Smith Leong's 100 Days at NTUC

Who wore it better? My colleagues said that I look more like a chef from 18 chefs.

For those who are unfamiliar, 100th day is an important milestone for the new secretary general (SG) of National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). And no, I’m not the new secretary general (yet) LOL. Current Secretary General, Ng Chee Meng reached that milestone last Sept and got interviewed by Straits Times. Nobody interview me so I own self write own self lor. What to do? 

This article marks my 100th day at NTUC and to say that the journey has been great is probably an understatement. And no, I’m not saying this just because I am with NTUC, or my boss made me do it. I’m truly saying this from the bottom of my heart.

Missing in action 

Now you know this is probably one of the many reasons that I’ve kinda been missing in action on this space. Not because NTUC is overworking me but my focus in life has shifted. For now, more than anything else, I need the headspace to think about my work in the organization. It is not that I am having a writer's block (pfff.. Come on. Writer’s block. Me?) but more so that all I think about is probably just work these days. And maybe you. (Generally, if you think it is you, it is you lor.)

How it happened?

Remember these 2 readers of mine? One of them Whatsapp’ed me and jio’ed me to work at NTUC lor. KIDDING!!! Met these 2 ex-SG during a dialogue some time ago. Yet to have the chance to take one with the current SG despite seeing him often enough during union visits.

If you have been following this space, you would remember reading loads of my adventures over the years, including adventures of me on the ground covering NTUC’s activities such as Project Refresh, Todo Todo, which got me started volunteering as a Career Guide, Job Shadowing a NTUC Health health care worker, and even to visiting a Nursing Home. And no, it has nothing to do with my NTUC Fairprice wedding photoshoot.

Those experiences taught me a lot and got me feeling a lot. (Yes, I am a very emotional cancer so no one should be surprised.) So when my NTUC point of contact aka current boss aka my “jiejie” from NTUC approached me and told me there was an opening that I should apply for, I asked myself why not?

What is my role at NTUC?

I joined the organization formally to do Social Media Training and Community Engagement work. Yea, part of my work is about educating people on better and smarter use of Social Media. The work spans from Social Media literacy to championing staff to play his or her part together with the organization to share the labour movement’s work, to creating Social Media contents to recruit, retain and engage members. You may be surprised by the number of people out there who don’t follow mainstream media. So despite NTUC’s best efforts to push our messages to the public through mainstream media, some people still have no clue what NTUC really does. Many thought we’re just a supermarket (that’s FairPrice btw). Like my friend once told me, SINGAPORE GOT UNION MEH?

The journey so far…

In one word, eye-opening.

One big pull factor for me to join the labour movement is the opportunity to be a part of something bigger. Much bigger and more impactful than my past work in the private sector. It is not just about chasing numbers and closing sales, or pairing social media influencers with clients so that they can selfie themselves holding some face cream next to their prettily made-up faces. It’s about what we can do to help workers.

I can’t be an effective trainer if I don’t know enough. So since I joined NTUC 100 days ago, I’ve always been that kaypo new staff who tries to gate-crash other people’s events so I can see more with my own eyes, feel it, and then advocate it. How can I sell something that I do not believe or feel right about? Actually given the way I tell story, I kinda think I could but that’s not the point. LOL. #shameless I know.

So what have I learnt about the labour movement’s work in these 100 days?

In a nutshell, we are fighting for 3 things that are the basics of what every worker needs - Wages, Welfare and Work prospects. Simple concept of fighting to give every worker a better job, better pay and better life. It is a simple concept that everyone can understand, but yet at the same time it’s something that is not exactly easy to achieve alone. There are different reasons why people have jobs. Some say they work for passion but more often than not how many people can say that? So the most basic reason why people work is for Wages. You need to be fairly compensated for your work, your experience, and of course the value you bring to the company.

What about Welfare? Some of you might be thinking about your bonuses, medical coverage, or whether you get to fly business class for work trips. Sometimes we lead a life so comfortable that we take things for granted and not see the smaller things that matter? For example, some months ago, Labour MP, also my ex-teacher, Mr. Zainal Sapari highlighted the importance of having proper rest areas for low wage workers. For most of us who have worked at an office building would probably have seen it before. How some cleaning aunties and security officers are given tiny rest areas with bad ventilation, if any. In fact, I’ve even seen some who have to resort to eating at stairwells or even on the steps of MRT stations. Have you considered the fact that they work at the same office building for as many hours as we do? But while we have own workstations, most of these low-wage workers do not even have a proper place to put their bags, let alone a space to rest and eat. They may be blue-collared workers but they are no lesser than any of us. If we don’t champion for their rights, who will? Believe, you, me, small changes like this can go a long way. The workers will rest better and be less prone to falling sick with a better working environment. They’re likely to be more motivated to work too. This too will benefit companies from lower absenteeism and lower staff turnover. That’s a win-win, isn’t it?

Work prospects. We all want better jobs, but how do we do it? Yes, the government has given us SkillsFuture Credits, and I’m a big fan of this initiative. But let’s be honest with ourselves here, how many of us actually did use the $500? Even for those who have utilized your SkillsFuture Credits, how many of you spent it on something that actually helps you in your employability or with your work? I recall moderating a dialogue and someone asked what was the point of training. He went for a course and HR did not increase his pay anyway. But do we only upskill and upgrade ourselves only if a pay raise comes along with it?

We live in a VUCA world now and digitalisation is disrupting every industry with lightning speed, and there is also economic uncertainty brought about trade wars and geo-politics in the region, we cannot bank on our companies and our jobs to be permanent. No one can guarantee that the lifestyles that we’ve been enjoying will be here forever if we are not prepared for disruption. The more versatile and multi-skilled we are, the more adaptable we will be. Property market, stock market, and job market… any or all of this might crash one of these days, and we can’t just be waiting for government handouts to stay afloat. To quote the House Stark, winter is coming.

Our best and only chance of staying afloat is to be prepared. We have to make sure that we are ready for all the future jobs so that even if we lose our current jobs, we will be ready for the next job immediately.

One of NTUC’s recent initiatives is the Company Training Committees (CTCs). CTCs is a joint effort that comprises management staff and union leaders, to help nurture "Worker 4.0". It is not just about going for courses to fulfill HR’s KPI. It is a joint effort to identify what is best for workers and the organization to digitalise and transform to Industry 4.0. CTCs are so that workers can stay updated, acquire skills, earn better pay, when they effectively help their organizations to increase their productivity or revenue. It is one of those things that I tell my mentees a lot before they go for job interviews, “Before you ask what the organization can give you, why not first ask how you can add value to the company?” The only way everything gets better is when it is a win-win situation. NTUC believes in this, and advocates understanding from both employers and workers, and help to facilitate such that all the stakeholders come together to win together.

One of my favourite activities since joining NTUC has gotta be our Secretary General’s union visits. Yea, He visits all of the unions, one by one, spending time to listen to their concerns and challenges and he also takes the chance to update the unions what NTUC has been working on. During these union visits, I get to hear concerns from a diverse group of workers of different demographics from different industries. Most are very real, and some are really very interesting. 

I’m not at liberty to share the information, but all I can say is that what we read online ain’t always the true representation of what the ground feels. cough* statutory cough* retirement cough* age cough*.

In my short 100 days here at NTUC, I’ve come to understand that regardless of your life stage or career stage, as long as you are willing to be helped, you will get help. Simply because #everyworkermatters.

My new family

I can’t stress enough the importance of having good co-workers. We work hard and we play hard. Life is no bed of roses and there are some days that are not as good as others. I would be lying if I am telling you that I’m feeling 10/10 on a daily basis at work. These people make life a lot enjoyable. My boss would ask me on a weekly basis, “How happy are you?”

I’m a social animal and I need my dose of social activities and these guys are giving me what I need. Considering the fact that I’ve known some of these people for more than 3 years now, it is actually not difficult for me to settle in comfortably. Regardless of whether they’re from my same team or not, everyone has been very helpful and ever-ready to offer support and opportunities.

Erm… I do strange things in office sometimes. Sometimes only, I swear.

I know I’m kinda a creep, I’m kinda of a weirdo who sometimes does kinda strange things in the office. I would like to thank everyone for accepting me for who I am. Or at least ignore me for the times I break into dance at my desk for no reason at all. LOL.

I don’t want this to sound like one of those blog posts I write when I am leaving the company, hurhur… But hey, it is what it is, and thank you, everyone! I really appreciate everyone so far. Those random after-work dinners, coffee runs during office hours, silly little texts during the day (and NIGHT, LOL!), daily lunches that are filled with laughter, all the pointless office shenanigans, and even work events in the evenings or even over weekends... I enjoy every bit of it. I guess I am pretty lucky. I’m a STAR! But, no lah, I do not cry cry cries in my lonely heart. (Get the reference? Congrats if you do not. It means you are pretty young. Still.)

Challenges

I also teach people how to play with their food during lunch time.

I’ve been self employed for a very big part of my life and there is a slight curve when it comes to the transition. Not exactly a big one but yes there is one. MY OFFICE OUTFIT. SERIOUSLY GUYS!!!! You have no idea how many people who knew me from before were laughing at me during my first week at work. “LOL! WHY ARE YOU IN SHIRT AND PANTS!!!” Because I need to uphold my professional image and also because it is in my staff handbook lah!! OIE!

Many of my friends have asked me if the red tape is killing me. Guess everyone knows and assumes that bureaucracy is inevitable in big organizations. Looks can be deceiving. Many people assumed that I’m the sort who cannot live with rules and systems. But hey, I actually am the guy who enjoys systems and proper processes. If there is no system in place, how can I know what boundaries there are and where my playgrounds and sandboxes are? LOL. Jokes aside, I suppose I’m also very lucky to have very open-minded boss and boss’ boss, and they have both given me more freedom than I’d expected to explore and do things my own way. No, it’s not like I just go in and smile and I get things my way (I know I’m cute but life ain’t THAT easy). Of course I justify my actions and why I want certain things certain ways.

Moving Forward.

I know it is kinda fast to ask any girl to marry you just after dating for 3 months but I do see myself being part of this for a long time. I know it is too early to say but the truth is I am really enjoying my time there, my work, the opportunities given, and of course the people. Whatever may come, I am ready. (I think?)

I really hope that I can do more for the organization and the people. I also hope to see everyone taking more pride in being part of the organization, care more about our work, and share more of NTUC’s work with their own friends and network so that more people knows what is happening and more people will come forward to both help and receive help.

I may just be one of the many workers in the organization but I sure hope I wouldn’t be just another face in the crowd. And also not screw anything up. LOL.

And If this article is too boring for you, here’s some OOTDs to make your time worst worth.

xx,

Smith 

( I promise I will try to update this space a little more from time to time.)

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When did puberty hit you?

Remember when you were 13 or probably 14 when life was a lot simplier. Although we did not have as much as now but I swear life was easier. We went to school, did what we were supposed to do, hit the basketball court, and then home. We watched TV till late, we spent hours on phones TALKING to your friend about your crush in school or sometimes gathered around the voiddeck with a few friends and chat through the night regardless if the next day were going to be a school day or not. We did not have mobile internet or even internet but yeah, we were happy.

And one of the most interesting milestones in most people's teenage years' has to be puberty. You will see some of your most awkward looking classmates becoming probably the hottest girl in school just after one holiday.

Even Taylor Swift didn't look good before puberty. There is always hope. 

Of course, that is also when the boys and girls started appreciating each other a lot more instead of calling each other names and throwing rocks at each other. Generally speaking. Of course not everyone went through the same love story. 

I was standing at 155cm when I was 14 years old and I was 170 before I turned 15. I would say my puberty came rather late as compared to some of my peers. I do enjoy the extra cms but one of the most annoying changes that I went through has to be HAIR!! 

HAIR EVERY WHERE! LIKE OIE! WE EVOLVED AND WE WEAR CLOTHES! WHY DO NEED ALL THESE POINTLESS HAIR! 

And you know how schools actually provides lessons to girls to educate them about how to use pads and tampons but what about us boys? WHY NOBODY TEACH US ANYTHING ABOUT SHAVING! (I mean at least teach us something about our facial hair if you are too shy or find it awkward to teach us to shave else where right. ) 

So in conjunction with the launch of their Hydro 5 Sense, Schick did a survey with 100 men and realized how uninformed we men are when it comes to shaving! 

With Schick Hydro 5 Sense's 5 Ultra Glide Blades and 7 Hydrating Gel Reservoirs, it deeply hydrates your skin after every shave. In fact, it is so hydrating, you DO NOT NEED shaving cream! With its Shock absorbent technology, it allows you to have a contoured shave without worrying about cutting yourself! The perfect fuss-free shaver for men on-the-go or daily use! So guys, now you have no reason to not shave especially before a date or going to work! 

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Is Kampung Spirit dead in Singapore?

What is Kampung spirit to you? Is it simply a matter of knowing your neighbour’s name? Being friends with your neighbours? I mean we know how difficult it is these days for various reasons (or excuse. LOL). For starter, we are not at home as much as our grandparents who really lived in a kampung back in the days and that gave us very little opportunities and reasons to keep the whole kampung spirit alive.

I’m saying it’s difficult but I’m not saying it’s impossible. I do remember being rather close with my neighbours growing up. We use to play together, run around the corridor, playing block catching, and probably partly because my neighbours were really nice and lend me all their toys. This whole friendly neighbourhood thing needs two hands to clap. I remember the last time I tried saying hi to my new neighbour and all I got was a weird “do i know you?” stare. #TrueStory.

You guys remember project refresh? Yeah, it’s that event where Young NTUC partners with the North East Community Development Council (CDC) to aggregate stakeholders within the North East District to help their residents. This includes GRCs/SMCs, SACs, schools and corporations who provide essential goods and services such as furniture, appliances, pest control services, as well as cleaning and painting equipment and supplies.

Life works strangely in full circle for me. So right after the previous event where they help the residents at Punggol where I am staying now, their latest project which happened before Chinese New Year happened at my “hometown” – Tampines.

The 12th iteration/edition of Project Refresh returned with the highest number of volunteers ever. Some 1,000 volunteers from unions, schools, corporate organisations, grassroots and Tampines residents stepped up to refresh the homes of low-income seniors and seniors, who are living alone in Tampines.

I met these two young ladies, Yan Tong and Wendy at the event. They are both 1st time volunteers at Project Refresh and also residents of Tampines.

After talking to them, I learnt that Yan Tong found out about this event via a direct mailer which she found in her e-mail for being a NTUC Member because of her PLUS CARD. I was pretty amazed/amused at the same time that someone actually reads those mailers! I mean there are a lot of stats that shows the fact that the conversion rate of edm has been on a decrease.

After reading the email, Yan Tong decided to be part of the event and try something new. Meanwhile she also invited a few friends to come along and that’s how Wendy ended up at the event as well. It must be a good day for them since they got to help out in the neighbourhood and also met me in the process. Right? RIGHT? RIGHTTTT??? XD

Besides cleaning the unit they also spent some time talking to the resident which they find it really meaningful not just because of the cleaning but actually having an opportunity to make a new friend.

Me being me… I have to ask some difficult questions right?

“Since we are on the subject of spring cleaning… Have you spring clean your own house?”

Them;

“Actually no. HAHAHAHHA. Can don’t tell my mum about it?”

See! Putting others before themselves. Good people lah. However, I forgot to check if they are single, else I can also help to promote them and hope they find true love. LOL. (Damn kaypo I know. Typical uncle and auntie… Truly one of the many signs of aging.)

Besides them, other volunteers from the PAP Community Foundation (PCF) and Tampines grassroots also contributed their time not only to clean the houses but also come together to put a smile of the residents’ faces in different ways such as help with Chinese New Year decorations such as Chinese calligraphy writings as well as red packet lantern making and more to decorate 59 Chinese households. Volunteers also extended the spirit of celebration and brought cheer to the homes of Malay and Indian residents by giving handmade cookies, mandarin oranges and red packets to less-privileged families.

Remember your primary school Chinese education where they taught us the saying of 远亲不如近邻 as well as 远水救不了近火？If your answer is yes, your Chinese teacher would be proud of you. So I guess that’s the meaning of Kampung spirit isn’t it? Getting help from your neighbours when you need it.

P.S. But please don’t tell people you read this article and anyhow go knock on your neighbour’s door and ask them to clean your toilet because Smith said so lah. Help lah!

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How To Tell If your New Era Cap Is Authentic.

So recently I recommended a place where you can purchase New Era caps in Taiwan and a friend of mine replied this:



To be honest, this is a very legit concern. One of the easiest way I would say is the price. The pirated caps are usually way cheaper but then again, it doesn't feel very good to pay a lot for a fake as well if you are unsure of what's real or not. So here's a quick guide to help you with it when you are considering buying a New Era cap.

1. This sticker



I used to remove this sticker because I find it damn dumb to leave it on but one expert told me that it's actually a very important part of the cap to proves that it's authentic. Of course, these days a lot of the pirated caps come with it as well but if you are collecting limited editions, this sticker can determine its resale value as well.


2. Side Logo



3. Size Tag




4. New Era Tag




5. Genuine Merchandise Tag 




6. New Era Website Tag (Which is usually hidden under the size tag) 




7. I read out of name so let's just call this yet another tag




8. Really tiny words on the "yet another tag" 



Point to note on this "really tiny text" is that this is a newly-added feature. So if your caps are the older ones, they might not have it.

Some Grade A pirated goods can have quite a few of these features too but the truth is, only the original cap will have ALL the features.

So here you have it. I think it's totally okay to get one of those none New Era caps if you like it but it's another story to be paying the New Era price for something that's not.

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Working with Millennials. What are the employers looking for?

“It’s not good to hire the right people in my business now, do you face the same problem?” 

I guess this has always been a problem for SME business owners like myself and this is just one of the many complains that we talked about everytime we gather around over a coffee. 

And one fine day this person gave me a pretty interesting answer. 

“Maybe you just ain’t doing the right thing to attract the right people.” 

More often than not we will put the blame on the problem when we face it instead of asking ourselves if the problem lies within us. 

While we were having such conversations, one of the other questions that always pop up would be about how we handle and work with younger staffs. I guess it’s very common for employers to find that the kids these days just isn’t as good regardless of attitude or quality of work. Don’t quote me, it’s not my words but more of what I hear from others. The narratives are always revolving around the fact that “they are spoilt.”, “they are too privileged.”, or even like “they are too soft.” 

Well, not Elijah, Head of Business Development from Shopee. I guess we do not need much introduction for this e-commerce platform. In fact I’m such a big fan that I log in daily just to browse items to kill time. (Goodbye productivity. :x)

I digress. So I actually met Elijah at the recent Todo Todo Skills Marketplace @ Central Singapore. If you find this name familiar, that is probably because you heard me talking about it last year. So much has changed over the last year. It was also because of this event where I found out more about being a youth career guide which I ended up being one. The journey has been more than rewarding so far. 

So just a little refresher in case you are unfamiliar with Todo Todo Skills Marketplace; The event is a joint effort by National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and People’s Association (PA) to form a new career support initiative, specifically for fresh graduates and young professionals, managers, executives (PMEs). The two partners, with a combined youth network of 750,000, launched the new integrated online-to-offline approach to help new job entrants achieve professional success.

With this initiative, youths no longer need to wait for luck and opportunity to meet the right people to guide them but instead they actively seek help within the network. The network does not provide you with successful businessmen telling you about how good they are but instead, we are talking about fellow young adults who have been in the workforce for about 10 years where they can share their own experiences that are more relatable.

Elijah was one of the guest speakers for that day. Besides him , there were other talks/masterclasses, career sharing session by youth career guides like myself, and also networking sessions where you can talk to industry professionals from/hiring employers from different companies such as Mileslife, FinTech Academy, Tata Consultancy and even Shalom Movers. You might be wondering if Shalom Movers were there to hire movers but fun fact for you guys, they are actually hiring staffs for different functions like digital marketing person.

So Elijah was sharing with me about his very own experience with working with millennials and interestingly he has nothing but praises for them. Here’s some answers I managed to get from the man himself. 

Your comments about working with millennials.

They are the hardest working generation. 

They don’t treat a job like 9-5, it’s their life.

It’s not just a job. Overtime is not an issue. 

They care about the environment and more. It’s about purpose and value, and they have to make sure it’s inline with their own beliefs. 

So what do you look for when it comes to hiring? 

1 word - Attitude. Skills can be learnt easily but attitude is what that counts. 

What’s the most sort for skill these days? 

Data Scientist and Digital Marketer.

Is Shopee and their staffs 4.0? 

We are born digital. We are all about making sure we are ready for any changes in the industry. We make sure our staff are constantly innovating and staying relevant in the industry. The industry is very volatile so we have to evolve and be resilient to changes.

One tip for our millennials and work. 

As cliche as it sounds, “"Do What You Love, and You'll Never Work Another Day in Your Life”. 

Conclusion...

So I guess there is no shortcut to success when it comes to working with them. As an employer you have to be yourself, you have to talk to them to know them and know that they want. It is no longer just about money. 

I guess good Human Resources practice especially these days is all about how the organisation give the employee a sense of purpose as compared to back in the days during our parents’ era where it’s all about employers paying staffs money to do their work and call it a day. 

As much as we commonly like to call the millennials the strawberry generation, everyone has to start somewhere and employers need to give them some time to grow and invest even more time to know them better and help them to be the best version of themselves that will benefit the organisation.

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Photodiary - Influencer Seth in the making.

This is the 3rd and last part of our family trip which happened last December. I promise. lol.

If you have the habit of following influencers on Instagram, you would noticed that Hong Kong is actually a rather Instagrammable place. Given my line of work and my "fake life" on Instagram, I'm not going to give it a miss this time.

Since I'm not visiting Hong Kong with some Instagram Babes, my son would be my subject. He ain't exactly easy to shoot these days. We really had to play with him and get him into the mood. I'm actually kinda happy with these pictures myself.

- Okay bye -

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Life's a beach at Bali.

La Plancha Bali is one of the must visit.

I struggle a little bit every time when someone asks me about what kind of trips do I enjoy. I mean New York City is one of my favourite cities on earth. It's fast pace, it's full of buildings, and the people are crazy. My kind of crazy.

Well on the other hand, some of my best trips include my honeymoon at Maldives with the wife, Boracay, Koh Samui, Phuket, and of course Bali. The kind of beach life where all I do is eat, drink, party, beach, repeat. (And look at girls in Bikinis) We do not need to stress over the touristy must-visits.


LA? Or Bali?

Don't get me wrong. I mean I love touristy spots as well because most of them make very good Instagram content.

 Heaven's Gate.


Wanagiri Hill and Swing.

This time round my stay was actually at FURAMAXCLUSIVE OCEAN BEACH, SEMINYAK! It's walking distance to some of the shopping as well as beach pubs but at the same time it's not right in the middle of everything, if you get what I mean. It's convenient and at the same time quiet and peaceful for those of you who wish to get a break from the parties or your city life.



Yes, I woke up to this view everyday and now I regret that I'm back. LOL.

And the suite?



It's so huge that I wanted to throw a party right there and then!

And at FuramaXclusive Ocean Beach, there are actually two different places where you can enjoy your food and also some good old Shisha, (sheesha) or some known it as Hookah. There is a package at The barrel (which is also a sports bar where you can sing KTV LOL) where you can get a set of a Shisha, a pizza (enough for 2) and a drink at only $16 SGD? CHEAPPPP! And yup, we are talking about traditional balinese food!




This trip was pretty much a last minute decisions with very little planning but we managed to wing it. Here are some information for you:

Hotel 

FURAMAXCLUSIVE OCEAN BEACH, SEMINYAK, BALI
JI Arjuna 88X Legian, Kuta, Bali 80361 Indonesia

Tel (62) 361 737 400
Fax (62) 361 737 408
Email fxoceanbeach@furama.com

Website https://www.furama.com/xclusive/oceanbeach/

Transport (He is also the same guy who actually introduces us which are some of the nice places to go.)

Mr. Agung Bagus

Whatsapp: +62 819 9907 1427

And in case you were here to look for some pictures of girls, here's my friend Ruth. LOL 

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