Skill : Comparison Question how to make your comparison obvious - past vs present comparison - compare with other factors

Hard work is the key to success. Does this view still hold true in the globalised world ?
Interpretations :

Hard work : effort (time, energy, resources, determination) Success : achievement (many areas, such as studies, work, business, sports, the arts, progress for the nation, peace in the region/world, happiness & togetherness in the family etc.) Key : single most important factor *** Globalised world : technology and innovation-driven, media saturated, interconnected environment, with an integrated economy and even some broadly common values and goals, likely freedom and democracy. The ease with which people move and goods are transported means that competition can be intense.

Stand : In todays globalised world, hard work is still important, but not the key to success because success is a result of combination of factors.

POINTS / TOPIC SENTENCES :

1. Hard work is crucial for success because even today, many achievements are only attained after putting in a lot of time and effort a. God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest. ~J.G. Holland, 19th Century American novelist. This is an old quote that reflects our forefathers attitude towards hard work : it is necessary and a natural part of life for all living things. b. In a globalised world, effort is needed in the economy e.g. to improve products, increase productivity in order to export more and meet growing global demand for consumer goods factories and shops open longer, have online shopping facilities leads to a 24/7 work culture c. Competition is stiff among job applicants because of easy movement of talent. Employers are more inclined to award contracts rather than open up permanent jobs so that they can judge the employees willingness to work hard 2. Hard work is vital for success because hard work will only be put in if a person has the right values. These values are vital even in todays globalised world

a. Hard work has always been tied to many positive values such as discipline, commitment, resilience. Without these values, a person would not be willing to work hard. b. In a globalised world, although the work done today is different from the past, the people of today must still demonstrate these noble qualities. c. The globalised world is dependent on science to communicate & connect, but developing the technologies requires numerous experiments d. For producers, being ahead of the competition means working within very tight deadlines to design a prototype and make improvements e. In the case of products of engineering or science that are already in use (like infrastructure), there is a need to work hard to maintain and keep in operation even while making room for improvements. The work is on-going and cannot be disrupted because so many people rely on it. f. Even within the family, hard work is needed to keep the family successfully united when its members work in a globalised world .. need to travel, use technology to communicate etc (TRANSITION) However, while hard work is undeniably crucial, there are other factors that have to go hand-in-hand with it in order to be successful in this day and age. 3. Hard work, without innovation, will mean limited success. a. In the past, hard work alone (measured by productivity), can bring recognition such as promotion in the workplace b. Hard work makes workers; but innovation and gumption make captains or pioneers of industry, who will then achieve more success in terms of wealth or fame. c. Workers need to add value with ideas to get recognised, not just do a lot of work. 4. The same argument applies to hard work and talent a. The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work. ~Emile Zola, 19th Century French writer b. Todays celebrities are worldwide superstars need hard work to give high quality work, need to tour extensively c. Today, when talent is so mobile, the best teams (e.g. in sports) put together talent from all over the world 5. Hard work, without morals, can bring a person, group or country down. a. In the past, these two go together almost without question

b. But today, when the drive to surpass others is so great, people or groups may resort to being unscrupulous or dishonest c. This can damage the chances of success (reputation of a country when global indices suggest it is corrupt or unliveable, companies that breach human rights or destroy the environment will also be found out) 6. Hard work, without effective teamwork and inter-personal skills, is not very productive and cannot lead to success. a. Of course there were teams in the past, but it was more likely that team members followed instructions and simply worked hard at their role for the team to do well b. Today, operations are complex and can span many countries c. Today, people work and interact in multicultural settings need cultural sensitivity d. Many products of today are a result of idea generation. Those who can win others over get the job done better 7. Hard work, without being concerned with image is also not enough in a globalised media-saturated world. a. In the past, functionality was more important than the design of the product b. In todays media-saturated world, the visual image that captures the audiences attention can facilitate success

This outline has around 900 words