Are you a leader? It is advisable that you hit the iron while it is still hot. When you wait for it to cool, however hard you try to hit it, getting it to a shape you want takes a lot of time and energy, if at all you can manage. You must be agile and act fast. The same applies to tapping into business opportunities. If you delay, someone else will take them. Always hit the iron while it is still hot. If you go to a party and meet a prospect, follow up the following day. Do not…
To report early at work or not? becoming an outlier in office
It is easy to be recognized as exceptional performer. One of the middle managers at an international company in my private mentorship program called and said “I am concerned that my supervisor is trying to manage me as if we are still in the 1980’s”. This took me by surprise. I asked him to clarify to which he said that “my boss wants me to report to work earlier than 7:30am. He thinks that way I am very committed and working harder. Yet, my challenge is I love football. Whenever there is a late-night match, for which they have been…
What are your top four must-win-battles?
You cannot be everywhere and succeed. You must select your top three to four must-win-battles and focus all your energy and resources there. It is not easy to win so many battles. In 2010, I had a heated debate with my wife over the family priorities. We decided to review our responsibility centers to minimize interruptions but also optimize skills. As an equal partner in our family affairs, we agreed that she is responsible for all the operational and tactical decisions in the home – family menu (what to eat and when), look and feel (the furniture in our home,…
Negotiating salary as a new staff
What you don’t know about me is that I resigned from my first job. This was one of the worst decisions of my life. And I want to warn you: never resign from your job before you find a new one. When you do so, your transfer price goes to zero. I mean 0. This means, that you lose all your previous career salary increases. Many companies want to match your current pay. Never your previous pay. Many companies ask for your most recent pay slip. The thing is, many company HR and executives have been taught wrong things. They…
Negotiating salary as a new staff
What you don’t know about me is that I resigned from my first job. This was one of the worst decisions of my life. And I want to warn you: never resign from your job before you find a new one. When you do so, your transfer price goes to zero. I mean 0. This means, that you lose all your previous career salary increases. Many companies want to match your current pay. Never your previous pay. Many companies ask for your most recent pay slip. The thing is, many company HR and executives have been taught wrong things. They…
Why some university graduates find it hard to get jobs
How long did it take you to get a job after graduation? If you are among the few lucky ones, you got a job even before you left campus. You were strategic or made use of your relatives’ connections to fast track your career. Some of you straight away started your own small businesses and never looked back. the fact remains, many people take long to find jobs after graduation. But why? In Uganda, like any other African country, jobs are few and very competitive. The population stands at estimated 40m people. Of these, around 5,000 are leaving university to…
