Are You Setting Up Your Child To Fail? (Read This to Find Out)

October 14, 2012 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered why we sometimes have single generation success stories in society? For instance you hear of a person(s) who rose from rags to riches, passing on. But their legacy of wealth subsequently dries up in a few years – despite offspring being in charge. How come the children lack life skills that made their parent(s) successful?

I believe it’s because some parents don’t take time to prepare their kids to take over the management of the wealth they amass.

Does Your Child Know What It Takes You?

It appears that as parents some of us tend to forget that our kids will eventually become adults. And when that happens, we’ll no longer need to do things for them. Instead, they will have to do things by themselves.

Think about it. As a mother for example you may have to work, do housekeeping, go to the bank, take them to/from school, attend meetings, plan finances for the week etc.

Now ask yourself. How many of these "adult" roles you play is your child currently consciously aware of? Does she really understand what you have to do, to keep things running smoothly? Or does she take them for granted. This is a mindset issue here.

Let’s take an example: When you and your husband keep your promise to take them on overseas on a trip to Paris during summer, does s/he appreciate the planning and budgetting that made it possible?

You may have had to defer spending on some other stuff on your own personal wish list(s) for instance, to save up for the trip. Does s/he know truly understand how much self-discipline it would have taken you to practice such delayed gratification?

Would s/he be prepared to act in the same manner should the need to do so arise today?

Question: Why today, and not when she becomes an adult?

My answer: Most skills one needs to function competently in society require practice. The earlier a child starts working on them, the more competent she’s likely to be as adult.

Between Delayed Gratification & Success (An Interesting Research Finding)

A brief elaboration on the benefits derivable from a habit of self-denial is appropriate.

In a study described in Daniel Goleman’s bestselling book on "Emotional Intelligence", it was discovered that kids who demonstrate the ability to practice self-denial (or delayed gratification), frequently do well as adults.

During the survey, two groups of kids were offered a reward on the following terms: “If you want it now, you’ll get a dollar to spend as you wish. If you’re willing to wait till next week, you’ll get two dollars to spend as you wish.”

The researchers who carried out the study then followed the respondents from the starting point in high school right into their later adult years.

Guess what they found? The kids who betrayed a preference for instant gratification mostly ended up struggling as adults later in life.

No surprises there. Quick fixes and shortcuts often hurt in the long term.

Transferring Life Skills Across Generations – One Family’s Example

The above findings are consistent with what happens in real life. Most adults know that being able to practice delayed gratification helps us get more out of life. An example: Saving up for retirement by being frugal, instead of living a high consumption lifestyle.

The ability to employ delayed gratification in pursuit of valued goals is a dimension of Emotional Intelligence, and a key attribute associated with startup business success.

It however takes self-discipline, constant practice, and time to imbibe this powerful habit. Many people want to be wealthy, but lack the discipline to do the little things daily, that are required to build their fortunes, sometimes slowly. If they had been coached as kids, doing it as adults would probably have come more naturally – or at least easier.

Going by biographical accounts, the Rockefeller family has – for years – successfully applied this philosophy to preserve their family’s wealth across generations.

One anecdote tells of how every Rockefeller child gets tasked from about age 3, to save part of any money she gets (e.g. as gift or allowance) in a piggy bank. Then she is tasked to use the remainder to start/run a real life micro-business e.g. rearing rabbits for sale.

Money made is then saved, and ploughed back into the business in the set sharing ratio. Over time, the child is also exposed to learning activities that teach other life skills.

The ultimate objective is always to make the child appreciate the value of money, and develop the competence to “grow” it. In this way, the Rockefellers ensure they have competent hands to manage the family’s wealth, from generation to generation.

It Sounds Straightforward, So Why Don’t More People Do It?

That’s the strange thing about us humans. Simple stuff can sometimes be so difficult for us to unravel

More seriously, it could be that some parents try to pass it on, but their kids would not listen. We know that can – and does – happen…sometimes for unknown reasons.

But then again, the method adopted by the parents could have been ineffective. For instance certain rags to riches parents have been known to make the mistake of over pampering their kids, saying they never want them to lack the way they did while poor.

This over indulgent approach can make a child fail to imbibe useful values from parents e.g. about being willing to work hard to get what you want. Instead, she could develop what I call an entitlement mentality. Such kids typically squander wealth they inherit.

But I personally believe the main reason this problem occurs, is that the parents do not invest enough effort in coaching their kids.So they fail to transfer their survival skills and knowledge (acquired via experience), which formal schooling cannot provide.

Parents who make the above mistake usually give the excuse that they are too busy. That attitude can however produce offspring who display poor competence, or a painful lack of interest in protecting the legacy their parents slaved to build.

You can avoid that unpleasant outcome for your family. While there’s still time, start helping your kids develop life skills to enhance their chances of success as adults.

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Writing/Blogging

Deciding If Your Blog Needs Comments To Succeed (5 Questions To Ask Yourself) – No. 2 of 4

October 13, 2012 Tayo Solagbade 2 Comments

This is the second post in the series I began last week. The first post titled " Should You Worry About Getting Blog Comments? argued that you need to determine if your blog needs comments to succeed – instead of worrying about what others say. Note that I refer specifically to blogging for business purposes, with emphasis on earning income via sales of products and services.

Why this series? There’s a lot of debate surrounding the value of comments. Many blog owners are not sure what to think or do as a result. This series offers ideas to help interested blog owners decide if their kind of blog needs (or does not need) comments to succeed – and steps to take in either case.

In this second post, I suggest you find your own answers to the following five questions, to help you decide if your blog needs comments to succeed.

1. Will Comments Help You Achieve Your Performance Goals?

As already stated, I’m talking blogging as a strategy to facilitate earning financially rewarding returns for products and service you offer. Traditional indices for measuring business progress apply here. Marketplace name/brand recognition, leads generation, and sales are examples.

If getting blog comments will significantly improve the results you record for the above indices, then it could mean your blog needs them to succeed.

2. What Is Your Target Audience’s Preference?

Is your target audience the openly "chatty" kind? Or are they mostly people who prefer not to be visible (even though they appreciate the content your “serve”)?

The latter usually favour communicating less publicly e.g. via email or phone. Examples are corporate types in sensitive positions who need your "consulting" know how to enhance their work performance. But they do not wish to draw undue attention to themselves, or their employers, by engaging you "publicly".

Your answer(s) will influence your decision about how to “chase” comments.

Defining your target audience profile is a basic requirement in business. Even if you’re not worried about comments, you need to do this. It will guide you in creating new, targetted content to attract pre-qualified prospects traffic.

In addition, knowledge of your target audience can help you decide how to present your sales offers. People react to being sold differently. Also, what you’re selling may sometmes influence how you sell.

Once you understand your audience, you’ll have a feel for how best to engage them. Of course there will always be need to try new things, and even test old ones, to ensure you’re getting the best possible results.

The above reasoning applies to comments as well.

3. How Are Other Blogs (In Your Niche) Doing With Comments?

Study other blogs in your chosen niche. Take care to ensure you’re comparing like with like. Otherwise, you’re likely to arrive at misleading impressions.

Who are the owners?

If the blog you are comparing yours with, is owned by a celebrity of some sort, be careful. What you see may not represent a normal situation. Except of course you’re one as well (in which case I’d be truly at a loss as to why you’d possibly need to read this post!)

How long have the other blogs been around?

An older blog may have started out with "quiet" followers who over time became clients/customer via sales facilitated by email and telephone interaction.The owner may then have over time subtly used the established trust to encourage them to comment visibly on the blog. Even then, comments volume on this kind of blog may still be low – though possibly high quality in nature.

Now, even if you find blogs in your niche boasting volumes of comments, you still need to ascertain IF (and how) getting those comments benefits them.

If "popularity" or the impression of "busy-ness " is the main benefit they seem to be getting from having many comments, you should pass!

4. What Will Managing Comments Cost You?

Your answer to this will depends on the kind of work you do. Like I said earlier, some people (me, for example) run blogs to complement other marketing they do both on and off the web. Some may lack time that can be devoted to managing high volume of comments, if such a situation develops.

The above becomes pertinent in light of a "rule" in the blogosphere that recommends responding to every comment posted – to at least say "thanks!".

Doing so can however become a demanding maintenance chore at some point, especially if/when comments volume grows. For those with other legitimate business building tasks to attend to, a conflict emerges about how to prioritize.

If blog comments do not directly generate a potentially beneficial return for you, managing them becomes a productivity drain you can do without.

You could of course hire someone to do it…but that option would only be viable, if the cost of doing so, can be justified by the ROI you expect to reap.

If Steve Pavlina’s published reasons for closing comments on his site some time ago are anything to go by, you’ll probably want to think carefully over this one!

5. Will Comments On Your Blog Be (Directly or Indirectly) Cashable?

Can you set your blog up in a way that attracts visitors to post (a) request for your order page URL or account details to make payment or (b) testimonials/useful buying advice for other intending buyers? If YES, then comments on your blog could be considered “cashable”.

I recently visited a popular expert’s blog, and noticed something like the above. Some visitors posted enquiries that prompted him to insert a link to his book’s sales page, or to recommend they signup for a paid consultation or coaching.

Interestingly, others who followed read the earlier entries, and promptly commented that they would also be registering for the expert’s coaching or buying his books. In this case, the commenting system inadvertently facilitated sales for the blog’s owner. Whether you can reliably control the outcome of that process on your blog is, of course, an entirely different matter!

Final Words

At the end of the day, it’s really all about strategy. Technology was made for us, and not the other way round. We just need to establish what works for us. So, think carefully about what you currently offer (or plan to) on your blog, based on this post’s five questions. Then decide how comments fit into the picture.

Next Post: Six Potentially Useful Measures of Your Blog’s Performance (Hint: Comments Vs. Five Others) – Coming on Saturday 20th October 2012

Blog Comments Multi-Post Series – Table of Contents

Post 1: Should You Worry About Getting Blog Comments?
Post 2: Deciding If Your Blog Needs Comments To Succeed (5 Questions To Ask Yourself)
Post 3: Six Potentially Useful Measures of Your Blog’s Performance (Hint: Comments Vs. Five Others)

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Tayo earns multiple streams of income providing clients with personal development training/coaching, custom MS Excel-VB solutions, web marketing systems, freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners).

Parenting

Is Your Child Silently Screaming for Help?

October 12, 2012 Tayo Solagbade 1 Comment

I was recently opportune to help my kids overcome certain challenges I (accidentally) discovered they had with Math. This article was inspired by that experience. When was the last time you asked your child about school? Are you sure she’s doing well? Or could she be struggling with some basic concept that now makes learning with her peers less fun?

As adults we sometimes forget how difficult it can be for kids to find people who understand their needs e.g. when they are confused about a subject, or an issue.

Shyness Can Make A Child Suffer Academically – In Silence

No child wants to look stupid before her classmates.

I recall that in school I often avoided asking questions during class, if it appeared that most of my classmates had already grasped a concept I had issues with. That “shyness” eventually contributed to my failing math in the final year exam. It took 3 subsequent months of intensive tutorials in a private training centre to repair my poor foundation in that subject – after which I scored a straight A in the Nov/Dec G.C.E exam.

Without your close monitoring and timely intervention when appropriate, your child could develop a similar “hidden” handicap in one or more subjects. Without help, her grades could slip, with potentially serious implications.

This is why you owe her – and yourself – an obligation to keep abreast of her progress. Do you know her class teacher? Have you met with him/her to gain an impression of his/her personality, and disposition? Do you have his/her phone number, so you can call to confirm or discuss observations or trends you notice? These are things you could do in your child’s interest.

Every parent wants the best for his/her kids. But we should not stop at just “wanting”. We must go out of our way to help them get the best – which will at some point need personal involvement.

But quite often, some parents settle for actions that do not require their personal involvement. This is sometimes because they have demanding jobs that keep them busy. And so, if the child complains about problems with class work, they prefer to buy new books, get/change home tutors etc. They will often do anything to avoid having to personally attend to it.

Five (5) Minutes Spent Helping Your Child Learn Can Do Wonders for Her

Making out time to help your child with that academic exercise could enable you pass useful knowledge and insights about the subject to her. .

By investing quality time in coaching her on better ways to tackle subjects you are familiar with, you can literally help her climb to a new level of learning competence. Another useful outcome would be the self-confidence she could develop from learning that way from you.

Everything I say here is based on very recent occurrences with my own kids who I accidentally discovered to lack adequate understanding of some basic math principles. I immediately modified my work schedule, to coach them with practical exercises.

After 2 intensive weeks, a marked improvement has been achieved. I am now able to task the eldest two, to teach their siblings the different techniques they’ve learnt from me.

There’s also a noticeable increase in enthusiasm they now display towards the subject that was not there before. For instance, yesterday I came home to find their workbooks piled on my table awaiting my attention. In the past, I had to chase them around to get them to finish assignments!

This proves that kids will not dislike any subject, if given a good introduction to it. They just need to be helped to understand it well enough to tackle tests you give them. We adults – parents and teachers – need to keep this in mind at all times.

It’s a human tendency to avoid things that do not give us pleasure. We must therefore help our children know their subjects well enough to find pleasure in studying them

The best way to do that is by coaching our children on the basic principles of any subject. Once they have that down, learning for them will become almost effortless. They would be able to independently derive their own solutions more often than not. And that would be proof that they have truly been educated!

“If you learn only methods you’ll be tied to your methods, but if you learn principles you can devise your own methods” ~Emerson

Below is a screenshot illustration of one of a number of techniques I use to teach kids basic math.

The emphasis is on training the child to find and use the shortest route in solving problems e.g. in objective tests. Time saved by doing so, can then be applied to solving more difficult questions.

$A screenshot illustration of one of a number of techniques I use to teach kids basic math$

I developed my interest in coaching kids on subjects like Math/Physics in 1993, during my year of national service as a secondary school teacher in a remote village in Niger state (which lacked electricity). Many of the SS3 students I had to teach struggled with certain basic principles. So I had to explore multiple alternative ways of presenting the SAME information to them, until they had a firm grasp of the concept.

Final Words: Beyond School, Your Child Could Need Help In Other Ways

Although I have dwelt on school work, your child could – figuratively speaking – be screaming for help in so many other areas of life.

For example, she could be conflicted about whether or not to give in to peer (or boyfriend) pressure to have pre-marital sex. Or she could be on the receiving end of bullying or some other form of abuse.

It could be anything – even sexual abuse
!

YOU need to get so close to your child, and study her so well, that you can reasonably tell if/when something is bothering her.

Make conscious effort to know what’s going on in your child’s life, so you can provide necessary support or corrective influence before things get out of hand.

I’m not trying to preach at anyone here. A lot of my passion for the subject of parenting comes mainly from reflection on what I have gone through as a child – and also from observing other parents, and their children.

Hopefully, you will find something useful to take away from all that I have said above.

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Career Development

Secret Formula for Succeeding At Your Job

October 11, 2012 Tayo Solagbade 2 Comments

Can you easily party or socialize for long hours, but struggle to find the energy to work as long as is sometimes necessary to finish important work? If YES, then I suggest you check with your doctor. If s/he declares you have no medical condition limiting you, ask if adopting regular exercise can help you improve your performance. There’s a good chance s/he’ll say YES!

In this article, I explain how diligently observing as little as 10 to 15 minutes of daily exercise can help you build the physical/mental stamina to achieve dramatic improvements in your workplace productivity, even as you continue to enjoy a healthy social life.

Disclaimer: The ideas I offer in this piece are purely for information and education only – and are not to be considered professional advice. Consult a competent expert before putting them to use.

You Can Get More Done Than You Know!

Many people who say they “feel” tired towards the end of a day at work do not know that tiredness really exists only in their minds. Most of them can still go on working for much longer than they realize. It does not matter what kind of work you do – whether physically or intellectually tasking. This is a universal truth I’ve discovered about many in paid employment when it comes to the work they do.

The above also applies to entrepreneurs – especially those who work alone/ from home. Many lose valuable hours of productivity because they let their bodies tell them they are tired, when they are not!

Understand this: A physically fit person does not take orders from his/her body!

I say this from very personal experience. It’s a truth I learned from over 20 years of delivering high performance output in virtually every area of endeavour I’ve been engaged in.

A few years ago, I wrote an article describing the experience I gained from participating in the 2006 MTN marathon. In it, I recalled that an article was written about me in my final year, while a member of the University of Ibadan handball team. The author noted that my team mates dreaded instances when the coach asked me to lead the warm up sessions for training. Why? I often pushed them to the limit, and rarely showed fatigue – even during matches. They nicknamed me “Steroid Man” for that reason!

But what I discuss here is not that intense.

Becoming physically fit to deliver superlative workplace performance does not require training as if for the Olympics. This is the kind of fitness level that an average kind of person can reasonably aspire to attain. And it would enable her achieve dramatic personal/workplace performance improvements.

For over 20 years, I have diligently observed a daily 10 to 15 minute exercise regime. Over time it has enabled me develop mental/physical stamina to achieve what former co-workers, friends, associates, clients – and even relatives – have told me is a phenomenal work rate.

Based on my achievements, I can tell you that observing a consistent exercise regime (even 10 minutes of brisk walking!) can help you achieve similar outcomes to mine, over time.

Two circumstances that persons in paid employment may face to get their work done

1. Working Unusual Hours (e.g. Night Shift Duties)

During my days as a shift brewer in a multinational manufacturing company, I recall reading articles about our “body clocks” which “tell” us when it’s time to sleep, as the night progresses.

A nurse on night shift has to resist the urgings of the body clock if s/he is to do a good job in caring for patients on his/her shift. One way to ensure this is to get enough sleep and rest during the day. However, if you’ve done shift work before, you will know that THAT is easier said than done.

When you’re working night shifts, the opportunity to be at home in day can be tempting. Shift persons often take advantage of that daytime freedom to do some running around that we would never be able to do (or complete) if we worked normal hours.

As a result, sometimes we end up resuming night shift without having done any sleeping, talk less of resting. When this happens, except for the rare individuals, many shift persons go through their shifts like zombies, performing at less than their best i.e. if they do not accidentally drop into deep sleep, till the early morning hours!

This problem of staying awake when our bodies “feel tired” also confronts non-shift persons such as students preparing for exams.

2. Working Longer Hours (E.g. Overtime Duties)

We’ve all had those moments that occur now and then. Our normal working hours unexpectedly get disrupted by the organization’s urgent need to get something finished to meet a looming deadline.

Instead of casually coasting through the day as usual, you suddenly find yourself struggling to find free time and extra hours to finish what appears to be a mountain of unending tasks.

By the time you get home, you feel like someone drained the blood from your veins and replaced it with water. You’re exhausted!

But the next day you have to be back in the office. And you find yourself filled with dread, worrying that you may not be able to cope. That you might make a mistake due to fatigue – and that this could affect your appraisal, etc.

Regular Exercise Is The Key To Your Success!

I’ve worked in circumstances similar to the two described above – and repeatedly successfully handled highly demanding workplace schedules in people and process management positions. The main secret of my success was a diligent commitment to a 10 to 15 minute exercise regimen at the start of (almost) every day.

That was what kept me going without suffering any damage to my health.

Here’s how I like to explain it, based on how it feels to me: Regular exercise helps you condition your body to respond when you call on it to deliver extra performance. Every day you fulfill your exercising obligation, you are making an “energy reserve” deposit in your body’s performance bank. If you keep exercising, your fitness level will gradually improve. By the time the need arises for you to deliver exceptional performance, your body will respond as quickly as you think the thought. And as you make use of it, to get more done; you will learn when to slow down/rest and how far you can push your body.

Believe me – that has been the key to achieving my phenomenal work rate for over 2 decades as a student, later salaried employee, and (for the past ten years) as an entrepreneur.

And you know what? I discovered long ago, that any day I fail to observe my 10 to 15 minute exercising ritual, I never really perform as well as I normally would.

As you can imagine, that realization hardened my resolve to carry out my exercise regimen as often as possible.

What You Can Do

My exercise regimen comprises 70 push-ups (sometimes 50 sit-ups), ending with 5 key Yoga exercise routines. These days my 3 year old daughter and her elder sister join in of their own accord! I’m often done in 15 minutes at the most. But I feel fully charged up by then. And my output reflects it.

Committing to as little as 10 minutes of similar exercise (within the limits of your ability) can go a long way towards achieving reliable fitness level to boost your productivity – IF you are consistent.

If you are already committed to an exercise regimen, I congratulate you, because except you’re lazy or disorganized, it WILL enhance your ability to achieve goals you set for yourself at work.

For more detailed examples of simple exercise techniques that have served me well for over two decades, which you can explore using, read my earlier mentioned (4,509 words long) article about the MTN Marathon. It’s titled “You Need To Be Physically Fit In Order To Excel".

Self-Development

Read To Develop Your Critical Thinking Skills & Converse More Intelligently!

October 10, 2012 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Using the recent Biafran war debate as a case study, this article illustrates the important role played by a healthy reading habit in building critical thinking skills, which in turn can improve the quality of interpersonal interactions in societies. Note that by "reading", I refer not just to what happens in learning institutions, but even more specifically to that done by adults to inform and educate themselves on current affairs, history, politics etc.

Many Adult Nigerians Lack Critical Thinking Skills

Whenever I read or hear people make blanket declarations based on tribal or racial sentiments I often feel sorry for them. The recent uproar regarding comments by Chinua Achebe in his latest book (There Was A Country) about some of Nigeria’s past leaders of non-Igbo extraction is a case in point.

As I explain later in this piece, it takes a deep knowledge of the history of the war, and of Nigeria, to fully appreciate the perspective from which Achebe has written his new book. Far from being tribalistic, Achebe is a man who seeks to add clarity to how we treat each other as different nations co-existing as one in the geographical entity called Nigeria.

Unfortunately, some people with tunnel vision have simply turned it into a revival of tribal rivalry – claiming Achebe, an Igbo, had insulted or offended Yorubas by accusing Chief Obafemi Awolowo who was no longer alive to defend himself.

Some of us cannot afford to be narrow in our thinking. For instance, I I’m married to an Igbo woman – from Anambra state. Which makes my kids half Igbo. This gives me a unique opportuntiy to see things from both sides (more on this later)!

It takes a lack of critical thinking skills to assume that everything can be seen in terms of either black or white. The truth about life is that a lot of overlapping will often happen between the white and black we see.

Our ability to intelligently navigate those grey areas in life is often determined by the quality of thinking we are capable of. Reading can help any interested person develop critical thinking skills that will equip him/her to view issues from a balanced perspective.

To Comment Intelligently, You Must Study The Subject!

In many discussions, both online and off, young Nigerians who were either toddlers or not yet born when the war happened condemned the author for his unflattering comments about Awolowo and others.

Yet, from their comments it was often obvious that they had a poor grasp of the subject they challenged Achebe on!

I just don’t get it. How can you intelligently comment on a subject you have not studied?

Achebe wrote a personal account of his experiences and observations during the the Biafran civil war. He experienced it as a young man, in a very personal way – losing loved ones including his own mother!

The young people who criticised him should have done their homework by reading books written on the war. And possibly interviewing older persons who survived it. If their sources were reliable, that would have equipped them to comment more intelligently, and from an informed perspective.

Sadly, they chose to simply jump in and play in the mud like others!

How many Nigerians know what a “Pogrom” is?

According to Wole Soyinka in his book titled “The Man Died”, that was what the Igbo were subjected to in most parts of the country as a result of the war. Innocent citizens of Igbo/eastern origin suddenly became targets of attacks, with some fellow citizens from other tribes that they’d lived amongst for years turning their backs on them.

If you were not a conscious adult when the Biafran war happened(I was born the year it ended), there’s a good chance that most of what you know will have come to you via hear-say. If you’re lucky, your sources would have been authentic and truthful.

Some of us had no willing/reliable channels to learn from. So, we turned to the few books we could find.

It was in Nobel Laurete Wole Soyinka’s book titled “The Man Died”, that I first encountered the word “Pogrom” – and I had to consult a dictionary for the meaning. If your vocabulary is anything like mine was back then, you’ll probably want to do the same…now

The book provides graphic accounts of how many ordinary Igbos who remained behind in non-biafran states were hunted down, to the extent that it became risky for persons belonging to other tribes to openly associate with an Igbo person.

The author – Soyinka (a Yoruba by tribe) had expressed outrage at the treatment meted out to Igbos. It is noteworthy that he did not simply stand aside and watch. Indeed he was an active participant in mediation efforts, to the extent that he eventually got thrown in jail by the Nigerian authorities after visiting Biafra (and foreign organizations) in an effort to broker peace, to stop the war from happening.

Who better to tell you the truth about what really happened, in a book!

Reading Helped Me Bridge The Gaps In My Knowledge

A few years ago, I personally undertook a journey of self-education about the early history of Nigeria, with particular interest in the Biafran war.

My motivation derived from a need to understand the origin of the palpable distrust that persists, especially amongst the dominant tribes in this country.

I also needed to unravel the mystery, for a number of other more personal reasons…

You see, like I said earlier on, I’m married to an Igbo woman from Anambra state. And I’m Yoruba from Ogun state. Every now and then I have heard phrases like “Yoruba people always do this or that…” and I would wonder how any of that described me…:-) That told me there was apparently a lot I needed to learn!

In addition, I got curious about our history, when I read that 6th July 1967 was the day the Biafran war began…and that it ended on January 1970.

Get this: I was born 6th July 1970. In other words, the war began on (what would later be) my day and month of birth, and ended in my year of birth!

Strange coincidence I thought. And that made me even more resolved to learn about the war – especially what happened to the Igbos.

As you can imagine, I chose to do this not just for myself, but also for my kids – who have Igbo names, and Igbo blood running through their veins. I wanted them to know the truth about their past.

And Soyinka’s book has provided some useful insight. So did a few others I bought, though I was not as convinced of some of the other authors’ objectivity, or the reliability of their “sources”.

Summary

The above is why I intend to read Achebe’s new book in full as well, to continue my education.

If you are anything at all like me, as described above, I suggest you get a copy of Soyinka’s “The Man Died”, and that of Achebe’s “There Was A Country”, so that you can educate yourself better about what truly happened during those formative years of the nation we call Nigeria.

Then, and only then, will you be able to make useful contributions to the discussion about the way forward!

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A Permanent Solution to Africa’s Low Per Capita Protein Consumption!

October 9, 2012 Tayo Solagbade 2 Comments

Update (20th July 2021): PDF White Paper version now available for FREE DOWNLOAD – Click here.

PDF White Paper | A Permanent Solution to Africa’s Low Per Capita Protein Consumption! - Email your WhatsApp number to Tayo@tksola.com with RABBIT FARM BIZ WHITE PAPER in the subject line - and I will send you download link

Preamble

This write-up will interest farm business owners and policy makers in the Agricultural industry/sector. Keep an open mind as you read. I argue that African countries are currently NOT rearing the right mix of livestock types that can help them produce enough animal sources to boost protein consumption per capita. Complementary rearing of a particular micro-livestock type is advocated as a faster and cheaper strategy for boosting production of animal protein sources. I end by suggesting that governments modify current development projects to include the recommended micro-livestock type (making example reference to a World Bank sponsored 5 year CAD project under which the Lagos State government is currently providing grants to Lagos farmers).

Introduction

In Africa, protein requirement per capita (g/Kg of body weight) as determined by the WHO is 0.91 for children to 0.44 for Adults (see http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/MEETING/004/M2995E/M2995E00.HTM).

But per capita consumption of fish (a key source of protein) in sub-Saharan Africa is reportedly “the lowest in all regions and it is the only part of the world where consumption is declining”. (See http://www.fishforall.org/ffa-summit/English/Fish&FoodSecurity_22_8_lowres.pdf)

The main reason for this situation is the increased pressure on food sources due to the continued increase in population over the decades here in Africa. And that’s why livestock farming has been actively encouraged and supported.

But here’s one truth that may probably shock most people: We’re NOT rearing the right kind of livestock. And for decades it’s been slowing our progress towards the goal of bridging the per capita protein consumption gap between us and the rest of the world.

The point I’m raising here is crucial to the well being of a large majority of Africans living in Africa. And African policy makers need to seriously consider adopting a modified approach to livestock farming, to correct the unhealthy trend.

Animal protein sources we currently produce are not cheap enough for majority of Africans to afford.

Let me explain what I mean: The most popular commercial livestock ventures in Africa are poultry, fishery, piggery and other large livestock farming enterprises. These types of animals require mainly grains/cereal based feeds to yield profitable returns.

However, we know that over 60% of commercial livestock farming expenses arise from feeding alone. Since the grains used as ingredients for their feed are generally expensive and limited in availability, the resulting livestock farm products tend to hit markets at relatively high selling prices.

Most of these commercial farms target markets in the towns and cities where they are likely to find more buyers who can afford their products. The poor majority in both urban and rural areas consequently get left out!

Here’s a quick reality check to demonstrate the accuracy of the above statement: How many poor or low income families can afford to eat eggs or chicken daily – even weekly? “Very few” is the answer. The irony is however that most will often come near livestock farms as hired hands or as traders (e.g. market women) to buy and resell/retail! The current cost of production of our animal protein sources is too high.

And that is the REAL reason why per capita consumption is still low in many African societies. A disproportionate amount of the fish, chicken and meat being produced is being consumed by a relatively small financially capable fraction of the population i.e. the middle class and rich. The poor or less financially endowed cannot afford to buy.

If we continue this way, we may never get out of the protein defiency hole we’re in!

3 Key Justifications for Large Scale Adoption of a Complementary Commercial Livestock Type

1. Grains/Cereals Limitation: Grains based livestock farms will struggle due to high grains prices/scarcity. For instance, Industries like breweries for example are using more and more cereals as raw materials especially following ban on wheat imports. Competition is ongoing between man and livestock for this food source, resulting in a steady increase in price.

2. Grains Preferring Livestock: Many conventional commercial livestock farm animals like cattle, sheep, and poultry require mainly cereal based diets to turn out profits. The implication is that farms that rear them will continue to contend with relatively high productions costs.

3. An Alternative Livestock Type: There is a micro livestock type that we can quickly, easily and cheaply get majority of our people to rear commercially, to dramatically boost our animal protein production, in a short period of time.

A Micro Livestock Type That Can Solve the Problem

We need to focus more attention on smaller livestock that are cheaper to rear with higher meat to bone ratio and greater feed to flesh conversion.

Rabbits provide a viable complementary alternative to our conventional livestock meat sources.

I say this based on personal experience gained from careful study and rearing/breeding of the Rabbit for sale. The ideas I propose also derive from knowledge of tested and proven ideas developed for use on the continent (an example of this is given later in this piece).

Here is a summary of the Rabbit’s amazing mix of extremely useful attributes:

1. Copes well with varied food types. E.g. farm harvest waste such as food crop leaves; domestic waste e.g. oil-free left over rice, plantain/yam peels etc

2. Easily managed, and not noisy. Requires low capital and minimal infrastructure. This makes it ideal for the less financially endowed larger majority to adopt.

3. Boasts high feed to meat conversion ratio of about 1:1. This means for every 1kg of feed given to this animal, it can convert it to 1kg of meat. That implies a high ROI i.e. it is cheaper to feed for meat production – unlike the large livestock which often deliver to a feed to meat conversion ratio of 2:1.

4. High reproductive capacity. It reproduces fast and also grows fast. Therefore breeding will be easy and with good management, flocks will grow rapidly.

5. Biological Refrigerator. It makes artificial refrigeration unnecessary. Can be slaughtered and made at once into a pot of meat stew for a family. There would be no remaining pieces to store in the freezer!

6. Healthy white meat. Red meat/beef is considered unhealthy. More people now prefer fish and chicken. Rabbit meat is white meat, and comes highly recommended for persons with health concerns. That makes it attractive.

The Plan: Low Cost Backyard/Farm Waste Based Rabbitry Integrated With Fish/Crop Farming

State governments keen to more immediately boost per capita protein consumption amongst their citizens can promote adoption of backyard rabbitry by families. In other words, they can be encouraged to rear the animals to supplement their family’s meat supply. As time goes on, they’ll grow enough to sell some and earn additional income.

This would be done as a complementary alternative to current livestock farming efforts. Once this alternative and cheaper high protein source becomes widely available, demand for the grains fed livestock will reduce and pressure on the expensive grains will drop.

A Useful Model That Can Be Adopted: In 2009, Jacky Foo of Stockholm, Sweden came up with a (U.S.$20,000 grand prize winning) idea of a community rabbit-fish agri-business farm for producing affordable protein, and generating employment. African farmers and governments can adopt a variant of that model. From what I’ve seen online, Jacky Foo is willing to offer guidance to those who ask. See details at http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/03/541_rabbit-fish_farm_wins_contest/

Interested governments can modify current efforts (e.g. World Bank sponsored projects like the Commercial Agricultural Development Project described below) to INCLUDE the above Rabbitry initiative. The benefits to be had are enough to justify doing so!

Lagos state for instance already has Farm Service Centres. They only need to include the needed research investigation and development for rabbitry into their plans.

World Bank Grants for Lagos Farm Businesses

On a final note, I offer the following information for interested farmers based in Lagos State. Some weeks back, I got a call from a lady officer (Bunmi Daramola) from the Lagos State ministry of Agriculture. She told me she had read one of my articles on farm business marketing, and wanted to meet with me. When we met, she told me about the work being done by the State Commercial Agricultural Development Office (SCADO).

Under the auspices of the World Bank, Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority, a 5 Year Commercial Agricultural Development Project (CADP) has been progressively implemented since April 16, 2009, and will be closing on December 31, 2014.

The project is designed to make farming more commercial and profit driven. Steps being taken include identification of beneficiary farmers based on specified eligibility criteria, and subsequent implementation. Key focus areas are Aquaculture, Poultry and Rice farming.

Farmers are being given grants, and supported with capacity building resources etc.

Full details are provided in a flyer the young lady gave to me, which you can view high resolution digital versions I’ve prepared (click below).

Click now to download a zipped folder containing the digital versions of the 2 page Lagos SCADO flyer

If you are a farmer and wish to know more about the CADP, I suggest you download the two pages of the flyer put up above. You’ll find the SCADO office address, email address, phone numbers on them. Google “Lagos SCADO” to get more details.

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Public Speaking

Would You Speak The Truth?

October 8, 2012 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

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Publication: Tayo Solagbade’s Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Page (PSIP) Newsletter

Date: Monday 8th October 2012

No: 58

Title: Would You Speak The Truth?

Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [234-803-302-1263]

Blog URL: http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/blog

Archive (For E-mail only version started 14th May 2012): Click here to view

Archive (For Blog version started 24th September 2011): Click here

Hi,

Please find below the latest issue of my weekly Public Speaking Ideas page for 2012.

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No. 58: Would You Speak The Truth?

When I came across a discussion with the above theme, started by Al Bagocius in our LinkedIn speaker’s group some weeks ago (at http://lnkd.in/Pi85iP), my interest was instantly roused.

He wrote: “Are you afraid of being criticized when posting your opinion on your LinkedIn profile or in group discussions? How much do you value free speech among your LinkedIn connections?“

Members of the LinkedIn group who responded to Al’s question were generally in agreement that it was important to speak one’s mind. They also felt that many people shy away from doing so, especially when it relates to networking interactions on a platform like linkedIn.com, to avoid losing business opportunities (e.g. by turning off potential clients).

My interest in this subject stemmed from observing the above mentioned trend, which bothered me a lot. I had seen it lead to innocent people being left to suffer injustice, because “good” but fearful people chose to look the other way, rather than speak out.

Therefore, in making my contribution to that LinkedIn discussion, I posted an excerpt from an article I wrote in 2006, to drive home my point (see screen below).

Drawing The Line: Political Correctness Vs. Freedom Of Speech

I could be wrong, but it appears there are more “fearful” people – including speakers – today, than there probably were a few decades back. And most of them let their fears keep them from voicing their honest opinions especially publicly.

That’s not a good thing. But one does not have to look too far to understand what is responsible for this trend.

Sociopolitical sensitivities in different societies across the world are at an all time high. In many countries today, you can get into big trouble as a public figure – and even as an ordinary citizen – for making what is considered a politically incorrect statement.

To risk doing that, you need great conviction, and also access to accurate information and facts to back up your claim. Also be prepared to weather “attacks” from critics and others who will take offense.

As a public speaker, the need to be alert to subtleties of societal interaction cannot be overemphasized. Take speaking to an audience comprising people from widely differing backgrounds for instance. You MUST tailor your message in a manner that ensures you do not offend any segment of your audience.

Your use of examples and even humour must be balanced to convey your recognition of the different groups represented e.g. in terms of their sociopolitical, religious, and even sexual leanings.

But having said the above, where do you draw the line between being politically correct and exercising your right to freedom of speech? Or your right to be true to yourself?

Would You Voice Your HONEST Opinion, If Doing So Could Cost You?

Sometimes your core values may require you to speak some truths that not everyone listening will like to hear. And it may not always be during a formal talk or presentation. Sometimes, it will be an informal gathering.

One Example: Let’s say you’ve just addressed a group of young people (and their parents) – in a non-religious setting – on the subject of sex and abstinence. Imagine if during the question and answer session, a parent asks for your opinion on abortion – citing a tragic case of a young girl who accidentally got impregnated by a rapist.

Her question: “Would you advise her to go ahead and have the baby whose father is a rapist? Or would you recommend that she have it removed as quickly as possible?”

How would you answer THAT question?

Would you speak based on your true feelings on the subject…which could be pro-abortion, if the victim was your kid or a loved one? Or would you choose to make what you consider a politically correct statement, based on how you think most of parents in the room feel about abortion?

The above scenario typifies a point where your obligation to act in accordance with your true values, can present a formidable challenge. And this is just one of many possibilities.

A Real-Life Example Of A Speaker Voicing His Opinion At The Risk Of Suffering A Serious Loss

A few years ago, Barack Obama was engaged in the presidential election debates towards winning his first term in office as US president. At the time, one subject I was keen to hear him take a stand on was abortion (given his pro-abortion antecedents as Senator).

My interest arose from learning that he was an active member of a Christian church. And the fact that I knew abortion was generally frowned on by Christians in particular, and religious persons in general.

So, I wanted to see how Obama would choose to stand on that sensitive subject – especially since he would be looking to garner voting support from the church community.

“Will he let the fear of losing votes that could cost him the presidential election make him change his stand on abortion”, I wondered?

My concern was not out of place. Even observers from my part of the world (where religious beliefs forbid abortion) who learnt of Obama’s stand on abortion readily faulted him on that count. The argued that if he claimed to believe in God, there was no way he could condone abortion under any guise.

But I (and others who were willing to be objective) saw where Obama was coming from. He believed that certain unique situations required giving a woman the right to choose whether or not to have a baby. By the end of the debates, it was obvious that Obama was a man who was clear about his values.

He knew he believed in God. But he also wanted to use his God-given ability to apply discretion, in evaluating the real life implications faced by those saddled with the burden of unwanted pregnancies in various ways. So, he made it clear he supported reproductive freedom under specific circumstances. This is now captured in the statement reproduced below from the abortion act(see below):

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“Abortion will not be covered in the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan except in the cases of rape or incest, or where the life of the woman would be endangered.” – President Obama’s statement on the H.R. 3 No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act on 14 July 2010.

Source: http://2012.presidential-candidates.org/Obama/Abortion.php

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As you can imagine, Obama’s position on abortion was not popular countrywide. However, he made it firmly clear where he stood, and worked harder on his campaign. In the end, he won the elections without letting a fear of possible defeat prevent him from being true to himself.

Notable Change Agents & Thought Leaders Are Known For ALWAYS Speaking Their Minds!

People who don’t like to rock the boat or stand out/be different, can never be notable change agents or influential thought leaders!

And speakers who make memorable impacts on audiences tend to be those who make profound declarations based on their deepest feelings and passions – even when it may offend some individuals or groups.

Yes, it is generally wise to speak in a manner that ensures you do not offend others. But how much should you let such considerations determine what you say as a speaker – when hard truths need to be told?

For instance, there are times when being a speaker makes others look to you for direction with respect to an issue. If you succumb to the fears you have, you may fail to voice essential truths – and lose the important benefit of impacting those who follow you.

For instance, if asked by a journalist, what would be YOUR opinion on your country’s handling of corrupt public officers or citizens? Would you sit on the fence, because powerful people would be offended, or would you speak with conviction about what you believe is the right way to handle people found guilty corruption?

Remember – some people look up to you (including your kids). They believe in your sense of judgment. When you fail to make a stand, you let them down. And you also make them prone to being manipulated by others they may turn to for guidance!

You have a God-given role to play as an expert-who-speaks in your society: On a formal level as a professional, and a non-formal level as a respected, upstanding member of society. Do not fail to play it well.

Summary: WALK YOUR TALK!

On a final note, remember that you must also speak with integrity. Let it be known – and obvious to all who care to check – that you walk your talk. That you practice what you preach. And that your hands are clean!

One speaker who continues to inspire me by the way he leads by example in the manner described above, is (Pastor) Tunde Bakare. I’ll mention two well known and verifiable instances:

1. During the January 2012 Anti-Fuel Subsidy Protests at Ojota (which I actively participated in), apart from leading the protests, he made sure his own family members were physically present at every rally. A journalist asked him why. He replied that he would have no moral right to ask thousands of other people’s children to risk coming out, if he kept his family safely tucked away. A message many “leaders” should learn!

2. Just yesterday, I listened to him on TV delivering an excellent message titled “The Hidden Cost Of The Easy Way“. And one of the highlights of that message was the need for parents to avoid playing favorites amongst their offspring. Apart from having a divided home, doing so could ignite deadly sibling rivalry. Bakare added that he never played favorites with his kids – and that ALL five had been taught to stand by one another, and never let outsiders turn them against themselves. A lesson many parents badly need to imbibe!

In both instances described above, Tunde Bakare boldly spoke his mind without letting the fear of ruffling people’s feathers bother him significantly. But he also backed up what he said by walking his talk.

Since I’ve used a pastor to illustrate my final points, I might as well end on a “religious” note, by saying:

Go thou and do likewise

Comments?

What do you think of the above message? Do you have any personal experience to share on this subject? Are there some other points you feel can be added, to help persons looking for answers? Please share your thoughts – click here to post a comment on the blog!

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Have a lovely week!

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

*Sole Agent For Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Service In Africa

Mobile: 234-803-302-1263

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Depending on his availability, Tayo accepts invitations to deliver customisable talks and keynote speeches 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.

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Writing/Blogging

Should You Worry About Getting Blog Comments? – No. 1 of 4

October 6, 2012 Tayo Solagbade 2 Comments

This is a potentially controversial topic, going by the trends in discussions I’ve come across on a number of blogs. Some bloggers argue that a blog without comments might as well be dead. Another group points out that many excellent content blogs go for weeks with few or no comments. And yet, the owners get quality engagement and more importantly, sales through them!

Views on this subject can be fairly wide ranging, and in some cases extremely polarized. I know this, because I have spent weeks sorting through threads discussing this subject. And I have encountered compelling arguments for and against.

However, despite reading those different perspectives, my views on the subject remain the same. And I have felt this way from the day I launched my first attempt at a blog back in 2009. My thinking derives from over 7 years of monitoring statistics for my web marketing efforts (more on this).

IMORTANT NOTE: This is the first in a multiple post series. I decided it would be impractical to try covering everything in one post. There are different perspectives. And this is why many people struggle to decide what to think or do. So, I aim to end up with a comprehensive “guide” to help interested blog owners decide if their kind of blog needs (or does not need) comments to succeed – and steps to take in either case.

Not Everyone Needs Blog Comments To Succeed!

Yes. That’s my view. And it’s based on my personal observations – guided by data evidence. The operative words here are need and succeed. You can want comments – maybe so you can be like other blogs and brag about your large active "community"

But you may not need comments on your blog to achieve success at it (read: financial success – especially)!

It’s important to make this distinction. People sometimes get focussed on the wrong goals. That can lead to needless waste of time, effort and even money. We’re talking blogging by results focussed business persons here, and not people on ego trips, who want to look/feel good. The former usually want results in form of sales and quality leads. So, some sell direct advert space while others use Google adwords. Another group sells services and products. While for others, a mix of different strategies works best.

But not all of these blogs will be better able to achieve their goals, if they get a large volume of blog comments – no matter how interesting!

It does not matter what industry you serve. As long as you blog with a business (especially income earning) focus in mind, then what I’m saying here applies to you.

So, let me repeat myself: No matter what anyone says, the FACT remains that not every blog will need comments to succeed (especially financially).

How Can I Be So Sure?

For a start, many online arguments I’ve found not to be in support of chasing blog comments (during my online research), do not exactly oppose placing importance on getting them either. They simply challenge the blog owner to look carefully at choosing the right metrics for evaluating his/her blog’s performance.

And that assessment would have to be done with the desired business GOAL of the blog owner in mind. So, if getting more comments moves you closer to your blogging goal, then by all means do what you can to get more (ethically of course – more on this). Otherwise, don’t stress yourself!

This aligns perfectly with what I know from carefully monitoring reliable indices for my work online.

Here’s another reason I’m sure: I checked comments volume and quality on blogs run by some high profile – and highly successful – experts in certain relatively "quiet" business fields (e.g. consulting, coaching/mentoring etc). Then I compared with what I saw on blogs owned by people with followers who tend to be more "expressive" (e.g. writers/bloggers).

Guess what? The blogs in the less "chatty" disciplines tend to get much fewer comments. And yet, going by what the owners reveal in the email newsletters they publish (which I subcribe to), their rate of engagement by way of sales conversions can be quite high. Indeed, it would appear that the little "commenting" that does happen on such blogs mostly occurs via emaila, online chat or telephone. And the quality of interaction tends to be much higher.

In other words, "activity" or "busy-ness" in a blog’s comments section may not translate to "higher profitability" of a blog!

We Have More Opinions Than Valid Statistics/Data!

That’s my view – but then it’s also an opinion! Having said that, the truth is different people have different reasons for emphasizing the importance of blog comments.

The PROBLEM I see, is that no one has put up any comprehensive statistics (as far as I know), that shows a distinct positive correlation between the volume of blog comments received and the success (especially financial) of a blog (s).

It would be nice to do that – I’m toying with the idea of a questionnaire survey to blog owners. (Email me via tayo at tksola dot com, if you’re interested) One could publish a table of data with charts showing blogs from different industries comparing their average comments per blog post, with other perfromance criteria(especially sales made or pre-qualified leads generated). It would be great if anyone who has such data already can beat me to it, of course…do drop me a line so I can check it out (Or maybe I’ll design a simple spreadsheet template that people can download, and use to monitor their own blogs…we’ll see.)

Without hard data to back up our claims, whatever we say or think about this subject really amounts to conjecture at the end of the day.

That could mean that I’m wrong in saying not everyone needs blog comments…right?

Well, no, in the sense that I’m saying each person should test and find out what works in his/her case..like everything else we do online. Check your stats – and be sure you’re measuring what you think you’re measuring (In statistics it’s called ensuring the "validity" of your chosen measure).

What you learn will help you decide how much of a premium to place on getting comments on your blog.

"Some people make the mistake of equating consensus with truth. That you, and others who think like you, agree among yourselves that a centipede is a millipede wearing a metal coat, will not make the centipede become a millipede." – Tayo Solagbade

For now, let’s be clear about one thing: You need not bother yourself about what anyone – – expert or critic – with contrary opinions say. If they visit your blog and announce that something is wrong because your have too few – or no – comments, don’t take it to heart.

That’s just their opionion.

So, What Can You Do?

Set up your blog with tools that help you reliably measure the progress you make (I’ll be sharing details of very useful ones I use for this blog in the next post on this series). And so long as you see your performance indices improving, you have nothing to worry about. Remember that what most others express are just opinions. Even experts can be wrong! And when it comes to the Internet and what works, no one can claim to know everything.

Why not find out what works for YOU? You already have most of what you need…and through this series, you should be able to get everything else…hopefully

I’ll be going into more specific details in my next post in this series, which comes up next Saturday (in line with my new blog content publishing schedule). I want to exhaustively treat the different aspects of this subject that have occurred to me. So, stay tuned!

Next Post:Deciding If Your Blog Needs Comments To Succeed (5 Questions To Ask Yourself)

Blog Comments Multi-Post Series – Table of Contents

Post 1: Should You Worry About Getting Blog Comments?
Post 2: Deciding If Your Blog Needs Comments To Succeed (5 Questions To Ask Yourself)
Post 3: Six Potentially Useful Measures of Your Blog’s Performance (Hint: Comments Vs. Five Others)
Post 4(Final): Using Your Blog To Make Money – Little Used Strategies You Can Exploit

TO GET THE NOTIFICATION IN YOUR E-MAIL CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY MAILING LIST (You get multiple gifts – instantly!)

Parenting

Protect Your Child From Rickets Of The Mind!

October 5, 2012 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

Kenya’s 13 year old Richard Turere made the news for inventing – at the age of 11 – a lighting array device to scare Lions from attacking cattle he tended on behalf of his family. The device mimicked the light from a torch held by a human.

Turere’s example is one of two mentioned in Dayo Olopade’s New York Times article titled “Baby and Child Care, the African Way” (African Hands-Off Parenting Breeds Resilience In Kids). The other is about Malawi’s William Kamkwamba, who – at the more tender age of 9 – used “junkyard scrap” to build the windmill powering his family’s farm – earning a feature on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show!

Access to useful knowledge, information and ideas can help a child learn how things are done in countries s/he may never visit. This will make him/her less prone to saying something is impossible simply because it’s never been done in his/her society. At the same time, s/he will be more willing to try developing his/her own solutions.

Do You Nourish Your Child’s Mind?

“Some people read so little they have rickets of the mind. Miss a meal if you have to, but don’t miss a book” – Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn passed on a few years ago. But his words continue to inspire and educate many.

To me, “rickets of the mind” refers to a condition equivalent to the conventional rickets that develops in a person due to his/her intellectual malnourishment.

Without a willingness to go after new knowledge in as many forms as it is available, a young person or child would over time develop a kind of rickets of the mind.

I suggest 3 ways you can go about giving your child intellectual nourishment:

A. Actively Engage Them in Conversation

“The mind must be exercised if it is to grow and strengthen. The more you use your mind, the
more it will improve your ability to think” – Jay Anderson

When was the last time YOU sat down to have a conversation with (NOT lecture or scold) your kids?

How often do you really pay attention to the questions they ask and give carefully thought out answers that help them achieve real understanding?

Do you encourage them to try and THINK up their own answers or solutions?

Sometimes it does NOT help to TELL them “the” answer(s).. You may find it helps to give them room to learn by discovery. That breeds independent thinking and creativity. This was the inadvertent outcome for the two child inventors mentioned above – when adverse circumstances forced their parents to hand them early responsibility/freedom.

B. Build A Real-World Relevant “Library” – And Get Them To Read

Do you buy and read books? What happens to them when you’re done? A bookshelf stocked with useful books can stir your child’s curiosity and interest in reading: especially when s/he sees you pick and read from there every now and then.

Some of the books by Wole Soyinka (e.g. Aké, his childhood memoir) reveal that he received intellectual nourishment from a variety of sources. A challenging school system, and a home rich in learning resources provided by a headmaster father saw to that.

So do Chinua Achebe’s books. Anyone who reads these authors’ works and/or listens to them speak will see that they often hold well balanced views on any issues they choose to comment upon. Even when it’s on a sensitive subject like Nigeria’s civil war – as is evident in excerpts I’ve read from Achebe’s new book (There Was a Country).

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

Soyinka has written about spending hours locked away in his father’s study, devouring huge volumes of books on virtually any subject. The more he read, the more he wanted. He thus developed an ability to view issues from different perspectives. A valuable skill!

Little wonder that later in life, he chose to take the risk of flying into Biafra as civil war hostilities threatened (5 decades ago), to explore the possibility of brokering peace. He saw beyond tribal lines, because of the quality of his thinking. He also knew the risks. Yet he did it anyway – eventually getting locked up by the Nigerian authorities. (He had activist role models in his parents, as well as his uncle and aunt i.e. Fela Kuti’s parents.)

We need more adults with critical thinking skills like the above mentioned men in society! And YOU can raise a child who will manifest such qualities…

C. Challenge Them to Think Deeply and Question Everything

Interestingly, Soyinka’s books reveal that he survived his ordeal in prison by doing what he’d done since childhood: reading, thinking and writing – with purpose!

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

Make out time to sit with your kids and discuss the books they read. Not just academic books. Suggest others on literature, history, current affairs, science and technology. Let them know it’s okay to explore subjects outside those they are already familiar with. Quite often, kids not given this guidance miss out on opportunities to discover learning outside the fields they are exposed to in school. That’s not a good thing.

But most importantly, teach them to question what they read. They should understand that authors often present their own views and opinions. Encourage them to do their own thinking and come up with new or even better ways to see the same issues. And see if you can get them to give short talks and write short pieces on their own views.

Important note: I must stress at this point, that by reading, I do NOT refer to studying of religious literature for religious purposes. Society already provides ample opportunity for that to happen through various gatherings organized on a regular basis. I’m concerned instead with a child developing the ability to competently extract useful learning (by reading books) that s/he can put to productive use for himself or society.

Conclusion

Intellectual nourishment is one gift we can give our kids that will boost their ability to achieve relevance to the benefit of society, and recognition for themselves. This works in business or life in general.

It can also give them the capacity to bounce back/recover – as many times as may be necessary – from any setbacks they suffer, to achieve their valued goals.

Here’s a thought to drive this point home: Decades ago, when he was much younger, Wole Soyinka took a series of actions that at a point made academic peers and even relatives refer to him in less than flattering terms. He even lost friends. But it was mostly because they could not see the big picture he saw!

Today, the same Wole Soyinka is a nobel laureate – and he’s written books about the above experiences and more.

With the right kind of intellectual nourishment, you can be sure your child will also end up making YOU proud.

Another great mind had this to say:

“The brain can be developed just the same as the muscles can be developed, if one will only take the pains to train the mind to think…The brain that isn’t used rusts. The brain that is used responds. The brain is exactly like any other part of the body: it can be strengthened by proper exercise, by proper use. Put your arm in a sling and keep it there for a considerable length of time, and when you take it out, you find that you can’t use it. In the same way, the brain that isn’t used suffers atrophy.” – Thomas Edison
(Source: Hill N., Think and Grow Rich, New York, Hawthorn Books, Inc, 1966.)

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Why Schools Should Teach CV Writing (True Story)

October 4, 2012 Tayo Solagbade Leave a comment

It was a good day to visit. They both welcomed me excitedly. We had not seen each other for months. The Muslim holiday presented me a perfect opportunity to keep the promise I’d made to visit them eons ago (after they moved to their new house).

Hakeem teased me about my timing, since they were just getting ready for lunch. We all laughed, as Sheri – his wife – left us to set the table. Later, as we ate, Hakeem asked about my new CV writing service (now discontinued). He was a seasoned HR professional, and few weeks back had pointed out an unattended niche market that he felt badly needed the service.

I replied that my checks on the “untapped” market showed the prospects were good. And that was why I put my plans on hold: To re-write my copy to accommodate prospects from there.

Someone needs a CV/resume “makeover”…

Just then Sheri said they had a friend’s son who was looking to get a better job. He’d graduated four years earlier and had since worked in two different companies. She picked up an envelope from the side board next to the dining table, and slid it across to me.

In it was a two page resume. She explained that it was for the young man, and that Hakeem would be helping him submit an application in response to a large company’s advert closing in 3 days time.

After looking through the resume however, they’d both told him that it needed to be completely re-worked. It was therefore interesting that by some strange coincidence, I had chosen that day to visit!

I scanned the document, and immediately saw they were right. This one certainly could do with a makeover. So many things were not right. I would have to re-write the resume, within the next 48 hours.

But he’s unavailable to provide critical details…!

Now, this would not have been a big deal if the job seeker (and owner of the resume to be worked on!) had been within reach. Unfortunately, I was told he was away on an urgent trip and would not be back before the submission deadline.

1. Reaching him via e-mail or phone was not a viable option because he was at a retreat in a remote area, where connectivity was poor.

2. To make matters worse, neither Hakeem nor his wife had details I wanted – for the standard questionnaire I would normally administer to a client I’m preparing a resume or CV for!

3. Another problem was that I did not know what specific job or position he was applying for. All they could tell me was that it was in the area of Information Technology, which he had acquired multiple Microsoft level certifications in, but which he did not study in the university.

The real question that therefore tugged at my mind was whether I could deliver anything close to satisfactory – the goal being to WIN an interview invitation – if I could not get any input from him.

Getting no answer to my silent question, I realized that I was, in effect, on my own. Not being one to back away from a challenge – and really wanting to do my bit to help – I agreed to do the re-write. It was the least I could do for my friends.

Less than 48 hours later, I dropped off a printout of the “pimped” resume at their place. My work schedule since our last meeting had been tight. But I had eventually managed to spend about 4 hours working on it. They both looked through it and said it “read” much better.

I told them to keep me abreast of the job application progress. I’m thinking it would be interesting to see how this “blind” job I did turns out. I’ll be sharing whatever news they send me as soon as I get it.

Below: Screenshot of the resume BEFORE the re-write…

Below: Screenshot of the resume AFTER the re-write…

Your Comments: I know there’s not much to see, but if you’re keen, post your comments about the differences you can see between both resumes shown above. Let me know which one you feel would command more attention from the decision maker looking to shortlist interview candidates. And share your other thoughts on the subject.

GET THE FULL RESUME IN PDF: If you want to see a comparison I’ve done of the BEFORE and AFTER versions of the CV, fill and submit the form here and I’ll send it to you.

But for now, here’s a potentially serious issue thrown up by this incident…

Why don’t schools teach resume writing, if it’s so important to “job-hunting” success?

Getting back home, I could not help thinking about how so many young people finish from school and have to endure this CV/Resume writing ordeal.

Proper preparation of this document is so crucially important to job search success.

Yet our schools do not include it in their curriculum. What is that so?

Is it wrong to expect society will run schools that equip its young to emerge as COMPETENT adults, capable of meeting society’s requirements to compete effectively?

That question needs to be answered not just by educators, policy makers and administrators, but also by PARENTS.

The young man who had the CV problem already had internationally recognized IT certifications. Yet, when it came to creating an instrument with which to sell himself, he failed – due to no fault of his.

From nursery classes till we complete higher education, many life skills and competencies we need, are not formally taught in most institutions of learning. That’s why so many young people find themselves at a loss as to why their schooling seems not to be enough to do well in certain areas of life.

Some school leavers/graduates are lucky to have relatives who know enough to help them fill in the gaps. Others are forced to find out by painful trial and error.

But should we let this happen? I say NO. Is it not possible to do it better? I say YES!

I believe education via formal schooling can be made more complete and rounded. Some societies and institutions already do this or are working towards it. Some already do – but many more parents need to realize the importance of getting involved.

Not everyone will choose (or be able to afford) the option of paying for a writing service.

And even when you use such a service, knowing what makes a good CV or resume can help you in assessing the quality of work done for you by a CV/Resume writing service provider!

Your Comments: Post your comments about the differences you can see between both resumes shown above. Let me know which one you feel would command more attention from the decision maker looking to shortlist interview candidates. And share your other thoughts on the subject.

==

IMPORTANT NOTE: What you have just read is based on a true story. However, I must state here that I have made very deliberate efforts to disguise the identity of the young man whose CV is the subject of this story, in order to protect his privacy.

For instance, I’ve employed creative dislocation of REAL events in terms of their period and sequence of occurrence. Indeed, I went as far as weaving narratives involving people from a totally different social event into the story, for effect.

One FACT however remains intact: I was requested by certain “people” to help re-write a CV for a young man, towards a mass recruitment of some sort, they got news was being planned by a large organisation.

And I agreed. No lies have been told. The message being passed in the post about for schools not teaching basic resume writing remains valid. And I look forward to your feed back in the comments – if any

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Another great mind had this to say:

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Someone needs a CV/resume “makeover”…

But he’s unavailable to provide critical details…!

Below: Screenshot of the resume BEFORE the re-write…

Below: Screenshot of the resume AFTER the re-write…

Why don’t schools teach resume writing, if it’s so important to “job-hunting” success?

But should we let this happen? I say NO. Is it not possible to do it better? I say YES!

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