[About this blog] Inspired by local soccer player Mike Lim during my rookie reporter days at Singapore Polytechnic, I set up this blog in August 2002. I feel that blogging is a novel platform to document interesting facets of my life and my thoughts on certain issues. [Email blogger] ephraim@singnet.com.sg

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

[Goal Setting]
You raise an interesting point. All armies run on tight discipline so that the fighting units become like machines. To instil this discipline, soldiers are drilled - stand by bed, parade square bashing, and other seemingly mindless activities.

But we are not machine parts and each person has his own strengths and weakenesses. The Israelis have psychologists in every unit and squadron so that every individual is carefully profiled - who is the risk taker, who the skeptic, who is calm, who is nervous, and so on. They try to fit square pegs into square holes. This can make the difference between life and death.

Then, which is the point you raise, is how we motivate the individual within the larger framework. An inspired individual has a much higher productivity than one who is not. Goal-setting definitely helps and the SAF should allow more room for this. For the SAF, the overriding mission is the defence of Singapore. Everything else, IPPT, NDP, are just means to an end. If your recommendations show a clear understanding of the mission, they will be well-received.

16 Comments:

Blogger Whispers from the heart said...

Understanding the mission of the larger framework is not quite the same as identifying with it.

If one does not set out on the right footing, I doubt goal setting would help very much?

Recently, the blogoshpher resonates with discussions on what is loyalty. What is citizenship?

Mr Yeo, what are your views?

Thursday, September 07, 2006 7:49:00 am

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hi, Mr Yeo.
Previously you had said that "All armies run on tight discipline "
I agree that the SAF are training soldiers through disipline too. However,in the recent news, it reported that there are several 'Videoclips of NSmen clowning around' (sept 3,2006).
Since cameras are not permitted in camp, this would mean that the NSmen are getting bolder and less disiplined. Aside from disipline, these clips show a security breach. Furthermore, recent news have been showing soldiers from SAF are dying due to some medical problems or drowning. All these cases have caused a concern to me or perhaps to the SAF. Do you think the Mindef rules must be strengthened? or perhaps youngsters these days are simply too hard to be disiplined?

Thursday, September 07, 2006 9:16:00 am

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"to instil tight discipline..soldiers have to be drilled in seemingly mindless actvities"..but the issue is to what extent? IS this no different from orientation camp that university seniors who make the freshman go through "seemingly mindless activties" to whip them into shape and discipline them?and to let them earn that "badge of honors" so they in turn can "tekan" the new batch that arrives.

Thursday, September 07, 2006 9:54:00 am

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

One should also point out that just because one has a higher rank or has gone through OCS, doesn't mean that that person has leadership qualities.

I'm sure Mr. Yeo knows why I say so.

kwokheng

Thursday, September 07, 2006 11:52:00 am

 
Blogger Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

Thursday, September 07, 2006 12:58:00 pm

 
Blogger Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

Coincidentally, Mr Yeo, I have just written something about NS which may interest you. Click here. This is Part 1 of a series I plan to do.

My blog is one of Singapore's most popular & widely-read blogs for the serious discussion of current issues. If you genuinely wish to engage Singaporeans on the Internet, then I have an open invitation for you to contribute your articles to my blog. Do think about it. Certainly you should visit and explore my blog first to see if you feel comfortable.

I'm contactable here: mrwangsaysso@gmail.com

Thursday, September 07, 2006 1:01:00 pm

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

there is no evidence that the person who posted in the name of george yeo is whoever the george yeo you may have in mind.

The only way to verify is for this george yeo to take a picture of himself holding a placard with these words "????". How, george? Can?

Thursday, September 07, 2006 2:02:00 pm

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I fully agree with harry lee. Who can really know that George Yeo is the real one. It is very easy to pretend to be someone in the internet.

Thursday, September 07, 2006 2:25:00 pm

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

wait- the only place where BG Yeo's identity cannot be verified is the comments page, not the blog itself. Hopefully.

Thursday, September 07, 2006 9:33:00 pm

 
Blogger Joseph Chiang said...

i doubt the identity of the george yeo here. if anyone can register himself as harry lee, what makes you think he cannot register himself as george yeo.

what we need is proof.

Thursday, September 07, 2006 10:49:00 pm

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

People, do you know Blogger works? If you think this is a fraud, why don't you try to post a post (not a comment) on this blog, and call yourself Goh Chok Tong? I don't think you can do it.

A few posts earlier, photos of BG George Yeo have already been posted, obviously to demonstrate that he is who is is. Of course, you can raise further questions (yadda yadda photoshop yadda yadda photoshop) but seriously ... why would Ephraim bother?

Friday, September 08, 2006 1:57:00 am

 
Blogger Joseph Chiang said...

anonymous, ok i take your word for it and believe you.

on second thought, i realised that the pap being pap, if he is not the real george yeo, the real george yeo or the press secretary of pap would have come out trying to sue the psuedo george.

i'm just curious, that's all.

Friday, September 08, 2006 9:35:00 am

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

NDP is a means to the defence of Singapore? Doesn't quite sound like the output of a celeberal thinker, does it? One can see it coming now - SAF will issue iPods loaded up with nationalistic songs to inspire the troops charging into gunfire. Hey, one clown in parliament did actually propose conducting IPPT in the aircon comfort of the SAFRA gym.

Friday, September 08, 2006 10:08:00 am

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

psychological defence, jackie.

-angeline

Saturday, September 09, 2006 12:27:00 am

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Only a woman will think so, whom even crying is a psychological defence.

Saturday, September 09, 2006 1:58:00 pm

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

So is attaining ISO in the SAF units a means to an end too?

I have always felt it strange that SAF units strive for ISO accrediation. That's more for businesses and factories!

A means to an end? But then they take it very seriously! More so than the mission itself! That's what I have observed.

Sunday, September 10, 2006 12:38:00 am

 

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