Not all staff are the same. Star performers have habits for high performance. A habit is something a staff does daily. It is part of their sub-conscious mind. The conscious mind asks many questions and, in the process, slows things down. It will ask why often. It is the area which harbors procrastination. Why do this today. I will do it tomorrow. And when tomorrow comes, I will do it next week. In the process, the month goes by without any success. The conscious mind preaches perfection – which is a road block to progress. No innovative company has ever…
How big is the luck factor in startup success?
Luck is useless if it lands on the unprepared. As they say, if you want to win a lottery ticket, first go and buy the ticket! However, lucky you might be, without having bought the lottery ticket. There is no way you are going to win. Many successful people agree with the saying that “good luck is when preparedness meets opportunity.” If you want to get lucky, first prepare. If you want to get that dream job, express interest for it by submitting your application or going to meet the recruiter. The opportunity might be there, but if you do…
What is your focus? How to avoid a ‘stone in the shoe’ scenario.
You are a Director. You have a scorecard with over 50 performance areas identified for your Pillar. As the days become months which turn into quarters, you start getting anxious. The year is moving fast, yet all the scorecard performance areas are still outstanding. And your Chief Executive Officer and fellow directors are starting to ask questions. As the work-related pressure starts forming, you start to show some seriousness by becoming tough to your direct reports. Who, for lack of anyone to blame, tell whoever can listen “it is the Director.’ Instead of getting serious to work, it becomes a…
What is the bullseye for your business?
The bullseye is the Centre of a shooting target. The role of the leader or the chief executive officer is to identify the target. The role of the managers is to gather the bows and arrows. And thereafter shooting. What is your business scorecard? What are the top three things you must accomplish monthly to achieve your five-year business objectives? Get your key team members in the room. Give each one of them a piece of paper. Ask them to write down the top three things that they think the company or organization must accomplish before the year end. Review…
Who is the bean weevil in your business?
Uganda joined the rest of the world to celebrate The International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8th March 2018, under the theme #pushforprogress. During the national day celebrations, President Yoweri K. Museveni awarded several medals to exceptional women at the center of leadership excellence in their respective fields. Speaking at the IWD, the President described Uganda Police and Courts of law as “bean weevil infested” and then added that “the weevil that has been in the Uganda Police Force has been purged”. This comment comes within ten days of reshuffling the police force that saw Gen. Kale Kayihura, one of the…
You cannot hide an elephant
One of the popular sayings in Bunyoro goes “You cannot hide an elephant.” The elephant is a very big animal. It is very difficult to hide it. If something is outstanding or extraordinary, it is very difficult to hide it. Always do your best in any setting so that you can get noticed. If you are very good, people will always notice you. One of Uganda’s former presidents, Idi Amin Dada, put it plainly “You cannot win a Whiteman by points in a boxing game. Beat him with a knockout.” Amin, once a boxer, had learnt that the only way…