NU 12: New Attitude / Paradigm: Less is More

Ateneo Innovation and Entrepreneurship "New ideas create more and better new products and services; create more wealth."

New attitude / paradigm: Less is More by Crissy Cruz

How important is it to be always online?

Over the last 15 years, the internet has taken over the lives of many. Indeed, it has vast advantages and has brought us a lot of conveniences that have been unimaginable several decades earlier. Without the internet to support our everyday tasks, I don’t know if some people will be able to function well. Slow internet or even worse, zero internet can be considered as one of the top first world pains.

However, it seems like spending too much time online has already taken a toll on me. There’s too much unnecessary information cluttered in social networking sites. I use facebook and twitter to be updated about people that matter, but then again you can’t help but be distracted or hooked with information that are toxic or trivial. You get to see glimpses of everyday lives of other people, where they went, what they ate, what are they planning to do next. Until when do I have to be concerned with an acquaintance’s more detailed life plan? Do I really need to know that my elementary classmate had beef teriyaki for lunch? How many ultrasound photos of expecting mothers do I have to endure on my newsfeed?

I guess there comes to a point when social networking sites can drive you to be anti-social.

In a recent trip in Hong Kong, one of the things I noticed among the people is their inherent attachment to their cellphones and other gadgets. I rode a train during rush hour and never did I hear a casual chatter among the commuters. Everyone was glued to their phones. The worst happens when groups of people eat and share a meal together but they never talk to each other. Instead, everyone’s too busy answering a text, posting a photo, or signing into some location.

How can we be so connected and yet disconnected at the same time? Studies have also shown that the use of Social Networking Sites does not ease loneliness at all.

I am not trying to say that the internet is evil or nor do I perceive it as a tool that destroys humanity and all that is good in it. However it seems that now more than ever, real relationships are harder to maintain and the real identity of individuals are harder to distinguish. We take for granted spending time with other people face to face and we depend so much on the voices of the majority. What matters is whatever is “trending”.

Ayn Rand wrote in the Fountainhead that “Every form of happiness is private. Our greatest moments are personal, self-motivated, not to be touched".  With all the sea of posts I encounter everyday, these lines written in the 1940’s makes so much sense. It makes me want to hold back and re-think what information I want to share with the rest of the world. Less can be more. 3

NU 12 Part 2 by Crissy Cruz

Serendipity walk: Ayala Ave. Makati

·      A pay per use portable toilets

·      A pay per use Charging station

·      Water and drink stations for commuters

·      Bicycles for rent

·      Newspaper Stand

·      Snack Stand

·      MRT and bust tickets stand for commuters

·      Lotto Stand

·      Daycare center

·      Bakery

·      Coffee to go stall

·      Package counter stand where people can leave things and pick up again later 3

What pisses you off at the mall? What do you suggest?: Erasing Long Lines

Malls have evolved into becoming more than just a place to shop for everyday needs. It is now a place of convenience where all services can be found. More than just a place for entertainment and shopping, it can now provide a venue to avail of medical services, attend Eucharistic celebrations, conduct business transactions thru banks.

Due to the convenience it provides, most malls here in metro manila suffer from over population especially during weekends and special sales.

Customers have to endure long lines in the restrooms and during paying the cashier. To eliminate the long lines inside rest rooms especially for the women, I suggest the mall to provide a separate restroom for women with children and the elderly. They can also create a unisex bathroom in some areas of the mall.

For the long lines in the cashiers, I suggest some malls to do a check out counter that will allow buyers to pay via credit or debit cards and pack their shopping bags on their own. Malls can also implement cashless transactions wherein people would buy prepaid cards that would allow them to purchase in any store within the mall. For example, SM would have an SM card that can be reloaded and be used for any purchases made inside any SM store.  4

What pisses you off at the neighborhood? What do you suggest?: Parking Solutions for the local Baranggay

Traffic and parking management is one of the biggest challenges of local neighborhoods in Metro Manila. Some residents don't have enough space within their own lots and are forced to park their vehicles along the streets. This causes congestion along the street making it difficult for moving cars to pass by. On the other hand, this also poses danger to vehicle owners who are leaving their cars in an unsecured location.

A possible solution is the creation of a secured multi level parking facility by local government units. This will be initially funded by the local government while residents will be charged a minimal fee in order to maintain the parking facility.

The local government can also issue stricter restrictions regarding street parking in order to control the number of vehicles that can park at any given time. They should specify which places they are allowed to park. On the other hand, only residents of the neighborhood should also be allowed to park overnight to avoid congested streets. 3

What pisses you off in your office/ What do you think must be done? Improving Personal Relations in the office

 Currently, there's not much interaction between the different departments outside of work. People don't personally know the people from other departments even though we are relatively small company with a total workforce of just below 200.

                       

  The HR and admin department should develop none-work activities that  would enable the employees from the different departments to interact more with their peers and get to know them outside of the office in order to encourage better working relations among the workforce. Sponsoring     simple activities such as badminton tournaments, aerobics classes, cooking lessons, DVD nights once a month will go a long way in improving tensions and working relations among different departments. An   immersion program can also be implemented that will allow office employees for example to do field work and try selling the product themselves.

           

 The HR department can also start an internal blog with weekly updates featuring different employees. I highly recommend that the company implement an HR portal wherein they can make the HR department more accessible to the employees. 4

 What pisses you off at school? What must be done?: Ebooks for school

 Each AGSB subject has a main textbook which is required by teachers for students to purchase. Unfortunately, only printed copies of the book can be bought in AGSB. This becomes burdensome for students to bring their bulky textbooks to class especially for those who are just commuting.

 With the proliferation of tablets and E-Readers it would be more convenient for students to use E-Books. Given this I would suggest for AGSB would to start selling E-book versions of reference materials and textbooks.

 E-books are very handy, environmental friendly and economical. In line with the E-books, I also suggest for each subject to have an online portal in which old students can refer to after graduating. In this portal, updated references and relevant course materials can be accessed to help the student be refreshed regarding the fundamentals of the course.  3

NU 12a Part by Crissy Cruz (4 ideas)

New attitude / paradigm: Everyday Positivity

            A new attitude that I want to develop is the idea of positivity and gratitude. A lot of times, we can be stuck with all the negativity and disappointments we encounter in work, family and school. Failure is inevitable in whatever field you are in. Everyday we see imperfections in a lot of the things that we do and the things that other people do. Rather than complain, I feel that I need to develop patience and optimism when things don't go as I planned it to be. We are surrounded by "First World Pains", little nuances of life that seems to be blown out of proportion as reflected in everyone's posts in facebook and twitter. We forget that as much as we are struggling day to day, there are a lot of things to be thankful for. Difficult clients, problematic officemates, stressful deadlines, horrendous traffic all make life seem like a living misery but in fact all we are experiencing are just small inconveniences. There's food on the table, family to share stories with, grateful customers and people who appreciate our efforts. Isn't making someone else's life a little bit easier a fulfillment on it's own? As aspiring entrepreneurs, we need to learn how to enjoy the little things, appreciate whatever silver lining is left on a bad day. There is no better day than today to start spreading positive vibes and an attitude of gratitude.

To maintain the positive vibes I suggest the following practices:

1.    List 3 good things that happened in the day.

2.    Plan a short trip and a long one for the year. Travel does wonders for the soul.

3.    Volunteer for a good cause.

4.    Read a new book that will expand your experiences

5.    Enroll in a new class and take up a new hobby. Being out of your comfort zone and do new things can encourage a new appreciation in every day experiences.

New spending habits / routine: Travel Tips

One of my biggest luxuries in life is to travel. I love going to new places and trying out different things.  However, I realized that I should develop new travel habits in order to maximize the experience. When traveling to a new place, here's a list of new things I plan to do:

•        Be an observer – Observe any unusual habits by the locals. Be keen on how they organize things within the city.
•        Travel Light –I am guilty of bringing things that are unnecessary in fear of any emergencies that may arise. It's perfectly okay to be a boy scout and be ready however carrying a big bag will tire you out easily and make travelling more stressful.
•         Skip the Pasalubong Shopping – Pasalubong shopping can be burdensome. Instead of finding the cheapest place to buy goods to bring back home, spend more time immersing yourself to local shops that might be pricier than tourist shopping spots but will give you more unique finds.
•         Get lost – Hiring a guided tour ensures that you get to see the most popular places around. However it is a very different experience going to places with just a map in your hand. It might be risky but getting it done right is really fulfilling.
•         Shop in places that are not in your country – Shop where the locals go. Indulge in something a little more expensive that will last longer than buying something that will bring more volume but will break easily.
•        Eat the unexpected – Eat out of your comfort zone and try new delicacies that can't be found in restaurants in your own country.
•         Take photos and blog about it – Preserving and sharing your experiences with others are a good way to also get feedback from other people who already visited the place. In that way you can improve your experience the next time you visit that particular locale.
•         Be on the lookout for business ideas – Check out local stores and unique business concepts that you may apply back home.  3

Professionalism – new work, methods, practices: Pushing Productivity

            I am good at multi tasking by nature. However, it seems like multi tasking has led me to be more unproductive at times. Considering all the "urgent" requirements needed at work it can really be a bit overwhelming to determine which task is really a top priority.  Other than prioritizing tasks, I have also reflected on the work habits that I need to improve on.  To make things more efficient, here are some work practices and habits I listed which I plan to implement:

a.    Assign an "email time" – Set a specific time for reading and replying to emails. Reply right away to emails and don't leave anything behind. By following a schedule on handling emails, this will allow you to focus on other tasks during the rest of your working hours.

b.    Start early – Coming to work 30 minutes before the official start of the working day will allow you to do all the small things that eat up time like preparing coffee, going to bathroom, buying a snack.

c.     Apply "FIFO" – As much as possible do things by applying the FIFO – First in First Out Method. In this way, you will be able to keep your timelines.

d.    Move to another place – If permissible in the workplace, change your seats every now and then. Being out of your comfort zone and switching atmospheres may boost your enthusiasm to be more productive

e.    Say no to Social Networks – Social Networks are addictive and eat up a lot time without you noticing it.

f.      Clean the Work Station – A clean desk helps to boost mind clarity and focus. Putting some plant or a colorful picture to brighten the dull uniform workspace is also helpful in perking up what could be a stressful day in the office.

g.    Eat Healthy – Diet can greatly affect productivity. Too much sugar and junk food can make you feel sluggish. Eat light but filling snacks that help you sustain your energy through out the day.  3

New processes at work, study: Developing a Creative Workforce

            Ironically, during scheduled planning sessions, ideas are hard to come by. I find that most suggestions are trite and mediocre at best. I realized that a creative mentality among the workforce is very hard to develop. Coming up with out of the box ideas may be hard to come by especially when you're confined in enclosed spaces that restrain rather than encourage the energy of people. Developing a creative minded workforce is important to enhance problem solving skills. To train employees to have a creative mindset I suggest the following practices to be implemented in the workplace:

1.             Assign a book or a reading material to the group – It is important to feed the mind with new insights and perspectives. Reading journals or books relating to their field of practice will encourage them to learn new methods.

2.             Present practices of other companies – Looking into how other companies work may give the employees an idea on how they can apply unique practices in other industries in what they are doing.

3.             Show and Tell session – Create regular sessions that will encourage employees to share a new discovery about work and personal life.

4.             Encourage art, personal expression on how to design an employees' own workspace – Personalizing the workspace helps the employees feel more comfortable inside the office.

5.             Go on a field trip – Doing field work for office based employees will help them understand better the customers and how their work affects the company's products and services.  4

New products / product improvements: Packaging Improvements

New packaging for Medicine Bottles

In order to save, our family buys large bottles of vitamins that are shared by each member of the family.  However, the problem with large containers is that it makes it extremely difficult for people to get capsules inside the container especially with the narrow bottle opening. I suggest that the pharmaceutical companies include small tongs that would make getting sticky capsules out of the bottle easier especially for old people. I also suggest if instead of a large bell jar t, they can create a rectangular box packaging that will make it easier for customers to take out the sticky capsules.

Enhanced Packaging for Condiments

I hope manufacturers can develop a joint packaging for fish sauce (patis), soy sauce (toyo), and vinegar (suka). Similar to what mothers use for baby formula wherein it is individually packed in one bottle, it would be good for soy sauce, vinegar and fish sauce to be packed as one product. This is best especially for people who don't really cook but would like to have small amounts of the condiments at home. Also, this would be very convenient for families who would go on out of town trips or short picnics who doesn't want to bring large plastics and bottles of condiments. Aside from the typical toyo, patis and suka, it would also be good to have a variety of condiments in combined packages like sweet and sour sauce and bagoong. 4

New Business ideas: Drive Thru Grocery Stores

I would like to explore the idea of establishing a drive thru grocery store. This is perfect for busy people who are on the go and would not want to go down from their cars just to pick up a few items.  Most of the time, the hassle of looking for parking and lining up a cashier just to get a few items from the grocery store after work can be very inconvenient.

Each customer will be allowed to purchase a maximum of only 3 items to ensure that the line will be fast. These 3 items will be limited to goods that can be packed in one bag.  Bulky items will not be allowed to be purchased via drive thru. 

 Orders will be taken thru a voice over machine while payment will be processed on a second window where only debit cards will be accepted to shorten the payment processing. A cashless transaction will lower manpower requirements and will cut the time spent on processing a payment shorter. A third window will be in charge of handing over their orders to a customer. 4