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TEACH THAT CHILD TO LEAD HIMSELF/HERSELF 1
2020 is that year that people see once in a lifetime. However, such years usually reset things and also bring out innovative ways of doing things. Go through history, which I believe most people have read or heard and you will see the changes that happened to mankind documented.
That year has come and gone with changes recorded. Some rude awakening befell us all. Some people were ready for it, more were not. A few people who have sat in one class or the other that I facilitated in would remember that I always talked about changes that will happen in the way we work, with particular reference to flexy and remote working, to align us with the developed world, making us global. They have happened and we are all adjusting fast. Talk about learning some new skills or be left behind.
Children were separated from parents for months and have to suddenly begin to take big decisions on their own, which included waking up and taking themselves to where they want to go. It was widely said that, 2020 recorded the highest rate of depression in our time.
Parenting is an assignment majority are not prepared for, just like marriage. We are simply thrust into it suddenly by design or default and have to learn as we go. Some succeed at it, others fail. Even those who believe that they have succeeded at it must live soberly, surprises can spring up just when you think you have done well. Besides, the grand children are coming, they may totally reject the values you transferred down and choose less empowering ways to do things. So we keep going back to their real owner-God, daily for direction.
One of the things that will help your child/children navigate this complex world will be leadership-Personal Leadership . Ability to wake up and take him/herself towards where he/she wants to go.
Read this excerpt from my book (BECOMING A LEADER) for your young child and make him read it too.
INTRODUCTION
Leadership is a topic that is increasngly being researched for insight. Some authors have tried to enlighten us on this relatively new concept. Sir Peter Parker says, “leadership is one of those elusive priorities, an area in which there is no absolute, nor guaranteed model. So it turns out to be not only vital but also fun to talk about “what makes a leader”.
There are two theories that tried to tell us how a leader emerges. The first is the trait theory and the second is the functional group approach. The first approach assumes that leaders are born and not made. These leaders have inherited characteristics which distinguish them from followers. It is also known as the great theory.
The functional approach believes that the skills of leadership can be learnt, developed and perfected. This approach has been proven over time by organizations that have sought out people with leadership potential, and exposed them to career experiences designed to develop that potential. Today the saying that “Leaders are born not made” has been changed to “Leaders are not born but made”, so everyone can do it. I will not totally discard the first, I would rather say “Leaders are not only born, but can be made too”. This is because I have seen genetic inheritance of leader traits in people.
Children from primary school through secondary to the tertiary institutions are exposed to leadership development either by positional authority like prefectship or assigned tasks. They are being made to understand that, someone does not have to be the boss to be a leader.
Leadership is something that is being spoken about every so often, and because people are earnestly seeking those who will provide authentic leadership for our society, it follows that there is dire want of knowledge on leadership in our society today. Everyone knows what a leader should do and how such should act but who is taking time to be one or raising one for the future.
WHO IS A LEADER?
A leader is someone who makes people do what they would not have done had he/she not spoken to them. A leader makes things happen by having a vision and making others see what he/she can see. What rather we see today, is someone who is called a leader either by position of authority or by the way he/she does things. The first is erroneous, the second comes close to it. The first one is given legal authority through positional power to lead other people but may not necessarily make things happen. The second is someone who, even without positional power impacts his or her surrounding by virtue of what the person does. To become such a leader, a young girl or boy must be seen to be doing and saying things that brings benefits to others. People who behave that way definitely have what is called vision.
Vision is defined in Webster’s dictionary as imaginative foresight; vision of future greatness. I define it as the future in the mind’s eye superimposed on reality. Reality is where you are right now, but where you are going is very vivid in your mind’s eye and it drives you. That, is vision.
Ask that child on your hands for a vision of the kind of boy or girl he/she wants to be and the kind of young man or woman he/she wants to become. With a vision of him/her now and in the future, he/she is likely to write a beautiful script and live it; Without one, someone will give him/her a script to live by.
TEACH THAT CHILD TO LEAD HIMSELF/HERSELF 2
Leadership is a topic that is increasingly being researched for insight. Some authors have tried to enlighten us on this relatively new concept. Sir Peter Parker says, “leadership is one of those elusive priorities, an area in which there is no absolute, nor guaranteed model. So it turns out to be not only vital but also fun to talk about “what makes a leader”.
There are two theories that tried to tell us how a leader emerges. The first is the trait theory, and the second is the functional group approach. The first approach assumes that leaders are born and not made. These leaders have inherited characteristics which distinguish them from followers. It is also known as the great man theory.
The functional approach believes that the skills of leadership can be learnt, developed and perfected. This approach has been proven over time by organizations that have sought out people with leadership potential, and exposed them to career experiences designed to develop that potential. Today the saying that “Leaders are born not made” has been changed to “Leaders are not born but made”, so everyone can do it. I will not totally discard the first, I would rather say “Leaders are not only born but can be made also”. This is because I have seen genetic inheritance of leader traits in people. Children from primary school through secondary to the tertiary institutions are exposed to leadership development either by positional authority like prefect-ship or assigned tasks-team leads. They are being made to understand that someone does not have to be the boss to be a leader.
When I teach leadership, the very first place I start is ‘Personal Leadership’. I started doing this long before I saw this topic by a Harvard professor ‘Why should anyone be led by you?’. People will willingly follow people who know where they are going, the professor says. So one should start by waking up and taking oneself somewhere first, then some people will want to follow the person. Note I said “some”, not all. Mike Murdoch said ‘You are not called to everybody’. Be relevant to those God has called you to. Do not try to be someone important to everybody.
Pick this book for your child-https://amzn.to/3HW6Cel
OUR CHIDREN WERE BORN WITH LEADERSHIP TRAITS.
What are we doing as parents that hijack these God given leadership traits in our children?
The children God gave us to partner with Him to care for need to be taught “Personal Leadership.” We need to teach them as they begin to enter their teen years how to be able to wake themselves up and take themselves to where they want to go. If we do not, we will continually be in their faces, and when we are not, since we need to continue with our own lives, someone else gets in there and takes them off course, which we do not want to happen. However, if they have learnt to be their own leader, starting from small areas that eventually affects the bigger areas of life in future, they will at least be in some form of control.
Parents today want their children to school abroad, very good. However, remember the cost of ticket now to visit so you can monitor what they are doing. If you were his monitor in your home country, who will you assign that role to abroad? Who will prompt him/her to attend classes and do assignments if those were done by external stimuli, not through learned internal promptings?
We hijack the leadership traits our children were born with by paying people to lead them and wonder what happened to the children when those people are no longer there. We parents must know when to pull ourselves and those we usually assign back, to allow our children to navigate, make some mistakes and even laugh at themselves. I often talk to myself too to do this. If we do not practice this, they will not be able to develop initiative and creativity in handling what concerns them. Consciously leave them to take up challenges and map out work plans on how to deliver, providing guidance from a reasonable distance whilst they are with you. That way, they can learn some problem solving and decision making skills first under your supervision before you release them into the wider sphere.
A friend and his wife visited Nigeria sometime ago from Canada, and mentioned that I needed to see how some children fall apart in Canada having left the protective covers of their parents.
Now, let us think together, what are those things we the parents do/put into the lives of our children that can hijack the release of inherent leadership traits in them.
20 FUNDRAISING WEBSITES THAT CAN SUPP0RT YOUR CAUSE/PROJECT
Funds, Funds, Funds! Some say it's scarce, some other people say it's available and a few more people say, there's an abundance of it. Whatever you believe of it is true and you will attract that. You have a dream project or you have challenges and need funds? As long as you can articulate your dream or challenge in a manner it can convince another person or a group of people, there is money somewhere for you. I used to think it's only GoFundMe that is doing a great job at that, until I started sourcing funds myself, in particular, scholarships and grants for school. I stumbled on a lot in my search for free money and decided to do more research. on the area of grants. This led me to being a paid subscriber on a grant site. With my children having enjoyed some good scholarships, having a clear picture of what you want to achieve, knowing where to look and how to access it are what you should be armed with. I join the second group to say "It's available". Just be genuine about your request and accountable, someone or a group is available to help you achieve your dream.
One of the most effective ways to raise funds and awareness for your favorite cause is by using online fundraising platforms. These platforms provide a convenient and accessible way to connect with donors all over the world, and they can help you raise money quickly and efficiently.
In this article are listed 20 fundraising websites that you can use to support your favorite cause. I'll cover the benefits of using these platforms, the factors you should consider when choosing a fundraising website, how to create a successful fundraising campaign.
There are a few more that are termed begging sites. I did not include such here because you are an ideas person and need to go with that mindset. Besides, you are a child of the most high God who has abundant resources for His creation. If you adequately present your thoughts on your project, money will locate you.
#Benefits of Using Fundraising Websites
Fundraising websites have become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reasons too.
These platforms offer a wide range of benefits to both fundraisers and donors, including:
Convenience: Fundraising websites allow you to create and manage your fundraising campaign online, from anywhere in the world. This means that you can easily reach out to donors and manage your campaign without having to leave your home or office.
Accessibility: Fundraising websites make it easy for donors to contribute to your campaign. They can donate online using a credit card or other payment method, and they can do so from anywhere in the world.
Increased Reach: By using a fundraising website, you can reach a much larger audience than you would be able to through traditional fundraising methods. These platforms allow you to share your campaign on social media, email, and other channels, which can help you reach more potential donors.
Transparency: Fundraising websites provide transparency to donors by allowing them to see how their contributions are being used. This can help build trust and increase donor confidence in your campaign
#Factors to Consider When Choosing a Fundraising Website
With so many fundraising websites available, it can be difficult to know which one to choose. Here are some factors to consider when selecting a platform:
Fees: Most fundraising websites charge a fee for their services, which can range from 0% to 10% or more. Make sure to read the fine print and understand the fees associated with each platform before making a decision. - Payment Options: Consider the payment options available on each platform. Some platforms only accept credit cards, while others may offer additional payment methods like PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Wallet.
Platform Reputation: Look for fundraising websites that have a good reputation and positive reviews from users. You can also check for any news articles or reviews about the platform to see if there are any red flags.
Platform Focus: Some fundraising websites are designed for specific types of causes, such as medical expenses,
education, or animal welfare. Make sure to choose a platform that aligns with your cause.
#Top 20 Fundraising Websites
Here are the top 20 fundraising websites that you can use to support your favorite cause or project. The first 10 fund individual causes, whilst the second 10 fund businesses more:
1. GoFundMe - One of the most popular fundraising websites, GoFundMe allows you to raise money for just about anything, from medical expenses to creative projects. https://www.gofundme.com
2. DonorsChoose - DonorsChoose is a crowdfunding platform that is focused on education. Teachers can create campaigns to raise funds for classroom supplies and projects. https://www.donorschoose.org
3 . Indiegogo - Indiegogo is a crowdfunding platform that is similar to Kickstarter, but it also allows you to raise funds for personal causes like medical expenses and education. https://www.indiegogo.com
4. Mightycause - is a nonprofit crowdfunding platform that allows you to raise funds for a wide range of causes, from medical expenses to disaster relief. It is one of the easiest platforms to get funding for personal causes.
5. Backabuddy - is a crowdfunding site that supports individual causes and charities in Africa. https://www.backabuddy.co.za
6. Fundly - Fundly is a crowdfunding platform that is focused on personal and nonprofit causes, such as medical expenses, education, and animal welfare. http://fundly.com
7. Plumfund - Plumfund is a free crowdfunding platform that allows you to raise funds for personal and nonprofit causes like weddings, travel, and medical expenses. https://www.plumfund.com
8. M. Changa - founded on existing family crowdfunding efforts to fund weddings, educational needs, funerals, etc. in Africa. https://www.mchanga.africa
9. Gogetfunding – this platform also allows you to raise funds for personl cause. From funding of travels to funding medical expenses. https://gogetfunding.com
10. Pledgecents - PledgeCents is a crowdfunding platform that is focused on education. Teachers can create campaigns to raise funds for classroom technology and other supplies. https://www.pledgecents.com
The platforms listed below fund businesses more:
11. Donorbox – Donorbox has helped thousands of charities over the years to raise funds. The process is easy and can be set up in minutes. https://donorbox.org
12. Crowdfunder is a crowdfunding platform that is designed for startups and small businesses. Download the App ifAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-HH[HN'
you need their funds. http:// https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk
13. Fundable – startups often catch the attention of funders on Fundable platform. Especially ones that offer equity for their funds. Operates like SeedInvest, another platform. https://www.fundable.com
14. kickstarter – one of the most popular fundraising platform where creative projects can find support and is reward based. Creative and innovative projects often catch their attention. https://www.kickstarter.com
15. Thundafund - Thundafund is Africa's leading rewards-based crowdfunding platform in South Africa. https://www.thundafund.africa
16. Naijafund - the online fundraising platform for Nigerians to fund personal and entrepreneural causes. Find out what they can help you achieve. https://www.naijafund.com
17. Artistshare – the online crowfunding platform that help bring creative projects to life by forming a strong bond between artists and fans. https://www.artistshare.com
18. Startengine – It is one of the biggest funding bodies that fund. There are over half a million investors that are willing to invest in a laudable cause. However, upfront fees can be high. https://www.startengine.com
19. Patreon - Patreon is a crowdfunding platform that is designed for creatives like artists, writers, and musicians. Fans can support their favorite creators with monthly donations. https://www.patreon.com
20. Seedrs - Seedrs is a crowdfunding platform that is focused on startups and small businesses. https://www.seedrs.com
Google them and read up in detail how you can apply for these funds. They are all on the publuic space. People have used them. Have the faith that there is abundance on the face of the earth and you will be among those that will enjoy a flow of it.
Presently, there are four fundamental models of crowdfunding. Each employs a distinctive methodology. They are:
1. Debt-based crowdfunding- In debt-based crowdfunding, the funder credits cash to the promoter who, in return, concurs to pay the intrigued on the credit.
2. Equity-based crowdfunding - in this one, the funder makes an installment in return for a share within the value of the promoter. Typically, the promoter could be a company in which the fund giver secures offers in return for their installment.
3. donation-based crowdfunding - a funder makes a donation to the business owner without accepting anything in return. The funder's commitment may basically be recognized – for case, on the crowdfunding site.
4. Reward-based crowdfunding - the promoter gives a compensation in products, administrations or rights to funders in return for their financial involvement based on the funders choice.
#How to Create a Successful Fundraising Campaign
Creating a successful fundraising campaign takes time and effort, however, it is well worth it in the end. Here are some tips for creating a successful campaign:
1. Set a Realistic Goal - Make sure to set a realistic fundraising goal that is achievable. Setting your sights too high can be discouraging to potential donors.
2. Tell Your Story - Use your campaign page to tell your story and explain why you are raising funds. Be honest and transparent, and make sure to include photos and videos that help illustrate your cause.
3. Build a Strong Network - Reach out to your friends, family, and social media followers to help spread the word about your campaign. Make sure to use social media and email to reach as many people as possible.
4. Offer Incentives - Consider offering incentives to donors, such as direct recognition or exclusive merchandise. This can help encourage people to donate.
5. Follow Up - Make sure to follow up with your donors and keep them updated on your progress. This can help build trust and encourage repeat donations. # Tips for Promoting Your Fundraising Campaign Some of the sites will work individually with you and make funds available to you. Whilst most of them will require you to promote your campaign to people in your circle. If so, promoting your fundraising campaign is key to its success.
Here are some tips for promoting your campaign:
1. Use Social Media - Social media is a powerful tool for promoting your campaign. Make sure to use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to spread the word.
2. Email Your Contacts - Reach out to your email contacts and ask them to support your cause. Make sure to include a link to your campaign page in your email.
3. Partner with Influencers - Consider partnering with influencers in your niche to help promote your campaign. This can help you reach a wider audience and increase your chances of success.
4. Host Events - Consider hosting events like bake sales, charity auctions, or benefit concerts to help raise funds and awareness for your cause.
# Examples of Successful Fundraising Campaigns Here are some examples of successful fundraising campaigns that have raised millions of dollars:
1. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge - The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge raised over $115 million for ALS research in 2014. The campaign involved people dumping ice water on their heads and challenging others to do the same. 2. The March for Our Lives - The March for Our Lives raised over $3.5 million to support gun control legislation in the wake of the Parkland school shooting.
3. The Time's Up Legal Defense Fund - The Time's Up Legal Defense Fund raised over $24 million to support victims of sexual harassment and assault.
4. The Houston Flood Relief Fund - The Houston Flood Relief Fund raised over $21 million to support victims of Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
#How to Maximize Donations and Engage Supporters
Maximizing donations and engaging supporters is key to the success of your fundraising campaign. Here are some tips for doing so:
1. Thank Your Donors - Make sure to thank your donors promptly and personally. This can help build a relationship with them and encourage repeat donations.
2. Share Updates - Keep your donors updated on your progress and any new developments. This can help build trust and encourage continued support.
3. Use Social Proof - Share testimonials and success stories from your donors to help build social proof and encourage others to donate.
4. Offer Matching Donations - Consider offering matching donations to encourage more people to contribute. This can help incentivize people to donate and increase the total amount raised.
#Fundraising Website Fees and Charges
Most fundraising websites charge fees for their services, which can range from 0% to 10% or more. These fees may be charged on a per-donation basis or as a percentage of the total amount raised. Make sure to read the fine print and understand the fees associated with each platform before making a decision.
#How to Ensure the Safety and Security of Your Donors
Ensuring the safety and security of your donors is crucial to the success of your campaign. Here are some tips for doing so:
1. Choose a Secure Platform - Make sure to choose a fundraising website that is secure and uses encryption to protect donor information.
2. Be Transparent - Be transparent about how you will use donations and make sure to keep your donors updated on your progress.
3. Use a Payment Processor - Use a payment processor like PayPal or Stripe to process donations securely.
4. Protect Donor Information - Make sure to protect donor information and only use it for the purpose of your campaign.
#Alternatives to Fundraising Websites
If you're not comfortable using a fundraising website, there are other ways to raise funds for your cause. These include:
1. Traditional Fundraising - Traditional fundraising methods like bake sales, car washes, and charity auctions can be effective for raising funds.
2. Grants - Consider applying for grants from foundations and other organizations that support your cause.
3. Corporate Sponsorship - Reach out to local businesses and corporations to see if they would be interested in sponsoring your cause.
# Conclusion
Online fundraising platforms have revolutionized the way we support charitable causes. With so many options available, it's easier than ever to make a difference and support the causes that matter most to you. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this article, you can create a successful fundraising campaign and make a positive impact in the world. Take that step, start exploring the top fundraising websites today and find the perfect platform to support your favorite cause.
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TEMPLATES FOR WRITING FUNDING PROPOSALS
Writing a winning funding proposal requires careful planning, a compelling narrative, a clear presentation of your projects' value and impact. Here is a template to guide you through the process:
1. Executive Summary:
This is a concise overview of your project, highlighting its significance, objectives, and expected outcomes. Capture the prospective investors’ attention with this section.
2. Introduction:
Introduce your organization and present the issue or challenge your project addresses and why it's important.
3. Problem Statement:
Clearly outline the problem your project wants to solve using data and statistics to make people understand the scope and impact.
4. Project Goals and Objectives:
Outline the specific goals and objectives of your project. They must match the problem statement. Must also be realistic and measurable.
5. Methodology:
Details how you will achieve the project's objectives. List the steps, activities, and strategies.
6. Impact and Benefits:
Make potential investors see the positive outcomes, both short-term and long-term.
7. Target Audience and Reach:
Identify the beneficiaries or stakeholders who might be impacted via your project. Describe how your task will attain and have interaction with them, emphasizing its relevance to their needs.
8. Budget and Resources:
Make known here the resources required for your project, including personnel, materials, technology, and any other relevant costs. Each expense must be justified.
9. Sustainability:
Explain how your challenge may be sustainable past the funding duration. Discuss your plans for ongoing investment, partnerships, and any sales-era strategies.
10. Monitoring and Evaluation:
Outline how you will measure the fulfillment of your challenge. Define key overall performance indicators (KPIs), statistics series strategies, and assessment methods to illustrate development and impact.
11. Timeline:
Present a timeline with well-defined milestones, so investors can follow your progress.
12. Team and Expertise:
Credibility is needed to convince prospective investors. List members of your team, their qualifications and experience.
13. Previous Achievements:
Share any relevant past accomplishments or successful projects you or your organization has undertaken. This helps establish your case.
14. Conclusion:
Summarize the key points of your proposal and reiterate its importance, with the potential positive
out-comes well spelt out.
15. Appendices:
Include any extra supporting materials, testimonials, relevant studies, letters of support to reinforce project cause.
Funding organizations/sites have their specific guidelines and requirements, so tailor your proposal to meet the one you are approachin. Structure your writing to convince by making it succinct and persuasive.
FUNDING PROPOSAL FOR FUNERALS
Seeking funding for private causes like a funeral can be dicey. Most times families like to bury their dead. However, situations can arise where the family has to seek external help to handle funerals so it can be done quickly and dignifyingly. For example, the deceased departed after a prolonged illness that eroded the familys’ financial resources. Hence sensitivity must be put into the proposal writing through a detailed outline of how the funds will be put into judicious use, not frivolities. Here's a template to guide you:
1. Introduction:
Introduce the deceased person and his/her relationship to you. The reason for this proposal, which is basically to give the deceased a dignified and respectful funeral.
2. Background and Context:
Provide a quick history of the deceased person, their contributions to the circle of relatives & even community he/she lived in, if the person was well involved in his/her neighborhood. Explain the economic demanding situations faced if the deceased was ill for some-time, draining available financial resources or any other reason. Hence your funding request.
3. Funding Request:
Clearly state the amount of investment you are requesting for the funeral arrangements. Break down the charges, including:
· Funeral house provider, venue and arrangements
· Coffin or casket
· Transportation and logistics
· Clergy or officiant services
· Floral arrangements and decorations
· Memorial or obituary notices
· Reception or catering offerings (if relevant)
· Miscellaneous fees (e.g., transportation for family participants)
4. Importance of Support:
Explain the significance of economic help for the funeral. Adding that this would help bring closure for the whole family.
5. Additional Fundraising Sources:
Make it known if there will be contribution from the deceased network.
6. Budget Breakdown:
Be as detailed and transparent as possible.
7. Timeline:
Present a timeline indicating key dates, together with the funeral carrier date and any vital milestones inside the planning manner.
8. Acknowledgment and Recognition:
Detail how you plan to recognize and appreciate donors. You may choose to do thank-you notes, memorial acknowledgments, or public popularity via diverse channels.
9. Conclusion:
Summarize the significance of the investment idea and its impact on the deceased's family. Express gratitude for considering the request and highlight the importance of assisting a significant farewell.
10. Contact Information:
List who can be contacted for inquiries, donations, and further data.
Make it a compassionate, well written proposal for consideration by funders.
There are some more grant giving sites. However, these are among the few that are easily accessible, having their links in the public space.
UNIVERSAL VALUES OF WORK AND BUSINESS 1
Hello great worker and welcome to the new year. Thank you for visiting our blog.
How is work or business? Tough? Do not say that, say “Challenging”. Yes, competition is getting stiffer in every business area. As more people believe that a particular profession/business is lucrative, the more entrants you will have. Do not despair about the influx, just determine to stay put and get creative.
If you are working in an organization, also consistently seek new ways of doing things. Get innovative. Do not get stuck in the routine and bureaucratic quagmire, believing that nothing can change around here. Ask yourself a very deep questions. The answer may destabilize you. Why so? The answer may reveal an aspect of you which you never knew was there or tried to suppress just to flow along.
In this blog post, I am bringing our attention to universal values of work and business. This will not be exhaustive due to lack of space. It is usually a three day course when we run it. Nevertheless, people get out of the course different from when they came, ready to live what they believed and held in high esteem, which are usually enduring values.
The business, work and educational terrains or environments are collapsing into one wide village, hence the term “global village”. Distances between countries are being shortened, cultures are merging and colors of people are disappearing. Today in management, we are talking of leveraging diversity. In the face of this then, how should our work and business culture be. Knowing that we will be judged by standards higher than the ones we have been taught and used to, we will have to research, ask questions and even go for current training on global standards.
You will agree that our standards are very poor in every area. Work being the worst hit. In fact, looking at the average Nigerian, you may want to quickly agree with McGregor’s theory X, that man is lazy and does not like to work, however wants to be paid. For what then? one may ask. Very few people want to earn their pay!
Interestingly we Nigerians love good things. Is that not why we all buy made in US or UK things, from food to technology. How many Nigerians eat Nasco cornflakes. It is a substandard cereal made by substandard people they believe. The makers themselves reject it. That tells you we know ourselves. But has anyone stopped to ask how the developed countries came to produce things of such high quality. The answer is simple. It is what they value, and since they believe that no one will be able to make such valuable things except themselves, they set to work to produce and the whole world troops there to behold and buy their wonders. From the top, standard is demanded and enforced, and this attitude flows through the ranks. Measures of ascertaining that these standards are adhered to are put in place and violators are severely dealt with. As in every place where there are human beings, there will be defaulters. So it is not a perfect society but one that has ACCOUNTABILITY, the first value I want to talk about.
Tell yourself each day that “I owe myself success”. Armed with this, audit yourself regularly, are you actually working or going about your business with the highest values and more so, the values of your profession? Constant auditing of yourself and activities will draw your attention to anything you are not doing right, and sometimes even shield you from going the wrong way. Make account to yourself first, knowing that you will give and take account of other peoples' work. Also be mindful that we will give the ultimate account at the close of age of how we utilized our talents. Doing it regularly will get us ready for the final accounting.
Accountability will earn you TRUSTWORTHINESS, which is a core value one must desire. When you have earned the trust of people, you can be guaranteed of continued patronage in your business. If you work in an office, accountability is highly expected of you, hence reports and results are demanded. Reports to tell how you are going about the job, results to justify your pay. Employees are paid for achieving results. Staff members give account to bosses, children give account to parents, entrepreneurs must be accountable both to themselves and regulatory bodies.
For you to be trustworthy, you will have to deal honestly with people, on your job/business. You will need to protect your integrity through honest dealings with all amount of jealousy. Ahead, decide not to do anything shady that will call for too much of an explanation, and walking about in fear of discovery of what you did.
Trustworthiness will earn you INTEGRITY. Everyone will like to be referred to as a man or woman of integrity. Few sit down to think through how to conduct their daily affairs with it. Integrity is what we call end-state value in management or terminal value. It is where one ends having traversed the road of honesty and transparency. The latter are called instrumental values. They are what will be instrumental to a person being known and referred to as one with integrity.
Simply put, terminal values are end states, instrumental values are the daily inputs.
There is no shortcut to it. Many like to be referred to as one with integrity but few will want to pay the price for it. When people in leadership positions lead with these powerful values, the led and the country are better of for it. Resources are judiciously used and accounted for. For a country to become great, there must be a good measure of accountability by leaders. A mindset of accountability will cause a person to put a check on him/herself in handling resources. A man of integrity will go about his business with a great deal of transparency. Such a person does not want his/her character and actions questioned, so he does not even put himself in questionable circumstance.
For our nation to move forward and be like the ones we all run to for holidaying, the future generation will have to be taught these values as a curriculum in schools, every home discuss them at family gatherings, people making a demand of it in the offices and business dealings.
In other words everyone has to be responsible to making it work. RESPONSIBILITY is a global value. Stephen Covey says responsibility is an amalgamation of two words. Response and able. That is ability to respond adequately to any given situation. All jobs/careers have good times, ability to respond to both times adequately, Covey says is responsibility. People need to take responsibility for what they do.
Moses told Israel that the land they are coming into is full of hills and valleys i.e high and low levels. So they must be prepared to climb the hills and also descend the valleys. They must be prepared to face the two and not keep passing the buck by telling him – ‘you brought us here out of Egypt to suffer’. The language rather should be, we are able to go up the mountain and take it, or down the valley and conquer it.
Part of responsibility is doing your bit excellently because it is important and adds up to a whole. You are in that organization not to do just your own bit, how does your bit affect the other person’s. Ability to see beyond your desk, organization, world and know how what you do affects the other desk, organization and world is called Conceptual Skill (the big picture skill). It is a must have skill for those who want to move up the ladder or progress in the world. So I charge you, expand your world, know how your bit affects the other person.
For an individual to live out these powerful values, he or she must have personal leadership. The ability to lead oneself is a key skill for entrepreneurs. No one will tell you when to wake up, sleep, rest, attend to issues, resolve them and get results. An entrepreneur being the visioner has to map out how to reach his or her goal, same goes for an employee who desires to achieve set goals.
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UNIVERSAL VALUES OF WORK AND BUSINESS 2
This is the concluding part of my last discourse on “Working With Values”, which centered on universal values of work and business. I mentioned there that, the business, work and educational terrains are collapsing into one wide village, hence the term “global village”. Distances between countries are being shortened, cultures are merging and colors of people are disappearing, today we are talking about global ways of working or doing business. So you are a local person (because you have a terrain) but operate in a global village with globally accepted values. We are Nigerians, we will uphold our strong values while doing business on a global terrain with globally accepted standards.
In travelling to other countries, I am seeing a value that is strongly held by other nationals and it is captivating to see that people could be quite tenacious in exhibiting it. Through this value, these nationals are endearing people to themselves and to the business or vocation they are engaged in. Infact my children commented on nationals of the last country we travelled to that they were very polite. I was quick to answer that it was because they wanted our money. However, on a second thought, I looked critically at the manner in which this social value impacted business, and I decided it will be mentioned anytime I talk or write on Working with values. It is COURTESY – the act of being polite and putting up good manners.
Courtesy is so essential to everyday relationship handling/building and business expansion that it cannot be overemphasized. People always go back to where they are celebrated or treated with dignity. It is one strong value that the last generation of parents did all they could to pass unto generation X and baby boomers. However, I am not so sure of what this our generation is passing on, because everywhere there is a hue and cry that our values are fast disappearing, courtesy being one of them. When you see a child or a young person who should by our cultural standards greet an adult with an appellation, but rather throws a greeting at the person as if they are mates, one wonders what such a child is being taught. Sometimes I wonder how the younger generation want to succeed with such disregard for adults and sometimes outright insolent behavior. My mum used to tell me that greeting will open doors for someone and more so if it is done in the most courteous manner. That is so true and important to the growth of any business or relationship.
Another value we have to embrace is TRANSPARENCY. Transparency is one of the enduring values that will help an individual travel light and fast. The root word of Transparency being transparent-an adjective, is defined in the dictionary thus, easily seen through or fine enough to see through. An individual that is described as being transparent therefore can be seen through, people do not see a shady picture of him. This individual is neither shady nor gets into shady business. He/she speaks or does business in such a manner that when subjected to the highest standards anywhere, one can see through the words and actions that they are genuine.
Transparency, though an instrumental value still has a road an individual must traverse to get to the point of being called a transparent person. It is the road of truthfulness. We need to be truthful knowing that there is nothing hidden under the sun. Whatever an individual tries to hide today, be rest assured will be revealed tomorrow, because after the dark night, there is the bright sunny day. With nothing to hide from a partner, a colleague, or a business associate thereby fearing exposure, an individuals' conscience is clear, the person feels lighter. Also, whatever the person says is not clouded/ambigous, so meanings are clear and transparent, hence conclusions are reached faster. Shady and clouded/ambigous meanings take too many bends.
Truthfulness will endear people to you because no one wants to be cheated, not even the cheat him/herself. In fact, the cheat is always dealing with people suspiciously because he or she believes every other person is like him/herself. To the pure all things are pure likewise to the impure all things or everyone is impure. I am not asking people to open up their lives to others by telling them their secrets, that will be very detrimental. Protect your personal information. I am saying in your business dealings, partnerships, and work relationships, be as truthful as you can be, no hidden agendas, no unhealthy motives, only that which will engender trust and foster lasting relationships.
DILIGENCE is a must treasured value. Employers, owners of businesses and business owners love diligent workers and will reward such. Everyone wants to make progress in life in whatever the individual is engaged in, either business or work. Progress makes one feel alive and contributing a quota. It also attracts attention, respect and reference. That means the progressive person becomes a reference point. However, something will have to take you there, being diligence.
Thesaurus defines diligence as persistent and hard-working effort. It is the proverbial consistent effort that felled the tree and burrowed through the wall to see the other side. Hardwork is the instrumental value of diligence. Plan to be diligent and do not giv up in the face of challenges.
Taking count of the number of values I have mentioned, you have seven. They are, from the first write up: Accountability; Trustworthiness; Integrity; Responsibility; in this edition-Courtesy; Transparency; Diligence.
Arm yourself with these strong values, and drive your way to the top. I am not guaranteeing you a smooth ride, but a less bumpy one. Why bumpy at all? Because there are others on the road, their insincerity and indolence can slow you down or knock you down sometimes, but not out. Consistently ask God for wisdom in dealing with people and He will give you.
I wish you a successful year.