Professional services - a little insight

 

Professional services have long been the but of many jokes, particularly when it comes to the realm of consultancy. Everyone needs them, fewer want to acknowledge they have the need, and still fewer want to even pay them for their services. 

It has been observed that many don't know the difference between investment and expense. This carries forward into the way they treat their employees in the tone that they set for their organizational culture.

Too often, for those who have been willing to serve various governments, the lament often revolves around the length of time it takes to be paid. This is after being asked for in many cases rock bottom discounts in the name of nationalism and "patriotism" along with all the other glowing teams that people trump up at the time. 

Civil servants look at the sums charged and think that the money invoiced is more than their pay and, wow...that's a lot of money for one person to be making. 

Confessions, one person, especially those worth their salt doesn't make nor keep the invoiced sum. The person that you see isn't the only one working on your project. One has to employ others [yes, teams], even if they are independent contractors to assist in expediting the work quickly and efficiently. It isn't advisable to try to keep all the work for one's self when you can draw on the experiences of others who may have even more insights because they are specialists in their respective areas. 

Information is expensive to access, and unless you want free information that may be decades old and no longer relevant, it takes money to access documents which can begin with fees of US$500 and pushing north to just gain access. Sometimes after paying these fees, you may have to pay additional fees to get supporting information for what you're researching on the behalf of the client. 

Cash flow is key, and when people make glib remarks about having money to pay your commitments. Do they expect someone elses project to pay for their expenses. YES, THEY DO! Would they want it to happen to them? NO! 

When work is done for government, certain departments are quick to ask you to serve, but loathe when it comes to payment. At payment times they play the I-N-O [ I ain't know] card, and it's always with another department until you trace it and find out whose desk it is on in the processing phase. It has gotten to the stage that good, solid people who work in the realm of professional services have vowed not to do any work for government ever again, and they remain resolute to that decision. 

Government is not alone in this, private sector also has its share of skeletal disorders when it comes to paying for professional services. To draw on a personal experience, a west coast client needed services that we provided, and the conversation went well up to a point. They then said that their payment policy was 90 days after the service is completed. It's important to have standards as a small business, I responded that we were more like Chefette [a really successful local fast food chain] in our business model - you can look at the menu all you want, but until you pay for what you require, it would not be served for you to consume. We then understood each other and I never did that assignment and prevented both parties from encountering a potentially unpleasant experience. 

Professional services if employed correctly can enable your business to experience significant growth and stability. However, you have to be fair and pay properly and on time; that way everyone wins. 

Call Centres - do they help or harm business?

 

If you live in the developing world then you've probably encountered them; the impersonal, annoying, inefficient, ineffective and yet seemingly heavily used services of Call Centres. We know them so well, it does not even need a definition. 

People in other countries answering local phone calls, who are unable to offer tangible help, especially when they have no local knowledge. However, many companies turn to them since they offer a form of cheaper labour that where their official domicile is located. The service that comes from them though makes one wonder if they, the companies, really count the costs. 

Looking at the situation from a standpoint of observation, it seems these call centres activities don't reinforce the activities of the marketing department and promotions. It many instances, it seems to go completely against what the company says in its marketing material. So why are they used so much? How do they adequately fit into the profile of what a company defines as offering good service? 

Certainly within our Caribbean region various people have vented their frustration of having to deal with call centres and automated answering systems; where many companies violate their own promises since they rarely return calls to left messages. It leaves customers who are unable to get the information they require to form their own conclusions including thinking that their business is not valued by the entity. They feel inclined to take their business elsewhere. 

Then they are those that are answered, but the representative has no idea what the rules of the country are and sometimes make promises that are not honoured by the company they represent. This happened as recently as last week with someone. The elderly in particular are left dumbfounded by all the use of technology that doesn't deliver on the basic promises of the business. Agreements as we know them are constantly dishonoured; therefore we must ask are call centres helping or harming businesses? 

Please share your experiences and feedback. I'm sure that by doing so, some of these companies should take note of the feedback once they are smart and adjust their operations delivery methods to suit. 

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. 

The private/professional connection

 

In life, we see people living and working daily almost with the expectation that they can comfortably compartmentalize their lives. It seems like almost an expectation of the employer and fellow employees. Yet, on close examination, is it really realistic?

Do we take the opportunity to learn/understand what may be happening with the lives of people? They have fears, concerns, uncertainties, and challenges beyond measure that come in various forms. Many of these situations may be high with emotional content, yet the individuals are expected to conceal/downplay their personalities in order to be considered amenable by those around them. 

How can we create/is there a way to create an environment that caters to both the workers and the customers being served; where they are allowed to be human and yet cope within a professional environment?

So where does private stop and where does professional begin? There have been talks about drawing imaginary halfway lines between home and work. It doesn't work all the time. What can we do realistically that won't trivialize the entire process? 

Do you realize that privacy pertains to your profession life as much as it pertains to your personal life? Are you confidential? 

When I was growing up, there was an older person who used to call me "Secret Order", reason being they realized that I was the type of individual that I would not repeat everything I saw nor heard, especially if I wasn't told to relay a message. If I learned aspects of someone's business, it remained just that, their business. 

To this day, people seem to feel inclined to share elements of their lives they are never shared elsewhere. They never seem to think I would tell another, because I don't share experiences of others with them. Sure you would edify someone, but seldom if ever discuss anything negative. It does no one any good. 

Nowadays, it seems that with a mobile phone that has cameras and recording software has generated a movement of un-certified news hounds. People who seem willing to share for no reason other than to gossip. The information conveyed is seldom to help everyone improve, and often can seem damaging; adding stressors to already volatile situations. 

In certain work roles, you would have to manage information that people entrust to your care. It may be your role to handle that kind of information. Be careful and be CONFIDENTIAL. Do not share your work information at home and do not share your home information at work. You are an individual with many components, treat yourselves as such. As I would say while growing up, "Be a Samsonite not a cheap valise that scatters ones contents out in public". 

This is not to say I've been perfect, none of us are. We all make mistakes. As we grow from school to the world of work, we learn the differences about privacy along the way, and hopefully how to apply it in a professional setting. 

We generally tend to think of the best responses to what we should have done, after we have already taken action. Let's use the power of the pause, since it can save a lot of misunderstanding and mishaps. 

When we have moments to reflect on elements of our lives in its completeness, what would we remember? How do we think we will be remembered? Would we be able to say we are satisfied or would we have regrets? Let's look at our private/professional connections and see if we are making a positive difference in the lives of those around us. 

It's possible for you to create employment

 In this environment, there are so many seeking jobs that they almost seem preoccupied with that task. They write letters, scour the newspapers, and it seems like they want to actively seek to attend multiple interviews. It's a sort of push behaviour where you are trying to get in front the decision makers so that you are noticed. 

It almost seems like those seeking employment are hoping to get employed before they show what they are capable of doing. They are loaded with knowledge but have not demonstrated their ability to use their knowledge. Hence in the minds of prospective employers, they remain a high cost expense rather than being viewed with any value as an asset. 

In short form, many will be reluctant to pay you for having a degree. More people see the value in your ability to use the information you would have received while you studied. Many employers may not have been formally exposed to education themselves, and therefore don't adequately explain what they are truly looking for in employees/workers. 

Many people often quote, "Knowledge is power", yet it is when that knowledge it put to use that determines the true value of that said knowledge. 

To communicate you capacity for using your knowledge, it is going to be contingent on your ability to communicate effectively. How can you create an attraction of having prospective employers seek you out because you have a perceived value which they want. 

It's possible to communicate your abilities by:

• blogging - e Blogger is a free service once you have a Google account. It offers you the ability to reach a wide cross-section of people without having to leave your domicile. There are a variety of methodologies that can showcase your knowledge - Case studies, Situation analysis, Story telling, that make people think, offer inspiration, or just pull in even more information that contributes to overall communication of everyone. 
• LinkedIn - allows you to do the following: write articles, make contact with alumni, follow influential people, read articles written by others within industries/sectors that you may have an interest in. It allows you to gain practical insights so that you can find out how closely your education theory aligns with real world practicality. 
• Instagram, YouTube and other social media platforms allow you to offer practical insights as to why knowing you can be deemed desirable. Do you offer solutions rather than dwell on the problem? Though your page is yours, are you showcasing your best features that can help you gain traction as you seek employment? 

I hope that this article helps jog your thought process in your employment creation and pray that you'll be successful. Have a vision for how you want to live your life, and how you would like to be remembered. Look around out website for additional information that may be of benefit to you at www.bladesandbladesconsultancy.com Enjoy your day. 

Leadership - Thoughts and Observations

 

If we are paying attention, we would see examples of leadership in the university of life that offer lessons of consequence to all who are willing to learn. What we are about to embark upon in this article is not limited to what is being broadcast on the media; some examples can be said to be much closer to home. 

Without much ado, here we go:

• A leader should not depend on observing what he/she wants to hear, but look out for the lessons in what needs to be said to them. Do not surround yourselves with yes people. Yet, while seeking those who are frank and direct, do not tolerate rudeness from anyone. Be aware of who you are and whose you are. 
• Be clear about who you are serving; who relies on you for support, and who you can count on that offers reliability and consistency.
• Always be willing to weigh the advice you are given by your "supporters" with wisdom and clarity. 
• Ensure that you actions and reactions are consistent with the themes and messages you are supporting. 
• Be developmental always thinking about ways and means of improving those you lead and exposing them to positive opportunities for success and growth. 
• What legacy will you build and in what areas? Will you leadership build a platform that would enable others coming after you to have a foundation on which to build? Be precise about the type of organization that you want to build. 

The above list is by no means comprehensive but serves as a start for your leadership career. 

I would love to hear/read your feedback about what you think may be added and how do you see those approaches working for you. 

An Epidemic of Excellence

If we were to fight fire with fire, why couldn't we make an epidemic work for us as a region? With the recent pandemic fresh in our minds, we were able to see the impact it had on virtually every aspect of our society - commerce, trade, tourism and hospitality, healthcare, the environment and others. 

The tourism sector finally realizes that their locals are also people with spending power, and only now their backs are against the wall try to woo them in to use the products and services they sell. In many cases the locals, many of whom were treated badly before now reject them. It should be a wake up call for an industry that claims to offer hospitality, but only offered hospitality to people with foreign accents and foreign exchange. 

Hotels and restaurants clamour for industry recognised accolades of 5 star, green globe, luxury, prestigious, and the like; yet they lost to common touch of how to interact and treat their fellow citizens who work hard and save for vacations only to go overseas since they weren't appreciated in their own domicile. It's for this reason that Staycations may not have enjoyed more success than they could have. 

This was a discussion that many shared their thoughts on recently, and they were not complimentary to those who were hospitality practitioners. 

What can we do? We have to revamp the mindset of everyone in our countries.

As we learned, those of us who studied hospitality are no longer employed exclusively in tourism. We have gone into many diverse fields within which the what we learned in hospitality now plays an integral part in our careers.