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Edwin.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Moving House!
Edwin.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Crazy
They call you crazy, coz they want you like them to live in conformity.
Only coz they are lazy, and don't know how to break from their monotony,
Their souls are hazy, coz they haven't discovered their individuality,
They plod daily, in a life stripped of their unique ability,
Yes when they call you crazy, it does look like a hint of jealousy.
Only coz they are lazy, and don't know how to break from their monotony,
Their souls are hazy, coz they haven't discovered their individuality,
They plod daily, in a life stripped of their unique ability,
Yes when they call you crazy, it does look like a hint of jealousy.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
7 Business Lessons From Military Special Operations Officers (Special Ops)
They are the best of the best. Every country deploys them to the hottest battle zones. While we know that these highly trained military units are prepared for battle, the same skills can also be applied in the modern day business and career field, which is a battle zone in itself. I’ll examine 7 aspects of their training and operations that can be used in the corporate world with positive results.
1) Intense Training - The navy seals have an adage that says the more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat. All Special ops training programs are designed to weed out the average recruits. The US Navy Seal, for example, weeds out 70% of participants. This training is toughened to ensure only the officers who are physically fit and mentally capable of planning and executing gruesome missions in hostile environments make it.
In business - Every firm or individual must undergo rigorous training before being deployed to work in the corporate field. Training toughens one’s mind and helps him prepare for what he’s about to face. It also helps one know what to do in different scenarios.
2) Reconnaissance - Intelligence gathering. No mission can hope to be successful without gathering information about the enemy ,terrain and the population in the mission field. Most special operations officers are trained in the language and culture of the regions they are to be deployed to.
In business - Firms regularly gather “intel” about the market they are operating in to know consumer behaviour, crucial cultural and environmental aspects, strengths and weaknesses of the competition, best distribution channels and most effective modes of advertising. A firm that has been widely successful in using the market intelligence they’ve gathered to be dominant in all the countries they operate in is The Coca Cola company.
3) Commander’s Intent - Commander's Intent is the description and definition of what a successful mission will look like. Whenever the mission doesn’t follow the same steps as rehearsed, the officers are allowed to improvise but not forget the overall objective. For example in the Zero Dark 30 mission, the intent was simple, to neutralize Osama Bin Laden. Anything else was a sideshow. The SEALS in this mission lost a chopper in the process, meaning the mission didn’t go as rehearsed but, they focused on the main goal and achieved it.
In business - Once the goals have been clearly communicated to the team members, it doesn’t matter what they do, as long as they deliver their intended results. This will prevent them being sidetracked by unnecessary side-shows and focus their energy on the most important deliverable. Keep the main thing, the main thing.
4) War Games - The special ops officers rehearse for every mission while anticipating the enemy’s reactions. They rehearse and refine their strategies before going out on a mission so as to know the best possible plan of attack.
In business - No firm operates in a vacuum. It’s important to know what the competition is doing and anticipate their reaction once you step out into any market to prepare your counter measures. Plan for the worst.
5) Adaptability and Flexibility - No matter how the special ops rehearse and prepare, the real battle field usually presents twists and turns they were not prepared for. They must therefore use their intellect and training to quickly adapt to be able to ensure they stay on course to achieve the Commander’s objective. This is why they are trained in all forms of unconventional combat and basic life support skills functional in different kinds of environments.
In business - Don’t stick to a business plan that isn’t working. You should be quick to adapt to the prevailing mood of the market. This is how Samsung has been able to be the market leader in Smartphone technology, overtaking firms like Nokia and Blackberry who thought that their phone reign would never end. Samsung was able quickly read the mood of the market, which was set when Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone, forever changing the way phones would be made.
6) Surprise execution - Special ops must be able to carry out quick and unexpected attacks. The SEALS have employed this strategy with great success in their pre-dawn raids. The Kenyans were also able to take over the Somali port city of Kismayu from the Al Shabaab by employing smoke and mirror tactics to make the enemy think their army is invading them through the main road from the Kenyan border only for them to find out that they had planned the invasion through a beach landing from the sea.
In business - Firms like Safaricom stay ahead of the game by pulling out rabbits from hats like the innovative M-Shwari. These never anticipated innovative moves are the reason why the competition always plays catch up. They never know what new product Safaricom will unveil next.
7) After Action Review - Every mission, successful or unsuccessful, has to be reviewed. The strengths and weaknesses of the mission are critically analyzed for improvement of the team. A good example is during the Nairobi Westage Mall hostage crisis. The whole scenario was caught on camera. As the operation was going on, the different military units present in the scene drawn from various countries had already started reviewing what went wrong and looking at ways to seal the loopholes that led to the crisis.
In business- No matter how successful (or unsuccessful) you have been, always review and see what part of your process or product need to be refined. Define the areas of improvement and act on it. Always remember, today’s innovation is tomorrow’s relic. Don’t be relegated to the relics.
Let your plans be dark and as impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt - Sun Tzu, The Art of War
1) Intense Training - The navy seals have an adage that says the more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat. All Special ops training programs are designed to weed out the average recruits. The US Navy Seal, for example, weeds out 70% of participants. This training is toughened to ensure only the officers who are physically fit and mentally capable of planning and executing gruesome missions in hostile environments make it.
In business - Every firm or individual must undergo rigorous training before being deployed to work in the corporate field. Training toughens one’s mind and helps him prepare for what he’s about to face. It also helps one know what to do in different scenarios.
2) Reconnaissance - Intelligence gathering. No mission can hope to be successful without gathering information about the enemy ,terrain and the population in the mission field. Most special operations officers are trained in the language and culture of the regions they are to be deployed to.
In business - Firms regularly gather “intel” about the market they are operating in to know consumer behaviour, crucial cultural and environmental aspects, strengths and weaknesses of the competition, best distribution channels and most effective modes of advertising. A firm that has been widely successful in using the market intelligence they’ve gathered to be dominant in all the countries they operate in is The Coca Cola company.
3) Commander’s Intent - Commander's Intent is the description and definition of what a successful mission will look like. Whenever the mission doesn’t follow the same steps as rehearsed, the officers are allowed to improvise but not forget the overall objective. For example in the Zero Dark 30 mission, the intent was simple, to neutralize Osama Bin Laden. Anything else was a sideshow. The SEALS in this mission lost a chopper in the process, meaning the mission didn’t go as rehearsed but, they focused on the main goal and achieved it.
In business - Once the goals have been clearly communicated to the team members, it doesn’t matter what they do, as long as they deliver their intended results. This will prevent them being sidetracked by unnecessary side-shows and focus their energy on the most important deliverable. Keep the main thing, the main thing.
4) War Games - The special ops officers rehearse for every mission while anticipating the enemy’s reactions. They rehearse and refine their strategies before going out on a mission so as to know the best possible plan of attack.
In business - No firm operates in a vacuum. It’s important to know what the competition is doing and anticipate their reaction once you step out into any market to prepare your counter measures. Plan for the worst.
5) Adaptability and Flexibility - No matter how the special ops rehearse and prepare, the real battle field usually presents twists and turns they were not prepared for. They must therefore use their intellect and training to quickly adapt to be able to ensure they stay on course to achieve the Commander’s objective. This is why they are trained in all forms of unconventional combat and basic life support skills functional in different kinds of environments.
In business - Don’t stick to a business plan that isn’t working. You should be quick to adapt to the prevailing mood of the market. This is how Samsung has been able to be the market leader in Smartphone technology, overtaking firms like Nokia and Blackberry who thought that their phone reign would never end. Samsung was able quickly read the mood of the market, which was set when Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone, forever changing the way phones would be made.
6) Surprise execution - Special ops must be able to carry out quick and unexpected attacks. The SEALS have employed this strategy with great success in their pre-dawn raids. The Kenyans were also able to take over the Somali port city of Kismayu from the Al Shabaab by employing smoke and mirror tactics to make the enemy think their army is invading them through the main road from the Kenyan border only for them to find out that they had planned the invasion through a beach landing from the sea.
In business - Firms like Safaricom stay ahead of the game by pulling out rabbits from hats like the innovative M-Shwari. These never anticipated innovative moves are the reason why the competition always plays catch up. They never know what new product Safaricom will unveil next.
7) After Action Review - Every mission, successful or unsuccessful, has to be reviewed. The strengths and weaknesses of the mission are critically analyzed for improvement of the team. A good example is during the Nairobi Westage Mall hostage crisis. The whole scenario was caught on camera. As the operation was going on, the different military units present in the scene drawn from various countries had already started reviewing what went wrong and looking at ways to seal the loopholes that led to the crisis.
In business- No matter how successful (or unsuccessful) you have been, always review and see what part of your process or product need to be refined. Define the areas of improvement and act on it. Always remember, today’s innovation is tomorrow’s relic. Don’t be relegated to the relics.
Let your plans be dark and as impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt - Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Thursday, October 31, 2013
The Main Event : Part 2
A boy came rushing into the Bethlehem town square. He was obviously quick footed, as he had outpaced the runner who had gone to fetch him. He came directly to where Samuel was and bowed down in respect to the old prophet. Samuel inspected him. He smelled of sheep and his cloak was old and worn out, but that couldn’t hide the fact that he was as handsome and well-built as his seven older brothers who were standing nearby. “You must be David”, said Samuel. “Yes I am”. “Then let’s proceed”, said Samuel with a smile. “You’re the one I was waiting for.” Samuel took his horn and poured the oil on David’s head and spoke a blessing on him. He then proceeded to carry out the sacrifice hurriedly, knowing that the main reason for his coming was already complete.
Looking back at this event, we see a few things. Nobody knew the significance of what had taken place then. Nobody in the house of Jesse even in their wildest dream thought that David would one day be king over Israel. They didn’t think highly of him, in fact they despised him even after this event. Yet this young boy is the one God had chosen because He knew he was after God’s own heart. God also knew of his abilities, he was able to fight off a lion and a bear to protect his father’s sheep. A show of loyalty which nobody else but God himself had seen.
God had chosen him to carry out His assignment to lead the nation of Israel. David wasn’t the most popular guy in his peer group, but when God qualified him it didn’t matter who agreed with His choice or not. David even had been overlooked for a ceremony which he was invited, yet by God’s design he was supposed to be the main event. The stone the builders rejected had become the chief cornerstone.
God has anointed all of us to carry out His will on earth. He’s well aware of what we can accomplish, He deposited those gifts in us. He’s confident of us completing our mission, He’s the one who’ll chart the course anyway. He’s well aware that there are many negative voices which don’t believe in us, He doesn’t need anyone else to validate His plans for our lives.
So David, in the near future would slay Goliath the champion who was feared by all Israel, skillfully play the harp for the King, become a renegade and finally ascend to the throne of Israel. What would have happened if he had allowed the dissenting voices of his family in his youth to silence him? He would have remained an unused stone, not the pillar of the nation. Ignore the voices telling you how worthless you are, and follow the one Voice which has ability to breathe life into dry bones.
Looking back at this event, we see a few things. Nobody knew the significance of what had taken place then. Nobody in the house of Jesse even in their wildest dream thought that David would one day be king over Israel. They didn’t think highly of him, in fact they despised him even after this event. Yet this young boy is the one God had chosen because He knew he was after God’s own heart. God also knew of his abilities, he was able to fight off a lion and a bear to protect his father’s sheep. A show of loyalty which nobody else but God himself had seen.
God had chosen him to carry out His assignment to lead the nation of Israel. David wasn’t the most popular guy in his peer group, but when God qualified him it didn’t matter who agreed with His choice or not. David even had been overlooked for a ceremony which he was invited, yet by God’s design he was supposed to be the main event. The stone the builders rejected had become the chief cornerstone.
God has anointed all of us to carry out His will on earth. He’s well aware of what we can accomplish, He deposited those gifts in us. He’s confident of us completing our mission, He’s the one who’ll chart the course anyway. He’s well aware that there are many negative voices which don’t believe in us, He doesn’t need anyone else to validate His plans for our lives.
So David, in the near future would slay Goliath the champion who was feared by all Israel, skillfully play the harp for the King, become a renegade and finally ascend to the throne of Israel. What would have happened if he had allowed the dissenting voices of his family in his youth to silence him? He would have remained an unused stone, not the pillar of the nation. Ignore the voices telling you how worthless you are, and follow the one Voice which has ability to breathe life into dry bones.
Monday, October 28, 2013
The Main Event : Part 1
The old man, staff in hand, wearily strolled into the town square and looked around. He was obviously a man of great importance, judging by the way everyone was treating him. In the middle of the open arena he saw the hastily built altar and stepped forward to inspect it. He stared at it for a few minutes as the wind blew his thin hair on his face. “This will do”, he whispered to a younger man who stood by his side. The second man looked at him suspiciously as his long white beard moved as he spoke. “Please bring the heifer I came with. And call all the guests I’ve invited, it’s time for the afternoon sacrifice. “
With those instructions, the other man sped off. Other invited guests started streaming into the town square while speaking in hushed tones. Prophet Samuel had told the Bethlehem residents that he had come all the way from Ramah to their city just for a sacrifice. Nobody was buying that line. They knew that God had sent him here for something big. They just hoped that it was a good big thing. Samuel keenly looked at the surprised guests trooping into the square. A thin smile broke across his face when he saw one of the old men coming flanked by seven young, tall, strong and handsome men. “Yes Lord. The main event”, Samuel whispered to himself.
When all the men had gathered in the open square he walked directly to the old man he had spotted earlier. “You must be Jesse the son of Obed”, he said. “Yes I am, highly distinguished prophet of the Lord. Your servant has come with his seven sons, just as you had commanded”, Jesse replied while bowing down in respect. “Let’s proceed then. We have something to do before we continue with the sacrifice.” Samuel opened the leather pouch he was carrying and took out his horn, which was filled with oil. At this point it dawned on Jesse what was happening. One of his sons was being anointed today! This sacrifice could be just a façade, a smoke screen to cover up the main event! Nevertheless, he composed himself and let Samuel continue with the ceremony.
Samuel asked for Jesse’s sons to be presented to him. Eliab, the oldest stepped forth. He was tall and handsome and his hands looked like those of one who was experienced in battle. His confident demeanor sealed the deal in Samuel’s eyes. “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed”, Samuel muttered under his breath as he proceeded to pour the oil in his horn on top of his head. “Stop”, he heard The Voice telling him. I have not chosen him. I’m not moved by people’s physical appearance as you are. Proceed with the inspection. I’ll let you know when he comes.” “No, that’s not who the Lord wants”, he said to Jesse as Abinadab stepped aside. He repeated a firm no as the rest of Jesse’s sons were paraded one by one before him. “Are these all your sons?” A disappointed Samuel asked Jesse. “All of them?” “Well”, Jesse replied, “technically there’s another one son, but he’s just tending our sheep. We figured out his presence is not going to be necessary here because important matters are taking place”. Samuel, now visibly angry barked at him, “Send him here. I’m not proceeding with this ceremony until he comes.”
With those instructions, the other man sped off. Other invited guests started streaming into the town square while speaking in hushed tones. Prophet Samuel had told the Bethlehem residents that he had come all the way from Ramah to their city just for a sacrifice. Nobody was buying that line. They knew that God had sent him here for something big. They just hoped that it was a good big thing. Samuel keenly looked at the surprised guests trooping into the square. A thin smile broke across his face when he saw one of the old men coming flanked by seven young, tall, strong and handsome men. “Yes Lord. The main event”, Samuel whispered to himself.
When all the men had gathered in the open square he walked directly to the old man he had spotted earlier. “You must be Jesse the son of Obed”, he said. “Yes I am, highly distinguished prophet of the Lord. Your servant has come with his seven sons, just as you had commanded”, Jesse replied while bowing down in respect. “Let’s proceed then. We have something to do before we continue with the sacrifice.” Samuel opened the leather pouch he was carrying and took out his horn, which was filled with oil. At this point it dawned on Jesse what was happening. One of his sons was being anointed today! This sacrifice could be just a façade, a smoke screen to cover up the main event! Nevertheless, he composed himself and let Samuel continue with the ceremony.
Samuel asked for Jesse’s sons to be presented to him. Eliab, the oldest stepped forth. He was tall and handsome and his hands looked like those of one who was experienced in battle. His confident demeanor sealed the deal in Samuel’s eyes. “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed”, Samuel muttered under his breath as he proceeded to pour the oil in his horn on top of his head. “Stop”, he heard The Voice telling him. I have not chosen him. I’m not moved by people’s physical appearance as you are. Proceed with the inspection. I’ll let you know when he comes.” “No, that’s not who the Lord wants”, he said to Jesse as Abinadab stepped aside. He repeated a firm no as the rest of Jesse’s sons were paraded one by one before him. “Are these all your sons?” A disappointed Samuel asked Jesse. “All of them?” “Well”, Jesse replied, “technically there’s another one son, but he’s just tending our sheep. We figured out his presence is not going to be necessary here because important matters are taking place”. Samuel, now visibly angry barked at him, “Send him here. I’m not proceeding with this ceremony until he comes.”
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