<![CDATA[Arrows with Soul - Our Blog]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 20:19:19 +0800Weebly<![CDATA[Reflections of a Singaporean Gen Y]]>Fri, 13 May 2011 10:18:59 +0800http://arrowswithsoul.com/1/post/2011/05/reflections-of-a-singaporean-gen-y.htmlAs I read Tasha’s article, I couldn’t help but ponder about the diversity landscape in Singapore. Elections having just ended last weekend, it is inevitable that my starting point would be Singapore’s governing leadership.

 

Based on a cursory run-through of our ministers and MPs, diversity is certainly accounted for. The GRC system has ensured that the minority ethnic groups are represented by an MP. The General Election (GE) this year saw 22 female MPs sworn into Parliament, constituting almost 26% of total seats. This GE not only witnessed increased representation from Generation Y, but also voted in a 27-year old – the youngest MP we have seen yet. So, with regards to diversity: Race? Check. Gender? Check. Religion? Check. Age? Check.

 

However... (Yes, you felt the ‘but’ coming.)
My cynical side cannot help but wonder: to what extent is this accountability for diversity a mere obligation? How deep does this on-the-surface diversity go? Are thoughts and perspectives truly diverse to represent the multi-faceted voices of this country?

 

Let’s wear the same questioning goggles and look within our organizations. Are managers and directors representative of staff? Do they intercede for your well-being and welfare? Or is everyone caught up in the KPI game? As Tasha aptly and succinctly put it, “leaders set the tone”. Not that being results-driven should be thrown out the window, but what Tasha and I personally believe in is that, the heartware of the organization should not be made secondary in importance and priority. The perspective that heartware issues are deadweight for an organization’s performance and success is a terrible, modern-age fallacy.

 

If your organization has been successful on only pushing KPIs and focusing on results so far, imagine how all the more rewarding and powerful it will be if your leaders invested as much resources and energy on cultivating the heart side of the organization. Diverse representation in leadership can be one starting point in developing the heartware.

 

As a government, Singapore is certainly taking maiden steps forward, albeit baby steps, with an increased opposition party presence in Parliament. Perhaps, this is the right time to reflect and critically examine the leadership situation in our own organizations.

Yasmin Ramle is a Gen Y employee with Arrows With Soul and is an avid supporter of Voices of Gen Y. She is psyched to be writing alongside global and creative Gen Y minds like Tasha. For comments and enquiries, email Yasmin at yasmine@arrowswithsoul.com.
]]><![CDATA[Public Workshop: Multi-Generational Workforce Synergy]]>Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:24:43 +0800http://arrowswithsoul.com/1/post/2011/03/public-workshop-multi-generational-workforce-synergy.htmlWhat is this workshop about?

It's about looking beyond the superficial differences and examining each generation with new lenses. We'll also help you find a common ground with each generation, be it with your colleagues, your bosses, your children, your parents, your friends. The way forward is to mutually and interdependently flourish in all areas of life!

Will the delivery be lecture format? Is it going to be as boring like every other workshop?

Boring? NO! Our workshop content is uniquely different and very hands-on. You will be refreshed with new perspectives and insights, learn about each generation in the context of the New Economy, solve 4 original case studies, and rehearse how you would resolve a conflict in a dramatic scenario. We guarantee your full engagement throughout this 2-days workshop.

I don't believe you.

Don't take our word for it. Look at what our previous participants from HDB, CAD and from the last public workshop have to say about us.

Okay, I'm interested. How much will it cost? When and where will it be held?

Rates: $820 per pax (Special rates apply for groups and for alumni organizations of Arrows With Soul. Contact us for more details.)
Date: 28-29 April 2011, Thur-Fri
Time: 9am - 5pm
Venue: tentatively at YMCA Orchard
]]><![CDATA[Relighting Japan]]>Thu, 17 Mar 2011 10:52:32 +0800http://arrowswithsoul.com/1/post/2011/03/relighting-japan.html
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Click image above to read a message from World Vision.

"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light." - Albert Schweitzer

As ambassadors of World Vision and citizens of humanity, we at Arrows with Soul are saddened by the devastation of the recent disaster in Japan. We would like to take a minute of your precious time to urge you to help relight hope and relief to the victims. A little spark, however insignificant, when lit at the right time can flame powerful ripples for the victims and the donors.


We strongly urge your kind donation by clicking HERE. Help us rekindle the light of the victims in this greatest hour of darkness and need.


We thank you sincerely from the bottom of our hearts for your kind and selfless giving.

 

Yours sincerely,

David Lock on behalf of the team at Arrows With Soul Pte Ltd


Note: Please kindly disseminate this information only to your personal friends or communities. This information is not intended for public solicitation of donations. A permit is required for any public fund-raising activity to collect donations from the general public for foreign charitable purposes.

]]><![CDATA[What is "Voices of Gen Y"?]]>Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:51:00 +0800http://arrowswithsoul.com/1/post/2010/12/what-is-voices-of-gen-y.html
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Starting January 2011, Arrows With Soul will publish Voices of Gen Y -  a monthly e-newsletter, featuring original articles written by Gen Y's all over the world. This e-newsletter will be an additional enhancement to Perspectives 360 (P360), reaching out to our growing database of 3,500 subscribers.
How different is Voices of Gen Y going to be from P360? If you look at our archive library, you'll notice that a typical P360 message comes from David himself. He covers a range of topics dealing primarily with work-life integration and the New Economy. But after great feedback and comments in reaction to this particular P360 written by Tasha, we were inspired to create a spin-off, if you will, based on contributions solely by Gen Y's.

What topics will Voices of Gen Y cover? Anything and everything relating to: talent alignment, self-development, charity work, wisdom, what works and what doesn't in today's New Economy, college, graduation, job woes, job hunt, social media, generational issues, relationships at work, mindset change, office culture, education...! The only criteria? You need to be a Gen Y and you need to bring fresh, new perspectives to the table.

How long should the contribution be? It has to be a one-page length and don't forget to include a short bio of yourself, your website and social media page links (limit the bio to a paragraph). 

How to submit? By the 15th of each month, email us your contributions to be considered for the e-newsletter of the following month (e.g., send in by January 15 to be considered for February's e-newsletter). We will read all contributions and select the most compelling and engaging one. The selected piece will be awarded USD50 as a token of appreciation, and reach a readership of at least 3,500 people in our database.

What is considered by "Gen Y"? We welcome submissions by anyone between 19 - 34 years old.

Check out the latest edition of Voices of Gen Y ft.
  • Chanelle Schneider (Washington DC, US)
  • Damon Klotz (Brisbane, AUS)
  • Ave Chan (Singapore)
  • LaTasha Brown (Ohio, US)
We're ready whenever you are! Send us your contributions now if you think you have one that's ready to knock the socks off people. Or start working on one if you've been inspired. Think you know someone who is a Y and has cutting-edge ideas that we need to hear? Pass the link to this post his/her way.

Excited to read your contributions,
Arrows With Soul team.

]]><![CDATA[Pivot Conference 2010 - from Chanelle Schneider's perspective]]>Mon, 25 Oct 2010 14:12:19 +0800http://arrowswithsoul.com/1/post/2010/10/pivot-conference-2010-from-chanelle-schneiders-perspective.html
On October 17-19, Chanelle attended the Pivot Conference in Time Square, New York. Check out the video above and enjoy her perspective on New York and PivotCon!
Chanelle Schneider is a featured writer for Arrows With Soul. Her passion and expertise are in writing, Gen Y and social media. She manages her own blog. She is the founder of #GenYChat on Twitter, establishing it as the go-to place for resources, information and forum for issues pertaining to Gen Y's.
]]><![CDATA[The Power of Relationships ]]>Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:56:29 +0800http://arrowswithsoul.com/1/post/2010/07/the-power-of-relationships.htmlPicture
The Job Search Searching for a job is like looking for someone to settle down with. You could go at it with a rational mind, listing and prioritizing criteria. Or you could be caught unaware. The latter was how I came upon my current and first full-time job – accidental and unexpected.
Like most graduates, I started my job search 6 months before graduating from business school. It was a somber, almost soul-less routine: log on to jobsite portals, click on posts that were appealing, mass-submit my resume, attach custom-fitted cover letters, all bearing a carpe diem complex. The mindset I had then was to aim for a job in a multi-national corporation (MNC) or brandgiant. Typical, right? Graduation came and went, and I was still jobless. It was mid-2009 and I had little luck searching for a job in Europe with my profile: no full-time job experience, conversational German language skills at best. I might as well have saved myself from getting an MBA because it seemed as if the degree didnʼt help my case. My professional expat desires ended prematurely and I flew back home to my motherland – Singapore. I persisted with my online job search routine and nearly secured a position at a well-known MNC in Malaysia. To my dismay, employment permit legal issues became a huge stumbling block, forcing myself to limit my work opportunities to Singapore.

I applied for positions in the government sector. After a long and tedious interview process, I won over the recruiting team at one of the ministries. The highly confidential and sensitive nature of the ministry necessitated background checks on every new recruit. But 4 months passed and I had yet to receive the go-ahead to start work. During this 4-month wait, I reconnected with old friends with whom I had lost touch when I studied overseas.

While reminiscing over coffee and cake, my dear friend, whom I have known since 2001, mentioned in passing that her boss was “looking for someone to help him with marketing; would you be interested?” To date, I still remember my train of thought at that moment. I thought, “Ah why not? I’m so bored, waiting around for the ministry job. So, I came down to her office, met her boss, was charmed by the company and what it did, saw the immense value I could bring to the organization, and had a great laugh and conversation with the boss. I knew in my heart that I would be working for him.

I have been with Arrows With Soul since December 2009. My experience so far has been unrivaled and unparalleled by any cushy, MNC, corporate giant job I could have. How so, you say? My input to this company extends beyond just marketing. I learn the ropes of having a business from the CEO himself. I get to shadow him nearly every working day. He nurtures me professionally, giving advice and encouragement as a mentor would. My input and opinion is valued, challenged and tested, every day. How many employees can say this?

It was at least a year’s long search for that right job, of which three-quarters of the time, I was doing a monotonous and impassioned job hunt. At the risk of being dramatic, I believe that this job found me, and it didn’t require a job portal, cover letter or resume for it to happen, but a cultivated relationship and personal, heartfelt conversation. I want to share this experience because I know and understand how discouraging and hopeless the job search can be, after countless automated reject emails, letters and non-responses. But take it from me, reader, that there is light at the end of the tunnel. And more often than not, it shines when you least expect it.

Copyrights reserved 2010. Yasmin Ramle for Arrows With Soul Pte Ltd.

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This post was written for Chanelle Schneider's website, There From Here. Chanelle is a social media entrepreneur and freelance writer. Every Thursday at 9am (Singapore local time), she moderates and leads #genychat on Twitter. This post was also featured on Brazen Careerist and has attracted great comments from readers.

]]><![CDATA[Awareness of Time]]>Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:59:03 +0800http://arrowswithsoul.com/1/post/2010/06/awareness-of-time.htmlPicture
- Article By Lawrence Ko, Associate Director of Arrows With Soul

Many of us suffer from time pressure as we experience the compression of time in a rapidly changing world with so many possibilities and so little time to pursue them. Hence the oft-heard lament in Singapore: ‘Not enough time!'
 
At work, it is commendable that there are a few multi-taskers who seem to excel in doing several things simultaneously.
 


They remind us of those amazing acrobats balancing a dozen plates on the tip of several sticks ? The challenge is of course, not to keep them balanced but also spinning.


Not many of us do well with all the tasks that are stacked on us, each making a demand on our time like a delicate plate on a stick and appealing to us to keep them spinning above ground. Before long, our heads are in a spin too while our tummies churn relentlessly.
 
Stephen Rechtschaffen says that most of us suffer from ‘time poverty' as we are so busy seeking to go faster, do more and buy more so much so that we never get a chance to experience being alive.
In other words, we appear so rich in resources but yet are poor in being able to find time to enjoy life's blessings. Inevitably time poverty leads to stress and to stress-related ailments like heart disease, diabetes, fatique, insomnia and high blood pressure.
 
In his writings on timeshifting, Rechtschaffen reminds us that it is important to become aware of time as our resource to be used and enjoyed rather than our master who enslaves us.
 
We agree that we can become aware of the moments in our life and learn to enjoy each task at hand. In this way we truly develop greater work-life integration and discover greater satisfaction in our lives and work rather than become stressed by the demands on our precious time.
 
Here are a few suggestions to help us become aware of the moments in our lives...
 
Do one thing at a time, giving it your full attention rather than trying to rush into several things simultaneously.
As David Lock, founder-director of Arrows with Soul, often says, we have not seen multi-tasking street musicians or buskers cut CDs. Shift into the present moment and relish the task at hand, give it your best shot and do it well.
 
Pause and become aware of the phone ringing, the fragrance of the morning coffee, the afternoon tea, the photograph on your colleague's desk, and indeed take time to be inspired by the picture or poem you've placed on your own work desk !

Take several 3-5 minute ‘mini breaks' in the course of your busy day to breathe literally. Take time slowly to inhale and exhale, closing your eyes to relax and refresh your body. Get in touch with your senses again and revitalise your mind.
 
Honour the mundane. Be aware of the ordinary tasks you are doing, whether you are emptying the waste paper basket, cleaning your desk or sweeping the floor. This is an invaluable advice from Rechtschaffen who does appear to say the commonsensical but we need the reminder. I have learnt to enjoy the task of filling my jug of water and relishing the moment, giving thanks for clean potable water instead of getting flustered and impatient in the process. After all, it is only a minute or two of our time.
 
Create time boundaries. This could include getting early to meetings and allowing ourselves some time to compose and collect our thoughts without undue rush. It also could mean setting aside undisturbed time daily for ourselves to do nothing... no phone calls, no meetings, no activities. It could be our quiet time where we are not rushed and where we can unwind, journey inwards and shift into our internal rhythms.
 
The American poet Longfellow, once wrote to remind us that we are not mere animals marching meaninglessly to the muffled drumbeats through time to our graves. If life is precious and has inherent meaning, then we can discover that indeed to everything there is a season and time for everything under heaven.
 
Be aware of the gift of time today. Enjoy each moment and relish every task at hand and do it well. There is a time for everything on earth. 
 
copyrights reserved (C) 2010 Arrows with Soul Pte Ltd. Asian Journeys
]]><![CDATA[Winds of Change & Windows of Hope]]>Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:51:27 +0800http://arrowswithsoul.com/1/post/2010/06/winds-of-change-windows-of-hope.htmlPicture
- Article By Lawrence Ko, Associate Director of Arrows With Soul

The winds of change are blowing.

Winds of change are welcome these days especially as the world seeks new and renewable sources of energy. Sometimes they come as breath of fresh air which truly can reinvigorate us in the home and workplace and revitalize old relationships and renew our organizations.
As most of us are creatures of habits, we tend to relish the familiar and comfort zone. That is why many of us are averse to change. Change usually brings along too many risks, and frankly speaking, requires too much effort.

However change is a reality as we live in a world of rapid and continuous change. Those who adapt best will thrive and actually enjoy the adventure of new journeys and new ways of living and doing things.

The familiar story of the Chinese old man who lost his horse in the frontier land reminds us that change can be a blessing or a bane depending on our outlook towards life. The runaway horse turns out to be a blessing as it returned with beautiful stallion. Unfortunately the old man's son fell and broke his hip while riding the new horse and became disabled. Fortunately it turned out to be a blessing as the young man escaped conscription from military service afterwards when war broke out. The old man, ever philosophical, muses as he ponders every change and every new turn of event in his life, saying "Blessing or bane? Who knows?"

The experts tell us that there is a difference between change and transition.
Simply put, change is the external which impacts us. Transition is the internal adjustment we make in our personal lives in response to the external change. The ability to develop our attitudes and outlooks appropriately in response to changes around us will is key to transitioning well.

In other words, the focus during a change process should not be merely external but more importantly, also directed towards the internal, inward and indeed the mental, emotional and spiritual states of a person. Our souls if well nurtured, enable us to face change with positive outcomes. We become better rather than bitter.

The winds of change are blowing fast and furiously... sometimes appearing as cyclones of change. We can become fearful and anxious.

We live in a world which has changed over the past decade. The Internet and numerous new technology has transformed our lives and the way we think, work, live and play. Many are learning to cope and not even adjusting well. But like it or not, the future has arrived and the times, they are a-changing...

Organizations which have been nimble and perceptive to the changing environment have promptly re-organised themselves in anticipation or in response to current pressures or to the challenges ahead.

With the advent of new technology, competition arrives suddenly like a bolt out of the blue and alters (or sometimes destroys) forever some familiar products or concepts in our daily lives. Rapid change in the economic and political landscape can also shake our foundations cruelly. We may experience loss in the wake of change as the familiar is displaced or sometimes lost forever.

Change, like the common cold, is a process which necessarily takes time as it involves an emotional journey. Psycho-emotionally, the process is akin to the grieving process involving shock and denial, then fear and anger, before sadness and finally acceptance takes place. Each person goes through the process differently and some cope with it better than others. As such, we need to give time and space to each other in a sensitive manner as we go through change and transition.

The winds of change are blowing fiercely but we need not be afraid as fear begets fear.

At Arrows With Soul, we encourage everyone going through change to life their heads up high, live like an eagle and look ahead with strategic vision. We can consider envisioning the future and pressing on towards what lies ahead rather than lamenting the worms and grubs we have lost.

Armed with the Arrows With Soul's Eight Traits, we develop personal mastery and most of all, a spirit of tenacity and creativity which make us a people who dare to dream and see visions even in the valley of shadows. We stare at the mountains before us and remain unafraid because we believe we can confront the cliffs, no matter how steep they appear to be. We are geared up for the challenging future of the New Economy.

Change is always deeply personal but we can learn to transit successfully in our life journeys. We begin to welcome change as refreshing when we believe that a new window of hope and opportunities can indeed open up for us. However, it will take the resilient spirit and the centred soul that will see what may be invisible to the rest of the world. Enjoy the journey of change and transition in your life!  

copyrights reserved (C) 2010 Arrows with Soul Pte Ltd. Asian Journeys.
]]><![CDATA[Lessons from a Tree's Life]]>Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:45:51 +0800http://arrowswithsoul.com/1/post/2010/06/lessons-from-a-trees-life.htmlPicture
There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.
The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and fulfillment of your fall.

Some Encouragement:

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Don't judge life by one difficult season.

Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.

[This story is widely circulated in the internet. If you are the original author we love to hear from you and acknowledge you as the author]
]]><![CDATA[No Time To Rest?]]>Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:40:22 +0800http://arrowswithsoul.com/1/post/2010/06/no-time-to-rest.htmlPicture
- Article By Lawrence Ko, Associate Director of Arrows With Soul
Socrates said that the unreflective life is not worth living.  

A story was told of a Western adventurer leading an expedition to explore Africa in the beginning of the 20th century.  He had hired a team of local porters to help carry the boxes of his baggage as they move quickly inland, traversing hills and valleys and making difficult river crossings.  After a relentless journey without much rest, the expedition leader found his porters refusing to continue after lunch on the third day.
When asked why they were stalling, as he had promised a handsome reward for their labour, one of the African helpers replied, "we have travelled too quickly, and while our bodies are here, our souls are still left far behind".  Hence they refused to budge till their souls have caught up with them.

What a wonderful reminder of our need to make time to rest, so that our souls can catch up with us.

When we wonder at nature, we realize that even the beasts of the fields and the creatures of the wild instinctively know the rhythms of life and the seasons for their activities, rest and migration. 

Last week, as my family began to feast on the king of fruits, viz., the great durian fruit, it dawned on me that the durian season has come.  In the tropics, where there is no four seasons, the life rhythms of our forefathers used to be governed by the monsoons and things like the durian season.

Even the durian trees, the various fruit trees and plants operate according to the rhythms and seasons of nature... they know the time to blossom and a time to bear fruit.

This morning as my family took time to hike up Bt Timah hill, we spotted a solitary durian tree with a few durian fruits hanging high up on the branches.  However, no amount of staring and wishing will send the fruits hurtling down to earth this morning to satisfy our appetites, as these fruits observe their own rhythms of life... they only fall to the ground at night.

Therein is the crux of the matter when it comes to the importance of rest.  When we take time to rest, we begin to appreciate our inner rhythms and discover the truth of nature and life.  In other words, we begin to reflect on what it really means to be human, and to appreciate what is truth.

A person who is ceaselessly busy and striving after many activities is in danger of losing not only his or her health and mind, but more importantly the soul which is the basis of one's humanity.  Even an animal, a beast of burden, like the proverbial work-horse named "Boxer" in the story "Animal Farm" will crash out without sufficient rest and become a mere digit in a farmer's productivity ledger. 

When a human being is driven hard without adequate rest time to reflect and think, the person is in danger of becoming reduced to the state of being an animal and indeed digitized in someone's idea of productivity.  Such an existence is a pathetic one, and at most a sad picture of a driven life of consumerism, driven along with a herd of ‘dumb, driven cattle... following funeral marches to the grave'.

Take time to rest, my friend, because we need it as human beings who have souls and are capable of reflection, understanding truth and learning to live beyond mere cattle. 

Here's an excerpt taken from the United Nations' Earth Rest Day in 1990 which may encourage us to be more restful, reflective and human:

We who have lost our sense and our senses - our touch, our smell, our vision of who we are; we who frantically force and press all things, without rest for body or spirit, hurting our earth and injuring ourselves: we call a halt.

We want to rest.  We need to rest and allow the earth to rest.  We need to reflect and to rediscover the mystery that lives in us, that is the ground of every unique expression of life, the source of the fascination that calls all things to communion.

We declare a Sabbath, a space of quiet: for simple being and letting be; for recovering the great, forgotten truths; for learning how to live again.

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