What problems are we solving for Unemployment.

What problems are we solving for Unemployment???
Youth & Young 16 - 45

The current employment market in Africa does not support inexperienced in the business environment youth! This is because we are no longer in the industrial era, which provided the educational institutions with a specific task to train individuals for specific duties and skills.

No one is now taking in students with only technical skills. 2 additional skill set is required Management & Strategic thinking. We are now in the commercial era, and this means strategic mind-set! Critical thinking!

The current employer in the bid to sustain and grow the company can not afford even the minimal time to be spent on those with no experience. He is pressured by the return on investment, high demand on standards from his market. The public sector is doing all its best but the rate at which we are graduating youth into the job market leaves very little space for every one.

The business world is now very distant from the educational institutions, no bridge for feedback or collaborative projects. We have developed a program that supports graduates and undergraduates receiving practical experience in business. Employers are requesting assessment of capabilities prior to employment and this isn't possible given that entrepreneurial skills can't be theorised.

The skills that would best serve people in the 21st century employment arena are people who think abstractly, have conceptual abilities, can think critically, can analyze problems with their solutions, have research skills and can communicate effectively will be the most employable and have leadership in supporting and leading a business.

StartUpSity work practice development

Participants feedback


1. Goodness Lindsley Ncube. (Zimbabwean) Graduate Human resources.
There were ten students that were selected from the college and I being one of them really came as privilege. I did not know what to expect there but was grateful that I had been selected.

We were first introduced to the whole process that goes on before a brainstorming session. Then we got to the brainstorming process session which also showed us that working as a team is the starting point for a business. One important thing that we discovered was that in order for a business to start developing, one needs to partner up with people from different spheres and backgrounds, so that the ideas brought forward are not biased towards a certain group’s preferences but is a good and sound business plan.

The reason why most youth cannot start a business or get employed is sometimes due to the pre conceived idea that things always do not turn out the way you want them to. The starting point of a successful employee, one needs to first develop an understanding of the business as a whole regardless of their specialized field of expertise. One needs to develop a passion for that particular field at which they get employed in.

I learnt that a service plan needs to be developed before coming up with the business plan. These two are the founthetion to the success of a business because they give you a structure of how the business is going to operate. Giving us a total insight as to what resources are taken to consideration when one needs to get their business out there. Startupsity also equipped us with skills that one needs in order to make it out there. This experience was a real eye opener; I am wishing that more students get the same opportunity as the one we got. It really was an experience.

2. Dineo Rainers (South African) Graduate of Human Resources 
My experience with StartUpSity...!
Am Princess Rainers an H.R student in Boston college in Orange Grove campus Johannesburg, I was chosen to participate in an internship programme with StartUpSity, so I want to share all the magnificent experience with you.

Alsu Odemwingie the founder of StartUpSity & CEO, what an exceptional woman, working with her through this pilot incubator was very exciting, She introduced the programme to us as team members or group managers of the StartUpSity incubator, it was a bit overwhelming cause we were not sure of what her expectations were, she warmed us to the programme to be comfortable. We started brainstorming creative ideas how to implement strategies, all my fellow students were on point very creative, nothing was cliché', studying in Boston college I was able to utilize what they have taught me throughout my course on this programme..

THE HIGHLIGHTS
Being part of the StartUpSity team now I have in extensive knowledge of office procedures, tolerance of different and complex situations n I have strong communicative  skills and able to tolerate stress

In addition to the FREE wheeling pleasures of spending 2 weeks in a entrepreneurial string of classes and testing experience I was able to improve my financial and editorial skills to step forward as a student who is studying human resources and more examine the employment industry

OUTDOOR-ACTIVIES & CREATIVE SIDE
Between time spent in the office implementing strategies, ideas and outside meeting potential clients, real Estate agents, sales marketer, and the creative director I was able to learn on how to approach investors and understanding what business is about.

THE OUTCOME OF THE INCUBATOR
Fortunately, the work experience that I have gained through StartUpSity, I now fully understand the working world, what skills are needed as an Human Resource Practitioner and skills on being an entrepreneur.

3. Tumelo V. Mokoka (South African) Student Finance at Boston College.
The past week at StartUpSity has been really educational. The whole Idea of this program in my understanding was 2 actually promote the understanding of the corporate world and what is required to succeed in it.

I was given the opportunity to be in the employers shoes. When our coach/mentor presented the history of Startupsity and also the personal entrepreneurial experiences she went through while trying to get the business started, at that point I understood how much Startupsity meant to the Boss, I began to change my attitude towards business and how i viewed the position of the boss. Today I fully understand what it means for a business to have a service team, I fully understand how my unwillingness to take part in meetings and activities can affect the Service Operations of a company.

The importance of taking care of both our clients’ and colleagues is very much admired at Startupsity coaching practices. so in return I was able to give my full attention in meetings. By doing so, I quickly grew closer to the duties of the employer, and my team mates.

Startupsity values its client’s and customers who are part of Startupsity. I believe with such values Startupsity can orientate our clients and staff in believing in our morals, this way both parties (being customers and Startupsity service team) benefit from each other.

"In order 4 u 2 b served, 1 needs 2 serve 1st..." Quoted 4rm Alsu, CEO of Startupsity Global pty.

one of the skills I learnt was to be creative in all aspects of  Business Entrepreneurship, I learnt that many businesses fail to operate on the market because Entrepreneurs relay much on capital rather than encourage new ideas to get the business operating without capital. One of the good things bout Startupsity is that, it encourages students to be creative and also pushes students to be hardworking towards their work, and profession.

I have benefited a lot 4rm Startupsity and from my fellow team mates, I now know who am and where I am heading. One thing I'll always remember is that Dreams can only become a reality, if have Faith that I can do it...

###
4. Kelebogile Ruele "F" (South African) Graduate of IT

Got understanding from different aspects of employment.
Learnt that one shouldn't think around the gutter, not narrowing options on how to make money...
The experience also enhanced my knowledge not only in the IT section but also in each and every department that we have identified….Human resources, Marketing, I regard myself extremely fortunate to have been given this opportunity to be part of SUS, to help create employment...

This opportunity opened my eyes and made me aware that youth needs employment skills and not just technical theory


5. Collen Lepulana http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS4J5IGAlEI  (Video Interview) Graduate of Information Technology.

6. Mlungisi Mk Makhubu "M" (Swaziland) Graduate Graphics & Data Management 
through the Internship program that was offered to Boston City Campus & Business College in Johannesburg, myself and 9 other students were selected out of thousand hopefuls to be the first to participate in the entrepreneurial program.  what i had experienced covered the vast areas of business and especially team work. we were introduced into the Media world

7. Amen Nastasha "F' (Nigerian) Undergrad 
Since i met My mentor she has been really good to me and have touched and influence me positively, she had shown me how i can manage myself as an individual, how i should always try to stand for whats right and she had also enlightened on why i shoudnt be famous/rich before i can be able to help people, she guides me to learn about my weakness and convert them to strengths. she has helped me to realize how much i can do for myself and the society and how i could reach out to the yougsters like me. i am gradually believing in me! i am undergoing coaching on Media and Social communication. i look forward to my experience completion.

8. Lebogang Ngwenya "F" (South African) Graduate of Business Administration
My experience at Startupsity has been Mind Blowing. i was able to understand how the workplace is and what was required of me as a graduate of Business Administration. it has been a revelation to see how all the different views came together in team work. i saw a different view on how the outside world works and the expectations. this program showed us how theory becomes practice. It will be my wish that many students before graduation experience this. I feel i am ready to go into the corporate world and put my potential to good use.

Why are we for StartUps!

Why are we for StartUps.

Industrialisation is the one thing that all the countries in the developed world has in common! With industries came jobs and business opportunities! Innovations are based on the foundations of skill and capacity!

So many startup projects and businesses die due to lack of seed funds for piloting production processes and product refinement. This isn't only due to the lack in start-up capital.

The scarcity in skills sees many early stage businesses not being able to afford the skills that they need to get going. Companies are built by people, not machines. By definition, these people are skilled in chosen technical areas but are failing to understand the basic business and its life cycle principles to keep survival of their dreams, for the youth the Universities educational content isn’t meeting the demands of the business world ie customized practice.

Entrepreneurship is not the endeavor of a single person. Knowing how to build a business and motivating people to support them and help them. Startup companies are predominantly one-man businesses. Some of the startups manufacture products from their kitchen or garage, and sell to the surrounding neighbourhood. The products are predominantly of poor quality due to poor manufacturing practices and in some cases assembled with low quality materials. The end result is that the final consumer – be it government department or individual consumer – ends up with a product that is sub-standard.

Africa is not used to funding start-up’s. These businesses often burn a lot of cash and are built on a model called “build it and they will come”. Often this fails. Experienced funders focused on startups know how to fund in rounds and experienced entrepreneurs know how to select the right funders.

Many start-up’s forget who comes first - The idea of the entrepreneur or the need of the customer. Who is the customer, how to find them and most importantly how to build towards their needs is the single biggest challenge that we see facing entrepreneurs. Get this wrong (or worse assume it and do not do it) and you will be hacking away for years to come thinking that the world is against you and customers are stupid. This is not uncommon.

This is a massive challenge for all start-ups as they cannot properly advertise and brand their products to compete with established brands. This directly affects their sales and consequently their revenues.

Business Training & Solutions
Virtual Development Incubator
www.startupsity.biz

Status through purpose!

Status "Brand" is only achieved through purpose be it in any thing or with anyone.

Does it matter who, or is it about what do you want to do? Your interests, your values, your experiences, all binding to create YOU! You are a Brand, thats the face of purpose!

No one is higher than the purpose, it is your ego or pride zone. Through purpose you find the  strengths and weaknesses and will be able to outline the threats and opportunities. SWOT to SWAT, which is why i often say there is nothing like a mistake, only unsolved circumstances, TWIK, not the bogus word CHANGE. Risk increases by doing nothing. Little issues grow into big problems. The only thing you have to do is work out the parameters; the scope of works that reveal the vision behind the collaboration. 

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT called body language. PR is what helps you navigate the market and file out the initially made mistakes. PR is a method for collecting feedback "are you on the right path?". What is a path if not different roads leading to a "SOLUTION".

Cause of unemployment in Africa!!!

I was asked "What is really the cause of unemployment in most African countries"?  I hope my one bit experience can try to explain.

First and formost we need to disabuse our minds from what we have been made to think employment is. Employment in my sense represents Purpose. Jobs, Contracts, Entrepreneurship, Supplying, Investments are descriptors of paths to making money, it isnt purpose itself. We have a lot of problems and that means one needs to apply themselves.

Politically we don't have a purpose, there is no blue print that we are following ie how do we get there. Our leaders are not educated or wrongly orientated when it comes to development steps but if speaking in business terms, we have all focused on managing the visible natural resources but built very little resembling an industry, even now the companies busy in extraction cant sell their products because there isnt a diversified need in the market. they are also suffering the effects of underdevelopment.

As people and our leaders alike who are a product of us, we have no respect development process since natural and artificial timelines had been created as well as keeping in mind what available resources there is.
These are industries that have been developed in foreign countries.

Advertising- what products and services do we produce for the advertising world to present to the market? We are seeing ads of foreign brands. We have no faith in what we produce in-house, by buying what foreigners make we are giving out our hard cash.

Arts & Crafts- we have no endearing for the works of art of our artists. How lovely it would be to hang a painting with the curves of our women and illustrations of our lands?! We dont study arts anymore in schools and that is a foundation of architects and the works that give us jobs in building stadiums, so it also affects the real-estate industry. A craft is what a profession is. Crafts is the core of any industry, it supports the engineering world. Art is an expression of how one sees life, an edified soul is secure.

Autos/Transportation- If we dont make cars why do we need roads? How do we reach our loved ones when they are far? How do we fly to the moon and improve communication if we don't industrialise?!

Beauty/Personal Care- We have really bad self care, our women are wearing fake hair and copying fashion, we dont promote the african look both for men and women. you may say its easy but in hindsight is it achieving the greater communal good?

Business Services. the business service sector is struggling because our educational sector is based on content developed to orientate us on foreign interests. A for apple can be A for akpu. Our kids dont know how to read or write properly which affects the art of communication and analytics of data found.

Apart from the fact that to actually yield returns in this sector we have to change the structure of how we do business. Most of us are traders, and that is just one sided. We need to improve the tax and its collection polices! There is a difference between a sugarcane seller and sugar producer. Business consultants are complex based, sales consultants however are transaction based. We have little respect for consult because we think we know it all. If we all realise that a consultant is a counsellor you will allow them to inform you. the knowledge of Pro and cons is only extracted during discuss, it isnt an actual science. A coach will hold your hand while achieving your goals towards full potential.

Children's Businesses- we are doing ok in this area but thats because women have taken it up. how ever the vastness of this area is huge and indirectly linked with several other industries. Ask your self who dosnt have kids? Who wants to raise them safe and sound?

Computers- as i explained earlier the fact that we have no nepa stops us from industrialising, our kids cant do programming, so software that solve african problems cant be developed.

Education/ & Instruction- forget about this if we have lecturers who never practised are teaching and sleep with students to give them marks. I resigned from a job at 22 because the employer who had a business in teaching computer literacy advertised and never intended in giving the kids what he said he would. I don't do witch hunting but if adults are ripping knowledge out of kids what safety would they have for their pensions not to be rubbed in return.

Family values have disintegrated to supporting kids and adults in the name of survival to steal and cheat. Your kids buys you a car while not having a stable job and you say it is fine? Lawyers have now been labeled as 419.

Entertainment & Events - we like to dance but do we know that the Olympics is an event and must be entertaining? Do we support grass root games? Do we value our cultural heritage? Entertainment is an expression of art.

Financial- what do we produce to have what to regulate or manage? Financial industry isnt responsible for long term loans they are traders of paper. If our businesses are only trade based then we have the banks we have. Finance industry is a bank that supports savings of effort in paper. They are not meant for credit but they can offer it when the business has a well defined revenue generating path.

Food- do we diversify our dishes? We have mamaputs all over, do we belive in chefs? Most of our women cook, thats fine but the agricultural sector has been neglected. We have kids who go to study architecture yet have never seen a farm or planted a garden seed. Food is a way of bringing people together.

Health Care/Medical - we go to babalawos, self medicate ourselves, drink ogogoro and then we face dealing with heartdeseas, liver failure and we dont have equipments to save lives. Our students dont care for life why should they care for a patient?

Home Products/ Services- we dont decorate our homes, it isnt an expression of style, we put things but they dont represent who lives in it. Personally i would prefer to live in a Mod house and it has character than what we see today. The Interior designers are suffering to make business cos we dont like to express our individuality through our homes. Our women are still cutting onions with their hands, where are our old day stone grinders, they sure help making better tasting dishes.

Import/Export - what african products do we produce to lure foreigners to buy our products? We have no standards which is why we loose ground to exportation. This industry represents quality. If we are wearing Gucci cant we influence the foreign fashion industry with our african prints? we havnt understood what pallet means "A TASTE of a continent"

Maintenance - do we have a maintenance culture or are we consumers? Anything produced, built, developed needs maintaining, this sector is the highest employer abroad.

Manufacturing- they produce practical tools, the manufacturing sector depends on what other sectors and people need to enhance lives and businesses. In one word they are the hardware to the rest industries which one can call software. They are the Matter to the minds design.

Media/Publishing & Movies- Do we read? Do we as people express? Freedom of speech the channels of communication is who they are. We are all each others guardians. If i may use a religious way to describe them they are the "hopi ghosts" of the business and social world.

Online Businesses - this is just logistics in virtual form. You dont need an office any more, thats if the market can deal with not seeing someone for reassurance of delivery. They reduced the rate at which trees are cut. Post office has lost its value because they invented email. They are the products of the telecom and tech world.

Pet Businesses - which animal do we respect in africa? If we still think cats are witches, forgeting that kids who have no siblings can learn to communicate and care for another through handling animals. This industry was developed by explorers of the physical world and its habitants. We all love discovery channel and ofen times animals teach us better humanity. isn't the film industry supported through the natural world?

Plants/Agriculture - it is about our eco system, survival of which we cant do without. Creams are made of plants, herbs are used in pharmaceuticals, etc

Real Estate - what is the point of owning a land if we build houses face me i face you, fence to fence, no parks for kids to play and kids are arrested infront of the tv? What architecture is there? I personally dont buy a house if my kids need to be driven to the streets.

Recreation - Oambe and burials, thats all we attend. We have made a private family pain into social celebrations. It is changing and this isnt culture it needs to fade out. We dont know the content of our lands hence we trade it for peanuts, fighting for which is pointless later cos the truth is finders is always keepers.

Retail Businesses - we sell what others invent. this we are masters of. What else? we are depending on foreign trends, so if there isn't anything new on the market or a product ceases to exist then there is a hole in the pocket.

Security- Why security? This is handled by churches. Now terrorists have a better job to do barking at the flock to gather. What is security if not a philosophy/ideology in reverse?

Sports - this builds strategic minds, builds psychologically healthy individuals. It is a form of relaxation. Health is among the first needs that existed along side Arts and Agriculture which made it possible for the rest industries to develop. It also affects the sex drive of men in the positive sense.

Technology - our todays tools are only a modification of what was then. Facebook is a communication technology.

Travel - the only way you can see a vantage point to a situation is to travel, if you have no comparison you cant see the loopholes. Travel shows opportunities and this as Nigerians we do well but if we believe that it isnt possible to do at home what man has already done given the fact that the bright man lives in a harsher environment we have no excuse that we cant adopt and modify to our needs. South Africa wouldnt be what it is today if they didnt have the influence. We drove the colonialists but we didnt build from there. Creativity is bread through travel.

I could go on but a readable page will not be enough to draw a blue print so enjoy exploring your mind for possible opportunities. Every industry has its value but when we place value on money we cease to have a price. White man has no respect for money but they will demand quality and relax at doing the best in their own area. When someone comes to sell something to us we want it free or show no appreciation for effort. When money is stored it looses its value.

To have a good employment rate we need to have all this industries developed, we have to start and we should realise that during the starting phase there is little technology to leave many out of employment. If given a report what industry do we know in Nigeria is succeeding or leading?
Employment is about putting minds and matter to good use. If one feels used one will never invest. We have loads of work to do but no one wants to be employed or maybe our politicians are not developers?

This is just a crude way of putting it out. i dont copy others theories but present what i have experienced.

Three pieces of advice!

I was asked: "What three pieces of advice would you give to college students who want to become entrepreneurs"?

Dreams are acheavable. Know thyself, put yourself through everything so that events don’t scare you, ondue expectations create the problems because you have developed preconseived ideas about the business and the world of people. If you venture into things see it for what it is and don’t cloud yourself with emotions. 

As a youth you have a lot of energy, spend it, have no pity on yourself or you will remain a boring old hag and nag about how life isnt good enough. Collaborate with your peers and those older and younger than you while in university and outside of it because those are your future partners, staff, suppliers, future political leaders. Get yourself known, but for the right reasons, no one likes fake ie those who project what they aren't prepared to handle. 

Start a project before you leave school so that when an employer asks about you you will have something to say other than you wasted your time, as that would reflect on how seriously you took your life. Don’t forget that your hobbies also develop skills that will give you additional pay, such as having a voice would mean you can record a company sountrack, dancing makes you a good team leader / HR speaker, sports give you skills in strategic thinking and develops discipline " a focused mind towards achieving a goal". All these are transferable skills helpful to the business environment. If you are a good support to your employer you will be able to attract same type of people as staff, suppliers, partners and investors because people first connect to like minds before they can collectively solve problems. Learn the skills of communication first. Know all forms of communication and find their appropriate tools.

Your philosophy of life translates to the actions you use in managing a business and working with people.

Ignite your dreams.

Resource Pull!

At the beginning of development a business requires suppliers to provide raw materials as inputs, workers to process these raw materials, clients to buy the resulting outputs, investors & partners to collaborate with. 

Most business owners complain about one thing, no time for yourself. This is because at start you spoon-feed literary every function of the business and without you you think it will collapse. Let's assume you are an entrepreneur, you have been doing things alone and the job is getting too much, you need to share it.

Trusting yourself first is paramount, shifting into areas that you are strongest or vital to the business and leave the rest to the rest. You have to let go, pretend you are on a vacation and you have to leave certain things in care for someone, besides it will be nice to have someone you can irritate and let steam off lol. If you can't trust people then it will be difficult. Whats the point in having a business and you cant get busy, all you need to put are checkpoints.

You can ether take staff or best take in partners at first but they still need to be managed (everyone needs to know what and where. As the business grows you require information to alert you on what's going on and you can't be running from post to post asking what's going on.

As you go on growing do realise that each department has its own "objectives" (This is like managing a family), you need to understand the processes and set workflows so that you can track what's going on or how to fix things if they go wrong. Your workflows "policies and procedures" will determine the type of information to demand. Create a chart; this will help you and your staff orientation on the business chain of command. Let's assume you are starting a restaurant! In order to manage the business you need reports. Reports show you 2 things: problems and opportunities. As a business owner you will  manage risking change "transitions".

Within a business you have 3 sub categories of management. Promoting "MARKETING", Controlling "ADMIN", and Implementing "OPERATIONS". In all of these areas there are 2 divisions. Front End & Back End. The operations are the most important doors to your business, next following Controlling (admin), and then PROMOTING (Marketing), for various businesses it’s different.

Put customer experience first! Let’s assume you are in the food business.

A customer comes in, what happens? They are asked where they would like to sit, or offer them where is best based on their preferences. They have a sit and the menu is given, some may ask what's on your specials, or what can be recommended. One has to remember that if you are serving just dinner, then your customers come for leisure, if you are serving lunch or breakfast they are coming to eat quick and head back to work. So the best customer experience should be streamlined considering their time factor but the best is to always serve quick. And give customers 20min to get in and out. This is why you find out that most clients are unhappy if their first 5min is spent on just waiting to get started. Everything has to do with getting customers happy. Your workflow, processes, policies are based on customer experience. If you don't do this then don't be surprised when everything is upside down.

The reports you need are client complaints. The opportunities bracket is based on suggestions clients make, every waiter for instance has to record all info they get from the client, how they made their order, what dishes they went through before they choose the one they ordered etc. This will help you at the end of the day to reorganize your staff on what the needs are and how to meet them better.

Meetings are the best way to manage staff in the food business. No need to shout at your staff as most clients don't always know what they want and they confuse your staff as well. Wouldn't it be nice to have a client that knows it all? that is rare, so teach them how to help the client to make the quick and best choices.

Support

CHANGE MANAGEMENT: (Tweaking & Shaping) during transitions or growth and expansion. Business wants to be the preferred supplier, they want to be seen as an industry leader and they want prestige.

STARTING UP: when it comes to creativity, what matters is if they BUYIN to your Idea. If they see your perspective they will BUYIN, if they need your perspective they will BUY. The difference in BUYING and BUYIN is in the goal you are pursuing. Investors, Partners, Staff need to BUYIN to your Idea to be a part of it; Customers need to BUY. The Convincing power of your pitch is what persuades each party.

Example...

Do we need clothes? Not really especially us in Africa :). The shame of nakedness drives us to cover ourselves. We might as well wear fig leaves. The need to attract others is what drives the fashion industry. You might as well wear a rag. Loll Nice PR statement, a perspective to make people laugh.

Does man really need to go to the Moon? No!!! But NASA is sponsored by Telecom corporations as an overhead position provides a large covering for communication. Understand what values are, then see how you can create to support the values of or for the world.

GROWING THE BUSINESS: A TREND is another word for opportunities. Personal, Careers, Social Values Change and it affects the business and career personality & capabilities within an environment. Look out for value changes; these are the trends to look out for. With every Tech the business environment changes. Pampers was invented to help mothers as well as pads!!!

From your personal experiences you can presume what a person may want or needs. Don't go too far, your grandparents, spouse, friends, clubs; COMPLAINTS are indicators of a needling change. You might just be the next It THING.

BUY OR SELL A BUSINESS: Not everyone can start a business from scratch, not everyone can carry a business to the end. Sometimes the best way to get value from your investment is to sell and start a new one. You may not be capable to raise it to its potential, merge in.

Imagine what a tribal mark is!

Brand management starts with understanding what 'brand' really means. 

Imagine what a tribal mark is, its for life, some see it as a scar, and some see it as an identity.

A brand begins with the leaders of the company who define the brand and controls its management. Now a brand means a culture; nature of a business and nurture of its market.

Brands culture a nature within the market or customer . When you look around you what do you see? How can you make it better? How can you make someone’s life better!?

It also reaches all the way through the company and especially to the people who interface with customers or who creates the products which customers use.

Many companies employ people for technical needs but what about if they are not feeling the brand?

If your company deals with books best people to employ there are teachers. If dealing with real-estate best people to sell are interior designers or artists.

Brand management performed to its full extent means starting and ending the management day of the  company through the brand, it is simply far too important to leave to the marketing department alone. The CEO should be (and, in fact, always is) the brand leader of the company.

Creating the promise. How can you sell when there is no promise? A promise is what the client wants, That’s like moth to a cloth. Your brand should flirt with the market. She is a lady to the man, she is gorgeous, and graceful and smart, or rugged strong and .........define it as you would like them to feel it. Creating the promise means defining the brand. A good brand promise is memorable and desirable. It cannot be effective if nobody remembers it and is no good either if nobody wants it!

How do you make someone want it? You need to know how your market responds.

A good brand promise evokes feelings, because feelings drives actions. Volvo offers feelings of safety. Mustang offers feelings of excitement. Head, Heart and Hands. Some will buy because it makes sense to them, some because it feels good and some because they can have physical experience.

Ask questions of yourself about the logic of your idea. What is the rationale for your idea? How will it benefit all of the different stakeholder groups involved? How will you implement it? What money is needed? What people, skills and competencies? What other resources? How long will it take?

How logical are you? How can you come across as a rational and intelligent person who has thought the idea through carefully and logically? Would you/have you put your own money into the idea? Seek to create a logical project plan that shows what must be done, by whom, by when, and how long it will take.

Think about the Heart. The heart is about affective function, emotions and feelings.

Think about how you can use emotion to get your idea across. How emotional are they? How open or closed are their emotions? What emotions do they show most? About what subjects do they get emotional? What makes them passionate? What excites them most? What are the emotional aspects of your idea? How does it stimulate emotion? How does it make people feel when they see it? What words are associated with the idea? How can these be made emotional? How emotional are you? How do you show your emotions? Do you get excited when you talk about your idea? What gets you passionate? How do you have fun? What ideas would you die for? What emotional investment are you prepared to put into your idea? Seek to create passionate messages that show your commitment and excitement about the idea, and how you will not take 'no' for an answer.

Think about the Hands. The hands are about practicality, action, physical effect. Think about how you can use action to get your idea across. How practical are they? How action-oriented? Are they stimulated more by actual demonstrations? Do they like to handle things themselves? What involvement would get them bought into your idea? Can you create a demonstration of the idea? Can you make a mock-up? How can you show your idea in action? How can you get the other person involved? How can they contribute physically to the idea? How practical are you? Have you stopped at the idea or have you developed it further? How can you move yourself more into the action domain?

Can you create give-aways for them to take with them? Seek to create demonstrable evidence of how good your idea is, and how you are a person of action as well as an 'ideas person'. Consider the sequence of head, heart and hands. Should you get them doing something first and hope they realise how good the idea is once they try it out? Should you get them buzzed up and excited first? Should you start with a logical argument that starts from their problems and works back to how your idea will solve these? Find an effective sequence of actions. Find the best way of combining head, heart and hands through time to create an effective package of persuasion.

Head, Heart and Hands addresses three main motivational systems that affect people. Some prefer cognitive approaches, some prefer affective and some prefer practical and all three affect all of us to some extent. Forcing thinking about all three gets the innovator out of their preferred mode and thinking about all three, thus potentially tripling the effectiveness of persuasive efforts to get people to accept their idea.

Every organisation is modelled differently!

Every organisation is modelled differently. Every industry has a structure, Hierarchy. Study and clarify your cv, search the internet for various business structures and offer a description of how you fit in and what you will bring to improve or support the company.

The workplace, like anyplace are a bunch of people together; a jungle of many different personalities. The Good, the bad and the ugly.

The good don’t always make it. What sets the workplace apart from many other places is that everyone even the difficult people must cooperate in order to be productive. There are chatterboxes in the work place, they mean no harm but chatting can cause you to fail at delivering your tasks, just say "babes lets go for tea after work i need to focus".

The gossipers seem to know everything about everyone and they want to share it, just say "I don't feel right discussing someone behind their back". You may become the next victim!

There's always one person in a group who can never find anything in what to be happy about, this often affects morale, soon it can become a decease.

You'll find someone who wants to share his work with his colleagues, we're not talking about those who have a legitimate reason. DODGE!!!

The credit grabber does not acknowledge any help she receives from others. She accepts all the praise for a project without mentioning that she didn't do it alone. In all of this situations your temper may run high but don’t, just look at how others are dodging the bullet and choose the best result. Always record yours and others achievements even if its the job of the HR Manager.

How difficult a person is to deal with depends on your self-esteem.
Dealing with difficult people is easier when the person is just generally obnoxious or when the behavior affects more than one person. Dealing with difficult people is much tougher when they are attacking you or undermining your professional contribution. Difficult coworkers compete with you for power, privilege and the spotlight; some go way too far in courting the boss’s positive opinion – to your diminishment.

Situations don’t get better unaddressed, it usually gets worse. When you suppress it it affects your job concentration, if you erupt you will be reprimanded initially, you will go into shock when treated unprofessionally, take some time to understand exactly what is happening to you, you are not alone. Constant complaining can quickly earn you the title of whiner or complainer. Gather signatures of supporters and collectively file a complaint.

Culture is what you are and Tradition is what you believe in!

How easy is it to make one believe in something and long enough it now becomes a personal culture. Someone yesterday wanted me to believe that there is a system in Nigeria, i asked what is it, he couldn't define it and he became a ghost in my eyes. He wanted to create shadows in my mind. We are living today in the Africa that we have been made to believe in and everyday we live it affected by the traditions that have cultivated a negative reaction. You have been made to believe that there is corruption in Africa, so you automatically prepare your pocket rather than prepare to break it. Have you tried to break it? or you have just accepted it and when you make an offer because you see hesitation you automatically stretch your hand to give and then they take what they haven't laboured for. How many people actually possess facts or bold enough to say i did bribe someone. Show the receipt to what they hold to know in their hearts. Africa is corrupt alright but with ignorance and shadow makers who make you believe to hold you from making a step without them being a part of it. hmmm

Commuting: mass communication of words passed through opinions have shaped our lives and we now act it. There will come a time in your life when you will have to ask yourself, where were the facts to what you were made to believe. For all it could be life on earth could have started only 2000 years ago or even 100years ago, how sure are you that you are not living in someone else's dream? If it is and was beautiful we wouldn't fight it, if it was nasty we will be looking for a way out. When in doubt they say do not act, how about when you are not sure find out.

We have been made to believe what we hear, we have been made to believe in what we see but how many really know the taste, how many have touched. It is scary to build your life on opinions of others, it is dangerous to act on gossip. I only believe in what i can and what i have done, not what someone said, although it may motivate to try but often times it stops one from achieving self realisation. I never listen to when someone tells me NO and i ask why to every yes. I want facts not delusions of someones fear, its their truth not mine.

I left home at 18 was told that there are sharks out there, i seem to be fine. I was told that doing business is a risk, today i stand branded with success because i realised not doing something is even worse than risk. If you dont know WHO you are, WHER you are, WHAT you want to do, HOW you want to go about it in the moment, WHEN will be your enemy and that is a fact because time waits for no one. I was told so many things and i acted opposite to what i have been told and today i stand alive and healthy for one simple reason I DISTASTE FEAR and THOSE WHO WANT TO MAKE ME BELIEVE IN IT. When someone tells me something i dont distrust i check, curiosity dosnt not kill the cat, it is a smart animal because it lands on its feet anytime someone tries to land it on its back.

Tell me what you believe in and i will show you who you are. When i hear men who talk evil i think of them evil. When i see men who show me bright ideas, i think of them as light. Out of the abundance of the heart the mind speaketh and feet act. If you dont believe in yourself donot make others distrust themselves.

Why do many workers earn less?

A question was asked “Why do many workers earn less salaries when their employers live a flamboyant life?”

There are a variety of reasons; first they are not capable of taking the decisions the employers made and make. There is no way that one would explain this and not sound arrogant but if you look at it from the perspective of the level of confidence it takes for the employer to set up you will understand why there is such difference.

One is character. Individuality; a fight in the face of where the average man submitted to fit a role type. Employers are rebels, they see a problem in the community or personal life of someone and they say what can I do to help bring a change to this life, they also took a level of risk to change their lives for their loved ones. How many people on a daily basis seek to reach out to another in need? To love your own isn't love try loving a stranger, try risking your livelihood for another. A lot of staff do not know the level of sacrifice it took for their now employers to be able to give.

Lets look at why I push so hard. My kid is Autistic, in the average world where he isn’t considered functional, I have to build a world for him so that I stop blaming God why he gave me him. Although he will be fine in the next 10/20 years, what is the guarantee that I will still be around? None but never the less I have to do something so when death catches me I have a level of joy that I tried. And when StartUpSity establishes a whole load of kids like him can have an opportunity too. I am a mum and there are many mums out there who cant get back into the work environment due to babysitting, and clearly there are self centred men who wouldn’t want their wives to work, how can they get jobs to keep the spirit up? Again I have structured a service line for that. How many students have the opportunity to build experience while they study at the same time and not become drug dealers, thugs and prostitutes given the fact that our universities have failed to give them the practise. All of this problems are solved Virtually, where there is a wall that connects the disabled world to the chauvinistic able world.

We have all pretty much set rules and boxes for everyone and left the rest behind in the crack called survival of the fittest. In the animal world the strong don’t leave the perceived weak behind, they do something and only when there is grieve danger they have no choice but to leave but in the human world I have seen that we make others weak with our hypocritical absolutes. What human is in danger now? Who is attacking us? Who do we need to protect ourselves against? Ourselves from ourselves, we sure are cannibals. It is sickening and scares the living Jesus out of me and many who notice this trait in humans.

I was told by someone that I should keep quiet that my kid has this issue because I may find who will judge me or not marry him because they would know his history. It saddened me but then knowing the hypocrisy of many people I know that if he is rich there will be many who would say it doesn'’t matter. Yeah we are living in this world and it is terrible. Its sad. While my bro was a struggling sports man the gals would say “My daddy told me not to follow a footballer, when he was getting married I saw blogs that were saying “why did he didnot marry from his own, why a white gal?”Oh yeah!!!

How many are selfless? how many would take their kids savings and risk it for a change and how many people would sacrifice their livelihood for others to have a piece of the pie?

Most successful entrepreneurs don’t have a life that the average man considers successful. We loose a spouse, our kids don’t see us most times, most times are broke because we invested hoping that the crop would yield returns. Most times we loose but if we persistent we make a big win. The only thing I see that may be an issue to comprehend in comparison to the employee is the perceived freedom we have but no one sees the cost at which it came and the lives we support directly or indirectly.

Maybe someone would say who begged us to choose that path, well I would say would they have the job that feeds them today and your family if we didn’t make that decision? We employers have to deal with constant attitudes, foundations of which is the employees lack of self-esteem (Social and personal status quo). If an employee feels bad that’s because he instinctively knows he or she hasn’t met their personal standards and job performance.

How many employees try to emulate the boss as an example? If we are being criticised behind our backs that’s because they often cant understand what it is to be us. Even if the employee knew what, would they still take the decision to be us and be the dart board?

How many employees would agree to not take a salary when the company hasn’t made money? How many actually perform ie stay more than 12 hours thinking about strategies while juggling kids and having to stand constant nagging by the spouse that they are not there for them? If you are a spouse of a business person open your own and connect. Complaints wouldn't buy you that nice house you want.

If the average man who works only 8 hrs has problems retaining a family in a unit how much more the employer who does that and at the same time his own family as well as needing to defend his image in the public who has demands constantly on ethics or management and conduct?!

The Devil does wear Prada and rightfully so.

A friend of mine said: “In a competitive business environment, employees are the only UNIQUE asset that companies possess but the employers need to be reminded of that fact, so they treat their employees better. That been said, I have seen employees living flamboyant lifestyle here while their employers are modest, for instance an employee driving a Mercedes and the employer driving a Honda to work lol”

i will add

How many employees show their uniqueness, how many project what they should of the company just like the employer, through the brand or personal conduct? If you are confident in your input and have measured it you will know the price to tag yourself with. If you bring kind you get kind, if you bring cash you get cash, lip service "sucking up" doesn’t pay bills.

There are 6 billion people in the world, how many large corporations are there to cover the ratio? Most employers are small scale businesses who can employ a minimum of 5 to 10 people, ask these employers what they go through when being compared to the big corporations and government salaries. When I was starting off at age 18 most people would put me down based on age, what possible do I know or have to offer, at 25 I had my first staff and today she is a board director with a shareholding of 19%, you will say oh how sweet of me many employers wouldn’t do so. Well she earned it through loyalty and taking home less than she bargained for, gave me time to pay off the outstanding through the months and she is still with me and helped managing staff who came after her just as she did. My confidence is the attitude my staff has shown me, without them I may survive but I wouldn’t be strong. They don’t treat my business like a play ground. How many employees do this? I do consider myself lucky, and I don’t live a flamboyant life style because they have humbled me.

Finders are always keepers and talkers are always beggars!

Just read this.

A Lebanese family enjoys a night out on the town. Lagos is host to a large, affluent Lebanese community. Only in Nigeria are the nationals second class citizens... we clean their shit at home and abroad.

***

I am asking myself did or would i put myself in that position to be a servant or should i put myself to serve? There were slaves that kings were afraid to let go of and made them generals. Did he think like a slave or did he serve? You can only be made inferior if you give the consent. If you tell yourself you are nothing, then you will be wiping other peoples ass because you thought less of yourself.

I am yet to understand the mentality where a job defines you. There was a moment in my life at the age of 21 when i lost my paying employment due to redundancy ie the contract of the company i worked for came to completion and they had to reduce their staff base and i was one of the junior staff they let go. The company over the years grew arrogant and did nothing to establish a continuum and they had to shut down all over the country. This was a seemingly huge construction company and they are still huge in Europe. They became arrogant and they now ceased to exist.

For 9 months i couldn't find a job but the dream i held as an 18year old kept me afloat. I did for a moment fall depressed because i was wondering if i was ever going to find a job that kept me independent until i realised it didnt matter what i did to keep going, it was how i did it that would keep me growing.

Why would someone work for someone for 5 years and still come out with no skill or knowledge, what were you doing there? We want to blame expatriates? Na wa o, you wouldn't ask yourself why your own big men in government replaced you with them or you think that they should show you the way when for 5 years you had been near them? In a world of 2 eyed men the one eyed man is king. Where was your focus? Did you trade it into an attitude? I haven't met a white or another coloured person who would serve someone and leave without something.

Let me ask you "if Osas played badly in the premier league do you think his club wouldn't sell him off to a cheeper club or worse off let out as a free player"? Every national of a country complains that foreigners are coming to take their jobs, well do you feel that because you are at home you wouldn't need to clean your compound? You think because they said you were born in Nigeria that you are automatically a Nigerian? Ooopsi daisys a citizen is who ploys the land, he has what he has sown to expect to rip, of course your politicians will pacify you for your votes but with the same words you so emptily spread.

Finders are always keepers and talkers are always beggars.

Why is change so hard to implement?

One day a Grand Zen Master saw a scorpion drowning and decided to retrieve it from the waters. The scorpion stung him fiercely. Feeling the pain, the master dropped the animal which again fell into the water drowning further. The master tried to pull the animal again, and it newly stung him again. A young disciple who was watching the Master approached him and said: "Excuse me, Master, but why you do insist pulling it out? Don’t you understand that whenever you try to pull it out of the waters it will sting you?”

The master replied: "The nature of the scorpion which is to sting, is not going to change my nature of helping.”

Then the teacher thought hard and tough, and using a leaf, he managed to take the scorpion out of the water and saved his life.

He then turned to his young disciple and said: "Do not change your nature if someone hurts you, just take precautions. Some will pursue happiness, others create it. Be concerned of your conscience alone and then of your reputation. Because your consciousness is what you are, and your reputation is what others think of you. When life presents you a thousand reasons to cry, show that you have a thousand reasons to smile."

Alain Kitsa Tsongo

*

Why is change so hard to implement? Because you cant force someone to abandon a hill for that mountain without building a bridge, they have to want the mountains after reaching their hill top,. Maybe you can lead the horse to water but only when you ride it hard then it will drink, there must be a thirst.

One dosnt have to help someone directly, half the time an indirect approach is more effective. You do owe yourself a level of protection when offering help, have no expectations when you present the offer. There are those who are happy to remain on the ground or some who just want to climb a hill. How many like to climb the everest? How many are that sporty about their lives?

This is why leaders are respected, they "the few" do what the many have told themselves they can't or had lost interest half way. In implementing change one needs to build a team of different generations with one voice that would pass the baton to each other. The hardest thing to accomplish is to develop that team, many are egomaniacs or lack vision of what a dream is. Discipline can be gotten through a stick but then thats not leadership any more and often has no continuum.

Do Africans want change or are they just talking?

To make your market choose you!

Permission to use this quote that is widely known, to define what many business people find difficult to make when it comes to pricing the value of their solutions.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." 

Its either you are for profit or nonprofit, either you give free or you charge but there is also what is called a profit-nonprofit "hybrid".

I prefer to give free than not charge for the value i give. It is a decision. I dont feel bad that i aint charging because the benefit i gain is good will. For me that is my quality however to make money i make a choice to deliver specific customised solutions, some free and some chargeable.

Giving free isnt really free there is a charge to someone ie usually a sponsor. The market likes quality and would pay for it. You may offer discounts or promos but your service should have a charge for its quality. Once you have achieved quality, you may now decide how wide spread to deliver it and then reduce your price according to your market share. If you are waiting for the market to set a price for you, then you aren't prepared for business.

There is a difference between Apple and Microsoft. For me they have their different use. Apple deals with my Sales and Marketing needs (Graphics and Media etc), while Microsoft for Administrative needs.

Apple is expensive but more and more people are warming up to what quality is. To some Apple may be useless but it still has respect. To some Windows is more useful, in comparison neither are cheep products although Windows has hassles such as viruses that has nothing to do with my line of needs, let the programmers distract themselves with the constant updates.

Most people are perks based, regardless of what salary one takes home at the end of the day those little unexpected gifts is what brightens ones day not what one knows one gets at the end of the month and same it is with products or solutions. Your product will win the market share if it has unexpected perks.

It is a bad name to have if someone says your product is cheep, it often has nothing to do with the price but quality. Is there a car in the market that is cheap or is it whats called affordable? A good bargain isn't cheep, you got it for a discount or promo.

On the Apple App Store they have categories of products for free"limited functionality solutions", low price and high end. Just because you dont know what you are buying and after purchase you eventually see that you didnt need it doesn't mean the product is cheep or bad, thats anger speaking because you wasted your energy "money".

To make your market choose you, you need to create 1, 2, 3 product lines. Best to make simple but functional products "specifically targeted problem solving products". Simple effective services are "specialty" based i.e in the medical world there is a difference between a GP and a surgeon. A third solution could be a packaged deal of both products and services a wholesome solution.

First comes the thought!

First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.
Napoleon Hill

I have come to realise that we are all waiting for the right time, one is afraid to be either too early or too late. In this for me lay 2 different strategies to be applied. I come early and leave late this way I get the best of both works in business.

I lead and I close the deals! Ontime seekers never get it right because they get the drift late and never close to the deals because they didn't initiate the moment. Have you ever noticed that everyone who joins the queue is always counting how long left before their turn while the leader welcomes everyone and ushers the pace?

We have been practising African time for too long and we have been left to carry the left overs! Be first even if you are not perfect, second best is never the first. You will always have time to perfect what you started.

“I'm a good neurosurgeon.

“I'm a good neurosugeon. That's not a boast but a way of acknowledging the innate ability God has given to me. Beginning with determination and using my gifted hands, I went on for training and sharpening for my skills. ”
― Ben Carson, Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson

"training and sharpening for my skills" this is what university is supposed to be about, a platform for practising your talent and releasing you when you become a professional "filed out diamonds", not a place to brainwashing individuals into being what they arnt by nature. You only become a true professional if your talent leads you in conjunction with information and practice.

Every body has talents but the universities have made it such that they have segregated your talents to what is relevant and what isn't, whats worse is they throw you out for providing them feedback. Did God not make man equal? What is equality? physically we are all endowed with similar body parts, the will however is determined by each individuals feel to be better than what they knew themselves to be but with that comes all the bias everyone in moments exhibits, is it about others or self? "Who"  or "What" is a system to go against what God has made? Do those who create systems even include Spirituality in their understanding of evolution or growth for people? Can all the 4 fingers function without the thumb? Cant a man without  hands paint a picture with his legs? Some parents just like the universities have stifled their kids talents because they want them to fit in. To be a lawyer is to have a talent that has been polished into a practicable skill and then transformed into a system of practice.

I know someone who was in my life, who was coerced into being an engineer, yet he had super skills in playing a base guitar and he did perform in a band and had his group album when he was young, what happened is his well meaning parents fought him stand still, he surrendered and with that his spirit went, he became mediocre in everything else in his life. Some people wonder sometimes where does my passion to write this way comes from, i see souls that are being murdered in people every day, both by parents and the society, thats what fuels me to fight it. I hate to see souls that are born being happy becoming depressive and in return are taking out their frustrations on others and i hurt when i see them surrender. although we all need to be in unity as people to survive but that doesn't permit anyone to murder a soul, you think murder is only in physical terms? check deeper. suicide? well we have alot of walking Ghosts in our society.
I went to wikki to see the definition of the Act of murder apart from the stipulated point in the 10 commandments while randomly stated in other verces: Some may commit suicide to escape bullying or prejudice. Are you bullying someone? Have you been bullied to accept? Are you prejudicial of or towards someone?

Doctor Alban was a Medical student (dentistry)http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/dr+alban/biography.html, he ably made more money singing than what he studied in school, besides who wouldn't want him to fix his teeth now, which fuelled more clients to his practice "IT's My Life" every youth i meet says what he sang in his song.

When reading this quote i saw a kid who knew what he was before he stepped into the university, hence he strategically placed himself to study how others did it, he didnt go learn what others did to define himself but to sharpen his gifts and in the process his strength lead to more innovation.

I have an issue with the current educational system that takes in kids based on grades rather than talent and lacks the platform for practice. University will channel your kid to a subject but they cant be thought what is built in by nature, universities are a place for nurturing what is already within an individual. Universities started by bringing talents of the few to a mass, if lecturers suck at their jobs thats because they never dug their hands dirty in what they preach.

Would you believe that i was a kid who hated to read? would you be surprised tomorrow to find out if i come out with distinction in Journalism or writing? This is my talent among the many i have discovered in myself.

You may not be able to go to Harvard or Oxford you may just be like me who went to a mushroom school, but i bought old books and read what my mates read in equipped rooms, yet it is my will that beats them hands down because i discovered my talents and added others vantage points to mine.


“Do what you have to do so that you can be what you want to be”
― Benjamin Carson, Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20ew5848Z8E

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Matthew 16:17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

Use your talent, arm it with knowledge and you will be the best, will prevails above any thing.

Everything has a hot spot!

Everything has a hot spot. They mainly arise from this 3 points.

• Do our people "do the right things" to make our business profitable?
• Do we truly align our staff with the objectives of the business?
• Do we manage our non-financial performance to improve our profit?
• Do our people "do the right things" to make our business profitable?

I ask myself do people ever know how to identify what is the right thing to do? Is it possible in business or generally in life to know what is the right thing? It is amazing that it is only after you make a mistake and you get feedback that you realise what was supposed to be the right thing. Its at the point of your mistakes that you have advisors.

In my opinion do what you intended to do and manage the after effects. They say when in doubt don't act, well when i am in need to act i do, have no regrets and seldom listen to anyone who provided no advice prior; either waiting to see what would be the reaction because they themselves dont really know if it would work or not or clearly wicked waiting for my fall.

I have fallen many times but i have risen one time more often than i have fallen and those who watched and said nothing i have left them behind where they stood. So for me the right thing is always act regardless of if you cant see through the fog, are you waiting for it to clear? There are drivers behind that would catch up, just thread with care but thread through, there is a dead line to everything. When i have a writers block i write crap anyway and that releases my creatives pushing me to undo the mess. In my home i bring out everything from the shelf and reorganise because sometimes you could be walking in a seemingly clean house yet something is disturbing you. In business it is the same thing with me, i reshuffle everyone and everything. I am dissatisfied with being stagnant even if everything seems ok. I tell my staff "if you are afraid of change or making mistakes then stay home when i am ready i will call you back". Business or life isnt for the fearful or tiresome. For it to be called a business it has to be busy even if it isnt making the target amount, it needs dynamics. Faint hearts never won fair ladies. Watch the best football matches they often end with 1 or 2 goals, watch the fans during the match they are always on the edge, and see their distaste when one team lost 10:0, that is a bad game to the great teams.

Do we truly align our staff with the objectives of the business?
the basic objectives of a business are in the following, this is how a business is measured for performance according to my findings.

1. Do you have the right combination of Staff, Suppliers, Partners?
2. Are you fulfilling the Mission of your clients, and the Vision of your company parallel to each other?
3. Are you a preferred supplier of services in the market, are you creating new standards in your industry?
4. Have you established a credit/debit system that enables you to complete tasks in a needed timeframe?
5. Are you flexible enough to transition through market shifts?
6. Are you exploring new hights going to where others havnt?

To relate the above mentioned in a simple way to drive a basic understanding i would relate it to the questions i ask myself about life; What are the objectives of life? What makes you feel alive? Your dreams, your wishes, your needs, your wants.? Does it realy matter what others think of you? Its neither here nor there but it is secondary, to your dreams. People seem not to like people they cant relate to "ie understand" should they realy understand why you do what you do? unless they want too join in, you can explain later when you have the time.

Do we manage our non-financial performance to improve our profit?
`just as in Life business is evaluated by its value offering. What did it bring at the end of the day to the society since it is the society that it was meant to serve. Many presume that profit is measured in monetary terms thats financial not a service mission, if i were a bank i guess i will be measuring my performance in monetary terms to the company but of what profit is the organisation to its environment? Of what good was it? Of what good was your existence on this planet? Value is in depth, are you improving?

Hot pots: Identify the highest risk areas in the business that is likely to jeopardize the immediate future performance or service levels in the business and  you will see the value of your cost.