Another Week Beyond – 2204

Dear friends,

Since the start of the year, I have been sharing about our staff activities. Our commitment to decision making by consent, non-violent communication and encountering our failures. So, I thought that I will round off the month with today’s sharing in similar vein.

The core purpose of our performance appraisal exercise is to facilitate team success, personal accountability, and professional development.   I believe many people development professionals would not disagree with this, but they would add that it also an exercise to recognise and reward high performing employees.  So, regardless of whether there is a financial reward or not, we hope   that my colleagues and I will leave the exercise feeling appreciated for what we have done well, and with a realistic to-do list for addressing areas we could do better.

For this to happen, we envision authentic and respectful conversations that acknowledge both strengths and areas of improvement for the person in focus. The conversation should also help the focus person to develop and consent to an improvement plan. This sounds logical and fair but no matter how we explain it, performance appraisals tend to be tense affairs. As my senior colleagues and I reflected on how to keep conversations safe and on point, we identified that the scoring on the form usually started a debate and hindered meaningful dialogue.  We observed that in respond to a scoring system, those being appraised are likely to approach the exercise in one or a combination of 3 different ways.

Firstly, some would confidently rate themselves highly and then start defending their own assessment. Then, there would be those who believe that they have done their job adequately and would be quite happy just to be regarded as good enough to keep their job. They will be grateful for compliments or any form of compensation that come their way and generally will be quite relieved when the exercise ends. Finally, there will be the “hard-raters” who feel that they could have done better.  

This observation was not a criticism of   these behaviours and certainly not of the people who adopted them, but it helped us conclude that a score was an obstacle to meaningful conversation. Our appraisal exercise will now separate the scoring from the conversation, and we also realised that for a meaningful conversation, the focus person should also invite feedback from team-mates who work closely with them.

So, we will be having our performance review conversations in a circle where people take turns to  give and receive feedback as allies, and with kindness, honesty, and self-responsibility.  Self-responsibility means the focus person will start the conversation to share what he or she has done well and in a following round, his or her as areas of improvement. After receiving feedback from others, the focus person will reflect to everyone else what he or she has heard and understood. The circle will then suggest possible areas of improvement that the focus person can take steps to improve. These steps will make for an improvement plan that seeks the focus person’s consent.

So far, I have sat in 3 circles and am really heartened that that my colleagues have told me that the process is really sensible and practical. I pray that my feedback will always be generous and seasoned with grace.

May we always have the strength to be generous, kind, and honest.

Sincerely,

Gerard

PAST AWB POSTS

2443 – Why Do You Work?

I was visiting Meelah, a resident who has led food drives and many social activities to enhance the wellbeing of her neighbours.   I listened intently, as she expressed her concern for families that would require assistance. I was   touched that she continued to keep track of so many lives in spite of her own declining health. She donned on the new spectacles she had recently afforded and checked her reflection using her phone before looking at me expectantly for a response. “How? I look like a teacher or not?” She exclaimed while tucking some strands of hair behind her ears.

Read More »

2442 – It Starts with “Hello”

Every morning, like clockwork, four-year-old Lisa (not her real name) stops by her neighbour’s flat on her way to preschool. She stands at the gate, waiting patiently to say “Hello” to the elderly man who lived there. Known for his stern demeanour and habit of scolding noisy children, this Uncle wasn’t someone most would approach. At first, he ignored her. Undeterred, she stands there, day after day, offering her simple greeting. Then one day, something changed. The Uncle returned her greeting. Soon after, they began sharing quiet moments – sitting together, eating biscuits, and watching TV —always under the watchful

Read More »

2441 – Looking for Treasure not Dirt

As a community worker, I knock on doors to introduce myself and to explore how residents may contribute toward the wellbeing of their neighbourhood.  By chatting with them, I discover their talents, aspirations and values. Of course, not everyone talks to me when I knock but it is always so rewarding when they do. Last week, I met 98-year-old Madam Wong and her son who is in his 70s. I learnt that Madam Wong shares her art and craft skills with the older residents in her community.  What she enjoys doing most and is really good at is “weaving” together

Read More »

2440 – Leading the Charge for Change

For years, the residents of a public rental block in Yishun struggled with unsanitary rubbish disposal, bird-feeding, and littering from open windows. As tensions mounted, frustration could have easily divided the community. But instead, a group of proactive volunteers decided to address the issue themselves, determined to improve their living environment—not just for themselves, but for everyone in the neighbourhood. These volunteers initiated a series of conversations with their neighbours where residents openly expressed their frustrations and shared personal stories. “It doesn’t feel good to come home from work after a long day to a living environment that is unhygienic,”

Read More »

2439 – The Strength of Community

“One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn’t as individuals.” – Jean Vanier Our work is grounded in an approach known as Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD). ABCD is a relationship-driven, strengths-based approach that focuses on identifying and mobilizing often overlooked community assets for sustainable development. During this year’s Youth Appreciation Day, we experienced firsthand the power of Gifts, Relationships, and Care (GRC), core principles of ABCD. GRC reminds us that everyone holds unique gifts — skills, strengths, and lived experiences. When shared within the framework of

Read More »

2438 – A Game Changer

A Game Changer Submitted by: Adrian, Community Worker During a community gathering in April, along with the spread of food on the table, a robust serving of soccer talk was served up. This is a topic that energized the youth who were present. Their excitement wasn’t just about the game; they were eager to form a proper soccer team. So enthusiastic were they, that that very evening, the Bukit Ho Swee Soccer programme was born. Our first training session took place at an outdoor court that was well-maintained and ideal for practice, but it was too far away. The commute

Read More »

2437 – A House is not a Home

By Pei Ling, Community Worker What is a home to you? Is it just a place filled with your stuff? Where you store your sofa, TV, bed, clothes?   These are questions we ask ourselves as we walk along the corridors of the small flats in the neighbourhoods we serve. We catch glimpses of everyday life along these corridors – mismatched footwear, potted plants, toys scattered about, and front doors of various colours – some freshly painted, some faded. Inside, some of these flats have varying degrees of stuff, but they most certainly hold more than that. For each is Home

Read More »

2436 – Small Fortune, Big Friends

By Jie Min & Marlina, Community Workers We were in conversation with 9 mothers who dreamed of having their own home-based business to alleviate their financial challenges. 3 of them had already started baking, cooking and catering from home for small events while the rest were just very interested in exploring how they could get started. Hence, we thought that inviting them to manage a booth at Parking Day, an upcoming community event on Saturday, 14 September 2024, would be a good hands-on learning experience especially for those who have never hawked their wares.  There was much excitement and enthusiasm

Read More »

PAST AWB POSTS

2443 – Why Do You Work?

I was visiting Meelah, a resident who has led food drives and many social activities to enhance the wellbeing of her neighbours.   I listened intently, as she expressed her concern for families that would require assistance. I was   touched that she continued to keep track of so many lives in spite of her own declining health. She donned on the new spectacles she had recently afforded and checked her reflection using her phone before looking at me expectantly for a response. “How? I look like a teacher or not?” She exclaimed while tucking some strands of hair behind her ears.

Read more >

2442 – It Starts with “Hello”

Every morning, like clockwork, four-year-old Lisa (not her real name) stops by her neighbour’s flat on her way to preschool. She stands at the gate, waiting patiently to say “Hello” to the elderly man who lived there. Known for his stern demeanour and habit of scolding noisy children, this Uncle wasn’t someone most would approach. At first, he ignored her. Undeterred, she stands there, day after day, offering her simple greeting. Then one day, something changed. The Uncle returned her greeting. Soon after, they began sharing quiet moments – sitting together, eating biscuits, and watching TV —always under the watchful

Read more >

2441 – Looking for Treasure not Dirt

As a community worker, I knock on doors to introduce myself and to explore how residents may contribute toward the wellbeing of their neighbourhood.  By chatting with them, I discover their talents, aspirations and values. Of course, not everyone talks to me when I knock but it is always so rewarding when they do. Last week, I met 98-year-old Madam Wong and her son who is in his 70s. I learnt that Madam Wong shares her art and craft skills with the older residents in her community.  What she enjoys doing most and is really good at is “weaving” together

Read more >