No disrespect, but when Kuseni Dlamini of Richard Bay Coal Terminal walked into the seminar room, someone should have warned us that we were on a serious collision path… or better still, sounded a war-cry. This eloquent speaker provoked us, challenged us, and quite frankly, I was taken aback by some of the unexamined views and positions I hold on various global issues.
We discussed globalisation and its impact on business. We also talked about value-driven corporate culture and the need for organisations to unlearn outdated ways of doing business and learn new competitive ways if they plan to thrive in the dynamic global business environment. We agreed that the changing global landscape presented opportunities for business… look at how the Chinese have fong-konged the world.
Anyway, what started out as a discussion on the challenges facing leaders in a rapidly changing business environment turned out to be a heated debate on ‘self interest’ at both the national and personal level.
Of course, no discussion on national self interest can be complete without discussing good ol’ U.S of A. Most of the class wondered in whose name and national interest the U.S had attacked Iraq. We (there I go exposing my biases) felt that the U.S was behaving like a school yard bully controlling the world with an iron fist (and a few bombs).
Two schools of thought emerged in the room. On the one hand, there was the Machiavellian camp who thought that for God and Country, there was no limit to what one could do in the name of national interest. Then there was the ‘other’ (my) group, who thought that if left untamed, self or national interest mutated itself into corruption, exploitation and domination of the weaker by the stronger.
Even though I still hold my position that self interest should not be realised at any price, the thought-provoking discussion forced me to re-examine some of the ideas and assumptions that I peddle around.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Setting the captive free
On my bedroom wall... hangs a priceless Picasso.
Wait a minute, before you dismiss me with a casual “so what?” allow me to tell you how this little beauty found its way into my room...
At the WoW seminars, which is where I have been spending most of my time lately, there is hardly ever a dull moment. You see, we tackle a myriad of topical issues and engage in intellectually stimulating debates most of the times. However, if you had strayed into the Graduate School seminar room last Thursday, you would have been forgiven for thinking that Wits had taken its social responsibility portfolio a notch higher by providing Day Care for the children of the staff members.
The place looked like a kindergarten class. There were crayons, coloured paper, scissors, glue, glitter, wrapping paper… all over the floor. For nearly half an hour, we cut, we pasted, we drew, we glued… Our first production depicted our inner critic. Believe me, the images in the room were non-descript and generally quite boring!
Then, we were commissioned to draw pictures that portrayed our creative side. This was when the masterpieces were born. Our collective creative juices started flowing freely and flamboyantly, we were unstoppable. In fact, there were at least two artists in the room whose illustrations were 3-dimensional. Maxwell took it a step further and spun a complete narrative on his canvas. … I felt like a child gone wild with excitement or perhaps it was more like a prisoner tasting freedom after years of incarceration…
Interesting how believing in oneself, one's abilities as well as a positive attitude can change one's whole perception of life. Roy pointed out that there is a need to break out of the rule-bound thinking, and that playing is fun and a great motivator. For me, there is no looking back. I am now on a journey to re-discover my wildly creative side. Let freedom reign… yipeeee!!!
P.S: For all you art collectors out there (and those who appreciate the finer things in life), this particular masterpiece will not be up for sale any time soon…
Wait a minute, before you dismiss me with a casual “so what?” allow me to tell you how this little beauty found its way into my room...
At the WoW seminars, which is where I have been spending most of my time lately, there is hardly ever a dull moment. You see, we tackle a myriad of topical issues and engage in intellectually stimulating debates most of the times. However, if you had strayed into the Graduate School seminar room last Thursday, you would have been forgiven for thinking that Wits had taken its social responsibility portfolio a notch higher by providing Day Care for the children of the staff members.
The place looked like a kindergarten class. There were crayons, coloured paper, scissors, glue, glitter, wrapping paper… all over the floor. For nearly half an hour, we cut, we pasted, we drew, we glued… Our first production depicted our inner critic. Believe me, the images in the room were non-descript and generally quite boring!
Then, we were commissioned to draw pictures that portrayed our creative side. This was when the masterpieces were born. Our collective creative juices started flowing freely and flamboyantly, we were unstoppable. In fact, there were at least two artists in the room whose illustrations were 3-dimensional. Maxwell took it a step further and spun a complete narrative on his canvas. … I felt like a child gone wild with excitement or perhaps it was more like a prisoner tasting freedom after years of incarceration…
Interesting how believing in oneself, one's abilities as well as a positive attitude can change one's whole perception of life. Roy pointed out that there is a need to break out of the rule-bound thinking, and that playing is fun and a great motivator. For me, there is no looking back. I am now on a journey to re-discover my wildly creative side. Let freedom reign… yipeeee!!!
P.S: For all you art collectors out there (and those who appreciate the finer things in life), this particular masterpiece will not be up for sale any time soon…
Eating an elephant
RIDDLE: How do you eat an elephant?
RESPONSE: Bit by bit
Allow me to draw from the rich reservoir that is the well of age-old African traditional wisdom. (Can you hear quiet echoes from Professor Lovemore Mbigi’s lecture?)
Let me blog this mental note before it slips my mind: I should read up on how he incorporates Ubuntu and African culture into the world of business…(oops, that is me thinking aloud).
Before I wade all over the place, let me re-trace my thoughts back to the beginning and allow the elephant back into the room (and discussion). Where I come from, when life throws a curve ball in your direction, and the problem seems insurmountable, we generally say,“things are elephant”. We also understand that resolving a huge problem takes time and it is best tackled in small little steps.
Roy verbalised the problem solving strategy that is implied in this riddle in 4-step process:-
a) Call the problem by its name and prepare the necessary tools and resources needed to resolve it. At this point, it is also important to set deadlines; (GET READY)
b) Randomly identify the various components and possible solutions to the problem; (FIRE)
c) Draw a step-by-step process of how to resolve the problem. Prioritise the process by starting with the easier steps and progressing towards the more difficult steps;( AIM)
d) Implement your plan by effecting the solution outlined in step (c)above; (ACTION).
Chomp, chomp, chomp… and voila, the complete beast is gone!
RESPONSE: Bit by bit
Allow me to draw from the rich reservoir that is the well of age-old African traditional wisdom. (Can you hear quiet echoes from Professor Lovemore Mbigi’s lecture?)
Let me blog this mental note before it slips my mind: I should read up on how he incorporates Ubuntu and African culture into the world of business…(oops, that is me thinking aloud).
Before I wade all over the place, let me re-trace my thoughts back to the beginning and allow the elephant back into the room (and discussion). Where I come from, when life throws a curve ball in your direction, and the problem seems insurmountable, we generally say,“things are elephant”. We also understand that resolving a huge problem takes time and it is best tackled in small little steps.
Roy verbalised the problem solving strategy that is implied in this riddle in 4-step process:-
a) Call the problem by its name and prepare the necessary tools and resources needed to resolve it. At this point, it is also important to set deadlines; (GET READY)
b) Randomly identify the various components and possible solutions to the problem; (FIRE)
c) Draw a step-by-step process of how to resolve the problem. Prioritise the process by starting with the easier steps and progressing towards the more difficult steps;( AIM)
d) Implement your plan by effecting the solution outlined in step (c)above; (ACTION).
Chomp, chomp, chomp… and voila, the complete beast is gone!
Friday, April 27, 2007
I create therefore I am
It was with great pleasure that I learnt that there is no such a thing as a “stupid idea” …and what relief! You see, I cannot even begin to count the number of still-birth ideas that I have carried to term in my mind. These thoughts were buried alive because, for some reason, I was too frightened to voice them.
What? there is no way I was going to run the risk of looking like “the foolish kid on the block…" no way!
Well, that was before I met one Roy Blumenthal. I have since buried my inhibitions. After the session on corporate creativity, the scales have fallen off my eyes and now I can see clearly that my creativity is the one true legacy I will bequeath the world... it MUST be unleashed!
On that note, please read my version of the small print on the “Blumenthal Creativity License”©:-
• A stiffled idea could be a solution suppressed!
• If you can think it (an idea), it is not stupid;
• To unleash your creativity (or while brain-storming), fire all the ideas that cross your mind;
• To allow the free flow of ideas, record your ideas pronto!
• Tame the inner critic so that it will not paralyse your ability to explore the labyrinth of your mind;
• Take a dip into the pool of your thoughts and come up with the ideas that are most likely to solve the problem at hand;
• Prioritise the steps you need to take on the journey to reaching your solution;
• Arise and take action!
• Have some fun while you are at it:)
ANNOUNCEMENT:
R.I.P: Dearly beloved, we are gathered here (at Ground Zero) to remember all the creative ideas that died before their time. May we never forget the havoc wrecked by fear-bombs!
SCReeeeACH!!! …I will take this as my cue to stop firing any more of my random thoughts and ideas (and the merciless abuse of this license) …until the next time… pax-blogosphere... Was that a sigh?
What? there is no way I was going to run the risk of looking like “the foolish kid on the block…" no way!
Well, that was before I met one Roy Blumenthal. I have since buried my inhibitions. After the session on corporate creativity, the scales have fallen off my eyes and now I can see clearly that my creativity is the one true legacy I will bequeath the world... it MUST be unleashed!
On that note, please read my version of the small print on the “Blumenthal Creativity License”©:-
• A stiffled idea could be a solution suppressed!
• If you can think it (an idea), it is not stupid;
• To unleash your creativity (or while brain-storming), fire all the ideas that cross your mind;
• To allow the free flow of ideas, record your ideas pronto!
• Tame the inner critic so that it will not paralyse your ability to explore the labyrinth of your mind;
• Take a dip into the pool of your thoughts and come up with the ideas that are most likely to solve the problem at hand;
• Prioritise the steps you need to take on the journey to reaching your solution;
• Arise and take action!
• Have some fun while you are at it:)
ANNOUNCEMENT:
R.I.P: Dearly beloved, we are gathered here (at Ground Zero) to remember all the creative ideas that died before their time. May we never forget the havoc wrecked by fear-bombs!
SCReeeeACH!!! …I will take this as my cue to stop firing any more of my random thoughts and ideas (and the merciless abuse of this license) …until the next time… pax-blogosphere... Was that a sigh?
Monday, April 23, 2007
He preached wine and drank it… by the barrel!
Three and a half hours slipped by unnoticed as Aki Kalliatakis, MD of Leadership Launchpad, delivered his boisterous and passionate talk on customer care. As our eyes followed his every move across the room, you could see that he had cast a spell on every intern [customer] present. And so it must be with any organisation that aims at growing its business; its focus must revolve around meeting the needs of customers as well as captivating their interests.
Because customers are the life blood of business, care must be taken to find them; win them over; and retain them if a business is to thrive in markets characterised by cut-throat competition. As Kalliatakis pointed out, “... in Africa, when the sun comes up, you had better be running".
The video clip on a bunch of highly motivated fishmongers at demonstrated that work does not have to be a dreary affair. For these 12 world-famous guys, a day’s job incorporates fun, games and profits, all rolled into one. Their positive attitude to work transforms even the most mundane task at Seattle's Pikeplace fish market into a fun activity, and not just for them, but also for the prospective customers.
However, when all is said and done, would I plunge back into the wonderful world of Customer Care? … That my friend, is an entirely different kettle of fish….
As I hang on to every word he said, the words written on the cover-sheet of his presentation rang true. “Delight your customers with positively outrageous service”… and delighted with the customer care lecture Kalliatakis delivered, I was!
Because customers are the life blood of business, care must be taken to find them; win them over; and retain them if a business is to thrive in markets characterised by cut-throat competition. As Kalliatakis pointed out, “... in Africa, when the sun comes up, you had better be running".
The video clip on a bunch of highly motivated fishmongers at demonstrated that work does not have to be a dreary affair. For these 12 world-famous guys, a day’s job incorporates fun, games and profits, all rolled into one. Their positive attitude to work transforms even the most mundane task at Seattle's Pikeplace fish market into a fun activity, and not just for them, but also for the prospective customers.
However, when all is said and done, would I plunge back into the wonderful world of Customer Care? … That my friend, is an entirely different kettle of fish….
As I hang on to every word he said, the words written on the cover-sheet of his presentation rang true. “Delight your customers with positively outrageous service”… and delighted with the customer care lecture Kalliatakis delivered, I was!
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Dance of Conflict
I had no idea that relationships, organisations and societies needed a bit of friction to thrive. Who would have guessed that a reasonable amount of feather-ruffling was required to optimize productivity? The thing is, conflicts, like fire, make good servants but bad masters and both need to be managed properly, according to Bernice De la Croix. Conflicts urge the parties concerned to come up with solutions in order to improve the dynamics of the relationships.
Conflict is inevitable in human relationships and it should be used as a catalyst for change. De la Croix pointed out that South Africa’s new political dispensation was birthed out of the conflict and the fight against the oppression under Apartheid. The same is true of Zimbabwe’s political crisis in which the citizens today are agitating for change. In response, the world is turning [albeit slowly] its focus on this southern African country. Conflict triggers change.
Creativity and lateral thinking are required in conflict resolution. As was witnessed at Wits this week, one way of resolving society’s conflict and promoting understanding is through dialogue. Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen and Nadine Gordimer along with Finance Minister Trevor Manuel were hosted by Judge Cameron at the Great Hall, where they discussed the application of economic theories in the production of social justice and development. There was also a Q & A session where the panel fielded various questions [ranging from tax on books to the possibility of reconciling social equality in a capitalistic society,] from the public. The occasion was also graced by South Africa’s first lady, Zanele Mbeki.
Conflict is inevitable in human relationships and it should be used as a catalyst for change. De la Croix pointed out that South Africa’s new political dispensation was birthed out of the conflict and the fight against the oppression under Apartheid. The same is true of Zimbabwe’s political crisis in which the citizens today are agitating for change. In response, the world is turning [albeit slowly] its focus on this southern African country. Conflict triggers change.
Creativity and lateral thinking are required in conflict resolution. As was witnessed at Wits this week, one way of resolving society’s conflict and promoting understanding is through dialogue. Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen and Nadine Gordimer along with Finance Minister Trevor Manuel were hosted by Judge Cameron at the Great Hall, where they discussed the application of economic theories in the production of social justice and development. There was also a Q & A session where the panel fielded various questions [ranging from tax on books to the possibility of reconciling social equality in a capitalistic society,] from the public. The occasion was also graced by South Africa’s first lady, Zanele Mbeki.
Expanding Horizons
When I signed up for the WoW programme, I had some pretty clear ideas about the kind of institutions I wanted to work for. On my short list of prospective employers were media newsrooms and HIV- or development-based research organisations. Well, that was until we had a WoW session with Steve Grudz’s South African Institute of International Affairs(www.saiia.org.za/), which opened my eyes to whole new world of possibilities and career options... I feel like a kid in a candy shop…
I am not sure what sparked off the deep unsettling feeling within me. The session provoked me to get off my laurels and act before the rag of underdevelopment completely wipes us off the face of this continent... It is possible that it was Grudz’s passion for Africa that rubbed off on me. It is also not unlikely that the reality of Africa's glaring social, economic and political gaps and issues we discussed stopped me in my tracks and demanded my attention. The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) are Africa’s own home-grown tools and instruments created to address the developmental issues on the continent... some big brother!
Other ‘local’ initiatives that focus on solving Africa’s problems include efforts of people like Anton Gollub of the Johannesburg Housing Company (www.jhc.co.za/). These private developers are in the business of building affordable rental houses for the low- to middle-income families.
Gollub interrupted his discussions on the various aspects and challenges of social housing and asked us: “What is your purpose in life? Think about it… it will keep you awake at night”.
Thinking aloud!
I solemnly suggest the possibility that part of my purpose might be realised after my conscription into an army of crusaders who champion the causes of our beloved continent… Something tells me I won’t be getting too much sleep tonight... I will be pondering on this matter of existential proportions …
One thing is for sure though; nothing is cast in stone… least of all, my career interests.
I am not sure what sparked off the deep unsettling feeling within me. The session provoked me to get off my laurels and act before the rag of underdevelopment completely wipes us off the face of this continent... It is possible that it was Grudz’s passion for Africa that rubbed off on me. It is also not unlikely that the reality of Africa's glaring social, economic and political gaps and issues we discussed stopped me in my tracks and demanded my attention. The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) are Africa’s own home-grown tools and instruments created to address the developmental issues on the continent... some big brother!
Other ‘local’ initiatives that focus on solving Africa’s problems include efforts of people like Anton Gollub of the Johannesburg Housing Company (www.jhc.co.za/). These private developers are in the business of building affordable rental houses for the low- to middle-income families.
Gollub interrupted his discussions on the various aspects and challenges of social housing and asked us: “What is your purpose in life? Think about it… it will keep you awake at night”.
Thinking aloud!
I solemnly suggest the possibility that part of my purpose might be realised after my conscription into an army of crusaders who champion the causes of our beloved continent… Something tells me I won’t be getting too much sleep tonight... I will be pondering on this matter of existential proportions …
One thing is for sure though; nothing is cast in stone… least of all, my career interests.
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