Drawing From Your Experiences

What does it mean when somebody says ‘learn from experience’ or ‘sharing your experience’?

Learning from your experience builds awareness, introspection, and wisdom. If we make an active and concerted effort to reflect on what when right or wrong, we may benefit when something similar occurs in our future. Otherwise, we haven’t really learnt the lessons from our failures or non-starters.

You can extract the abstracts (i.e. lessons) by constructing a framework of success. Find out what works, and test it out in your existing model of effectiveness. Even in intangible things, we can mine them for their relevance. Our abstracts can matter more than pure wealth. That is why many of us pursue our sporting passions and enjoy our sense of achievement and fulfillment. Each celebration, achieved goal, milestone, and award received raises our sense of personal importance, confidence and self-esteem. These abstractions do matter or else they become pointless.

Leadership Lessons: How can you share somebody’s experiences? Unless you were involved in a similar or the same experience, it is still subjective. If we are not careful, we may end up speaking in clichés – like spouting out-dated idioms and proverbs. When adopting best-in-class practices, do that which has worked and continues to work well. As long as you continue to benefit from a process, keep doing more of it until diminishing returns set in.

Alarmed By What You’ve Read?

Will Ironman return to Asia?

Just because it is linked or shared via social media, does it mean that it is reliable? Many links are made with little regard for reading the article and being critical about its contents. Sharing material online still requires a sense of responsibility. Remember: you can still ignore the posting, if it contains drivel and dumbfounding data and descriptions.

Fear drives action. Action drives sales. I am openly annoyed with salespeople who attempt to make sales, by introducing dated literature and anecdotal evidence. Most claims made by the manufacturers (of these over-priced nutritional products) have not been validated by the FDA or similar national body. So, we should not be bamboozled by misleading advertising. Buyer beware, but use your head. Advertorials are also cleverly and thinly disguised reports on advertised products, and heavily tout their benefits. Consider slimming and beauty centres/chains, as well as product launches.

Many consumers have no idea what the numbers means: mg, mcg, and IUs. How do you what is the recommended daily rate? What happens if you are engaged in regular strenuous activities? Are you expected to consume more antioxidants if you engage in regular aerobic activities?

Perhaps, we should insist on more empirical research and less anecdotal reliance? If it is in the news, there is a higher degree of credibility, objectivity and believability if it is based on facts. Opinion pieces are more subjective. For instance, a leading online magazine reported that Macca will not be going to the Olympics, nor is Emma Snowsill who was an Olympian before. Because they were interviewed, and gave their perspectives the news is more worthy of our attention. If it is based on results, you cannot dispute the official results, unless there was a glaring typological error.

If this report was true and accurate, it may upset millions due to the implications and ramifications of secrecy/secret formula. It also suggests that labeling has been deceitful, or national authorities on food & drug control have been careless.

Giving Does Not Mean Giving Up!

After my piece yesterday on ‘giving’, Matthew wrote his feedback on my Comments page. He decided to write his own thoughts about the concept of ‘giving’. I appreciate his honest sharing as we thrive on feedback, especially if it guides us to become better – like refining our swim strokes so as to swim efficiently and faster.

We can give without aforethought, lest it be misconstrued as reciprocity. If we expect something in return for every deed we do for somebody, then this may easily be perceived as ‘wanting something in return’. This suggests a ‘hidden agenda’ or ‘assisting with a purpose’. Sure, some believe in this principle, and marketers are exploiting it when they offer freebies. Robert B. Cialdini also expressed this principle in his landmark book.

Generosity is a personal value; it is the opposite of being selfish and holding on to things. Generous people derive pleasure from sharing, helping and giving – they gain when they surrender a small part of themselves. Thus, on this platform (blog) we tend to do active cross-sharing with other resources. We interview people of distinction, review books and films, provide commentaries, and share our perspectives (through Tweets, articles and stories). There is no one right answer to a problem; there might be several. By merging or crossing ideas, we may encourage cross-fertilisation or the emergence of a better, hybrid idea.

While watching the television program called ‘The Doctors’ this morning, I learnt a new acronym for keeping heart disease in check. Dr Vonda Wright, MD wrote in her book, Fitness After 40 her acronym FACE that stands for: Flexibility, Aerobics, Carry a Load/Core, and ‘E’ which you can find out on your own – or even construct your own. The reality is: if you give away everything, the perceived value can also diminish. FREE may be view with suspicion because we believe that it may conceal a ‘catch’. Some have articulated that ‘If it is too good to be true, then it is too good to be true!’ It is merely a caveat, however it is useful to be vigilant when it comes to financial transactions and potential business partnerships.

Leadership Lessons: Feel free to apply the learning on this blog. There are few things that compare with the joy of learning, and a sense of achievement. Do give deeper thought on how you can apply the notion of ‘giving’: Give back, give up, give out (project), give, and forgive. Just give!

Reasons To Partner In Your Business

The future of business development and growth is in strategic partnerships and alliances. Collaboration is the operative word. No person is an island, so we have to build bridges across to another land mass. With active networking, we can build vital links to hearts and minds – if we are to promote and instill changes (for the better). Volunteers, retailers, customers, consultants, community members, family and friends – all these relationships involve partnering.

When I started my own small business 11 years ago, I realized early that I could not do it alone. I also learnt that my journey would be made more meaningful and worthwhile if I worked with others. I focused on work that would offer mutually beneficial outcomes. Business is about ‘busy-ness’ and the busier and involved you are, the better it would be in developing your value. When you engage with partners – and these can be short-term, project-based partnerships – you enhance your capability. Sharing is a value appreciated by many. Sharing involves the spirit of generosity.

How would you approach partnering in business?

1)    Build rapport with people around you. Be liked.

2)    Enhance existing relationships with others – keep building value with them.

3)    Never burn bridges – you never know who may engage or employ you one day.

4)    Do active networking – follow up with each contact, and create further connection.

5)    Not every social occasion is a business occasion. You don’t have to bring a box of cards to dinner. Enjoy the company.

6)    Seek partners with differing skills and expertise. Integrate diversity.

7)    Complement your partner by bringing your expertise to the relationship.

8)    As long as you don’t feel threatened by others, partner up.

9)    There is perceived and potential value to larger, partnership-based, projects that you can do.

10) Sharing of resources and co-branding. Synergistic effects can lead to added value and reduced expenses.

In recent months, I have been involved and engaged in new partnerships. It has been enriching thus far, and I expect we would earn our cumulative value in terms of new experiences, relationships and potential. Give, and take in your partnerships. Have ‘clever-rate’ with you, when you collaborate.