Reading the ST article regarding PSC chairman Mr Eddie Teo’s eight-page opening letter to school on the selection process for PSC scholarship, evoked the feeling of hope for the future of civil service.
The article showed glimpse of insight onto the ground feeling, that equates obedience and ‘yes’ man as the mandate for staying in civil service. It is heartening to hear that Mr Teo is appalled to hear from a scholarship candidate that he will obey his superior instructions despite possibly contravening policies* due to vested interest, in order to be obedient.
It is even more interesting to hear the subtle encouragement to challenge authority shrewdly and with street-savvyness, through it is uncommon for shrewdness and street-savvyness to be applied in this sense.
This declaration that the public service is not looking for conformists and ‘yes-men’, is a good step forward, but hopefully, the few mavericks is equipped with sufficient Emotional Quotient, that enables him or her to survive without the possible backlash ranging from transposition of credit dues and mistakes committed and bad performance review**, leading to stagnant in salary, additional or impossible workload, and/or assign/transfer to strategically remote post as part of job rotation/career development initiative.
* Depending on the award process, it might or might not contravene policies. However, it is known that in the view of possible vested interest, a tender may be held. And as such, the drafting of the tender requirements may be skewed with shrew justifications provided to ensure the required end result, without contravening any policy.
** Performance review affects merit salary increment and bonuses. Judging by the number of months that this component is based on historical records, I do wonder how much does integrity cost. Ops, I forgot, in research, passion feeds, and in work, integrity feeds.
[...] Yes Man Quota Filled, Looking For Mavericks – Alice Cheong in Wonderland: Give PSC the “real” you? – A L V I N O L O G Y:Quoteworthy – PSC Chairman Eddie Teo – My Singapore News: What the govt is [...]
“Depending on the award process … ”
As long as it is award dependent, integrity can depend happen.
In other words you can always be bribed, or “rewarded” to behave in any way the rewarder wishes, and most likely this rewarder is your boss; and as Churchill puts it, every man has his price.
And do you see the the culture of “The Boss is Right” something than can ever ever go away?
Eddie may say whatever he truly feels, and rightly so, but the world marches on.
[...] Yes Men Quota Filled, Looking For Mavericks – Alice Cheong in Wonderland: Give PSC the “real” you? – A L V I N O L O G Y:Quoteworthy – PSC Chairman Eddie Teo – My Singapore News: What the govt is [...]