Preparation Comes Before Success

I was at an office this previous week, to sort out an issue that had bothered my business for over a month and right there on getting into the building, someone i knew walked into the reception. Apparently he is one of the bosses in the organization but being dressed casually, that fact wasn't obvious. I was polite to him anyway. He asked me why i was there while we had a little chat. He said he was on vacation but checked in briefly to see what was up in the office. On his way out of the building, he told the receptionist to call a particular person and when the guy showed up, he told the guy to attend to the issue and put the bill on him.

After about three hours or there about, the challenge was resolved and an expense paid receipt was issued for me to endorse, acknowledging work well done. Remember my friend had ordered all payments be directed to him on this particular task. Now, that is favor at work! I give thanks to God for sending this wonderful person my way. Remember this guy was on vacation and wasn't meant to be in the office that week as a matter of fact. But God sent him to be a blessing to me. When someone told me about the actual protocol that i was meant to have gone through to even be in that office in the first place, i knew God was good to me.

I walked out of that building with solution and good feeling. I had made new friends and gained some more reasons to believe that people are capable of kindness.

In highlighting the parts i played by my preparation, i would say prayer was the major key.

My prior preparation was prayer. i prayed and i followed the protocol of prayer. Prayer is a begining of the request process. Matthew 7:7 demands that you ASK, SEEK and KNOCK. Some people begin with the asking and don't seek after the knowlege of what it is that they want. To get results you have to know what to seek for so that you would know when you have find it.

Bishop David Oyedepo said "Praying without knowing is playing without knowing."

Secondly i applied the principle of politeness. Everyone appreciates respect. From the security men at the gate of the organization to the reception before my friend walked in, i made sure everyone felt good around me.

Thirdly, i dressed up for the occassion. People respond to outward appearance and i keyed into that fact by making sure i looked professional, feminine and approachable.

Do feel free to share your "preparation for success" tips. Let us know how you made it or how you succeeded. No story is too small or too big to be shared in order to encourage others on their traction to success. 

Gracias! 

Keeper And Shade

Everyone needs a Keeper and a Shade at some point in time or the other. The Keeper to protect, guard and watch out for you in order to ensure your welfare. The Keeper ensures your welfare by giving you fish. This is the reason why the responsibility of authority is vested upon the Keeper. This is the category of kings, rulers, bosses and leaders.
The Shade guides and teaches you how to fish for yourself in order to ensure your welbeing. Shade refers to virtue and an empowerment given to you by God for you to be fulfilled in life. This is where education comes in as an important factor for the well-being of an individual.

It is when the purpose of a thing is known that the right use of its essence can be enacted and appreciated.
On the social levels, when the purpose of a keeper is not known, the abnormal use (abuse) of its authority results in the making of a bully, dictator or sociopath. When the purpose of a teacher is not known, the resultant is a rebel or serial terrorist.

It is the responsibility of shades, mothers and teachers to raise their children to be keepers not bullies; To inculcate virtues and not vices. 
For the clue on how to raise a keeper, king or leader, i would like to refer us to Proverbs 31: 1 -10. (The Message and Kings James version).

The words of King Lemuel, the strong advice his mother gave him.

"Oh son of mine, what can you be thinking of!

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine;
nor for princes strong drink:
Lest they drink and forget the law,
and pervert the judgement of any of the afflicted.

Leaders cannot afford to make fools of themselves,
gulping wine and swilling beer,
Lest, hung over, they don't know right from wrong,
and the people who depend on them hurt.
Use wine and beer only as sedatives, . . . . . . . . .

Speak up for the people who have no voice,
for the rights of all the down-and-outers.
Speak for justice!
Stand up for the poor and needy."

For the clue on how to raise shades, teachers, managers and business people, Proverbs 31:11-31 gives us pointers to that effect. We find out that the price of empowering people to fish for themselves is far above rubies and a desirable goal. A compromise in the welfare of a society affects the well-being of its citizen and vice versa. There has to be a healthy balance between being given fish and learning to fish. This is a challenge for every facet of the social strata including the government, NGOs, families, schools, politics, capitalism, corporate entities and the rising need for organizations to pay attenion to CSR - corporate social responsibility.

Haven talked about the social aspect of keeping and shading, lets look at it from an individualistic standpoint. Who keeps and shades you?
Yes, you have all these fantastic responsibilities to either be a keeper perhaps as a father in the home or as a leader in your community but is the Lord your keeper?
Perhaps you provide succor as a mother or teacher in your home and community but is the Lord your Shade upon your right hand?"

Colossians 2:10 (King James and The Message versions) makes us understand that we are complete in Him, which is the head of all principalities and power. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without Him. When you come to Him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything.

The Lord is my Keeper; The Lord is my Shade: Psalm 121:5, Therefore the supplies for my welfare and well-being are guaranteed sufficiently. Praise God!

In conclusion, rather than seeking for what you would eat, drink, wear, where you would live and the other aspects of welfare, seek to make the Lord your keeper. When you make the Lord your Shade, the virtue and power that guarantees your well-being are supplied.

Make the Lord your Keeper and Shade today! 

Creating Systems

Efficiency! Efficiency!
 
As far as the biggest football tournament is concerned, Germany has become FIFA 2014 World Cup champions for the next four years. They have been able to achieve this great fit because they put in place an efficient system popularly known as the German machine which has yielded effective results with the highly coverted 18 carats golden Cup to show for it.
The Argentina team had an effective man but under the pressure of a world cup, an efficient team took the day. However when this same man is with his clubside, he shines because FC Barcelona is an efficient and an effective organization.
   
World cup lesson: To ensure long term effectiveness, appropriate attention must be given to setting up efficient systems.

This is the content for effective leadership in which actions are instinctfully backed up by intelligence.

Creating a system requires committing to a process that leads to a goal - focus is on the Verb not the Noun i.e on what you will do not on what you want to happen.

When you are focused on what to do, you put more concentration on the value you are giving than the reward you're getting from your action.

Systems helps you incorporate the processes of value addition and appropriation of rewards or gains in a continum that works itself by itself human resource not witstanding.

The cyclical nature of the planetary system is a worthy example of efficiency with effective results.
 

Who is a Feminist?

"Self-acclaimed feminist are those who boldly declare the awareness of their responsibilities as leaders and role models." Prosper Esmee

“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”

― Gloria Steinem

“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it. ”

― Roseanne Barr

The feminist knows that equality is like respect which is not demanded but earned and she is willing to earn her place of honor without intimidation. “Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Deal with it.” ― George Carlin

This reflects the expectation society has about a woman as a female gender to be more introverted and take her position behind the man. For every successful man, there is a woman behind. Actually there is a reason the woman has to be behind but that doesn’t mean she is sub-servant it means she is performing a role being positioned that way. In solving yesterdays’ challenges, new challenges often surface that could render yesterdays’ solutions unfit or harmful for the present, if the woman is behind, she can see it and fix it before it bites them from the back.

If a woman is tough, ambitious and knows exactly what she wants makes her a bitch, that becomes matters of your own opinion especially if these same traits are applauded in a man.

“I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.”
― Jane Austen, Persuasion

Bribery and Corruption; Incentives and Education

 

Is there any moral justification for offering and receiving bribes?

Can an incentive be considered to be a bribe? What is the difference between giving incentives to customers for patronage and giving incentives to electorates for loyalty? This blogger is interested in the underpinning issues that surround when a bribe or an incentive is a political solution providing tool or strategy.

Are all acts of bribery corrupt? Why do people say "bribery and corruption" as if the two words are symbiotic? Can there be bribery without corruption? Perhaps we can learn from the master himself:  

Our Lord Jesus Christ, who also is our teacher, gave fish and bread to multitudes of people. Though it was an empathic gesture, it got the peoples attention, commendation and it resulted to a huge followership of the master. Even when Jesus had to get away from the crowd for private moments, the bread and the fish was enough motivation for a host of them to cross rivers, travel deserts and to climb mountains so they could be with Jesus. Do try to read it in the bible for yourself in the gospel according to St John chapter six from verse one to fourteen.

From my perspective, the intension behind an act should be paid close attention to in determining the audacity or needfulness for employing a particular strategy for a peculiar situation. The perception about something is one thing, the intension is another. While perception is about surface outward appearance, (i.e. what it immediately sounds like, looks like, feels like or tastes like), the intension which is the real deal, is hidden and is a matter of the heart. The question is if the intension for giving the gift was to motivate the recipient to do the right thing or if it was given to motivate a perverted deed?

The act of offering & accepting a bribe or an incentive such as rice, fish, bread, money, sex or information can be said to be corruption if the intension, motive or purpose for which it was given is impure, immoral, perverted or twisted.

Is bribery a virus designed to automatically corrupt its recipients? Some people say that the act of bribery is a human quality (an easy virtue or a weakness on the part of the recipient) which politicians do not shy away from exploring to their own advantage. It helps them influence, persuade or force their will upon the people as well as upon their opponents.

Education is the route to independence and the immunity to corruption. Quality education beyond schooling is what is required. There is need for more quality teachers, mentorship programs and updating the tools relevant for the impartation of knowledge. Safer learning environments with adequate training facilities and richer course contents are essential if quality education is to be attained.

Education is a route for teaching the people how to fish for themselves so they won't have to solely rely on being given fish. No governmental systems nor NGOs can afford to sustain the extremities of economic models beyond their breaking points irrespective of which of the performance metrics it addresses between welfare and well-being.  

This blogger is not opposed to people collecting fish, bread or rice. The emphasis of this blogger is on the need for visionary leaderships that can create a balanced cycle for the appropriate interaction between "giving fish" and "teaching how to fish."

The value diligence, competence, administration of duties, appropriation of budgets, verification of time sheets, investments, conversions, auditory reconciliations for ensuring financial regularities, legal expenses and activities add to an enterprise can only be ensured as well as improved by quality education. For these values not to be eroded by corruption, legal practitioners, educators, book smarts and intellectuals must be able to decode the thin lines between incentives and bribe, perception and intension as well as communicate the economic performance metrics used for setting legal standards to the populace. It is possible to carry everyone along in a significant way that is contributory and profitable.
The proprietary interaction between political and economic responsibilities should be given the skillful attention it deserves bearing in mind that the canvass has gone beyond how dependent or independent a nation can be to how appropriately it can take its place in the global community in todays world that is so innovatively driven by technology.

  

 

The Feminine Torch

This book highlights the usefulness of feminism, its role model functions and the need for more passionate assertiveness rather than passive aggression not only for women but for anyone who aims for more profitability. 

The world is in need of more feminists whether they are aware of it or not. Feminist in the context of this book, looks beyond gender towards qualities found in thinkers, solution providers, scholars, think tanks and innovators. Some of our greatest ideas, art, and inventions—from the theory of evolution to Albert Einstein's equation E=mc² to the personal computer— came from quiet and cerebral people who knew how to tune in to their inner worlds and the treasures to be found there.