Caveat Emptor

https://www.cheerfulegg.com/2017/06/20/nobodys-naturally-good-at-pitching/   No One Is Naturally Good At Pitching June 20, 2017 by Lionel Yeo Lots of people downplay the amount of preparation it takes to achieve something impressive. I was first introduced to this idea by Ramit Sethi in this blog post : That behind every every impressive feat lies a HUGE amount of preparation. You only see the results, but you almost never hear about the hours and hours of grunt work: Situation: Your friend lost 10kg in 3 months and looks amazing He says: “Oh I just watched my diet and exercised more” Reality: He ate chicken breast and steamed broccoli every day, hired a personal trainer, and worked out 5X a week === Situation: Your colleague gave a game-changing idea during a meeting that impressed your boss She says: “ It was just something that popped into my head!” Reality:  She spent 2 hours of pre-reading through the background material, and the last 3 days interviewin

How to prevent dishonesty 1) dishonesty does not necessary sten from cost benefit analysis, or probability of getting caught 2) clear segreGation of duties to prevent conflict of interest 3) personal values - unable to rationalise it 4) precedent of dishonest act, on personal level or organisational culture 5) whistleblowing policy to catch others 6) cultivate a culture of honesty and integrity (signing pledges, constant moral re 7) severe penalties and removal of incentives for cheat 8) periods of stress depletion and fatigue 9) pledge or sign (at start of document) to confirm honesty at all times 10) constant moral reminders 11) supervision

One of my colleagues in ML introduced me to the Toastmaster community. At that point of time, I had heard of this organisation but is sceptical about it at first. The high membership fee (natural barriers of entry) and guest fees, and the unlikelihood of getting slots to speak up had been the major turn-off for me at the onset. Despite my initial apprehension about this community, she promised me to bring me as a guest to Chang Kat Toastmasters free of charge.  The futility of Work life and job hunts are pretty depressing and I largely feel unaccomplished. Everyone has to get drunk on something, otherwise they can't keep going. Since there is no risk or cost of participating, I decided to give it a run. The people around me are seemingly unremarkable. And yet when it is their time to speak, I can see an immediate transformation within them. How the quiet and introverted, can dazzle others with resounding ideas and confidence. And I got hooked. 1) Selling and speaking skills 2