“Decluttering”
Have you ever stopped to ask how much “clutter” we carry daily?
By this, I don’t mean mental clutter but rather the bits and pieces that we think are vital to our day-to-day existence.
The problem is, we may need different things at different times, in different place or for different purposes in our lives. For example, if I commute from home by train to my place of work, I might need different things for a train trip than for a 10-minute car journey.
Equally, going out shopping at the weekend again needs different stuff.
Personal experience tells me that I need to declutter at least once a year. This means taking a good hard look at everything in the messenger bag I take to work every day and asking myself, “is this still necessary for my daily needs, or am I just packing it for something that’s unlikely to happen?”
I’ve watched countless “EDC” videos on YouTube where different presenters show the different stuff they carry as part of their Everyday Carry (hence the initials “EDC”). I’ve no doubt that some of these are genuinely necessary, but if we all went down the proverbial “YouTube rabbit hole”, we’d end up spending huge amounts of money on stuff that we might never actually have a use for but is there “Just in case”.
So, back to basics: I need to constantly ask myself, “Does this have a place in my bag or pocket?” Remember: the more you think you need, the more space you need to carry it, the more weight you’re carrying and the larger the bag/pack you need.
At present, there are only two items I like to have in my pocket at any time and in any place (my iPhone and a Swiss Army knife, if you must know). These respond to 98% (if not 99%) of my day-to-day, minute to minute needs.
If I step out of the house, I’ll add my sunglasses, money clip with “minimal” cash, house and car keys. I have a “MagSafe” wallet attached to my iPhone in which I keep my debit, credit and identity cards, so that’s always with my iPhone.
That’s it. Whether I’m at home or stepping out quickly, 90% of my needs are covered. My life is simple because I live in an urbanised area where stores, restaurants and other conveniences are usually close to hand and I don’t need supplies of snacks or liquids to keep going.
If, however, I lived in an extremely rural setting and the nearest town was 5 miles away, from the items mentioned above, I might well need to take water, snacks, perhaps a lighter and even extra clothing to cope with changes in the weather when going out, particularly if I was going far from any other habitation. In this case, it makes sense to take more.
The point is, depending on the situation, what we really need is going to change. There’s no point in continuing to carry something if it’s no longer needed 90% of the time we’re out.
What could you get rid of to make your life simpler, lighter (and perhaps less expensive)?
I deliver change in markets ranging from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email.
Labels: Leisure, Productivity
Star Wars
Earlier this year, I attended a 50th anniversary screening of “Star Wars: A New Hope” in Kuala Lumpur. The original was actually released in May 1977 (which technically made this the 49th anniversary but never mind) and I remember going to see it as a 15-year-old with my younger brother at a cinema that no longer exists.
Some may accuse me of being a “nerd” (or worse!) but what was fascinating was how many people of all ages and cultures had gathered for this event. Most, to be fair, were at least in their 20s or 30s and wouldn’t have seen the original, digitally un-enhanced version “back in the day”. What united us all was a love of this incredible “space opera”: the characters we all know and love and some of the most famous lines in sci-fi history (“I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”, “I find your lack of faith disturbing,” “That’s no moon, it’s a space station!”).
Some of the audience were in Star Wars costume (I wasn’t, although I did wear a shirt with small prints of one of the spaceships from the franchise).
The film was accompanied by live music by the Malaysia Philharmonic and from the first bars (the “20th Century Fox Fanfare”) to the final credits, all the music we knew and loved from the first film was instantly recognisable and performed flawlessly. At times one couldn’t hear the dialogue as it was drowned out by the orchestra but most of us knew those scenes well enough not to have to worry (and in any case, Malay subtitles were played underneath for those who needed to follow along!).
As we left, I looked around the audience. There were smiles, laughter, shared memories strangers chatting with strangers and general happiness on the faces of people who’d relived memories of their past and had been allowed to forget for a moment what was going on in the current galaxy…
What united us across age groups, nationalities, religions and cultures? Quite simply, an overriding bond of love of “Star Wars”; something that transcended all these boundaries and reminded us all, in the end, of our underlying humanity, sense of fun, childhood (in my case) but also our ability to get together no matter what our differences might be.
I deliver change in markets ranging from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email.
Labels: Leisure, Social
I Dumped the Games
Since I got my first Apple device (an iPod Touch) in 2011, I’ve always had some kind of game or games on my iPhone and tablet.
These were normally the more cerebral or strategy games, not Mario Kart, Candy Crush Saga, Grand Theft Auto, etc and I enjoyed playing them. From time to time, I tried out new games (Sudoku and different variations of Solitaire) but I found that I grew tired of them at an increasingly rapid pace.
So, this year, without making any New Year’s Resolution, I ditched my games. The result was interesting to say the least. I suddenly found that I had more time on my hands. My ToDo list began to shrink. I actually started to plan a lot more and in a lot more detail. I read.
I come from “that generation” who didn’t grow up with smart devices as the current Gen. Z, Alphas and now Betas are. I didn’t have to undergo the “withdrawal symptoms” that teenagers in some countries are feeling now as their governments ban social media accounts for under 16s or under 13s as they deem appropriate.
When my generation wanted diversion, we read books (paper ones), went outside and played with our siblings or friends if we lived in a neighbourhood (of course, it was safer at that time). We drew things, we played with that wonderful toy Lego, inventing aeroplanes, space ships and anything else that caught our imagination.
We developed the ability to think and create. There’s now some concern that technology (especially with the advent of AI) is destroying the human creative genius. Whether that’s the case or not, I don’t know. However, if Hollywood’s anything to go by, there are fewer “original” films being produced and what we’re seeing now are mostly “reboots” of films produced in the 70s and 80s before CGI became as advanced as it is.
Back to what I was saying: I don’t miss the games. They’re still sitting there on my iPhone and iPad, but if I make it through to the end of this year without touching them, I’m deleting them altogether. I think this’ll probably make me a more thoughtful and productive person (at least I hope so!)
I deliver change in markets ranging from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email.
Labels: Leisure, Productivity
A Technology Update
I’ve started using the new iPad Mini 7. I chose this after finding that my trusty iPad Pro 11” was too awkward to carry around and hold in one hand for long periods of time.
Sometime ago, I wrote about my experiences with the iPad Pro 12.9” iPad. I bought this when it first came out to see whether it could replace a desktop computer and concluded that, whilst it could duplicate and perform many of the tasks I do on my desktop, it lacked the functionality for full-time office work of the type I do. As a temporary tool for going off on weekends or even week-long trips it was fine, but any “demanding” work (e.g.: creating, formatting or manipulating complex spreadsheets, documents or presentations) was beyond it. It was also still a heavy device.
I downsized to the iPad Pro 11” and found that it had the same limitations as the 12.9”. Whilst lighter and less cumbersome than its big brother, it was still “just too heavy” after a while.
I then saw a video in which the presenter made a great point: when it comes to iPads, we’re either content creators or content consumers. My eyes were opened! I realised that, for “heavy duty” work, I used my MacBook for content creation. When it came to content consumption, that was when I used my iPad. So now I knew. Creation: MacBook; consumption: iPad.
So far, the iPad Mini 7 has proved worth the investment. This latest in the Mini series introduced welcome changes such as a faster processor (eliminating the “jelly scrolling” that many complained about with the Mini 6), more storage (the Mini 6 offered either a paltry 64GB or 128GB; the Mini 7 offers storage of 128GB, 256GB or 512GB).
It has no SIM tray, unlike its predecessor but instead is programmed for e -SIMs. For me, this isn’t a problem as I generally “hotspot” off my iPhone if I’m in a no Wi-Fi zone. My iPhone is always with me!
So what about portability and functionality? Well, no complaints about portability. The Mini 7 fits in a jacket pocket quite happily (and even trouser pockets – just). It’s also far lighter than the iPad Pro 11” for obvious reasons. I find myself reaching it continually without thinking.
Note taking on Goodnotes is also much more like taking notes in an A5 notebook as the two are roughly similar in size.
Yes, the screen’s smaller than the iPad Pro 11”, but it still provides a reasonable amount of “real estate” to read with ease and I haven’t had a problem reading news websites, “The Economist Magazine" and our local newspaper on it (I do occasionally have to zoom in though!). Other content (Facebook, LinkedIn, email) is also still comfortable to read.
General web browsing and movie viewing on YouTube or Netflix is also fine (although I do miss having a larger screen here!)
What else would I like to have seen? Apple could have integrated Face ID into the Mini 7. The touch ID button at the top right of the screen is fine, but when one’s used to Face ID on both iPhone and larger iPads, it comes as a surprise. Equally surprising was that they moved the volume buttons from the top right-hand side of the screen to the top edge. I think this is because the Mini 7 takes the new Apple Pencil Pro which would get in the way of volume buttons on the side. Obviously, they had to compromise somewhere.
Brightness is also lower than the iPad Pros and iPhone, which is a disappointment.
Conclusion? The iPad Mini 7 ticks the boxes for portability, weight and general convenience. It still provides clear viewing for both readable as well as video content.
The only real criticism I have is the lack of Face ID. Some have grumbled about the lack of a faster chip, but the current one is adequate for my modest consumption needs (I’m not a gamer so can’t comment on this).
Apple has done the bare minimum to satisfy demand for an update but could have done more. The iPad Mini will always be the “poor cousin” to the larger models - possibly what Apple wants? After all, why “cannibalise” the market for the Pro series by introducing a Mini that might be “too competitive”?
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.
Labels: Leisure, Productivity
“Foreign Influence”
From time to time I read with great amusement comments by various statesman or other influential people about the need to “purge foreign influences“ or “not succumb to foreign influences“.
At times it may be understandable: people don’t want to lose their national identity. Some comments suggest more these people are living on a different planet. Let’s see: they wake up in the morning thanks to an alarm set on their “foreign” smart phone. If they are still of the type who wish to use an actual alarm clock, it will probably won’t be made in their country.
After getting up, they (one hopes) shower using shower products made in any number of other countries, after which they dry themselves on a towel again made (most likely) in China.
They then dress in clothes made overseas (in India, Bangladesh, China or if they can afford it, Parris, Milan, Savile Row).
They then have a cup of coffee for which they boil the water in their Chinese or Korean kettle. After that, they leave the house and, if they drive themselves to work, most do so in a car made in China, Japan, Korea, Germany, the UK, or the USA.
On arriving at work (at the local subsidiary of, say, an overseas bank) they go to their desk and switch on a computer made in China, Korea, the USA. Their desk and office chair may well have been manufactured in a different country as well.
For lunch, they may well decide with their colleagues to go out for foreign food. After leaving work and driving home in their foreign car, they change and relax in front of their Japanese, Korean or European TV.
Dinner may be a simple affair: a microwaved meal, cooked in their Korean microwave. Afterwards they load the dirty dishes and cutlery into a Korean or German dishwasher. Following a relaxing cold drink from the Korean made fridge, they head upstairs to bed before beginning the whole process the next day again.
The lust to “purge foreign influences” seems characteristic of national populists and those trying to carry favour with a minority of the population.
Unless we go and live in a remote cave, “foreign influences” can no more be purged from our lives than can our hearts or lungs. Like the latter, they are an integral part. Were we to genuinely “purge” them, we’d be left stark naked, with no (or very few) possessions and probably little gainful employment.
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services
Labels: Leadership, Leisure, Social
Disconnecting
A number of employers have introduced “disconnection” policies, meaning that employees are forbidden to send or answer emails or texts outside office hours.
The idea behind this is that employees should be able to “disconnect” completely from the office and relax during their time off, rather than continually being bombarded by messages.
To an extent, I feel we’ve made a rod for our own backs. The advent of readily available email and messaging technology has naturally meant that everyone can send a long or short message in no time at all. When I first joined the workforce, we had to type memos on paper and then send them. This could only be done during office hours at the office. Now we can do it from anywhere, even 40,000 feet above the earth if our aircraft is equipped with Wi-Fi!
Some fail to appreciate that email and instant messaging are “asynchronous communication”. This means that an email may not be read immediately at the time it’s received (just like an old-fashioned letter or memo). By the time a memo had been typed out, signed, dispatched to the recipient, read and responded to, several hours or even days might have elapsed. This would be especially true if the memo had to get from one office to another miles away. Many of my colleagues have experienced firsthand those who expect instant responses to emails or instant messages they send.
Small wonder then that “disconnect” policies are making an appearance. What happened to the “old-fashioned concept” of asking oneself, when sending an email to somebody overseas, whether it was even likely that they would read it? After all it might be 3 am their time - they would be asleep!
As one who has worked for more than half his life overseas, I often find myself explaining to others that it’s pointless to send an email at (say) nine o’clock our time to the UK as it will be 2 am UK time when it’s received. We’re unlikely to get a response for another seven to eight hours, by which time it will be almost the end of “our” office hours!
The result? A game of “email ping-pong” as each side answers during their respective working hours.
We need to reconnect with the basics of timekeeping and appreciating that, in today’s increasingly connected and globalised markets, we need to once again ask ourselves, “what time is it over there?”
The answer? “Disconnect policies”. Mind you, these aren’t only for dealing with messages from the other side of the globe, but also from one’s own market. The god of “productivity” has far too many worshippers who fail to understand that they aren’t being more productive.
In the same way that going to church, temple, or whatever place of worship one frequents every week doesn’t make one a better adherent to that religion than the person who goes perhaps only on high feast or holy days, trying to fit more into the same space or amount of time doesn’t always make one more productive. On the contrary, it makes one more importunate and stressed.
Does your organisation have a “disconnect policy”? What has been the result? Are people more productive? Have you lost business, have things changed or even improved? In the words of one of my friends disconnection was
“… something I tried for the first time last year and the sky didn’t fall in and saved a LOT of time managing the inbox on the first day back”. Mind you, he works for a reasonably-sized company, rather for himself.
Perhaps disconnection may not be for everyone?
Labels: Leadership, Leisure, Productivity, Teamwork
How I Will No Longer Use Facebook
How many of us have “that friend” (or “those friends”) who post everything they do, remember, feel, eat or experience on Facebook?
I have a few. I love seeing what they’re getting up to if they have something newsworthy to say. I have difficulty in believing that my Facebook contacts care that I am “eating lunch” at (name of restaurant). Equally, I doubt they’re interested in the fact that I’m at (name the place) with no further information to go on. I also suspect they’re not particularly interested in what I’m having to eat/drink.
I once saw a meme stating “believe it or not you can do things without posting them for everyone to see on Facebook!” How true!
I follow three simple rules when posting on Facebook, namely that my posts should be:
- Interesting/informative OR
- Inspiring/thought-provoking OR
- Amusing
I wonder how “interesting” people find it that I am having a pint of beer (guilty as charged!). To put this in context, I live and work in a “dry” country, so for me being able to order a pint is a treat (and my contacts would understand that).
There’s enough “clutter” out there on Facebook, some of it best described as “completely moronic”, without us adding to it. As one wag once put it, “We used to have village idiots; now with the internet they’ve gone global!” I would rather not be numbered among the idiots…
So from now on, I shall regale my Facebook contacts with only interesting, informative, thought-provoking or amusing posts. It means that I won’t “share memories” as is the wont of many of my contacts. To me doing this seems nothing more than a desperate craving for attention (or should that be “like” emojis?).
Something else worth mentioning is that, when we meet somebody new or interview for jobs, people check us out on social media. I only use Facebook and LinkedIn but there are others who use these two along with Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, X and whatever else is out there. Not only does this make for a minefield to manage, it also means that it’s too easy to post something “contentious” and forget that it’s there. With more and more use being made of social media postings to pillory others, this strikes me as a fairly sensible move.
Do you have your own personal rules as to what you post and where?
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.
Labels: Career, Leisure, Social
Smart Watch?
From almost nothing at the start of the second decade of the 21st century, the Smart Watch is becoming the must-have accessory.
Smart watches range from low priced models to high end offerings by Europe’s premiere watch houses. Everybody has realised they need to jump on the proverbial bandwagon.
I first became aware of the smart watch round about 2010-2011. Functionality then was basic. As time went on, technology, processes and functionality improved in power and deliverables. Smart watches can now check our health, time exercise and its intensity and alert someone if we take a nasty fall. We can listen to music, we can find our mislaid smart phone, we can see weather forecasts - all on our wrists.
I went down the smart watch “rabbit hole” some years ago when I was given an Apple Watch as a Christmas gift. I loved it! As usual, Apple had entered the smart watch market late, but when they did, they produced the smart watch to define all smart watches in terms of aesthetic, functionality and accessories.
After three years of continuous wear, I discovered the inherent flaw in the smart watch. Apart from a battery that needs charging every 24-36 hours, it needs two essential ingredients to operate: processor and operating system. After about three years, when I wanted to update my watch’s operating system, I had to reset the watch as the processor and memory were no longer able to handle the new upgrades. By the fourth year my watch had become an expensive bracelet.
I have watches that are 25 to 30 years old. They aren’t smart watches but they still fulfil their primary function of telling the time. This is why one buys a watch in the first place. Everything else is a “nice to have”.
Just like computers, laptops and smart phones, the smart watch is designed with “built-in obsolescence”. Unless operating systems and the processors that run them evolve to the degree that they no longer need to be changed every few years, we will have to buy a new smart watch.
Compare this with one of my favourite automatic watches: a Rolex GMT Master 2. I purchased it just over 30 years ago. Apart from the odd service, it continues to perform admirably. It has also increased in value. One can’t say the same for a smart watch.
The smart watch is here to stay. There’s no denying that it has a place in the fitness and health monitoring industries. However, there will probably come a point for most smart watches where the incremental gains of replacing it every 3 to 4 years are outweighed by the costs of doing so. Contrast my Rolex which, if amortised over the 30+ years I have owned it, has turned out to be a better investment. I know I can sell it for far more than I could sell an out of date, smart watch!
Where does this leave us? Those who value the benefits that the various models and types of smart watch can provide will provide a market for it. Doubtless, technology will continue to improve and smart watches may last longer, not require charging every 24 to 36 hours, and be recyclable into the bargain.
Until then, I will continue to rely on my old-fashioned automatic and quartz analogue and digital watch collection for the function I need: to tell me what time it is.
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.
Labels: Leisure, Productivity
Will Handwriting Become Obsolete?
As time goes on, I find that I increasingly turn to voice recognition software for a number of my routine tasks.
This article, for example, was dictated into the “Notes” app on my iPhone, copied to a WORD document for final editing and formatting, then copied and pasted to this blog.
In one day alone, I drafted six articles using this method. The main reason was that I had decided to work from home on that day, so I was in an environment where I could happily talk into my smart phone’s microphone, and no one would think that I had lost control of my faculties!
I'm one of the generation who was taught to write first with a pencil, and then with a fountain pen. I remember my teacher being highly disparaging of ballpoint pens (“Biros” as they were commonly known at the time). In her opinion, and I believe she was right in this, biros did not result in good script. There is something about the slightly increased friction of writing with either a pencil or a fountain pen that provides more control of one’s penmanship. That said, some people can write neatly in ballpoint, so I guess it depends on the user.
Fast forward to the 90s when my son was born. He, unfortunately, learnt handwriting from a number of different teachers each with a different style and therefore writing became a trial to him rather than a pleasure or something to be used “second nature”. He far prefers to use a keyboard and can use one extremely well. He is also very articulate when he expresses himself in writing (or should that be in “keyboarding”?)
One advantage of the new voice recognition technology is that it enables those who may not be able to write (e.g. because they're physically handicapped) to communicate with the written as well as the spoken word. We can also speak into translation apps and communicate with people in another country (perhaps at times with unpredictable results).
Be that as it may, I still believe that there is a place for teaching handwriting in schools. Not as some old-fashioned, traditional, oppressive system, but rather as a means of expressing one’s creativity and artistry. My daughter writes extremely well (I am talking about handwriting in this sense), as well as creatively. Her school essays and short stories were a joy to read. Like many of her generation now, she uses a keyboard at work. Fortunately, she works in PR and excels in this industry!
Not all of us, even those who were taught to write the “traditional” way (with pencil and then with a fountain pen) will necessarily have good, let alone, legible, handwriting. I remember one amusing story my mother tells of a shopping list my father had given her. One of the items on the list was “snoozle pins” (or that’s what it looked like to my mother!)
My mother hunted high and low for the elusive “snoozle pins” but without success. When she asked my father on his return, what these were he looked blank until he saw the list and replied “Oh, shoe repairs!”
It is cases such as these that make for variety and spice in life. Had my father typed the list out and then emailed or messaged it or printed it for my mother there would have been no misunderstanding. However, as I said before, this is what life is made of. We will all be aware of stories of how illegible the handwriting of doctors is, and the difficulty that pharmacists and nurses have interpreting the instructions and prescriptions they write.
Be that as it may, I do fear that handwriting receives less emphasis. This will be a shame and possibly even a problem in the future, as we cannot always turn on our smart phone, open a Notes app, and then dictate a quick note, instruction, description, and so on. It is often much faster to grab pen and paper and scribble it down as it comes. Indeed, at my school, a method used by one teacher was to dictate notes to us in class. We learned not only to write quickly, but also to listen, memorise, and at the end of it all be able to read our notes!
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.
Labels: Leisure, Productivity, Social
Cancel Culture
I experienced a very mild incidence of ‘cancel culture’. One of my Facebook friends posted a comment on their wall about the recent incident at the Oscars in which one actor struck another. Judging from the opinions expressed on social and general news media, opinion is divided on this case.
I expressed an opinion that ran counter to that of the friend who posted. About 24 hours later, I received a message from said friend advising me that they had deleted my comment from the wall as ‘they didn’t want to start an argument on their wall’.
Our Facebook walls are our own property. They are ‘monarchies’ and we are the king, queen or dictator thereof. We have the right to say what stays on our wall and what doesn’t.
The corollary is that, if we post something in the public domain, we can expect comments. Not every person who comments may agree with us (as I’ve found). That’s what we call the right to free speech. Provided it isn’t insulting or ‘offensive’ (which can mean many different things these days) they have a right to post. Equally, removing comments with which one disagrees on one’s own posts is one’s right.
Unfortunately, there’s a diverse range of opinions on this planet. Human beings generally tend to unite into ‘tribes’ united by disparate factors such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Nationality
- Political views
- Education, etc
One has only to look at the number of Facebook groups covering a multitude of special interests to realise how many diverse ‘tribes’ there are in this world. Strength is in unity: e pluribus unum and all that…. But it means one group may disagree with another.
We can also be members of more than one Facebook ‘tribe’. For example, I can be a member of my school Facebook group, my university Facebook group, a Facebook group that unites fans of sci-fi - the list is endless.
Back to my original comment. Facebook is, first and foremost, a public forum. If we put something out in public (even if our comments are visible to ‘friends only’) it’s reasonable to expect people to react (favourably or unfavourably) depending on their point of view. Depending on the nature of the comment (I assume that it isn’t gratuitously or intentionally ‘offensive’), we can then engage in a discussion based on logic and reason, to discuss any contentious issues and agree a way forward or agree to disagree.
Thanks to social media it’s too easy to ‘cancel’ those whose values, opinions and comments disagree with us or ours. Whilst this may make us feel ‘good’ and/or ‘protected’, it means that we risk turning our social media platform into our own private echo chamber where only views that chime with ours are acceptable.
I have no problem with anyone who disagrees with me. I am happy to engage in debate as described above. However, walking away suggests a lack of the emotional and intellectual maturity to engage in rational discussion and to argue a case with another.
Looking back on history, when rulers could not come to an agreement, they usually went to war, resulting in the wholesale slaughter and/or subjugation of the subject by another power. This has been constantly repeated and is, perhaps, the ultimate ‘cancellation’.
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610
Labels: Leisure, Social
(Anti-) Social Media?
In 2021, I wrote about the pros and cons of Facebook and LinkedIn. I know there are other social media channels out there, all of which have their points.
Months on, I still wonder whether social media (SM) is really adding value to our lives, or whether it continues to act as an ‘outlet for egos’. It is certainly an effective way of reaching a large audience and has, I’m sure, benefitted a number of small businesses who use Facebook (FB) and Instagram (IG) to sell their goods.
LinkedIn (LI) seems to be degenerating into a social commentary box, where users flaunt their moral, ‘woke’ or politically correct credentials or feel that they must post at least once/week, rather than a professional network. The lines between personal and public/professional life are blurring into one (not helped, perhaps, by the coronavirus outbreak which has forced many to work from home).
We are what we post. I recently saw a video of a group of ladies shocked that the boyfriend of one of them had no social media accounts whatsoever. How do they find out about him? Is there something ‘wrong’ with him? No one thinks of actually asking one of his friends about him or of assessing his character for themselves. SM means we already have the answers we need without having to do any of the work ourselves. All that is needed is to post that someone is a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ person (and to encourage others to do the same)
SM allows us to share news, pictures and images in an instant. Inevitably, it has attracted its share of ‘undesirables’ whose sole purpose it is to spread disinformation, libel, lies or hatred. There is reason to believe that FB has been used to influence election results or focus attitudes on certain groups or people.
At best, the amount of ‘white noise’ being generated on SM is increasing, making it more difficult to follow whom one wants.
The response for some is to switch to a new platform, until that, too, becomes too ‘noisy’. Policing is, at best, light. Hardly surprising when one considers the volume of traffic generated by users. Small wonder that FB has been taken to task for allowing ‘hate speech’ and other antisocial behaviour on its platform.
We need to ask ourselves how we use SM and whether we’re actually contributing anything useful.
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.
Labels: Leisure, Social
Facebook Faux-Pas
Many of us are Facebook users; we use it to keep in touch with friends and hear their news as well as to promote our business.
Facebook has evolved over the years for better and for worse. If I’m not careful, I end up spending too much time on it. Often, this is on weeding out posts telling me that my friends “liked” or “reacted” to something, or that they’re now friends with someone or use Instagram, or some other piece of equally minor (to me) news. Then of course, there’s the continuous bombardment of advertising…
One thing that Facebook has been useful for is to show me how some people use it as a tool for self-promotion (lots of pictures of themselves and/or the wonderful life, location, partner or activity they happen to be enjoying).
Sometimes they “react” (with an “angry” emoticon) to posts from those who delight in reviling others or in spreading hatred, false news or any other number of distasteful pastimes. I’ve seen more “angry” people on Facebook than I’ve encountered in my lifetime, mainly because Facebook’s comparative “anonymity” gives them a platform to say things that they would never say to someone’s face.
I recently went through an exercise in which I “unfriended” or “unfollowed” a number of people whom I like, but from whom I hadn't heard in ages (although I saw plenty of self-promoting posts). It was a salutary experience.
Something else Facebook does for us is remind us of our friends’ birthdays (if they’ve allowed that information to be viewed). As an experiment, I set my birthday to be visible only to myself. Result: hardly any birthday wishes and less time on Facebook. I keep a diary note of the birth dates of those to whom I want to send birthday greetings and do it by email with a suitably humorous picture attached to make it personal.
Employers these days may conduct Facebook and LinkedIn searches on potential employees. Some actually ask for candidates’ usernames and passwords (that’s the time to leave). This is the same as asking to read someone’s bank statements. Peoples’ private lives are just that (private). Staff have been fired (or not hired) for posting what others deem inappropriate or “offensive” comments or pictures, so beware! It’s too easy to forget once you’ve posted something that it’s “out there” in the public domain.
Facebook is a friend and a foe. My main concern is that it “de-humanises” the personal interaction between people in general by making it too easy to “like”, wish Happy Birthday, etc with a simple click. Equally it makes it too easy to air in a very public forum views which you might not express face-to-face with little chance of “taking them back” once they’re “out there”.
In a world where interpersonal skills continue to be at a premium, one can't help but wonder how much value is added by Facebook… How do you use it to add value to your “brand”?
I've spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email . My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.
Labels: Leisure, Social, Strategy
Have You Lost Your "Why"?
People
do things because they want to do them, because they’re inspired to do them or
because they see that thing as part of a nobler cause. Sometimes all three.
Great leaders tap into these emotional states
to get “extraordinary results from ordinary people”. As a result, great businesses and other
organisations also inspire their people to achieve what sometimes seems impossible:
profitability in hard times, unwavering customer loyalty, fantastic products or
all or the above.
The key is “emotion”. People do things because they want to do them. You can “manipulate” people to behave in a
certain way, but in the end, it all boils down to a deeper driving force. People will behave in certain “desirable”
ways to earn more money (or to avoid losing their jobs), but this manipulation is
a very short-sighted, and short-term (and potentially expensive) strategy to
achieve one’s ends.
Banks incentivised certain employees at the
beginning of the 21st century through bonuses to increase
profits. The result: a slew of litigation
for unethical behaviour. Settlements to
customers and fines to regulators have decimated those profits. Reputations (corporate and individual) have
been destroyed.
Look at those organisations or businesses
that manage to survive despite
economic downturns (let alone increase profitability, market share or
both). What is it that they do to get
their staff to produce results and encourage staff and customer loyalty that at
times verges on “cult” loyalty?
If you look at non-profit organisations
(e.g. charities), how do they get people to contribute to them, to work for
them let alone go out on the street to raise money for whatever cause they
support? These people don’t get
bonuses. They may work in dingy, cramped
offices. Depending on the charity,
volunteers may face the threat of physical violence, disease or verbal abuse
every day that they go to work.
The reason (in the case of charities) is
that their volunteers and workers see that they’re working for a higher cause
that aligns with their values or what they hold precious in life. That sort of motivation comes from the
“heart”, not from the “head”. It’s the
emotions that are stirred by the “cause” that the organisation represents - the
reason WHY it exists.
Author Simon Sinek examines why many companies these days have lost sight
of the reason WHY they were founded. All
were started by an individual (or individuals) who wanted to make a difference. Bill Gates’ vision was to empower people
through use of PCs. Microsoft was the
result, but since he left, his vision has also gone and Microsoft are “just
another software company”. Walmart was
founded to help people and communities by selling low-priced, affordable goods. With the death of Sam Walton, it lost its
vision and has faced numerous legal actions as the very people it was founded
to support now see it as a predator.
What happens? Companies lose focus on their “Why” and start
focussing too much on “How” they do things to maintain profitability and the
“bottom line”. They cut processes or services,
which seem unnecessary, but to the customers are essential to their enjoyment
of the product or service and the reason they come in the first place. They lose their uniqueness.
Then customers start leaving, or complaints
rise, and these bright managers wonder why…
They justify their actions and decisions in terms of “How” they make
things “better” (mainly for the business).
They can’t relate to “why” customers came in the first place and “why”
the business was set up. They hire
consultants who again focus more on the “how” and the whole cycle repeats
itself.
Companies talk about “sticking to their
knitting” or their core business. What
they actually mean by this is focusing on the philosophy that drove their
founders in the first place. All Fortune
500 businesses started as the idea of one or two people who inspired others to
join them through their unique vision.
As the company grew, that vision got lost.
I have spent more than half my
life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to
“emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in the world financial services
industry running different service, operations and lending businesses, I
started my own Performance Management Consultancy to offer solutions for
improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses,
charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An
international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email . My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of
services. For strategic questions that
you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.Labels: Customer Care, Leadership, Leisure, Productivity, Social, Strategy, Teamwork
