Be Different

Be different. Be unique. Be you. Be odd.

If I say you should be odd, I don't mean you should be the bad egg in the lot. Rather, be the one that inspires beautiful difference. Being different does not take much from you as an individual. It only requires you to have a sense of awareness, a sense of reasoning and understanding.

What would you categorize as one of the things that make you different from the person standing next to you?

What is it that makes great men great? One of the characteristics of great men who have made mighty impacts on history is their refusal to be molded and shaped by the world around them. Great men are great because they dare to be different. They stand for their convictions, champion the cause of justice, speak out for what is right, refuse to be intimidated or silenced--even if it costs great personal sacrifice to do so.

 

The people you hear or read about today were those that chose to be different yesterday. They have sacrificed so much to attain the position they are. Only you can write your story. Those that chose to be dormant have nothing to tell.

 

If Mark Zuckerberg did not choose to be different when his friends felt it was a waste of time, who knows what would be in existence today. Now he is one of the richest men in the world. 

If Jack Ma never persevered, he would not be the success story everyone is talking about.

My challenge to you is this, charge yourself into being different. The struggle today is the story for tomorrow. 

 

 

Earl Nightingale said; "If you want to be successful in life, simply watch what others do in a given situation, then do the total opposite. Nine out of ten times, you will receive greater reward."

Always remember, the only way to be different is to think different.

TEAM BUILDING - Meaning and Procedures

Team building is a collective term for various types of activities used to enhance social relations and define roles within teams, often involving collaborative tasks.

When individuals with similar interest, attitude, and taste come together to work for a common objective, a team is formed. Every individual contributes equally and performs his level best to meet the team targets and achieve the organization’s goal. Team members strive hard to live up to the expectations of others and successfully accomplish the assigned task. A team cannot do well unless and until each and every member is focused and serious about his responsibilities. For every team member, his team should come first and everything else later. Personal interests must take a backseat.

Team building is one of the foundations of organizational development that can be applied to any group. The formal definition of team-building includes:

• aligning around goals
• building effective working relationships
• reducing team members' role ambiguity
• finding solutions to team problems

The FOUR approaches of team building as described by Salas and his team are:

1. Goal setting: The purpose/objectives of the team should be clearly defined. This way, no member will be left out as to what they intend to achieve. Goals could be short or long termed so dont be suprised if the goal looks very easy to achieve, it could be a stepping stone for another set of goals. If the opportunity exists, the goals should be written in a very visible location so as to remind every member that they have a duty to carry out in order to attain that objective.
2. Role clarification: Every member of the team should know what their role entails. Dont assume that they know. Define them, probably together. If every member knows exactly what is expected of him/her, it will help the individual organise his plans without falling into another members plan. Roles that are not clearly defined could lead to conflict between members and possibly resignation. A friend who once worked as a front desk officer in a hotel once complained to me; "Can u imagine my boss always complained that I did not clean up the toilet in the reception. Should that be part of my job?"
3. Problem solving: This emphasizes identifying major problems within the team and working together to find solutions. This can have the added benefit of enhancing critical-thinking. A team should always understand that they are together because there is a problem that needs to be solved. Two good heads are better than one. Remember I said earlier that they have similar interest which means ideas and solutions will be generated around the already defined goals. 
4. Interpersonal relationship: Teamwork skills such as giving and receiving support, communication and sharing promotes strong interpersonal relationship. Strong interpersonal skills produces greater bond between members. Teams with fewer interpersonal conflicts generally function more effectively than others.

The effectiveness of team building differs substantially from one organization to another. The most effective efforts occur when team members are interdependent, knowledgeable and experienced and when organizational leadership actively establishes and supports the team.Effective team building incorporates an awareness of team objectives. Teams must work to develop goals, roles and procedures. When team building is prioritised, success in already knocking.

JUST KEEP MOVING

I watched a video online some time ago about getting a broad chest. I was looking to keep my current stature and not loose shape. The uploader bragged that all he did to get such huge chest was 20 push-ups a day. I watched the video in amazement as to how possible that was.

As the video ended, I decided to read through the comments section. A lot of people said it is not possible to get huge chests with 20 push-ups daily that he might have used steroids all the way. Fine, I am not here to argue that but one person’s comment caught my attention and it gave me the inspiration to finally create this blog and write this as an opening.

He said, “why are you all obsessed about the fact that he might have used steroids to complement his regimen, that is if it is even true he does only what he said.” He continued, “He might have just given someone a reason to do something, rather than do nothing.”

One can only achieve his dream if and only if he gets out of bed and MAKES A MOVE towards that dream. It is said that; “The journey of a thousand miles begin with a step”. You can never get what you want in life if the best you can do is to be dormant or relaxed. Think of a typical scenario in which you want to go out to visit a friend you haven’t seen in a long time, if you don’t get up and make a move to leave the house, you will never get to where you want to be.

No one has ever been great simply by doing nothing. There could be distractions, but always remember that you are on a journey and you have reach your destination. Keep the following in mind;

1. ·         If you don’t move, people will leave you behind
2. ·         If you move then stop moving, those you left behind will leave you behind
3. ·         If you keep moving, you will get to your destination sooner
4. ·         And lastly, you are not competing with anyone, JUST KEEP MOVING

I have made a move by starting this blog and writing this article hoping that it will inspire you to make your own move. What will your move be?