Singapore?s an outstanding place work, assuming you?re a workaholic in search of acceptance. To other people, it?s worse than joining an ass kicking contest with a case of haemorrhoids. We?re one of the several toughest work environments in Asia: Come unprepared, and you?ll last as long as Ghost Rider 2 did in the cinemas. But even in the hell pits that pass for an office here, you?ll be able to come out on top. In this report, I look at how our expats can adapt and even thrive:
?So in Singapore, we?ve got the death penalty for drug smuggling and.stopping work??
1. Replace Criticism With Suggestion
Singaporeans are thin-skinned. Straight from school, we?re educated to consider failure as more embarrassing than bed-wetting at 30. The main reason more of us aren?t leaping off buildings is definitely the anti-killer litter campaign.
In the Singaporean workplace, there?s no faster means to acquire enemies than outright criticism. It goes for colleagues, bosses, not to mention the cleaning lady. You are advised to skirt the suggestion of failure, and posit alternative solutions instead.
Such as, let?s say Harry the accountant is late with the budget. Again. In preference to saying:
?Hey, Harry, you might want to look at the garden. You?ll have a kick out of watching the slugs race past,? try something such as:
?Hey Harry, you might have tried using Excel in place of Notepad for the budget reports??
Nonsense, we can easily take criticism. The question is, is it possible to take an elbow to the face?
2. Explain Your Reasons
Singaporeans adore to ask why, and woe to anyone that won?t explain. Blame it on our highly educated workforce: If we can?t see the point of doing something, the negative side gets control. We assume someone?s giving us work for the sake of, well, giving us work.
In the Singapore office, successful workers back their requests with the reasons. Even our bosses don?t give directions like a banana republic generalissimo; they describe the intended outcome. So if you possess a marketing plan to further improve sales, don?t just throw a ?to-do? list at your team. Explain your entire plan, and show how each point fulfils some of those objectives.
?Today?s subject is the reason why I?ll be in the loo at 4.30pm. Please go through the pictures.?
3. Quality First, Speed Second
Singaporeans get annoyed at slow people. But ?annoyed? is relatively considerably better than ?artery-bursting furiousness?. So between quality and speed, always pick quality.
If your work is outstanding, you?ll be forgiven for being slow. If your work is on-time but it?s rubbish, you?ll soon be describing crucifixion as a pussy punishment. Also, Singaporean bosses love having people redo things; to the point of getting it right, or getting committed to a local asylum. So there?s no point rushing, not when you?ll are required to do it all another time. Just admit you?ll miss the deadline, and complete the best work possible.
?Sorry I?m late. I converted the sales report into a three part epic and hand-carved it on Canadian Timber.?
4. Attend without exceptions
Singaporeans can tolerate lateness. The fact is that, we?re notorious to be late ourselves. Absence, however, is a different issue.
Even in the event you?d be an hour late for something, be certain to show up. Colleagues will be polite and say things such as ?Oh, it?s already so late, you shouldn?t bother.? But believe me, they?re about as sincere as a Sarong Party Girl?s affection for anyone Caucasian. Because if you don?t arrive, your colleagues and bosses will assume you?re lazy, or maybe couldn?t be bothered. Showing your face means you made an attempt.
?That?s why you will not be attending? We don?t understand. Come on, man, you have another leg right??
5. Clarify the Terms
Singaporean companies, especially SMEs, are loose with language. We?re proficient with English, but?proficient? isn?t the same as ?good?.
When your colleague says ?annual?, it can mean anything from a pamphlet to a coffee-table book. We have engineers whose concept of a technical term is ?that round thing?. Which isn?t to suggest they aren?t good at their jobs; just that their use of language is more referential than in, say, Britain or Germany.
To be safe, give a good example of what you?re planning to do. For instance, if you?re expected to compile a report, then do a few sample pages and run it by your colleagues. Ensure that it?s what they have in mind before finishing the task.
?And the green metal thing goes here. If it falls off, you?ll all be like ?Aaargh, oh my gawd.? And then.?
6. Offer to Help.More Than Once
If a Singaporean fell off a cliff and fractured every third bone in her body, she?d answer the rescue call with ?I?m fine, really.? It?s only on the second or third request that she?d admit, very discreetly, that she needs help finding her femur.
Singaporeans don?t like soliciting for help (for reasons described in point 1). But we?ll resent you for not offering it, despite refusing to actually ask you. Stay for a few years, it?ll start to make sense. To get in your colleague?s good books, you?ll have to take the initiative and offer aid. You?ll probably going to be turned down on the first try, so ask again later. Two or three times should suffice.
Nonetheless, when Singaporeans do ask for help, start worrying. Because few emergencies short of a thermonuclear meltdown will warrant this.
?What are you doing with that extinguisher? Find out if he needs help first. Manners!?
7. Do Not Lie To Cover Mistakes
This is true everywhere, short of the former Bush administration. But it?s amazing what Singaporeans will forgive, assuming that you?re honest.
Singaporeans are sensitive in regards to a specific type of lie: the sort used to mask mistakes. Do it even once, and you?ll lose the trust of colleagues. Bosses is likely to mount a campaign to get you fired. So just don?t. As for anything else, lie as required. In fact, when a colleague asks if he gain weight, you?d better start role-playing Pinocchio.
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Source: http://justarticles.net/10/7-survival-tips-expats-singaporean-company/
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