What is Viral Marketing?

Viral marketing is a form of promotion based on the free circulation of ideas via a word of mouth process. When you like something, it feels second nature to share your discovery with someone you like. Be it friends, relatives or colleagues, you get a kick out of sharing with someone else something cool that you have discovered. And in turn, those people you share something with, will do the same with their network of friends. That is what "going viral" is all about. From a marketing standpoint, "going viral" is fascinating for a number of reasons: Distribution: Viral content spreads like virus, in an ever expanding loop which may never end. For an online marketer, spreading content endlessly from person to person represents a superior strategy to promote content at a fraction of the effort and costs required by traditional marketing techniques.

Reach: A successful viral marketing campaign may exponentially increase the reach of your communications by placing you in touch with thousands of prospects which, with your traditional communication approach, you might not have ever intercepted. Awareness: The more people will see your content, the more people will know who you are, what you do, what can you offer customers. Not only: by sharing content on a specific topic you will make yourself an authority in that field and people will start naturally coming to you asking for advice and recommendations. Cost: Viral marketing is relatively inexpensive as you do not have to plan a huge budget to promote your products or start campaigns that meet the needs of all your potential customers. Once your content starts to go viral, your fans become your best marketing agents.

To help you make sense of what are the key traits and components that create the conditions for a successful viral marketing campaign, this MasterNewMedia guide shares a highly curated selection of the best analysis, reports and published research on the web on the topic of viral marketing. This guide is organized in three sections:

What is viral marketing The key principles of viral marketing Viral marketing best strategies and tactics

To be Continued stolen from Contagious Group

How to design for branding

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This is all you will ever need to know about BRAND MANAGEMENT turst me.

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Public Speaking

Today, you can make nothing less than ten thousand dollars per hour through public speaking if you are a celebrity. And making three thousand dollars per hour as a non celebrity is not uncommon. This of course does not include other expenses like hotel reservation and flight fare if you are to speak in another state or country. Those expenses will be taking care of too!

Now, why would I be killing myself trying to earn less than three thousand dollars in a month when I can make more for just talking about what I know or do? Ignorant is the right answer to that question.

Few people who had realized that public speaking is a money making vendor are diving into it. Why not you?

Oh, I understand. You can’t be a public speaker, so you think. Pastor Thomas Dexter Jakes was told he would never be on National TV because he sweats a lot, screams and makes funny gestures while preaching. But today, he’s on global TV, if there is anything like that.

Now, how can you make money from public speaking despite never done it before?

Very simple!

First, you have to be a good public speaker before you can learn the art of making money through it. To be a good public speaker, take to these tips:

Face the Crowd. Not everybody can face the crowd, no doubt about that. But everybody talks to someone. If you have ever spoken to someone before, then you can face the crowd! Your crowd could be one or two. You have to practice a lot in your secret place, then, start by facing your friends, families and so would your crowd increase and you will build your confidence.

Have a message. When the messiah walked this planet, He had a message—to unite God and humanity. When Martin Luther King Jr. turned an activist, he had a message—to stop segregation. Adolf Hitler had an unusual message—kill the Jews. So, you need to have a message. Not a negative, but a positive one. One thing you must know is that, any message you have for the people will sell in as much as it is solving their problems.

Specialize. Now, having a message is a good thing when it comes with specialization. I do not mean you need to get a doctorate to be an effective speaker. It could be a plus, but your specialization should be based on what you are doing for a living. Or what you enjoy doing. People want to hear how you have successfully managed yourself to become a success, so package your story for your audience. Donald Trumps is a successful real estate guru and would be and wannabes are paying thousands of dollars to hear him talk about his success in real estate. People want to hear your success story too.

Be your self. Now, some would-be-public speakers want to be great orators. So, they enrolled in communication or public speaking classes. Anyway, there’s nothing wrong about that if you have some money to throw away. You have to learn to be yourself. You have to learn to talk like yourself. Great orators like Abraham Lincoln never went to any of those schools; they only spoke from their heart. Learn to speak from your heart. Nobody can teach you how to tell your story, or how to captivate your audience. You have to teach yourself. And the only way to do that is by standing in front of the crowd. But if you believe you can get better through public speaking classes, good luck!

Know your personality. This is something nobody can teach you. You have to know your personality all by yourself. Public speakers are not those who fit into corporate dress like the penguins. Nope! Look yourself in the mirror. Do you feel good in tee shirt? Then wear it. Wear what you feel comfortable in. It’s your image.

Stride and gestures. If anyone is going to teach you any of these in a public speaking school, it will be a plus. Your strides and gestures are very important. You have to walk like you are just another Julius Caesar. Do you understand what I mean? You need a lot of confidence like you are about to conquer the world. While talking, your gesture matters a lot. Make use of your hands. Walk in-between the audience if you have to. Tap your feet if you need to. Wink at someone. Laugh, smile and jump if necessary. Create what makes your audience singles you out of the crowd of public speakers. I can tell a Zig Ziglar from a Brian Tracy by just looking at a gesturing silhouette. People should be able to tell yours too.

Avoid reading from your laptop or notepad. This is perhaps one of the great flaws of some speakers. If you really want to be taking serious, avoid reading from your laptop or notepad. Nobody wants to listen to your thesis. Rather, they want to be entertained and inspired. Instead of reading from your laptop or notepad, glance at it one in while. Talk from your heart like you know what you are talking about. Anybody can read from his or her laptop and you should not be caught.

Graphic pictures and stories. Principles are better explained graphically with pictures and stories. Your audience will forget the principles you are given to them. But they will never forget your graphic images and stories used to illustrate your principles. So, tell a lot of stories and use countless images in your presentation, but don’t over do it.

Smile, laugh and humor. Nobody wants to listen to you when you are not smiling or laughing out loud. Why do you think Ellen Degenere’s got more crowds these days? Because you can laugh and dance on Ellen’s Show. People want some smiling and laughing. And humor is just the key thing. Never stand in front of your crowd without some brilliant humor. People want to laugh their worries out and that is part of what they are paying you to do. Then, do it!

Interact with the audience. Whatever you do just don’t stay glued to the lectern. Move around. Interact with your audience. Laugh, tap shoulders, wink, and smile and make lots of eye contacts. It’s a plus for you anytime.

Use layman English. Except you want to be booed by the crowd, drop your grandiloquent words. Use layman English. Talk to the mechanics in the crowd and the professors will understand you. Don’t try to impress your crowd with vocabularies, you will only lose them. Be simple not complicated.

Create fluidity and transition. I am not saying talk like a parrot. But move from one point to another gracefully. Your transition is a very important part of your speech. And it conveys your message to your audience without complications.

Brand yourself. Now, if you have read through all these tips and learn from them, then you are a brand. You will be everything different from just the public speakers. You will be original and that is what makes you a brand.

Be approachable. Don’t be quick to disappear from the venue, let people have time to see you after your speech. Someone always have a question to be answered. Someone wants to give out his or her card or telephone number. You may never know where your next speaking engagement is coming from. Stick around for a while before you disappear into thin air.


Now you know what it takes to be a good public speaker, then you have to start making those grand pretty soon. Check back soon. I remain Alfred Ade-Ijimakinwa, Editor-in-Chief, Business101 magazine.

Business101 magazine…Think. Believe. Become.

Facilitation, Training, Consultation or Do it Yourself?

Facilitation, Training, Consultation or Do it Yourself?


A lot of confusion exists about the terms facilitation, training and consulting. As someone who does all three, I would like to help you understand how to keep them separate. I think the distinction is important and to understand what they are called is also important if for no other reason than that, as a manager, you know what you are buying.


I also think it is important to think of training, facilitation and consulting in two ways - what the professional intends with his or her intervention and what methods are used in the intervention. The key distinction is the intent, not the methods. The fact that similar methods are used with very different intents by trainers, consultants and facilitators is a strong point of confusion. Another way to look at this is what end product you are buying and what process is used to deliver that product.

Training

When do I send someone to training programs? When I want to have a competency, knowledge, skill or attitude that is not present or insufficiently present in the company. While there are many ways of gaining that competency or whatever, a relatively efficient way is through training. Training methodologies run from monologues (without questions and answers) to interactive, participative, learning teams and yet the goal remains the same, changes in behaviour.

Because people have different learning styles, creating a training program that meets all of these styles in some optimal way is difficult. Good training leans more and more toward providing the exact skills, etc. in the actual working situation of the client's specific location. For these reasons and others, training is becoming increasingly interactive and participative.

Consulting

When do I want to hire a consultant? When I want to use a competency, skill, knowledge, or attitude and I don't want to have it available internally in my company. When I hire a doctor or lawyer I am hiring a consultant. Again the consultant's methods run from contract, diagnosis, cure, and payment to very participative and interactive research, development and implementation processes. Frankly, I prefer the lawyer and doctor who solves the problem with minimal effort on my part, and the same might be true of a preferred consultant. Others might prefer both more participation in their own health care or in their own business solutions.

I believe the best consulting tends to be more participative using the client's knowledge about their local situation and the consultant's knowledge of methods and models in combination to create an implemented solution.

Facilitation

When do I want to hire a facilitator? When I want a group planning, model-building, team building, or decision-making process to be managed by someone outside the group. I want the facilitator to have skills in group processes and be neutral about the content of the discussion. The two reasons for hiring a facilitator are:

1. Complex or difficult group dynamics have made meetings dysfunctional.
2. A person without vested interest in the outcome needs to lead the meeting.

The methodologies used by facilitators are interactive and participatory, involving those attending the meeting in creating a solution to a problem or creating a plan. They assume that the participants have the authority and ability to deal with the problem or develop the plan.

Do it yourself (DIY)

As with converting the attic into a spare bedroom, you can hire a contractor or you can do it yourself. Three questions need to be answered "yes" for effective DIY. Do you have the skills necessary to do the job? Is it more cost effective for you to do it than to hire the job out? Do you have the time to do the job?

If you answer "no" to any of the above questions, then you might consider putting off the project or hiring a contractor, and the same holds true for hiring a trainer, a consultant or a facilitator.

Why Should You Get A Coach/Mentor?

Why Should You Get a Coach/Mentor?

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What's easier: Working toward your goals alone through trial and error, or seeking the guidance and direction of someone who's been there and done that?

The answer is obvious. When you seek the advice of someone who has been through it all before, you can then avoid the same mistakes and focus your time and energy on what truly works. That's the power of a life coach.

Imagine yourself with a set plan and just the right advice. Coaching may shave years off the time it would have taken you to reach your goals otherwise!

Here are the top 7 reasons why you need a life coach:

Builds confidence. You know you're under the guidance of someone successful and that your goals are attainable.

Guided plan. Sure, you can draft up a plan by yourself, but when you write out your plans with the help of a coach, you know you're getting a realistic plan that works! Your coach will know shortcuts and can help you stay accountable as well.

Conflicts. Coaches can help you cope with current conflicts and tensions in your life. They can also give you tips on how to avoid similar situations in the future.

Personal attention. Coaching allows you to get one on one attention so you can be personally guided along your chosen path. If you run into struggles, your coach will be there to provide much needed support and suggestions.

Dealing with challenges. Things will not always go according to plan. When you hit a snag, your coach can help you overcome the challenge and steer you back into the correct direction. You can feel comfortable knowing that you're receiving expert guidance.

Versatility. You can decide how you'd like to use your coach. Do you want help with short-term goals or long-term goals? Perhaps you'd like both.

Enthusiasm. Your coach likely has a great deal of enthusiasm for their work, which will naturally rub off on you. Sometimes it may be difficult to keep up your drive, but thankfully, inspiration is one of the main reasons why coaches exist.

Finding a Coach That's Right for You

There are a few tips you should keep in mind when searching for a coach that will mesh well with your personal style. The first concern is that your coach should have certain credentials and experience. It depends on the field you're in, but ensure you do your homework when it comes to checking up on your coach.

See if you can find testimonials and reviews about potential coaches. Ask around and try to talk to someone else who has been coached by this person. After all, a good referral is always more trusted!

Communicate with your potential coach and see what his or her communication style is like. Ask yourself whether or not you think you'd get along well with this person. Some people might think the coach is fabulous, but if you don't think you'll personally communicate well, then it may not be a good fit for you.

Make sure your coaching sessions will be conducted in a format that you find comfortable. Ask yourself whether you're the type of person that needs to meet face to face. Nowadays with technology we can communicate in many different ways. Coaching sessions can take place over the phone, email, video conferencing, or in-person.

In the end you should be proud of yourself for seeking expert help. Follow these strategies to find a great life coach for you and jumpstart your journey into the life you desire.

Coaching and facilitating – two faces of a coin

Originally By
Contagious Creativity

Coaching and facilitating – two faces of a coin

I’ve been doing facilitation for quite some time and have enjoyed the process so far. Lately I was asked to coach a group in problem solving over a number of visits. I became very interested in this concept even more as it allowed me to monitor the progress of the working group, rather than leave it to them at the end of the facilitation meeting.

Digging deeper into the subject, I read the “Coaching for Performance” by John Whitmore. According to him, “coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them”. In a way, isn’t that what facilitation is about? but rather than focus on the individual, it is a group process. facilitation also relies heavily on the group to find their own solutions, and the facilitator’s job is asking the right question, and providing a framework on how to move forward in the process. Using both compliments each other and it enriches the whole experience. A facilitator needs to start with an informational interview with the client prior to facilitation to understand the issue at hand, then the meeting happens, and a follow up could occur.

If the facilitator is an experienced coach (not necessarily certified), then the person can be even better at asking questions, provoking thoughts, bringing awareness to the client and ultimately, the client will be take on the action plan because he/she feels ownership of the solution they came up with as a group (rather than a consultant suggesting it from the outside). In a way, smart consultants can even capitalize on the benefits of using coaching skills in his/her practice.

I will use an example of a creativity model applied by some facilitators called Creative Problem Solving (CPS) and compare it the guidelines that Whitmore suggested for coaching for performance.

in the CPS, a facilitator goes through a number of steps to reach the ultimate goal of finding one or more solutions to the issue at hand. Puccio, Murdock and Mance offer one version of the model by connecting it with some of our thinking skills that we need to make it work. Following are the steps:

1. Assessing the situation (diagnostic thinking)

2. Exploring the vision (visionary thinking)

3. formulating challenges (strategic thinking)

4. exploring ideas (ideational thinking)

5. formulating solutions (evaluative thinking)

6. exploring acceptance (contextual thinking)

7. formulating a plan (tactical thinking)

whole coaching can follow the steps:

1. setting goal (ask questions to get to the ultimate goal the client has (the dream))

2. checking reality (assessing attentudes, tapping emotions, using more descriptive and detailed explanations)

3. exploring options (alternatives, assumptions, what else?, and finally prioritizing)

4. Intentions on making things work (what will you do?) – continue with questions to find the motivation behind each alternative or option and how likely it will happen.

5. conclusion (give action plan and follow up)

see? many already overlap with each other… and can easily be digested together. when I assess the situation as a facilitator, I ask questions, and when I explore the vision, I will ask “how would the situation look like if the issue was resolved?” or what’s your dream solution? this is ultimately setting goals for the client as a coachee and assuming ownership of the problem.

from the other side, it still stands still. when we are exploring options (alternatives and assumptions) we are using ideational thinking in finding all the ways that we can use. a facilitator of the CPS has an advantage here of being exposed to a number of creativity tools that will assist this stage. with many idea generation tools available, the important rule to the game is separating divergent from convergent thinking. so when we are looking for alternatives, we are not judging or even commenting on their fitness or not. we are simply generating ideas.

the conclusion in both is an actual plan and we are using our tactical thinking to find the best fit (now’s the best time for converging our options and choosing the best fit).

when we explore a challenge using, combining our individual and group coaching and facilitation skills, we create a package that will help tackle a problem from all areas, and build on the assets of the inidividual as well as the group who are dealing with it, creating awareness and responsibility for everyone.

I say it’s a winning formula.

Tested and Confirmed: 7 Steps to RICHES

Wow!!!

For the first time in a very long time, I get to blog. Feels SOOO good to the back.

Just in case u wondering were I've been.........
here's a catch up ......

I've been doing it.....moving around trying to make meaning of my life I did it, too. I walked by big houses and wondered who lived there. What did they do for a living? How did they make their money? Someday, I told myself, I would live in a house better than that.

I read books about successful people. In fact, I read every book or magazine I could get my hands on (Plus a lot of them, from www.changethis.com ). I told myself one good idea would pay for the book and could make the difference between me making it or not.

But here's one fact i find TOO factual not to challenge.

These stories are great to read about and sometimes they even inspire us.

But are they always true?

Many of us think that if we could only get our hands on the right 10 steps, we can be successful too. We believe that there is this linear process where we can read a book, and if followed, it will lead
to riches. This is why there are so many books out there with numbers in their titles like:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra

48 Laws of Power

The 17 Essential Qualities Of A Team Player

The 17 Indisputable LawsOf Teamwork

One that got my attention, The Business Laws: The 7 Irrefutable Laws That Determine All Business Success by David Eichenbaum.

How can he be so sure?

Infact how can they all be so Sure?

There are not 7 nor 777777 steps to success.

It is different for everyone. We can all get at financial success if that is our goal, but there isn’t one single path that will work for all of us.

They make it sound so Mathematical. Take for instance "The 7 Habits of highly effective people" is that suppose to be a Universal Personal development law. Commoooooon, in Nigeria alone, in Ikorodu where I stay to be specific you probably at Least 7 top survive the daily trafic, another 7 for Commodity bargaining, another 7 to keep you from being frustrated and the list is endless.

So without the 7 steps where do we begin our journey?

Well, the first thing we need to do is stop letting our egos brag about our successes and Honor Our Failures instead.

Yes...thats what I do. Tell people how I Painfully and regretably failed keeping my job at R.B.A (technically).

Failure is valuable only when we realize it is a normal part of the business and Success process, even when there isn’t always something to learn. So it does not hold us back.

The real fear and pressure in this whole process is not brought on by our competitors or other outside people. It mostly originates within us. The biggest fear we have is that someone in our position would have done better than us, made better decisions, and would have built it faster and
more profitably than we did. We believe that we should be in a different place than where we are right now, and that we would be if only we had made better decisions.

Nonsense.

Rubbish.

Errant Nonsense (as a gr8 teacher and former Boss of mine used to say).

In order to move forward in our business life—past the fear, past the failure, and yes, past the success—we actually need to just let go. Letting go is the key to gaining true business confidence—
not by holding onto what people have taught you are the keys to success, not by looking for the 7 steps. You need to let go of the idea that there is always something to learn from failure or that you can always build and duplicate your success.


To be Continued...........

www.risenetworks.org/blogs
www.risebusinessacacdemy.ning.com/ibrahimdurosimi

Decision Making

DECISION MAKING


A group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in
use while the other disused. Only one child played on the disused
track, the rest on the operational track.

The train is coming, and you are just beside the track interchange.
You can make the train change its course to the disused track and save most of the kids. However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Or would you rather let the train go its way?

Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make.................




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Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and
sacrifice only one child. You might think the same way, I guess.
Exactly, to save most of the children at the expense of only one child
was rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally.
But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the
disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe
place?

Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends
who chose to play where the danger was. This kind of dilemma happens
around us everyday. In the office, community, in politics and
especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed
for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant
the majority are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority
are. The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational
track was sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one would
shed a tear for him.

The great critic Leo Velski Julian who told the story said he would
not try to change the course of the train because he believed that the
kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that
track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they
heard the train's sirens. If the train was diverted, that lone child
would definitely die because he never thought the train could come
over to that track! Moreover, that track was not in use probably
because it was not safe. If the train was diverted to the track, we
could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And in your
attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end up
sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids.

While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need
to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always
be the right one.

'Remember that what's right isn't always popular... and what's popular
isn't always right.'

Everybody makes mistakes.

Please your reaction is needed.

Building strong Community Friendships

Establishing relationships with other members from a variety of communities is extremely vital for your community and your personal growth. This can largely determine how much your community can enjoy your life today and tomorrow. Unless your community actually has giving and caring relationships with other communities, your kind, as a whole, could probably miss out on the joys of interaction and socializing. At least take time to listen for others and watch out for them; it’s amazing how many wonders these simple gestures can do.

It is truly difficult to build up a healthy friendship with another community without having relationships of “convenience.” Remember that the essence of a true and righteous friendship is the sacrifices that you will make for one another with no expectation of gratitude or a return compliment. The sacrificing act is truly out of the feeling for the people and that feeling is unconditional in nature.

To establish strong friendships, have listening ears and open hearts so that you can partake in the emotions of the other. Being open to other’s emotions will mean that you will also end up having plenty of people with whom you can multiply your joy and divide your sorrows. This true form of friendship can eventually transform into love between members of different sections.
To continue a healthy relationship, stay away from conditions and make sure that there are no strings attached among both parties. Always be willing to help out with a mind which is totally free of any preconceived conclusions that you will receive something in return; this is probably the only actual way by which you can build strong community friendships.

Nothing can substitute or be as valuable as a caring attitude. Individual actions by a few members of your community could greatly affect members of other communities! Make time to reach out and connect with other people. While it can be easy to confine your love and care within the home and among your close family and friends, there can be no harm done by extending the same love, support and care to others outside your circle. Get out and visit places and join social clubs which are involved in helping those in need or just involved in sharing of knowledge or interests or even experiences.

Community friendships can result in mutually beneficial relationships which cannot only
promote communal understanding and love but which can also promote the most basic purposes of humanity; to be together for one and for all!

Founded in 1997, Bizymoms is one of the largest online resources for work-at-home and other everyday “mom” issues. Bizymoms offers many useful resources for moms and now information on new books by popular authors. Visit our new site to learn more about Beverly Lewis and the Amish Community - the foundation of her best-selling novels!

Six Quick Tips to Build Charisma

"Charisma is the intangible that makes people want to follow you, to be around you, to be influenced by you." -- Roger Dawson

Each person is born ethnocentric, or believing that other people and events revolve around them which is generally true for the first few years of a child's life. The focus of activity for a growing child is inward. Some people carry this inward, self-focus into adulthood. These people, so overly concerned with their own well being in a self-centered way, never learn the secrets of influence. Successful people, who want to have the power of persuasion, turn their circle of activity and interest outward. They expand their centers to be as conscious of the world around them as they are of themselves. They develop what we call, charisma.Charisma means you have learned to:

1. Act with credibility. Those who are inconsistent in their behavior repel people while those who are consistent in their behavior draw people to them. To be influential, have integrity. Speak up for what you believe, then act accordingly.Gerry Spence, one of America's greatest trial lawyers, said, "One can stand as the greatest orator the world has known, possess the quickest mind, employ the cleverest psychology, and have mastered all the technical devices of argument, but if one is not credible one might just as well preach to the pelicans."

2. Be interested. Be truly interested in the other person. Treat him or her as the most important person you'll interact with that day - a VIP, Very Important Person. Smile at them, not just for a brief, dutiful second, but for a magical two or three seconds.When you smile, lean toward the person a little, and think in your mind, "I like you. You are a great individual. I want to get to know you better." You'll be amazed at the connection and trust that will occur.

3. Extend respect. A few interaction skills that make a big difference to a respectful atmosphere in your organization include not interrupting conversations, asking if the person has time to talk, and listening to ideas.Remember not to be in such a know-it-all position or in such a hurry that you finish other people's sentences. Be sure to comment on their ideas to let them know you have really been listening, not just waiting for them to take a breath so you can jump in with your agenda.

4. Deliver sincere compliments. People you work with do care what you think about them. They appreciate your mentioning their good work. When you do recognize them, be specific in your compliments.Refrain from saying in an off-handed manner, "Oh, great work, Donna." Make it more personal: "Donna, that is the best research that has come across my desk in the last six months. Excellent work."

5. Accept sincere compliments. If a colleague comments, "Good presentation." Refrain from saying, "Oh, it was nothing." If a friend says, "Nice suit," don't reply, "This old thing? I've had it for years."Deflecting a compliment often draws unwanted attention and belittles both you and the person offering the compliment. Just say,"Thank you." You'll be pleased with how gracious you become.

6. State what you are FOR, not AGAINST. People don't like nor do they cooperate with people who they think are against them. When you are against something, the person thinks you are against them personally. Once you voice your opposition to another person's idea, you become part of the problem. It's as if a war has started with each of you fighting to be right.

When you are for something, you begin focusing on the potential for positive change. You start the process of collaboration. You become a powerful person.

Try it. Next time a colleague brings you an idea for improving the department, find something about the idea you can be for. You may find that you never have to state what you were against in her ideas because the synergy and creativity has taken a positive turn to solving the problem.

Dear Fellow Mathematicians

Everyday and time i think about you all, i cant just help but try to form that am not missing you all. Its hard and painful to think of the fact that I might never ever get to see some of you all again.

Its so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.

But 20 children cannot play for 20twenty years they say.

The Gospel truth be told,
if you folks think its all over, if you think that after convocation rice and all those light flashing devices we pointed at each other to capture images and the nearer to fake than original smiles and compliments we shared that I Ibrahim Adekunle Durosimi (a Nigeria Minister and U.N Ambassador would be) would just let you go like that. The Bad News THINK AGAIN.

Cos am stuck to you like good memories, cos that what you all bring to me Good memories.

Where should i start from, all those test and exams we wrote together plus all the dolling Voltrons we formed that never had a Red Lion, the MAT 303 and 304 we took and passed but barely understood, the MAT 308 and 208 we still till today doubt if the scripts were marked, the love shared in common for Prof. Adepoju, the unified opinion about Dr. Ajala and Dr Hansel, the Record we shared as the Set with the Highest number of graduating 1st Class and grad students, as the set that never did a Dinner Party because of lack of trust, the record setting Tour we went on, the clicks we formed, jaja sona diploma makama inexcess amongst other questionable clicks, the trophies we won from playing football, the classes we attended together the lectures we stabbed together the pranks we all played together........................

Really if i had a chance to do it all over again, I wouldn't hesitate to choose you guys again. Each and everyone of you. You are unique in your style, different in your being, outstanding in your performance, blessed in your personality, admirable in your qualities, encouraging in your approach and lovely in your looks.

It is with a heart half filled with tears of joy and a heart half empty with regrets that I, with a mix emotions of love and anger punch at my keyboard to say all this.Partly because all along when I was around you, i never really appreciated you all enough (Never miss your water till the Well runs Dry) (Never miss what you've got till its gone). And partly because there is more to you all that I still don't understand.

truth be told I will miss you all, but I beg of you, i know and we know some of you are well connected like a promiscuous NITEL Cable and some of you go are everywhere like home video posters, gathering information like a CNN reporter who needs to be promoted, anything you come across and are sure would benefit us all in our professional and personal aspirations PLEASE this is not the Exam all share it with us, there are no invigilators to arrest you, Write it on the wall of this group.

Lets for the First time in a Long time Form a Voltrorn that would work.

I have missed, I am missing and I will continue to Miss You All
Fatima Samuel Bambo Nma Bisola Onome John White Somefun Franklin SegunOshikoya Smith Pacheco Adedigba Bash Gboye and You ALL in Particular.

Lots of Love.

Can we all have a joint Val Celebration together somewhere affordable and romantic together?

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

The Personal MBA : Mastering Business Without Spending a Fortune by Josh Kaufman Business schools don’t have a monopoly on worldly wisdom. If you care more about increasing your effectiveness at work than a diploma and a few lines on your resume, the Personal MBA is for you.

What is the Personal MBA?“

You wasted $150,000 on an education you coulda got for a buck fifty in late charges at thepublic library.” — Will Hunting (played by Matt Damon), Good Will Hunting


The Personal MBA (PMBA) is an experiment in educational entrepreneurism. This manifesto will show you how to substantially increase your knowledge of business on your own time and with little cost, all without setting foot inside a classroom.
The PMBA is more flexible than a traditional MBA program, doesn’t involve going into massive debt, and won’t interrupt your income stream for two years. Just set aside some dedicated reading time, pick up a good book, learn as much as you can, and go out and make great things happen.
It’s all about the books

“ If I read a book that cost me $20 and I get one good idea, I’ve gotten one of the greatestbargains of all time.” — Tom Peters

“ The difference between where you are today and where you’ll be five years from now will be found in the quality of books you’ve read.” — Jim Rohn

At the core of the PMBA is a list of 42 books and periodicals. By investing time and effort inusing these resources, you will progressively develop a greater understanding of businessand increase your effectiveness at work. Even if you only read a few, you’ll get a substantialreturn on your investment.

thoughts on traditional mb a programs

“ Whatever be the qualifications of your tutors, your improvement must chiefly depend onyourselves. They cannot think or labor for you, they can only put you in the best way ofthinking and laboring for yourselves. If therefore you get knowledge you must acquire itby your own industry. You must form all conclusions and all maxims for yourselves, frompremises and data collected and considered by yourself. And it is the great object of [oureducational institutions] to remove every bias the mind may be under, and to give thegreatest scope for true freedom of thinking.”— Joseph Priestly, Dedication of New College, London, 1794.
The debate concerning the value of traditional MBA programs is long and involved, and thismanifesto won’t close the issue.a For the sake of brevity, here’s a short Q&A on the pros andcons of business school:

‡ Can a traditional MBA program help you? Yes. You’ll meet a lot of great people and getacquainted with a few professors and corporate HR recruiters who can help you land a new job.You will also sink very deep into debt. If you decide to enroll in a full-time program, the opportunity cost of lost wages and future investable savings is huge.

‡ Will a traditional MBA teach you anything you can’t learn by yourself? Probably
not.Classroom discussion can be beneficial, but there’s nothing presented that you can’t learn bystudying a good book on the subject.

‡ Is a traditional MBA worth the time and money? Sorry — there’s no universal answer. Ifyou’re looking to go into advanced corporate accounting, finance, quantitative analysis,commercial real estate, consulting, venture capital, or investment banking, an MBA or MS in abusiness-related field may be expected or required. In those cases, caveat emptor: once youdecide to attend, the only certainty is that your bank account will be significantly smaller.

If you decide not to go to business school, the Personal MBA is a low cost way to educateyourself about business. (Even business school graduates can benefit greatly from readingthese books.)

Before we get to the list, however, allow me to set a few reasonable expectationsabout the PMBA.
the personal mba is not:‡ A stand-alone venture. You can’t learn about business solely from books — you have tobe willing to go out and learn by doing. Whether you’re working full-time for a company orbuilding your own business, a full 2/3 of your learning will be a direct result of your day-todaywork experiences, which provide the necessary context for understanding what you read.

‡ A mindless replica of a traditional MBA program. The PMBA was created to expose youto a core set of advanced business concepts quickly and effectively. By design, it does not include anything and everything you might come across in business school. If you’re looking for a detailed analysis of the Black-Scholes option pricing model and its relationship to the volatility surfaces of certain financial derivatives, you’re going to be very disappointed.

‡ An impersonal curriculum. You’ll find more material about learning who you are, what you’re good at, and how you can work more effectively with other people in the PMBA than you will in a standard business school curriculum. There’s a reason why these topics are included here: they are skills that will really help you in your life and work.

‡ An infallible educational revelation. It’s perfectly okay if you disagree with one of the selections or think that a critical book has been overlooked. Feel free to make substitutions as you deem necessary. If you’re skeptical about the value of a title you haven’t read yet, I encourage you to borrow the book from your local library and give it a try. If you’re of the same opinion after reading a few chapters, put it down and read something else! (Life is short.)

‡ Easy. Working your way through this list will take time, energy, and persistence. There is nosubstitute for hard work and dedication.
The Selection criteriaThere is no shortage of good books about business, which made this list very difficult tocompile. Here are the five criteria used to select the resources featured in this manifesto:

>> Valuable Content. Does the book contain a lot of useful, practical information about howbusiness works, how you can add value, and why the material in the book is important?

>> Acceptable Time Commitment. Is the book a good educational value for the amount of timeinvested? Can you get the key points of each book in a few hours?

>> Self-Learning Friendly. Is this book designed to keep the reader’s mind engaged? Does theauthor present the material effectively and make the learning process enjoyable?

>> Reference Value. Will this book be a valuable resource to turn to when you need informationon a specific topic? How does the book re-read? Is it a book worth keeping for many years?

>> Comprehensive Set of Resources. Does this list cover a broad range of advanced businessconcepts effectively and efficiently? Is completing the list a realistic goal?

FIND OUT , MORE AT www.personalmba.com

contd.

Identity is fixed, transcending time and place, while its manifestations are constantlychanging.

• The Law of Will To truly live, I must express myself fullyEvery organization is compelled by the need to create value in accordance with itsidentity.

• The Law of Possibility and in this regard have much to giveIdentity foreshadows potential

• The Law of Relationship To do so I need others, and am most productive withthose who need me in return.Organizations are inherently relational, and those relationships are only as strong as thenatural alignment between the identities of the participants.

• The Law of Comprehension To establish these relationships, I must first berecognized for who I am.The individual capacities of an organization are only as valuable as the perceived valueof the whole of that organization.

• The Law of the Cycle and it follows then that I will receive in accordance with what I give.
Identity governs value, which produces wealth, which fuels identity.


The Law of Being

Case in point: ALCOA

Mission: To be the best aluminum company in the world.

Background: In the midst of diversification, the company simultaneously sought a return to its core identity - that of an outstanding aluminum company - a leader in its industry.

Lesson: No company that aspires to lead its market or industry can hope to do so without a mission that ties it’s own welfare to that of the society’s.

Communicating this mission fires up employees, giving them the passion for their work, the meaning that transcends mere profit.
How to strip away the layers to reveal Alcoa’s true identity:From reading between the lines of executive speeches, existing company literature, to probing corporate history, this author conducted in-depth interviews and analysis to find out what makes Alcoa what it is.
How to see 55,000 employees as one individual with unique skills and capabilities was anotherquestion.
The unbearable lightness of ‘being’
Alcoa was truly alive in the sense that it’s R & D, engineering and marketing arms were hummingwith energy and life. Alcoa had its heart in a patented process. The company built customersupport by effectively “packaging” information as a means of establishing authority in the field ofaluminum. Enter an Alcoa client’s office and you see shelves filled with a library of customereducation materials.
This author realized that the transformations needed for Alcoa people to be more receptive tochange were technological, product-oriented, market-oriented, and societal.
Value flows upstream.

• No matter where you are on the value chain, as provider of raw materials, manufacturer,or distributor, your identity draws its strength from the contribution you make to the life ofthe end-user.

• When people are aligned with the right organization, they are liberated to become whothey naturally are.Alcoa’s identity action plan was basically diversification and decentralization.A view to leadership

• The characteristics of Alcoa that set it apart were its synchronization, core competencies,and longevity or maturity as a company.

• The synchronization or “grand efficiency” lies in all the different parts of the organizationworking in synch.

• Its integrity lies in the social value it offers while making a profit. (Aluminum is a durableand practical material used in all types of products)

• Endurance refers to its 100-year history through the ups and downs of markets.In essence, companies are alive, and the Law of Being implies that this life can be seen ashaving several levels.

• A human value – referring to the workforce or individuals who make up the company
• A business value – in terms of the company’s distinctive contribution to the marketplacesuch as products and services that flow from and reinforce identity

• A societal value – or how it brings about social improvement in terms of transportation,food preservation, and energy

• An economic value – referring to its stock price value over time, and portfolio turnover.
“All of us also have the capacity to know our own potential – to live rather thanmerely exist.”


The Law of Individuality

Live according to who you are.

Think of this as a test of self-knowledge.

Case in point: Fidelity Investments

Two rooms. One is Ned Johnson’s elegant executive suite full of antique furniture and orientalcarpets, the other is the functional chart room where walls are papered with printouts of DowJones averages, s & p’s and statistics that are the business world’s equivalent to Morse code.
These two rooms were a representation of Fidelity’s identity: clinical accuracy alongside symbolsof prosperity, rational thinking alongside timeless beauty, and the tension between the two roomswas where the Fidelity identity could be found.
It could be outlined in private ownership as a passport to freedom, the focus on innovation andinvention, empowerment through personal judgment, and an organic cellular structure unlikeother rigid organizational structures.
Fidelity’s business is celebrating individuality.Identity action plan:

• All employees must reinforce the one-fidelity approach, emphasizing individualism

• Recruiting people who understand individualism and apply them to all aspects ofcustomer relationships.

• Instituting customer relations awards for outstanding service representatives.

• Turning Fidelity’s investor centers into full-service, storefront investment operations, with knowledgeable staff, touch-screen computers, and educational programs for first-timeinvestors as well as experienced and sophisticated ones.

• Conducting research to find out how many customers had personal computers andmodems then developing an on-line database that would provide daily fund net assetvalues and other fund information to strengthen the bond between the investor and theinstitution.


The Law of Constancy

Case in point: Korn/Ferry International

Here the author faced an executive search firm that was searching for it’s own identity. Hediscovered that the dominant identity was that of its leadership in the form of Richard Ferry, andfor the company to make the transition to Korn/Ferry would require:

• Identifying and codifying the vital characteristics the founder had instilled in thebeginning.

• Simultaneously allowing the individual himself to recede but not to be lost as the firmgrew and evolved.

• Disallowing new managers to devise strategy that turned a blind eye to the past,especially to identity-based strengths that link the past to the future

• Encouraging growth that would add to and refresh the vision of the founder

To be Contd.

continuation

Identity is fixed, transcending time and place, while its manifestations are constantlychanging.
• The Law of Will To truly live, I must express myself fullyEvery organization is compelled by the need to create value in accordance with itsidentity.
• The Law of Possibility and in this regard have much to giveIdentity foreshadows potential
• The Law of Relationship To do so I need others, and am most productive withthose who need me in return.Organizations are inherently relational, and those relationships are only as strong as thenatural alignment between the identities of the participants.
• The Law of Comprehension To establish these relationships, I must first berecognized for who I am.The individual capacities of an organization are only as valuable as the perceived valueof the whole of that organization.
• The Law of the Cycle and it follows then that I will receive in accordance with what I give.
Identity governs value, which produces wealth, which fuels identity.
The Law of Being
Case in point: ALCOA
Mission: To be the best aluminum company in the world.
Background: In the midst of diversification, the company simultaneously sought a return to its core identity - that of an outstanding aluminum company - a leader in its industry.
Lesson: No company that aspires to lead its market or industry can hope to do so without a mission that ties it’s own welfare to that of the society’s.
Communicating this mission fires up employees, giving them the passion for their work, the meaning that transcends mere profit.
How to strip away the layers to reveal Alcoa’s true identity:From reading between the lines of executive speeches, existing company literature, to probing corporate history, this author conducted in-depth interviews and analysis to find out what makes Alcoa what it is.
How to see 55,000 employees as one individual with unique skills and capabilities was anotherquestion.
The unbearable lightness of ‘being’
Alcoa was truly alive in the sense that it’s R & D, engineering and marketing arms were hummingwith energy and life. Alcoa had its heart in a patented process. The company built customersupport by effectively “packaging” information as a means of establishing authority in the field ofaluminum. Enter an Alcoa client’s office and you see shelves filled with a library of customereducation materials.
This author realized that the transformations needed for Alcoa people to be more receptive tochange were technological, product-oriented, market-oriented, and societal.
Value flows upstream.
• No matter where you are on the value chain, as provider of raw materials, manufacturer,or distributor, your identity draws its strength from the contribution you make to the life ofthe end-user.
• When people are aligned with the right organization, they are liberated to become whothey naturally are.Alcoa’s identity action plan was basically diversification and decentralization.A view to leadership
• The characteristics of Alcoa that set it apart were its synchronization, core competencies,and longevity or maturity as a company.
• The synchronization or “grand efficiency” lies in all the different parts of the organizationworking in synch.
• Its integrity lies in the social value it offers while making a profit. (Aluminum is a durableand practical material used in all types of products)
• Endurance refers to its 100-year history through the ups and downs of markets.In essence, companies are alive, and the Law of Being implies that this life can be seen ashaving several levels.
• A human value – referring to the workforce or individuals who make up the company
• A business value – in terms of the company’s distinctive contribution to the marketplacesuch as products and services that flow from and reinforce identity
• A societal value – or how it brings about social improvement in terms of transportation,food preservation, and energy
• An economic value – referring to its stock price value over time, and portfolio turnover.
“All of us also have the capacity to know our own potential – to live rather thanmerely exist.”
The Law of Individuality
Live according to who you are.
Think of this as a test of self-knowledge.
Case in point: Fidelity Investments
Two rooms. One is Ned Johnson’s elegant executive suite full of antique furniture and orientalcarpets, the other is the functional chart room where walls are papered with printouts of DowJones averages, s & p’s and statistics that are the business world’s equivalent to Morse code.
These two rooms were a representation of Fidelity’s identity: clinical accuracy alongside symbolsof prosperity, rational thinking alongside timeless beauty, and the tension between the two roomswas where the Fidelity identity could be found.
It could be outlined in private ownership as a passport to freedom, the focus on innovation andinvention, empowerment through personal judgment, and an organic cellular structure unlikeother rigid organizational structures.
Fidelity’s business is celebrating individuality.Identity action plan:
• All employees must reinforce the one-fidelity approach, emphasizing individualism
• Recruiting people who understand individualism and apply them to all aspects ofcustomer relationships.
• Instituting customer relations awards for outstanding service representatives.
• Turning Fidelity’s investor centers into full-service, storefront investment operations, with knowledgeable staff, touch-screen computers, and educational programs for first-timeinvestors as well as experienced and sophisticated ones.
• Conducting research to find out how many customers had personal computers andmodems then developing an on-line database that would provide daily fund net assetvalues and other fund information to strengthen the bond between the investor and theinstitution.
The Law of Constancy
Case in point: Korn/Ferry International
Here the author faced an executive search firm that was searching for it’s own identity. Hediscovered that the dominant identity was that of its leadership in the form of Richard Ferry, andfor the company to make the transition to Korn/Ferry would require:
• Identifying and codifying the vital characteristics the founder had instilled in thebeginning.
• Simultaneously allowing the individual himself to recede but not to be lost as the firmgrew and evolved.
• Disallowing new managers to devise strategy that turned a blind eye to the past,especially to identity-based strengths that link the past to the future
• Encouraging growth that would add to and refresh the vision of the founder
To be Contd.

Identity is Destiny

The Big Idea

Is your company suffering from an identity crisis?

Corporate identity goes deeper than simply having a logo design updated, or hiring an agency to
create a snappy tagline and ad campaign. Organizations can achieve their full potential by living
according to their true identity. The core values create a corporate identity that every individual in the organization should believe in and stand up for. A logo design may be updated with every
passing trend, but core values and practices are timeless and transcend the organization.


Who are we? What do we stand for?

Organizations that are rudderless, or going in every direction the wind blows, need to seriously
rethink their core identity. This means you are in business because of something deeper than
profit. If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything. Leaders need to recognize
corporate identity has a lot to do with your company values and everyday practice, more than the hip new brand image.

For a stronger, healthier sense of who you are, read two chapters every night,
and meet your leaders in the morning.

Drawing on years of experience consulting for a wide range of clients such as Fidelity
Investments, Maytag and Alcoa, Laurence Ackerman shares how these organizations developed
their potential to the fullest, with fresh ideas and concrete strategies for maximizing value-creating
potential.

The Identity Credo

I am alive. I am unique. I am immutable, even as I grow and evolve. To truly live,
I must express myself fully, and in this regard have much to give. To do so I need
others, and am most productive with those who need me in return. To establish
these relationships, I must first be recognized for who I am, and it follows then
that I will receive in accordance with what I give.

The Eight Laws of the Identity Credo

• The Law of Being I am alive
Any organization composed of one or more human beings is alive in its own right,
exhibiting distinct physical, mental, and emotional capacities that derive from, but
transcend, the individuals who make up that organization over time.

• The Law of Individuality I am unique
An organization’s human capacities invariably fuse into a discernible identity that makes
that organization unique.

• The Law of Constancy I am immutable, even as I grow and evolve.

To be Contd.