Why work multiple businesses / jobs?

 

Sometimes people ask me - why do you make yourself so busy? I do leadership training and coaching as my main business. I also run a board game design and publishing studio. I am actively involved in BNI Lighthouse, a community of business leaders. People ask me - doesn't this tire you out?  

It does exactly the opposite. When I choose what I want to work on, I am thrilled. It is certainly challenging to manage my time and resources, but by forcing myself to prioritise, I am able to focus on the most rewarding and meaningful work. When I get stuck with problems in one business, switching to work on another helps me recharge, and I can later come back with a fresh mind. 

I'm having fun. Are you having fun? 

Take care of your people, and they will take care of your business

 

I have seen many business leaders fail at this. They focus on the business targets, the sales numbers, the P&L, the tasks. Now these are important indeed, but when business leaders forget why companies are formed, it is no wonder their companies do not perform. Companies are meant to bring PEOPLE together, not tasks. If we cannot give our people a conducive, respectful and supportive environment, how can we expect them to perform well?

Why I'd rather do business with a client paying me less

 

Imagine this scenario. Your price is 8000. One buyer can afford 10000, but wants to haggle down to 7500. Another buyer only has a budget of 6000, but is willing to compensate by working together with you and taking on some of the tasks themselves. Which client would you prefer? I pick the latter, which may not really make business sense. I do this because I'd rather work with people who appreciate and value you, and care about your interest. I'm happier making 6000 than 7500. 

Value is not all about money. 

It's not fair!

 

In the workplace, how often do you hear the complaint "Why should I work so hard when others are just cruising?"  "Why should I work so hard when I'm just an employee?" 

The truth is, if we work hard only because others around us are working hard, or only because we have no choice when we are the boss, then we are not going to enjoy our work. 

The best reason to work hard is you take pride in your work, and you are making yourself valuable. You are working hard for yourself. That's something people cannot take away from you. 

Can AI do comedy?

 

AI is changing many of our jobs. The pessimists see it as destroying jobs. The optimists see it as increasing productivity and allowing us to shift our energy to even higher value work. We need to understand what AI can and cannot do (yet), and adapt to it. I recently asked ChatGPT whether George Michael (from Wham) had passed away. I vaguely remembered the news but wanted to double check. You see, Google is no longer my default when I want to search the internet. This below was what ChatGPT told me. I don't think it was intentionally trying to be funny. So AI probably can't do comedy. Yet.

"As of my last update in September 2021, George Michael had passed away. He died on December 25, 2016, at the age of 53. Please note that my information might be outdated, so I recommend checking more recent sources to confirm the current status."

Handling a difficult audience - tip #3

Being a speaker, presenter or member of a panel can be challenging, especially when you have a hostile or hungry audience. Being able to handle tough questions is a crucial skill. The tip for today: 

Prepare numbers and anecdotes

A hostile audience likely brings preconceived notions to the room. Ready vivid stories which are counter examples. Share statistics which are counter examples. Stories address the emotional aspect. Numbers address the logical aspect. 

If an audience of angry sales agents complains about how unusable the new system is, show them how one agent has successfully adapted to the new system and new processes, and utilised it to better serve customers and close more deals. 

Address both heart and brain. 

Handling a difficult audience - tip #2

 

Being a speaker, presenter or member of a panel can be challenging, especially when you have a hostile or hungry audience. Being able to handle tough questions is a crucial skill. The tip for today: Take the offense initiative. Ask you audience questions. If you are facing an angry union demanding a pay rise, question them whether the employee performance has improved. If you are facing students demanding better facilities, question why existing ones are not being utilised. Expectations go both ways.