Thursday, January 13, 2011

Be a Manager

Marina Bay SINGAPORE Countdown 2010/11

a. What is the objective of this event? Give a brief background to this event.

The objective of this event is to usher in the new year, 2011, with a big bang.
Set against Singapore's magnificent city skyline, this countdown event gives one an explosive night of sizzling fireworks and spectacular music acts.

The event was located at Marina Bay floating platform because:
Water - has often been associated with the source of life and origin of many civilizations and good feng shui.
Place - it is at the mouth of Singapore River, where life began for Singapore.
Light - is a symbolic significance in almost all cultures, representing goodness, knowledge and hope.

Bringing all these elements together at Marina Bay, the countdown was created as a start of a new tradition unique to Singapore to celebrate the collective hope and dreams of all Singaporean.

b. Who is the target audience?

The target audience are people of all ages, all races and all nationality alike who are living in Singapore.

c. How is the event publicized?

The event is publicized through television, radio, internet, roadshows and pamplets that was given out.

Television and Radio - Advertisements were played during breaks and spots respectively.
Roadshows - Wishing sphere - located all over Singapore, one was allowed to pen down their wishes for 2011, which will later be released into the Singapore River, the Bay of Hope and Light, which represents the significance of new possibilities and a brighter tomorrow.
Internet - Singapore's top 5 bloggers from MPY's 2009 Ybloggist Competition blogs about what you can expect for at Marina Bay SINGAPORE Countdown on 31 December 2010 from Fifth Avenue: http://blog.omy.sg/fifthavenue/
For more information, one can log on to this website to find out what they need: http://www.marinabaycountdown.sg/

d. Is the event reported in the media? (Do a quick analysis of the reports, in terms of the angles that the media take, the importance of the coverage, and your opinion of the impact of the coverage).

Yes. It was quite widely reported and invested as this is an event significant to Singapore and her people living here, as it marks a new year and a new beginning for all.
This event saw familiar faces such as David Tao, a taiwanese rocker with an R&B soul, homegrown duo Jack & Rai and their band, EIC, Singapore Idol finalist such as Sezairi Sezali, Sylvia Ratonel and Sylvester Sim and the Queen Band, performers from One Moment of Glory including Jill- Marie Thomas, Luminiq Crew, Desert Roses, Vertical Dancers who will sing, dance, spin and even fly for the crowd.
Fireworks that blasted when the clock struck midnight awed many as it was not a common sight in Singapore.
The event was also aired live on television for those who could not get an opportunity to see it first-hand.
All in all, i think the coverage of the event impacted the people quite strongly as the turnout was great and it is after all a big scale event that everyone wants to be a part of.

e. Assume you are the manager overseeing this project. Evaluate the success/failure of this event. How would you do it differently for greater success?

I would say the event was very successful as there was a huge turnout.
People were gathered not only in Marina Bay but also along and around town such as Clark Quay and Orchard Road. MRT stations and roads were later jam-packed and the crowd was crazy when the whole event was over. For the safety of the people, road marshals were placed on duty to guide traffic flow.
A total of 17 companies was also involved in this event. Such as, tote board, Singapore turf club, Singapore pools, Pontiac Land Group
As tickets are sold at $38, cost of the event were lightened.
Perhaps increasing the frequency of MRT and buses after the event could be improvised for greater success. By providing bus transport back for those attending the event and without vehicles would be feasible too.

Extras:

Thursday, December 2, 2010

The Manager


Name: Chong Loo Chin, Ruth


Age: Mid 40s


Designation: Principal


Company name: Educa



Picture above: Ms Chong and her spouse




a. Briefly describe your job responsibilities as a manager.

- Manages 18 staffs - 16 teachers and assistant teachers, 1 cleaner and 1 cook

- Gives coaching in areas that they are not sure of about handling parents, classroom management and disciplining children when they are not behaving / due to misconduct

- Does paperwork as well

- and meets compliance issues for teachers and environment safety issues



b. What is your management style?

(Human Relations)

- Depending on staff she is dealing with / Varies according to individual

- Can be more democratic towards certain staff

- But more firm / harsh towards others



c. What are some of the difficulties you face as a manager?

- Some staff do challenges authority

- Therefore she must learn how to be tactful in handling them

- Yet at the same time to not be a man pleaser

- This is because, if she does not handle it well, other staff might get to know about it and follow suit

- When such conflicts occur, alot of coaching is required to resolve the problem peacefully



d. How do you overcome these difficulties?

- If problems cannot be solved, the staff will be called into the office, where there will be a one-on-one counselling session

- Warning letter might be given in extreme cases, if they really do not comply to requirements and refuse to solve the problem



e. In your opinion, what makes a good manager?

- A good manager has to be understanding

- Who concentrates on forming a relationship with their staff rather than only wanting to get things done

- And when things need to get done, it will be done together WITH the staff

- Negotiation rather than forcing staff to do things against their will

- Chooses to come to a common agreement without them feeling forced



(The voice recording files could not be uploaded as it was too large, and Youtube could not read the format of the file and thus have an error.)