Wages and Higher Income for Better Distribution of the Economic Pie

After I had posted an article on “Minimum Wages, Productivity and Inflation.” I came across an article in the Star newspaper, (Seah Chiang Nee, Insight Down South) on a somewhat similar issue.

Singapore’s former National Wage Council chairman, Professor Lim Chong Yah was reported calling for a national wage strategy to close the economic gap. “To narrow the economic gap between the rich and poor, Mr. Lim had suggested a shock wave therapy, to raise the monthly salaries of workers who earn S$1,500 (RM3,680 or less by 50% over three years.”

Professor Lim’s proposal on raising salaries of those earning S$1500 or less by 50% and a simultaneous freeze on those earning more than S$1500 a month over a 3 years time frame created some commotion.

Some Singaporeans were happy, others not so happy. Professor Lim said that Singapore’s lowest paid workers has been underpaid because of the influx of cheap foreign workers.

Doesn’t that ring similarly for us Malaysians too? We need to have a more equitable distribution of income to raise living standards for our poor and middle classes too.

For my earlier comments on minimum wages, kindly click on the link :

Minimum Wages, Productivity and Inflation

Minimum Wages, Productivity and Inflation

Recently, there has been many discussions, and under the National Wages Consultative Council Act 2011, we would have a minimum wage not long from now. The Council is empowered to review and recommend minimum wages.

You could very well say that as a retiree how would a minimum wage affect me. You are right on that. I had worked as a Human Resource Manager before, and I wholly support a minimum wage as I cannot believe that any worker, even an unskilled one could live meaningfully on a wage that has been lower than our proposed, supposedly minimum wage of RM800 to RM1000. I do believe an unskilled worker who is doing an unattractive job should be paid more and have the means to enjoy a better lifestyle too.

Much has been said about matching productivity with wages. Besides skills training that could help to improve productivity levels, having the correct attitude is imperative too.

It is also about being passionate and trying to do a good job whatever your career call or job.

If we are to be a high income economy, we could not afford not to start with better pay for our unskilled labour. Relying on foreign workers is not good for us in the longer term.

When their home countries progress and develop further, these foreign workers will find better home opportunities than what we have to offer if we do not progress and move up the rung to a developed nation status. We definitely cannot scour country to country for foreign workers to keep our costs down to be competitive.

We have to work on productivity improvements, through more output per unit or per worker. We need to invest in better machines, technology, processes and innovation to improve output and product. Productivity has deeper correlations to education, skills training, value systems and utilization of investments. Productivity increase is better assured with the right education as well as the proper value system.

Inflation

Inflation does not necessarily follow when you have more money in your pocket. You have to distinguish your needs and wants and to work together in bringing cost of goods and services to reasonable levels and not raise them indiscriminately. An increase in the supply of the requisite goods and services that would see a rise in demand would help to keep prices under control too. Having more in their pockets now does not mean the worker will spend all he/she has; they may decide to save the extra for rainy days if prices do not go up too much to affect their purchasing power.

Better Living Standards

I hope that with the minimum wages in place, we could set off a race to raising our living standards for everyone. It should be high enough to improve our purchasing power and living standards and low enough to remain competitive. I personally feel that there should be less wage disparity between the different groups of skilled and unskilled labour. Having said that, does not necessarily mean that a worker with better qualifications will not qualify for higher pay, just not so high. I do hope that the unskilled worker with a minimum wage would be feel appreciated, be committed to what he or she is doing and proud of their contributions to the economy.

After all, who then would take up the unattractive jobs and help keep the cogs turning.

A Great Pair of Shoes

Shopping for a shoe again

Shopping for a shoe again, are you sure you have enough feet to fill all the shoes you have. Not to worry, I still have a very very long way to go before I am anywhere near Imelda Marcos’ collection.

Why I need a new pair of shoes

 I really need this one badly. For some reason my improved condition of Plantar Fasciitis took a turn for the worse and instead of having to bear with it on one foot I now have to endure the pain and injury on both feet. I suspected that I had inadvertently pulled on my poor ‘inelastic band of worn tissue’.

Plantar Fasciitis

What is Plantar Fasciitis? It is an inflammation of a thick band of connective tissue on the bottom of the feet. It supports the arch of the foot and stretches from the heel bone to the toes. Your foot arches provide a ‘spring-type’ system to assist in motion and absorbing your body weight when you put your feet down on any surface.

It is painful, particularly when you walk, or stand for long periods. It usually is caused by overuse injury and that could be attributed to :

• Over-pronation (when your feet rolls inward too much and over stretching the planta fascia)
• Feet with high arches (feet tend to be inflexible and do not absorb shock well)
• Sudden increase in physical activity
• Excessive weight bearing on the foot
• Tight calf muscles (putting a strain on the plantar fascia)
• Unsuitable shoes with poor arch support and soft

More unfortunate is planta fasciosis, which is chronic plantar fasciitis with degeneration of tendons and ligaments, usually with very small tears but without inflammation. This is terrible. If your condition is Plantar Fasciitis, do rest your feet, and work diligently on strengthening your plantar fascia.

For more on plantar fasciitis kindly click on link to : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004438/  and http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/plantar-fasciitis-topic-overview or consult your doctor.

For exercises and tips (and to test your knowledge) to help improve plantar fasciitis, go to

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/exercises-to-reduce-plantar-fasciitis (click through Step 1 to 6, and further links for how to do the stretching and strengthening exercises.

Looking for that pair of Aladdin Shoes for my poor feet 

If only it was as simple as a pair of Aladdin shoes.

Finding the Right Shoe

I started off looking for the shoe that is right for my condition a few months back.

It was not an easy decision as they are so many types of shoes in the market. My doctors and of course the shops have been giving me some advice, but with new designs hitting the market so often and new performance claims by shoes manufacturer, I find it a daunting task especially when I think that price does not always give you the best selection.

Other than that I am not sure whether I should go for running shoes, leisure wear or casual sandals with some height at the heel and some arch support. (The rehabilitation unit at the hospital did give me an insole with arch support, but I may need to go back for better fitting).

So where do I find the information to narrow down my mistakes. So it was back to the internet for some reading.

Basically what you need for Plantar Fasciitis is

• A raised heel compared to the rest of the shoe
• Very stable arch support
• Some motion control

These three features will help to improve your plantar fasciitis.

For conditions of plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis and general arch pain, it is good to have a slight heel height of 1 inch but not more than 1.5 inches. 

Those with flat or low arches need either a stability or motion control shoe with a dual density mid-sole (mostly a firmer wedge on the medial(inner) side of the shoe, for stability and support) built on a semi-curved or flat last(shape template that the shoe is built on).

CHARLIE.... my new...b....f....

I first met Charlie on 20^th February 2012. I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive about meeting him for real.

How was my first meeting with him? Charlie is charming; however my past experiences did not really prepare me for our first meeting.

He scurried around me and gave me nibbles lovingly. All that I can do was scream or shout his name and try to grab someone for assistance.

I could not help feeling uncomfortable as chills ran down my spine. I feel ashamed that I could fear him so much when all he wanted to do was show his affection.

The next two days provided me an opportunity to get to know Charlie better.

We started our mornings together not dissimilar to that of young babies, for feeding and cleaning times. Charlie always woke up afresh with bundles of energy for playtime.

Alas it was not always to be, as our routines had to be accommodated and Charlie had to settle in to some restrain before we are able to enjoy our time together.

Stephen Covey's 7th Habit: Sharpen The Saw

Stephen Covey’s 7^th Habit : Sharpen The Saw

Compiled by leehwa

Different authorities refer to the 7^th Habit, using various terms. It could be, ‘recharging your internal batteries’, ‘renewing yourself’, ‘striving for excellence’, but whatever phrase or term you use, undoubtedly the most famous and renowned is ‘Sharpen The Saw’.

My tribute and appreciation to Mr. Stephen Covey for his wonderful book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People which has made a tremendous impact on my life, particularly for ‘Sharpen the Saw’.

My thanks to my dear sister for lending me the book.

I was asked to share a briefing on the 7^th Habit, just one habit by my former boss, Mr. Chang who is very supportive of the teachings and philosophies promulgated by Stephen Covey. The other 6 habits were shared by my colleagues some time back. With the long time lapse and staff turnover, I could not help wonder about sharing with my colleagues this habit without giving them some idea what the whole book is about.

Talking about the 7^th Habit solitarily (alone) is not sufficient as the connectivity and flow of development and self improvement as advocated by Mr. Stephen Covey is not explained and expounded. I had to do something about connecting some of the dots together. So it was back to reading the book again, some summaries and notes that I had compiled earlier, and of course some from the Internet.

The summaries and slides were all prepared during those nights after work, burning the midnight oil and during weekends when I could squeeze in some extra time. I could put them up here through www.slidesharenet or through www.sribd.com. However, I chose otherwise.

 What is the book about?

•     It is about 7 HABITS
•     It is about how you can improve your life and be more effective

How is it put into practice?

• It is about embracing the

                       7 FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES

Stephen Covey :

•  ‘true success is a balance of personal and professional effectiveness
• the  book is a manual for performing better in both arenas.
•  Before you can adopt the seven habits, you'll need to accomplish what Covey calls a "paradigm shift"--a change in perception and interpretation of how the world works.

What is paradigm?
 The way we see, interpret

•  It can mean a model, theory, perception,assumption, frame of reference, a map of how things are, an explanation of how things are.
•  It is how you look at things, how you think it should be, and your interpretation (you may like to refer to the book, ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’, pages 25, 26 and 45 and try to interpret these pictures).

Can we change?

• Can we change the powerfully conditioning effects of our paradigms?
• The more aware we are of our paradigms or assumptions, and the extent to which we have been influenced by our experience, the more objective we can be.
• Stephen Covey takes you through this change, which affects how you perceive and act regarding productivity, time management, positive thinking, developing your "proactive muscles" (acting with initiative rather than reacting), and how to communicate.

INSIDE-OUT APPROACH

• Mr. Stephen Covey presents an "inside-out" approach to personal effectiveness that is centered on philosophical, deep principles and character.
•  the content and the methodology of these universal principles form a solid foundation for effective communication.
• The book focuses on the difference between character and personality, and how important it is to focus on having a foundation of good character rather than focusing on skills, personality, and techniques.

PHILOSOPHICAL PRINCIPLES

• CHARACTER ETHIC – the primary traits
• PERSONALITY ETHIC – the secondary traits

PRINCIPLES OF CHARACTER ETHIC

• Natural laws of human principles of fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity. Human Conscience.
• Character is durable, deep, strong, fundamental, universal principles
•  'permanent things' – like values, relationships, communicating.

PRINCIPLES OF PERSONALITY ETHIC

•  Skills, techniques,
• Behaviors and attitudes, like maintaining a positive mental attitude
• not so fundamental, arguable

HABITS

Our character is a collection of our habits. Habits consist of knowledge, skill, and desire.

Í      Knowledge allows us to know what to do

Í      Skill gives us the ability to know how to do it …and

Í      Desire is the motivation to do it.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People begins ------------------ that people perceive the world differently, and because we view the world with our own unique"lens," it is difficult to separate the observation from the observer.

Covey says that we all have our own paradigm, which is our own map of how we perceive the world and how we think the world should be in our ideal view. Covey writes, "The way we see things is the source of the way we think and the way we act."

OVERVIEW stages, process, paradigm, theories or maps

The book moves us through the 7 Habits and takes us to the following stages:

• Dependence: the paradigm under which we are born, relying upon others to take care of us.
•  Independence: the paradigm under which we can make our own decisions and take care of ourselves.
•  Interdependence: the paradigm under which we cooperate to achieve something that cannot be achieved independently. (you may like to refer to the book, ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’, pages 53 for a diagram on ‘The Seven Habits Paradigm’, to get a better flow of the stages of maturity continuum).

INTERDEPENDENCE

  Much of the success literature today tends to value independence, encouraging people to become liberated and do their own thing. The reality is that we are interdependent, and the independent model is not optimal for use in an interdependent environment that requires leaders and team players.

            To make the choice to become interdependent, one first must be independent, since dependent people have not yet developed the character for interdependence. Therefore, the first three habits focus on self-mastery, that is, achieving the private victories required to move from dependence to independence.

the 7 habits

The first three habits are Dependence Habits

•   Habit 1: Be Proactive
• Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
• Habit 3: Put First Things First

Habits 4, 5, and 6 - Independent Habits

•  Habit 4: Think Win/Win
• Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
• Habit 6: Synergize

7th HABIT - SHARPEN THE SAW

• The habit of renewal and continual improvement.
• To be effective, one must find the proper balance between actually producing and improving one's capability to produce. 

THE

TAKING CARE OF	HABIT
‘YOU’

Do take good care of the goose that lays the golden egg,  so that you can take better care of everything else.

习惯
- 管理自己	- 领导他人
主动积极	双赢思维
以终为始	知彼解己
要事第一	统合综效
	不断更新

PRODUCTION (P) VS CAPACITY TO PRODUCE (PC)

Effectiveness is a function of both production and the capacity to produce.

The need for balance between production and production capability applies to physical, financial, and human assets.

• physical assets, P represents using the asset, and PC stands for preserving and maintaining it.
• In the financial area, P represents our earnings while PC represents our own capacity to earn.
• In the human area, P represents getting the things we want from a relationship, while PC represents sustaining and improving the relationship by making deposits to the Emotional Bank Account.

THE 4 DIMENSIONS OF RENEWAL

Habit 7 is a personal PC. It's renewing the four dimensions of your nature, the physical, spiritual, mental and social or emotional aspects.

WHAT IT MEANS

•  Sharpening the saw
•  means prioritizing your well-being—physical, spiritual, mental and social/emotional—by     
•  taking the time out of daily routine to strengthen, replenish and renew yourself
• Balance is better                                              
• Take time for a time-out

Physical, Mental & Spiritual

• These 3 dimensions focuses on Habits 1, 2, &3
• Is – ‘practising’ of Daily Private Victories(personal) 
•  One hour to value add to gain private victories will affect every decision and relationship.
•  It will greatly improve the quality, the effectiveness of every other hour of the day including sleeping well
• It will help build long-term physical, spiritual, mental strength to enable you to handle challenges in life

 
Physical Dimension   
Caring for Your Body

• Are you what you eat?
• Exercising to keep healthy

Mental Dimension

Brain Food

What are your plans for “feeding” your brain?  Make a list of things you want to learn or things that you want to do that will teach you.

•  Continuing education
•  Continually honing and expanding our mind is vital mental renewal
• Reading – as we read, we seek to understand what the author has to say to reap the benefits of reading
• Writing or blogging – is another powerful way to sharpen our mental saw

Spiritual Dimension

•      battle of good versus evil     How you are working to improve your soul?  What is it that  makes you the most happy?    

Feeding Your Soul

What feeds your soul?  What or who inspires you and gives you peace?
 Is there a person that makes YOU want to be better?

Social Dimension     

• Focuses on Habits 4, 5 & 6 centered on the principles of interpersonal leadership, emphatic communication and creative communication
• All about our relationships with others
• You do not need to particularly spend time to do it. We can do it in our normal everyday interactions with other people.

We need to push ourselves to do and practise it, as many of us have not achieved the level of skills of Public Victory necessary for Habits 4,5,& 6 to come naturally to us in all our interactions.  
Serve, Laugh, Be a Friend





Caring for Your Heart

•  Focus on the things that are most important
•  Be in Love and work on relationships. Laughter or tears, the tears make those smiles and laughter more precious.

FEELING GooooD

Revitalize yourself and face a new day in peace and harmony. Or you can wake up in the morning full of apathy because your get-up-and-go has got-up-and-gone.

•  Just remember that every day provides a new opportunity for renewal--a new opportunity to recharge yourself instead of hitting the wall. All it takes is the desire, knowledge, and skill.

Sharpening the Saw

Renew yourself in these four dimensions to develop and grow.

Sharpen the Saw keeps you fresh so you can continue to practise the other six habits. You increase your capacity to produce and deal with challenges around you.

 Without this renewal, the body and mind become weak, and without purpose, the emotions raw, the spirit insensitive, and the person selfish. Not a pretty picture, is it?

• Too often we hear ourselves say, “I just don’t have time for that right now! I need to stick to my schedule.  I’m too busy to take a vacation.”  As much as we need our jobs, have our commitments and other people, we must also respect ourselves by caring well for ourselves.  It is important to occasionally make time within our busy schedules to assess our personal needs.  From this acknowledgment, we can begin to sharpen and renew ourselves appropriately.    
• As Stephen Covey states, “Renewal is the principle–and the process-that empowers us to move on an upward spiral of growth and change, of continuous improvement.”  The seventh habit is what makes all the other habits possible.  

For connecting more of the dots and better understanding of the philosophies expounded by Mr. Stephen Covey, please read the book. You could either purchase it from Amazon.com, by clicking on the Amazon.com link http://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful/dp/0743272455 

or MPH Online at http://www.mphonline.com/books/nsearch.aspx?do=search&Cri=1&Val=The%207%20Habits%20of%20Highly%20Effective%20People&Sess=Fri%20Mar%2002%202012%2017:38:52%20GMT+0800%20%28Malay%20Peninsula%20Standard%20Time%29

Chinese New Year Flu

I had picked up the flu virus a couple of days before the Chinese New Year (which falls on 23^rd Jan. 2012). How have I been? I was surely feeling poorly though not down for the first few days. Surprisingly I was feeling very active in spite of the flu. Conclusion: could be because it is the Chinese New Year and there seemed so much I wanted to get done.

my new year mask

Today, (7^th Feb, in Malaysia) I feel so much better, although I cannot say I have been feeling good for the past two weeks. Two weeks! What a waste of time! In fact since Chinese New Year I have been taking it so easy and resting so much….

What is a cough?

Coughing occurs when the nerve endings in your airways become irritated, it is a natural reflex to protect your lungs and help clear your airways of mucus, smoke or even pollens. It can also be a symptom of a medical condition.

I sometimes go through bouts of prolonged coughing after a flu or common cold. This has been since a couple of operations about thirty (30) years ago, with one chronic cough lasting as long as nine (9) months. Yes, who is keeping track.

This time round

I have been coughing a lot for the first week, had so much mucus down my throat and up my nose especially in the morning. Then the old bad habit of coughing at any little irritant came back. I could not get out of the house as it is so windy in the evening, now with the North East monsoon season. I could not switch on the fan (not even the old, slow fan).

Actually, I have not been coughing persistently for the past week, just on and off but each cough would hurt so much on the side of my left ribs. The doctors said, I have been coughing too much and had pulled my muscles. I did improve, staying clear of irritants that had given me so much trouble.

Today, I feel much better and when I do cough, rarely (touch wood) I press down on my side hard to support it and it does help.

Reading about what others have been going through helps. Found some encouragement and comfort 

at http://ehealthforum.com/health/topic52165.html. The internet is such a wonderful source of 

information (you will have to filter them through). My problem seems so insignificant now; 

it is a far cry from how I felt yesterday.

I hope that I have been able to avert spreading the flu virus to those of you who are so kind as
to share their Chinese New Year celebrations with me. 

The above are just my personal thoughts and reflections. 

Kindly consult a doctor if you are not feeling well.