Category Archives: Self-Development

Self-Development

How To Overcome Problems: Two Success Stories About People Just Like YOU!

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In this article, two true stories are narrated to illustrate the amazing power of self-belief and desire, backed by dogged persistence. With those 3 ingredients alone, any person CAN successfully apply simple self-development principles, to achieve valued goal(s) despite the perpetual presence of adverse conditions. I say this with every sense of responsibilty – based on VERY personal experience. Read this post to learn how to discover what Napoleon Hill referred to as your other self!

(This article is one of twenty-five(25) contained in Tayo Solagbade’s Ebook titled "25 Articles/True Stories On Self-Development, Entrepeneuring & Web Marketing To Help You Succeed More Often")

First published online: June 2006

Story 1: A Mother Who Knew How

Adrenoleukodystrophy or ALD for short. That was the name of a terrible disorder that afflicted the child of an American woman in a film (based on a true story) I watched some years ago. It was an ailment the child’s doctors believed could not be treated. The mother of the ALD afflicted child was however not like most others and refused to sit back and watch her child waste away while she hoped for a miracle.

Through relentless personal efforts, she practically created the “miracle” that saved her son(the disease affects only boys – usually between ages 6 and 10). She went from doctor to doctor, specialist-to-specialist and visited libraries, reading all manner of books, articles, research reports etc that had even the slightest relevance to the subject of ALD.

She remained undaunted in the face of repeated discouragement from those she approached for help.

Instead, she chose to empower herself by becoming as knowledgeable as the medical practitioners themselves, on the subject of ALD and its treatment etc. It was this focus, determination and perseverance that eventually paid off, resulting in her helping to discover a viable treatment for her child – and by implication, those of others.

(The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) maintains an information page on ALD).

The foregoing narrative illustrates how an individual, through self-help/belief, can achieve what – before then – would have been considered "impossible".

Michael Angier – in one of his SuccessNet.org articles(titled "Leaders are readers") – once wrote that Abraham Lincoln used to walk miles (from/to his house) to borrow and return library books, which he read, by candlelight.

That the knowledge he acquired from reading all those books made a significant impact on his ability to succeed is certainly not in doubt today. I once read somewhere that "books strengthen the mind". In Lincoln’s case, his healthy reading habit apparently gave him the mental stamina to carry on, (DESPITE failing repeatedly in pursuing many important goals he set out to achieve in life) UNTIL he achieved noteworthy success.

As pointed out by Angier: in Abe’s case, the phrase “Leaders are readers” could not be more appropriate.

Story 2: An Employee Who Knew How

Consider another true story of a 29 year old brewer in one of the Nigerian plants of a multinational blue chip manufacturing company.

He decided to attend a 3-month practically intensive French Language course in his spare time (which wasn’t much). During this period he would close night shift at 7.00am on Monday for instance, get home by 7.30am, sleep till 10.30am then rush out to resume French lessons by 11.00am for 4 consecutive hours.

Many times after classes, he would insist on staying on with his Cameroonian teacher to practice speaking/writing fluent and grammatically correct French. He kept this up till the 3 months expired – and continued afterwards to visit the teacher to consolidate his learning.

The latter, being very impressed, arranged later that year for the “student” to spend 3 weeks in Cameroon living with his (the teacher’s) family. During this period, the young man went out daily to interact with people in different places and practice carrying on everyday conversations in French with a view to achieving fluency.

As the end of his three week stay approached he was pleased to note – based on comments from his hosts and friends he had made, that his fluency had improved noticeably. The trip had served useful purpose after all.

A Run Of Bad Luck?

When it was time to return to Nigeria, things did not however go exactly as he had planned. As a matter of fact, his trip back home turned out to be most traumatising, due to an unexpected failure of a friend he had made on arrival in Cameroon, to return an amount of money he(the friend) had borrowed. In order to get back to Nigeria and resume shift duty on schedule in the brewery, he was forced to travel 12 hours overnight, by sea, under heavy rainfall, in a leaky boat from Douala Cameroon to Oron in Nigeria.

NB: Read the full story of that harrowing experience in next Wednesday’s Self-Development Nugget’s post. TO GET THE NOTIFICATION IN YOUR E-MAIL CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY MAILING LIST (You get multiple gifts – instantly!)

Reaping The Rewards

That was in July 1999. In April 2001(almost 2 years later), this young man was nominated by his company along with 3 others to attend a 1 week International Course in Douala, Cameroon (note that the company/most of its managers had no idea at this time that he could speak/read or write French).

It was just a day after the course began, that the expatriate MD of their Cameroonian sister company visited, and joined the Nigerian delegates in their hotel bar.

For some strange reason, the MD singled him out and asked him “Tu parle Français?”(“Do you speak French?”).

The young man naturally responded “Oui, je parle un peu”(“Yes, a little”) a bit surprised at being taken up so directly. Both men went on to converse fluently for about 15 minutes in the same language while the other Nigerians looked on in amazement.

One of them was to later say to this young man “Ol boy, so you can speak French!? I knew you took some classes, but I didn’t know you could speak it so well. Man, I’m impressed!”. Another said ”You’ve really demystified this language for me now – I must learn to speak French too”.

While they were still at the bar, the MD called another Cameroonian, a senior manager, and said (pointing to the young Nigerian) “Il parle Français comme un Camerounais!”("He speaks French like a Cameroonian!").

Needless to say, he subsequently became very useful as an interpreter for his Nigerian colleagues, whenever they visited their choice restaurant to eat – since the steward there could barely manage a few words of greeting in English. The same thing happened whenever they had to ask for directions when they went out on their own.

But most importantly, you can imagine the high regard in which his colleagues began to hold him for his ability to speak a foreign language they wished they could speak, and so fluently too. Of course he got noticed for that many times afterwards, and made friends much more easily as a result. In fact, after the course, one of the Cameroonian delegates invited him to spend a number of nights with his family at Yaounde – and even went out of his way to help locate the family of the young man’s teacher in the Francophone capital.

The significant recognition and high profile that his French-speaking ability brought him served to make the pains of learning to speak the language well worth it.

Now, Let Me Ask You A Question

What if his company’s management had later decided to send someone on secondment to work in the sister company in Cameroon? And what if they had to choose from amongst a large number of qualified managers – which included our young friend?

Do you think he would have been one of those to be given very serious consideration/possibly chosen?

I do. And by the way, that young man was this writer. And it did happen that during the course in Douala, the idea of having an international mix of facilitators to implement the roll out of the course within each country was muted. A suggestion made by one of the expatriate course facilitators was that our young Nigerian, being already French speaking, would be well placed to help the Cameroonians with the implementation in their country.

Were They Just Lucky?

It could be argued, that the individuals I have described above, were just lucky to have been in the right place at the right time.

My response would be that anyone who thinks so, has probably not heard the very apt saying that goes something like this: “Luck is often what happens when preparation meets opportunity”. In other words, a person can ensure that he becomes perpetually lucky (successful) by simply preparing himself ahead of time for possible experiences (or opportunities) s/he might be exposed to in the future.

This can be done first by reflecting on previous experiences – and current happenings – as well as carefully evaluating signs or signals of likely future occurrences. Having done this, the individual can then proceed to prepare –against the backdrop of the reflections – by acquiring the relevant skills and/or knowledge needed to effectively tackle the challenges that the future brings. By the time s/he actually encounters the challenges or undergoes the experiences, it would likely be with a feeling of having done it before – what is sometimes called “Déjà vu”.

"Luck is the residue of diligence"

Summary

People in different areas of human endeavor sometimes complain that they can’t succeed or achieve advancements in their personal/work lives. Their reason is often that they lack the needed resources or enabling environment for them to do so. (An example is the case of employees working in an organization).

The truth however is often that within that same environment, working alongside those same complainants, are some individuals who – despite the lack of resources/favorable environment – are continually achieving the desired successes.

By this I do not mean individuals who have godfathers making things happen for them from behind the scenes, regardless of their actual abilities or workplace performances. I also do not refer to persons who employ crooked means to achieve their "success(es)". No.

Those I am concerned with here are persons who by dint of sheer hard work, diligent preparation, perpetual self-education, and rugged perseverance, continually overcome (perceived) limitations in their environment, to achieve practically ANY objectives they set for themselves.

Final Words

In saying the foregoing, I must emphasise that sometimes, one may have to (as Jim Rohn said) change the environment(s) in which one seeks to succeed. This can be especially relevant to persons engaged in activities outside paid employment. In following Jim’s advice however, some people may need to improvise(like I have), as not everyone will be able to "re-locate" physically to another environment.

Thankfully, technology and the Internet have today made it easier to increase your chances of achieving success. They do this by affording you convenient access to more favourable environments that are physically beyond your reach, while you remain where you are. One example: A freelance writer based in Nigeria or India for example, can get betterpaid – than s/he would at home – to do work online for clients in the US, Canada etc. 

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, General, Parenting, Public Speaking, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

How To Use The Self-Development Nuggets™ Blog

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SD Nuggets™ (i.e. http://www.tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets) is a multi-disciplinary blog.

As a result, you may find that not everything published on it interests you.

This is why I would suggest you use the links provided below to subscribe to the category you want.

That way, when new content is published on the blog, only those belonging to your preferred category will be dispatched to you via RSS feed.

1. Entrepreneurship [Tuesdays]

Posts in this category will include all my write-ups on Cost-Saving Farm Business Ideas, Web Marketing etc. Entrepreneurship is hard enough as it is. Whatever you can do to reduce the number of “hard knocks” you get while practicing it, will make your life easier. Experience based tips, and insights gained from years of heart breaking struggles and triumphs as an entrepreneur in a particularly harsh socioeconomic environment. They come in form of true stories and straight advice e.g. the thorny issue of getting paid for work you do, or product you sell. I tell it the way I see (and have seen) it!

http://tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets/category/entrepreneurs/feed

DOWNLOAD MY FREE FARM BIZ RESOURCE WORKBOOK

It contains the different computation formats (complete with formulas) used in the article titled 5 Powerful Tools for Accurately Measuring Your (Farm) Business’ Health

Click to download your copy of Tayo's FREE MS Excel resource workbook which contains the different computation formats (complete with formulas) used in the article titled 5 Powerful Tools for Accurately Measuring Your (Farm) Business Health

2. Self-Development [Wednesdays]

Posts in this category are for persons (regardless of discipline or interest) looking for ideas to make themselves more productive than they already are. It’s as simple as that. Anything that can help you become better, more capable, more competent, more efficient. New, ready-to-use, and sometimes unconventional ideas about how to get more out of 24 hours; or how to handle yourself around others better; how to organise yourself to achieve smarter outcomes etc. Examples will include my new powerful series titled: MS Excel Quick Tips For Getting More Done At Work And In Life!

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3. Career Development [Thursdays]

Posts in this category are for persons in paid employment – from junior staff to top executive and even CEO/MD. I weave hard won experience based wisdom gained from excelling in a variety of demanding roles within a fast paced multinational organisation. Insights I gained from working closely with, and observing top level decision making by high performing management executives are also used to provide guiding instruction that you can adapt to suit your unique needs.

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4. Parenting [Fridays]

Through posts in this category, I offer what you could call parenting best practice ideas. The objective being to help others give their kids the best possible start in life. My approach is to use true stories of my personal childhood experiences, in conjunction with insights gained from “parenting” my own kids over the past 10 years. For those who are interested, I offer special coaching programs for kids (and their parents). The approach to “parenting” that I advocate for use with kids is based on a coaching technique I developed 15 years ago, which I call “Multi-Dimensional Peer Pressure (MDPP)™“.

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5. Writing/Blogging [Saturdays]

Posts in this category will feature my unique take on various aspects of writing as well as blogging. For instance, what is it about blog comments (or the absence or presence of blog comments) that seems to attract so much debate and controversy? I bring my capacity for objective analysis to bear on such issues, to offer clarity and give people a sense of what works, and what to do. You can look forward to some unconventional ideas based on my experience :-)

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6. Public Speaking [Mondays]

Posts in this feed will link to my weekly Public Speaking IDEAS newsletter, published since September 2011 to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring to experts on the African continent. I began representing Burt as Sole Agent in Africa in May 2011. But I actually began following his work way back in 2000 while still in paid employment. Don’t be fooled by the fact that his website features mainly public speaking training offers. A closer look reveals it also houses an intimidating wealth of business marketing wisdom that can be profitably applied in ANY kind of business. I know because I’ve used them to successfully reap profitable returns in various business endeaours, that had NOTHING to do with public speaking. The “messages” in my posts will sometimes be woven into real life stories. Hopefully, you’ll learn enough from reading my stuff to understand why choosing Burt Dubin to mentor you would be a wise thing to do!

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Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

Why You Should Write To Share Your Knowledge

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For centuries, ideas that influenced societal happenings have been communicated in written form for others to read and reflect upon. Religious and political bodies use the written word to propagate their messages. You may not believe it. But there is something you know which some others NEED – if you would only write about it. In this article, I explain how – by writing to share what you know – you can make the lives of others better. And by so doing, you’ll contribute to the development of people in your society – and even beyond! .

(Published online: Aug 18, 2006)

What If Napoleon Hill Had Not Written Think And Grow Rich?

What would this world have been like if Hill had not written that wonderful book? Think back to all the successful people you know who have mentioned that reading THAT book transformed their lives. Imagine if they had never read the book i.e. it had not been written. The implications would be multiple fold. Let’s consider a few examples.

Maybe today, Dr. Walter Doyles Staples would not be the accomplished person whose works have been a source of education and inspiration for thousands of people worldwide. Robert Kiyosaki would probably not be the person we know today, whose personal childhood stories and reflections have influence a thousands to rethink their approach to the education of their kids. And the need for a reform of our traditional educational system, to help their kids succeed in life.

You Can Change Lives Through Your Writings

By writing, we give others the opportunity to embark, more intelligently, and therefore with greater chances of success, on a journey that we have made. Anyone who has applied honest and diligent effort to a particular cause, can write competently about what s/he has done. And it would benefit others who desire to pursue a similar goal.

Now here’s an interesting poser about Robert Kiyosaki. Millions of adults worldwide have bought his books and followed his advice about how to educate kids to achieve financial independence. And they did this even though they knew Robert and his wife(Kim) had kids of their own. Have you ever wondered about that?

Well, I have. And the ONLY logical explanation for what should have been an unreasonable action on that part of the parents is this: They (wisely) chose to look beyond Robert NOT being a parent. Instead, they focussed on the intuitive common sense logic of the ideas he presented. As many stated in their written testimonials about Roberts books, those ideas resonated with those they had themselves battled with, during their own childhood years!

When I read those commentaries/testimonials by people (including kids), I could not help wondering: Would they have ever taken any corrective action for their own kids’ sake, IF someone like Robert had not written about his experience? So again, we’re back to the questions with which I started this article: What if Robert had never written his books? One thing at least is certain: our thinking about how children should be educated to achieve financial success in life, would be worse han it is now. That is the value that Robert’s writing has added to millions of lives the world over – mine inclusive (the distance between our continents of residence notwithstanding).

Many People Who Should Write Are NOT Writing

In many societies, people undergo unique experiences of all kinds on a daily basis. For each person, the learning acquired through those experiences literally shapes who they become over time, and ultimately determines whether or not – or better still how well – they succeed.

Each one of us can draw upon such experiences, to teach others how to deal with them successfully, should they encounter similar challenges in their lives.

Each one of us has a distinguishing trait or quality that sets him apart from others who do what s/he does. Therefore if you were to write a (non-fiction) book or article based on your area of competence or experience, there’s a good chance that someone will find it useful.

It might help to inform (or remind) you, that even Napoleon Hill was initially plagued with self-doubt, when Andrew Carnegie first asked him to write "Think And Grow Rich". Hill worried – among other things – that he was not "qualified" or "competent" enough – at the time – to write it. But thankfully, he eventually brushed those fears aside, and did us all a favour by writing the book that today has changed millions of lives for the better.

You Don’t Need A Teaching Qualification To Share What You Know With People Who Need It!

Let’s say a person who survived years of isolation as a prisoner of war, decides to write a book about what he went through. Do you think he would need to get a writing degree to do that? Or indeed to speak to audiences in seminars about (a) what it feels like and (b) how to survive under such situations? Of course not. We’re talking about personal experience here. Nothing beats that. Not even the biggest academic qualifications in the world!

Now, even if you feel you cannot write the story by yourself, you can engage the services of a freelance writing professional. It is worthwhile to note however, that developing your writing skills would ultimately enable you do more spontaneous writing than you could if someone was doing the writing on your behalf.

You Can Write While Still In The Process Of Acquiring The Experience(s)

Incidentally we need not wait until we have achieved the goal we pursue, before we can write for others to learn from us. A person who never won the gold as an athlete at the olympics, could draw from his/her "failures" to coach a younger athlete with potential to win the gold.

Taking this further, a person who has "failed" in a bid to achieve a goal could, with a positive mental attitude, articulate a set of learning points about what caused him/her to fail. S/he would then use them to teach others (one-on-one or through a book or article) about what to do to increase their chances of success.

You do not need to wait till you become the Managing Director of the company you work for, before you begin to share the useful learnings about achieving career advancement, that you pick up along the way. This is because while you are busy "climbing", others coming after you will be in the process of taking the decision to start "climbing". And compared to you, they will be less experienced or knowledgeable about what to expect.

Many of them are likely to appreciate hearing from you, up front, some hints about what they will face during their journey. And how you dealt with the challenges that cropped up – including what you think they can do to make good progress.

In my case, I am sharing insights gained from my experiences as an entrepreneur, through writing articles and books, and in daily interactions. Begin documenting as much of your own experiences as possible. This will equip you over time, to share useful learning with others, and make their journey less difficult.

No one person has the duty of teaching others about how to succeed in life. Every one of us can teach what s/he knows to those who need to know. And one effective way to do it is by writing. And unlike speaking, it is also more enduring: once you’ve written it, you will not need to write it again. And all who want to read it, will always be able to do so, when they go to the library, bookstore or website where it is available to get their copy.

I Found Supporting Evidence That "You Need To Write", In Dr. Spencer Johnson’s Book: "Who Moved My Cheese"!

Who better to tell you what it feels like(or takes) to survive as a start-up entrepreneur, if not someone currently in the struggle – or recently out of it?

If you wanted to get an authentic update on the socioeconomic situation in Nigeria, would you ask your “Professor Uncle” who travels once-a-year to Lagos on official visits? Or would you ask your Aunt who lives in Lagos, and visits New York on business every other month? The latter of course.

The above is why I chose to start writing about my experiences early in my entrepreneurial career, rather than wait till I get “up to the very top” before doing so. But I got even more convinced that this was the right thing to do, when I read the little book titled “Who moved my cheese?” written by Dr. Spencer Johnson.

The Book’s Parable About Hem & Haw(2 little people) As Well As Sniff & Scurry(2 Mice)

The book narrates an engaging parable about 4 characters – Sniff and Scurry (2 Mice) and also Hem and Haw (2 little people). The parable illustrates the various ways different people react to unexpected changes/setbacks that occur in their lives on a daily basis.

It admonishing us to learn to laugh at ourselves, and the mistakes we make in life – so as to be able to learn from them and “move on” with our lives. Dr. Johnson uses the analogy of “moving cheese” to illustrate how our circumstances/situations in life will inevitably change. He argues that we all need to be prepared for those changes when (not “if”) eventually they occur. If we’re prepared, and we respond quickly and intelligently to them (instead of protesting and complaining), we will often find that we end up being better off in the long run.

Dr. Johnson takes the reader through a series of scenarios in which the 4 characters employ various methods to deal with the unexpected changes. The 2 little people – Hem and Haw – unlike the mice, had major problems getting over the setback (not surprising is it? A typical human reaction!) and moving on with their lives. Hem in particular remained adamant that it was “unfair” for the cheese to have been moved. And he prevailed on Haw (who over time became more disposed to trying to find a way out of the fix they were in), to stay with him till things “returned to normal” – or until “someone gave them an explanation” for moving their cheese.

Remember! It’s a parable. If you think about it, sometime in the past(or possibly even now) some of us may have been just like Hem. Never seeing any good in a change that affected us (in our opinion) “negatively”. An example: a lateral movement from your job to another seemingly less glamorous one in your company.

"Haw" Starts Writing To Share What He Learns BEFORE He achieves Success

And here’s the lesson I picked up from the book: At a point, Haw decided that since the mice had taken off in search of another cheese almost immediately the initial cheese had moved, he would do the same. So, he left Hem, (after trying without success to get him to go along), sitting and complaining, and began his search.

As he journeyed, he made a lot of new discoveries, gaining new and fresh insights that excited him a great deal. In fact, he found the learnings he picked up while trying to find new cheese so profound, that he decided to write each learning on the wall (in form of a short phrase). This was so that anyone who was coming along after him, would benefit from the knowledge he had discovered.

Examples of the phrases he wrote are: “If you do not change, you can become extinct”; “When you move beyond your fear, you feel free”; and “Imagining myself enjoying new cheese even before I find it, leads me to it”.

I have chosen to adopt the method used by Haw, by writing to share my experiences even before I get to the "top" as an entrepreneur.

Even before he found new cheese, Haw began to share the little knowledge he was picking up along the way/during the journey.

He felt (quite rightly too) that there was no point waiting till he got to the “end” of his journey, and found new cheese, before he shared the little he already knew.

This was because he recognised that he was experiencing useful – though sometimes painful – lessons that could benefit others tremendously, if they knew them before facing similar challenges.

Summary

I personally believe that it takes strength of character and tremendous self belief, to repeatedly share painful lessons learnt in the pursuit of a challenging goal(s), especially while still working to achieve it(them).

Another lesson we can take away from Dr. Johnson’s book, is that we can each move our own cheese (become “masters of our fate”), instead of waiting for others to do it for us.

Years ago, I chose to move mine by leaving the comfort of what should have been a comfortable job in a corporate organisation, to follow my longstanding vision of running my own businesses. I also decided that I wanted to spend much of my time, sharing with others my achievements in various areas of my past, present and future endeavours.

We need to share information/knowledge and discoveries about life, and how to live it better, with each other. We need to do so regularly, and with passion. Our actions in this regard must be borne out of a genuine desire to enrich the lives of others, and help them get ahead like we are doing.

A society where this happens continually, and spontaneously, would be a very successful one. Many developed countries are already on the path toward attaining this state.

Developing countries which desire to achieve similar progress, will need to challenge many more of their members to share more often – and selflessly.

Writing is a powerful and cost-effective way to do this. Any society that wishes to develop fully, MUST encourage her members to write – and read – as frequently as possible (especially non-fiction). You can play a role today in the development of your own society. Do this by acquiring qualitative experiences in the pursuit of worthwhile goals, and writing to share what you learn to help others do the same .

Comments?

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Parenting, Self-Development

Conquering a Terrifying School Bully (True Story)

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This write-up offers guidance and inspiration (based on a true story) for young people who have to lead others – even when the latter include big bullies or aggressive personalities. Parents keen to equip their kids to successfully handle inevitable setbacks (and interpersonal conflicts) in life will also find it a useful read.

Quick Take Away: We were in the final months leading to the school certificate exams. I was trying to catch up in class, after serving a 2 week suspension for abusing my priviledges as a prefect. However, reports of the disruptive behaviour of a notorious bully – called Saheed(not real name) – kept bothering me. So, I came up with a plan to check his excesses. One day, we had a serious face-off that eventually got him sent away on indefinite suspension.

Unknown to me however, he carefully plotted his "revenge" for weeks afterwards. And when – as the holidays be
gan – I escorted a school mate travelling home (off the premises) to the train station, he and his armed thug-like friends came after me!

Continue reading →

Self-Development

7 Deadly Myths That Can Stop You From Succeeding

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In many societies, it is normal for people to cultivate myths about different things. Successful persons sometimes discover – to their alarm and distaste – that untrue or imaginary stories have been told in social circles about their personal lives, and/or the source of their wealth or success. This human tendency to exaggerate, prevaricate or mythify is unlikely to abate – and so, for those who wish to avoid being misled, it is important to actively "test" what one "hears" before acting based on it. For instance, on the subject of pursuing and achieving success, various myths are propagated in different cultures about how to go about it. This article was written to debunk some of them.

 

(First Published Online: 6th August 2007 on static html page)

Preamble

Few people alive or dead have enjoyed the height of success that Nelson Mandela has attained. In my opinion, (and going by the definition provided in the quote below credited to Emerson) Mandela’s type of success is one that everyone should aspire towards – because it is arguably the most balanced and complete.

That probably explains why this great man is admired the world over by some of the greatest people from all walks of life. When I talk about success therefore (be it in business or life) I want the reader to know that I refer mainly to the Nelson Mandela type of success i.e. the one which leads to IMPROVEMENT in the lives of others.

"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children,to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!" – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Just in case you wonder how the above can be applied to business considerations, I’ll elaborate – briefly: An entrepreneur can use his/her business activities to make the lives of others better even as s/he makes profit in the process. Here are two additional quotes, this time from an entrepreneur of proven competence and repute, to support what I have just said:

"Ridiculous yachts and private planes and big limousines won’t make people enjoy life more, and it sends out terrible messages to the people who work for them. It would be so much better if that money was spent in Africa – and it’s about getting a balance." – Richard Branson

"I never get the accountants in before I start up a business. It’s done on gut feeling, especially if I can see that they are taking the mickey out of the consumer." – Richard Branson

Anti-Success Myth No. 1: If You Don’t Get Along With Everyone, You Cannot Succeed

Very untrue. First of all, as Dan Kennedy once wrote, you don’t need anyone’s permission to succeed. You must remember that sometimes what you hope to succeed at, might imply some people with (possibly selfish) vested interests will lose out or earn less than they currently do. Keep in mind the fact that sometimes you may need to change the status quo in order to succeed.

It does not matter how skilled you are in interpersonal relations. It does not matter how likeable you are or can be as a person. Unless you are not fully committed to achieving your purpose, you may HAVE TO step on toes and hurt some people’s feelings in order to SUCCEED in bringing about what could be badly needed change/improvement.

Read through the above quotes credited to Branson again. Then think about people like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Ghandi who endured protracted antagonism and punishment for years because of the causes they took up. Accept this reality today: In trying to achieve your set goal, you may not be able to get along with everyone. But even if you are willing to try, those who do not like what you want to do, and who despite being in the minority, may be "powerful", could actually REFUSE to get along with you!

You will at some point have to make up your mind just how badly you NEED to succeed in the face of their antagonism. Your decision is very likely to determine whether or not you succeed.

Anti-Success Myth No. 2: Without Connections & Influence, You Don’t Stand A Chance

Another lie. How many times have we read about the underdog who overturned the tables on the big players? In sports, business, politics etc, history has repeatedly shown that nothing can be taken for granted. If you learn continually and work intelligently/diligently, you will become MORE COMPETENT, and eventually your work/efforts will speak for you.

Consequently, your reputation will precede you wherever you go, opening doors of access to opportunities that you need to achieve your purpose. I believe it was Henry Kaiser who once said "When your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt." You might want to keep that little tip in mind when you pass through this phase.

Nelson Mandela had little (if any) political affiliations or connections that could have made him get what he wanted when he began his campaign for freedom of his people. As a matter of fact, Mandela’s activities antagonised powerful, highly connected and influential people who did not like his "message". Yet he chose to proceed all the same.

That got him into trouble. For 27 years he was punished for making such an "impossible" demand of the government. But throughout the duration of his incarceration, he refused to compromise. The people he fought for SAW his unflinching commitment to (and great personal sacrifice for) THEIR cause. They drew courage from his actions to continue fighting for his release – and their freedom.

When eventually he was set free, his people rewarded him with votes that made him president. He needed no political connections or influential allies to get to the highest office in his country. He simply did what was needed, with honesty and integrity. You do the same thing, and it will only be a matter of time before you achieve YOUR own phenomenal success.

Anti-Success Myth No. 3: If A Successful Person/Authority Says You Can’t, S/he Would Be Right

Not necessarily. Again history offers us wisdom based on hindsight. From Ted Turner’s idea for CNN to Fred Smith’s outrageous term paper concept for an overnight delivery service in an industry dominated by large/experience players who considered it unfeasible. One trend is common: we discover/learn that the word "impossible" ONLY truly represents what people think cannot be done UNTIL someone does it!

This myth is especially relevant when one realises that some successful persons/authorities put on record for having dismissed an idea that went on to succeed, had in the past while pursuing their own maiden successes, ALSO been rejected in the same manner.

As I explained in another article titled "Do You Need A Business Plan – If Your IDEA Is Ahead Of Its Time, Or Unproven?", Henry Ford had an experience which provides a useful example. Having worked as an employee of the great inventor, Thomas Edison, for some years (starting as a stark illiterate – according to Napoleon Hill in the book titled "Think & Grow Rich"), Ford one day came up with the idea for a "horseless carriage" that everyone could afford – known today as the car.

He approached Edison, but the latter told him to forget it, offering him instead the incentive of a promotion so they could focus/work on "more important things". It should be noted that Ford, going by "rational reasoning" should not normally have had the courage to even THINK he knew something the great Thomas Edison did not – especially about what was worth inventing.

This foregoing point is especially noteworthy when one considers how Ford started. But (urged on by his wife) he knew enough to NOT accept Edison’s judgment. He quit the inventor’s employ, and using savings he and his wife had left, vigorously pursued his dream. You and I drive cars today – which in the pre-Ford invention days were the exclusive preserve of the wealthy – because Henry Ford REFUSED to let others impose their limitations on him.

Anti-Success Myth No. 4: Your Family Has No History Of Successful Business People

Neither did Walt Disney or Robert Kiyosaki (just to name two examples that readily come to mind). Yet, today the names of these two individuals are easily associated with success, wealth, and fame.

Potentially useful, I believe, are Kiyosaki’s writings – especially the Rich Dad series, which do an excellent job of painting a CLEAR, unambiguous picture of the discouraging and psychologically challenging environment that Robert had to grow up in, and fight hard to come out of.

Robert’s books/board games and his achievements prove that a lack of family pedigree, cannot condemn ANYONE to a life devoid of business or financial success. If you want it badly enough, and are willing to LEARN – and DO – whatever it takes (legally of course) to get it, then you WILL get it. It would just be a matter of time.

Anti-Success Myth No. 5: Don’t Aim Too High Or You’ll End Up Failing Badly

Still another UNTRUTH. The fact is you need to set what I like to call BIG, FAT goals that will make you STRETCH to achieve them. You will be propelled by the size of your goals. The bigger they are, the harder you will feel compelled to push for them – IF you are sincere with yourself that is.

In James R. Cook’s book titled "The Startup Entrepreneur", we are told that the greater the entrepreneurial ambition one has, the greater will be the amount of "suffering" s/he will have to endure before arriving at success. Cook in fact states based on his study of the lives of many successful entrepreneurs, that there is a positive correlation between the degree of suffering you experience, and the eventual height of success you achieve as an entrepreneur.

Outside the business world, this positive correlation generally appears to hold true in larger society as well. Again I use the example of Nelson Mandela. He set (what was then) an "unrealistic" goal of getting equal rights recognised for his people, by a government run by a minority who benefitted from having it that way. He set, relentlessly pursued and eventually achieved an ambitious goal (that probably sounded crazy at the time), and became a living legend as a result.

Just as setting ambitious goals yields generous success, setting mediocre ones, will yield equally mediocre success levels. You have the right to choose which one you want.

By the way, you might want to note that you cannot fail except you STOP trying to succeed. So don’t be afraid to aim high – repeatedly – and NO matter how many times you "miss". If/when you do "miss", "just check what you did the last time, make needed adjustments, and try again, and again, UNTIL you get it right. Because I know from experience how difficult it can be to remember the foregoing when repeated unsuccessful attempts stare one in the face, I now ask you to please memorise (if possible) the following phrase: I CANNOT fail if I DO NOT stop trying to succeed!

"Aim for the sky, so you can at least land on the roof" – Tayo K. Solagbade

"Judge your success by what you have to give up in order to get it" – Dalai Lama, Exiled Spiritual Leader of Tibet

Anti-Success Myth No. 6: You Cannot Achieve Notable Business Success If You Lack Money Or Access To Persons Who Have It.

I will not say much here. Let me instead quote Dan Kennedy from his book titled "How To Succeed In Business By Breaking All The Rules":

"I have long taught: If you can’t make money without money, you won’t make money with money either. And if you are going to back somebody, pick an entrepreneur who has proven that he can survive without adequate capital". – Dan Kennedy

What you need is really the financial intelligence to manage the money that enters your business (either as investor’s capital or earned income). That is a skill not readily acquired via formal schooling. And that’s why many who venture into business run into problems. I say this as someone who has had to learn the hard way (VERY slowly and painfully) to overcome this shortcoming.

For as long as you believe in your business idea, you will not tire of creating/exploring opportunities to secure money towards developing it. And as I have emphasised from the start of this article – so long as you persist, it’s only a matter of time before you find a way.

Anti-Success Myth No. 7: You Must Profess A Particular Religious Belief In Order To Succeed

This topic can be sensitive, but my intention here is to clarify. Success has different meanings to different people. For certain religious groups, true success has little to do with a person’s material accomplishments while alive, and MORE to do with how his/her activities while on earth impact on his/her "soul" after death.

The point to note is that each person has the right to decide what s/he considers success to be – or mean. As far as this article goes, Emerson’s definition of success reproduced at the start implies that a person can achieve balanced success in life (irrespective of his/her religious preferences) by doing things that IMPROVE the lives of him/herself and others.

Taking it further, when we consider the fact that many modern societies today enjoy a mix of highly successful multi-racial inhabitants with widely differing religious beliefs, it becomes obvious that bias for a particular religion would be an inadequate explanation for success achievement. In fact, available evidence shows that people who qualify to be called successful by our definition in this article, do not ALL practice the same religion.

Indeed Fred Smith, one of those we have mentioned, who boasts astounding accomplishments, had the word "UNKNOWN" entered for him under the heading "Religion:" in a bio/profile published about him by Gene N. Landrum! In other words, (as at that time of publication) Smith presumably had no known religious affiliation – making it difficult, if not outright impossible, to explain his amazing success with his Federal Express(FedEx) company, along those lines.

If the truth were to be told, your religious beliefs are personal to you. And except something is badly wrong, they will likely be in tune with your desires (or vice versa). Which means you might for instance want to pray for "spiritual" help towards success in your chosen business venture, so that your physical efforts will not be "wasted".

Mutual respect for civil liberties is a requirement during interpersonal relations in most societies. The fact that you do not share the same religious beliefs as another person, say in a business relationship, or the workplace, CANNOT be enough reason for him/her to use his/her position, power or influence to deny you fair and impartial access to opportunities available for the pursuit of YOUR goals. If that happens, then serious issues regarding RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION can arise, which you might be VERY justified to take up formally if necessary.

Summary

You have a right to set and achieve goals that are important to you. Don’t let people tell you what you can or cannot do. Don’t let these seven (7) deadly myths – or ANY others – stop you from achieving the success you desire. Determine for yourself where you wish to go, and what you aim to achieve – then DO IT.

Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. – Mark Twain.

tayosgp
Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, General, Parenting, Public Speaking, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

NEW PAGE: Tayo’s Guest Posts

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I’m a multipreneur, and SD Nuggets is designed to be a multi-disciplinary blog. So, expect to see links on the new Tayo’s Guest Posts page to my guest posts published on blogs in different niches.

If you run a high profile blog, website or print publication, and would like me to write for you, get in touch via my Writing Service page.

Entrepreneurship, Excel-VB Solutions, My DN Travel News, Self-Development

The Customer Will NOT Always Be Right: Don’t Be A Victim Of Entrepreneur Abuse™!

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(This article was originally published on a static HTML page on my (spontaneousdevelopment.com) website in March 2006 – from where I’ve now moved it to THIS blog platform)

I do not know what your experiences so far in business have been, but mine and those of a surprising number of others I have read – this year alone – tell me that the market in which we look for clients and prospects is awash with all kinds of characters. I have as a result adopted a philosophy that contradicts what the popular saying “The customer is always right” suggests. My purpose for writing this article is to: a). Help entrepreneurs who read my writing learn how to protect themselves from exploitation while trying to meet clients’ needs (b). Help those who patronise entrepreneurs learn how NOT to behave if they are to avoid being guilty of Entrepreneur Abuse™. Read this article to learn more about Entrepreneur Abuse™, and why you may need to distance yourself from a client/customer who practices it. Continue reading →

Entrepreneurship, Farm Biz, My DN Travel News, Self-Development, Writing/Blogging

Practical Guide To Important Feed Ingredients (Pictures, Prices, Nutrients, Uses etc)

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E-flyer: Annotated Pictorial Introduction To Feed Ingredients

When I posted information about my new report (shown in the above -e-flyer on my Facebook timeline yesterday (9th August 2012), someone posted the question: “Are you into agriculture(?)“.

I gave him a short answer first, and then went on to elaborate for the benefit of others who would come across the post in future.

I believe YOU will find my response potentially beneficial. Which is why I’ve reproduced it below.

But just before you go on to read that, you should know that every person who has (or WILL) ever purchase(d) a copy of my Feed Formulation handbook from me, gets it at no cost. You pay absolutely NOTHING. Just send me an email via tayo at tksola dot com, to get details of what you need to do.

If you do not own my handbook/do not wish to buy it, but still want the new report, email me via tayo at tksola dot com to find out how you can get it for N5,000 instead of N7,500.

So, here’s the response I gave to the question about my work.

My response to a facebook enquiry about my Cost-Saving Farm Biz support service

AnnotatedPDFCover

Career Development, Self-Development

Succeeding At Your New Job (Even When You Get No Handover From Your Predecessor)

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What you are about to read are tested and proven ideas for succeeding under some of the most challenging situations possible in paid employment.

It Can Happen To You – So Get Prepared

Just in case you’re telling yourself this cannot happen to you, let me assure you that it can. By this, I refer to a situation in which you assume a new position at short notice, and without the benefit of a handover from the original job holder.

It happened to me a number of times in a space of about three years while I was still a middle level manager working shifts. There were other competent persons that could have been chosen for the roles assigned to me. Some were more than a few years senior to me in age, on the job and/or in the company.

The fact that I got picked so often suggests the decision makers believed I would add worthwhile value. My success in handling those early career opportunities, eventually won me high profile senior management roles, later in my short career (I quit after 7 years, to pursue a long standing dream of self employment, despite mouth watering career prospects). I narrate some examples later in this article.

Adapt the strategies described below to your unique situation, and you’re likely to achieve similar or better outcomes to mine.

1. Visualize The Possibilities: There’s no guarantee you’ll get it right. But you need to carefully consider what positions in the company (within and outside your current company location), you can reasonably expect to be assigned, in the event that the need arises.

Check out the backgrounds of senior or more experienced colleagues and/or bosses who started out from your kind of position. That’s one reliable way to know what can happen. If they could have gotten where they are today, by starting from where you are now, then it’s possible you can too.

And sometimes, even if it took them 5 years to get there, circumstances could make it take you just 6 months to do the same. Somebody could resign (or get fired) without warning, and there may be no other person except you with the needed training, background, education, skills, experience or maturity, to fill in the gap.

"Solagbade! Do you want to do what some people did in 5 years in 5 months?"

A senior colleague actually made the above statement to me, less than two years after I joined the company. And he was not exactly smiling when he said it either.

Among other things, I had been identified for my spreadsheet automation skills, which got me nominated into a company wide computerization project team, alongside senior managers. This put me in the spotlight, to the extent that departmental heads courted me to help automate their routine reports. I got a lot of attention – and some priviledges too. This apparently irked him, and at some point, he could no longer hide his feelings.

Expect that this may happen to you too, if you excel. Be as glad as I was if/when such person(s) voice their "frustrations". You’ll be able to steer clear of them if necessary. As Robert Kiyosaki noted in one of his books, vicious backstabbing is common in the workplace. If you plan to go far up the ladder, watch your back.

2. Get Familiar With Job Descriptions and Workplace Instructions/Guides: Every position in a company – no matter how small – requires a clear definition of roles and responsibilities to be played by the job holder. A job description is a document in which such details will normally be found. In addition, key processes and operations need to be documented in a way that ensures continuity and consistent quality/output, regardless of which employee is involved.

In other words, these documents would provide step-by-step guidance for carrying out every key operation or process in the company. If followed diligently work gets done to completion with minimal or no errors. It is to be expected that your company will have a formal system for creating and updating such documents in place.

Their existence in companies referred to as "world class" or "ISO certified" enables them routinely churn out top quality products and services based on a Right First Time philosophy. So, to get up to speed with the right way your job should be done, and also how people under your supervision should be operating, job descriptions and work instructions/guides will prove invaluable.

If it so happens the company does not have job descriptions and/or work instructions, view that as an excellent opportunity to make a difference while there. Get approval to have them developed, and (if time permits) champion the process. Your achievement will not go unnoticed, I assure you.

3. Read Books and Study Workplace Archives: I did this a lot anytime I got seconded. I never told anyone though. It was my little secret. Usually during the first week or two, I would spend many extra hours AFTER close of work (whether shift or normal working hours), reading through old handover notes in the file cabinets; daily, weekly and monthly reports; special project files and as many other documents relating to the job I was to do as I could find.

This helped me quickly internalize useful details about the job, and what had happened before I came in. I used that knowledge to ask questions when I spoke with those I had to work with. It was always amusing to see their surprised looks when I spoke with familiarity about stuff that took place before my time. Quite often I won their trust, respect and cooperation subseqently – because they saw that I was prepared to work.

Of course, by studying experience based books on management (by gurus like Peter Drucker for instance), and applying the mostly simple concepts, I was able to leverage the knowledge I gained from studying archival material in the workplace, in doing my "temporary" job effectively.

4. Identify The Competent/Long Serving – And LEARN from them: Whenever the opportunity presented itself, I got close to older and more experienced colleagues, to have informal coaching conversations with them. Those sessions usually revealed valuable insights I later found use for. I also periodically courted senior managers or departmental heads. Usually when they called on me to use my spreadsheet skills to generate reports based on their data. While with them, I casually studied the work they did, and how they did it.

All of this helped me greatly, as I was able to over time demonstrate the ability to "think" like a senior manager while still a middle level manager. By the time I got assigned to act as Production Manager in February 2000, I already knew quite a lot about what the job entailed – including complex aspects like calculating capacities, planning production etc.

Anytime I found myself around top level executives from my function in the workplace, I was never shy about showing what I could do. You should not be either – because the company needs people who can help it progress. This strategy got me noticed by those who mattered. It can work for you too.

5. Acquire Knowledge and Skills That Enable You Make A Difference: The company did not send me on any special management courses to prepare me to do those "surprise" jobs. I had to learn on-the-job. There was often no time that could be spared. So I resolved not to let those who gave me that opportunity down. I invested hundreds of hours before and after my shift periods/normal working hours, to learn anything extra that could help me do a good job. If you are sincere about contributing to the company’s progress, opportunities will appear to you, to achieve that purpose.

One Example: During my one year induction in Lagos brewery, I showed active interest in the custom Lotus spreadsheet based report automation I saw my expatriate Training Manager – RAC – doing for the company.

That won me his trust. Especially when I demonstrated the aptitude to quickly grasp the little he exposed me to. He soon gave me a laptop, so I could help check for errors in the massive formulas used in the Variable Cost Analysis Spreadsheet application he built for use in the different breweries.

By the time I was redeployed to Benin Brewery on completing my training, I got thrust into the spotlight when (on RAC’s recommendation), I successfully corrected an error in the Benin Brewery version of his spreadsheet application. After that, all kinds of opportunities to work with other senior managers began coming my way. When you work with senior managers that early in your career, and succeed in impressing, you WILL get talked about.

This last point is the key to succeeding perpetually at work . You do not need necessarily need to acquire a special skill like I did. But it would be worthwhile to LEARN to do useful (not fancy) things that can help you overcome obstacles, or make others happy to have you around.

Why You Should Take The Ideas Offered Here To Heart

I successfully employed the strategies described here – REPEATEDLY – to achieve superlative workplace performances in the large corporate multinational I worked over a 7 year period.

Within a year of joining the company, I went from being a green horned production shift brewer to packaging shift manager (actually back and forth between packaging and production departments over a 2 year period – at least three times).

Once, while working as a brewer, I was informed of my immediate "temporary" redeployment to packaging, to fill a vacancy arising from a recent promotion exercise. The Packaging Manager explained that the suddenness of the incumbent’s promotion made it imperative to pick a replacement, who could quickly fit in, even if brought in at short notice. I apparently fit the bill. Some weeks later, after a replacement manager had arrived, I returned to the brewing department. Indeed, almost all my movements at the time had one thing in common: They were implemented at short notice.

Between late 1995 and the end of 1997, I went from being management trainee to packaging shift manager, production shift brewer (actually back and for the between packaging and production departments over a 2 year period). Not long after that, I was removed from shift duties and re-assigned as Brewer-In-Charge of the Malta processing section (which was like a separate department, with its own multi-shift workforce).

In 1998, I was nominated twice to act as Technical Training and Development Manager (a high profile and sensitive position, one step above middle management level). The first time, it was for a month. And I got a handover from the job holder who was going on annual leave. The second time around, it was for a 3 month period. And I got NO handover.

What’s more, my new boss (i.e. the Technical Manager) chose to go off on leave during this second period. I was – as they say – O.M.O i.e. On My Own! That was a classic example of a trial by fire situation I was put in. Management sometimes does this to "test" a young manager’s mettle and see if s/he will crack under pressure. I never did "crack". Instead I excelled repeatedly. And my appraisals reflected it. When I chose to leave the company, the brewery head felt he had seen enough in 11 months of working with me, to stick his neck out by writing the following glowing comments about me (see below) in a send forth greeting card:

Handwritten testimonial by Andy R. Jones about Tayo Solagbade

Summary

Going on secondment to do another person’s job – even if it’s not in a higher position – is an opportunity to show decision makers what you can do. How you handle it can determine how far you go in the company. It’s like competing for a place on the team to the world cup or Olympics. Or presenting a popular TV show on prime time. You need to make the most of it. But do so, with the aim of making a useful or positive contribition and impact. And not just for selfish glory.

What helped me succeed was my willingness to learn from ANYONE and EVERYONE I felt could help me – even if I had to seek them out myself. This was in addition to plenty of hard work and personal sacrifice to acquire useful knowledge/skills and use them to make things work the way I wanted them.

If you really want to fly high in the corporate world, you must be ready for sudden or surprise assignments – because they will come. And those who nominate you to will expect you to deliver. Every time you do, they may become more willing to send greater career advancement opportunities your way.

Opportunities that many others may not get easily would tend to come to you as if magically. You will have become a high performing employee, regarded highly by your company’s decision managers as an asset to be used to boost the company’s ability to achieve its goals.

Career Development, Entrepreneurship, Self-Development

Top 5 Steps To Perfect Employees

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A few years ago, I was invited by the Center for Management Development, to deliver a one hour lecture based on a management research paper I’d just written titled “Self-Development As A Tool For Achieving Career Advancement“.

In delivering that paper, I decided to look at the subject from both perspectives i.e. that of the employer, as well as the employee’s. It’s always the best way, because both parties must work together to take the company forward. This article is based on excerpts from that lecture.

47 page management research paper titled

What follows below, are 5 Proven Steps You Can Take To Develop A Perfect Employee Workforce.

1. Demonstrate Management Buy-In

This is a fundamental requirement. Aim to demonstrate at all times to all parties involved that you (i.e. management or decision makers) are unflinchingly committed to helping employees develop their capacities optimally, in order to meet the company’s workplace performance expectations. In other words, you must back your words with action. Or better still, walk your talk.

For instance, let’s say you demand that sales reports be e-mailed in by field officers country wide over the weekend, for use in generating weekly reports for the 11a.m Monday review meetings. If some sales personnel work in locations with unreliable Internet access, you will need to arrange viable alternatives (e.g. a mobile wireless internet enabled laptop). Without this, reports are likely to come in late…and your employees could get discouraged or even frustrated. The same reasoning applies to asking factory workers to improve weekly output, without resolving a long standing problem of late input delivery by suppliers.

Do not give your employees any reason to believe you do not mean what you say.

Challenge them by showing you are committed to doing whatever it takes to support them towards achieving the goal you have announced. There’s however no need to go on a spending spree to make this happen. Simply assess viable options for making your plans work, then explore ways to implement them, as cost-effectively as possible. About eighty percent of the time, there will be a lower cost way to get things done, than the first ones that come to mind. Do more thinking, questioning and searching, to get it. Once everything is in place, let employees see that it is, and make you rules about non-performance clear to all concerned.

With management buy-in established and demonstrated, the next steps outlined below, should be easy to implement.

2. Focus On In-House Training

Too many times business decision makers feel they only need to throw money at employee training and development, to improve workplace performance. The truth however is that human beings are simply too complex to be treated like machines. With people, input does not always result directly in the output you want. And that’s why personalized (experiential) learning in a familiar environment tends to work better for us.

Why send another group of employees out to attend a training course, when a competent, experienced employee who has already been on THAT course (and has shown evidence of using what s/he learnt to improve job performance) is available?

Apart from being familiar with the peculiarities of the working environment of her colleagues, such an employee would also be able to develop case studies by drawing from her personal experiences. She could use such case studies in giving illustrations, which the others would possibly be able to relate to, making the learning experience more real.

Project based in-house employee training could also be considered. In this case, a group of employees could be made to learn by working together in multidisciplinary teams on meaningful problems drawn from their working environment. This kind of approach produces a self-help, mutual leaning atmosphere that enables the organization to identify and utilize “trapped” pockets of “experience and wisdom”.

Years ago, the above approach afforded me a very rapid rise from the lower cadres into senior management roles in a large corporate multinational, in less than 7 years of joining the company. The company’s decision makers were smart enough to see that I made good use of any learning I was exposed to. So they repeatedly chose me to go on high profile secondment assignments (e.g acting as departmental head, and also working as a member of key project groups comprising senior executives – even though I was not one). I was also nominated to attend key learning events, in and out of the country, with a view to subsequently returning to conduct similar learning events for other employees. The benefits to the company were multi-faceted.

Apart from my personal experiences, verifiable studies have equally shown that in-house training delivers more value for the money invested – in many cases. There will of course always be exceptions. However if your company really wants to move ahead in this regard, you will find it useful to follow the guidelines offered above.

3. Entrench A Reading/Thinking Culture

A good library, well stocked with relevant books, magazines etc all loaded with up-to-date information, will not get visited if employees are not made aware of its existence. In addition, employees must be encouraged to invest in useful (“How To”) books and do it yourself tools (e.g. Typing Tutor CDs, audio books, e-books, pod casts, webinars, teleconferences, membership websites etc).

Managers, executives and other leaders who are in a position to influence, should themselves set the example by adopting healthy reading/thinking, learning and re-learning habits. They could for instance, take time to stimulate the thoughts and interests of their reports by sharing insights they get from their own learning. Before long the culture will spread across the organization as a whole with very noticeable benefits.

There is of course the need to strike a balance between reading, and reflection on what is read – as captured in the quotes below:

“Reading can be a powerful catalyst for thinking; it has the potential for stimulating wisdom.” – Michael Angier

“Reading without thinking gives a disorderly mind, and thinking without reading makes one unbalanced” – Confucius

4. Deliberately Use Job Secondments For Employee Development

Secondment of employees to higher or parallel positions to the one they are already familiar with, could be utilized to develop them. The organization will however have to make EACH employee realize that going on secondment is not an end in itself, but a means to an end.

In other words, let them know that going on secondment is meant to be a developmental move for them. What’s more, upon completion of the acting assignment, the boss to whom the seconded employee reports needs to challenge her to outline what learning she has picked up. It is infact advisable that every such employee, be made to take a short break (could be a day or two) to reflect on her experiences and submit a written report upon returning to work.

Nothing helps to cement learning acquired from experience better than a review via personal reflection. During this activity, all actions carried out during secondment are “re-visited”, and decisions reached by the employee on how she would behave when confronted with similar challenges in future.

Successful employees interviewed by researchers often mentioned their on-the-job experiences – both good and bad – as having the greatest impact on their development. This is very useful information, that has guided smart business decision makers to continually explore better ways to provide job-based developmental experiences for their employees. By implication therefore, organizations that truly want “ideal” employees (i.e a well-motivated, effective and efficient workforce) will need to systematically expose individual members of their workforce(s) to relevant job-based experiences.

5. Institutionalize “Experience Sharing” By Older Employees With Newer Entrants

In this final step, the key objective is to shorten the learning curve of new (or less experienced) employees. It is a highly effective strategy that’s been in use for years (in various forms) by successful organizations the world over.

Consider this analogy: For those of who had the opportunity of growing up with aged parents, grandparents or relatives, the value of life learnings picked up from these older people, who had experienced them, often remains immeasurable. The foregoing is why one such young person can get described as having an “old head on his/her young shoulders”.

There’s no sense in letting younger/less experienced persons go through the painful process of making all the same mistakes and traumatizing discoveries that older/experienced employees already know how to avoid. Parents who spend time/share their own learning with their children actually spare the latter the pains of finding out those same things the hard way i.e. by themselves.

To put it another way, why should we waste valuable time re-inventing the wheel?

Relating this to the workplace, your company’s employees could benefit more if you engage a competent workplace/career coach(or even a retired, but highly skilled ex-employee) to spend time with them as individuals and/or groups – sharing experiences, and helping them make more sense of them. We need to enable our organizations to rise beyond our current levels of achievement, by equipping those coming after us with knowledge/skills we have gained.

A few hours with an accomplished individual can dramatically enhance the ability of the exposed employee(s) to perform better at work, to meet the company’s expectations. You will spend less and get more long lasting benefits to your people using this approach, than if you simply sent them on a generic external training course. (Fill/submit this form, and a free PDF copy of my 47 page management research paper titled “Self-Development As A Tool For Achieving Career Advancement“, which offers more information on this subject, will be sent to your inbox).

Summary

In today’s rapidly changing world, organizational decision makers must realize that if they want sustainable improvements in employee productivity, it WILL NOT happen through repeated resort to salary increases or even promotions.

Instead, getting employees to willingly give their best efforts at work, can only be reliably done by setting up a self-sustaining environment that perpetually makes the employee feel good about doing his/her job. The 5 steps outlined above, if intelligently adapted, can help you achieve that goal.

Make Your Comments or Requests!

What are your thoughts about the steps outlined in this post? Have you any experiences or observations to share on how well they might work in different organizations? Can you share any steps you believe can help a company effectively develop its employees to perform satisfactorily on the job? If you have a topic in mind you’d like me to write about in future, why not let me know? Or maybe you need help getting your staff to deliver(?). I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below, or via tayo at tksola dot com!

About Tayo Solagbade

Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist – Tayo Solagbade– works as a Multipreneur, helping individuals/businesses develop and implement strategies to achieve their goals, faster and more profitably.

Depending on his availability, Tayo accepts invitations to deliver customisable talks, keynote speeches and training/coaching programs on topics relating to his areas of experience based expertise and interest. Visit http://www.tksola.com to learn how you can invite Tayo, to speak at your next meeting/event.

As a multipreneurial freelance writer, Tayo Solagbade’s versatility, and use of in-depth research (on and off the Internet), equip him to quickly produce 100% original – and easy to understand – write-ups. When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman writing skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind:

a). The Self-Development Nuggets blog:

www.serenediary.spontaneousdevelopment.com

b). The Public Speaking IDEAS blog:

www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/blog