Learning Resources

We are living in an increasingly VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) World. The pandemic that is sweeping the globe is just the latest example of the new normal. What started out as a health crisis has metamorphosed into a financial crisis. Many have lost their livelihoods as the economy has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. We may be entering a global depression. The future seems more uncertain than ever.
In this brave new world, entrepreneurship has been touted as a career of choice, and entrepreneurship has become one of the most pursued career choices globally. But is entrepreneurship for everyone? Could it be overrated as a career choice, glamorized by the media in “rags to riches” stories, an easy get rich path to money, fame and IPO? Does every entrepreneurial journey have a happy ending? Is there a dark side to entrepreneurship?


Entrepreneur as a career choice, is it... or not? Come find out for yourself…
Join Anuj Jain, Co-founder & CEO of Startup-O, Bernadette Cho, General Manager of Entrepreneur First (EF) Singapore, and Yen-Lu Chow, Co-founder of Asia Institute of Mentoring, serial entrepreneur, angel investor and social change maker, in a fireside chat to explore the topic of Entrepreneurship as a Career Choice.

As working from home has become compulsory for everyone during the Circuit Breaker to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, we all have had to adjust to this new situation. This has impacted not only ourselves but our family and peers.

This may continue and become a new normal for many, even after the easing of the Circuit Breaker restrictions, many may not have the right environment, family situation, company support and mental stage to deal with it on a continuous basis.

The webinar addresses the different phases one goes through and how to deal with the challenges that surface at each stage:

● Managing conflicting priorities of work and home
● Balancing productivity and flexibility
● Building relationships through technology

As 2020 comes close to a wrap, we looked back at how the COVID-19 situation has created a disruption in lives everywhere that we have never experienced before. “New norms” came one after another. When work-from-home measures first started, many wanted to go back to the workplace. Months later, 8 out of 10 then wished to stay at home (Straits Times, 11 Oct 2020) even as workplaces are reopening. School holidays descended upon us again and this not-so-new norm of having almost every family member in the house all day long will be here to stay.

While our family members may be our closest and dearest, the last few months have been trying times for most families. Many have felt either:

“I do not have space for myself”
or
“Everyone is getting in my way”
or
“Responsibilities seem endless.”


Personality differences, children’s misdemeanour, parental restrictions - everything got magnified. Our home, which we should be our Home Sweet Home, became at times a


FRANTIC HOUSE

Deriving insights from “Mindfulness – a practical guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World”, the life-changing bestseller by Prof Mark Williams and Danny Penman, mindfulness instructors Ming Hui, Charlene, and Khai Imm discussed how Finding Peace in a Frantic House, beginning from our own house.

In this session, participants:

* Gained an understanding and awareness of the workings of the mind that contribute to the franticity in their lives.

* Learned how mindfulness helps them bring awareness and to relate differently to difficult thoughts and feelings.

* Learned simple mindful breathing exercises as a useful tool for daily use..

Despite the progressive roll back of the Singapore’s Circuit Breaker in June 2020 that allows majority if not all of businesses to resume operations, the outlook for many organizations is still highly uncertain.

A recent survey by SSON in collaboration with Edgeverve, Assistedge and Infosys-BPM Ltd points out that businesses report 30% increase in delayed collection of sales revenue, 14% increase in cost of operations and 20% increase in gaps in back office service delivery. These statistics reiterate the difficulties for many businesses in “returning to normal” which in turn could impact hiring decisions and employment opportunities.

Among the working population, PMETs (Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians) forming more than 50% of the Singapore’s workforce is the group that faces greater risk to redundancy and retrenchment based on past years’ evidence.

The webinar shares strategies for PMETs on:

1. How to rise above this environment of uncertainty and volatility
2. How to differentiate themselves from the crowd at the workplace
3. What to do in times of such business uncertainty and employment risks
4. What are the the possible action plans if your employment has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic

A video on the benefits of mentoring to partner with the article from http://learningyourdevelopment.com entitled Mentoring: A Win-Win-Win for Mentees, Mentors and Organisations at http://bit.ly/1gMMrBc

When setting or establishing a new goal, consider using SMART goals. By using the acronym S.M.A.R.T. you provide structure to help ensure that a goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound. The SMART method is a well-known approach that helps to increase your chances of success. FREE Online Course https://www.udemy.com/goal-setting/
Learn more at www.decisionskills.com.

Sir John Bittleston is the Founder, Executive Chairman of Terrific Mentor International and the only honorary member of Asia Institute of Mentoring.
He's an active octogenarian who loves mentoring and the hero for Yen-Lu Chow (AIM's Co-Founder).
Sir John believes in AIM's 5 pillars: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Career Resilience, Personal Well-Being and Parenting.

He shared his testimony on the launch of AIM 21 challenge about his personal mastery of mentoring, what it meant to him & how he advocates mentoring to everyone.

Feedback about the AIM/EnactUS event on Mentoring in the Social Sphere

“It takes a village to raise a child” is an African proverb that is very applicable to mentoring.

Our “village” has never been more necessary than it is today. We live in a fast-paced, instant information, and pressure-packed world.
Mentees also go through different stages in life, play multiple roles, that require different types of mentors, and at times more than one mentor for different parts of their life. Different mentors, with their own unique set of skills and mentoring expertise, can work with mentees to give them a well-rounded and multi-faceted mentoring environment.

This discussion is about collaboration and partnerships you need to build as a mentor with your peers to support your mentee in the best way possible.