Do Business Well

The human touch is going to come back into fashion. It will (yet again) become the differentiating factor between services. Computers can deliver lousy service pretty much on their own. The very best of humankind needs to be coaxed and coached out into the open. People need to be showcased and supported.

On the way to the virtual world some businesses have a lapse of memory — it’s a kind of ‘Honey, I forgot the people‘ approach. Others adopt an Animal Farm like ‘machine is good, people are bad’ approach. If they adopt the attitude of pigs they should expect to end up as bacon.

Every business should understand that at heart the internet is not a machine, it’s the interaction of millions of people. In the end someone still says ‘I have something for you to buy’ and someone still replies ‘I would like to buy it’. The technology simply represents one set of people trying to sell to another group of people. Continue Reading »

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No matter how many books you read, how many training programs you attend, or how many meetings you run, you can always improve your facilitating and recording skills. Professionals in any field know this. Famous athletes or performers are constantly experimenting, trying new techniques, striving for perfection which they know, no matter how hard they work, no one can attain. Even if you’ve been fortunate enough to receive professional facilitation training, if you want to become a topnotch facilitator or recorder, you will have to continue learning by yourself. Continue Reading »

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A separate, vital family question: Am I being a hero to my kids?

In 1998, MTN gave Mike a sponsorship to motivate matric students throughout South Africa. Mike went into schools and spent time with the students. He asked them what their biggest source of stress was. Guess what their response was? Their parents. Not exams, not the future, not the job market, their parents. Many of the kids told Mike that their fathers and mothers were suffering from extreme stress.

They said that their houses were places of tension and uncertainty. And this home strife was affecting their academic performance. Continue Reading »

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Many people have a simple money management philosophy: “If I have it, I spend it till I don’t have it.” Others are so good with money it makes you sick. These are the ones who save every penny they’ve ever found, then buy a new Porsche on their sixteenth birthday. Assuming you didn’t trade your pennies for a Porsche, here are some tips to help you spend less and get more for your money.

(Not) Spending Tips

I’m guessing that you’re a pro at spending money. The trick that’s harder to master is not spending money. Try these tips.

Ask Why

“Why do I want to buy this thing?” It’s amazing how silly some of your purchases look when you ask that question. Continue Reading »

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