The year of new beginnings...I think not!

Is it just me or is this one of the hardest years yet? It seems to me that we are continually surrounded by challenges and obstacles! They say that 2008 is the year of 'new beginnings' and yet to me it feels like it is the year of 'difficult'. Not that this has proved unprofitable! Rather it has presented me with the opportunity to take a good look at life from every perspective - to measure it's worth and to refocus.

I have learnt that courage is critical and that we need to have courageous conversations with our shareholders, our managers, our spouses, our family, our bank (ugh) and our friends. I have seen that true leadership flows from the ability to lead in difficult as well as favourable circumstances. However, the most valuable lesson learnt this year is the value of relationships.

The most invaluable lesson thus far considers our spiritual relationship with God, He is a consistent and undeniably valuable source! I also recognise that I would be a lesser person without the significant people in my life. It has been critical for me to not strive in this season, but to rather reinforce the things that really matter - time with God and then time with those I love. Interestingly enough, this has brought the greatest return - curious!

May this note prompt you to consider your circumstances, looking at where you spend your time and energy and remind you that our lives are fleeting but our relationships are eternal.

Sample of the Personal Effectiveness Toolkit

A list of values

I have just finished writing an article on determining our core values. One of the challenges is not knowing how to express our values. Here is a list of 300 values that may help you determine your top five values. Underline the values that stand out to you and then reduce the list through a process of prioritisation till you are left with five core values.

Abundance
Acceptance
Accomplishment
Achievement
Acknowledgement
Activity
Adaptability
Adoration
Adventure
Affection
Affluence
Aggressiveness
Alertness
Altruism
Ambition
Amusement
Anticipation
Appreciation
Approachability
Assertiveness
Attentiveness
Attractiveness
Availability
Awareness

Balance
Beauty
Being the best
Belonging
Boldness
Bravery
Brilliance

Calmness
Candour
Capability
Caring
Carefulness

Certainty
Challenge
Charity
Charm
Chastity
Cheerfulness
Cleanliness
Clear-mindedness
Cleverness
Comfort
Commitment
Compassion
Completion
Composure
Concentration
Confidence
Conformity
Connection
Consciousness
Consistency
Contentment
Continuity
Contribution
Control
Conviction
Coolness
Cooperation
Cordiality
Correctness
Courage
Courtesy
Craftiness
Creativity
Credibility
Cunning
Curiosity

Daring
Decisiveness
Deference
Delight
Dependability
Depth
Desire
Determination
Devotion
Devoutness
Dignity
Diligence
Directness
Discipline
Discovery
Discretion
Diversity
Dominance
Dreaming
Drive
Duty

Eagerness
Economy
Ecstasy
Education
Effectiveness
Efficiency
Elation
Elegance
Empathy
Encouragement
Endurance
Energy
Enjoyment
Entertainment
Enthusiasm
Excellence
Excitement
Exhilaration
Experience
Expertise
Exploration
Expressiveness
Extravagance
Extroversion
Exuberance

Fairness
Faith
Fame
Family
Fashion
Fearlessness
Ferocity
Fidelity
Fierceness
Financial independence
Firmness
Fitness
Flexibility
Flow
Fluency
Focus
Fortitude
Frankness
Freedom
Friendliness
Fun

Gallantry
Generosity
Gentility
Giving
Graceful
Gratitude
Growth
Guidance

Happiness
Harmony
Health
Heart
Helpfulness
Heroism
Holiness
Honesty
Honor
Hopefulness
Hospitality
Humility
Humour
Hygiene

Imagination
Impact
Impartiality
Independence
Industry
Inquisitiveness
Insightfulness
Inspiration
Integrity
Intelligence
Intensity
Intimacy
Introversion
Intuition
Intuitiveness
Inventiveness
Investing

Joy
Justice

Keenness
Kindness
Knowledge

Leadership
Learning
Liberty
Liveliness
Logic
Longevity
Love
Loyalty

Making a difference
Mastery
Maturity
Meekness
Mellowness
Meticulousness
Mindfulness
Modesty
Motivation
Mysteriousness

Neatness
Nerve

Obedience
Open-mindedness
Optimism
Order
Organisation
Originality
Outrageousness

Passion
Peace
Perceptiveness
Perfection
Perseverance
Persistence
Persuasiveness
Philanthropy
Piety
Playfulness
Pleasantness
Pleasure
Poise
Polish
Popularity
Potency
Power
Practicality
Precision
Preparedness
Privacy
Proactivity
Professionalism
Prosperity
Prudence
Punctuality
Purity

Realism
Reason
Reasonableness
Recognition
Recreation
Refinement
Reflection
Relaxation
Reliability
Religiousness
Resilience
Resolution
Resolve
Resourcefulness
Respect
Rest
Restraint
Reverence
Richness
Rigor

Sacrifice
Saintliness
Satisfaction
Security
Self-control
Selflessness
Self-reliance
Sensitivity
Sensuality
Serenity
Service
Sexuality
Sharing
Shrewdness
Significance
Silence
Silliness
Simplicity
Sincerity
Skillfulness
Solitude
Soundness
Speed
Spirit
Spirituality
Spontaneity
Stability
Stealth
Stillness
Strength
Structure
Success
Support
Surprise
Sympathy
Synergy

Teamwork
Temperance
Thankfulness
Thoroughness
Thoughtfulness
Tidiness
Timeliness
Traditionalism
Tranquility
Trustworthiness
Truth

Understanding
Unflappability
Uniqueness
Unity
Usefulness
Utility

Valour
Variety
Victory
Vigour
Virtue
Vision
Vitality
Vivacity

Warmth
Watchfulness
Wealth
Willfulness
Willingness
Winning
Wisdom
Wittiness
Wonder

Youthfulness

Let me know what you come up with.
R

Thinking about Mistakes

“When you make a mistake, don't look back at it long. Take the reason of the thing into your mind and then look forward. Mistakes are lessons of wisdom. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.” --Hugh White (1773 - 1840)

What are your thoughts on the mistakes we make?

Finding & Keeping Quality Clients

I conduct events called Conversations that Matter. Over the last six months I have gathered entrepreneurs together to engage in dialogue over issues that impact them directly.In every group, no matter which city I am in (Cape Town, PE, Durbs or Joburg) the same issues come up. How do I find QUALITY CLIENTS - but not only this HOW DO I KEEP THEM? I wanted to get your opinions on this one?

So let's start here...
a) How would you define a quality client
b) How does one find quality clients?
c) How does one keep quality clients?

Look forward to hearing from you!

Amazing Grace - the Movie

Just thought I'd make a referal. I went to see this fabulous movie on Sunday. Now before you think I have a tendency towards addiction, what with my Sudoku fettish and also a movie bent - these are really my only two vices - the rest of the time I am working (believe it or not).

Anyway - back to the movie, I think it is worth a see no matter what your religious orientation. I was inspired. The cast is phenomenal and Ioan Grufford is quickly becoming a hot favourite of mine.

The thing that you really stood out to me was the reality of what pioneering involves.William Wilberforce fought for over 15 years to see his one dream fulfilled. The rest of his life was spent on his second dream.

I have been running this business for just under two years and at times it has felt too long, to hard. The temptation to stop fighting is very real, and yet like "Wilber" - if I can be arrogant enough to refer to him and myself in the same sentence - I choose to push on - because the vision is strong and unrelenting.

There is a choice, but the choice is essentially no choice. The work must go on! (I hear an orchestral maneuver in the background).

Can you relate?

Let me know what you think once you've seen it.

Disengagement of the Workforce

I am intrigued by the worldwide statistics that are bandied about concerning the levels of engagement in the workplace related to the workforce. Australia - 14% actively engaged. USA - 11% Actively engaged. China - 9% actively engaged. No accurate studies have been conducted in SA - but the belief is that we are between 9 and 11%.

Active Engagement being described as representing those employees who have a sense of belonging, ownership and connectedness to their work and employers. Active disengagement referring to those who will go to great lengths to sabotage their companies.

The four points of the continuum would be on the far left Actively Disengaged, then Disengaged (basically people with the philosophy of work is a necessary evil) to Engaged (people who find some sense and purpose in work) to Actively Engaged (those who love what they do and see great opportunity for self expression in it).

I am seeing more and more people opting out of the corporate world - looking for an a feeling of ownership and connectedness to their work and so entering the world of entrepreneurship. Is this truly the way to engagement?

The challenge however is that if we hope to grow our businesses - then most likely we will need to employ others. The question is - how do we keep our workforce engaged?


I look forward to hearing your comments.