The document summarizes the key findings of the Singapore Management Agenda conference held in May 2015. It discusses organizational challenges such as productivity stagnation, excessive workloads, and barriers to innovation. Recruitment and retention were identified as current top people challenges, while succession planning may be most important in the future. Flexible working is desired but faces barriers like a lack of trust and fear of negative career impacts. The closing section describes a facilitated discussion at the conference to further analyze these issues.

2. Programme
8.30 Registration
9.00
Singapore Management Agenda 2015
Michael Jenkins, Chief Executive, Roffey Park
Saradevi, Researcher, Roffey Park
9.30 Key organisational challenges in today’s workplace
10.10 Diving deeper into the top five organisational challenges
11.05 Coffee Break
11.20 Taking action – Open discussion and analysis
11.40
Keynote Speaker: Stephen Jagger, Payroll Hero
How to power up to create an amazing work
environment: the secret to not ignoring HR
technology
12.30 Networking lunch
13.45 Closing remarks

3. Michael Jenkins and Saradevi
May 2015
THE SINGAPORE
MANAGEMENT AGENDA

4. KEY FINDINGS
Organisational challenges
People challenges
Working life

5. INNOVATION AND PRODUCTIVITY
REMAIN KEY

6. Productivity in Singapore is going to flat-line
Forecasts Q1/15 Q2/15 Q3/15 Q4/15 2020 2030 2050 Unit
Singapore
Productivity
111 103 94.59 100 104 104 104
Index
Points
“Singapore Productivity Forecasts are projected using an autoregressive integrated moving
average (ARIMA) model calibrated using our analysts’ expectations. We model the past
behaviour of Singapore productivity using vast amounts of historical data and we adjust the
coefficients of the econometric model by taking into account our analysts’ assessments and
future expectations. This forecast for Singapore was for Saturday, March 28, 2015”.
With thanks toTradingEconomics.com

7. In his May Day message, the Manpower Minister Tan
Chuan-Jin said:
“The labour market is, and will remain, tight as our
local labour force growth slows down towards the
end of this decade…These trends point towards a
future which demands that we grow our economy
with fewer workers and higher productivity”.
From: The Straits Times, Wednesday 29 April 2015
Productivity is crucial to Singapore’s future

8. In his May Day message, PM Lee Hsien-loong said that
Singapore must push ahead with productivity and innovation
or risk compromising wage growth:
“Wages have been rising in the tight labour
market, but this is not sustainable. If productivity
continues to stagnate, after a while so will wages,
which may even fall back”.
From: The Straits Times, 1 May 2015
Top of the News on 1 May 2015

9. Working long hours does not improve
performance and productivity

10. Are we working hard but not smart?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Excessive paperwork and administrative details
Unproductive meetings that are too long and do not achieve
much
Lack of clear goals
Organisational Politics
Heavy workload which leads to burnout
Inadequate communication between staff
Bureaucracy
Inadequate resources and training to do the job
Poor attitude of employees (ie: Distracted by their
handphones, Facebook, taking long coffee and lunch…
Email overload
Person-job mismatch
Open-plan offices
What do you see as the barriers to greater productivity in your organisation?

11. Talent and Productivity
In Singaporean SMEs

12. Workplace stress is rising – how can we
develop resilience in our organisations?

14. Innovation: Engaging hearts and minds are key
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
People's mindsetsLack of time,
energy and
resources to
devote to
innovation
Organisational
culture
Organisational
structure
'Kiasu' syndrome
(Fear of failure, of
'losing out', or
making mistakes)
Confucian cultural
values
What are the barriers to innovation in your organisation?
Base size (n) = 293

15. Base size (n) = 189
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION DOMINATE
CURRENT PEOPLE CHALLENGES
Recruiting the right staff
Retention of key employees
Employee engagement and morale
Managing employee expectations
Career development
Changing the mindset of employees
Increasing workforce productivity
Developing strategic thinking in leaders
Developing emotionally intelligent leaders
Succession planning
Encouraging innovation
Managing the expectations of Gen Y…
Performance management
Managing a multi-generational workforce
Encouraging flexible working
Working across cultures
Increasing workplace diversity
Succession
planning is the top
people challenge
in five years’ time

16. Talent programmes not delivering
HR managers report their
organisation’s talent
programme is successful
Most talent programmes focused on future
leaders – should we be turning attention to
other more technical, but equally valued
staff?

17. Talent Dilemmas

18. Employees are less clear on their manager’s
ability to articulate a strategic vision

19. If leaders do not model organisational values
- how can they engage their teams?

20. Present Leaders Are The Only
Ones We Follow Wholeheartedly

22. Greater flexibility at work is desired

23. Top barriers to flexible working
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Lack of trust between employer and employee
A 'face-time' culture
Abuse of policies
Excessive workload
Manager scepticism
Fear of loss of productivity
Perceived difficulty with supervision of employees on…
Fear of being perceived as less serious about one's…
Fear of negative career consequences (ie: termination,…
Lack of appropriate IT equipment and infrastructure
Fear of colleagues' resentment
Costs of policies that facilitate flexible working (ie:…
Unaware of flexi-work policies
Costs of setting up IT equipment
There are no barriers
Don't know
Base size (n) = 294

25. Facilitated table discussion

26. Questions