ITE’s ‘Veteran Team’ Leaders Drive PS21 Movement
By Madeleine Chua
At ITE’s annual Hi5 Show event on 3 Nov 08, awards were presented to staff, teams and establishments who have excelled and contributed to the PS21 Movement in the areas of innovation & learning and service excellence. In all, 52 individuals, 2 teams and 7 establishments received their awards (please refer to ANNEX for details).
During his speech at the event, Mr Bruce Poh, Director & CEO/ITE, emphasised the importance of the PS21 Movement and how ITE as a statutory board has been embracing the key tenets of PS21 to anticipate, welcome and execute change. The awards at Hi5 Show were evidence that ITE staff have the passion to excel and to live up to the PS21 ideals as well as the ITE Care values of Integrity, Teamwork, Excellence and Care.
The importance of PS21 was also emphasised at the public sector PS21 ExCEL Convention on 28 Nov 08 when Head/Civil Service, Mr Peter Ho, pointed out that it is important for organisations to nurture and engage their staff members and to develop in them a mindset that is constantly open to new ideas and changes. To Mr Ho, “this mindset is the most strategic and important element in effective government – the capacity to change, before change is force upon us”. PS21 is the Government’s deliberate effort to build and sustain this mindset.
The PS21 Movement has indeed been an integral part of the lives of ITE staff. Since 1982, ITE has been involved in the Productivity and Innovation Movement to inculcate an improvement-seeking mindset among its staff through staff involvement in team projects and suggestions.
So, how has PS21 worked in the lives of ITE staff over the years? We sought the views of four team leaders whose teams have been around for more than 10 years:
|
~On PS21 and its benefits PS21 is a good platform for harnessing creativity and synergy in people. When people communicate and think in their work, ideas developed. The PS21 framework has provided an avenue for these ideas to be processed and taken to another level where the results are benefitting to the organisation as a whole. As a staff, when the organisation is effective and excels, I will also be able to perform well and welcome change easily. |
~ On the longevity of APPLE
APPLE has the synergy that PS21 nurtures. Having been around for 12 over years, it has the capacity to deal with change. Call it WITs or IQC, APPLE as a team of people working together with a common understanding, has always been able to contribute towards improvement at work.
~ Her passion
Every member would be given the opportunity to lead a project because I believe everyone has the capacity to deliver in his own way. What matters most is that we share the accomplishment and enjoy the incentives. I have a vibrant team and even though we have new members along the way, over time, we accommodate each other. No team is perfect but it is this vibrancy and accommodative attitude that drives me on. PS21 has also made it possible for us to enjoy the incentives of our accomplishments. So it is always exciting to receive those incentives and spend them on 'makan' where we could bond through eating, chatting and laughing!
|
~On PS21 and its benefits PS21 has helped to nurture the attitude of service excellence in us. It has benefited all including myself. I am driven by PS21 to provide the best service I can and willing to go the extra mile to help others. |
~ Why HELP is successful
Being the longest serving member in the team, I am happy to see that there is good rapport and commitment among team members, whether new or old, and this has made it possible for HELP to sustain itself through the years.
~Passion for Innovation
My passion for innovation and my members’ strong support has inspired me to continue to be involved and to lead the team.
|
~On PS21 and its benefits With PS21, we have been encouraged to adopt an open mindset - open to new ideas and open to trying them out. With this concept of adapting to changes in the work environment, I have seen improvements to work processes. My team and I have also proposed changes for the good of the department, such as ways to improve the conduct of practical experiments, ways to monitor the progress of students, how to enhance learning of a module, etc. Abiding by our motto "Improving the teaching and learning environment”, our team is constantly looking out for new methods to solve training related problems to enhance students’ learning. |
~On Longevity of THE DEBUGGERS
The team existed for so long because there has been continual renewal of members. We have also continuously challenged ourselves to go further by taking part in IQC Conventions at least once a year to share our ideas and learn from other teams. All team members hold on strongly to the motto and do their best as they realised that the final beneficiaries of whatever improvements made are our students.
~On being the Leader of THE DEBUGGERS
The driving force is the knowledge that our ILC projects play a significant role in the learning process of our students. The opportunity to create a value-added learning environment for our students keeps the team and me going. Another very important factor is the cohesiveness and co-operation of our members. The enthusiasm and self-motivating spirit of the members are an encouragement to me, coupled with strong support from the Section Heads and Course Manager.
|
~Sustaining the Team What has sustained NITOP till today is the “oneness of heart” of its members in fulfilling its objectives. It is pleasant to work with members in a team whose spirits are well lubricated with sincere support from each other even in challenging circumstances. Most of us have been together for about 20 years and have developed a good working relationship and understanding with each other. In addition, we are fortunate to have a caring and keen-eyed facilitator to make the team complete. |
~On how PS21 has benefited the Team
The implementation of PS21 has brought many blessings to every individual directly or otherwise, from time savings to excellent customer service. With PS21 mindset, things get effectively and efficiently done and people are treated with care, concern and respect which gladdens the heart. It has created a positive psychological effect on all individuals be it a service provider or a customer, such as feelings of contentment, due to its attention on service excellence such as articulating good inter-personal skills. One cannot disagree that we need a mindset that is constantly open to new ideas and changes to make significant improvement to our daily transactions. We are definitely much better off today with the implementation of PS21 and it is a known fact that some countries are hoping to copy our PS21 system.
Encouraged by the PS21 Movement, many teams, including NITOP, have progressed qualitatively in the provision of ideas of impact to the teaching profession.
~Leading NITOP through the years
We have mellowed over the years and members of NITOP have developed good personal working chemistry. There is a joy element within us in meeting and relating to members and side tracking during meetings does make the meeting enjoyable. If one is sincere in relating to all, responses from them will be forthcoming. From my experience, genuinely relating well with people does uplift their spirit and when this happens, things get done more willingly and quickly.
ANNEX
The Award Recipients @ Hi5 Show 2008
At the Hi5 Show on 3 Nov 08, awards were presented to recognise the outstanding contributions of individuals, teams and establishments who have excelled in Team Projects, the Staff Suggestion Scheme and Customer Service, all promoted under the PS21 programme. The theme for the ceremony was “Care to Create; Dare to Dream”.
Congratulations to the following award recipients:
SERVICE STAR AWARD
S/n Name Designation
1 MS DALIP KAUR EA/ADM/CC
2 PHILIP TAN BOO HOCK SLT-MT/MEED/CC
3 MS SHIRLEY LIM HUI CHOON H/STA/STSS/CE
4 MS MAE SEE TOH WAI THENG CER3/CER/CW
5 MS TAY MUI PHENG EA/ADM/CW
6 JONATHAN HENG PARK JWEE H/MG/MARCOM
7 STEVEN LOW ENG TAT M/CSE
OUTSTANDING SUGGESTOR AWARD
S/n Name Designation
1 DERRICK CHEONG CHAK WAH LT/FCT/CE
2 LIM WEE LIAN SH/BIT/CW
3 MS YONG WEE FOON H/STA/CW
4 HENRY TAN CHUAN HEE TECH/ADM/AVI
5 MS YUSLIZA MISRAN EA/ADM/AVI
6 STEVEN LOW ENG TAT M/CSE
OUTSTANDING LEADER AWARD
S/n Name Designation
1 THAM KWOK MENG LT/BD/CC
2 ADBUL RAHIM MOHD SALLEH LT/EC/CC
3 MS LEE SIEW CHENG LT/EC/CC
4 MS MICHELLE ONG TIAU LENG LT/EC/CC
5 THOMAS PHNG CHIANG SOON LT-MT/FCT(ACR)/CC
6 LEE CHWEE LAM SLT-MT/MEED/CC
7 LIM SWEE HUAT LT/ME/CC
8 TING POH HUA SLT/ME/CC
9 TAN CHOR SENG LT/MET/CC
10 GOH KHA HIAH ASC2/ASC/CC
11 KELVIN CHOO KUEN YEW LT/CPT/CE
12 MRS QUEK-TAN YEOW HIANG LT/EC/CE
13 MS SHEK KWAI TENG LT/EC/CE
14 CHU TEE WONG LT/INFO-T/CE
15 HUANG KWEK SHIN SLT/ME/CE
16 MS MARIAM ARIS LT/ME/CE
17 MOHD SUHAIMI BIN MOHAMED NOOR LT/WT/CE
18 KELVIN TAN KIM HOCK SH/BIT/CW
19 MOHD KAMAL ASWAT LT/EE/CW
20 CHUI WING FATT LT/EC/CW
21 GUO CHARNG HAW LT/EC/CW
22 NG CHUN KEE TE/EC/CW
23 LEE CHAI THIAM LT/INFO-T/CW
24 MS NOORLELAWATI SAFARI LT/ME/CW
25 MS JUNE YEK GEOK YING H/ADM & H/SPJ/ADM/CW
26 MS ONG HUI LENG SYSO1/ADM/CW
27 LOH BOON KOH LT/ME/CW. Currently seconded to MOE
28 MUSTAFAH SAKARAN LT/EC/CW. Currently seconded to MOE
29 MS CHOO NAH NAH SCDS/BSC
30 NG CHYE HWA LT/BVT/AVI
OUTSTANDING FACILITATOR AWARD
S/n Name Designation
1 TAN HONG MING SH/EC/CC
2 MS KAREN LIM KIM ENG SLT-MT/EC/CE
3 YAP SHAU TAT SH/EC/CE
4 MS JENNE FOO YUEH ING SH/BNS/CW
5 LIM WEE LIAN SH/BIT/CW
6 ONG TIAM CHYE SH/EC/CW
7 CHUA KHENG HERN SH/MCE/CW
8 N MORGAYA K NAGAPPAN CER1/CER/CW
9 SIMON LIM HOCK LYE SH/LFS/AVI
INNOVA AWARD
S/n Name Estab Project:
1 CyberLAB ITE College East Sch of EIT CyberLAB Remote Virtual Educational Laboratory
S/n Name Estab Project:
1 SEED ITE College West & EDT Divn iDe'Lite
ExCEL ESTABLISHMENT AWARD
1 ITE COLLEGE CENTRAL (SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING)
2 ITE COLLEGE CENTRAL (STUDENT & ACADEMIC SERVICES DIVISION)
3 ITE COLLEGE EAST (SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING)
4 ITE COLLEGE WEST (SCHOOL OF APPLIED SCIENCE)
5 ITE COLLEGE WEST (SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING)
6 ITE COLLEGE WEST (ADMINISTRATION DIVISION)
7 ASSUMPTION VOCATIONAL INSTITUTE