Dear Members and Friends

This Chamber champions selfless, rather than selfish, leadership at all levels of an organisation. We do so because it is the duty of employers to provide a positive workplace culture to facilitate employee engagement and business success. Read on for an article from fellow member Joy Works on a leadership quality that, when consistently practised, is positively transformational.

Have a great week ahead.

Warmest regards
Victor Mills
Chief Executive

The Secret Sauce in Innovation, Memorable Service and Teamwork is…

Empathy. It recently made the cover of “Fast Company”, with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sharing how he has transformed his organisation’s culture with it. Empathy is the first step of design thinking, a process people are flocking to learn to speed up innovation. It enables memorable customer service, reduces conflicts and boosts teamwork. 

There are three kinds of empathy – cognitive empathy where one learns to take the perspectives of others into consideration; emotional empathy where one is tuned in to others’ feelings and compassionate empathy where one is moved to help others. So how can you create a more empathetic culture?

First, show empathy to your employees as their direct bosses and senior leadership. How are their needs tended to? What are their struggles? Do they feel heard and valued? Do you communicate knowing the emotional impact of your words? When empathy is role-modelled every day, employees pick it up more easily.

Second, use training and coaching. There are empathy tools and exercises to support the development of this quality. Start this for those in leadership first.

Third, use science-based selection methods to choose candidates who are strong in qualities like empathy. It can be challenging for some people to develop empathy through training workshops, especially if they are brief. So, from the start, get in people who already have critical soft skills and notice how your business performance improves.

ATA Carnet Seminar: The Passport for Goods, 25 January 2018
Understand how the ATA Carnet works, and how your business can benefit from using it. This half-day seminar will equip participants with all they need to know to apply for and use the ATA Carnet. Read more

The Enterprise Immune System: Using Artificial Intelligence To Detect Cyber Attacks, 7 February 2018
During this lunch-time talk, Mr Max Heinemeyer, Director of Threat Hunting, Darktrace will demonstrate how artificial intelligence is being applied to detect and respond to cyber threats in companies of all sizes and sectors. Read more

C-suite Networking Night: Non-transferable Invitations, 
8 February 2018
Join us for an evening of wines, cold cuts, cheese and canapes as you mingle and enhance your business networks. This event is hosted by fellow member Ashurst ADTLaw and is exclusive to C-suite members. Read more

Singapore’s Fiscal Strategies: Can it overcome current and impending challenges?, 13 February 2018
As a precursor to Budget 2018, Mr Lee Kok Fatt, Executive Director of Future-Moves Group, will share his insights into the underlying principles of Singapore’s fiscal strategies. Read more

Post-Budget Breakfast Talk, 27 February 2018
How will Budget 2018 affect your business? Get all the answers at the Chamber’s annual Post-Budget Breakfast talk. You will hear concise analyses of the key measures, tax changes and policy directions from our expert speakers. Read more

Driving HR Automation, 28 February 2018
C-suite executives and HR Directors and professionals are invited to this CNY Luncheon to gain insights into the latest HR automation trends. Discover how HR automation can result in improved productivity for your teams and better employee engagement. Read more

2018 SICC Awards Ceremony & Gala Dinner, 9 May 2018
Expect a gathering of a high-profile audience comprising business leaders, innovators and thought leaders at the awards ceremony & gala dinner to be held at Marina Bay Sands.  Guest of honour Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) and Second Minister for Defence will grace the event. Read more