#mindspark Sometime in late 1997 or early ’98, my brother returned to the village from Kampala and told us of a door that opens itself for you as you approach. We were all up in arms. “Those are lies. It is impossible. You mean there is magic in Kampala doors.” We refuted. Two years later, when I got the opportunity to travel to the city, I asked my brother: “Take me to that door that opens itself for people.” Lo and behold, he took me to the doors that indeed saw me coming and opened for me. Lesson: Lack of…
Before you vote in 2021, ask for outcomes NOT outputs?
They say politicians speak in terms of outputs and not outcomes. Because outputs are smooth and easy to promise because they rarely transform societies. Output promises fail the “social impact and economic transformation” test. Simply put, manifestos that detail outputs are like a collection of promises in the form of stories. Take an example of the markets that have been constructed by the government across the country. If you travel to any district, you are likely to see a big public market building that is underutilized or unoccupied. Thanks to coronavirus, the local governments have explanations for the emptiness. But…
Sustaining a reading culture is essential
Here is a question that was paused to me by one of my closest friends recently; why are you so much bothered about reading? Although I will try to answer this question and explained why a reading culture should be nurtured and be part of every balanced person’s lifestyle, I still felt my explanations were not exhaustive. The reason for this is that many people even some in this audience are having similar questions while thousands of others do not see the value of reading. As such allow me to use this occasion of the lock-down to share my thoughts…
Who are Mercenary employees and how to win with them?
A Mercenary employee is one who has high job satisfaction, but low loyalty for the business. Such an employee has qualified academically and knows what to do but lacks the love for the employer. A Mercenary employee is self-absorbed, will deliver the work but do not care a lot about the business. Such people are results-oriented, energetic, may prefer individual working conditions, astute problem solvers, innovators, not interest in titles, dedicated follow-through, results for today are so key. Agile. Very good results, have positive energy, have access to knowledge sources, have access to knowledge sources/references, love recognition & guidance, etc…
What makes a great team member?
Performance is the number one quality that separates the average staff from an exceptional one. It does not matter the economic times or conditions; all leaders will hold on to their exceptional staff. The role of any leader is to attract the best staff to join his or her team. And once they join, to keep them, as s/he lets the average or non-performers to go. The primary role of the leader is to set the vision and find the right team to deliver it. Anyone who does not fit is identified and removed. Like a tree, new leaves come,…
Why Indian families succeed in business than most African ones
I have noticed that Asians – Indians and Chinese work more as a team than Africans. In all countries where Indians operate, they live better lives and run successful businesses. Their success is attributed to a better understanding of how the world works. They do not believe in individualism. A father will allow the children to marry in their home. For example, you have a very rich man like Sudhir Ruparelia, having his son to marry and live in the same house! Yes, the house is big. Much as Sudhir is Ugandan, his practices are teamwork focused and leverage from…
