Is the personal side of our development hampering SMEs?

 

Life is an experience that everyone goes through at different levels. However, when one zooms out their view, it is recognized that the more things change the more they remain the same. Business is not only comprised of what happens during business hours, but includes what happens on the personal time of the business owner and their team members outside of the said hours. 

At the end of the day, the heartbeat of the business are the individuals who work there. Who provides the information and service so critical to its success. What would be needed to create an atmosphere of support that encourages people to have delightful experiences at work? 

For some, life at home can be hard, and they may not get the appreciation there. 

I remember serving at church, and as we greeted attendees coming to the service, some collapsed and cried when they received a warm greeting from someone who barely knew them and vice versa. 

In his book How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie states that deep down in individuals is the craving to be appreciated. The use of the word craving conveys the level of seriousness that appreciation can play in the lives of others. 

This is not to be done in a manipulative manner. We often call out people when they do things wrong, but when they do things right, we tend to behave as if that's what they are supposed to do and don't provide the accolades that may serve to reinforce positive behaviour. 

In life, our colleagues/workmates will encounter some form of tragedy. Death, divorce, accidents, and robberies are some negatives that come to mind. Others that impact positively also impact our lives and result in changed behaviours. Marriages, birthdays, and promotions, to name a few, also require some changes that others may need help understanding. 

Why would people who would support you in a particular type of business not do so should you leave to begin your own? Can it be some emotion that you would rather not discuss here? 

You have to be perceptive and discerning when you're in business. Keep learning - both formally and informally. There's not everything you need a certificate for, but learning is to fulfil your curiosity. 

Have fun while working. Your work day can take over 1/3 of your life; ensure it is not miserable. With the personal/career aspects of your life in balance. There is nothing to stop you from accelerating towards your goals. 

What does the future hold? Hope or Hardship?

 

If there's one thing that can be said, 2020 has been a year that made everyone pause and take stock. It wasn't because we were curious nor good planners, but simply we were forced into a state of reckoning. 

There were severe losses, where in many cases it, arguably, needed not happen. Many paid the ultimate price with their lives, and those who are remaining are in awe and wondering, Why?!?

Despite the hardships faced by everyone, the different attitudes of people shone through. People relied on their default values for survival. Not necessarily because they are/were uncaring, but simply because their hand was forced by the circumstances they faced and could not explain. 

Did these situations begin in 2020? A pause for reflection would reveal - NO! They began before this particular year. What happened in 2020 was that the harvest of all that we were sowing came in, and in many cases it was not what anyone would have hoped to have to deal with. 

The value systems of many may have caused their demise because of the choices they made. Some were reckless others were caring, the result however were the heavy costs that impacted - life, the economies, jobs, homes, coping mechanisms like disaster recovery, having to pivot to maintain a livelihood, and the list goes on. 

We saw many politicians and many leaders in their true light. Their behaviors make their followers bold to express their various opinions, even if they seemed far-fetched to other population segments. 

Many prayed and developed relationships with their God that was unprecedented. Why did it have to take a pandemic and other disasters/mishaps for us to make use of what was available to us all along - grace and favor. 

As we stand on the precipice of the unknown future, are we ready for 2021 or are we resigned to 2020 won? As we tend to say here in Barbados, you plan for the best and prepare for the worst. One thing is certain, where we face hope or hardship, we do so knowing that we are resilient as we were made that way. Let's expect that we will come out on the other end of the new year - capital, conquering our environment in which we are the ones who were given dominion from the Genesis of time. 

Wishing you an abundance of blessings in your future. 

Life Happens...

The days are going by so quickly, that getting on here just to do a quick post seems to be a challenge. Sure... more experienced bloggers will say, you have to schedule the time. However I'm telling you, it's just crazy how time is going by. When was the last time you had time to just stop, observe, and realize a couple of things?

I remember my last vacation like it was yesterday. Literally, days are going so quickly, I can remember things that took place 5 years ago like it was yesterday. Thing is every time I think about going on vacation, my workload increases significantly. It's like clients think I'm not going to come back. Some of my colleagues say that in order to bump revenues up, maybe we should constantly think of going on vacation. Though it gives me a chuckle, I sometimes wonder if they may be on to something.

Over the past number of months, I've been seeing people going through all kinds of changes. Is it all financial? No. But many seem to be the spin off of financial circumstances.

There are many people who are in the following situations:

• More month than money
• More ideas than available resources 
• Living pay cheque to pay cheque
• Financial strains due to family situations - death, life, marriage, divorce, growing children, aging parents, challenges that come with the job, challenges that come from being without a job, the list goes on

How are we as a people coping? This atmosphere of busy-ness seems to creating a life / lifestyle that keeps us, as a people, on the treadmill. So can we do about it? 

Every now and again, we need to stop and recreate. 

What is it that we are seeking? What keeps us going at this frantic pace? What is it that keeps so many people up at night? Surely, it can't be anything new as this seems to have been happening for ages. 

Are we doing it for - Honor?

I then did some research from a biblical perspective. It's easy nowadays with the online access to e-bibles and found the following:

• "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you..Exo 20:12
• After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! rev 19:1
• Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably.Heb 13:18 

There are many more passage on honor, but these stood out with me. 

Are we honoring honoring of father and mother as commanded that we do in Exo 20:12? Are we functioning under the shadow of the almighty so that we experience not only the salvation, but the glory and honor and power of God? How can we be close and not be affected? if we aren't affected than are we close enough? Are our lives honorable? Put another way, if we looked at ourselves from the outside, would we want to be in the company of ourselves? 

What do I mean? Many of us use these words to describe ourselves and our situations:

• stressed, rinsed out, beat, lick up, under the weather, etc. 

We behave as if we are in total control and are not accountable for the way we live. We we do realize accountability, it seems that we prefer to acknowledge what other people think rather than what God thinks of us.

If you need to recapture some measure of honor in your life, why not look in the bible at the examples that are within the word. Remove the constant panic and apprehensive by reading all of the Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth and really getting personal; knowing the contents for yourself.

Once, I had a picture of God asking me "What have you done for me lately?", like you I first thought that was Janet Jackson's song, then I realize who's the composer. I decided to get busy, cause it wasn't about all the activity that I thought it was - going to church, singing in the choir, leading classes. None of that stuff mattered. Was I leading the life that God would be proud of what what counted?

1. Was I cussing and swearing all the time?
2. Was I setting a great example for the children around?
3. Was I being an excellent example for the surrounding adults?
4. How was I ministering to those who observed me but never said a word to me?
5. Am I experiencing the life worthy of Kingdom Living?

I got a "NO!" 

I also got a here's what you need to do - Get to know me personally through my word and you will experience the lifestyle of Kingdom Living. 

Does it mean that we won't have struggles still? I hardly think so, but there hope.  

Richard Blades is a Business Consultant & Trainer who lives Barbados, West Indies. You can find me on Google Plus and Twitter my handle's richieb93