Friday, October 30, 2009

How to mess up without even trying!




My team recently visited a brand new hospital in the US, reconstructed with many hundred of millions of dollars after an earthquake. Even though there were many things that we could learn from the hospital, I was distracted.

I was distracted because I was disappointed by the lack of ownership and lack of attention to details by staff members throughout the hospital. They carelessly plaster signs on the wall, leave trash along the corridor and left random scratches on the walls as they moved supplies through the corridors.

As a result, even though the hospital is very new, it looks old, worn and shabby. What a waste! I also observed that staff of the hospital did not even try to correct the problems that have become so obvious. Perhaps, they told themselves, "if my colleagues don't care, why should I?"- worst still "if my bosses don't care, why should I?"

My team and I are currently planning the new Jurong General Hospital. What I saw in the US cannot, must not and will not repeat in JGH. I am creating this expectation now.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

In the moment that you think you can't, you'll discover that you can... that's the power of the DREAM

The Power of the Dream was the theme song of the 1996 Olympics at Atlanta.

That year, I was in the US pursuing my MBA, but sadly what I could remember of the Olympics was the bombing that took place. I missed the significance and the magic of this song that was sung at the opening by Celine Dion and at the closing by a 10th grader and hundreds of other students.

Tonight, on Facebook I was introduced to this song again. I listened to it twice and peered into the lyrics and found it so powerful. I especially liked this

"There's so much strength in all of us
Every woman child and man
It's the moment that you think you can't
You'll discover that you can"

There are many moments that we think we can't, people others around us say we can't but where we hold a dream, it's like what the song says "you'll discover that you can!!"

As I am writing this note, my daughter Brittney came into my room and I introduced her to this song using a video clip of celine dion's performance on Youtube. As we followed the lyrics of the song, I told her that if she has a dream of who she wants to be, she'll discover that she can. She looked me in the eye and said "Yes!" ... a moment that money cannot buy!

I am also personally encouraged by this song. The journey to set up Jurong General Hospital (JGH) is both exciting and daunting. Our vision is to create a new future for Singapore healthcare from ground up - new infrastructure, new people, new culture - to care for our Patients. There are many who said (and continue to say) that this is hard, and sometimes we too think that it is hard. BUT, guided by the possibility of co-creating a new future, our team of pioneers keep holding to our DREAM, and we will discover that we CAN!!

For the rest of us, it is my wish that your dream too will come true because you choose to believe in the strength of "I Can!" and the "One thing" that matters!

Enjoy the full lyrics of this song...

Deep within each heart
There lies a magic spark
That lights the fire of our imagination
And since the dawn of man
The strenght of just "I can"
Has brought together people of all nations

There’s nothing ordinary
In the living of each day
There’s a special part
Every one of us will play

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
As the world gives us its best
To stand apart from all the rest
It is the power of the dream that brings us here

Your mind will take you far
The rest is just pure heart
You’ll find your fate is all your own creation
Every boy and girl
As they come into this world
They bring the gift of hope and inspiration

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
The world unites in hope and peace
We pray that it will always be
It is the power of the dream that brings us here

There’s so much strength in all of us
Every woman child and man
It’s the moment that you think you can’t
You’ll discover that you can

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
The world unites in hope and peace
We pray that it will always be
It is the power of the dream that brings us here

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
The world unites in hope and peace
We pray that it will always be
It is the power of the dream that brings us

The power of the dream
The faith in things unseen
The courage to embrace your fear
No matter where you are
To reach for your own star
To realize the power of the dream
To realize the power of the dream