Linchpin or cog in the wheel.

A story is told about two railroad employees who were close friends, one of whom worked as a laborer for an hourly wage for more than 30 years, while the other rose to become the company president. When the laborer’s puzzled co-workers saw the two socializing one day, they asked how it could happen. The laborer said, “We started on the same day pounding stakes and have known each other ever since.” His co-workers mockingly asked how his friend managed to become the president while the laborer was still pounding nails. The thoughtful reply was, “Because thirty years ago, I went to work for $3.15 per hour and he went to work for the railroad.”

From this, it is fair to say that one worker (the president) became an Indispensable part (Linchpin) of the company while the laborer became an easily replaceable part (cog) of the company.

This analogy is quite harsh on the laborer as I believe all people are created with purpose, meaning and value. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made, but, the realities in our very competitive product and service market as well as the job market, dictate that to attract value and a high price, one has to be indispensable.

For the employee, it is not enough to give the bare minimum to fulfill the minimum time requirement and earn the salary. A cog in a huge machine cannot be differentiated from the other hundreds of cogs. This too applies to a business owner who has a product or service to offer to the market. 

To set oneself apart and be recognized as extra ordinary, one has to;

Apply passion to the work. 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

Colossians 3:23 NIV.

We all know that extra-friendly waiter/waitress, bank teller and shop keeper who smiles and brightens everyone’s day. These are the people who keep us coming back for more and we would be sad if they left.

 If you give your work all you’ve got, are present in every moment, put emotion into each task and pour your heart and soul into it, you’ll build a reputation.

Give extra than what is required of them;

“And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” Matthew 5:41

In Jesus’s days, soldiers had the right to ask people to carry luggage for them. One was obliged to carry this luggage for one mile. Jesus took it up a notch higher and asked his disciples that if they were ever forced or asked to carry the luggage for a mile, they should carry it extra mile.

Excellence, and not giving the bare minimum is always rewarded, whether you are employed or self-employed. And if you are not rewarded by human beings, God, who is just will reward you. Basically, if we sow excellence, we will reap excellently.

I was once in a situation where I was not in the good books for my boss. Things had gotten this way because of the shoddy work I was doing. I was tempted to believe that he didn’t like me because of personal reasons, but when I reflected internally to check myself, I discovered that I wasn’t up to the plate. I then went on a journey of self-improvement to get better, make less errors and produce better work. This involved doing more than my job description stipulated and my boss liked this as I was always on hand to take on tasks that others shunned. It lifted my equity in his eyes and when asked at his farewell dinner which staff he would miss the most, guess who he pointed out, yours truly! I learnt a powerful lesson then and have kept that concept of excellence and going the extra mile, close to my heart.

I will conclude with two quotes for whom I have forgotten the authors, but which I think are a fitting way to drive the point home that we need to discard average and status quo so as to be truly indispensable and not highly replaceable.

  1. You cannot guarantee employment but you can guarantee that you are always employable.
  2. Become too good to be ignored.

Yours truly.

Entrepreneurial Myths!

  • Unprofitability.
  • Lack of access to finance.

Four Top Myths about Entrepreneurship.
According to the latest GEM report, Uganda is the world’s third highest entrepreneurial nation with four Ugandans out of every 10 starting a business. Moreover, 69% ofUgandans say they have the skills to run a business and 64% see opportunities to start a business in the near future. But the rate of business closure is equally high. The report further adds that the two major causes of business failure are;

The media is awash with successful business men who make it look easy. However, we are never given details about what it took for them to ‘arrive’. I must say, for a country as entrepreneurial as ours,we are severely lacking in detailed success stories from our enduring businessmen about their business journey. In my short sojourn as a business enthusiast and now a business consultant(Viisi Consult Ltd) who’s goal is to help business owners start and build enduring enterprises,this is what I have found out about business that we are not being told;
Its not all about the money!
In trying to build an enduring business(which is profitable of course), money is the golden egg and not the goose. If you start a business with the leading goal being to make money, you are in for a rude awakening. Most businesses will not turn a profit in the first 3 years of existence. The market doesn’t care about your needs and billionaire ambitions! It only cares that you are solving a problem for them or meeting a desire. If you are not leading with the above goals,you might make some short-lived money but it won’t take long before customers leave you for the one who is meeting their needs. Make more customer friendly products or services and the market will reward you with more money.
You have to be multidimensional.
Entrepreneurs are always shocked to discover that running a business is not all about making the product or providing the service, which is their specialty, but quickly discover that you have to manage people,do the books, market your products, deal with the tax man, and so on. Ladies and gentlemen, every serious business which has stood the test of time, has had to deal with and has excelled in those areas. Therefore the aspiring entrepreneur does not only have to excel in their technical abilities which are core to the business,but has to excel at business management. One can greatly improve their business management skills by reading business books, listening to podcasts, researching about model businesses, doing business courses and seeking help from business consultants.
The most important trait is perseverance.
“Every one has a plan, until they get punched in the face.” Mike Tyson.
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James 1:2-4
Most successful businessmen never tell us about the hills and valleys they went through; how in the early stages, they hadly made enough to put on their tables; how on countless occasions, were one step away from giving up, and so on. Patrick Bitature, who Chairman Simba group, Owner of Protea Hotel Uganda and who, according to Wikipedia, was worth USD 100m as of 2012, tells a story of how his entrepreneurship journey was birthed from the difficult circumstances of losing his father at a young age. As the oldest, he had to shoulder the responsibility of looking after his family. One of his first business ventures was bringing merchandise from Kenya for sale in Uganda. They were difficult times indeed, but from his current status, it might not be obvious to the naked eye that he went though such difficult circumstances. Therefore, the up and coming entrepreneur has to know that just because the road is hard, it doesn’t mean that this is not a worthy venture and it will not succeed. I have read countless surveys and business stories that have shown that perseverance on the right path is the most important trait for success. I should also note that one has to know when the fight is futile and thus giving up is the right move to make(Seth Godin,in his book TheDip ,gives guidance on how to tell when to quit a venture). Therefore an entrepreneur should keep their eye on the worthy goal and if they persevere through the hills and valleys,the market will reward them.
Entrepreneurship is not for everyone.
This might sound harsh, but some things are better left as hobbies. Not every idea will translate into a business which is profitable and enduring. Just because you got a few friends to buy your lemon juice, doesn’t mean you can turn that into a business and be the next Kazire. One thing I have noticed in our society is the popularity of ‘deals’ which has led me to the conclusion that most people are doing ‘deals’ but not running businesses. A proper business has Sales and marketing system, management system, accounting and finance system,operations systems,etc. An entrepreneur,however small his enterprises is has to have those systems running to some extent if he is to have a chance at building an enduring business. Also some ideas might not succeed because of timing(the wider market is not ready), geography,etc. Therefore, an entrepreneur has to gauge his idea in light of how it fits the market, and either modify it to fit the market or ditch it all together.

If you have these in mind,analyse your ideas, test them in the market to see if they fit the needs of consumers, have a long-term plan of building a business and an eagerness to learn and improve, then you stand a big chance of starting and building a business that will outlive you! 

Entrepreneurial Myths!

What I learnt from the Life and death of Kobe Bryant

Life is short.

All over the internet, the most predominant comments on Koby’s death was that “life is short”. And rightly so, life is short. I found myself wondering about the truth in this statement. What do people mean when they say life is short, does it mean life ends unexpectedly?  Maybe what they meant was, he died to before he was due. Death by nature is unplanned, we all don’t know when it will happen. And as a result, especially when it happens to people of Kobe Bryant’s calibre. We are all shocked. However, we know that the Bible tells us that God has placed eternity in our hearts. Maybe that is why we feel Life is short. Because God has placed eternity in our hearts , we would like to live forever. However, that is not possible since we’re in this body and this body has an expiry date and it decays. But for Kobe Bryant. Even though he lived a short life of about 41 years. He used his short life for quite a lot of things. And it is a result of the achievements that he had in those short 40 years that we all remember him. I guess the lesson for me is. Life is short. I don’t know when I will be leaving this planet. But I have to utilise every moment, and be productive in every moment. So that I can be able to maximise the short time. It is short because even though I live 100 years because eternity is much longer.

Nobody is perfect.

Despite his many good accolades and the fact that Kobe inspired so many people, he did not lack mistakes. Bryant was accused in 2003 of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old hotel employee in Colorado. He was charged with rape, but the case was dropped after the accuser declined to testify. A civil suit was later settled. The NBA star, who married his wife, Vanessa, in 2001, admitted to having had sex with the woman, but insisted that it was consensual. We will all make mistakes, even the best of us. The people we consider the greatest have also made mistakes. The challenge is how we come out of that and how we grow from that.

It’s all about what you give.

In reading many of the tributes to Kobe Bryant, I noticed that for most people, what stood out for them was what Kobe Bryant gave to them as a basketballer, as a celebrity and as an inspiration. He inspired them through his advice, his emphasis on hard work and the way that he lived his life.

Everyone, sort of remembers a person but by what this person means to them in terms of what they give to them.

And so this brings me to the conclusion that I have to live life as a giver. Because that is what people will remember me most about what I give them who I was. To them, not what I did, but what I gave.

And in that sense, in Kobe deciding to, to be the best basketball player. There could be so that he entertains the fans. He also dedicated his life to being there for his family by spending time with his children and his wife Vanessa. In fact, the reason why he started using helicopters is because he wanted to reduce as much time as possible spent in traffic jams, so that the time he saved using the helicopter, he could use to spend more time with family, take his kids to basketball practice. And, and all the other things that are involved with being a father.

Genesis

“You don’t have to be great to START,but you have to start to BE GREAT.” Zig Ziglar.

In the beginning…

The word ‘Genesis’ speaks of beginning,commencement or even starting and in starting this blog, i was continually haunted by this word..”Genesis”. No matter how much i tried to ignore it or drown in out with busyness, excuses and ‘reasons'(as Pastor Moses Mukisa liked to call them), it kept banging on the door of my conscience. “Begin…begin” it screamed.

I wondered if God,the creator of the Universe, struggled with the same procrastination just before that famous verse “In the beginning..”. There He was about to transform this formless,void and dark mass into what would become the dwelling place of the crown of all His creation, Man. Would Man like it? Would he appreciate God’s gesture? Would it be good enough?

Even though it is obvious that God,in His perfection, did not grapple with these trivial concerns, I cannot say the same for my self. I wrestled with these questions(in regard to the blog i wanted to start and the audience i intended it for) for two weeks from the day that i was supposed to start this blog.

Resistance

In his book, The War of Art, Steven Pressfield says that in the path of every one who wishes to create a piece of work, stands an invisible force called Resistance. It springs up and creeps up on you the moment you decide to do any work of significance.

Needless to say, i found myself battling this monster every time i finally gathered the guts to sit down and begin this ‘work’. It would whisper in my ear things like “it’s too hot right now,your creative juices flow better in the morning.”, “It’s still too early, first wait for the sun to come up!”, “What are you thinking starting a blog? The only significant piece you ever wrote was in High school for an English Composition exam..and we both know how that turned out!”

Resistance sounded so rational, it almost made me believe this voice in my head was my voice of reason giving me good advice. However, It(Resistance), got one fact wrong that caught it side footed. Yes, my last significant creative writing was in High School BUT i got a distinction in my English final exams. So Mr. Resistance, i am not that bad at writing as you would like to so emphatically assert, in fact I am pretty decent at creative writing as evidenced by the vote of confidence in me by the UNEB examiners!

The big Mo.

Armed with this confidence boost, i proceeded to set my self up online and began the journey of writing my first blog. The singular act of deciding to ignore the voice of Resistance and start, whatever the circumstances, perfect or not, set me down an interesting path.

At that point another force took over, what John Maxwell calls the big Mo(The Law of Momentum). Ideas of subjects and topics flooded my mind, structures presented themselves and i was soon faced with yet another problem, i couldn’t stop typing away!

I could now hear Resistance screaming in pain “stooop…stoop…you are killing me!” Picture a vampire scampering and shriveling away into dust at the sight of sunlight and the crucifix. That was Mr. Resistance for you!

He left the scene like the devil until an opportune time(Luke 4:13). I suspect he will return the next time I have to write another piece or undertake any creative work but I will be ready for I am now aware of his schemes.

Just do it!

Therefore,my friend, have you set yourself a goal to start a blog, write a book, paint a masterclass, start a business, or do anything creative but are facing Resistance and as result you find yourself paralyzed and unable to move forward? Take the advise of Zig Ziglar and just start. Just do it! There is no other way of defeating Resistance.

And don’t mind whether your first step is perfect or not because “Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly until you do it well.” Zig Ziglar.

Just do it!

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

  • Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
  • Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

  • Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
  • What topics do you think you’ll write about?
  • Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
  • If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.

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