Yesterday, my car got stuck in a muddy part of our acreage. With all the wheels spinning deep into the mud, I had no choice but to leave it to the expert. I called for help.

I wonder how this situation is transported in many scenarios in our lives and careers.

How many times we refuse to call for help when we should and not 'game' or 'risk' deepening our being stuck in the mire?

Most of the time:

We thought we can do it. DIY is always the first choice, anyway. Good for learning and making sure you get what you want. Safety, time lags, and wasted monies are consequences for poor planning and execution. 


We thought we don't need to bother anyone. On the contrary, before we get more into debt or trouble, we should call them now and not tomorrow.


We can survive and overcome. When was the last time, you flunk the interview/exam or going into a meeting completely unprepared and acting tentative?  There are clear consequences for misfires and trials.  Learn from the experts, become an expert, or completely walk away, because it's not your strong suit. 


The expert drove the car down in a slope and shared some kind words of instruction. He said, "Some people drive purposefully in a mud, but with not with you."

We need experts and friendly allies to help us, remind us of the things we easily forget, and steer us in the right direction.

But it all starts with asking for help. 

​Cheers!

For two weeks, I have been procrastinating in writing my manuscript.

I waited for external cues to tell me that I need to write now.

I waited for that demand to come from elsewhere to tell me that I need to start now.

I waited for the internal eureka to say that I am ready to write it.

Of course, two weeks passed and I don't have anything to show.

I should have at least 20-25 pages of material by now, or more. 

I could have enjoyed that momentum, I tell others to ride on and be carried forward.

I could be on my way to the goal of being published! 

Just as I am learning that there is no reason to wait for anyone or anything. 

Setting aside that sacred time to write is a must. 

Writers write as farmers farm and dancers dance.

There is no excuse that is great enough not to write. 

So now,  I write, will write and will continue to write until this is done. 

And write some more! 

​

Frustrated, defeated, and feeling that there are no options left but to quit?

This post is not about that, but when does quitting becomes an opportunity to get on track or refine one's vision of life, work, career, or business.

Quitting or the process of quitting opens up the possibility to give chance to reinvention and self-affirmation;

Quitting or the process of quitting clarifies your own contributions, the strength that you brought to the table and the qualities and assets that you can take wherever you go;

Quitting will identify who the real friends are and who aren't: they will provide the insights of your contribution without you asking them for it;

Quitting releases the drive to make the most of what you had and gathers the strength to move on with things that you want to continue building and enhancing;

Quitting earlier than later means that you are taking control and that frees you up to do the things that you love and want to do;

Quitting can be a dramatic exit which you can leverage in an organization where the stakes are high and you can make a big difference out of leaving;

Quitting does not mean that you will not try again in the future. It is not definitive as long as your reasons are clear and that you don't burn the bridges to future interactions.

Before you quit, ask yourself, how can my quitting helped me become a better person, professional, and entrepreneur? 

Quitting isn't always a bad move! It can be the most liberating to do when you know how to bring the best out of a seemingly bad situation. 

​

Are we there yet? The little boy asked his parents from the back of the van. Eager to get into the destination, he forgets that the trip itself is one big adventure.


Like that little boy, some of us are still persistently asking the authorities, our leaders, our neighbors, the statisticians, or any one who wants to care, "are we there yet?" in terms of economic recovery. 

Are we at the tail-end? in the mid-wing? or completely out of it without us realizing or feeling different? Statistics do not say much. Perception is reality. 

Instead of asking 'are we there yet' what can we do right now to steel up and get going despite and in spite the economic woes we are experiencing as a province, with policies left and right that try to suppressed our natural resources and gifts, and the kinds of leaders bent on reversing all the decades of economic development we had built. 

All these taken together should give us the fodder to 
-strategize not only to survive but to grow, beat the competition, and dominate our markets;
-define our value proposition and solicit more feedback from our loyal customers;
-now is also the time to invest not hoard 'precious dollars' to help us bounce back better when the boom is back;
-seriously create a mindset that takes setbacks as good feedback; 

This 'are we there yet? persistence could be driving all of us mad.

Let's stop this whining and moaning to realize we are creating our doom and gloom prophesies. We have the agency, volition, and control within our leadership roles to get back on the right track.

​
Did I say stop whining?

Just completed my presentation at the annual CSAE Conference here in Vancouver. Lots of learning, networking, and building up the Canadian association sector's assets.

At the end of my speech, there is always something for everyone.

Well, when all else fails, the right diagnosis can lead you to the right solution.

• Is it a strategy issue? re-visit your grand vision.
• Is it a planning issue? Had planning taken over strategy? Re-rig the plan.
• Is it an implementation issue? Do we have the resources and accountability? Re-cast your leaders and resources.
• Is it a communication issue? Re-engage the audience.
• Is it a culture issue? Moving an inch, rather than a  mile. Re-vitalize it again.

If you haven’t failed, you might done so cautiously that you have not done at all, then doing so might be failing by default- JK Rowling


​
​

The recent local headline shocked me today. A city is complaining that another bigger city had stolen jobs from them by giving millions of money to a Corporation so that the Corporation can create more jobs in their city.

Well, this is the case of dumb management. I thought the municipality is responsible for job creation through enabling the economic environment to actually become the best environment to get, hold, and maintain jobs and employment for all citizens. 

Now what is happening is the worst case of identity crisis and totally misunderstood mandate. Governments should not manipulate the market to create jobs for people. The bureaucracy is already a big employer in itself. Cities, town, and municipalities should get their hands off the companies and corporations who are more than willing to receive the taxpayer's monies for any reason.

So  this "you want to buy me a job so that I can get a job" is distorting the market, colluding with corporate entities, and imposing enormous risks for citizens. There is no limit to stupid ideas being peddled as innovations or new ideas. What is obvious is the lack of creativity, innovation, and ingenuity of our current municipal leaders to think that by 'throwing more monies, you can let things appear just like that.'

No way Jose! Job creation is a complex results of systems integration of market forces that encourage entrepreneurialism and risk-taking in the atmosphere of favorable business environment. Sans that, small businesses who are the top job creators end up being squeezed to death even before they can launch successfully. 

Who is the one laughing its way to the bank now?


All Rights Reserved. GSC 2019