The power of positive thinking

Thinking skills is one of the most underrated interpersonal skills. If you need to attain any thing in life, you need to get into the habit of cultivating good thinking skills.

Daily positive affirmations helps to boost your self esteem and confidence.  It will improve your mood, make you feel good about yourself, and make you stay focused. When your mind aligns well with good positive thoughts, it filters out negative thoughts and declutters your system of all forms of negativity.

Why then don't a lot of people practice it often? As Henry Ford rightly observed, he said "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it".

Everyday, try and think postive thoughts only. Always strive to have a positive, mental and emotional attitude towards life, about yourself and people.

7 powerful positive thinking skills

1. Watch your emotions

Use emotional intelligence to gauge the level of your emotions. Deny yourself the opportunity to be sad, moody, or allow your mind to be affected by negativity.

2. Never allow people's opinion to define you

Choose the people around you that will always infect you with positive affirmations. The people that speak positively to you are the ones that add value to your life. Never allow anyone's opinion to dictate your life. People's biased opinion of you is not a factual assessment of your capability.

3. Mind what you listen to

Be careful of what you listen to at all times. Never allow negativity to filter into your mind and dominate your thoughts.

4. Say words of afffirmation

At all times, endeavour to say positive words of affirmations to your self. Words carry power and they can accomplish good things.

5. Try new things

Get yourself busy and be creative. By being creative, it allows your brain to think in a different way.

6. Read books on motivation

Always try and read books on personal development and motivation. It expands your mind and enables you to think more positive thoughts. Your spirit will be lifted when you read about success stories of other people.

7. Be focused

In order to think good thoughts and achieve your dreams, set S.M.A.R.T goals to keep you focused. As you accomplish each goal and move to another goal, your self esteem levels will go up.

7 Tips on how to create your corporate brand

Every school or indeed, any business, needs to have a corporate identity. Just like every individual has an identity, your business also needs to have one. And it needs to be well branded.

You can build your brand on a tiny or big budget, depending on the target audience you are communicating with.

The major reason why your business needs to have a brand is because your brand is an integral part of your corporate identity.

Your customers need to know you and what you stand for, and it is your corporate identity that communicates this.

Finally, in content and delivery, your brand also needs to have a unique corporate identity. Your logo, images, website and marketing materials, needs to have a uniform and complimentary feel about it in terms of colour.

For instance, GT Bank, AIRTEL, and Nestlé have strong corporate brands due to the effective use of complementary colours.

7 ways to create your brand

1. State your core values

Clearly let your customers know about the values of your company and how this translates into doing business with your company.

Your corporate identity must communicate trust, integrity and credibility in the eyes of your customers.

Customers first buy 'into' your company (i.e, core values, mission and vision) before they buy into what you are selling. Once you are able to create this trust, your corporate brand will gradually become a recognisable and well respected one.

2. Be unique

In the first instance, the only reason why you are in business is to offer a service or sell a product. The only way to stand out from your competitors is to be unique. If you can't do this, then don't compete.

Even though Dell Computers, Hewlett Packard and Apple Plc all compete in the same market, each company is distinctively different in its appeal to their respective customers because of their unique brands.

3. Identify your market

You need to identify the market in which you will be competing.  Identifying your audience is different from identifying your audience. Once you are able to identify your market, you will then be able to seek out your target audience.

Mothercare PLC is a  company that identified a niche in the market by selling baby clothes. The company was then able to attract the expectant mothers as the target audience.

4. Branding via social media

You can brand your company by utilising all the various tools on social media. There are a lot of useful social media applications you can use to create a longer lasting brand.

Many of the major corporate companies use social media tools such as Google plus, ads, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Periscope, to boost their brands.

5. Creating content

You need to create quality content for your customers on a consistent basis. Customers first like to be informed about the benefits they will derive from a service or product, before they make a commitment to buy from you.

A global brand like Walmart creates content on Global corporate responsibility reports, annual reports, company news, events and webcasts, product reviews, etc

6. Engaging your audience

To grow and sustain your brand, it is important that you interface with your customers on a regular basis. This practice will foster a much closer business relationship between your company and your customers. Your customers will be happy to talk to you about your products or service.

Positive customer feedback on how you provided pre customer and after sales service leads to customer satisfaction.

You can engage your customers via the traditional method of suggestion boxes, email correspondence or telephone questionnaires.

Global brands like Virgin, Amazon and Google, all engage their respective customers via various social media platforms and networking groups.

7. Offer a range of products

To have a competitive advantage in your market, your company needs to constantly innovate with new products. By offering customers new products and improving on old ones, it makes your brand stronger and competitive.

At one time, Nokia was one of the recognisable brands globally. Despite its great success, Nokia stopped offering new products and this began to affect its sales and the brand.

In 2008, Nokia enjoyed the 9th position as the most valuable brand in the world. By 2011, the Nokia brand plummeted to the 81st position and in 2016, it dipped to a much lower position. The company was eventually bought over by Microsoft.

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Goal setting

Unarguably, goal setting helps entrepreneurs to have  a clear strategic perspective of the objective they want to attain. Goal setting has to be S.M.A.R.T (Smart, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-Bound) and have clarity, rather than being vague and unfocused. If the goal is not specific, it will be difficult to ascertain if you have attained them.

For example,it is better to have a specific goal that states "our business intends to increase sales performance by 20% within one year" than saying "We intend to increase sales performance".

To achieve this aim, a specific goal focuses primarily on the following questions:

1. Who are the people involved in setting and achieving this goal?
2. What specific goal do you want to achieve?
3. Where is the location of what you want to achieve?
4. What is the time frame to achieve this goal?
5. Which resources will you need to achieve this goal?
6. Why do you want to achieve this goal?

You can apply these technique to whatever goal you intend to achieve. e.g Starting your own business, losing weight, building/buying your dream house, etc.

Soundbite: Always remember that your 'dream' is a goal with a deadline.

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Staying focused on your journey to success

Until you attain success, you need to be completely focused before you get there. One of the ways you can do this is to always commit yourself to a life long process of learning and personal development. There is no quick fix.

Be focused and know what you are doing, to get you from where you are to where you need to be.

Learn to cut out unnecessary distractions that can make you lose focus. Noise is not the only type of distraction that can make one lose their focus. Misuse of time and engaging in unprofitable work can equally make you lose focus.

Time lost cannot be recaptured. Instead of a credit, it becomes a debit to what you have not achieved that day.

Being focused and committed to doing something is another form of planning. When you plan, you are invariably telling your inner mind, that you will be ready when opportunity shows up.

Proper planning enables people to SEIZE or GRAB opportunity. Lack of planning, is when people MISS or LOSE opportunity. Many people are always Passing Over Opportunities Repeatedly (P.O.O.R) because they are not ready to change.

But the important lesson to learn, aside from the knowledge and experience you will gain along the way to attaining your goal, is to remain focused. However you need to keep believing and keep moving.

Even the ANTS in their daily hustles, are focused, they plan and navigate their route, have belief, encounter obstacles, practice delayed gratification, until they accomplish their goal.

So can you.

The best way to make your dreams come true is to WAKE UP and take action TODAY. Stay focused.

Good character counts

A person with good character is respectful, trustworthy, responsible, honest and caring to everyone regardless of age, race, sex or religious affiliation.

Character should not be confused in its entirety with personality.
character. The former is bigger than the latter, because it is the sum total of honour, integrity, self discipline and behavior (personality traits) that forms the totality of good character.

Little wonder that character cannot be bought with money. It is priceless, for the simple reason that consistent self-discipline and self-control is required for anyone to develop greatness of character.

Good character all round is what builds and infuses the culture of any organization with the same team spirit. It enables them to work together and achieve greater success. Work productivity levels go up and the team bond well together

What is your own character like? Are you coachable? Do you always let your ego get in the way? Whether you work as an employee, or you are self employed, are you able to work well in a TEAM filled with people of different personalities?

Remember TEAM means "Together Everyone Achieves More". You can't go it alone. You will still need to network and connect with people no matter what you do.

As a result, synergy or team work, is about harnessing all your interpersonal skills and using it to compliment the skills of others to produce a desired result.

Finally, don't let your questionable character, ego, indiscipline, lack of integrity, lone ranger attitude, etc impede you from connecting and working with the right people to take you to the next level.

A bad character is similar to a bad attitude. As the popular saying goes, " a bad attitude is like a punctured tyre. Unless you change it, you are not going anywhere".

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The power of delayed gratification

Delayed gratification is quite simply the strong will of mind and the innate ability to resist the temptation for instant reward, and wait for a better or bigger reward later. How long it takes to obtain this reward is equally about having patience and self control.

It is a known fact that many people that practiced delayed gratification are successful with their careers, relationship, health and finances.

In other words, delayed gratification allows you to see a big picture and possibly make better choices, rather than poor ones.

Instead of rushing into buying a piece of item, into marriage, into starting a business, into dabbling into 'get rich quick' schemes or business ventures, you inevitably get burnt in the end.

5 Tips for practicing delayed gratification

1. Set a goal and a target for what you want to achieve and keep your mind focused until you attain it. It could be losing weight or buying your dream home.

2. When it comes to making MONEY, by all means acquire it, but not at the expense of your health and neglecting your family. The most important thing about making money is NOT always to spend all of it. Cultivate the habit of regular  SAVINGS.

3. It is good to take a risk at starting your own business, or investing money into a venture. However, ensure that the risk you take is a well thought out, and calculated one. Don't rush into signing any contract without thoroughly reading it through. And don't put all your eggs in one basket. Take your time to study and do your homework well.

4. Take your time to build a good network of friends and business acquaintances. Your network is your net worth, and they will impact your life tremendously.

5. Learn to appreciate good things and they will come to you if you attract them. Be patience to start small and enjoy bigger rewards later. Even the mustard seed eventually grew into an oak tree.

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Your talent is not enough

No matter how extremely good you are in your field, your talent can only take you as far as you want to go.

Your talent will not speak for you unless you are prepared to act. However, getting EXCITED about the demonstrable talent that you have will never complete you. Simply put, your talent will be stagnant unless you are INCITED to act.

Therefore, possesing talent is not enough. The conviction to put it on display for the world to see is what counts. To this end, it is foolish to bury your own talent or silenced it. You need to showcase it.

Don't think you don't have any talent at all. Even your hidden talent will be displeased to know this. Inside of you lies something great that is dormant that needs to wake up. The only way to discover it is through your passion.

Think of what you love doing that you know you can, and will succeed in. Your talent is your weapon to bless someone, change lives and to bless mankind.

Don't sacrifice your talent on the altar of idleness and inactivity. Free your talent from captivity and let it shine. Do everything possible to announce your talent to the world. And the universe will conspire to ensure the law of attraction works in your favour.

Believe in yourself. It is never too late to discover your talent. Announce your talent. Work on your talent. Make it happen.

On vocational and technical education

Evidently, vocational education has entered a new era. There is an increasing universal endorsement of the view that the traditional educational focus on college-bound students, needs to change.

The 21st century education is now focused on entrepreneurial skills, particularly those who do not have any academic inclination. 

Education is being urged to change the way it is preparing youths and adults to function in a global economy. As a result, skills acquisition  are bringing new relevance to vocational education and entrepreneurship.

To this end, there is an urgent need to meet the demands of the contemporary world of work, such as the need for multi-craft skills including information technology skills and soft skills and the adaptation to changing work situations.

Vocational education should be available as a part of lifelong learning so that young people as well as adults may prepare themselves better to enter, or re-enter paid employment or self employment.

In the main, the primary objective of all technical and vocational education and training programmes is the acquisition of relevant knowledge, practical skills and attitudes for gainful employment in a particular trade or occupational area.

The need to link training to employment (either self or paid employment) is at the base of all the best practices and strategies observed world-wide.   

There is widespread perception that:

1. The driving forces underlying advanced and advancing economies have shifted from manufacturing to the creation of knowledge and new ideas, and from corporations to individuals, and entrepreneurs, to actualize these new ideas.

2. Innovation has become the way to take advantage of globalization’s opportunities rather than being victimized by it, and the entrepreneur is the key to innovation.

Additionally, there is also a need to upgrade, expand, modernize and improve the standard of existing programs for which training is currently being provided; and for this there is an urgent need for proactive involvement of stakeholders and industries in every aspect of this development.

In recent years, in view of the rapid technological advances taking place in industry and the labour market in general, flexibility, adaptability, and life-long learning have become the second major objective of vocational and technical training.

3. The third objective, which is particularly important for the sustainable economic development of Nigeria, is to develop Vocational Training and Technical Education in all schools as a vehicle for rapid industrialization, as well as for individual empowerment.

Finally, schools need to start teaching students HOW to think and not WHAT to think. This will make students more creative, unafraid to make mistakes and enjoy learning more. They are the real entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

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Is competitive advantage still sustainable?

When it comes to competitive advantage, the premise upon which this corporate strategy is based is to create a sustainable competitive advantage over so many other competing products and companies in the market place.

This is a win win situation for customers as firstly, companies rarely enjoy a monopoly in the market these days. And those that still do, is only for a short period of time before other competitors spring up.

Secondly, it certainly affords customers the opportunity to choose which company to patronise and buy from. Nowadays, there is no such thing called brand loyalty, more so  if a customer can source for a better and highly effective product elsewhere.

Thirdly, it also gives customers the opportunity to choose products based on low cost, quality and benefits.

Or, higher costs and services (before and after sales) that makes the product price, benefits and product quality,  a justifiable and affordable one.

So then, it appears that the era of  competitive advantage is over. Customers are much wiser and they shop with intelligence these days.

It follows therefore, that companies that still use sustainable competitive advantage as a strategy, will find that they will now struggle compared to other companies who are quick to evolve and adapt to the changing demands of customers.

Evidently, this was the undoing of Nokia when they were bought over by Microsoft. Simply put, Nokia became too complacent with their corporate strategy. They failed to adapt to the changing needs of the market and move along the same pace as their competitors.

As long as the customer remains king in the market place, companies need to constantly rework their corporate strategy and remain at the top of their game, or fierce competitors will overtake them and run them out of business.

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Employees as important stakeholders

Profits and sales are good. But in the process of enjoying both benefits on behalf of shareholders,, companies should not forget to also take care of their employees.

They are equally an asset and the driving force of the company.

As important stakeholders, employees should not only be well compensated for a job well done, they should be valued and accorded job satisfaction.

In the absence of this, working employees to the bone like slaves (often times longer than the recommended labour working hours) and owing them salaries for months, will have its consequences.

Staff abseentism and sickness will be rife. Input will drop. Productivity output will also be affected.

Similarly, employee turnover will be rampant. Inevitably, this will significantly affect the market share of such companies.

The competition is extremely fierce out there in the market place.

Companies that fail to value their employees, will find out sooner or later that their most prized asset is now working for their competitors.

Worker's Day

It is good to celebrate worker's day. But that does not mean ALL workers are happy to be celebrated on a public holiday.

2. The reason is that ALL the major  concerns affecting them in the workplace  are still not being addressed.

3. One of the key areas of workers distress is their welfare. If they are not happy at work, how can they derive job satisfaction?

4. If they are not fulfilled in their jobs, how can they be productive?

5. Most importantly, labour laws should be tightened to address the lingering issues of unethical business practices.

6.Foreign firms continue to subject locals to harsh working conditions as slaves in their own countries.

7.Issues such as late payment of salaries running into six months, little or no break times, and unfair dismissals need to be addressed.

8.Added to this, there has to be an Employment tribunal to address unfair dismissals and sexual harassment in the workplace.

9.Clearly, Labour unions are not doing enough to address longer working unsocial hours.

10.No doubt, this is outside of the contractual agreement between employer and employees.

11.Unequal pay between the genders who perform the same task is another area of concern.

12.Similarly, unequal pay between a local and a foreign expatriate (whose remuneration is in dollars) that perform the same task equally needs to be addressed.

13.Employers should ensure employees are well remunerated for the work that they do.

14.They need to empower them and allow them to be creative with their work. This is where job satisfaction will come in.

15.It is heartening to note that some state governments are now willing to pay their staff well above the national minimum wage of N18,000k.

16.Lastly, the media also have a role to play in highlighting these problems in the workplace.

17.So too, do civil society groups. Their silence in grinding out this perturbing trend in the labour force, and seeking reforms is not encouraging.

18.And for employees. Anyone can pretend to work for long hours.

19.It is not the hours that you are at work that makes you productive.

20.It is the hours you put into your work that makes you an effective worker.

Happy worker's day.

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@therealolatunde