BORN TO DELIVER

The fact that I was born, means that there was something that needed to be done. This “something” needed to be done by me. No one else can do this “something”. If someone else could, then that person would have been born to do it – and I would have been unnecessary. As it is though, I am here, therefore, I am required. I am important to this generation – and indeed to future generations.

Please let me repeat that... I am important to this generation – and indeed to future generations.

It took a while to discover my purpose. I spent some time going down different paths. Paths that other people [some well-meaning] told me to go down. Some of those paths brought me varying measures of “satisfaction”. Some of those paths got me extremely well paid jobs. Some of those paths got me the respect of peers. None of those paths brought me fulfilment.

Now, I know what I came to do. I am determined to spend all my time getting it done. Knowing why I am here fills me with unbridled excitement. I see now that I am who I am so that I do what I must do. My journey through life – even the flirtations down the wrong paths - has nurtured and prepared me for the delivery of purpose.

My generation will not be allowed to forget me. My generation will tell my story to the next one – just as we carry the stories of great visionaries, leaders and servants of years gone by. Someone will be born in time for the next generation. This person may well be born to build on what I deliver. So deliver, I must and deliver I will...

IMAGINATION

“Imagination is more important than knowledge” – Albert Einstein.

A bold, yet true statement from the acclaimed professor. Quite simply, if you cannot imagine, any knowledge you have today is effectively limited, as you will lack what it takes to make that knowledge work for you! It is well known that todays "new" discovery becomes history tomorrow. I believe that imagination is absolutely important for the leader in us. If we did not have this great tool, we would be unable to paint those pictures of tomorrow that make us leaders of vision.

One of the hallmarks of wisdom is the ability to think of the end from the beginning. Imagination is an important tool that we all have in our lockers. Imagination is also perhaps the most misused tool known to man. In order to achieve anything good, so that you live a life of fulfilment - you must use this tool, and use it wisely! Living our lives with the end in mind means consistently using our imagination to weave and hold on the picture that the future must be.

It is often said that wise people think of events way before those events take place – and are therefore able to dictate or influence those events. Those who are “medium-wise” think of the events that are happening today, while those with degrees in “stupidology” only ever consider events that have passed – and often wallow in self pity – blaming their lot on a variety of people or influences; never taking responsibility for their actions.

Imagination is a potent tool. It enables us, to step out of the boundaries of time. It moves us into a different dimension where we are able to effectively draw a picture of the future and then step back into the present to create the beauty that we have imagined.

It is important that we do not spend our time considering conflict, strife or for envious hankering after things that other people have. If you do this, your imagination becomes a festering ground for negativity – and takes on a new reality as a tool for designing shame, sorrow, bitterness, fear and pain – all the things that it was set up to guard you against! Remember, imagination time is creativity time! If we misuse our “creativity time", we leave a yawning gap between current selves and the fullness of what we could have become.

Your existence has a purpose, a design. The eagle is designed to fly just as the fish is designed to swim. If you saw these two exchanged – a fish taking to the highest skies of an eagle swimming powerfully underwater, you would know instantly that something is wrong – especially as neither animal will survive in the wrong environment. What we do is inherent in our design and yet, we must use the tools we have been given to ensure that we fulfil our purpose – the eagle’s wings and eyesight are tools for its purpose; while the fins and respiratory system of a fish are also specifically adapted for its environment.

Knowing what you have been purposed or designed to do does not send your imagination into retirement; rather it calls for this amazing tool to be used – effectively. Remember, your vision is a product of your imagination – your imagination must be inextricably linked to your purpose in order to be effective.

Imagination poorly used is practically the same as a lack of imagination. To paraphrase from the bible, you are essentially what you think [Proverbs 23:7]. Another bible passage declares that where there is no vision, the people perish [Proverbs 29:18]. If you imagine small things, you may never reach the fullness that you have to potential to reach. By the same token, if you imagine big [not reckless], you give yourself a better chance of achieving big. I will write more about big and small imagination later.

So, kick-start your imagination! Get into the habit of looking at the end before engaging in activities. I trained myself to do that and I found myself gravitating quickly away from the “dumb” to the "wise" end of the people spectrum.

Yomi

November 2012

PS There is no such word as "stupidology". I borrowed that word off Pastor David Burrows of the Bahamas Faith Ministries. :)

REAL SERVICE - Part 2

Welcome Back!

Continuing from where I left off in Part 1, organizations and teams need to adopt a more honest view of service – essentially, a move away from the manufactured, templated processes that no longer improve service.

Real Service is “the giving of what you have in order to ensure the satisfaction of a person or entity that you have a free will desire to serve – thereby engendering a reciprocal feeling of satisfaction that comes from giving”.

• Real service does not pretend to be what it is not – manufacturing a giving image in order to entice “customers” is unsustainable. As the legendary singer, Bob Marley once said, “you can fool some people some time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time...”

• Real Service does not give what it does not have – much like running life on “credit”, organizations face the risk of “running on empty” if they believe that service is about making people work extra hours in order to appear helpful (risk of staff burnout, disillusionment and disenfranchisement) or giving unaffordable deals to woo clients (risk or financial meltdown).

• Real service derives satisfaction from the act of giving – It is not the “proceeds” of giving that inspire and sustain real service. There is an inner, deeper satisfaction (okay, it may not register on the smart graphs produced by Analysts) that individuals get from real service.

• Real Service is not a manufactured process – the more organizations try to outdo each other by manufacturing and then streamlining complicated “service processes”, the more robotic, insincere and ineffective such processes become.

If organizations desire true greatness, real service is the key way forward. Real Service is the birthplace, nurturing spring and maturing home of real greatness. If each individual in an organization is encouraged to take on real service – the passion and dedication of this service will see the “end game” proceeds will follow as a natural progression.

I believe organizations should teach and encourage the heart of real service – not for the protection of the franchise, but for the joy of service – and watch how the sincerity, energy and power in such a culture can move the organization forward in more ways than the “bottom line”. Staff will take the well-documented “extra step” out of free will rather than as a means of pleasing the manager or scoring more points on feedback.

If each individual understands their value to the organization, and how engaging in a culture of true service can be ultimately satisfying on many fronts, organizations will have within their ranks, a more powerful, more influential and more successful workforce – because of the shared value of service.

Shared values between organizations and their constituent members (staff) are much more powerful than the carrot of bonuses and the stick of sanctions. Too many organizations (strangely enough) are stuck in the tired culture of the carrot-and-stick.

Get real, and live real service.

Yomi Odukoya

REAL SERVICE - Part 1

 

Service is - or should be - at the core of every organization.

Service is - or should be - at the core of every team.

Service is - or should be - a core driver of every individual working as part of an organization.

 

The good thing today is that practically everyone knows this. I am therefore never surprised to see – all over adverts and other promotional and motivational literature a reference to “first class”, “superb”, “customer oriented” or “extra value” service!

The reality though, when reviewing independent feedback from customers of many organizations, is far wide of the rhetoric in the literature. A closer look into the definition of service given by some of these organizations – as well as “highly respected” contributors to studies on service – throws up a chronic lack of understanding of what service is all about.

Service should NOT be what you do to -

• Ensure Customer Loyalty
• Win New Business
• Improve Business Profitability
• Gain Competitive Advantage

Too many organizations woo prospective clients with classic “at your service” spiel – and then turn internally to “school” employees on how to use service to manufacture loyalty, repeat business, profitability etc...

Therefore, the perfect smile becomes a bait to reel in the unsuspecting fish – in the same way as answering the phone in less than three rings becomes a gimmick to play on the prospect's mind. Stats on almost everything pervade the environment and bonuses drive staff to look for the “end game targets” rather than serve to satisfy.

Many of these organizations – in perfect “hydra-mode” also have a total disconnect between what they stand for corporately and what individuals and teams do within that “identity”. The concept of service and how it is delivered is effectively imposed on workers. These workers thus become actors in a movie in whose script they neither fully understand nor believe.

The bottom line is that the insincerity of the scripted movie known as customer service shows itself so glaringly that customers can see it a mile off. They are not impressed, but still do the “dance” with the “customer services advisor” or whatever fancy title the person may carry. This is much more laughable when your telephone, utilities or banking providers ask you to grade each call. The “How well did I serve you today” question is slotted in irrespective of the quality of service, after all, it is an automatic part of the “process”!

In my next post [Real Service Part 2] I will write about getting real with service...

Yomi Odukoya

 

Connectivity - The First Key To Excellent Teamwork

We all fancy ourselves as something between good to excellent "team players". I cannot remember how many times I have seen this overused statement on resumes and CVs. However, a smaller than expected percentage of the people interviewed actually show that they can "play" well in team settings.

Is "team play" or "team-working" that difficult? The short answer is "NO".

I find that the key issue is that many professionals confuse being friendly, being the "life-of-the-party", being outspoken, being able to drink themselves to a stupor in the company of workmates with good team work.

Wrong! Wrong! Over and over again...

The first key to excellent teamwork is "Connectivity"

Teamwork therefore is the ability to

• connect self with members of the team
• serve as the connecting pull between members of the team
• connect the team with external stakeholders and interested parties
• connect self to the shared goals of the team
• connect self to the shared values of the team

Humans are social beings - not designed for isolation, therefore, the ability to connect in inherent and natural. Team play is made difficult by:

• poor teaching on human interaction from parents and educational institutions
• underdevelopment of the natural ability to connect effectively
• overstating the individual over the community
• "Me Motivation" at the point of joining teams
• lack of understanding of the purpose of teams

So many people simply go ahead and either blatantly "lie" about being excellent team players or confuse team play with "fun and games".

 

I believe that the inability to connect [hence the malfunctioning of many "teams"] is sometimes hidden by the relative success of the wider organization. It however remains a real social problem that spills out of the home [where it originates]; into the school playground [where it germinates]; into the workplace [where it starts to negatively impact society].

 

It is vital that we "re-wire" our approach to team working by understanding and working towards connectivity.

 

Connectivity is the "giving of self to the team, such that both self and team are able to better realize the intended targets - within the agreed principle and ethical constructs".

Yomi

DREAM ON

What do you dream about?

 

By dream, I am not referring to the activity that happens while you are asleep, but rather to those pictures and recurring thoughts that occupy – and blatantly refuse to be shifted from – your mind while you are awake. I am referring to the birthplace of many of the ideas that have impacted our world for the better.

 

1. Dreams are those invisible constructs that many success stories have sprung from.
2. Dreams have the uncanny ability to bring purpose into view.
3. Dreams link up with imagination to paint beautiful pictures of the future
4. Dreams bring light in times of darkness, downturns, double-dips and other negative D’s.
5. Dreams prepare a place for creativity to start work.
6. Dreams keep hope alive.
7. Dreams empower the physical to stretch beyond known capacity.
8. Dreams instruct the mind on possibilities. Dreams are indeed a great tool for advancement…

 

If you do dream, here are my top 5 things to do with them…

1. Write your dream down
2. Share your dream with someone
3. Expect and enjoy the shouts of “impossible!” you will get when you reveal your dream
4. Recognize the power of your dream and its ability to change the world
5. Take actions towards the realization of your dream [plan, implement, review...]

I will write in some detail about dreams in future posts.

 

Yomi Odukoya