The purpose is the reason for being. Why does your organization exist? Why does your team exist? Why do you exist? A clear purpose focuses the team to a common agenda and helps attract the right team. Winning companies spend a lot of time defining their purpose. You want prospective staff and partners to read your purpose and resonate. Figure 1: aligning personal purpose to organizational purpose Personal purpose Why do you exist? What do you hold dear? What values do you live? What causes do you support? To win, start by defining your purpose as it guides your outlook,…
Tools of productive staff, tool 1: priority list
Do you love watching competitive television shows for leisure? MasterChef Australia is one such show that never disappoints. Different chefs are challenged to make the best dish to test the contestant’s food knowledge and preparation skills. Episodes are varied to make them unique. In one of the episodes, new contestants were given a menu and challenged to go to the supermarket and buy food (raw materials) to prepare the meals on the menu! How brilliant. And indeed, a good soldier knows when and how to use his or her tools and weapons at disposal. The same applies to staff productivity…
To win, be a player and not a spectator
The legendary Martial Artist, Bruce Lee, is quoted as having said: “Do not pray for an easy life; pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” In these COVID-19 times, we all need to say this prayer. We are living in challenging times. There is nothing as worse as having a year of missing school. And that is not for just one class or a few students. But the whole country. Only very few lucky children of the middle and high-end class parents are attending school via zoom. It is these kinds of privileges and opportunities that keep some…
Coronavirus is legendary
Every city has stories of legends. Remember the movie urban legend? When you travel to a new city and find a knowledgeable tour guide, you are assured of great local stories about legends and heroes of the past. The stories will not only scare but entertain and uplift your spirits. The tourism industry, especially museums and traditional sites, is not complete without stories like these and more. Six years ago, I visited Thailand’s big city, Bangkok, and the lady tour guide kept us hooked about the local stories of legends – kings, monks, and the country’s tradition. “In this compound,…
No parent is perfect
There is no ideal parent and no ideal child. Be at peace with yourself. If in doubt, encourage your child. Make them feel good and happy. And challenge them to try. I am trying to stop shouting at them “don’t do that”. Life is about risk taking. How do I let them take risks? Break the doors. Write on the walls and chairs? Turn the kitchen upside down as they learn how to cook? Parenting is situational. There is no perfect parent or perfect child. But there is a loving parent and a confident child. Have a lovely Sunday.…
How to add impact to your country #mindspark
Many people who have transformed countries and governments, are not necessary government employees or public servants. They are usually private sector players who work with government as partners. From the United States to Europe, to Asia, to UAE. Governments support the private sector to create jobs and drive the economy. The tallest building in the world is located in Dubai. It is a Development by a private sector player working with government as a strategic partner. In the USA, tech giants like Amazon, Apple, SpaceX, Facebook etc work with government as partners. That is how the magic happens. Speaking to…