Challenge March - April 2011

Gov 2.0:

Pulling together for better outcomes How can public officers work hand in hand with citizens?

Page

34

Man and his best friend

The Police K-9 Unit in pictures

Page

16

Tough customers? No sweat!

We give you tips to handle them

16 34 Cover STORY

08

MAKE WAY FOR GOV 2.0

Tackling local issues by activating local muscle?

FEATURES

05

THE MAD HATTERS?

We explore the pros and cons of double-hatting

14

REBUILDING HOMES, EMPOWERING PEOPLE

Ben Hubbard shares his experience of helming Victoria State’s biggest bushfire reconstruction and recovery efforts in Australia

16

TOUGH CUSTOMERS? NO SWEAT!

Find out how you can deal with difficult customers

HIGHLIGHTS

04

NEWS FROM THE SERVICE

34

PERSPECTIVES CRIME-BUSTERS WITH CANINES

Find out how the Police K-9 unit works to sniff out drugs at the Woodlands Checkpoint

38

Word on the Street HOW GREAT SERVICE BUILDS TRUST IN GOVERNMENT

SMU’s Marcus Lee discusses quality service in the public sector

ON THE JOB

30

THE BIG IDEA SMART PEOPLE ASK STUPID QUESTIONs

Dumb-sounding questions might be key to innovation

32

Level Up THE SANDWICHED CLASS?

VIEWPOINTS

02

Inbox

Your views on the Jan/Feb issue of Challenge

03

Your Say WHAT IS YOUR MOST

MEMORABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE ENCOUNTER EVER?

Readers share their thoughts

18

Thinking Aloud UPSET CUSTOMERS: HOW TO LAUGH AWAY THEIR ANGER, AND YOURS TOO

Humorist Scott Friedman on how to tickle angry customers

27

Letters to a Young Public Officer IT’S OUR COMMUNITY – LET’S GET INVOLVED

People Association’s Yam Ah Mee urges public officers to be in touch with the pulse of the community

28

A Cuppa With…

“YOU MUST LOVE THE CHILDREn”

Second Permanent Secretary (Education) Yeoh Chee Yan talks about the secret of being a good teacher

28

Part 2 of a series on Change Management: How an IRAS manager communicated change

lifestyle 19

40

The Challenge Pull Out THE OFFICE AFFAIR 8 pages of tips to get you ahead of the rat race

life.style BAND OF STRANGERS

19

A motley crew of public officers comes together to make music

44 The Irreverent Last Page

If CUSTOMER SERVICE were taken to the extreme

The headache enforcement

agencies face

05 Photography by

Lumina Studios

h e l l o Not Just Lip Service My most memorable encounters with service both took place on holiday overseas many years ago. The first was in Hong Kong. I remember sitting in a Chinese restaurant, as a scowling waitress tossed out dishes around the table. I watched in shock as the tiny white UFOs flew perilously towards the customers, including me. Hong Kong in the 80s had such terrible service that, on that count alone, I didn’t return for many years. Of course, things are very different there now. The second was in the US. After checking into a hotel, my family decided to go out, and I was tasked with dropping off the room key.

When I asked the bellhop where I could deposit the key, he gave me a wide smile and said “right here” and opened his palm. I was immediately charmed. These two experiences happened when I was only a child, but they remain etched vividly in my memory.

As public officers, the ver y ethos of our job is to ser ve.

Whether we’re involved in policy-making or operational work, our role is to serve our nation. But what exactly does service mean to the Public Service? Is ‘service with a smile’ enough today? In our cover story, Challenge explores the concept of ‘Government 2.0’ and how governments can involve citizens in co-creation. With the rise of Web 2.0 and crowd-sourcing, and the sense that the collective intelligence of our nation is what would ensure Singapore’s continued survival, how can we effectively build together with our citizens while navigating any pitfalls on the side?

For frontline service staff, tough customers can certainly be a bane on the job. We bring you tips from award-winning officers in our feature “Tough Customers? No Sweat!” and funny ones from Scott Friedman in Thinking Aloud. For our enforcement agencies, the concept of ser vice creates a different dilemma and headache – Challenge empathises, and interprets this in our Irreverent Last Page.

On a lighter note, check out our Pullout for chocka-block tips on getting ahead in the office, and jam along with our “Band of Strangers” – our very own talented officers coming together to create something special.  That’s plenty that we’re serving up for you to enjoy, so happy reading!

Publisher

PS21 Office, Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office

INBOX

100 High Street, #07-01 The Treasury Singapore 179434 Email : psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg Web : www.challenge.gov.sg

I've read every issue so far! It’s been great and I

For enquiries or feedback on Challenge, please write to the Challenge Editorial Team at psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg.

really like the shorter, more lighthearted features.

Editorial Advisor

Agnes Kwek

Julia Hang

Editor

MICA

Tay Li Shing

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Tuber Productions Pte Ltd

298 River Valley Road Level 2 Singapore 238339 Tel : 6836-4030 Fax : 6836-4029 Email : info@tuberproductions.com Web : www.tuberproductions.com

Management

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Challenge. It’s so non-Public Service, yet with Public Service messages. While the message is sacred, the method is not.

Very engaging, relatable and relevant.

Keep up the good work!

Director

Lee Han Shih

Kelvin Teo

Managing Director

Weiling Wong

Juying Secondary School

Project Director

Liew Wei Ping

I enjoy reading Challenge, I think the revamped version has really made a world of difference.

Beverly Snodgrass MCYS

Editorial

Contributing Editor

Bridgette See

Anyone who believes Singapore civil servants are humourless, paper-shuffling bureaucrats needs to read the new Challenge.

Editorial Consultant

Koh Buck Song

Thank you for the booster shot of pride in our Public Service Division.

Staff Writer

Chen Jingting Intern

Siti Maziah Masramli Contributors

Dr Gan Su-lin

Richard Hartung, A Makwana Alexis Ong & Sheralyn Tay

Republic Polytechnic

Creative

Creative Director

Ashik

After the revamp I actually read the magazine!

Associate Art Director

Jasmine Tan

Graphic Designer

Beverly Chong

Production Manager Interns

Challenge is published bimonthly by Tuber Productions Pte Ltd (Registration No: 200703697K) for PS21 Office, Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office. Copyright of the materials contained in this magazine belongs to PS21 Office. Nothing in here shall be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written consent of PS21 Office.

Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of PS21 Office or Tuber Productions Pte Ltd and no liabilities shall be attached thereto.

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Always on the lookout for the new issue.

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Nurul Malik

Photog raphers

Love your mag!

How can one define good or excellent service? I did a

little survey and most believed that getting a few complaint letters and a lot of compliments from customers is proof enough that the service given is the best. I challenged their view on

To me, out of all the dissatisfied customers, only 75% will write in. The other 25% will feel that it is a waste of their time and would rather tell a friend, a neighbour or their relatives on their bad experiences. Word of mouth is far worse than a written complaint to this.

the press. Don’t you agree? Another factor brought up was seeing a smile on the faces of the customers after you’ve served them and knowing that you feel a glow in you. For that moment you feel that nothing could spoil your mood, not even a very difficult customer. The minority of those surveyed felt that getting an award is good enough to prove excellent service.

In the book Excelling the Excellence, the writer writes about how your own personal best may vary.

I agree because doing your best in 1997 may not be the best for you in 2007. So is your best really the best then? Is it good enough? I am leaving the answer to the individuals to decide.

Sharifah Sajali

Singapore Prison Service

Your Say03

What is your most memorable (best or worst) customer service encounter ever?

Thanks Laura for sharing this inspiring encounter with us. A $100 Swatch voucher is on its way now!

My watch battery “died” so I went to get it fixed. After the shop assistant finished removing the old battery and replacing it, I was all ready to pay and leave. To my amazement, she continued painstakingly to brush away the dust which was trapped in between the tiny hinges of the metal watch strap. She sprayed some liquid and used a cloth to wipe and polish the strap with such tender care. Lastly, she bent the strap several times and patiently told me that she was loosening the hinges in the watch strap as it was stiff and uncomfortable to wear. After thanking her gratefully, I felt humbled by her professionalism and pride in her work. She reminded me of the story of the happy bricklayer who when asked what he was doing, replied “I am building a cathedral” as opposed to his colleague’s reply “I am laying bricks”.

I was at the Grand Park City Hall Hotel for a special dinner with a c lient. The hotel manager served their best dishes and greeted us well.

In addition, he explained the origins of the dishes, how they were prepared and how these food benefits our health.

In my opinion, the hotel manager shared something out of his job scope such as health knowledge and how we should keep our diet healthy in the long term.

Customer service is about giving something extra and going the extra mile to make customers happy.

thanked him for waiting but did not take his name. He could have just driven off since I was still far off but that act of kindness touched me and I got home in good time. It makes the world a better place when we have people who serve from their heart and not for the money.

I am so proud of our bus captains. I always believe that when you refresh others, you will be refreshed.

Holy Innocents’ Primary School

Naomi Abraham

Yuan Xue Lian

The best customer service I encountered was on an SIA flight.

My daughter vomited after some food and my husband and I were at a loss as to what to do. A kind and professional steward came by, assessed the situation and told us to care for our daughter while he got gloves and cleaning equipment. He cleaned up the mess, changed the seat cover for my daughter and apologised for not being able to change the belt as it was attached to the seat.

The worst customer service experience has got to be at Festive Hotel Resorts World Sentosa.

You check in as a guest of the most expensive Deluxe King Suite, but at the breakfast buffet, you order your coffee which never comes, or the orange juice never gets replenished or the waiter comes to ask you five times what your room number is.

Vital.org

About a year ago, I was on my way back from a night class and was walking towards the bus-stop. It was pretty late and I saw bus Number 74 which I was about to board for home. I was still at a far distance when I saw the bus and I started running.

The bus captain saw me and kindly waited for me. I

Beanes Kartara

He was very calm and didn’t look disgusted at the huge mess. Even after cleaning up, he periodically came over to check if we were all right and even put some coffee bags under our seats to mask the smell. My husband and I were ver y grateful for and appreciative of his help and really admired his professionalism to go beyond what was needed of him. It was indeed customer service at its best.

MOE

Cynthia Lee Poh Lian MCYS

If you could liken the Public Service to a famous family, e.g. the Phua Chu Kang family or The Incredibles, what would it be, and why?

Email us:

psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg The best entry will win an attractive prize worth up to

$100!

All other published entries will win shopping

$30

each. vouchers worth Please include your name, agency email address, agency and contact number.

All entries should reach us by March 27, 2011.

NEWS

Coming up...

from the

Open House in the city

SERVICE

The Singapore Biennale returns with its third edition, titled ‘Open House’, from March 13 to May 15. See how 60 artists from 30 countries interpret the theme with works presented at four exhibition venues, including the Old Kallang Airport. www.singaporebiennale.org/

More books for bibliophiles Bookworms can look forward to two new libraries in the heartlands. The Serangoon Public Library will open on March 11 at nex (the new mall at Serangoon), while the Clementi Public Library will open in May at the new Clementi Mall. www.nlb.gov.sg

MEDIA FIESTA 2011 The Media Fiesta is back for the third year this March. Featuring the Media Transformer – an interactive media exhibition – with four anchor events held over four weekends, and numerous partner activities, Media Fiesta 2011 promises to bring lots of fun and excitement. Groove to the beat of Singapore music in tribute to early local songs; reminisce over the old days with movies from the 70s. Then fast forward to the future to try out the latest games developed in Singapore. The annual event by the Media Development Authority is organised in collaboration with 40 partners and sponsors.

Fashion connection Discover the history behind the traditional sarong kebaya which connects Peranakan culture with the ancient trading communities of the Indian Ocean and maritime Southeast Asia. From April 1, trace the costume’s development and see it in its various stylistic contexts at The Peranakan Museum. http://bit.ly/peranakan

www.mediafiesta.sg

CPF BOARD ONLINE SERVICES WIN INNOVATION AWARD The Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board has won the Public Administration category of the Stockholm Challenge 2010 Awards. The award recognises projects that use information and communication technologies to improve people’s social and economic conditions and their environment. The only Singapore representative among seven category winners, the CPF Board received praise for developing highly innovative ser vices that change business processes within the organisation and engage different groups with its user-friendly website, online quizzes for younger customers and biometric e-counters that assist the elderly through automatic voice reading of text. www.cpf.gov.sg

SUBSIDIES FOR MORE DISEASES Subsidised medical treatment for needy elderly and disabled Singaporeans will be available for five more chronic diseases starting April 1, 2011. The Ministry of Health’s Primary Care Partnership Scheme will be extended to cover stroke, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonar y disease (COPD) and schizophrenia. http://bit.ly/moh_pcps

Feature05

The

Mad Hatters?

Is wearing two or more ‘hats’ at work only for hyper-achievers?

What are the pros and cons? Siti Maziah Masramli reports.

Mr Alvin Tan from the National Heritage Board is a “many-hatter” who describes himself as “hyperactive” and “terrified of boredom”. Outfit by D&G at Mandarin Gallery

Mr Alvin Tan copes by training staff to work independently, and relying on assistant directors or managers to coach lower divisional officers.

It is important to share staff and supervisor’s expectations right at the start to build a common understanding.

Outfit by D&G at Mandarin Gallery

Asked to lead the National Heritage Board’s (NHB) Heritage Institutions Division or Industry Development Division, Mr Alvin Tan jumped at the opportunity to head both.

Describing himself as a “hyper-active person… terrified of boredom”, he says double-hatting means there will never be a dull moment at work.

For heritage institutions, he manages the redevelopment and operations of the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, Malay Heritage Centre and the new Indian Heritage Centre. For industry development, he oversees the Heritage Industry Incentive Programme, which facilitates the development of new and innovative heritage products or events. He also chairs the Museum Roundtable, which strives to develop a stronger museum-going culture in Singapore and positions museums as

cultural destinations. More accurately, you can call him a “many-hatter”.

market to reduce potential for conflict or wasting resources.

What it Means

In Singapore, more people seem to be taking on multiple roles. As one public officer (who has a double-hatting boss) suggests, one must have a “masochistic streak” to want to work so hard, but certainly, being asked to double-hat means one’s abilities are recognised by others.

The term “double-hatting” originated in the European Union (EU) to refer to overlapping roles that can enhance “visibility, coherence and political clout”, but is only done based on each EU state’s requirements.

Elsewhere, double-hatting seems less desirable. Doubts surfaced in a 2004 United States Congressional meeting about the 9/11 Commission’s proposal for the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) counter-intelligence unit to report to both the FBI director and a new national director of intelligence.

Last year, DBS Bank reduced doublehatting and put “more people in the crucial functions” of its Hong Kong

One high-ranking multi-tasker is Mr Niam Chiang Meng, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, who was this year also made Permanent Secretary of the new National Population and Talent Division under the Prime Minister’s Office. He is also Chairman of the Media Development Authority and Singapore Sports School.

However, lingering concerns over

Feature07 “many-hatting” include potential for conflict of interest, top positions being held by the same few people, and the physical challenges of holding many positions.

Shortage of Talent?

There is a shortage of skilled resource, especially in the arts, says Mr Phillip Overmyer, CEO, Singapore International Chamber of Commerce. Short-term double-hatting is acceptable as a learning experience for the future, or until somebody else can fill the position.

But he thinks working two fulltime jobs is “a major error” since “no normal human being can do an outstanding job in both of them”.

People will wear out, causing the quality of decisions and ability to support to fade.

A public officer that Challenge spoke to, on condition of anonymity, says that, while it is “amazing” that his boss is able to multi-task, “it’s much more difficult to catch him to discuss things in person since he’s out of the office most of the time”.

Asked to comment on his boss’s multiple portfolios, another officer said, tongue-in-cheek: “I don’t know.

He’s hardly around for me to form an opinion.”

Synergies can be Reaped

In 2009, reactions were mixed when Mr Benson Puah, CEO of the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay was also appointed CEO of the National Arts Council (NAC) by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) and Public Service Division. The Esplanade arts centre is not funded by the NAC, but by MICA and the Tote Board.

He thought the arts sector would benefit with NAC and the Esplanade better-aligned with a common mission, and finds no conflict of interest. “I can’t see how it benefits Government to intentionally ‘concentrate power’ in anybody unless it is a robot whose thoughts and actions can be controlled fully. I’m certainly not a robot!”

With two “very efficient” personal assistants coordinating his schedule, he pulls off 20-hour workdays, and shuttles between the Esplanade and NAC offices daily. He declines more invitations but holds sacred weekend rituals of “hawker breakfasts” with his wife and running long-distance without fail.

To cope with “competing claims for time and attention”, he trains his staff to work independently and relies on his assistant directors or managers to coach the lower divisional officers. He has a 12-hour workday but reser ves weekends strictly for friends and family.

On the upside, having a busy boss might not always be a bad thing, points out a public officer who now enjoys having more space to work and not being micro-managed. Her double-hatting boss trusts staff to do their work, but will offer helpful input when approving submissions.

“I think it’s a good mix of delegating responsibility while still maintaining that sense of duty.”

So when offered multiple roles, should officers bite? NAC’s Mr Puah offers a caveat: “Every individual has different capacities for work and appetite for sacrifices.”

Of double-hatting’s benefits, he adds: “Exposure to different macro-perspectives keeps the mind sharpened and with a broader ‘worldview’ to make better-balanced decisions.”

A Balancing Act

NHB’s Mr Tan agrees, but admits “there’re times when less attention is given to one division” as some projects and urgent deadlines must be prioritised.

Every individual has different capacities for work and appetite for sacrifices.

Based at NHB headquarters, he cannot spend as much time as he would like at the three heritage institutions he oversees. And he would also like more time to mentor his officers, so as to “get to know them better and help them develop their potential”. “[It is] important to share (staff and supervisor’s) expectations right at the start to build a common understanding, and set clear performance goals and project milestones,” he advises.

Mr Benson Puah, CEO of the Esplanade, and the National Arts Council pulls off 20-hour workdays to juggle his double portfolio.

Community problems can go far beyond the ability of public agencies alone to address. To tackle local issues, what better way than to activate local muscle?

Welcome to “co-creation�, where the Public Service really gets down to working together with the people. by

Sheralyn Tay

In Singapore, a five-year e-Government Masterplan is enhancing collaboration in the public sector with better use of technology. According to Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) Lui Tuck Yew, this is a shift from a “Gov-to-You mindset to a Gov-with-You direction”.

Noting that more citizens today have higher expectations and are empowered and enabled by social networking, he said in January 2011 at the Singapore GovCamp: “Such profound changes in the nature of technology and demographics will give rise to new models of service delivery – based on collaboration and co-creation with the private and people sectors.”

He cited the OneMap initiative launched by the Singapore Land Authority and Infocomm Development Authority in March 2010. The online geospatial platform allows users to create new applications on a common base map of Singapore and enter information ranging from businesses to recreational activities – a system that, as Muhammad Hanafiah, Director of MICA’s Industry Division, said, aims “to tap the collective wisdom of our netizens, to see how we can further improve on our services”.

The Big Idea: Co-creation

Government 2.0 is a sea change in the making – transforming how public servants everywhere listen to, speak with and work with citizens.

This fundamental public service culture change is to enhance responsiveness, relevance and service delivery.

Often, technology helps drive more open, transparent government, where citizens play an active role in solving community problems and even shaping policies. Social media such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs are becoming integral, but the key difference is using them in a way people find relevant.

When snowstorms pummelled the northeastern part of the United States last December, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker, a prolific Twitter user, used the messaging system to update residents about clean-up efforts; he responded to tweets, personally digging out snowed-in cars and delivering supplies to stranded residents. He was hailed as Newark’s ‘one man snow patrol’. As WNYC.org observed, “[Booker] didn’t just reply with a tweet. He also showed up with his feet.”

Governments and people need to work better together as agents of change, given the growing concerns of rising costs, ageing populations, immigration challenges, healthcare issues and a sense of division between people and the public sector.

“Co-creation” – or “co-production” – is defined by David Boyle of the UK’s New Economics Foundation and Michael Harris of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts as “delivering public services in an equal and reciprocal relationship between professionals, people using services, their families and their neighbours”.

According to Matthew Horne and Tom Shirley in a discussion paper for the UK Cabinet office, collaboration results in faster, more responsive, effective and affordable service outcomes. These partnerships are based on four clear values: “Everyone has something to contribute; reciprocity is important; social relationships matter; and social contributions (rather than financial contributions) are encouraged.”

While it is not a panacea for all ills, co-creation is important for public service, said political observer and Assistant Professor of Law at the Singapore Management University, Eugene Tan.

“[It recognises that] the public sector doesn’t have the monopoly of wisdom and volunteerism may lack the degree of accountability needed for a sustained delivery of high quality public services…

[Co-creation of services] is about tapping the social capital within a communit y while enhancing the stock of social capital in the process.” He added that as society matures, people value non-material concerns more and they “seek selffulfilment and self-actualisation, and service co-creation offers the segue for deep involvement and a commitment to collaboration.”

In his book Leading Public Sector Innovation, author Christian Bason argues that co-creation hinges on key conditions ranging from context to strategy, organisation, technology, people and culture, and courageous leadership.

“At the heart of all this should, I think, be a culture of trust, where there is a genuine openness and curiosity about how to do better tomorrow than today – not to blame oneself or each other, but to generate more value for citizens and society. Too few public organisations are really characterised by these traits; and it will always be difficult, given the political nature of public organisations and the intense media scrutiny,” said Mr Bason in an email interview with Challenge.

THIS PAGE: Volunteer cycling wardens like Mr Rahmat Mahwan (right) conduct regular patrols and to educate both cyclists and pedestrians to share footways safely.

Limits of Co-creation

In their discussion paper, authors Horne and Shirley say that co-production is not appropriate for every service. The greatest potential benefits, they suggest, are in relational services where benefits far outweigh risks. These include areas to do with social relationships such as early childhood education, long-term health conditions, adult social care, mental health and parenting. And in relational services, co-production can deliver the largest benefits where the social issues are chronic and complex, and solutions are contested.

Mr Bason pointed out that there is often a perceived fear of “losing control” and of the rise of “citizen dictators” from co-creation. But ultimately citizens are considered contributors to an innova-

tion process, and decisions are made by larger bodies like steering committees.

“The purpose of involvement is not to ask citizens which ideas they prefer, but to explore which ideas are likely to work.”

“Co-creation is hard and difficult work – sometimes even painful,” added Mr Bason, Director of MindLab, an interministerial innovation unit in Denmark.

But ultimately, he argues, co-creation is a cost-effective means to ensure that new solutions really do meet users’ needs, and hit the targets in service improvements and better outcomes.

At MindLab, he has met agencies that have no interest or will to collaborate.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Wardens also accompany the auxiliary police officers, hired by the Tampines Town Council, on their enforcement rounds.

They take photos of problem areas, such as bicycles parked indiscriminately, and raise them with the relevant authorities for follow up. As a result of their feedback, improvements such as increasing parking facilities for bicycles and widening specific busy footways have been made.

“Here it can become almost impossible to create sound results; you can perhaps make them join the project, but you can’t force them to contribute.”

Sceptics also feel that co-creation raises unrealistic expectations from citizens.

“When people allow researchers access to their homes or workplaces, or choose to spend time participating in workshops, they have legitimate expectations that this will serve a purpose. On the other hand, most citizens and business

owners understand that in a political system, and especially in a democracy, there is no guarantee that just because a group of civil servants think that an idea is good, it will be judged so by top management or by politicians.

It is necessary to clarify expectations, which usually is not difficult to do,” said Mr Bason.

Co-creation in Singapore

Co-creation of public services becomes more relevant in Singapore as society becomes more diverse, its needs more wide-ranging and expectations of what it means to be a citizen evolve further, said Dr Gillian Koh, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS).

The concept is not new to Singapore.

For example, the neighbourhood watch scheme that started in 1997 saw resident volunteers work with the police to guard against crime in their neighbourhoods.

“The police service recognised that the job is too large, so you need to mobilise people,” said Dr Koh. An example of a more recent publicpeople sector collaboration is a shared footpaths initiative that started in 2007

when Ms Irene Ng, MP for Tampines GRC, mooted the idea to legalise cycling on footways in Tampines.

Cycling on footpaths is not allowed, but some residents like the elderly found cycling on roads dangerous. A pilot project chaired by Ms Ng saw the Tampines Town Council, Tampines grassroots organisations, the Land Transport Authority and the Traffic Police seek ways to share footpaths safely. Based on consultation and feedback from residents, footpaths were widened and dedicated bike lanes built.

Co-creation is hard and difficult work – sometimes even painful... You can perhaps make them join the project, but you can’t force them to contribute.

Significantly, volunteer cycling wardens we re re c r u i t e d t o conduct regular patrols and to educate both cyclists and pedestrians to share footways safely.

Mr Steven Yeo, the grassroots leader in charge of the cycling wardens, said: “This project shows that Singaporeans are more willing to take ownership of issues and that government agencies are more receptive, even welcoming, of our feedback.” Currently there are some 100 wardens and about 10,000 Tampines residents have benefited from volunteer-run cycling clinics. Ms Ng said: “When Tampines was designated Singapore’s first cycling town in March last year, it was a tribute to the community spirit of our residents.”

Mr Teo Ser Luck, Mayor of North East District and Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, told Challenge: “This project... builds confidence and a sense of autonomy.

In the future, we hope to see more Singaporeans come forward to be part of local solutions.”

The National Parks Board (NParks) is also cultivating open communication in a big way. Mr Han Jok Kwang, an avid cyclist who uses NParks’ Park Connector Network regularly, is a member of PC&Frens – an NParks initiative to keep connected with park connector users. He sends feedback on cycling paths, safety issues and suggestions for

Tagging problems online In New Haven, Connecticut, USA, resident Ben Berkowitz grew frustrated about his neighbourhood’s lingering graffiti problem. Numerous attempts to get city officials to clean up the neighbourhood went unheard.

A computer programmer, Berkowitz launched an online application, SeeClickFix, in March 2008 to allow residents to take a photo of a nonemergency public issue – a pothole, malfunctioning traffic light or graffiti – upload it, tag its location and send it to relevant public departments.

Many municipal governments have since adopted the application to improve responsiveness. In October 2010, SeeClickFix registered its 61,000th user-submitted issue.

What sets this website apart is fostering tangible connection between residents and public agencies, reducing service redundancies and increasing active citizenry. Said Berkowitz: “We hope to get citizens participating in government rather than just consuming it.”

Once there is ‘turfmarking’, it becomes a transactionary service creation rather than genuine service co-creation. improvement such as installing a ‘fisheye’ mirror at a blind spot along a path or speed strips to make riding safer.

Another NParks example of residents taking ownership of local areas is Community in Bloom – a collaboration with Community Development Councils.

Since its launch in 2005, the number of community gardens has blossomed from 100 to 400, beautifying neighbourhoods and fostering social bonding.

Mdm Kamisah Atan, an active South West District community gardener, joined her neighbourhood gardening plot in 2006 to attempt growing sunflowers, one of her favourite flowers. “The community garden gave me a chance to work as a team with my neighbours,” she said. The joy of harvesting crops of fruit and vegetables was further enhanced in 2010, when their little garden won the best Resident Committee garden award and Platinum prize in the Community-In-Bloom 2010 awards.

Potential and Pitfalls

These examples highlight a burgeoning culture of collaboration between citizens and public officers. An IPS survey in 2009 found that more Singaporeans want a greater say in policy-making, compared to 12 years ago. 85% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that ‘voting gave citizens the most meaningful way in which to tell the government how the country should be run’, up from 72% in 1998. 95% also agreed or strongly agreed that there should be ‘other channels by which citizens can express their views on government policies’, up from 79% in 1998. The proportion keen to serve on government-related bodies also doubled from 24 to 48%.

But tellingly, only 8% would actually make their views known. This signals

“limited faith in the effectiveness” of the channels of engagement, said SMU’s Prof Tan. It is not a situation isolated to Singapore. Countries with long histories of community engagement also face disjuncture between ‘wanting to participate’ and actually doing so.

For instance, a study of the City of Moreland (with a population 150,000) in Victoria, Australia, showed that “subtle power imbalances” between the community, authorities and property developers created ineffective and unequal partnerships. A major pitfall

in the co-creation drive is that community engagement tends to become tokenistic and “confined within narrow parameters” such as invitations to citizens to provide responses only on specific proposals rather than opening out broad and inclusive debate.

For the Public-Private-People (3P) model that forms the basis of Singapore-style engagement, co-creation should blur the markers of what’s in the public and people sectors, said Prof Tan. “[The] 3P partnership tends to be marked by a contractual agreement spelling out the rights and duties and liabilities of each party. Once there is

Inculcating Engagement Co-creation based on active community engagement is not something that ‘just happens’. A language or system of engagement is needed to enact the structural shifts that allow for co-creation. “A commitment to genuine engagement, respect and efficient communication relies on determination and developing personal skills to a high standard,” state the authors of the Moreland City study.

“This is hard to teach and has to be modelled through facilitators,” said Dr Koh. Most people look to ‘an authority figure’ to run discussions and raise issues. Ideally, this means to survey and assess a situation and act as a neutral sounding board to enable groups to arrive at a solution on their own. Think of it as marriage counselling or conflict resolution training, where parties slowly learn the skills to negotiate issues in an open, neutral and reciprocal way.

To do this, both the Public Service and citizens should: • Engage constructively through channels of communication • Improve communication and listening skills. This means learning to share and discuss information, state positions and – most importantly – listen to alternatives • Learn to resolve conflicts of interest and viewpoints • Define common ground, disagreements and compromises • Allow time for parties to think about issues and reposition themselves to reach an agreed conclusion – even if it is to still “agree to disagree”

‘turf-marking’, it becomes a transactionary service creation rather than genuine service co-creation.”

This and the Moreland City study show that deep changes are necessary to achieve genuine local participatorygovernance. It could mean changing the fundamental structures of power and communication. [See box on pg 12]

Achieving Co-creation

Are Singaporeans and the public sector ready for such wide-ranging shifts?

Some fundamentals are already in place, said Dr Koh, such as an “entrenched complaining culture”. “[It] shows there is potential for a lot of citizen engagement. When people complain, it means they can see what is wrong with it; and secondly, they feel it needs to be fixed.”

Co-creation is not something that can happen overnight, or even in five years.

The skills needed and the active learning/re-learning process of co-creation require patience and dedication. Citi-

Mdm Kamisah Atan (right) joined her neighbourhood gardening plot in 2006. She is one of the 230 Community In Bloom volunteers of the NParks programme that aims to spread the love of gardening islandwide.

zens must come forward for constructive change; the Public Service must facilitate change in mutual collaboration and trust. Expectations must be managed; civil society must accept that not all views can be taken onboard.

That both the people and public sectors will have to negotiate new ways of talking to each other is something Mr Lui recognises.

Healthcare by the people In the UK, the Shared Lives initiative has, for 30 years, paired up disabled people with families for mutual support. In the Expert Patient Programme, in place since 2002, experienced tutors who also suffer from chronic illness educate peers on managing their chronic conditions. The National Heath Service funds the service as a social enterprise.

“It will ultimately be the people and culture that determine if Gov 2.0 is going to be a success,” he said. “In this new ‘Gov-with-You’ approach, the public sector ought to embrace a collaborative culture where it accepts that some services can be more effectively developed and delivered in partnership with the private and people sectors.”

The scheme has benefited more than 50,000 and has helped decrease outpatient visits by 10% and visits to the Accident and Emergency unit by 16%.

Meanwhile, pharmacy visits rose 18%, as patients said they feel more confident in managing their illness and were motivated to keep to their medical regimes.

Co-creation is not something that can happen overnight, or even in five years.

As UK Prime Minister David Cameron has noted, “the public become, not the passive recipients of State services, but the active agents of their own lives. They are trusted to make the right choices for themselves and their families. They become doers, not the done-for.”

14 Feature

REBUILDING

HOMES, EMPOWERING PEOPLE Ben Hubbard, former Chief Executive of the Victorian Bushf ire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority in Australia, shares with Challenge his experience, and the unexpected rewards, of community engagement and leadership. by

Bridgette See

February 7, 2009: Ben Hubbard was walking his dog Oskar in Melbourne City, Australia. It was 8am, but he was already feeling the 35 degree Celsius heat, which would later climb to a record 46.4 degrees.

This day became known as Black Saturday – as high heat, strong winds, low humidity and a prolonged drought made tinder out of the state of Victoria.

The 700 fires killed 173 people and burnt 2,133 properties. Over 8,000 livestock were lost, and an estimated one million wild animals killed.

In all, 4,300 km 2 of land (about 6.7 times the size of Singapore) were burnt, affecting 33 communities. As he watched events unfold on TV, the

35-year-old – Chief of Staff to then Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, now Australia’s PM – did not imagine that by June 2009 he would be Chief Executive of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (VBRRA).

The authority was set up three days after Black Saturday to coordinate the largest rebuilding and recovery programme in Victoria’s history.

Visiting the affected areas, Mr Hubbard was shocked. “It was as far as the eye could see,” he said of the scale of damage. “You would see a letterbox and a driveway but no house; the cleanup was so effectively done by the authority that most homes destroyed had been cleaned up by early June.”

His first task was to provide structure and priority for VBRRA’s activities. “[It was] very focused on the immediate and the urgent, but there wasn’t a roadmap for dealing with the broad set of recovery and reconstruction activities,” he said, “and if you don’t have a plan, you can’t secure resources either.”

He dug his heels in to get the Rebuilding Together Plan out by October 2009.

The AU$193 million state-wide strategy, which included 1,100 proposals, was the result of working with the 33 communities’ recovery committees that had outlined their needs and priorities after workshops, group discussions and written submissions were considered.

Beating Bureaucracy

Despite its efforts, the authority’s work

citizen-centred approach. So a hotline, community service hubs and case managers were some of the services put in place to help residents navigate the complex issues in reconstruction.

People who had suffered trauma, said Mr Hubbard, “didn’t want to hear a public ser vant pointing to another public servant or another department, they wanted to know who was accountable” so “governments need to work very hard to minimise bureaucracy and complexity.”

The people of Kinglake, for example, wanted a new petrol station after both stations were razed. For months they

“Those places… where public assets were largely destroyed, they had the unique opportunity to reconfigure those assets and they took that opportunity.

But that takes time to talk to the community and to get agreement on what the model looks like.”

The result was modern, high quality public facilities clustered in precincts that would attract new residents. “If we had moved in quickly, we would have replaced like for like, and wouldn’t have gotten such a strong set of assets.”

Contrast that to Cyclone Tracy that devastated Dar win in 1974. Then, homes were rebuilt en masse, but now times have changed, said Mr Hubbard.

Mystery of the wooden bridge In late 2010, a community leader alerted Mr Hubbard of a property-owner who had been unable to rebuild his home for two years, as the bridge connecting his home to the main road had been burnt down. As the owner was the only user of the bridge, no one else would rebuild it as it costs AU$100,000.

A VBRRA team played detective, taking weeks to sift through decades of

“We took a different view, we gave people the support, for example, advice on rebuilding, and funding… but ultimately they had to make decisions themselves and people expected that freedom. Victoria is a very mature society and people want those choices.”

still received flak. public documents to discover a 40-year-old gazette identifying the local A donor described council to be responsible for rebuilding that very bridge. The authority the process as “stiwas then able to assist the council to successfully apply for standing f l e d i n b u re a u The consultative and emgrant arrangements. cracy ” and views powering approach has were carried in The reaped re wards: “ W hat Age, an Australian we’ve built is a range of newspaper, calling communities that have the rebuilding a “failure” and that the were taking petrol back in unsafe ways, strength in connections they didn’t have authorities acted too slowly on comraising public safety concerns. before the fires… They have a joint sense mercial projects to kickstart the local of purpose… and resilience and capacity economy of Marysville only 15 months Although this was outside VBRRA’s for the future. There’s been some good after Black Saturday. jurisdiction, the town people “thought out of very tragic events.” it was a critical issue to them, and so Mr Hubbard admitted that some things it must be for us (VBRRA),” said Mr This is why, even as VBRRA gets ready could have been done more quickly, for Hubbard, who took on this unique chalto close by mid-2011, it has drawn up example, when it came to constructlenge as it was distracting people from plans to continue building community ing large public buildings delivering other reconstruction issues. Clearly, too, leadership and capacity in bushfirerebuilding advisory services. the private sector was not about to step affected communities well into the in. Two months later, his team managed year 2012.

“We chose to deliver them using donor to set up a petrol station, now run by support led by a prominent Victorian a local operator. businessman, and we had a range of Mr Ben Hubbard was a speaker at the Building more than Homes building companies help us and that 2011 Service Excellence Conference The VBRRA was always conscious of took a lot longer. If we had done those organised by the Civil Service College. engaging and empowering communiearlier, then we could have had greater Mr Hubbard left the VBRRA in Februties and individuals in the rebuilding activity in the middle of those towns ary 2011 and is now Chief of Staff to process, giving them time and space to which needed people around.”

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

For more info on VBRRA: “recover at their own rate and build their www.wewillrebuild.vic.gov.au own capacity”, so they don’t become One of the key lessons VBRRA learnt totally dependent on the government. was that effective service delivery happens when there is a coordinated and

Tough Customers?

No Sweat!

Singaporeans love sounding off about poor service, but don’t make great customers themselves. Two award-winning customer service off icers share experiences on dealing with diff icult customers. by

Siti Maziah Masramli

“My wife is comfortable with the way I talk. If you are not comfortable, then you do not service me!” Hearing this in a loud, brutish voice would intimidate most customer service officers (CSOs).

employed. At this point, the client slammed the table and raised his voice.

He was angry as he thought he might lose his job if the employer knew he was seeking financial assistance.

But Ms Lee Hsui Jane (right), 31, did something most people would not: she parroted her client’s way of speaking.

Even as he got louder, Ms Lee refrained from getting male officers to intervene.

She had promised to be the key person handling his case.

The former career consultant at Central Singapore Community Development Council (CDC) was making a point.

When the man objected to her raising her voice, she said: “Sorry, I’d like to relate to you. I need you to hear me.”

“If I were to get another officer in, it would be like a bodyguard staring at him, and I didn’t want to breach the trust.” So she made sure not to appear scared, though she was, and even offered a cup of Milo to calm him down.

Hearing how he sounded made him change his tone and adopt Ms Lee’s usual pleasant manner instead.

CSOs should be flexible enough to offer alternative solutions. For this case, they reached a compromise when Ms Lee suggested the client call his employer on speakerphone.

Now Assistant Centre Manager for Employment Services at the career centre, she has met many demanding and unreasonable job-seekers.

It is important to keep calm and build trust, especially with the most challenging customers, she says.

Once, a client made repeated trips to the CDC despite securing a job. He wanted to quit as he could not afford transport fares to work and requested for CDC help.

Ms Lee reassured him that the CDC could assist if she could confirm with the employer that he was gainfully

“Just to clarify about your job; you need not even let the person know that I’m around,” she explained. With his job and payment details confirmed, Ms Lee was able to provide the necessary interim assistance.

Mdm Shaik Amina, 56, also meets difficult customers as an Environmental Health Officer with the National Environment Agency.

Checking for mosquito breeding sites requires that she enter the homes of many reluctant residents.

Some refuse to answer the door. “I know they are inside, but we cannot keep knocking because it’s not nice,” she says. So she would return another day or inform her superiors to send a notice letter.

Sometimes, residents criticise the need for inspection and comment on unrelated matters. “I let them say whatever they want first, then politely explain the purpose of my visit. If they have any requests, I will try to just do them.”

Why are some customers so confrontational? Mdm Shaik Amina says “the resident feels that they may be fined. $200 is a big sum to them.”

Central Singapore CDC’s Ms Lee says: “People are frustrated either because their expectations are not met or they are really at their wit’s end.”

Even pleasant customers can be perplexing. Faced with an amiable client who was “clueless” about what job she wanted, building rapport and a stroke of luck helped.

“Usually when customers say ‘anything’, I will joke with them: ‘If you don’t want to be a cleaner, how about being a dishwasher?’ We try to play around with words to lighten the mood.”

The client, a Mandarin-speaking cleaner with limited English skills, had mentioned she liked to talk. While chatting, Ms Lee came upon a sales promoter

People are frustrated either because their expectations are not met or they are really at their wit’s end. position in her jobs database. She was excited to share this opportunity, but the client was afraid to fail the interview.

In the end, Ms Lee managed to convince her to go. “The employer liked her so much that she got the job instantly.

She’s a very friendly person to begin with.”

Since being promoted, Ms Lee no longer handles clients directly. She has this advice for her staff: “What I have learnt is to always be tactful, and always relate myself to the customer with my own expectations. For myself, I expect to be heard, understood and surprised: Can they exceed my expectations and go the extra mile?”

Award-winning CSO Lee Hsui Jane has met many difficult customers. She advises other CSOs to keep calm and take the opportunity to build trust in such situations.

18 Thinking Aloud

A spoonful of humour can help the anger go away, says Scott Friedman

Upset customers

how to laugh away their anger, and yours too Whether you’re trying to create a memorable customer experience or even calm an upset customer, humour can help. Humour works best when your customer knows that you’re truly there to serve.

Before using humour, assess your customer. Customers come from one of three places: “NP”, “PP” or “P”.

“NP”– Not playful, “PP”– Potentially Playful or “P” – Playful. Here’s how you tell…

were to attempt humour, self-effacing humour would be your safest bet.

If they ask a question where you have the opportunity to poke fun at yourself, it can potentially ease immediate tension. “Who is the idiot in charge here?”

“I’m head idiot, what can I do for you?”

“Do you suffer from insanity?” “No, I’m starting to enjoy it much more now…

We didn’t do it, and we will never do it again.” Admitting your flaws immediately makes you more vulnerable and likable. And you won’t lose face. You’ll actually gain face.

Will humour work with everyone? Every situation is unique.

“NP” – Not Playful: Most likely, your

customer is angry or irritated.

You can tell, surely.

“PP” – Potentially playful: The

customer appears indifferent.

“P” – Playful: Customers initiate play.

They smile, laugh, make funny comments or engage you in playful banter.

They wear a shirt with a saying on it like: “The road to wisdom is long and hard… wear comfortable shoes.”

When your customer is “NP”, be very careful. Your best strategy is to be polite and follow the AUR* method of calming upset customers – *“Acknowledge, Understand, Resolve”. However, if you

To h e l p y o u c o n trol your anger when dealing with an irate customer, it ’s best to establish a benchmark a h e ad o f t i m e. A s k yourself: “What’s the worst customer situation you’ve ever had? That will be your 10 on a scale of 1-10. Instead of getting upset, you rate their anger on a scale of 1-10. If the situation is not the worst you’ve ever seen, it would be assigned a number less than the benchmarked 10. If it’s the worst, it becomes the new 10. In your mind, you say: “Woo hoo, we have a winner!”… or “No one has ever yelled at me like that.” And then do what you can to resolve the situation.

Other ways to use humour to control your anger: 1. Picture your customer in diapers or trapped in a jar.

2. Write the words of how you feel on the roof of your mouth with your tongue.

3.

After the encounter, write down the name of the person who angered you on a sheet of toilet paper and flush it away.

4.

When a mistake is made, send a note with a fork saying: “ We’re hungr y to make this right!” or send a message on top of a cake: “We apologise. Next time, working with us will be a piece of cake.”

Will humour work with everyone? Every situation is unique. Each interaction requires you to assess the situation from a fresh perspective. You must recognise individual nuances, make adjustments, and use good judgment. If you do, a spoonful of humour might just melt the anger away.

Scott Friedman is a motivational humorist whose areas of focus include employee and customer engagement, branded customer service, and using humour to engage an audience or a customer. www.funnyscott.com

Scott Friedman elaborates on humour and customer service in Insider’s Take at www.challenge.gov.sg.

Selected free episodes of his podcast series Hooked on Humour will be available online from March 2011.

Letters to aYoung Public Officer 27 DEAR YOUNG OFFICER, In the last eight months as the new Chief Executive Director, People’s Association, I have been struck by the large number of passionate people who contribute to the community every day in ways big and small, with a sense of purpose and fulfilment.

Grassroots leaders, district councillors, project volunteers – they truly have a heart for those around them.

Some of the grassroots leaders have served more than 30 years. I have had the privilege of meeting many people, mostly citizens but increasingly more new citizens and permanent residents – taxi drivers, homemakers, businessmen, students and professionals – who lend their expertise, time and resources, outside of their own family and work, to serve others and make a difference to the community.

For example, the recent Chingay 2011 would not have been a success without the many volunteers who gave of their time and talents. Of the 8,000 volunteer performers, 3,900 were busy PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians), and 590 were active-agers aged 65 years and above, with the oldest being 113 years old! As a result of the large community involvement, six foreign TV stations, together with CNA (International Feed), provided hundreds of millions of people around the world an opportunity to watch the exciting event.

In Admiralty Division, grassroots leaders have developed an innovative way to keep a simple record of the residents’ expertise and those with special needs.

These “Block Directories” made it possible to identify a nurse and a taxi driver who are able to help a disadvantaged elderly diabetic in their block. The nurse visits the elderly’s home to change her dressings and to chit chat with her.

The taxi driver drives the patient to the clinic. Both provide these services for free.

At Tai Keng Gardens, a group of like-minded resident volunteers called Street Managers contribute their time to make their neighbourhood a great place to live. They also serve as an effective link between the residents and

by Yam Ah Mee Chief Executive Director, People’s Association (PA)

government agencies, for example by giving prompt feedback. When the flash floods occurred last year, they worked with government agencies to resolve flooding problems quickly and effectively. There are countless other good examples.

As I reflect on these, I feel humbled by their dedication and commitment to serve. Though I have also met some fellow public officers who serve in the community and found fulfilment and purpose in their involvement, we could make an even greater impact if more of us could get involved and contribute.

So if there is one piece of advice I could pass to you, it is to be involved in the community.

My earliest memory of this was during my childhood years. I benefited a lot from using community clubs and centres. I had my tuition and read newspapers there. I remember many of my older siblings enrolling in cake-making and sewing courses.

Many of my friends grew up playing basketball – one of the more popular interest groups at the time. I have even participated in debates organised by the community centre.

Many of you may have had similar experiences in your neighbourhood in your younger years. And really, that’s what community involvement is about at the basic level.

There is great merit in getting involved.

You will understand the ground better and know firsthand how policies and public services have affected, and will impact, people in their daily lives.

I have met a number of public officers who have won respect from communities because they – having seen the bigger picture of how policies are shaped – can explain them better to others.

There are also many good ideas from the community that you can tap.

When you are in touch with the pulse of the community, you will have better insights and can offer more effective ways of formulating policies and explaining them to the public at large.

As a result of people serving others in the community, stronger bonds based on mutual trust can be built. This will also boost the public’s confidence in our system of governance and grow their affinity to the country.

28 A Cuppa With...

“You must

love the

children” Second Permanent Secretary (Education) Yeoh Chee Yan talks to A Makwana about school, quality service and the secret of being a good teacher, in A Cuppa With...

You would expect a top policymaker in the Education Ministry like Second Permanent Secretary Yeoh Chee Yan to have been a straight “A” student.

But she waves away such suggestions with peals of laughter, saying: “I think my teachers probably remember me as quite a dreamy student who was probably always looking out of the window. But… I always did well in the end.”

And this rather unconventional civil servant, with her crisp enun-

ciation, easy smile and strong convictions, is still doing well to this day.

Ms Yeoh has worn many hats, from being in the Security and Intelligence Division, to the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

After being Dean of the Civil Service College and Deputy Secretary (Policy) in the Defence Ministry, she found herself in the hot seat of the Education Ministry.

Asked how it has been, she sums it up with one word, the name of this magazine – a “Challenge”.

And the key motivation has been a sense of service, something she certainly values, as Chairman of the Quality Service Committee, which promotes quality service across the Public Service.

While the PS21 movement, she feels, has come a long way from the days of counting suggestions, public officers still need to go further beyond efficiency.

“Be more customer-centric – not just at the point of interacting with them but also in your policies, in the way you design your whole service model. Look at it from the customer’s perspective and think about how we can create more value for the customer.”

And she’s had to walk the talk in her current post because, as she says, “everyone has a view on education”, making her the focus of sometimes heated debates at dinner parties.

Her own views as an educator, though, are quite clear. While exams are important in a knowledge-based economy, going forward, she feels more needs to be done to build soft skills. “ We want kids to grow up as confident individuals who are motivated to learn. Soft skills are also important in the 21st century in the workplace which places a premium on good communication, the ability to work across cultures, to work in teams.”

And every single teacher in classrooms across the country is at the crux of this.

“You can have all these policies but it’s really the teacher in the classroom who puts this together.

How do you ensure that the 30,000 strong education force will have that ethos? Where school leaders and teachers think it’s important; they believe that every child is important, they want to develop the whole child, motivate them, encourage them?”

She sees many advances from the days when she herself was a student, those days when a caring and colourful teacher told her: “Zhi Yan, if you pass this subject, I’ll pull out my teeth.” That story ended well; her teacher kept her teeth although she did pass.

But some hot-button subjects are still being examined today, such as those

“She was 15 when she left school because her mother died and she had to take care of her seven brothers and sisters and so started teaching. She was the first local principal of MGS (Methodist Girls’ School) Penang.”

But stopping school at 15 did not stop her Granny from going on to educate herself in areas such as phonetics and elocution, which she imparted to her granddaught e r, a s s e e n i n Ms Yeoh’s love of reading and clear diction.

“She spoke very well for someone who was not very highly educated.”

You can have all these policies but it’s really the teacher in the classroom who puts this together. regarding mother tongue language teaching and consequent changes to the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE).

Despite the strong, sometimes competing views from various quarters, she says the Ministry must always move in a direction that is in the interests of the child and what education professionals know is educationally important.

“Good education policy is not about being populist.”

Equally important, perhaps, is the simple teaching philosophy the old lady who lived to 100 lived by.

“I used to ask her: ‘What makes a good teacher?’ She said: ‘Well, it’s very simple, you must love the children’.”

Managing contentious issues can be a delicate balancing act, but Ms Yeoh says it is important to be on solid ground as far as policy justifications go. “You have to make sure that you have already thought through the issues, a strong basis for your policies… and then have the conviction to carry it through.”

But are “populist” considerations always necessarily wrong? “No, I don’t think so. Public views are important. What parents think is very important.”

As a parent herself, does her son give her any policy feedback? Laughing, she says that she once asked him what he liked about school when he entered Primar y One, he deadpanned and said: “Dismissal.”

On a personal level, Ms Yeoh’s own educational inspiration remains her grandmother – also her ver y first teacher – who essentially brought her up as her doctor parents were always busy at work.

What’s usually in your cuppa?

Nescafe – milk, no sugar.

What’s your favourite type of tea?

Nescafe, every morning.

At least two cups a day, although I’m trying to be healthy and drink less coffee.

Where do you normally go to get your caffeine fix?

Home. I make it myself.

Because only I know how I like it.

Smart people ask

stupid

uestions

Asking questions that challenge assumptions, even at the risk of sounding dumb, may be the key to f inding innovative workplace solutions. by

Chen Jingting

What if managers are like Mr Bean?

How can staff be like roti prata?

Before you dismiss these questions as, well, stupid, take some time to ponder.

You may well come up with some creative solutions.

The United States celebrates “Ask A Stupid Question Day” on the last day of school in September. The tradition, which started in the 1980s, aims to encourage children to ask questions without fear of sounding stupid.

So why should managers be like Mr Bean? Perhaps by being as lovable and approachable as this British comic character, managers could create a fun work culture where employees are happy and thus more productive.

Or, if staff can “reinvent” themselves like roti prata, which comes in many flavours (pizza prata, anyone?), there will be no lack of exciting ideas from them.

Management gurus advocate the need for management and employees to question the usual ways of doing things, even if they sound foolish.

“It might not be a bad idea to give awards for the stupidest questions of the year – the ones with answers that ended up making us a more effective and valued company or organisation,” advises Mr Gregerman on his website.

The onus is on management to build a corporate culture where employees dare to ask silly questions, argues award-winning author and consultant Alan Gregerman, known as the “Robin Williams of business consulting”.

To boost workplace creativity, ‘foolishness’ is needed, says business creativity expert Fredrik Härén, author of The Idea Book, which has sold over 200,000 copies worldwide. “If people feel it is okay to make a fool of [themselves],

they tend to become braver [at being creative]… ‘Why are we doing this?’

That is a question that a lot of people should ask much more often.”

W hat are the consequences of not asking enough stupid questions? Just look at history, he adds. “The Titanic sank and killed almost all onboard and no one had asked why there were no life-vests. Actually, the one who is stupid is the one who doesn´t ask stupid questions.”

The Big Idea 31

Tackling organisational change is diff icult for staff, but managers, too, have their share of worries. by

Bridgette See

Managers are the CLASSIC “sandwiched ” class between senior management and staff.

“When management sets a direction to do something, [our] challenge is to bridge the vision or direction, which is usually loftier and more strategic, with the operational,” says Ms Wendy Tan, a manager at the EnforcementCompliance Ser vice Branch at the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS).

Managers play a crucial role helping employees cross the mental bridge from initial denial to eventual acceptance, so as to embrace a new organisational culture, or new ways of working.

When Wendy was first made manager two years ago, she was tasked with change management when her division underwent a reorganisation.

To achieve greater synergies and in line with IRAS’s focus on taxpayer education and service, there was a reorganisation of functions and a new branch was set up. Wendy, one of the managers in the new branch, had to communicate the change to affected staff.

“When they had to take on additional functions, we had to keep explaining why we need to do this. The change is not about giving them more work,

but to synergise resources and help us be more effective in handling each taxpayer’s case holistically,” she says.

Engage Early

Wendy knew her staff needed to know each other better first to perform as a team. W ith senior management support, she got everyone signed up for a one-day team-building course. Staff were grouped into their work units so they could break the ice with new colleagues over games and bonding exercises.

Wendy’s next priority: to ensure that staff were constantly updated about the change process. She had learnt – from eight years as an IRAS corporate communications officer – that staff communication is about “the earlier the better”.

“People don’t like to be kept in suspense… whatever you have to share, just share first. It’s okay if you tell them some facts are not available at that point in time. At least they know that you don’t know, and not that you’re trying to withhold information,” she says.

She got the various change coordinators involved to supply all information from seating arrangement to work alloca-

tion, which she then collated and emailed to staff regularly. Sharing as early as possible gave staff enough time to digest news and participate, and for managers to get feedback.

Staff focus groups – with no supervisors involved – collected feedback anonymously. “Where possible, we would take the feedback and act on them. When it wasn’t feasible, we try our best to explain why not. It’s important to close the loop to let staff know that their feedback has been heard and considered.

“Then staff won’t perceive the focus groups as ‘wayang’ (for show only), thinking that the decisions have already been made.”

Level Up33

Give Support

With the reorganisation, staff had to take on new functions, for example, learning to handle new types of tax.

the wiched d n a s class

To overcome resistance due to “fear of the unknown”, IRAS prepared staff with intensive training, including role-play sessions to simulate realistic frontline situations.

Staff were paired with more experienced “buddies” whom they could observe, learn from, and consult with. After their new duties started, staff could discreetly consult their buddies via an online instant messaging system when in doubt while serving taxpayers.

Staff communication is about the earlier the better.

Besides providing adequate training, senior management also personally conducted sharing sessions to prepare staff for the upcoming changes. Sometimes, they would even walk around to chat with staff to find out how they were coping.

Address Concerns

Handling staff concerns is a skill.

Once, at a staff meeting – before the reorganisation – a vocal employee expressed his concerns on the new job scope. This created some anxiety in the other employees at the meeting, greatly unsettling the rest.

Cheat sheet for

“If I had prior knowledge about his fears, I would have preferred to talk to him, one-on-one, prior to the meeting,” says Wendy. She rose to the occasion and addressed his concerns, taking the

opportunity to correct any misconceptions, in front of the team.

“I assured the team that we’ll work things out together, that they’re not alone,” says Wendy, who then followed up closely with staff months after, to make sure they were coping well.

The vocal employee, who is responsible and committed, eventually accepted the changes and is now doing well.

Wendy credits this to positive change agents in her team who rallied the less optimistic along.

Although a firm believer of change, Wendy confesses that she, too, has had cold feet. When her branch had a restructuring of teams in November 2010, she had to grapple with new work functions. “I was previously doing two tax types and am now expected to take on four. I was worried that I would look stupid, as my staff would definitely know more than me. But I had to learn; I had to set the example.”

Wendy told her staff honestly that she needed time to learn. “I think my staff are very mature and they understand we’re not super women and supermen. [But] I had to put on a brave front – I couldn’t show them that I was fearful!”

One person she did admit her fears to was her boss. “Sometimes people just need to talk and vent and share, to know they’re heard. So, similarly, as supervisors we have to be there to hear our staff,” she adds.

So, have you been there to listen?

Managers

How to help staff cope with change: Communicate key information Address concerns on a personal level, in one-on-one conversations Engage employees Share employee concerns with senior management or the change team

This is the second of a three-part series on Managing Change. It was developed in collaboration with the Civil Service College Centre for Organisation De velopment.

34 Perspectives

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s i e n i r n a c C h t i w d o gs ce, men and r o F ce li o P ior po r e of the Singa iffs out the trail of Sen it n U 9 K sn list ge son.

In the specia ing comrades. Challen partner Gib e in n ca is st h u b ock and are crimeng Meng H e S t n a e g r e Staff S

10 am. A police minivan pulls into the arrival bus bay at Woodlands Checkpoint. Three police officers step out, led by Senior Staff Sergeant (SSSgt) Seng Meng Hock, who moves to the back of the minivan and unlocks a metal cage.

Gibson, a two-year-old English Springer Spaniel, leaps out in joy and prances around as SSSgt Seng slips a harness around the white and brownspotted dog. “When I put the harness on Gibson, he knows it’s time to work,” says SSSgt Seng, as they get ready to inspect a bus.

The Police K-9, a unit under the command of Special Operations Command, – trained in detecting explosives, drugs or tobacco – works with the Central Narcotics Bureau and the Immigration

and Checkpoints Authority to check vehicles passing through the Woodlands Checkpoint.

Gibson does not look like the typical police dog one would imagine: huge, imposing or threatening. In fact, the affectionate dog seemed disturbed by vehicles whizzing by and sometimes reluctant to inspect vehicles. But with some encouragement from SSSgt Seng, the young dog launches enthusiastically into his task to sniff out explosives in and around vehicles.

Text by

Chen Jingting Photos by

Norman Ng

Perspectives 31

When I put the harness on Gibson, he knows it’s time to work.

tHIS PAGE: Gibson receives the royal treatment after his morning bath as SSSgt Seng blow-dries his nails.

OPPOSITE PAGE (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): As part of maintenance training, SSSgt Seng hides small packets of explosives for Gibson to sniff out; A playful moment as Gibson displays affection for his handler; SSSgt Seng brushes Gibson’s teeth as part of his daily hygiene regime.

Gibson is trained to react “passively” when he detects explosives – he gets down on all fours and shuffles away.

THIS PAGE: Gibson is let loose on a bus where he sniffs the floor and under the seats for explosives.

BOTTOM (LEFT TO RIGHT): Team leader SSSgt Seng conducts an early morning briefing, allocating duties and assignments to his officers; SSSgt Seng cleans Gibson’s kennel every morning before the start of his duty.

Gibson is trained to react “passively” when he detects explosives – he gets down on all fours and shuffles away.

So have they found any? “Thankfully, no,” SSSgt Seng says with a laugh. If they detect a bomb, given the close proximity, he and Gibson would likely not survive the blast.

SSSgt Seng, 32, leads a team of nine officers. The dog lover joined the K-9 unit about 10 years ago and was trained in Britain to become a certified Explosive Detector dog handler. Calling Gibson his “younger brother”, he grooms the canine before starting his duties and cleans Gibson’s kennel even on off-days because “that’s his home”.

Dogs may have a powerful sense of smell, but this is still no match for human intelligence and instincts when it comes to nabbing crooks. Once, a drug smuggler saw SSSgt Seng’s colleague in Malaysia, recognised him and wanted to give him a lift back to Singapore, but the colleague declined. The crook probably thought he would not be checked if he had a police officer with him. But the colleague, suspicious of the smuggler’s intentions, alerted SSSgt Seng, who was on duty.

At Woodlands, the smuggler even flashed a fake police pass. But SSSgt Seng insisted on checking and found the drugs. “Even if you’re a police officer, you’re still subject to checks. No one is above the law.”

t ou a b ut s o e ck k : ur i c t che o e p l s o, e s l o v i A s n . u e c cl ne ex nli h e - s i n d n g e O n d - t v. s g f n d alle b e h i . g o e h ra p e on C o r a l e n g e f e nit l a d og .ch D i g K- 9 U b l m www the r t e a ou

How

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Richard Hartung

Quality service matters more in the public sector than in the private sector, says SMU’s Marcus Lee, who manages a national customer satisfaction index.

What I like most is the low corruption rate among our public servants. It shows the integrity of our Public Service though there are still black sheep around (which society doesn't?). Overall, I have good faith in the public service.

- Esther Lim, 24, finance executive.

I think the Public Service has done a good job in promoting the arts among Singaporeans. For example, students, SAF personnel and senior citizens are given discounts for arts performances.

- Choo Chin Tiong, 26, video editor

English courses will improve the public service because there are public servants who communicate in Chinese and don't speak English at all, even though a major portion of Singaporeans do speak English.

- Kiranmit Kaur, 21, undergraduate.

Singapore’s population is ageing so the Public Service can be improved if they are more patient and compassionate towards the elderly and the illterate, who sometimes can’t find their way around or don’t understand some services.

-Abdul Hadi Bin, 55, security officer

As academic director of the Institute of Service Excellence at the Singapore Management University (SMU), Dr Marcus Lee manages the Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG), a national barometer of customer satisfaction. He also teaches and serves as a consultant to government and companies on service quality.

He took time out to discuss service quality in the public sector.

Service quality is as important in the public sector as in the private sector, or even more so, says Dr Lee. There are two real differences between the two sectors: the motivation for service quality and how service is managed.

In the private sector, he says, competition and the drive to increase customer loyalty motivate companies to ensure high service levels. By contrast, the real motivation for quality service in the public sector is “trust”. Whereas poor service in the private sector may simply mean a customer defects from one company to another, low service levels or poor complaint handling in the public sector can result in low trust in the government itself. High service quality is thus important to maintain the public’s faith in the government.

One telling statistic about the importance of public sector service quality relates to whether people complain if they’re unhappy. Whereas less than a third of highly dissatisfied customers in the private sector complain directly to companies, Dr Lee says “more than twice as many” complain to the agency or ministry if they’re highly dissatisfied.

People feel a “sense of entitlement”, and since there’s no alternative service provider to turn to as in the private sector, they’ll complain more readily.

It ’s especially important, then, that the Singapore Public Service manages complaints well. He cited two agencies he has observed, the National Library Board (NLB) and Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), as stellar examples. They do so well at resolving problems that “people with complaints end up having higher trust scores” after they complain to NLB or IRAS, than before. Well-trained staff and excellent service can thus actually increase trust in government.

Management practices that lead to high service quality are also quite different in the Public Ser vice. Rather than sending front-line staff to “rah-rah” training that has short-term impact, Dr Lee says the Public Service “invests in leadership and training at the senior level”. Since the Public Service has a “long-term purpose” rather than the short-term focus of the private sector, management sees more benefit in making longer-term investments in people and processes.

Rather than just saying the customer is “everyone”, public officers should “serve different sectors” and “design service one sector at a time”.

However, managers should go beyond just designing a system, to work on the culture as well. Along with designing a good process, management must also develop an enduring service culture to reach top levels of service.

The net result of the Public Service’s motivation to increase trust and its longer-term focus is that service quality in the Public Service is often higher than in the private sector.

Even though service is good, he says, there’s still room for improvement and two changes in particular can bring

public sector service quality up to the next level.

One would be to understand the “life stage experience” of the customer. Effective service in the Public Service has to be “customer-centric”, and public officers need to “understand who the customer is”. Rather than just saying the customer is “everyone”, public officers should “serve different sectors” and “design service one sector at a time”.

For example, he says, “most people interact with more than one agency to get things done”. Having agencies design services together to meet people’s holistic needs rather than acting individually would bring great benefits. Instead of going to multiple agencies, for example, parents with a newborn baby should just “fill out one form once” and ministries should take responsibility for sending it to multiple places.

A second key improvement would be to shift from focusing on a “fear of complaints” towards simply doing things well. Right now, public officers “take a conservative approach” and redesign processes based on the behaviour of outliers because they are afraid to get a letter to the newspapers.

Instead, he says, staff should look at whether a problem is “a concern of a significant number of residents”. If an issue does affect many people, management can improve “processes for problems that affect a multitude rather than redesigning processes to solve just one relatively minor problem”. And when they do redesign a process, management should “put in more thought before they redesign” and “reward staff for handling complaints well”.

If anything, then, it appears that investing in service quality is more crucial in the public sector than in the private sector. How customer service is managed may be different. Yet the importance is even higher, since service quality affects not only the service customers receive today but their entire trust in government for a much, much longer time to come.

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JA N 6 : I n a room full of traditional music instruments at Republic Polytechnic (RP), a few people are learning to play the gamelan. But these are not students. They are public officers in prim office wear, meeting one another for the first time.

These six public officers make their own brand of music in different styles.

Now, they are combining their talents to produce a song, complete with a slick music video.

Leading the group for the moment is Joyce Teo, 45, Assistant Director (Academic) at RP and a qualified gamelan instructor who has created fusion music with the traditional Indonesian instrument. They are trying out the gamelan to learn its quirks when played with the other instruments.

Responding to an email from Challenge looking for public officers with a passion for music, they ‘auditioned’ separately by submitting video clips and audio files of past performances.

Watercolour sketches by Don Low

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Budiman occasionally takes his wife and daughter along for his jamming sessions in the studio. His recent work projects are the Punggol Park Connector and Xtreme SkatePark @ East Coast.

Joyce Teo, Assistant Direc tor (Academic), Republic Polytechnic

The initial team was picked but they lacked a drummer so Mohd Shahril Othman, 37, from the Housing and Development Board was roped in just a day before the first meet-up on January 6.

Performing with his band Ossuar y, Shahril channels drummers from heavy metal bands Metallica and Pantera.He was recommended by bassist Mohammad Budiman Jamail, 38, from the National Parks Board.

Budiman, who saw Shahril perform at the Ministry of National Development’s Family Day in 2009, gushes: “You have to watch him to know what I am talking about!”

Strumming alongside him is Kenny Goh, 29, from the Ministry of Trade and Industry. He plays lead guitar, and regularly performs in a church band to a large audience. “I’m used to being filmed live now; it helps with steadying the nerves.”

Keyboardist Katherine Soh, 38, from the Ministry of Health, has also performed in church. Trained in classical piano and electone organ, she is an aspiring singer and wants to try playing the gamelan.

The Ministry of Finance’s Don Shiau, 30, considers himself more of a singersongwriter and composes music using

She pursued a Masters degree in ethnomusicology after her bosses encouraged her to do what she loved. Her current role is in “academic quality assurance”, upholding education standards at RP.

software synthesizers, samplers and sequencers. Self-taught, he learnt by listening to music “at an atomic level”, breaking music pieces down to component parts.

photoshoot. They broke into spontaneous jamming as they posed with their instruments, with Don ad-libbing lyrics, making it easy to pretend they were an established band.

A week after they first met, the six left their work behind to let their alter egos shine through in a professional

But the project will take more than looking good for the camera: the complexities of working with many people,

When not singing songs by Taiwanese Soh r e inee a l t h c a pop diva A-Mei and r e H h taking speech-level Kata g e r o f d a r d s , a l t h e n n a a t f H S singing classes to M y o istr n i improve her vocal M technique, she applies her other interest in writing to draft healthcare standards.

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He enjoys listening to guitar virtuosos like Joe Satriani, and owns a blog on guitar techniques. In the Economist Service, he conducts research for energy market and climate change policies.

With regular gig performances, he is thankful for supportive bosses who even come to watch him play.

At work, he attends to residents’ requests in the Sengkang and Punggol estates.

Mohd Shahril Othman, Higher Technical O fficer, Housing and Development Board

not to mention a band of strangers, cannot be underestimated. Besides getting their schedules and instruments in sync, their upcoming practice sessions will reveal if they can strike the right note as a band.

“The gamelan is deliberately off-tune to produce an exotic sound,” says Joyce.

His New Year’s resolution is to improve his guitar-playing skills to live performance standards. In the office, he handles the budget allocations for the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts.

That could create some dissonance when played with other instruments. Guitars may have to be downtuned, or songs played out of their original key.

“If the group gels well, we could keep playing together, not just for the Public Service, but in pubs and play ‘live’,” says Katherine confidently.

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Surrounded by imposing drums and gongs, the officers huddled around their smartphones to browse YouTube videos to decide on a song. Will it be an original composition, or a popular song remade?

To find out, go to www.challenge.gov.sg to watch the music video and learn more about the band members.

44 The Irreverent Last Page

Need We Say More?

Here’s where we let the humour loose, and learn to laugh at ourselves a little more.

Have ideas or jokes about the Public Service? Email us: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg

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02

The PS21 __________ Star Service Award recognises officers who have gone beyond the call of duty to deliver extraordinary service.

The PS21 Star Service Award was first given in __________ to recognise and reward officers who have consistently demonstrated high standards of service excellence. By identifying role models who display exemplary performance in service delivery, this award encourages quality customer service and aims to improve the standards of Public Service delivery. a.1983 b.1993 c.2003 d.2009

a.Super b.Extraordinar y c.Excellent d.Distinguished

03

The Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore is a landmark measure of customer satisfaction cutting across sectors and sub-sectors in the services industry. It is jointly developed by the Institute of Service Excellence at Singapore Management University and the _________________. a.Singapore Workforce Development Agency b.Department of Statistics c.Economic Development Board d.Ministr y of Trade and Industr y

04 The __________ policy was introduced in 2004 to help the public resolve governmentrelated issues even if they did not know which agency to approach. a.One Door b.Open Door c.Multiple Doors d.No Wrong Door

There are five pairs of

Movie Vouchers to be won

submit your answers by april 13, 2011 at: Website www.challenge.gov.sg Email psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg Fax 6333 4010 Please include your name, email address, agency and contact number.

All winners will be notified by email.

The Singapore Service Star is an accreditation scheme that recognises and promotes businesses that deliver good service and exhibit sound business practices. Developed by the __________, it is designed to enhance tourists’ confidence when transacting in Singapore and to deliver a truly unique experience for our visitors.

05

a.Singapore Tourism Board b.Singapore Workforce Development Agency c.SPRING Singapore d.Consumer Association of Singapore