Category: Uncategorized

Why is it important to retain existing workforce? To upskill? To motivate?

Do we really think our employees are our biggest asset and not liabilities?

So why are they considered to be fixed cost, when customers are on top?

They say it’s cheaper to keep existing customers because of the high cost of acquiring new ones.

So why are we quick to demote, fire, and outsource the people behind our products and services?

Do we hold top leaders accountable for not taking the employees along the change journey?

Top management drives change, but they are terrible with execution. Employees must continue with the old while trying to implement the new. They run out of hours and motivation. There is no clear cut over plan. Top management must make tough decisions to cut away the past before embarking on the future. No wonder corporates sit with too many and too expensive legacy people, processes, and technologies.

I have worked for great companies with awesome people. I have seen excellent strategies that cost millions to develop turn into total waste. Without execution, all changes become sunk costs. Because execution cannot be outsourced to management consultants and smart algorithms. Because they aren’t built to drive change. That’s why they chose to work for management consulting companies. Codes work on a set of predefined logic.

Change is messy! People are even messier. Change must stem from within. Operations must come for the change ride while not dropping any glass balls.

Who drives internal change? Existing employees. Especially the people at the lowest level facing our customers everyday. Do they have the skills, knowledge and motivation to execute on the change? Do they have the support and air time with top management? Do they understand where and how they fit in? Do they know what they are supposed to do? And stop doing?

The answer is a fat no!

I agree with Ben Horowitz on the need to make effective and relevant in-house training mandatory. To cease hiring the new until existing employees have been given a chance.

Why? The cost of retrenchment is too high. It takes the best of the best at least one month to learn their new job. And probably six months to understand the new business. Time is not to be wasted. Customers will not wait for us. They will simply choose another product or service provider.

Because it we are not making sense, we are not making money. No customer, no company.

Article link below.

https://www.businessinsider.com/why-its-crucial-to-train-your-employees-2010-5?IR=T

It takes about 5 years to roll out a new system in an established organization.

1 year to understand business requirements and scan tht market for available solutions.

1 year to pull together a business case, get internal alignment and appoint a supplier.

6 months to translate business requirements into the technology.

6 months to build and test.

1 year to roll out to business and manage conflicts arising from changes.

1 year to stabilize.

Everything takes time despite us wanting to get to the finish line as soon as possible.

Do we have the appetite, commitment, leadership and patience to change the way we work?

If the answer is no, the system roll out will fail and we will be left with sunk cost and lots of frustration.

Can you read and write?

Can you get things done?

Can you teach yourself a new skill?

Can you figure out how to access a new app?

There is illiteracy with finance. With technology. With relationships.

How do we improve?

How do we help those around us?

How do we improve the entire ecosystem with too many competing priorities?

Doing one thing at a time.

I choose to spend time with those that tell me the honest truth. Those that push and pull to get action out of me. Those that kick my butt to get back to doing the things that matter to me.

If I am on track, that person is usually me. Time with self without distractions, instead of staring at the small screen and wasting time. But I fell into this addiction once again for about a month.

I know I am better because I am here. I can confirm this because I read a real book last night.

Outside of myself, I have friends who push and pull me. But they are also there to catch me when I stumble. Pick me up when I fall. Take me to the hospital when I can barely move.

I am wealthy because I have so many amazing friends in my life. I grow grateful once again.

I feel as if no one here belongs to mine. And I do not belong to them.

I wonder if anyone can feel my discomfort and frustration.

I wonder when I can make a final break!

Is a choice we often forget about. Microsoft did nothing when they became aware of Chinese consumers using pirated and illegal copies of its software. It was a conscious decision. And a good one.

The logic went as follows: if Chinese consumers got used to Microsoft Windows and earned enough money, they will eventually pay to use a product they have gotten used to.

Microsoft was right.

But… we often forget about the choices we must make with limited time. This usually involves quality people in high demand. If we need to choose between two people for a job, relationship, or business partnerships, we must choose wisely and swiftly. Because if we linger and wear out their patience, they may walk away out of frustration.

So how do we decide to do nothing or do as quickly as possible?

There won’t be enough time. There won’t be perfect information.

I ask myself one question:

Which option would the Future Me appreciate the most?

You are all alone in the deep blue sea. You are shivering. You are treading water. You are fighting to stay above the surface. You are scared.

Someone throws you a lifeline. Your eyes are closed. You are too deep in your thoughts. You are too frail. You don’t grab on. You don’t know how.

They swim towards you to take you away into safety. They wrap you in a blanket and nurse you back to health.

When you open your eyes, you see your tribe smiling down upon you. You are no longer alone. You will never have to do everything by yourself. All you have to do is reach out and ask for help. All you have to do is be you and nothing else. You don’t have to be a mother, father, sister and caretaker. You can be you and that is finally enough.

I was reviewing a list of restaurants I’ve enjoyed in Johannesburg. Most of them have closed down. So has a really cool bar we went to less than a year ago.

The things I like, the masses don’t appreciate. Maybe this is another reminder to enjoy the good while it lasts. We never know when the place or people will close shop forever.

A team of researchers have been following a group of Harvard and non-Harvard men for over 60 years to understand source of human happiness. What makes us happy? Fame? Wealth? Achievements? According to their research, it boils down to one thing: healthy relationships with quality people.

The happier we are, the longer we live.

Is it possible that unhappy people die early because they have nothing to live for? They no longer have a reason to exist. No one to share their lives with. No one to greet in the morning. No one to call when something good happens. No one to fall back on when everything breaks down.

Because when we get older, we care less about what people think of us. We care more about how we feel in our own skin. We care more about spending time with people we choose. Maybe unhappy people have burned too much bridges. Or didn’t invest enough time on relationships that mattered. Wasting time on frivolous things and throwaway people. Or maybe they let their egos control their lives.

Who am I spending the most of my time with? The ones I treasure.

Truth is born from a place of discomfort. To be true is to thrash and search for the very thing staring back at us. It is revealed in layers. It shows itself only when we open our eyes. It will break precious narratives borne from basic survival instincts. It must be caught before it can be released.

It means we embrace discomfort. It means we don’t run away from ourselves. It means we dig deep until our last breath. It means we surround ourselves with those who love us and challenge us.

I am grateful for the people in my life that fill me with love, laughter, pain, healing and acceptance.