to people and seeing people that actually work every day like that…….I guess it’s really not my cup of tea. I can now officially confirm, that I prefer Australian or European life/work balance. No questions about it. I am wondering how long is it going to take for Asia to change – or will it be the other way around – Europe and Australia degrading their work/life balance?