Request talent
Upload CV

Bridging the Generational Divide: 3 Practical Strategies

gjc on January 20, 2025

by Destiny Goh

  • Some might think younger individuals constantly question and challenge their authority and leadership; the young people might feel unheard and unacknowledged at the workplace.  
  • Change begins when we want to see improvement and to capture any opportunity for growth is to be open to it.  
  • We can enhance the potential of both generations by encouraging organic growth, two-way collaborative mentorship and cultivating healthy, progressive mindsets.  
  • This article is inspired by multigenerational teams at Good Job Creations.  

A perspective of the generational divide

By 2030, Gen Z (1997 – 2012) will make up a third of the workforce, taking over leadership and paving the way for the next generation. Progressive, bright, and vocal, they keep the older generation on their toes, ready for another debate or discussion.

Like most businesses where speed, scale and scope matter, Gen Z’s workplace expectations contrast traditional ways; work-life balance, salary expectations, face-to-face communication, mental health, and inclusivity are regularly discussed.

What the older generation such as millennials (1981 – 1996), Gen X (1965 -1980) and above considers as work taboo topics, the younger ones bring up to strike a balance and understanding between both parties, allowing them to make the most out of their chosen careers.

When unfamiliar changes challenge the status quo, it takes away that sense of security and what feels ‘right’. Some might think these younger individuals constantly question and challenge their authority and leadership. In return, the young people at the workplace might feel unheard and unacknowledged.

So, who should initiate the first step of change?

Here’s an analogy: though a parent forces their opinions or advice on their children, it doesn’t necessarily mean their child will take heed; some might rebel to experience things independently. However, it’s also the parent’s responsibility to educate, nurture and advise their children the best way they know through their experiences of what’s worked well for them.  

Similarly, when a child shares their perspectives or the changes they want to be made, parents might pick out some good pointers and do their best to accommodate (though it would not happen immediately), but not everything that needs to be changed should be changed, in effort to maintain order at home. 

Change starts when we want to see improvement; to capture any opportunity for growth is to be open to it. 

How do we bridge the generational divide to enhance the potential of both parties instead of being focused on our differences in the workplace?

  1. Encourage organic growth  

Gen Z quickly observes the culture, dynamics, working style, leadership and how things are run in any workplace.  

Consultant and fellow Gen Z, Zia Xin, says organic growth was her opportunity to build on intangible and stakeholder management skills; it also taught her independence.  

Experienced individuals should make intentional nurturing a priority. Realise that we all got to where we are now with the learning opportunities and the guidance we received.  

Sharing with them your past learning experiences and the values you’ve learned could help them avoid certain pitfalls; make room for errors and guide them through it; highlight areas for improvement.  

Career growth comes in many aspects—knowledge, skills or even entrepreneur-based. The younger generation ought to be specific in what growth they desire to build on, be actively open-minded to change, ideas and feedback, and be humble and teachable, as this helps them be better learners.   

  1. Two-way collaborative mentorship 

Why not leverage a two-way collaborative mentorship instead of a standard, take-and-take relationship?  

Firstly, it’s important to note that compatibility matters between mentor and mentee, so consider these aspects before building a two-way collaborative mentorship: 

Illustration by Author

Mentors are people who have already achieved significant milestones and are aligned with organisation goals (and they don’t necessarily have to be in the same company as you).  

Why you should be a mentor? 

Mentors are a great way to learn from those you mentor. Doing so allows you to build on your interpersonal skills, such as emotional intelligence, effective communication, wiser conflict resolution and more.  

A mentor is likened to a leader; when you provide professional guidance and development, you’re helping one gain actionable and valuable skills to progress in their career. It’s an excellent opportunity to acquire new perspectives, rethink (self-reflection) and re-strengthen your existing skills and knowledge through practising what you preach.   

Team Leader San Li, who works with and manages Gen Z on his team, says, ‘The young ones challenge me to be logical and to get my facts right—providing me with alternative and enriching perspectives that help me see my blind spots.’ 

A mentor should seek to create value in those whom they mentor.  

Why do you need a mentor?  

Know what you’re looking for before you get someone to mentor you. If you’re starting your career, mentors can provide insights, knowledge or even how to develop valuable skills that enable you to succeed.  

If you’re looking for career growth, seek mentors who help you set reasonable goals and keep you accountable. This makes it easier for your mentor to track and assess progress, build on your strengths and iron out weaknesses through constructive feedback. 

  1. Cultivating healthy, progressive mindsets 

The mindset you adopt for yourself affects the way you lead your life. The difference in mindset between the generations has illuminated what Carol Dweck, author of Mindset, has previously discussed: a growth mindset is a starting point for change.? 

A growth mindset is about personal development, believing abilities, skills and excellence can be cultivated and developed. Minds as such seek challenge, curiosity and the hunger to explore.   

Regardless of the generations, here are some actionable points to shape a growth mindset:  

Illustration by Author

Ultimately, we have much to learn from one generation to another, and the shared common goal is to educate, contribute, discuss, exchange, empathise and support.  

Excellence: The Beginning Of It All

gjc on December 20, 2024

In my previous article of this series, I wrote about Grit vs Talent: What’s The Difference and Why Does It Matter? has unravelled what sets apart high achievers and their counterparts and how they exude excellence effortlessly.

In this article, I would like to explain that although we’re all gifted with different talents, born with different genes and into different family backgrounds, these should never be the deciding factors of one’s success. 

The journey to excellence is a road less travelled, and not many are resilient enough to stay on that path. But there’s always a small group of people who do, those are the ones who took the time to figure out their interests and stuck to them with deliberate practise. They are the grittier ones. 

Defying all odds with Grit

Have you ever wondered how Chairmans, C.E.O.s, and Directors of a company get to where they are? What about those colleagues of yours who get yearly promotions, and exude nothing short of excellence? You can’t help but wonder out loud if you had half their brains, genes, support system or even their degrees…perhaps you might be in the same position.

There was a period of time when academic performance was the determining factor to what higher education one pursues and in return, which career they end up in. Parents with financial means were able to afford extra tuition and enhancement activities, providing their children with a head start in life, while the rest with less were placed at a disadvantage. 

But, there were also countless stories of children who defied all odds despite their limited resources and poor living conditions, pushed through with grit and created something out of nought, the unwillingness to allow their circumstances to define their future. They changed their destiny.

Rewiring your mindset and changing your perspectives on how you perceive difficult circumstances and limitations determines the actions you’ll take. 

Interest: How it all begins

Contrary to popular beliefs, personal interests do matter—it’s what starts your job search, and what you ultimately decide to settle for, it also influences how you perform on the job.

Not everyone has the luxury of choosing from an array of occupations. Circumstances prevent most from doing so, and the rest take what they can get just to get by. And while we may envy those who proclaim they love their jobs, we shouldn’t be too quick to assume they have started from a different place. 

Here’s the thing: Interests are not discovered through soul-searching, instead, it’s sparked by interactions you make with the outside world.

Before hard work, comes play—it’s something fundamental that’s long forgotten. Long before committing to the ‘real deal’, you should go about experimenting and get your hands dirty in everything you find yourself drawn to because you’ll never know what you may find.

It is only through experimenting, you’ll eventually figure out the interest that sticks, and eliminate the ones that won’t. And when you decide on what you intend to pursue long-term, don’t be quick to abandon the pursuit that you chose to invest in.

Take a marriage commitment for example. After some time, romantic feelings between the couple eventually fade. But we both know that what keeps the marriage going is the effort invested by both parties that keeps it going. 

Just like interest, it must be triggered over and over again, exercise patience to see it develop into something great and keep showing up.Because falling in love is one thing, sticking with it is another. 

Always be bold and ask plenty of questions, seek those who share the same interests and goals, build meaningful relationships, and get a mentor with expertise to lead, challenge and encourage you.

Expect growth in your knowledge, expertise and skill and don’t be afraid to put them to the test. Be hungry for more. 

Practice: A cure to your Achilles’ heel

Practice is an assiduous desire to do better. It resides in the minds of optimists who only look forward and want to grow further. Management consultant expert, Peter Drucker suggests to be effective is to “concentrate on the few major areas where superior performance will produce outstanding results…“

Grit isn’t purely devoting a large quantity of time to your passion and interests, it’s the quality of time—it’s what you do with your time and to focus on the things that bring you one step closer to your goal.  

A simple illustration is this: Remember when you had your first bike ride, you had exactly four wheels, including those pesky training ones you despise so much the second you get the hang of riding.

But then, dad tells you that you’re not quite ready and that you need to work on your posture and stability, and especially to keep your eyes peeled on the road ahead. Once the training wheels are off, you’re riding freely. And one fine day, on your usual bike ride, in an effort to avoid some crazy cat that sprung past your lane, you hit the brakes a little too hard and fell from your bike.

What do you do then? Get up, keep riding or give up bike riding altogether for the fear and pain it caused you?

The first half of the illustration shows that we all start somewhere and from the bottom. The training wheels are the resources we have, the knowledge we acquire as we deliberately practise.

Soon, you’re riding with ease, there’s a certain flow—a feeling of spontaneity that comes with it. You feel exhilarated because you know all that hard work has finally paid off, and your work is bringing you to places you never thought you could go. 

But success is hard-earned and it’s not in the absence of challenges and setbacks—those things come at you unexpectedly (like that cat). You break down, your ego gets bruised and you feel demotivated, but remembering why you got started in the first place gets you back up and to keep going.

Learn to embrace the failures and setbacks instead of shunning away from them. Make it teach you how to improve your pursuit of success and keep moving forward.

Consider another story of the famous inventor Thomas Edison who invented the lightbulb. No one expected to see him go far in life. In school, teachers labelled him stupid, at work, well, he was fired from multiple jobs. 

But what’s intriguing was how determined he was to not let failure and people define his worth and future. This man clearly knew what he wanted and went pursuing it. Edison was a great example of grit and resilience. 

His interest lay in inventing, and he certainly put it to work. He relentlessly improved one failed lightbulb to the next, figured out what went wrong and changed his tactics, and after what seemed like forever, he succeeded. So, imagine if Edison had given up on his second or third try, the course of history in this modern lifestyle would forever be altered. 

Your interest is what gets you to the starting line, but deliberate practice, resilience and grit are what get you to where you want to be. 

Written & Illustrated by Destiny Goh
Marketing Communications Executive

Grit vs Talent: What’s The Difference And Why Does It Matter?

gjc on December 20, 2024

At times, exceptional performances at the workplace leave some wondering whether it’s a matter of talent or grit. The article series on Grit will unravel how high achievers succeed and why they stay successful, with part one helping you understand what true passion and perseverance can do for you.

Many will recognize talent from a mile away. When we see someone perform a task almost effortlessly, we often conclude that they’re extremely talented. But what most of us fail to see is the arduous hours spent in toiling, preparation, and practice that’s invested behind the scenes.

Academic Psychologist Angela Duckworth, who wrote Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, has done extensive research on thousands of individuals ranging from military cadets to salespeople to students at a public school and spellers at a Spelling Bee contest. 

Duckworth’s research has pulled back the curtains and unravelled what made high achievers so successful and also staying successful. After fine-tuning the results of her research, she concluded that a combination of passion and perseverance is what makes these people stand out from the rest; in other words,they have grit.

What is Grit?

Grit, in simpler terms, means perseverance and effort—to demonstrate an unusual ability that combines exceptional zeal and a capacity for hard work that strives beyond excellence. It’s a ‘never-give-up’ attitude.

More often than not, our passion for certain interests dwindles mainly due to a lack of commitment and perseverance. If we are looking for a certain outcome or success yet only put in meagre effort, chances are, we might also miss out on the improvement that slowly trickles in. And what’s worse, is that our impatience causes us to walk away just as quickly as we started.

Why does grit matter in what we do?

When we start something, the end goal is always to get the job done. But as for high achievers, they don’t just want good; they want to produce the best work. What separates excellent work from mediocre ones is this: High achievers tend to think they are not good enough; they are satisfied being unsatisfied—a huge contrast to being complacent.

However, some would argue, the ones who are naturally talented are just as capable of producing equally excellent results. So, what are the factors that set the gritty and the talented apart?

William James, a Harvard psychologist, declared “human individual lives usually far within his limits; he possesses powers of various sorts which he habitually fails to use. He energizes below his maximum, and he behaves below his optimum.”

What James was trying to say, is that we humans are only making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources. Hence, merely having talent without investing an ounce of effort, discipline, and perseverance will only remain stagnant—it will never reach its fullest potential. It’s almost as if there’s a gap between potential and actualization.

Therefore, talent alone is no guarantee of success.

Journalist and author, Malcolm Gladwell suggested that talent promotes narcissism in some—a behaviour that encourages short-term performance but discourages long-term learning and growth. We risk leaving everything else that matters in the shadows by placing talent on a pedestal. By doing so, we inevitably send a message to the other factors—including grit—are less significant that it ought to be. 

Nietzsche, a German philosopher, once wrote “Our vanity, our self-love, promotes the cult of genius. For if we think of genius as something magical, we are not obliged to compare and find ourselves lacking…To call someone ‘divine‘ means: ‘here there is no need to compete.’” 

Grit behaves the opposite, it challenges why must we emphasize plenty on talent and fixate such extreme limits on what we might do, rather than the actual effort put in that will decide where we would end up in the long run.

The ‘natural bias‘ is this: There’s a prejudice hidden against high achievers because they worked so hard for it but we would rather be inclined to those who we think arrived at their destination merely by being naturally talented.

By now, you would have understood thatgrit is not something built but practiced—it’s a high level of consistent effort and discipline. It’s about acknowledging your weaknesses and finding ways to improve. It’s not to yield to setbacks no matter the temptation but to press on despite unfavourable circumstances and challenges that come your way and to take rejection as merely a stepping stone to extraordinary achievements.

Grit, or talent, there’s no one better than the other, but rather, it intertwines with one another because what it does, is produce skill. To develop a skill is to spend hours upon hours beating your craft to create something refined.

One thing to take note of about skill is this—it isn’t the same thing as an achievement. To further illustrate this, in the absence of talent, your effort is barely anything more than your unmet potential. In the absence of effort, your skills are nothing more than what you could have achieved but didn’t.

The takeaway is this: A skill is produced when talent and effort intertwine, and at the same time, effort makes a skill valuable.

It’s no secret that there are no shortcuts to excellence. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Grit pivots ‘This is all you can do’ mentality to ‘Who knows what you can do?’

Written by Destiny Goh
Marketing Communications Executive

Photo by David Köhler on Unsplash

Adaptability: A 3-Step Survival Guide You Needad

gjc on October 25, 2023

Getting out of your comfort zone can be daunting and exciting; it’s the adrenaline rush and the fear of uncertainty of not knowing what awaits you. Some might come up with a conclusion to say the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but the idea isn’t in the conclusion drawn. It’s what you have experienced, learned and built that makes it count. 

This article is inspired by the real-life experiences of our foreign team members here at GJC.

Transitions are hard but unavoidable in all life stages. It could be high schoolers transitioning into higher education, some moving from their home country to another for work or switching careers for a fresh start and growth.

Moving is the easy, physical aspect, but learning how to adapt yourself in the unknown is a mindset game. Adapting means working without boundaries, to find diverse and accidental solutions to tackle the challenges stacked against you. 

There’s many ways you can do this, but we’ve broken it down into just three simple steps so you can recite it like a mantra and keep moving forward. 

Step 1: Improvise

Improvisation encourages a mindset with the willingness to say ‘yes’, and to explore with ideas rather than denying the possibilities when things go south or need solving.  

Think about a time when you ran out of a particular ingredient while cooking a meal, and you’re not keen to go grocery shopping for just one item, so you get creative and replace it with a similar ingredient.

Or that big meeting you had with many important people, and suddenly the projector stops working, do you call it off or spontaneously grab a whiteboard, get some printouts and keep the meeting going?

The improvisation rules start with acceptance, receptivity, agreement, working with what you have and experimenting with divergent ways to make it work. Your spontaneity jolts a shift in mindset and yields new thinking that empowers you to try something new. The aim is to develop a creative mindset that expands how you view and understand problems. 

Ozgun Atasoy, the science writer of ‘Your thoughts can release abilities beyond normal limits’ wrote: ‘If mindsets can change us, maybe we can deliberately choose our mindsets to improve our abilities.’

The first simple step to bring out the improviser in you is through observation and imitation. While you watch the pros handle a situation that usually calls for panic, observe how they tackle and conquer, then build or adjust your tactics and practice.

Step 2: Adapt

Exercising regularly builds muscle strength, memory, and stamina–improving endurance for everyday activities. Cognitive fitness is exercising your brain to better reason, remember, plan, learn, generate, experiment, and adapt. 

Cognitively fit people make better decision-makers, problem solvers, and stress conquerors. Contrary to popular belief that a person’s adaptability skills can only be built through experience, you can also gain such skills through observation and indirect experience, made possible by mirror neurons. 

Identified by neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti and team, these neurons help explain how and why you ‘read’ other people’s minds and empathise with them—that watching an action and performing the action evoke the same feelings in people. 

For context, when you watch a certain leadership style fail from the sidelines, our brains pick up the mistakes and emotions of disappointment and come up with things you’d do differently, adapting so you’ll do it better.

Adaptability is a skill sewn together through the brain’s ability to scan through the surroundings, determine a structure, and create meaning from collected data to take accurate action.

How to build Adaptability, illustration by author

Having moved over four countries now, Business Development Team Leader Keika Aoki shared that keeping an open mind, acceptance and taking charge helped her build on adaptability. She recalled making the effort to study the foreign culture, history and values had allowed her to see things through a different lens, appreciate the beauty of it and ease into change.

Step 3: Overcome

‘Nana korobi ya oki, is a Japanese proverb that literally means ‘fall down seven, stand up eight’. To overcome means to prevail, defeat anything that causes any form of struggle and emerge victorious. 

Challenges can either make or break us and wholly depend on our reaction, choice of handling and the mindset you choose to adopt. A fighting, relentless spirit builds character and strengthens tenacity; label your struggles and never give them the satisfaction of bringing you down. 

Keika also shared how she overcame the challenge of making friends when she moved to Singapore. She made her intentions known that she intended to grow her circle and build connections. When you become intentional about solving a challenge, you’ll be driven to make it work.

Everyone’s built differently; there’s no one-size-fits-all solution on how to overcome the various challenges and problems you face, but here are your starting points:

How do you overcome anything, illustration by author

Adaptability is a survival skill built through rigorously exercising your mind’s resilience, filling your conceptual storehouse with knowledge, and intentionally creating learning opportunities. Make life in the unknown an adventure for you.

Written by Destiny Goh
Marketing Communications Executive

The Greatest Salesman

gjc on August 8, 2023

Salespeople are the kind of people everyone wants to avoid. It’s almost as if you can smell their intentions from a mile away. It’s so easy to stereotype them but think about it, aren’t we all salespeople in our way? Whether you work in education, labs, entertainment and so on, you’re selling ideas and suggestions to get yourself heard, supported, and agreed with daily.

The concept of sales is often misunderstood as pure selling, but there’s more to it. Here are some scenarios: you’re a parent trying to get your child to read a book, and you’d be selling reasons for how reading helps their brain development. Or, when pitching a project to your bosses, you’re selling profitable ideas in return for approval and funding.

How to be better at selling?

1. Be real

Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not—you heard this a thousand times, yet don’t follow through because you’re afraid of rejection or lack self-esteem. Great sellers are hyperauthentic; they relentlessly preach and fight for what they believe, regardless of what people might perceive of them.

Most salespeople start by giving themselves this persona of what they should be or fake it till they make it. However, to build trust is to be authentic. Be honest; keep an open mind as you hear your customers’ opinions and feel comfortable expressing your views. Nurturing healthy self-esteem will make you less likely to seek validation or feel intimidated when faced with rejection.

Manager Elaine Lim of Good Job Creation shares, “Being real isn’t just a trait; it’s a strategy. It builds trust, fosters respect, and nurtures lasting connections.”

2. Deliberate ignorance

‘To be successful, you need to do these ten things, be like this person and do what he does.’ While taking ideas from successful salespeople is excellent, you shouldn’t feel burdened to replicate their way to greatness. Deliberate ignorance breaks stereotypes of success and achievements.

Computer scientist and co-founder of Pixar Edwin Catmull never needed to be the smartest person in the room; he wasn’t afraid to embrace his ignorance. He brought life into Pixar (originally a tech company) and began shooting short films to demonstrate its animation software product. They realised they were concurrently experimenting with tech and storytelling, and those same experiments led them to be one of the most highly acclaimed studios in history. Catmull says, ‘There is nothing quite like ignorance combined with a drive to succeed to force rapid learning.’

Being ignorant opens us up to new information, ideas, and opportunities. You don’t have to be a know-it-all to feel secure.

3.Transform, not transact

Ka-ching—the sweet sound of a sale closing, and then you move on to your next target. You do this on repeat only to realise there’s no other purpose than scoring transaction deals. When you sell a product, service, or idea, what are your intentions and why? Most importantly, what do your customers get in return? Often, people don’t get back to you because they’re limited by transactional thinking or don’t know or see how what you’re selling benefits them.

Elaine was unsold on the idea that her role in recruitment should only revolve around making sales and signing clients. But she also saw the significance of transforming a person’s life and career. Her idea wasn’t to force an unsuitable role or talent on her clients; she just showed them her authenticity and willingness to help through her conversations and dealings.

‘Focus on impact, not just what a sale brings in.’ Elaine always reminds her team members, ‘The power of sales lies in the transformation it brings, not just the transactions it completes.’

4. Set intentional goals and get inspired

A goal should tie to a purpose; when you know why you got started in the first place, everything else you do to achieve it will never be a chore for you. The difficulty of selling is that most of our goals are set by other people, usually revenue targets. For salespeople, these financial goals can feel like a be-all and end-all of selling.

In their book, The Unsold Mindset, Coggins and Brown explain that the problem is when financial goals loom so large that it overwhelms our true purpose for selling. It makes us anxious and causes us to act like the salesperson we don’t want to be. While financial goals are essential, they should never be what drives you. Instead, view selling as a catalyst for achieving goals purposeful to ourselves and the customers we’re serving.

Being intentional with your sales goals allows you to maintain a positive mindset, appreciate the process and be more present and in touch with your progress. You can keep track of your progress, dogear areas for improvement and celebrate small wins.

There’s no right way to do anything but use these ideas in your way. A great seller draws people to their authenticity, permit themselves to be imperfect, and knows it’s okay not to have all the answers. They strive to make a difference in the lives of others in whatever they sell, keep an open mind, stay eager to learn and celebrate the process.

Written by Destiny Goh
Marketing Communications Executive

Illustrations made with Canva

Make Time for Productive Work

gjc on July 18, 2023

The hustle culture has sparked quite a debate among people who need to slot in activities throughout their day to feel productive—that doing more makes them one step ahead of the rest. And then, some people think a work-life balance ought to be a priority, calling hustling culture toxic.

There’s beauty in working hard but finding time to rest; constantly going on the go will deprive you of rest, recharge, and, eventually, burnout. 

What is Productivity?

Economics defines productivity as the output per unit of input, whether it’s labour, capital, or other resources—it’s how much work is done because of the investment of any of the above.

Being productive alone doesn’t guarantee you get everything done. When you’re in the ‘zone’, time often goes unaccounted for, and your only concern is finishing as much as possible, regardless of your work quality. As a result, you might even miss out on the most important thing you have to do and feel overwhelmed even before the day ends.

Making time for productive work

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to complete more in a day, especially when you have an overflowing work pile, but constantly racing against time makes you lose focus.

Instead of bulldozing through your work and whining about not having enough time, you can change how you do it by making time. Authors of Make Time, Knapp and Zeratsky explains by doing so allows you to choose what you want to focus on based on priority and channel your energy toward it. This approach helps you to be more intentional with how you spend your time.

How do you make time?

1. Prioritise, not compromise.

Everything on your list screams equal importance, but must it be urgently completed? Former U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower once said: “I have two kinds of problems; the urgent and the important. The urgent aren’t important, and the important are never urgent.” To simplify this, excellent time management equates to being effective and efficient. We should spend time on important things, not just urgent ones—because the consequences of not dealing with them are immediate.

First, write down all your tasks and then categorise them based on urgency and importance. This will help you be intentional and proactive as you navigate your day instead of multitasking.

2. A man with a plan

With planning, you won’t have to decide what you need to do next or what you should or could do. Before you start a new day, make it a habit to write down all your tasks and label them according to their priority and importance. Next, create time blocks for your task, breaks and a goal you want to achieve that same day—this will allow you to keep track of your progress.

Now that you’ve already defined your day’s parameters, you can focus on how you want to do it and get things done. Make time for breaks by taking a walk, or grabbing a healthy snack; sometimes, a change of scenery would also do wonders.

There may be scenarios when an unplanned task demands immediate attention; if it’s urgent and important, be flexible and rearrange accordingly.

3. Practice digital minimalism

We’re either heavily addicted or reliant on our mobile devices for convenience, information, and entertainment. Addiction often leads to distraction, yet it’s a no-brainer to throw away all your gadgets and live like a caveman.

Instead, redesign how you use technology; rather than having it control you, it’s time to take back control. Simplicity is key; a pen and paper might be all you need to plan your day instead of spending a half-hour moving tasks around for aesthetics on your computer.

Next, log out and remove all social media apps that get your fingers itching to pick up your phone, turn off notifications to prevent you from glancing at your screen every time it lights up and remove all open tabs on your computer from the day before.

Simple, effective tools that work from beginner to productivity expert.

#1: The Pomodoro Technique.

The Pomodoro technique is widely known as a time management system that encourages people to work within the time set and not against it; it’s an excellent, easy-to-use tool for beginners. Choose a single, important task to focus on, set a timer for 25 minutes, and then take a five-minute break after.

#2: The Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix is used to organise tasks by urgency and importance, to name your priorities and determine what will potentially distract you. This powerful tool is known for its ability to minimise the stress of deadlines and help you be more intentional and efficient with your time.

#3 The Trident Method, template courtesy of Ali Abdaal

The Trident, a three-pronged time management method created by Ali Abdaal, doctor-turned-YouTuber productivity expert. You can break down your planning for the year, month, and day with a calendar. In a year’s plan, you get a bird’s eye view at first glance—what you want to achieve and complete throughout, such as a goal, new side project or even plan a trip.

Weekly plans let you plan your days systematically instead of having everything everywhere. Planning for the week keeps you from being overwhelmed.

Lastly, daily planning shows you what you’ll be focused on throughout the day. Make space for interruptible activities and personal life, then do your best to stick to it.

If you’re already doing a great job in managing your time and getting things done, keep it up. But if you think there’s still room for improvement, choose and experiment with tools that work best for you; there’s no one size fits all productivity system or tool, and if you need more time, make time.

Written by Destiny Goh
Marketing Communications Executive

Illustrations made with Canva

A Father’s Unconditional Love

gjc on June 20, 2023

Our fellow working fathers in GJC were interviewed to find out their perspective of a father’s unconditional love.

1. Do you feel the workplace is supportive of working fathers? If yes, what makes it supportive, and how does it affect how you work?

Gabriel Chua: Our workplace culture is very supportive of its working parents. When I became a father in 2020, there were many firsts for me when caring for a newborn, and it’s honestly more stressful than work itself. But I was greatly encouraged by the advice and encouragement I received from my boss, who’s also a fellow working parent.

In the last two years, my son had to be hospitalised three times for health reasons, and each time he had to be admitted to the hospital for a week. However, my boss allowed me to work remotely to be close to my son while he was recovering. Juggling between work and having a newborn was a real challenge, and I wouldn’t have been able to do so without the strong support from the people I work for and with.

2. How do you separate between work and family time? What are some of your changes or sacrifices after becoming a father?

Gabriel Chua: I admit I’m quite the workaholic, having invested countless hours throughout my career. And when I newly became a father, I remember only reaching home after eight in the evening when my son was already asleep.

I knew I had to make significant changes in my work schedule to be a part of my son’s life. Hence, I made it a point to reach home earlier just so I could spend some quality time with him and my wife, and I find that this greatly motivates me to want to do better in all aspects of my life.

3. What does your family do to make you feel loved and appreciated? What does the company you’re in do to make you feel valued?

Ray Loh: My love languages are quality time and words of encouragement, and I feel most loved when my family and I spend quality time together. Their words greatly encourage and support me when they show genuine interest in my well-being and accomplishments.

At work, my colleagues don’t withhold constructive feedback and always take the time to acknowledge my efforts. My company has a culture of building and exchanging trust. It openly offers opportunities for growth and development and does an excellent job of involving me in specific decision-making processes.

4. How do you prioritise self-care and well-being while managing work and family commitments?

Ray Loh: There are three things I consider when I take time for myself and set aside time for work and family commitments:

I like to plan and schedule my time, allocating specific slots for work, family, and personal activities. Setting healthy boundaries in these aspects has allowed me to avoid work-related tasks during designated family moments and protect my time for self-care activities.

Lastly, open and honest communication with my work and family is vital. By expressing my needs and concerns, I can work with my colleagues and loved ones to find solutions that accommodate each without compromising other commitments.

5. Have you had any discussions with your employer or colleagues about fatherhood-related challenges or encouragement? How have those conversations gone? 

Jason Goh: Yes, I’ve had plenty of conversations with them. As a single father, I take on the roles of both a father and mother, from managing my children’s studies, their welfare, and even planning their holidays. On top of that, I must make sure my work isn’t delayed.

I have great conversations with my colleagues, especially those with kids. We share and exchange our experiences, provide suggestions for better care, listen better, and support our children. For my single or soon-to-be-married colleagues, I’d share with them the expectations of setting up a family and having children.

6. Was there a time when you encountered stereotypes or biases about being a working father? How have you addressed them?

Jason Goh: Fortunately, I’ve never encountered such situations before. I love sharing about my children with the people around me and even on my social media. My friends and colleagues support and encourage my efforts as a single father, and in return, it reminds me that I’m doing a great job as a parent.

Here is our article to find out a mother’s love version.

This interview was edited and rewritten for clarity by Destiny Goh, Marketing Communications Executive.

Jobseekers
Employers
Stay up to date
Footer Form
Subscription Form for tablet
Facebook Youtube Instagram Linkedin Spotify

© 2024 Good Job Creations. All rights reserved.