How to Become Irresistible and Indispensable

 Posted by on July 6, 2011  Comments Off
Jul 062011
 

 

indispensableThe 21st century workplace is becoming more and more competitive. The solution to yesterday’s problem may not be able to solve today’s challenges. New technologies are been discovered at the speed of light that can render people inefficient in the workplace in as little as a year. A simple machine, software, or application can cut the job of 500 people to 100 people within a twinkle of an eye. The rate at which the world is developing today is faster than what me and you can comprehend.

You need to realise that you are in a race with development and it can sideline you if you don’t keep abreast of the changes that lies ahead.

There is a story from East Africa that drives this point. Every morning on the Serengeti plains of Africa, a gazelle awakens. The gazelle knows that in the day ahead, he must run faster than the fastest lion if he wants to survive. And every morning on the Serengeti plains, a lion awakens. The lion knows that he must run faster than the slowest gazelle if he wants to eat that day.

Whether you see yourself as a gazelle or a lion, when the morning comes, you’d better be on your toes.

To retain your position and qualify for subsequent promotion in this competitive world, you’ve got to develop your brain power to beat that of your organization. The workplace is no longer built on muscle power but its now more about skills, knowledge, negotiation, innovation, creativity, generating ideas, and the value you can bring to the table. For the greater part of your work life, your ability to stay relevant, earn more money, offer value, improve the quality of your life and accelerate ahead now depends on YOU. In other words, your success in business and the workplace is up to you to decide.

It has never been the job of your boss to make you rich or keep you at the job. The knowledge you have within your ears is what determines whether you will progress or be fired. If many people understand this simple truth, they will not be angry with their again for the rest of their life but face their business. Knowledge has now become the primary source of determining value. One advantage you have over others is that most people don’t know. This is the best time to tap into that opportunity and run as fast as you can because you are not the only one in the race of life.

What places a limit on your performance in any endeavour is ignorance. It is the greatest undoing of any man or nation. It is one of the worst problems of our time. I have come to understand that every man’s problem is his ignorance. What you don’t know you don’t know and what you don’t know may be killing you or hindering your progress. My definition of ignorance is anything you don’t know that you pay for. In other words, if I take my car to the auto workshop for repairs, I’m paying for my ignorance because I don’t know how the car engine works. The advantage the auto engineer have over me is the knowledge he has acquired in that field of specialization to be able to solve car related problems. If I’m a medical doctor and the auto engineer comes to me for medical check-up, he will have to pay for my expertise too.

The moment you tackle your problem (ignorance) by acquiring relevant skills, knowledge, and expertise, your life moves in a geometric progression. You’ve got to put a high premium on knowledge and hate ignorance with everything you have.

To retain the staying power in your field or industry requires you to know just a little above your competitor. You really don’t have to know much or go study the whole Wikipedia to beat the competition. All you need is to get hold of the information or skill that your competitors lack and apply it to your game to remain the leader in that area. It might be as simple as saying a thank you, going the extra mile in customer service, improving your packaging, staying true to your values, or refunding a client when you don’t exceed their expectation that will win the customer over to your side and increase your market share. I once read in a book that, “Our ability to learn and apply new ideas faster than our competition is our only real source of sustainable competitive advantage.”

Don’t forget to join me as i continue the series later in the week.

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Planning a Personal Retreat

 Posted by on June 18, 2011  Comments Off
Jun 182011
 

 

 

Retreat

The habit of going for a retreat or separating myself from the crowd to think and meditate about my life and business is something I was taught by my mentor some years back.

For me, it is a one week or less separation from the crowd to think and reflect over my life. It’s a time to do some planning and re-evaluation. During this time, I move away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and travel to some where serene to allow for some meditation. It has been proven that when people set aside a specific period of time for deep thinking and meditation over any issue, insights come from within on that particular problem. It is not every time you stay with a problem to solve it. There are times you just need to close your eyes and walk away to think and reflect.

This kind of exercise is not only done by individuals but corporate organizations also embark on retreat to charge up the batteries of their employees for better performance. They invite high-profile consultants or speakers to address issues relating to personal effectiveness as well as diagnose company problems and proffer solutions.

Every serious thinking individual who is keen on progressing in life and in business ought to do same at least once a year, whatever time of the year that suits you, in whatever location you choose. It might even be a monthly thing but in my own case I do it quarterly.

This is a time you separate yourself from families and friends. If you’re a business owner, do a proper handling over to the next manager in line to allow for continuity of the business in your absence. Believe me you might even come back to meet the business performing stronger. Switch off your phones and avoid the internet.  You’re even free to forget about the television or doing the movies. The world will not stop if you don’t have access to the tools mentioned above. It is a separate session with self for reflecting over the course of your life and business, examining challenges and proffering solutions to probing issues.

A week or more spent in solitude and deep thinking is far more productive than five months of hard grind. All you need is your MIND to process thoughts, your inner EYES to see the bigger picture and your SPIRIT to connect with the infinite intelligence for ideas.

During this period of meditation, you get insights into how to solve a particular problem, move on with the next project or you get an idea whose time has come. All these might not happen when you’re busy working and thinking for solutions at the same time. And the fact is that you need unusual wisdom and insights to navigate some rough terrains in life and business. I bet you will come out of this exercise a better person.

Your choice of location need not be somewhere very expensive. You don’t really need to spend a fortune before you get the perfect place. Other states in your country might just be the place to visit. If you have a fat bank account, you can travel out of your country to a desired destination. The goal is just to find a peaceful atmosphere devoid of distraction that will afford you the opportunity to be alone with self to reflect over issues. You can even choose to go to a local resort within your state or approach a hotel that is not too far away from you. All depends on your budget. I can guarantee that once you decide to move away from work, a different kind of peace will permeate your soul which allows you to think straight and see things from a different perspective.

7 Tips For a Successful Personal Retreat

1. You need a Plan: Nothing happens without planning. Decide the time frame and allocate time for specific session and activities. Arrange the materials you will take with you that will further expand your thinking horizon like books, personal development messages, business tapes etc. Ask people who have done it before for their suggestions and opinions. You really don’t need to re-invent the wheels. You can learn from people’s experience.

2. Have a crystal clear goal or focus:  What problem do you want to solve? You need to decide what you want to achieve. Nothing becomes dynamic until it becomes specific. There is power in a made up mind.  Avoid going with too much problems because if you’re not extremely focused, you might end up not achieving much. So make sure you streamline your challenges to the core ones that demand urgent attention.

3. Free up your mind: Endeavour to be relaxed within. Mind wise, strive to let go of any issues that will hold you back. Don’t go there and start thinking about your family or the business you left behind. Be still and calm internally.

4. Travel alone: Better if you are still single. But if you’re married, avoid going with your spouse or kids. When you make the trip alone, you will be able to focus on the issues that need to be solved. It is a time with self not family. However, if you think your spouse or partner will be of help, feel free to go with any of them.

5. Take a note pad along with you to jot down your ideas and thought. The shortest pen is better than the greatest memory.

6. Take enough rest (sleep) during the exercise but not too much. Also you don’t need to eat excessively. Maintain a moderate eating habit.

7. For me I like listening to jazz music (Yanni) when am doing my thinking session. It helps me focus a lot. The idea is to find what works for you and do it.

What Do You Think About Retreat?

How often do you embark on a retreat? Do you have more tips that can make the journey easier? Feel free to share your experience with us in the comment box below.

If you enjoy this article, please let me know you like this post by clicking on the LIKE button below.

Cheers!

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How to Become a Leader

 Posted by on December 15, 2010  2 Responses »
Dec 152010
 

This is the second in a series of articles on leadership. You can read the first one here.

Everything rises and falls on leadership and that may be what you need now to move to the next level in every area of your life.

We need leadership at all levels. We need credible leaders in government, business, family, school, and the economy. There is tendency for us to think that the subject of leadership is for those who are in government or only politician, but I want you to realise that this discourse is about you and I.

We are not talking about someone else’s responsibilities or failures. Everybody is a leader. You have leadership potential locked up inside you and you can exert a measure of influence to some degree wherever you find yourself or operate.

The failure of businesses, families, and economies is traceable to bad leadership. You cannot move farther in life than your leadership potential. A body cannot move faster than its head. The values and principles of a business or your personal self depend largely on the leader inside you. This also holds true for a family or any organization.

If something goes wrong with the person who is meant to be the head of the home, something goes wrong with the entire family. Business organizations are no exception to this truth too.

Leadership Defined

Leadership can be defined as the ability of one person to influence many people to achieve worthwhile goals. The key word here is influence. When you discover the power in leadership, you will want to be a leader because leadership multiplies your effectiveness and puts your success on the geometric rise.

The essence of leadership could be best captured in the words of D.L. Moody: “I would rather put 10 men to work than do the work of ten men.” The cheapest way to multiply your life is to become a leader and to be raise other leaders after yourself. Your effectiveness in life will never rise beyond your leadership ability.

When a change is about to happen in any sphere of life, a person (leader) is demanded. All that is needed is a leader who can mobilise other people to create the needed change.

Everybody Can Lead

Generally, when you talk about leadership, all that comes to people’s mind is the old belief that only a few people are born to rule, others are born to be followers. Some people have said leaders are born and not made based on some philosophers’ view points. It is unfortunate that leadership, before now, had been built on that premise. The truth is that everybody is born to lead. There are people who are not making any attempt to lead because they do not believe they have the potential to lead.

However, have you ever influenced anybody to make a decision? Have you ever persuaded anyone to join you on a cause or an assignment? Then, you are a leader.

Uncommon leaders solve uncommon problems, and become an inspiration to others in the process. You did not plan to be born at the time you were born. Now that you are here, there are challenges we are facing in this world that you can do something about in any little way. You were born to solve a problem and in the bid to solve these problems you become an inspiration to some other people.

What You Need To Become a Leader

In becoming a leader you need a guiding vision. You need the ability to see ahead to know where we have to go. You need a clear picture of the future. This is one of the critical qualities that separate a true leader from everyone else. Every leader all through history has had this attribute. You have to be able to see a better future for yourself, your family, for your organization, for your business, and for the nation. Anyone who cannot clearly articulate the vision of a better future is not worth following. Our future is in our picture – dream of a better future.

Moreover, you need a definite purpose. This is the stuff leadership is made of. Leaders are crusaders. Crusaders are people who are willing to lay down their lives for a cause. Understand that if you do not stand for something, you will fall for anything. The greatest leaders of all time are those who broke beyond selfishness to do things that affected many people. If you expend all your spiritual, physical and material resources on yourself alone, you have made your life so cheap. On the long run, it is what you do for others that count. Stand up for what is right wherever you find yourself.  Footprints on the sands of time are not made by sitting down. Do something this week that can move your life, business, family and nation forward.

Towards a remarkable life!

Do you believe leaders are born or made? What other ingredients is essential for leadership to thrive? Share your views in the comment box below

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Embrace Entrepreneurship

 Posted by on December 8, 2010  Comments Off
Dec 082010
 

Over the past three years of speaking to people about business development related issues, a question has kept recurring: Is it better to own a business or work for other people? Believe me there are no easy answers because circumstances are usually not the same; but a few statistic should throw some more light.

In the United States of America, entrepreneurs represent 99.7% of all employers. I believe strongly that the world has come to a point where there should be no job seekers and unemployed people. There should always be people who will provide the jobs. The benefits of being an entrepreneur far outweighs an employee. Being an entrepreneur is being a pioneering, innovative, creative someone who provides new services and products for the consumption of others.

Entrepreneurs create jobs for other people, and bring down employment rate. In the United States, for instance, it is not the government that creates jobs but the people. Entrepreneurs there employ about 53% of the private work force, make 47% of all sales, provide 55% of innovation, and represent 96% of all exporters.

Most third world countries are in debt because they consume more than they produce. The main focus of every economy I believe should be to export more than it imports and this feat can only be achieved if we have more entrepreneurs churning out products and services that solves and meet people’s need. Your name can be a label on fantastic products. Honda is someone’s name; Kellogg is another person’s name.

Finding a Business to Start Is Easy

But what should I go into you ask? I even don’t have an idea you say!

Oh yes you do!

Do you have problems? If you answer yes to that then you have a business idea. Every business you see on the surface of the earth is a response to a human problem. Because the world is in such a hurry, we have fast food. Because we want to keep memories alive, we have cameras. Every innovation in this life is a solution to a human problem.

I advice you focus on solving a problem or meeting a need. You do this by identifying the problems or needs in your immediate environment. In fact to make it easier, be sensitive of your own needs. What are the things you need that are not available or within reach? In a sense, your needs are everybody’s needs. Most of the things you need, most other people also need. Let me tell you this; there’s a ready market for the solutions you create to cure your problem!

For example, if you need a 24hrs delivery service, there are many other people who need that too. If you need a website to communicate your idea and market your products, every other business also needs that. What people consider to be insurmountable problems are usually gem of opportunities waiting to be packaged into ideas that would bless other people. Problems are the raw materials for creating businesses. The author of Think and Grow Rich Napoleon Hill once said that in every problem, there is always an equivalent seed of benefits; we only need to look closely to find the seed. In a sense, your needs reflect every other person’s needs. Like I advice above, simply focus on solving problems; you will be amazed at how many business ideas you can generate.

Your Interest Can Be a Pointer

It is very likely you will start your business in your current line of interest. One of the places where people are defeated is in starting where they know nothing about, and this defeats one’s confidence. It is, usually difficult to make a mark outside your area of gifting. It, therefore, makes sense to start from your area of competence and interest. If you are a software programmer, look closely around you, you will discover problems you can package into business ideas; if you are a scientist, there are many problems awaiting your invention. There is no career that is inferior. If you are into interior design, strive to be the best creative designer in your area. If you are a driver, with all diligence strive to be the best. If you try to add value to the services you render to people, they will always put you on their priority list. This is guaranteed.

Your Hobby Is Equally Important

You may also start out in a line of your hobby. If you work in CNN, you may not start by owning a cable network, but along the line, you may discovered some other interests. We have seen trained architects turned blogger like Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income Blog; many trained scientist are making it big in the technology industry. You too can turn your hobby into something remarkable. I know someone who loves baking and has gone ahead to start an enterprise. Some few years ago, he baked a cake for a sewing mistress in the form of a singer machine and charged $20,000 for it.

Improve Existing Services

Looking at the existing service everyday, there are things you need that are not available. You can just locate those things to start with. If you are willing to provide better and excellent services, chances are you will find some business to do. If you are talking about excellent service, there are myriads of opportunities you can grab. All you need is look at what is being provided and decide to provide a better quality service. Being creative and innovative is the key to improving existing services.

Not every university in the world prepares people to start jobs; they prepare them to look for jobs. The thinking has to change. Education should not be a disadvantage but an advantage, so that we will be able to manage opportunities better than those who do not go to school. I believe that’s why people like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg did not wait to finish school. If they had waited to finish at Harvard, who knows may be they would both be employees today. What that means is that, there might be no Facebook and Microsoft.

I challenge you today to have a re-think and pursue something much more fulfilling and gratifying. Don’t wait for what you can get; rather think about what the world can benefit from the product you create. Resolve not to live a mediocre life. Get involve in something that is bigger than you. Lead a crusade. Champion a change. You can be the next Richard Branson or Donald Trump. Rise up to the challenge of creating a future for yourself and start working towards your vision of your life.

The future belongs to those who seize it. Will you?

In your own view, do you think it pays to be an entrepreneur? Would you rather love to work under someone or be your own boss? Give us a piece of your mind in the comment box below.

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How Much Are You Worth?

 Posted by on November 23, 2010  Comments Off
Nov 232010
 

£5 (308/365)
Creative Commons License photo credit: andrewrennie

Have you ever sat down to calculate your net worth? Having an idea of your financial net worth and measuring the changes from year to year can be a good way of tracking your financial progress. You really can’t get to where you’re going if you don’t know where you are. A net worth statement is like a pointer that signals you when there is a problem. You really don’t need to attend a business school before you start learning about finance.

For most of us growing up was nothing to write home about when it comes to financial related matters. Our parents did not discuss about money at home over dinner neither did the school system taught us how to make, manage and multiply money. What most people know about money today was either picked up from a broke friend or through the school of hard knocks. Loads of people out there no nothing about money. All they’re interested in is spending it.

Knowing your financial statement/net worth as a person is a bit like a health check up. It gives you a clearer picture of where you stand. Doing a routine net worth evaluation twice a year can assist in determining loopholes and making future decisions. Calculating your personal net worth is very simple and does not require a high level of intelligence or a degree in accounting. All you need to do is simply compute the current value of your assets and deduct the value of your liabilities from it to reveal your personal net worth. Simply put, it is the difference between what you own (an asset) and what you owe (a liability).

A Refresher…

An asset is anything that puts money into your pocket.

A liability is anything that takes money out of your pocket.

Steps to Calculating Your Personal Net Worth

Assets: List your assets in order of liquidity (the ease with which you can convert them to cash).

Cash: Your latest bank statements, investments account statement and cash at hand will give you the value of your liquid investments.

Shares: For any share you’re holding in a company, calculate the most recent value per share to know the present worth of that particular equity. You can get prices on the Internet, in the news, through your stockbroker or the newspaper. The same process goes for your mutual funds, bonds and other levels of investment.

Cars: Immediately you buy a brand new car and drive it out of the lot, 10% of the value is gone. To get a reasonable estimate of how much your car is worth, look around and ask a car dealer for current price of the car you’re driving and then discount that price by 50% to get your estimated actual value.

Receivables: This is money people owe you and can be classified as an asset but you have to be very careful about it. Don’t over count your chickens before they are hatched. I kind of believe in money at hand but all the same you can include it.

Retirement Savings Account: Get the most recent statement from your retirement fund administrator.

Real Estate: You need a current valuation to be done by a real estate person for all the properties you own.

Business Concerns: Consult your auditors to prepare a balance sheet report which will reveal the true financial worth of your business. It’s actually a must for bigger companies to present their statement of account to the general public but if you are a small business owner or self employed, its better you get a qualified accountant to sort things out for you.

Liabilities: How much do you owe? Are you servicing any loan presently?  List everything out and arrange it in the order in which they are repayable.

Mortgage: The house you live in is not an asset except you own it. Get your latest mortgage statement to reveal your current balance.

The Figures

Below is a fictional financial statement.

One of the key benefits of knowing your net worth is that it allows you to distinguish between spending on assets and liabilities. Spending money on assets that appreciates over time is far better than buying up liabilities that depreciate rapidly.  What really matters is not how much money you make but how much money you keep. To join the fast track, you need to increase the rate at which money works for you so that you don’t end up spending bulk of your time slaving for money.

Are You on Track?

If you have not done it before, now is the best time to give it a shot. For others, when was the last time you carried out a health check on your financial life and how did you go about it? Feel free to contribute and share your experience in the comment box below.

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