Yesterday, I shared the course notes on Singapore's good governance, and today I had the opportunity to have dinner with the teacher, Mr. Yang, who gave the lecture, and I learned a lot.
There were two very interesting points:
The first point is about adhering to choices and adapting flexibly.
For example, Singapore basically follows British legislation, including three basic principles:
Presumption of innocence The burden of proof lies with the prosecution. The benefit of doubt goes to the defendant.
Basically, all laws abide by these three principles. But there are sometimes exceptions.
One exception is corruption. For example, if an official is involved in corruption, as long as there is a prima facie case, the official must prove their innocence. I guess this might be related to the core principle of political parties, which is to maintain integrity and eliminate corruption.
Another exception is consumer protection. If three or more consumers object to a merchant's product, even without concrete evidence, the merchant will be required to issue a refund. It is said that when this policy was first introduced, Lee Hsien Loong disagreed because it did not align with Singapore's legal principles. However, Professor Yang emphasized two points: first, if consumers were required to provide evidence, the likelihood of proving their claims would be low; secondly, consumer protection measures only involve terminating transactions or reversing them (refunding money), without any administrative penalties. As a result, the rule was eventually implemented.
Since Singapore is a small country, it needs to adhere to principles even more firmly. This includes: sending clear signals to ensure supporters are not confused; being consistent and avoiding sudden shifts or changes; being respected but not necessarily liked; refusing to handle issues frivolously; sharing benefits equally without depriving people of their rightful living conditions; striving for success and never compromising.
For the same reason, there also needs to be an understanding of when flexibility can be applied while adhering to principles. This is a pragmatic reform: if feasible, implement resolutely; if not feasible, make changes.
This balance requires wisdom, and feels similar to our entrepreneurial experience. We need to clarify which principles must be upheld, while also understanding which areas require flexible adjustments in practical situations. Sometimes, if principles aren't emphasized, the team might become too loose, and if principles are overemphasized, it could limit creativity and flexibility. Therefore, on the basis of ensuring methodology, how to maintain flexibility when addressing specific business issues still requires our continuous improvement and exploration.
The second point is about effective communication and mass outreach.
Lee Kuan Yew believed that the core capabilities of leadership include:
Moral character Spirit of dedication Ability Communication
After having all the capabilities, the biggest problem is communication, especially communication with the public. Conveying the purpose and implementing policies are the keys.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong emphasized their communication efforts before introducing casinos. He pointed out that before the introduction of casinos, the government took active measures to communicate with the public through extensive anti-gambling campaigns and gambling addiction treatment programs. This communication effort aimed to raise public awareness of the risks of gambling and provide necessary support and rehabilitation opportunities for those addicted to gambling. The government ensured that individuals could seek treatment without fear of social or legal consequences. Overall, the Singaporean government communicated thoroughly and built trust before introducing casinos.
Mass communication is indispensable in the policy-making process. In the continuous improvement process, it is not only necessary for every civil servant to understand the philosophy behind the implementation of policies, but also effectively convey this information to the people so they can understand the purpose and rationality of the policies. This "effective communication" needs to follow the following four principles:
It should be simple and understandable It should be clear and explicit It should be reasonable and logical, convincing to the people Should start from the relevant audience
In the process of entrepreneurship, we continuously strive to ensure that the team has a clear understanding of the company's goals and methods. Sometimes, we may overly assume that the team already understands everything, but in reality, their understanding might deviate significantly from expectations. At other times, we might believe that the initial communication was clear enough, but as time goes on, we may discover deviations from the original plan. Therefore, ongoing communication and alignment are very necessary.
Thus, it is necessary to constantly use different approaches to communicate and coordinate with team members from various responsibilities to ensure that everyone is moving in the same direction.