” There is no challenge more challenging than the challenge to improve yourself.” Michael F. Staley
Advancing your Personal Effectiveness
I would like to introduce to us a philosophy that has lingered on in Japan for many years now and which has enabled them build their economy to an enviable height. This is known as Kaizen Process, which borders on continuous learning, growing, innovating, improving, training and upgrading our effectiveness and achieving a meaningful competitive advantage as well as long term business or academic success.
To advance our personal effectiveness and strategically position ourselves for the inherent gains; we need to set the following factors in motions:
i) Decide where you want to go -
Set direction for yourself. What career path have you set for yourself? Is this the time to change the place and position you are presently? Is it time to do the MBA/PHD you have been dreaming about? Perhaps its time to start that business or probably consolidate your position where you are. Once you have set a direction for yourself and have taken some steps, it gives you a real sense of control, you feel in charge of your life. This keeps you level-headed.
ii) Accept your limitations and rejoice in your strength
Mirror yourself and picture out the real you, de-emphasize your limitations and place premium on your strengths. Develop it and become a don in what you do. Write out your dreams and sieve out the unrealistic ones and develop or work on the achievable ones. Remember that building your personal image involves setting SMART (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timely) goals. So don’t celebrate your weakness but magnify your strength with all that is in you.
iii) Develop the needed skills to enhance/facilitate the attainment of your dreams -
If you are to be relevant in whatever it is you plan to be, then there is no time like the present to develop the skills required to be that. You need to make yourself marketable. Train, retrain, get the required qualification, write proposal, develop business plan, meet the required investor or the people on the corridor of the kind of field you want to go into. Remember that luck is only opportunity meeting preparation. You need to be ready for when the spotlight turns on you, and then it is your turn to make the pitch. Good friends for you tomorrow learn to give you today.
iv) Don’t be an idea speech-maker -
Some people are good at talking about what they intend doing but never ever doing anything about it! What idea have you got? What proposal have you written? Pursue it as if there would never be tomorrow! You will definitely succeed. The Truth is Impossible is DEAD!!!
v)Set your goals and make definite plans –
For each dream, make a definite plan or action. Take a specific action for your dreams everyday. Learn to be a master of your beliefs and conviction. Stay there until you have achieved that dream
vi) Be flexible at your dreams and pursuit -
Always have alternative ways of achieving your vision. Decide that you are willing and open to change plans, direction and even paths, so long as it all leads towards the attainment of your goal. Take a cue from the Yoruba adage;
Several roads lead to the marketplace
If your mission or goal is to get to the market and buy groceries, you definitely have several options and choices. Thus, its only wise to adopt this concept to life as we set our goals.
vii) Create a network of people-
In any business organization, the people are the greatest asset. Why? This is simply because they drive the business and determine the stability of its customers. Ignore them, and face bankruptcy. So it is in the impact of human relations; they encourage you; steer you to your greatness, stimulate your hidden potentials and provoke your readiness to change. My dear friend, you need people, find them and keep them. You’re only four people away from the people you need. You just need to know where to look for them, and if you don’t please look everywhere and build a solid network.
: Celebration Digest (A Publication of RCCG Celebration House, Ogun Province 1 Headquarter, Abeokuta)
Written by Olanrewaju Lewis -
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