To succeed, you need passion, skills and experience and market need. Focus on what you love, and acquire skills, as explained below:
The above is a slightly modified model first formulated by Dr Alan Weiss, on how to position yourself for success. From the above illustration, to succeed in Uganda, and elsewhere; follow the below:
I. Passion + Skill + Need =Success
Passion is something you can do even without being paid to do it. It is within your DNA. You love it. You don’t need to be motivated or forced to take any action. You actually feel incomplete if what you are passionate about is not going the right way. It is part of your makeup.
The other aspect is skill. Most of the time when we talk about skills, it combines very many elements. You need to have intellectual fire power in the area of your specialty. If you are an engineer, you are well trained. You have read widely. But also you have practical hands-on training, experience and know how to deliver on your job.
As long as there is market need, or you have stakeholders who are willing to pay any premiums for your services. You are guaranteed to succeed. Always what you have to do is to show face and work smart.
II. Passion + Skill – Need = Idle Skill
This is one of the biggest challenges in economies that are not well positioned or where there is progression on merit. Opportunities are not given based on ‘who is the best?’ mediocre get the jobs at the expense of people who have passion and skill. This stagnates the economy significantly. You are having a lot of people who are passionate, have skill in terms of knowledge and training but no body demands their services.
Your strategy in that circumstance is; create the demand. Where do you find the demand? What do you do ensure that you get demand?
Most of the time, people who need your services do not know they actually need them. You must first educate them. What do you need to activate the market to begin seeing the right thing?
III. Passion + Need – Skill = Missed Opportunity
You want much as possible not to have your opportunities wasted. ‘Good luck is when preparedness meets opportunity.’ If you want to get lucky, you must first prepare. If there is passion and need but then you didn’t prepare in time, you are wasting your opportunity.
You have seen people get high premium jobs but lose them in a short time. They didn’t invest in training and skill. When I was still working with Nile Bank, we had very brilliant guys but were submerged in operations,and were getting some good money. They thought that would remain so. They forgot to up their skills. When the bank began automating, they became almost useless. At the end of the day, people will prefer those who add more value on the table.
You don’t want to lose opportunities due to lack of skills and experience.
