Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Turnaround Mistakes

A successful restructuring may turn a business around and put it back on the road to health.  If companies detect problems early on, they can start making major adjustments to their operations, their finances and their whole approach to doing business.
But the restructuring process can be fraught with perils if not managed properly because decisions get made under extreme duress. The ability to keep a cool head can mean the difference between a smooth transition and complete chaos.  How the executives approach and manage the task is critical to the outcome.
Mistake 1: The Head in the Sand Approach
The time to start the process of a business and operational restructure is at the first sign of trouble, not when a major default occurs. When companies are riding high, inefficiencies can get swept under the rug.  Red flags might get ignored rather than taken as signals to start cutting costs or making other corrective measures. At the first signs of weakness, actions should be taken before the business starts unraveling.
Mistake 2: Over-reacting or under-reacting
When management first realizes that the company is in deep trouble, the tendency is to overreact and lay off massive numbers of employees. They rush ahead with major changes without weighing the impact on their overall business model.
On the other hand, this is not a time to sit back and wait for the economy to rebound.  It’s time to challenge old business assumptions, create some new scenarios, weigh the options and play the “what if” game by considering the consequences from a variety of viewpoints.
Mistake 3: Failing to Identify the Problems
Working out solutions can’t begin until the problems are clearly identified and understood. One of the first steps in any restructuring process is to make a thorough assessment of the situation. This puts things into perspective within the larger context and provides a background and structure from which to work. Without this first basic step, businesses run the risk of veering off in the wrong direction and wasting valuable resources. Once the preliminary assessment has been completed, those responsible can gather intelligence and draw conclusions from a more informed position.
Mistake 4:  Fear of Innovative Exploration
Don’t be afraid to consider all the options on the table no matter how far-fetched they may seem at first glance. The situation may call for a complete break from the old way of doing business. This is no time to protect sacred cows, whether they be procedures or people.
Creating a decision tree and ranking the alternatives by applying a value and probability to each outcome is a practical tool for overcoming emotional attachments.  It sheds light on biased opinions and overconfidence in the old way of doing things.  Just because a company survived a downturn in the past, is no guarantee that it will do so again.
Mistake 5: Going it Alone
When corporate decision makers are about to unleash plans for restructuring, it’s important for them to remember that the most valuable assets a company has are its employees—from the top executives down to the support staff.
The keys to a successful restructure includes getting support from senior executives, devising a plan that’s in sync with the corporate culture and the company’s overall goals, and getting agreement and buy-in from the employees.  Remember that this “buy-in” is a gradual thing. Studies show that about 20 percent of managers and employees will “get it” right away, and about 60 percent will eventually “go along to get along.”  The rest will probably be lost in the shuffle.
Seeking professional assistance may be the best investment the company ever makes.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Have you ask yourself this Questions?

How do you want to se yourself within:
1 year?
3 years?
10 years?

What would you want to read about yourself in a memo?

How do you want other people to see you as?

What would you want people to saying about you?

What would you want to say about yourself within a year?

How do you want to feel?

What feelings do you want to have within:
1 year?
3 years?
10 years?

Ask others what’s good about things today?
Ask others what are you, the firm, the team doing good today?
Is there possibility for improvement?

Think about this:
How should we do that we want to be?

How do you want to be to do it?

What’s good, What should you improve off and how?
What is it you should end doing?
Is there something you should start with?
What are you doing good today?

Ask this questions over and over.

How much do you think this glass weighs?"

If i would holding up a glass with some water in it and ask you “How much do you think this glass weighs?

'50gms!'..... '100gms!' .....'125gms' ...would your answered be for sure.

U really don't know unless I weigh it, "but, my question is:
What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?
Nothing' …..you would think.

Ok what would happen if I held it up like for an hour?

You would think my arm would begin to ache.
You're right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?
You would think my arm could go numb; i might have severe muscle stress and paralysis and have to go to hospital for sure!
Very good.

But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?
'No'…. Was the answer.

Then what caused the arm ache & the muscle stress?

What should I do now to come out of pain?
Put the glass down you would say!
Exactly!

Life's problems are something like this.
Hold it for a few minutes in your head & they seem OK.
Think of them for a long time & they begin to ache.
Hold it even longer & they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything.

It's important to think of the challenges or problems in your life, But EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is to 'PUT THEM DOWN' at the end of every day before you go to sleep...
That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh and strong and can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!

So, when you start your day today, Remember friend to ‘PUT THE GLASS DOWN TODAY! '

The Past Does Not Equal The Future

“If history is any guide, much of what we take for granted simply isn’t true.” John Hagelin, PhD, “What the Bleep Do We Know”

Consider these changing beliefs:
�� The Earth was flat – now it’s round.
�� The Earth was the center of the Solar System – now it’s the Sun.

Consider the four-minute mile. It was once thought to be the physical limit of the human body.
On May 6, 1954, Englishman Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute mile in recorded history at 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. Six weeks later, Australian John Landy, followed suit with a run of 3 minutes and 58 seconds. Now the standard of all professional middle distance runners.
�� The four-minute mile was impossible – now it’s a standard.

“Nothing is predestined: The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings.”Ralph Blum

�� What beliefs do you have about your past that are not necessarily true for your present or your future? For example, was there a time when you found something difficult that, if you tried it again now, might not seem so hard?

�� Why have you held onto those beliefs?

�� What habits do you feel are trapping you?

�� What could you do about them?

Can One Person Make A Difference?

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Mahatma Ghandi
People sometimes have amazingly large and seemingly unachievable dreams and goals and I am often asked whether one person really can make a difference.

I would like to share a story with you from Loren Eisley’s book, “The Star Thrower”. The
 story goes a little like this:-
A man who had been walking along a beach saw a boy throwing starfish into the ocean in an attempt to save them from the heat of the rising sun. The older man made a comment that, because of the number of starfish, the boy couldn’t possibly make a difference, to which the boy replied as he threw yet another starfish into the ocean and past the breaking waves, “It made a difference to that one.”

By the way, I would thoroughly recommend Eisley’s books. His work has a refreshingly different viewpoint on many of the things we often take for granted.

“You can make a difference with your everyday actions.
Listen to the stories told around our planet, and you will
hear this message over and over again.”
Tony Ryan,

he Answers Are In You

“The greatest explorer on this earth never takes
voyages as long as those of the man who descends to the
depth of his heart.”
Julien Green
Based on the work of Socrates, the Socratic Method is using a series of questions in order to help a person or group discover their underlying thoughts, beliefs and knowledge on a subject. It also assists them to consider whether theirs is a valid point of view.



"I know you won't believe me, but the highest form of
Human Excellence is to question oneself and others.”
Socrates




Rather than lecture to participants, I encourage active participation by involving them with questions that challenge their assumptions and stimulate active discussion and debate.

“The thing always happens that you really believe in;
and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” Frank Lloyd
Wright
This provides an entertaining and thought-provoking environment while delivering a learning outcome - and more often than not, the participants are still discussing it days and even weeks later...
This is also one of the style I have chosen.


“The simplest questions are the most profound. Where
were you born? Where is your home? Where are you
going? What are you doing? Think about these once in
a while and watch your answers change.” Richard
Bach


“To the question of your life you are the answer, and to
the problems of your life you are the solution.”
Joe
Cordare

There Is No One Right Answer

So often we are taught to find THE answer. There is no ONE right answer – there may be several.
If you love teaching, travel, skydiving and writing, don’t think for a minute that I or anyone else is going to suggest that you have to pick ONE right answer, ONE passion.

What if you could do them all?

What if you could travel the world teaching skydiving and writing about it for magazines?

Challenge yourself (and your partner if you are working with one) to not stop when you get one answer. Keep going.
Come up with as many answers as you can. The first five or six may be good – and the seventh may be great!


“Do you remember how electrical currents and "unseen
waves" were laughed at? The knowledge about man is
still in its infancy.” Albert Einstein