As an expert in your chosen field, your ability to excel will depend on how well you stand out from others who do what you do, in terms of the results you deliver. That means you need to be exceptional.
Or to paraphrase Jean Houston, you cannot stand out if you refuse (or fail) to “leave your littleness behind”.
SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL ISSUE
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On 4th May 2014 my 9 year old spontaneousdevelopment.com was taken over by Aplus.net. But within a few days I moved my content to what I boldly declared would be a SUPERIOR reincarnation at www.tayosolagbade.com.
Indeed, with the exception of traffic, when I wrote about this incident about 4 months ago, I was already recording more than double my old newsletter subscription rates, as well as sales leads generation and conversions.
However, website traffic on tayosolagbade.com was still much lower compared to what it used to be on my lost domain, which peaked into May 2014 at just under 2,500 visits per day. And I was feeling quite cool about it back then – especially since I was getting formal emails from advertising companies wishing to partner with me to post ads for my visitors.
Other than that, I’ve never been one to make much of a fuss about traffic.
It goes without saying though that attracting more traffic – especially if it is the right kind i.e. from a pre-qualified target audience – implies more eyeballs on your offers/content.
Over time, this does boost name recognition and search engine visibility as well.
I knew this from past experience. It was just to be a matter of time.
If you’ve been a follower of my writing for a while, you most likely know that I have said that authentic success is always repeatable and reproducible.
And I have always been an advocate and keen practitioner of authentic success achievement.
Where possible, you will employ improved methods and strategies, to increase your rate and quality of success achievement.
If you do it right, it’s just a matter of time before you climb right back up to the former levels of success and eventually exceed them.
That is exactly what has been happening on this blog over the past month and a half.
In my usual habit of periodically checking to see how things are progressing, I’ve been monitoring the website visitors “Stats” auto generated by the WordPress plug-in installed in the right panel of this blog.
[NB: I know this is not necessarily a finely accurate indicator of actual traffic. But it serves my needs because, what I use it mainly for is to get a “feel” for the difference (be it an increase or decrease) in visits over time.]
Then for several weeks on end, I saw only single digit counts for Daily Visits. But gradually those numbers began to rise – though only to a few hundreds per day.
Rather than fix my attention on that however, I focused on creating new and varied content daily, as had been my practice with the old domain.
But this time around, I drew from the lessons I’d learnt from over a year of daily making DAILY blog posts.
It was the first time in a long time that I had bothered to look at the stats.
Weeks before then, I’d seen numbers around the 1,500 to 1,800 visits per day range.
But they never went up to 2,000 visits per day!
So this made me pay attention over the next few days, and that was when I realized how far my efforts had gone.
See some screenshots I took below…
Now, I hasten to note again, that I’m not so interested in traffic. I only discuss this development because it shows another way to measure the impact of one’s blogging efforts.
For me, since I don’t do adverts and do not get paid for “traffic”, it’s not my priority.
So I began checking views per posts to establish some trends.
Eventually, I narrowed down to my weekly newsletter on public speaking and weekly blog posts on entrepreneurship (especially those on farm business), followed by those on parenting, and career development – in that order.
These are some of the categories under which I publish posts on this blog.
I believe most of the visits are from people with interests in those areas, and the experience based stories I often tell resonate with them – hence the growing interest.
Other than that, I cannot think of any other thing that could have generated that much interest.
This brings me to my main reason for recalling the above and writing this piece…
In this case I refer to hackers.
It’s nothing new. Most websites online, especially those deemed to be getting good traffic, ultimately become targets of hacking attempts.
Years ago, I had a spammer hack into my website (on spontaneousdevelopment.com) via a security flaw in the code contained in a CGI script I naively installed. He then used a spam robot to launch massive spam campaigns from my old domain – and that got my hosting account suspended by my webhost for a week at the time, because they assumed I had done it!
More recently, before I lost spontaneousdevelopment.com (my 9 year old domain), I wrote several blog posts sharing security issues I was alerted to by Google via email updates they sent me.
For instance, some people went to great lengths to link BACK to different pages on my website from ADULT (i.e. pornographic) websites!
Yep. It happened!
Each time I discovered this during my checks, I would use the DISAVOW tools in Google Webmaster interface to try dislodging them.
But a week or two later, I would discover more simply got added!
Over time, that problem went away. That happened with spontaneousdevelopment.com.
I could be wrong, but it would appear tayosolagbade.com’s success has begun to attract some negative attention…
Something VERY strange and unusual has been happening.
This blog’s website statistics widget (which I earlier showed screenshots of) NOW periodically gets reset to zero!
I don’t know how or why it happens, but it has now happened several times over the past few weeks. And the frequency of occurrence is increasing.
In fact, earlier this afternoon, the abuse level had been taken up a notch:
I already know what I need to do, but I share “news” of this development here, only to point out that pursuing success will sometimes attract detractors, and negativity.
Rather than complain, we should always aim to use those attempts to pull us back or bring us down, to MOTIVATE ourselves to do even better than we are already doing.
You would be where they WANT you to be i.e. down, and out.
So, if they are coming after you, it can only mean they see that you’re going places – and that bothers them.
Be proud of yourself for achieving that!
They can hurt you, but it will only be temporary.
You WILL always bounce back to even greater reckoning if you don’t quit.
And if you keep doing that, your progress will ultimately take you out of their reach.
Enjoy your weekend!
Successful people don’t always have offspring who do well like them. This often happens because such people fail to “coach” their offspring to develop their potential for greatness. Successful parenting demands MORE than that!
My efforts have led me to closely explore the parenting efforts and ideas of some highly successful people in order to find answers.
In the process, I also examined myself, and my experiences/observations right through my childhood, alongside those of my siblings, as well as my peers in school, at work etc.
Here’s what I found out:
With the exception of a tiny few, who achieve self-discovery on their own, and go on to record great works, most times the offspring of great people will need to be COACHED to develop their potential for greatness by their GREAT parents or some other competent adult.
Nothing could of course be further from the truth.
Like I have said in my past writing, I believe Time Management is a myth.
Instead Intelligent Self-Management is the key to relentless continuous improvement in ANY area of life.
Here’s the point I always make…
When it comes to doing other things they want to do, these same parents are able to find time, don’t they (including attending parties, going to play Golf with friends etc)?
That’s how you know it’s NOT that they are too busy!
Which means IF they want to, they CAN make out time.
The truth is they fail to self-manage properly to make out meaningful “time” to SHARE their experienced based insights into the secrets of their success with their offspring,
Very rarely does achievement of that magnitude come due to only physical ability. The art of breaking records has both mental and physical dimensions to it.
Insights provided by Dr. Roger Bannister in several Sports Illustrated articles he published after becoming the first man to run the mile under 4 minutes, revealed that much.
An existing “record” is often a reflection of where current top level human efforts have reached.
In the book titled “Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude”, Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone noted that Dr. Thomas Kirk Cureton, then director of University of Illinois’ physical fitness laboratory, taught Bannister the “art of record breaking”.
Interestingly, Dr. Cureton’s ideas reportedly apply to both athletes and non-athletes, because they enable the former run faster, and equip the latter to live longer!
Get yourself a copy of the book and read the chapter titled “How to Raise Your Energy Level”.
Now, the role played by Dr. Cureton in helping Bannister discover those “secrets” can easily be played by a world class athlete to his/her offspring from an early age.
I have no personal knowledge of how he went about it, but since he retired from professional football, 2 of Abedi’s sons have featured prominently in the Ghanaian national teams at various levels – including the senior team, at the World Cup.
What’s more, they have often given good accounts of themselves.
Interviews with Abedi indicate he’s been a guiding force/inspiration behind the evolution of his boys.
And that’s my point.
Their performance can be said to be consistent with their pedigree or background/ancestry. If they keep up the tradition, we should see their offspring emulate them.
But don’t get me wrong here…
Instead I argue that the MENTAL and/or PHYSICAL CAPACITY for achieving greatness which the parent has, can be successfully passed on to the child via coaching.
Especially if it is started at an early age.
The parent simply needs to nurture a close enough relationship with the child to be able to help him/her identify one or more areas of keen interest/passion that s/he has.
Then drawing from his/her experienced based know-how of the basic requirements for succeeding, such a parent can guide his/her child to successful achievement…or at least set him/her up for it.
I’ve written several articles in the past in which I mentioned reading a story about the Rockefeller family.
According to the narrative, every child in the Rockefeller family, from a very early age, gets taken through some kind of “in-house” coaching program that teaches various life skills.
For instance, they learn to consciously save money that they get, and they are given money making micro-business projects to handle e.g. rabbit rearing.
I think if you Google around a bit, you’ll come across some of these accounts.
They ultimately possess financial/vocational education and skills to maintain or even help grow the family wealth.
This is unlike what happens with the estates of some other great achievers, who after they pass on have their fortunes frittered away, (often due to lack of know-how) by their offspring.
I argue that such incidents can be avoided, IF the successful parent chooses to adopt the approach described in this article, to empower his/her offspring, before s/he passes on.
To assume or expect that your child “sees” you doing it every day, and will therefore learn what is needed by so doing, would be a big mistake.
Not everyone can learn that way.
And sometimes even those who can learn that way can miss doing so, IF they do NOT know there’s something they need to learn other than those they are already paying attention to!
You need to draw on YOUR better perspective of what s/he needs to survive in the world that YOU arrived in ahead of him/her.
If you’re not sure how to proceed, consider getting someone with real life coaching experience to support you in doing it.
Don’t pass it all on to a paid coach to work with your kids.
Insert yourself in the process to make the experience more meaningful for your child.
That way, you can continue with your child, after the outsider is gone.
Good luck!
I recently read an article that used these 2 interesting acronyms to explain the behaviour of social media users: FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out). In this article, I why the latter is better for YOU, PLUS how being Self-Directed will help you achieve it!
I believe most people suffering from FOMO don’t even know they do. So, the first thing will be to outline signs that indicate one has IT 😉
Social media addicts are persons who get their validation from BEING on social media, and who when unable to BE there, feel terrified they’ll miss out.
For them, being denied access to what often tends to be an adoring, indulgent CAPTIVE audience, will often be like torture.
Indeed, from what I’ve seen, some individuals could even develop real life symptoms of illness if forced – by uncontrollable circumstances – to be away for prolonged periods!
Being around them during this period may tend NOT be a pleasant experience.
I’m no psychologist or behavioural analyst. However, my close study of human behaviour, plus years of personal experience using social media, tell me it has to do mainly with “insecurity”.
Insecure people inwardly feel inadequate. They therefore cherish outlets that help them feel relevant, important, useful, needed etc.
You can see it from the way people use the NUMBER OF LIKES to gauge the importance or relevance – even CORRECTNESS – of anything and everything!
[NB: A downside to the foregoing is of course that if the greater number of LIKES come from a misguided group, or worse via some “vendor” of Facebook LIKES, many may be misled! This does happen – click here to read Huffington Post’s How Facebook Likes Get Bought And Sold”]
A system, in which virtually anything you say can earn you a LIKE can be intoxicating.
Naturally, a person with feelings of inadequacy, if s/he LEARNS what people like to “read” from him/her that will make them click LIKE, will tend to do more of it.
It goes without saying, that there’s nothing wrong with that ordinarily.
However, some take it to extremes in which making pointless posts like “Drat…I just broke a nail” are made, knowing they will get LIKES for it, and even build comments thread as well!
[By way of interest, an article I recently read, quoted one of the platform owners as reportedly saying “pointless posts” are one of the reasons they are considering charging per post in the near future – click here to read more.]
Human beings by nature LOVE it, and many get hooked, to the point of NEVER wanting to miss out. Sometimes they also don’t want to miss posting in response to LIKE minded others too.
That is by staying away from social media, and feeling good about themselves in doing so.
I agree.
The reality however for most social media addicts – especially on Facebook – is that if they stay away at all, it will often be due to unavoidable situations. Not that they choose to.
In my estimation, JOMO will mainly be experienced by Self-Directed persons.
But when I saw that staying on Facebook “just to be seen/involved” was getting to be more important to me than going there to ADD value, I realized I needed to make a change.
So, I asked myself how I would use Facebook without getting addicted to it.
I decided I wanted to be able to “participate” in moderation, by periodically add tangible value to others via my posts, and commenting on other people’s posts as I felt the need for it.
That means you DO NOT have to be there everyday, or get involved (“sucked in”?) every time.
Once you have a set purpose for coming to Facebook, it will guide you to know how long to stay and when to get off. And when you’re off you’ll experience no pressures to get back on, UNTIL you need to.
And it’s worked perfectly!
Even when I do NOT login to Facebook for days, my daily posts on this blog automatically appear on my wall and Twitter feeds, enabling me offer the value I have to others.
When eventually I do log on, I read through friends’ posts, contribute if need be, and move on!
Anyone who is able to arrive at this level of self mastery will earn the priceless reward of PEACE OF MIND – no matter what happens in his/her life.
Even if his/her Internet connection goes off for a week, or work demands take him/her to an area where there’s no Internet access, s/he will feel no negative emotions as a result!
Self-Directed people tend to enjoy emotional balance, because they feel good about themselves regardless of whether they are alone, or with others.
They do not depend on EXTERNAL validation to shore up their INTERNAL sense of self-worth.
This is why such persons can often be trusted to take the right and/or hard decisions as leaders – regardless of where they are, or who is involved.
This happens because they have TOO GREAT a need to be LIKED.
Sadly, that also makes them poor leaders.
I choose to be Self-Directed, so I can be happy/stress-free, while adding value to others.
What about you?
The excellent quote – in the image below – is by Gen. Collin Powell (from his18 lesson “Leadership Primer”). It underscores the message I’ve tried to pass across in this article…
Insisting on hiring ONLY individuals/companies with a client portfolio can deny you huge benefits. Every start-up WILL begin with ZERO customers. Even Bill Gates, must have had to find a FIRST paying customer or client!
This article suggests other “indicators” you can use (aside from past clients list) to decide whether or not to hire a start-up – pointing out how doing so can yield MORE value than you pay for!
Someone has to give the startup a chance to serve. Usually, such first customers/clients get rewarded via services and products delivered with enthusiasm and passion – because the start-up will typically be HUNGRY for success and desirous of recognition – and referrals.
Of course, if the startup is smart, that attitude of giving MORE value than clients/customers pay for is one that s/he will make a PERMANENT feature of his/her business.
It is the key to achieving long term success.
I do not know the details of how Bill Gates got his first customer, but for very many people who start out in business for themselves, I think the following case study will be representative of their experiences (at least to some extent):
Start — “Ahmed has just started his custom software development service, and has sent out over 100 hundred introduction letters to companies in Lagos. One morning he follows up one of his letters to a company in Ikeja, and the CEO – James – (following two subsequent meetings) awards him a project.” —-End
From the brief narrative it is obvious that James could not have asked Ahmed to mention names of his(Ahmed’s) previous clients, since Ahmed was a first time startup.
This implies that James must have had to LOOK closely at Ahmed, listened carefully to how convincing/competent and sincere he sounded. PLUS he possibly asked questions (or made enquiries) about his background etc.
James would then have decided to “trust” that Ahmed knew what he was talking about – and could deliver the results he promised.
By taking THAT risk or “leap of faith”, James would effectively have afforded Ahmed the opportunity to get a paid job under his belt, which he would then use to “sell” his services to others not willing to proceed without evidence of past clients patronage.
If EVERYONE insisted Ahmed FIRST produce evidence of past patronage, he would probably have had to travel to outer space to find someone willing to give him a chance to serve – even if for FREE!
Apart from the “impossible costs” of getting there(I mean “outer space”), I believe language would have been a bit of a constraint for Ahmed 
Thankfully, most entrepreneurs starting up do not have to go that far before they find their first willing clients.
If you want to try giving a FIRST TIME startup (with no clients portfolio) a chance, I suggest you proceed using the following suggestions as a guide:
Try and see if s/he can do some kind of cost-free preview, sample, demo or prototype for you to study/evaluate in making up your mind.
A willingness to provide this kind of “evidence” to buttress his/her claims of proficiency would guide you to decide how far to go in trusting him/her.
Where has s/he been?
What was s/he involved in prior to starting up?
What kinds of achievements did s/he have e.g. reputation/pedigree ? work ethics?
Any testimonials (of any sort) from a past life?
Why did s/he pick you or your company?
What exactly does her company offer that s/he feels is of compelling relevance to YOU?
Is s/he just “shooting in the dark” approaching everyone or has there been conscious effort made to narrow down to a certain group of prospective clientele with defined demographics ?
Depending on the type of product or service to be delivered, and so long as it does not pose the risk of getting misconstrued as an attempt to “pick” his/her brains*, try to challenge the startup with questions about what exactly s/he can do to solve a specific problem you have.
Get the specific MEASURABLE deliverables s/he promises to produce written down on paper.
*I assume here that you will NOT be guilty of trying to take advantage of a “newbie” entrepreneur, like some people I have encountered
Ask what happens if s/he delivers but fails to meet the agreed standards or deadline etc?
One Suggestion: You could FIRST ask the startup to work with you to generate an “FRS” detailing the measurable results to be delivered.
For instance, in my work I (usually) use a Functional Requirements Specification (FRS) checklist which is generated in collaboration with the client at NO cost to him/her.
At the end of the project, the client is able to run through that FRS checklist and tick off those deliverable outcomes that s/he agrees appear in the completed work. Any “missings” are brought to my attention for action.
When the client’s (in-scope) changes or modifications have ALL been made, I send in a feedback/Job Completion Testimonial form to be filled/signed by him/her. This way both parties are agreed on the final outcome of the project.
If you’re not interested, say so. If you cannot say so(or don’t thing you can do so without hurting the startup’s feelings), then at least don’t encourage him/her to make follow-up visits. Here’s one way to deal with this problem:
Don’t say: “Why don’t you check on me again next week“, when you KNOW you will be away on leave!
Say instead: “I’ll think about it, and give you a call if i’m interested.”
If s/he does not hear from you, the message would likely be clear – AND you would at least be sure s/he would not resent you deliberately fixing appointments you do not intend to keep with him/her!
My experiences as an entrepreneur in Nigeria (before I relocated to Cotonou, to focus on providing online products/services) remind me that it CAN sometimes take a startup a relatively longer while to find ANY kind of first customer – EVEN if s/he expresses the willingness to do it for FREE, just to prove him/herself.
Why this happens I remain uncertain. But I have noticed it happens MORE frequently to startups engaged especially in delivery of intangibles (i.e. services) that are considered – rightly or wrongly – to be NEW, untested, unproven or unpopular.
Let me say however that I am proof that the situation is NOT hopeless.
This is because I successfully transited from the stage where no one gave me the chance to do for them what I claimed to be able to do (e.g custom spreadsheet software development) for two years, UNTIL my persistence led me to find paying clients who readily agreed to reward me profitably to work for them.
Maybe it did not have to be that difficult and traumatising, but looking back, I really don’t think I would have wanted it to be different!
I am tougher mentally and MORE competent/proficient skills-wise as a result of having to go back AGAIN and AGAIN to refine what I had to offer and return to try selling it in the somewhat hostile market place of my society.
Having said that, I do believe YOU would be better off (if you TRULY have need for his/her product or service) giving a startup a FAIR and IMPARTIAL opportunity to serve you.
If s/he offers to give you a FREE sample, give it a try.
If not, consider hiring him/her for a small project (remembering to protect yourself by applying some of the suggestions offered in this article).
Use the outcome to decide whether or not to hire the startup for a bigger project and/or to give him/her testimonials or referrals.
As I have illustrated at the start of this article, both parties ultimately stand to benefit.
PS: This article is based on excerpts of an original piece first published online, via www.iff.spontaneousdevelopment.com on 1st June 2007.
[This post is a Public Service] EniObanke Music Festival (Monday 10th November to Sunday 16th November 2014):
Click here to download Beautiful Nubia’s Information slideshow (no sign up needed) with ALL the details about EMUFEST 2014!
Come and learn the rudiments of percussion (agogo, shekere, etc.), talking drum, rhythm guitar, keyboard, bass guitar, drum set, songwriting and music production, etc., from experienced musicians and teachers.
FREE.
Workshops will run from 10am-1pm and 3p-6pm each day.
To register and reserve a space, send an e-mail to eniobanke@gmail.com or send sms to +234-803-454-9778. Include name, phone number, the specific instrument you wish to learn and your preferred date.
Venue: EniObanke Arts Centre, 19 Adekunle Fajuyi Way, GRA Ikeja.
Click here to download Beautiful Nubia’s Information slideshow (no sign up needed) with ALL the details about EMUFEST 2014!
25 new and emerging music artists from all over Nigeria will perform their original materials in various genres live.
Free entry.
Time: 4pm-10pm.
Venue: EniObanke Arts Centre, 19 Adekunle Fajuyi Way, GRA Ikeja.
Click here to download Beautiful Nubia’s Information slideshow (no sign up needed) with ALL the details about EMUFEST 2014!
1. The legendary 86-year old Chris Ajilo
2. “Egbe Awon Omo Alaketu” (a large ensemble of traditional folk singing grandmothers from Yewa)
3. Tthe 18-member Brave Voices Children Choir
4. Ibadan-based multi-instrumentalist and singer Femi Ajayi
5. Soulful songstress Amoke Olarinde
6. Lawyer-musician Akin Akinola
7. The Akoko-Edo vibes of the Ososo Moonlighters
8. Latoya Aduke (longtime partner, singer and dancer for Afrobeat legend OJ Ekemode stepping out in her own right)
9. The Bolojo-Egbado sounds of Prince Ejiwunmi Ege
10. The folky jazz of Olatunde Obajeun
11. And last year’s EMUfest discovery, Mr. Hat and the Quadlibet Band.
Fee: N1500 (Students with ID Cards and children get free entry).
Time: 2pm-9pm.
Venue: EniObanke Arts Centre, 19 Adekunle Fajuyi Way, GRA Ikeja.
Connect with Beautiful Nubia on Facebook (click here)
[MEMO] From: Ag. Production Manager
To: Tayo Solagbade
Date: 9th March 2000
Re: COMMENDATION
I wish to commend you for the contributions you have been making to our process control through comput(e)risation of operations. Specially worthy of mention is the ODBM calculation spreadsheet for Malta Guinness Brews done on 8.3.2000. I know you put in much thought and time into developing that spreadsheet. Besides it was your idea and you did it unasked.
Thank you and keep up the good work.
Best wishes.
Signed.
A.O. Isikhuemen
cc: Operations Manager, Technical Manager
But, this is the first time ever, that I am publishing ANY proof to back up my claims, outside of my own narratives and the resume I’ve always shared online.
I mean written, formal or official proof…not just me saying I did something that no one else can corroborate.
Let me add that apart from my use of spreadsheet automation, I also made several creative contributions that earned me accolades – which I will share later on.
As I have said in so many past articles, I was driven by a need to enjoy an improved work situation, to use my skills to create the needed changes.
Most of us are familiar with the saying: Be the change you want to see in the world. Well, that was exactly what I chose to do. Rather than sit around and moan about how things could be better, I formed the habit of constantly seeking ways to make things better.
And it did not matter to me if I got rewarded or acknowledged or not. As long as I was able to make things better, I was satisfied. Not surprisingly though, my efforts often made me a darling in most places I worked. And that was enough for me.
But my main purpose for writing this piece is not to talk about myself (I’ve done that many times before now).
Austin did NOT have to write that letter. After all, I’d worked under other superiors in the past. None of them had written any such letter – even though some of the solutions I’d developed during their terms had been groundbreaking.
That’s not to say they did not wish me well. I’m just saying it did not occur to them to do it.
And that’s what Austin did.
Not only did he write that commendation letter to me, he went a step further to send copies to the brewery head (Operations Manager – OM) and the Technical Manager (TM) – both of who were expatriates.
To me, that makes Austin a manager with a VERY high level of Emotional Intelligence (click here to read my article on Emotional Intelligence).
I kept on doing so – and it paid off in many ways before I left the company to start my own business.
When he wrote me that letter, I was still a brewer in the Production Department, but had had several stints acting in higher positions (e.g. as Technical Training & Development Manager), where I had also given a good account of myself.
It goes without saying that my past performances, and subsequent commendations like the one influenced top management’s decision to give me greater career advancement opportunities.
For instance, later that year (200), I was promoted substantive TTDM. On top of that I got nominated to attend a 6 week International Brewing Course in the UK.
I’m not saying that Austin’s letter led to all these. What I’m saying is that it would have made noticeable contribution to tip the scales in my favour. And like I said, he did not have to do it. Yet he did it.
I believe what he did is worth emulating.
You don’t have to be in paid employment to do so either: As a business owner, you should do this with your employees/workers. Same applies if you lead others in a group or organization of ANY nature or size.
Indeed, anywhere you see persons doing things worth commending, don’t hesitate to acknowledge them.
It can only make them do more of it, and everybody will be better off as result!
PS: All of this will be published in a comprehensive form, in the books I’m working on. For now, I simply use these articles to offer what I hope will be useful information, education and inspiration…and also a sneak preview of what is to come.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
“Specialization is for insects: A human being should be able to change a diaper….butcher a hog…balance accounts…set a bone…comfort the dying…take orders/give orders…cooperate/act alone…analyze a new problem…pitch manure…cook a tasty meal…fight efficiently…die gallantly.” – Robert A. Heinlein [NB: This is an abridged version. See complete/verbatim quote at the end of this piece.]
It was titled “How to be a Jack Of Many Trades AND Why It Can Make You Succeed More Often!”.
Since then, I have written several other articles in which I shared various income generating successes I’ve recorded, as an entrepreneur, which would never have happened if I had not always functioned as a Multipreneur.
But long before I became a multipreneur in business, I had succeeded as a multipreneur in paid employment, and before then, as a multipreneur as an undergraduate in the university.
I recall vividly that as an ex-Graduate Management Trainee Green-horned Brewer in Guinness Nigeria (in 1995/96), my keen interest in computers initially attracted criticism from some of my peers and senior colleagues in Benin brewery.
One particular individual often readily seized the opportunity of any shortcoming I displayed in doing my job as a Shift Brewer, to insinuate that the time I spent working on the computer (something not at that time in widespread use) prevented me from mastering the essential practical requirements to successfully function as a brewer.
As time went on, I was of course able to demonstrate beyond any shred of a doubt that such assumptions were wrong. Not only did I mature into a competent brewer/shift manager (who got repeated secondments to several other departments to fill sudden vacancies), but I also went on to use my computer (specifically spreadsheet automation) skills to develop over five customized applications.
All were formally adopted in place of the manual reporting systems being used at that time in the various departments I worked.
My abilities got me noticed early by senior management, so that within 2 years of joining the company, I was already actively involved in, and even responsible for collation/preparation of brewery-level reports. These were activities which required an understanding of key manufacturing performance parameters, as well as sound knowledge of various calculation for estimating monetary gains/losses in brewing, for decision making. In the process, I got to know/work closely with senior managers in my function, well ahead of my peers.
Yet, I did all this while still doing my regular job as a brewer.
I was so proficient in doing it all that I felt no strain combining it with my normal job. Looking back, and even considering the sources from which criticism for my multidisciplinary approach came, I have come to the conclusion that many times, people assess the “workability” or “viability” of what another person is trying to achieve from THEIR own mind frame.
If they think it will be difficult for them to do, then they will believe it would be so for the other person. What they forget is that we are not all alike. In fact, there are certain people who cannot stay doing just one single thing for long. They would be bored to death (I happen to be ONE such person!). As one self-confessed multipreneur – Gary Havener – put it, “I guess I just have a short attention span”.
Photo 1: The senior manager presenting me a certificate of Beer Tasting Training completion, was the brewery head, when that photo was taken in 1997 (I was 27). Two years before that, when I’d arrived that brewery, he’d assigned me to work directly with him in his office for 2 weeks.
During that time I prepared all sorts of spreadsheet tables and charts for planning manning and production of brewery packaging operations.
Photo 2 (L to R = Commercial Services Manager, Engineering Services Manager, then ME): The 2 managers next to me were departmental heads, in 1998 when that photo was taken. In contrast, my title was “Shift Brewer” – 2 steps below their on the management hierarchy. Yet, I got nominated to attend the best practice conference with them.
In addition to that, I was BY FAR the youngest by age and years in service amongst ALL the attendees.
As you can imagine, therefore, without my demonstrated skill in use of spreadsheets, which I’d employed to develop solutions that decision makers took note of, I could not have earned such high level access to top decision makers.
In reality, minus that skill, I was just like my peers – a green horned young brewer yet to prove himself. And that would not have earned me any special attention!
Indeed, I have ALWAYS been driven to do more than one thing at a time.
Today, despite countless setbacks since I first become self-employed, I succeed in business as a multipreneur doing just that. Again, several past articles provide examples.
The above make it obvious that I really do EXCEL when I operate in that mode!
Simply put, being a Jack Of Many Trades enables me make the MOST of my God-given abilities, to the benefit of myself and all those I come into contact with.
Richard Branson is an example of a multipreneur who has been at it for ages.
And look how he’s doing for himself!
Imagine if he’d stuck to just ONE thing i.e. chosen to specialize? He would NOT be where he is today. And WE would not have been this blessed by many of the brands he’s nurtured and supported to success.
In other words, by following his true passions as a multipreneur, thereby making the most of himself , he’s simultaneously making the world a better place!
Consider Google, Microsoft and other successful organizations and individuals – even entertainers: many are multipreneurs!
If they are not starting new ventures from scratch, they are acquiring controlling shares/interest in other businesses or concerns, with a view to increasing their influence and market share.
It only makes common sense to do this, if one is to achieve long term success and relevance!
Instead, they should be helped to develop that unique ability, because if they achieve mastery at it (like I have), their ability to deliver superlative performances, will make them a useful ASSET virtually anywhere they go!
The above is why I’m putting together a collection of real life case studies from my time in paid employment, as well as in business, towards publishing a revised and expanded version of the earlier mentioned report that I wrote a decade ago (see cover below).
Persons who wonder how I did it while in paid employment, OR how I DO it now that I’m self-employed, will (through that new book) have the step-by-step guidelines I’ve conceived based on my experiences, and achievements.
But that’s not all.
Readers of my book will also get to read a wide ranging compilation of real life narratives I’ve penned, which illustrate the multidimensional benefits to be had from being a true multipreneur.
And they will also learn how to prepare their kids to make the most of their multipreneurial abilities as early as possible in life.
Too many people today do not easily accept that getting what they want may not happen quickly or easily. That mental attitude can present a challenge for anyone who wants to succeed via multipreneuring.
It would be naive for anyone to expect that as soon as s/he commences learning or doing something, success will follow. If the world worked that way, EVERYONE of us would become a millionaire overnight.
So, let’s be honest here, it won’t be easy. Some people find it hard to do just ONE thing they do well. Talk less of you wanting to do several different things well at the same time!
But you have an advantage in the sense that you KNOW it can be done. What you need to understand is that you will need to apply focus, discipline, determination and persistence, to achieve your goal.
One afternoon, the Brewery Manager’s secretary saw me typing and exclaimed:
“Solagbade, you type so fast! What is your speed?”
Since I’d never bothered to check what the typing tutor recorded for me, I could not answer her question readily. But I knew I was much faster than I used to be before I began using the tutor. And that was enough for me. That day I realized my ability in that area could also earn me added recognition – and respect!
Neither the secretary, nor a senior manager who had a habit of calling me “TK Computer” really knew how many hours of hard work I had expended, in my personal free time, to become that good at those things they acknowledged me for.
And if you recall, from my story, I made many blunders at work initially, that caused others to criticize me for lacking mastery of my primary job, because (in their opinion) I spent too much time on the computer. What they did not know was that even after they had gone home, I would often stay back in the brewery to learn directly from the process operators on duty, the rudiments of successfully managing the shop floor process operations.
Many times I would leave the brewery for my house as late as 1.00a.m, even though I had actually worked on morning shift, and close at 2.00p.m the previous day!
Now, may not have to do what I did. But you will have to pay YOUR dues. If you do, you will get to a level of mastery that will make others marvel!
I once watched an edition of Oprah Winfrey’s show in which Venus Williams was interviewed along with her sister, Serena. Both ladies were questioned about criticisms levelled against them by other Tennis stars for engaging in other vocations while still active in top-flight tennis. Venus owned her own fashion design company, and actually designed her own clothes. Serena had been appearing in some new films/movies playing leading roles.
According to Oprah, Martina Navratilova had stated that the sisters were being arrogant by doing that, since it was “expected” that they, as professional tennis players, would concentrate on playing tennis – like all others. In response, Venus said (quite sensibly), that they believed it would be unwise to assume they would continue to do well in tennis indefinitely, and following their parents’ advice, decided to explore other vocations early on.
I once read an article on career development, which advised people in paid employment to “Know A Little About Everything”, if they wish to get ahead on their jobs. In fact, most start-up entrepreneurs HAVE TO be that way for a major part of their start-up life, because they cannot afford(due to limited capital) to do otherwise! Companies – and even individuals – will in the future be looking for a one-stop solution to their needs, and will tend to settle for entrepreneurs(or employees) with proven multiple competencies.
You can be a successful Jack Of Many Trades™, so long as you avoid crossing the not-so-thin line that leads to becoming a “Jack of all trades”. All you need do is intelligently decide on relevant competencies that will help you attain your personal/career advancement goals. Then acquire and put them to use in ways that benefit you, people around you, or the client/organisation you work for. The results you get will excite you perpetually!
“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” -Robert A. Heinlein
