Punishment for not reciting "apothegm"

[Jamie J]

The following letter was sent yesterday to all Hong Kong Airlines and Hong Kong Express staff (this is no joke):

Dear All Colleagues,
Re : Corporate Culture
As the members of Hong Kong Airlines and Hong Kong Express, all staff should familiar with the CORPORATE CULTURE. Staff members are requested to study the following apothegm thoroughly and apply it in daily life.

Harmony is the basis for collective prosperity;
Perseverance is the rule to sturdy progress;
Careful recipe is the best medicine to health;
Forgiveness is most needed in dispute;
Kindliness to youth endows the superior with virtue;
Diligence leads research to accession of knowledge;
Sincerity is the fundamental in daily life;
Modesty is the best policy in human relationship;
Preparation avoids needles drudgery;
Prudence remains essential in conducting business.

According to the company policy, all staff should keep firmly in mind the apothegm. Human Resources Department will follow up with the colleagues regarding on the practice of apothegm after 2-3 weeks and Management will conduct the random spot check after a month. Please be reminded that Department Head should have the responsibility to ensure his/her subordinates to understand the CORPORATE CULTURE. Please note that punishment will be given to those who could not recite the apothegm.

I always wondered what an "apothegm" was!

Any suggestions as to what the punishment might be?

[Frogman1484]

That's funny

[Freehills]

Preparation avoids needles drudgery

They've got you darning your own uniforms now?

[greenslopes]

Gee I didn't know colleagues was discriminatory ...just as well the memo was opened with "Dear All Colleagues" !

Has a real Feng Shui feel to it.
Must be great to work in HK where memo's like this originate.

Reminds me of those directions with Christmas presents of the 70's where the instructions were translated from Chinese and something seemed to be lost in translation.

[hongkongfooey]

I notice half way down the apothegm, the letters are F K D, which aptly describes both the people that run the ( I use the term loosely ) airline and the airline itself.

Punishment, mmmmm, lets see, maybe random UPL, or being the lowest paid 737 drivers in the world, Oh, thats right, they are already doing that
Maybe then, no chance to move onto the 330s, yes, thats it

[moonbug]

Decoding the HKA/HKE apothegm

1. Harmony is the basis for collective prosperity;
- Dont cause trouble during cutbacks, management bonuses may be affected.
2. Perseverance is the rule to sturdy progress;
- Continuosly kiss the correct butt and a promotion will happen.
3.Careful recipe is the best medicine to health;
- Avoid **** food, it prevents the runs.
4.Forgiveness is most needed in dispute;
- Forgiveness is cheaper than a court case. Do remember HKA/HKE is broke.
5.Kindliness to youth endows the superior with virtue;
- Harassement of youthful FAs by superiors is a demonstration of kindness.
6.Diligence leads research to accession of knowledge;
- Learn this apothegm to attain the great wisdom possessed by management.
7.Sincerity is the fundamental in daily life;
- When you are daily shafted in a sincere way, its ok. Its fundamental.
8.Modesty is the best policy in human relationship;
- Know your place in the pecking order.
9.Preparation avoids needles drudgery;
- Procastinating helps you avoid work.
10.Prudence remains essential in conducting business.
- Er... yes, but there is an exemption to this rule – and it is proven daily.

[bobrun]

And it's written in "Hongkongenglish". Where do, in that regard to the statement of management, are those who write those memos for those colleagues have learned english?

[gengis]

Hey, i suppose failure to recite "Apothegms" in totality before each Base Check & Line Check will result in immediate failure n suspension from flying & 1-week ground school in Company "Corporate" culture education then?

[yokebearer]

Then there 's EVA airlines where these gems originated :

"Those pilots who own the B2 or B3 parking lots of Pilot Quarter
Bld. are always encouraged to button the vacancy down after
completing parking your car."

During the date above, some parking lots such as visitor’s, two sides of
slope and out of shipment elevator are not available for parking. If any
car is still located there, it will be moved away by the fork lift, and any
damage of car is happened, no any authority will take responsibility for it.

[Basil]

Picture size must not exceed 800x600 pixels MAXIMUM, to avoid the PPRuNe thread viewing window becoming too large.

[Apple Tree Yard]

WHO in their right mind would work for a bizzare company like this. get a life.

[Guava Tree]

Apple Tree is the northern equivalent of Guava Tree.
We each exist in our own habitats.
Transplantation could be painful.

apothegm
One entry found.
Main Entry:ap·o·thegm
Pronunciation:a-pə-ˌthem\
Function:noun
Etymology:Greek apophthegmat-, apophthegma, from apophthengesthai to speak out, from apo- + phthengesthai to utter
Date:circa 1587
: a short, pithy, and instructive saying or formulation.

Last line is what we all need . I hope you will see it.

[Guava Tree]

But I read it again and I see it is all good:

Harmony is the basis for collective prosperity;
Perseverance is the rule to sturdy progress;
Careful recipe is the best medicine to health;
Forgiveness is most needed in dispute;
Kindliness to youth endows the superior with virtue;
Diligence leads research to accession of knowledge;
Sincerity is the fundamental in daily life;
Modesty is the best policy in human relationship;
Preparation avoids needles drudgery;
Prudence remains essential in conducting business.

How can anyone dispute this?
I am not joking.
GT

[Sue Ridgepipe]

Guava Tree, you are correct. I don't think you can dispute any of those parts that you mentioned.
I find this bit rather amusing though:

Please note that punishment will be given to those who could not recite the apothegm

[Guava Tree]

Yes Sue,
As schoolchildren we all had to learn quite long passages from Shakespeare , American Constitution, etcetera. We can do it.
Perhaps we should all be given an allocated day free of duty, not a "Day Off" to learn this one.That should be enough.

[jetjockey696]

=0)

On your days off.. or a day free from duty... you should be looking for a new company...instead of reciting.

I get a feeling of maoist era... red book (good read..32 chapters) etc.. with a morning chants of the apothegm, once finished placed in your breast pocket.. all we need is the famous long march... this time to a better paying company.

[FOCX]

You've got to be joking?

GT & SR, you surely jest. When you were in school you were "LEARNING." GETTING AN EDUCATION! Since when did an employer fall into the educational realm?

This is nothing but an attempt to intimidate and control its employees and I wouldn't be surprised if it's directed towards its western pilots, who are more likely to ignore such a bull**** demand. Or maybe to divert attention away from its pathetic attempt at management. I think the two of you have spent too much time in Asia!

Anywhere else a company that published such a demand with threats of retribution would be laughed at.

Or maybe we are having our leg pulled, in which case I'm blushing for falling for it!

[Coastrider26]

Come on these guys are very clever! Surely some junior flight attendants might need some "punishing" or even worse some remedial teaching

[828a]

Informing the Uniformed:

FOCX,

I would like to remind you that Chairman Mao Tze Tung in his wisdom once said at a gathering of his senior executives, Quote " if you dont understand then you are not permitted to speak " Unquote. Perhaps if you try a little harder to think about what has been said here it may just elevate your mind sufficiently to put you in a position to request permission to say something sensible.

828a.

[Five Green]

ooops

828D:

Perhaps if you try a little harder to think about what has been said here it may just elevate your mind sufficiency to put you in a position to request permission to say something sensible.

Sufficiency...? Something sensible ?