The Power of A Gift

A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.
Proverbs 18:15-17





It's that time of the year again. Many companies are winding down for the Christmas hollidays, work is slowly grinding to a halt and the decorations are on full swing.

In most offices, you are definately going to be greeted with a lot of smiles, greeting cards and sweets. This is one season where gifts are exchanged in large volumes. You get to see cars stuffed with hampers racing through streets to be delivered.

I did take my time to think about this unique phenomenon and it occured to me that the concept of giving gifts is a very deep and value tool for retaining customer loyalty and etablishing patronage in the coming year.

Whatever you do, don't under estimate the power of ''thank you''. The power of ''thank you'' goes beyond words. It should be backed by an act, because, it is an act of appreciation. Guess what, words can become common. You can barely count the number of "thank you's" you get a day. If you don't believe this, then sit back, take a pen and write the number of "thank you's" you got last week.

You see, people want to be appreciated. They feel special when they get a birthday card on thier birthday. They feel loved when you throw them a supprise party on thier birthdays or wedding anniversaries. Trust me, your client will never forget when you send  him/her a Christmas card, a cake, pen or a gift pack (no matter how small). They will remember one thing - ''that company or person thought of me''.

So, in the spirit of Christmas, write out the names of your key clients, family members, friends et al, get a gift wrapped and send it along with a card because that gift is definately going to am make a way for you in 2012. Its not a waste, it is an investment in the new year.

Till we meet again, keep winning.

David Chiaka

Twitter: @MrChiaka

The Will To Succeed

"Life is not a race. It is not a 100 meters race, it is a journey" Pastor Moji Isaacs





A long time ago, I worked with an Uncle of mine in 1994 (I had to spend 2years at home as I awaited my NYSC call-up). I remember clearly as I left the office and reached the famous Mushin bus stop. I remember how I stood still and watched the mad  rush that characterizes this mega city called Lagos.


The rush was unbelievable. People maneuvering through ice cream sellers, on coming buses and other people. I just smiled to myself as I strolled to the bus park.


I have often wondered why people rush so much in this city. The Bus drivers rush, the cab men rush, everyone rush-rush. Well, I have always said this to myself, "nobody drives home and takes the road with him".

It really isn't how far but how well. To succeed in life, there is a place for patience. You must have a teachable spirit. What I mean is, you must have an attitude to learn. Learn from those who have succeeded. Ask yourself - "how did he/she do it?" Do not be in a hurry to join the rat race.

Who says you have to put in 10 years of active service to be the next best thing? If you learn from those who have gone ahead of you, it means your success rate doesn't have to take that long.

You may also have to learn those things you have a silent passion for (acquire a skill or improve yourself academically). Did you know that the late Steve Jobs (The Apple founder) had a passion for Calligraphy? He actually took time to study this, and this was part of the secret recipe for the Apple I phones.

Did you also now that The Late Steve Jobs was also sacked as CEO of the Apple corporation? Well The Board hired him again and he took the company to new hieghts.

I say this, the will to succeed is in you. Failure is not an option.
Learn from the best, improve yourself by acquiring or pursuing your secret passions and never fall down and out. Until you bring out the best in you, never let go. Keep going, find what you love doing and keep going to you get it right and till you are perfect in it.

Till we meet again, remember this, failure is not an option.

David Chiaka

Genie In A Bottle

“When a man wants to do something, he finds a way. When he doesn’t, he finds an excuse.” David Chiaka

The concept of the genie in the bottle is derived from Arabic folklore. In summary, it is about people who are privileged to have a deity trapped in a lamp. Whoever is in possession of the lamp has power over this deity such that upon the release of this deity, the person is granted a certain number of wishes. In some vein, we need such genies in the office place or as special advisers to political office holders. These genies make things happen.

I am from a country with a lot of challenges. Nigeria is said to be one of Africa’s giant continent. With a population hitting over 165million citizens, very rich in ‘black gold’ (crude oil), and various material resources, one would expect that the emerging intellectual class would steer the nation from an age of darkness (economic waste and corruption) into an era of light (infrastructural & economical development).

Alas, this is not so. I have always had a solution oriented mindset towards any issue (call me a genie). This is seen in the type of company I keep and the way I do my work. So it is very annoying when I see the inability of The Government of this great nation to resolve certain basic issues that affect the citizens of the country called Nigeria.

Let’s look at security. Since the emergence of the present democratic regime, the celebration of his victory saw an increase in sectional killings in the northern part of Nigeria such that a militant group emerged. This group has brought chaos and fear like none other in the history of this great country. The question is not whether the Federal government can restore order. I believe they can. I however am lost as to if they want to restore order or if vested interests are resisting such efforts.

With the launch of Nigeria’s successful second satellite, we need to ask if this satellite can be deployed for security use amongst other things. There comes a time when physical strength is not enough to win a fight. There is also a place for wit and intellect. That is where technology comes to play.

There is a need for a new crop of information technology personnel in the police force. Their task is simple, track, identify and provide evidence to convict offenders and bring crime and terror to the barest minimum. These IT personnel of the police should be deployed to regional offices around Nigeria. There is great need to embrace technology. CCTv’s should be deployed on streets, satellites should also be used to track and the data base of Nigerians should be in the possession of this team for the identification of criminals.

So the question now is, who do people call in times of emergencies? Simple, call centers should be set up in every state along with emergency telephone numbers through which citizens can call in and report ‘crime in progress’. Above all, the police need shooting ranges for target practice (in police stations). We don’t need 10 cowardly police men with big machine guns, we need 1 efficient police man with a pistol who knows what to shoot, where and when. The project looks big, but considering the amount of billions being wasted, we must ask ourselves if we want to solve Nigeria’s security challenges or not.

Nothing is impossible, if you will only believe. In the same vein, in whatsoever we find ourselves doing, minimize the excuses for failure and look out of ways to get the job done. Ask questions, and listen to the remarks of your critics. Many times, the voice of your critic is the answer to your greatest challenge. Above all, don’t be afraid to do the right thing especially when you know you have been wrong.

I do hope we can learn from all that has been said. Till we meet again, keep winning.

David Chiaka

Zebra Crossing

The most sensible people to be met with in society are men of business and of the world, who argue from what they see and know, instead of spinning cobweb distinctions of what things ought to be.

- William Hazlitt

 
I was privileged to host some of my colleagues from Siera Leone over the weekend and they amused me as I drove through the famous city of Lagos, Nigeria. They were either clutching firmly to their sit or clapping enthusiastically as I meandered through buses, road intersections and traffic. They asked me why everyone drives so ferociously in this West African mega city and I had to explain things to them.

You see, the majority of Lagos drivers feel cheated that's why we drive ruthlessly. The streets and roads of Lagos are guarded by the "Lagos State Traffic Management Agency" aka LASTMA, well these guys are supposed to be arrest traffic offenders but the worst of these traffic offenders (bus drivers) have been in existence long before their creation. Thus they seem above the Law. It is painful when you have to queue up in line only for a bus driver to drive past a long queue to the very beginning and get waved through by the same LASTMA official(s) that is supposed to arrest a traffic offender. So you see? The Lagos driver has evolved to beat the system. Its more like saying, if you can't beat them, join them.

However, this is not an advisable approach to life. We must learn to stop at Zebra crossings for people to cross over. Do you know people look at you as strange when you do this in Lagos? Drivers have become callous as to zoom past "the red light" on intersections. It is only when there is some form of authority to enforce compliance that drivers obey. Some habits are destined to fail. Have you ever wondered why with all the rush these bus drivers do, they never seem to have attained anything in life? Have you ever wondered what the networth of a driver will be or ought to be? Think!

There is a place for discipline in self actualization. If you want to be a million dollar business man, you have to be very disciplined. You must stand for something. Your word must be your bond. You must have core values that define you. It must be that when your name comes up in a discussion, people can say something like- "that guy is dependable" (and sight examples to substantiate this).

Those that have chosen the path of indiscipline and corruption have left behind legacies of shame and disdain. We have a history of corrupt leaders in the past that have left billions of ill gotten wealth and a family in dis array. Their names are now associated with shame. However, successful people are known for particular lifestyles. They wake up at certain times, they dress is a particular way, read particular books, keep to time etc take time to watch them.

I encourage you to stand for something. When you go to a friend and family member to give you a loan to do business, let it be that they know at the back of their minds that you will be disciplined enough to see that business through and repay their loan. Do not be known as a defaulter.

Maybe you can get a group of friends together and assess each other by writing out traits that you are known for. At the end of such an exercise you can work on the bad things you are known for. Take this as an O.T.I. ie "opportunity to improve" . Refuse to follow the crowd. Be somebody different. 

 

Till we meet again, believe in yourself, stand for something positive and keep winning.

David Chiaka

The Log In Your Eye

"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people". -Eleanor Roosevelt



On Friday 21 Oct, 2011 I was returning from a send off party in honor of my colleagues and I was accosted by a Police man who asked me to identify myself. A lot went through my mind in a millisecond. My thoughts raced from evasive anti-bribe tactics to mentally reconfirming the validity of my vehicle particulars to even items in the trunk of my car. Trust me, the Nigerian Police are smart and you have to always be mentally ahead of all likely answers and counter answers.

Well, to my surprise, after telling him my name in full, he asked for my drivers licence which I gave to him and he asked me for my state of origin. Now that was odd! My senses were on red alert and I wondered where this 'man in black' was going with these line of questions. I did tell him and guess what! He digressed into the question of my religion. Strange fellow I thought. This I told him and he pressed forward to find out what my place of worship was? Now, at this point, I was curious because this Police man needed something. I did tell him what my place of worship was and then he engaged me in a discussion.

Contrary to my "pre-police phobia" this particular officer had a vacuum that needed to be filled. He hungered for information which a privileged few could provide. I did provide him with the information he needed and he was truly happy as he bid me fare well. I dare say, he is the first Policeman that didn't try to rip me off.

Over the weekend, our little conversation and the relief on the face of the Policeman as he waved me off  made me think about a lot of things.

It is a fact that Africa has many issues ripping at the heart of this ancient continent. It is true that Nigeria has its own share of stomach churning headaches. Many sleep in fear for insecurity, wake up to the threat of fuel subsidy removal and the dreadful aftermath of the post-subsidy era. I even read a blog post of an up coming 'revolutionare' this weekend. This fellow had all the conspiracy theories in his blog. All I could say was 'wow'!

I however refuse to approach challenges by the populist approach of complaints and accusations. I am a solution oriented person. The thing is, there is always a solution. For every challenge the solution is right in the middle of it. Why get into a heated argument of how things are not working when you refuse to excersise your franchise and change things. Well if you think you can do better, then get on a political platform and contest for an electoral position.

Why waste all that energy and whine when you can make a difference. If you are not ready to be the change that your constituency is looking for, then keep quiet. You have no right to complain if you are not ready to get up and change things.

I believe in change. I believe things change for the better or for worse. I believe the ability to make things change for the better is through a properly thought-out process and most often when you seek the 'sincere' opinions of others and acting on those opinions.

Many times we are not any better than the people in government that we criticize. We have first class graduates from Universities that are governed by school cert holders. If you think you know better, then go and contest at the grassroot level (L.G.A. Counselor), prove yourself worthy and rise through the ranks. Dr Dora Akunyili did it, so why can't you?


So next time, before you openly condem those in power, ask yourself two things:
1.  Would I truly do the same thing they are doing or worse?
2.  Can I make a difference? If yes, stop complaining, contest at the polls and make that difference.

We must challenge ourselves to make things work. The complaints are not working. If it was, things would have changed. So before your remove the speck in your neighbours eye, do me a favor and get rid of the log in your own eye so till we meet again, don't just complain, do something to change things for the better. Till we meet again, keep winning.

David Chiaka

Battle field of the mind

"Instead of fighting for or against something that doesn't matter anyway, simply live the reality of it, learning and growing." Ralph Marston


A long time ago, I was sent to my village in the South Eastern part of Nigeria to learn my language, culture and complete my secondary school education. As I reflect now about my encounter with my people, I thank my father for that important initiative because it has played a major role in changing my mindset.

Contrary to what you may think, my experiences actually gave me a deeper reflection as to why people do the things they do? For instance, I was opportuned to meet a particular character. He was from my kindred which meant he was an 'Uncle' of mine (its an African thing). His name was Uncle Onyewuchi. Now this man had an in-depth knowledge of the culture and history of my village. He was very brilliant and I looked forward to every rare moment to catch up village history.

Now there was a twist to his personality, the thing was that Uncle Onyewuchi was a drunk. He was only sober for at least 30minutes a day, and that was usually when he woke up and had to walk briskly to the local pub to get high on whatever mixture could do the trick. This man did magic with drinks. And he was the only personality that had the right alcoholic formula to knock you out in 10minutes flat.

You see, this man had the potential to being the greatest historian the world had ever seen. In fact, he had a Bsc in History and instead he chose to live a lifestyle of debt and drunkenness. his lifestyle worried his immediate family so much that they got him a wife, paid her dowry on his behalf and locked him in so he could procreate. As funny as this may sound, he died 6months later. His kidney failed him, his lineage ended and his wife returned.

I chose to share the story of Uncle Onyewuchi because, I have been opportuned to meet very stubborn people who come to me for counseling. They are head strong in their ways and thoughts. These people go round in routes that are obviously not producing results. And I would do anything humanly possible to help re direct their thinking because until this is done, they will be doomed to a life of pain and suffering.

You see, the greatest battles of a man's life is won and lost in his mind. There is a place for education, there is a place for adapting into the real world and there is a place for applying all that you have learnt into your work environment. However, you need to know where you are going as you journey through life. This is where you need a guide. now, your guides may come in the form of your Pastor, Imam, Parent, relative or even an 'Uncle Onyewuchi". Your guide is your teacher, trainer, role model or even the lesson itself.


Please don't think of me as harsh, but if I never had a dream of a future, I definitely knew how I did not want to end up. I see wisdom everywhere, its on the street, in the market place, in the office, everywhere. Have you ever wondered how come the man laboring with heavy weights of loads under the sun (all day) earns meager income as compared to the man in the office monitoring market trends, convinces a group of investors and makes the next billion under three hours. Now tell me what you think?

You need to make up your mind as to what you need in life and how you want to end up. When you make up your mind, choose your guide carefully because your guide will either make or mar you.

So here is my advise to you. Stay focused. Look around you and see. So often we look without seeing. What do you want to make out of life? President Jimmy Carter in a BBC talk show said his next achievement "is to wipe out guinea worm from the face of the planet". Can you believe that? Wow! Now that is a man with conviction. Be like that, be motivated for a greater goal in life.

Till we meet again, stay focused, get your priorities right and keep winning.




David Chiaka
 Follow me on twitter: @Daveo211

Stand still in the rain

"From the top government official to the artisan on the street, we all can make a choice for a change". Pastor Chris Oyakhilome (ROR 7 Oct, 2011)
 


When I left my home to work on Friday morning, little did I know what the day had in store for me. The moment I parked in the lot by 7:00am, I wasn't given the opportunity to recline my car seat, listen to my usual radio news and catch a 30min nap (at the same time). The reason was because of an unusual barrage of taps on my windscreen. It was unusual because the sky was crystal clear.

Anyway, I know enough about the city of Lagos, Nigeria not to try to predict the temperament of its weather. So off I went to earn my daily pay. You see, I consider my self amongst the blessed few to have a job. I don't intend to work for anyone in the next 2 years, but right now, it a learning process and guess what, am getting paid for it (chuckles).

As I looked through my office window, and as I watched the weather's frown go from bright to gray, I prayed for a brief rain because I really wasn't ready for another gridlocked traffic. I had just survived one the other night.

I was jolted into reality by a call from an old friend who had a wife, 2 kids and his rent was due. I couldn't pick his call because I knew what he wanted. He needed me to help him get a job. Honestly, this was really beyond me. He was 45yrs and didn't have a proper work experience. Yes, He was amongst the millions of Nigerian men who needed to make the world better for their children (at least).

Everyday, I hear the justified complaints about The Governments inability to provide an enabling environment for its citizens. I know things can be done right- fact. The effect of wrong decisions are as visible as day light. However, we may choose to fight the system in different ways. We can lend our voice to the multitude of complaints around us or we can take advantage of the things put in place to ameliorate poverty.

If you are unemployed and are reading this, maybe you are a fresh University graduate? Trust me. You stand a better chance of being the next best thing the world has ever seen.Now, go and understudy a good photographer in your neighborhood.

Have you heard of any schools of skill acquisition in your area? Well what are you waiting for? Walk right in, go get an application form, go and learn something. Learn how to make suits. There are millions of business men who are money smart and would like to patronize a good product at a reasonable price. You just be the best suit maker.

Do you love cooking, go and improve your catering skill, your friends have birthday celebrations every year. All you need to do is distinguish yourself in a friends birthday party and your recommendations will come from that circle of friends that you keep.

Maybe you have a knack for arranging stuff, you have an eye for excellence, then go learn event management. I have seen horrible wedding planning. Color rioting interior, bad food servicing et cetera. We need you to do a better job. Start in your family members wedding celebration, do it in your church for free. Guess what, you are enhancing your skill and someone will notice this. Your next big break may just come from this.

Listen, the world needs a better service provider. My Pastor (Rev Chris Oyakhilome) says something that is a fundamental principle for wealth creation. He says "look out for a human need, and reach out to meet that need". If you do this, it will shock you at how big and prosperous you will become.

Now stop complaining and look out for a need and meet our needs. Trust me, the worlds needs are insatiable and constantly evolving. The world has moved from water to bottled  mineral water, from spiced drinks to "Coca-cola" back to spiced drinks. So stop the complaints, adopt this approach and fight the system.

Until we meet again, be the best at what you do and don't forget to keep winning.

David Chiaka

Surfing through Mountains

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle


I once was accosted by a young gentleman who wanted to know how I had become so rich and powerful. Well this bothered me. It did, because I saw myself as still aspiring to that supposed "limbo of wealth". This young man needed my help, he wanted to know if I was amongst the fortunate few who were probably born into wealth.

Well, I guess I must have shocked him with my answer (chuckles). You see, (I said to him), I didn't just arrive, it was all a process. I started off getting a good education (to University level), after which I had to understudy how to make reservations in a travel agency (without getting paid for months), then I tried marketing some sound recoding equipment on a meager salary (which I had to stop because I lost the soles of my shoes while crossing a major road in Lagos, Nigeria). Then I got a job with British Airways, moved to Kenya Airways, then moved to a financial institution to service their protocol need.

The young man was satisfied when I told him that this was just a process and I had not arrived. He got it at this point.

Now, If you are reading this, and you are in the position of the young man I spoke with, then let me break things down into 6 steps:

1.  Get an education: Now it doesn't matter whether its a University degree or a Polytechnic diploma. You need to get an education. Education does something to your reasoning. It changes your approach to handling challenges. You will reason differently from an uneducated fellow in any level of work.

2.  Acquire a skill: Guess what, don't plan to work for nobody. Get a skill as one who intends to be his own boss. We get heartbroken when we go for job interviews and we never get that call to come work. A skill is the one thing no living being can take away from you. Learn to make shoes and be the best shoe maker the world has ever seen. Learn to bake, sow clothes, something, anything. With the right education, nothing will be able to hold you back.
Even if you end up working for an organization, use your time there to enhance your skill.

3.  Get work experience: Part of the process of skill enhancement is your work experience. At this stage of your life, you must see yourself as preparing for the next big thing which is to start up your own business. If you have this mindset, your office challenges will be done differently. In fact, the way you respond to that "bully boss" of yours will be more different. At least, you will know one thing- this is just a stage in my life.

4.  Add Value: Whatever it is that you do, do it excellently well (to the best of your ability). You might get cautioned for errors or probably a query, but guess what, tell yourself this, "I am getting better''. Continue until you are the best. But above all, go the extra mile. Don't just get the job done, dot all 'i's, and cross all 't's and go beyond the norm to make your boss or customer happy. Work till you hear the word excellent or well done from that boss or customer.

5.  Be customer centric: Whatever you do,  make sure your customer (whether internal or external) is happy. This is where going the extra mile pays off. Be that one person that customers look for at the work place. Don't feel bad that your colleagues look at you as a show-off. Remember, you are aspiring to be your own boss, so these same customers may end up being part of the larger clientele base that will refer other customers to you.

6.  The God factor: I have come to understand that people look down on this point. Well, let me tell you this for a fact. You need the God factor in your life. It gets to a point where something other than yourself must work for you. There has to be something that makes it possible for you to get that job, promotion or contract instead of the other person. Whether you be Christian, Muslim or of any other belief system. Whatever it is that you worship, That 'Supreme Being' had better be good enough to push your cause instead of the other person. So whatever religion you worship, worship your God very well.

If you adopt these points am definitely sure I will be hearing from you again. I do hope I have inspired you. Remember to be the best and don't train to be a worker, train to be your own boss.

Till we meet again, keep winning.

David Chiaka
Follow me on twitter: Daveo211

The Winner In You: Move Foward

The Winner In You: Move Foward: As my inaugural blog, I will share with you a thought that has brought me this far in life. Its incredible to know what the human person i...

Move Foward

As my inaugural blog, I will share with you a thought that has brought me this far in life.

Its incredible to know what the human person is capable of. Have you ever wondered how amazing it is when you find out how a man goes from nothing to the next big thing? For instance, the man Aliko Dangote. He goes from an average guard with a kiosk to one of Nigeria's richest men.

Now how is that possible? In the same land where first class graduates roam the street of Lagos (or any of Nigeria's commercial cities) looking for job opportunities. What is that thing that makes a man go beyond the normal scheme of things to carve a niche for himself? What is that thing that drives The Rich?

There is a place for chance and opportunity, and a place for grace and favor. However, while some take advantage of such opportunities, others let it slip away.

I have studied The Rich, and one thing that I have found is discipline. You have to know what you want in life and change your lifestyle to conform with your dream. Do not be distracted. Stay focused. Cut some of your friends off. If they don't buy into your dreams, then cut them off cos they will derail you. And you will become poor.

Secondly, ''never say never''. You have got to be determined to succeed. You have to repeatedly say to yourself - ''I was born a success''. Such words will alter your mindset and that is what needs to change- 'your mind'. You see, the thin line that separates The Rich from The Poor is the thinking process. Their is a way each group thinks and that's what makes them different. Never accept failure even when you fail. Get up and do it again. Do it till you get it right.

Lastly, study. Whatever it is that you have set your mind to do, take time out to study. If you have to work without being paid then do it. No knowledge is lost. Learn, acquire the skill. You may lose your job, but you can never lose your skill.

So whatever you do, don't stay static, keep moving. Be disciplined, refuse to fail and get a skill.

Until we meet again, keep winning.

David Chiaka