Work Ethics and Attitudes
Afew months ago, I had e-mail encounters with a government agency in my birth-place, Singapore. It was a tiny issue that took about a month or more to solve. Normally, the government agencies in Singapore are quite efficient and I have always been very impressed with their helpful attitude and efficiency. In Singapore, most of us like to 'get things done quickly' and move on to the next task. This time, I was surprised that the particular agency staff kept asking me for details when I had clearly explained the matter or kept asking me to provide proof when it was already done. When I asked the staff to respond to my questions - there was no response, no apology for the mistake made; instead, I was asked another question. I have learnt the following from this encounter with the particular department and my learning is limited to this group: 1. Civil servants need to learn to apologise when they have made a mistake. 2. Civil servants need to read co...