Foreign Worker Diaries: How to Improve Company's Culture

Mr Goh Lak Jin with Tuan Haji Rozlan
during Project 555 Event

In regards to my articles about the 6 good qualities when working to a foreign land, I managed to get good feedback from our readers.

Below is an excerpt of the article with a title “HOW TO IMPROVE COMPANY”S CULTURE” from Mr Goh Lak Jin, a Singaporean boss I’ve meet who is experienced  in different companies mostly in Southeast Asian Countries for almost 42 years.

One of the few projects he handled was the Sutera Mall in Johor Bahru. He managed that mall for almost 5 years and now he is currently improving one of the oldest bus and taxi terminal at Taman Unku Tun Aminah in Johor Bahru Malaysia.

Here is his article written by him on the 20^th of September 2017 and presented to his colleagues during their internal HOD meetings.

How to Improve Company’s Culture

1. Improve on the Attitude & Mindset of the individual:

a.  Must work as a Team with each other within the same Departments and between Departments. It is important for the staff to work in Unison at all time so as to achieve collective strength within the company and to show a united force to outside world.

b.  Contribute to the best of each individual responsibilities and roles with a clear conscience at all time.

c.    To contribute ideas, suggestions and proposals as and when able to.

d.    To give relevant comments as and when necessary.

2. To assist fellow colleagues in carrying out their work so that it can be carried out more smoothly and correctly.

3. To help fellow colleagues to solve problems and not to create problem for fellow colleagues to solve.

4. To ensure that everyone can work safely at all time. Must take care of own safety, the safety of our fellow colleagues and the general public at all time.

5. All HODs must behave correctly so as to set an example for our fellow colleagues to follow. All HODs must be impartial, show no favoritism, must have the determination and perseverance to succeed the mission given, treat things according to facts and not in relation to person concerned. Always pay attention to details, have the patience and courage to face all the problems encountered.

6. Everyone must also take up free responsibility on decision made, to pre-empt dangerous situation and to be careful in handling all matters effectively and efficiently.

7. To be polite, courteous but firm in our dealing with the general public, our contractors, customers, consultant, vendors and with any organisations and/or Business Associates.

8. All the staff must follow the Company’s Core values so that the individuals’ integrity and the Company’s integrity as a whole can withstand all pressure, temptation and threat from outside the company.

9. All staff should not have the wrong attitude that he/she only need to do whatever that is within their own scope of work and not bothered about other matter in the company.

10. Everyone should give constructive criticism and not to criticize unnecessarily. Everyone must encourage each other in carrying out their work instead of criticizing.

11. Everyone must earn their “respect” from others and not demand “respect”. Each and everyone must prove that they are worth respecting at all time. We should respect each other’s views/suggestions/comments. We should not try to hurt each other but to understand each other with a sympathetic heart and help each other wherever and whenever we can.

12. Management can give good support by giving encouragement when things are not going the right way and be fair in its reward system so as to give incentive to the staff to work earnestly always. Can build an ambiance of fairness to all staff always. This will be a good base for staff to build a good culture for the company.

13. Whenever things go wrong, we should not immediately find “scapegoats”. We should find solution for the problems encountered together and work as a Team to solve them. We should have a ­­­­debrief to find out the cause and try to ensure that the wrong thing will not happen again at all time.

14. If everyone has the wrong attitude & mindset, it will create animosity amongst the staff and caused misunderstanding, discrimination,  no trust in each other, no concern for each other and ‘Selfishness’ will exist in each one of us. There will be no co-operation, no team Spirit and no common objective and determination to accomplish the mission to achieve the vision of the Company.

During an event. 

15. If everyone has the right attitude and mindset and contribute their best, carry out their job professionally with a clear conscience, the working life of all men and women will be interesting, happy and fruitful for everyone. This will in-turn help the Community to be more harmonious, enjoyable and helpful to each other irrespective of race, language and religion.

This excerpt was intended to share to everyone the importance of having a good working relationship in a community, company and even to a small family.