Hard Work and Business Restructure
The two mantras of today’s successful enterprise
These are the two words having a striking contrast in today’s corporate world. People now say, "Is there any point in working hard to gain academic qualifications when so many people now become rich and famous without them?"
We all live in a materialistic world, a commercial world where nothing succeeds like success. The lives of successful ones are fancied to be emulated. We all take inspiration from successful people. We try to follow in their footsteps. We just forget that winners do not tread upon the tried and tested path. They always believe in innovations. Just because Mr. Dhirubhai Ambani was able to build a multimillion-dollar empire even though he started his life's struggle by filling petrol at gas stations in the Gulf does not imply that everyone working at fuel stations will become billionaires. We should never negate the importance of hard work and education.
The Importance of Education
Education teaches us the rules; experience teaches us exceptions. No project in this world can succeed without an equal blend of both. The young minds of today are under the misconception that a degree can be bought and success will come on a platter after acquiring degrees. But unfortunately, they are living in a fool’s paradise. There is no substitute for hard work. No substitute for not learning the rules of life. What is the meaning of education? Education implies learning from the mistakes of the past. It is said that those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. Why do we learn history? It is not just memorizing dates but learning about the good decisions that our ancestors took under adverse circumstances. We also learn about the blunders committed by various heads of states which lead to their downfall. Degrees are the final outcome of learning from these experiences. How well a child has learned from these learning materials is reflected in the score one achieves in exams.
Ongoing studies of many years are required to make us wiser and more competent. The study we do is learning from thousands of years of experience of many wiser men of yesterday. As they say, Rome was not built in a day. The architectural marvel of the Taj Mahal was not a result of any fantasy but a carefully executed plan by a group of experts who executed with precision and finesse. Can we say that the Taj Mahal could have been built by someone who had just acquired fake degrees without undergoing the hard work of mastering the skills required to accomplish such a magnificent task?
The Path to Success
Success is important. It is the end result. But there are no shortcuts to success and fame. They both have to be earned with hard work and labor. We may encounter people who have become successful but that in no way can negate the importance of education. Education is a tool that sharpens the skill of knowledge. Education is a process that guarantees success and fame in life. It helps us to carve out a path to glory, fame, and success.
Let us not be misled by flukes and rumors that there is no use of studying and working hard to become successful. In real life, one has to climb the ladder of success step by step, and there is no elevator to reach the peak.
Coming to Restructure
With increased competition and rapid advancement of technology, every business is going through a restructure. Some companies seem to do this every few years, some every year, and some seem to be undergoing one eternal restructure! What we need to understand is what was right yesterday is a disaster today, and what is right today may be a disaster tomorrow. Emulation has never been successful. Innovation has always been the key to success.
This reminds me of a story. Please excuse me, but for imparting every lesson, there is always a story.
A big corporation hired several cannibals. "You are all part of our team now," said the HR manager during the welcome briefing. "You get all the usual benefits and you can go to the cafeteria for something to eat, but please don't eat any of the other employees."
The cannibals promised they would not.
A few weeks later, the cannibals' boss remarked, "You're all working very hard, and I'm satisfied with you. However, one of our secretaries has disappeared. Do any of you know what happened to her?" The cannibals all shook their heads, "No," they said.
After the boss left, the leader of the cannibals said to the others angrily, "Right, which one of you idiots ate the secretary?" A hand rose hesitantly in admission. "You fool!" said the leader. "For weeks, we've been eating managers and no one noticed anything, but noooooo, you had to go and eat someone important!"
Are you someone important to your company? Would they miss you if you were no longer there?
When most people hear that dreaded word ‘restructure,' fear fills their minds and the thought arises: “Am I going to be made redundant?” This is generally followed by a blubbering cry of, “Who will hire me? I have a mortgage to pay, car payments, and I need money to wash the dog!”
Becoming Indispensable
How can we make sure that we are someone important? What can we do to be in the best position to remain in the company? How can we be one of those people that are indispensable?
In my preparation for writing this, I decided to get some wisdom and read some articles and talk to people whom I respect. I asked some of our best clients — senior managers who work for global companies. These people have walked the walk; they have been bulletproof when it comes to restructure.
These are their 5 keys to becoming indispensable at work:
1. Hold the mindset that change provides opportunity.
2. Do not overfocus on the next job position but rather on the skills to be developed.
3. Build relationships with key decision-makers.
4. Exhibit the ability to get ‘stuff’ done.
5. Treat everyone with genuine respect.
From India, Mumbai
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The two mantras of today’s successful enterprise
These are the two words having a striking contrast in today’s corporate world. People now say, "Is there any point in working hard to gain academic qualifications when so many people now become rich and famous without them?"
We all live in a materialistic world, a commercial world where nothing succeeds like success. The lives of successful ones are fancied to be emulated. We all take inspiration from successful people. We try to follow in their footsteps. We just forget that winners do not tread upon the tried and tested path. They always believe in innovations. Just because Mr. Dhirubhai Ambani was able to build a multimillion-dollar empire even though he started his life's struggle by filling petrol at gas stations in the Gulf does not imply that everyone working at fuel stations will become billionaires. We should never negate the importance of hard work and education.
The Importance of Education
Education teaches us the rules; experience teaches us exceptions. No project in this world can succeed without an equal blend of both. The young minds of today are under the misconception that a degree can be bought and success will come on a platter after acquiring degrees. But unfortunately, they are living in a fool’s paradise. There is no substitute for hard work. No substitute for not learning the rules of life. What is the meaning of education? Education implies learning from the mistakes of the past. It is said that those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. Why do we learn history? It is not just memorizing dates but learning about the good decisions that our ancestors took under adverse circumstances. We also learn about the blunders committed by various heads of states which lead to their downfall. Degrees are the final outcome of learning from these experiences. How well a child has learned from these learning materials is reflected in the score one achieves in exams.
Ongoing studies of many years are required to make us wiser and more competent. The study we do is learning from thousands of years of experience of many wiser men of yesterday. As they say, Rome was not built in a day. The architectural marvel of the Taj Mahal was not a result of any fantasy but a carefully executed plan by a group of experts who executed with precision and finesse. Can we say that the Taj Mahal could have been built by someone who had just acquired fake degrees without undergoing the hard work of mastering the skills required to accomplish such a magnificent task?
The Path to Success
Success is important. It is the end result. But there are no shortcuts to success and fame. They both have to be earned with hard work and labor. We may encounter people who have become successful but that in no way can negate the importance of education. Education is a tool that sharpens the skill of knowledge. Education is a process that guarantees success and fame in life. It helps us to carve out a path to glory, fame, and success.
Let us not be misled by flukes and rumors that there is no use of studying and working hard to become successful. In real life, one has to climb the ladder of success step by step, and there is no elevator to reach the peak.
Coming to Restructure
With increased competition and rapid advancement of technology, every business is going through a restructure. Some companies seem to do this every few years, some every year, and some seem to be undergoing one eternal restructure! What we need to understand is what was right yesterday is a disaster today, and what is right today may be a disaster tomorrow. Emulation has never been successful. Innovation has always been the key to success.
This reminds me of a story. Please excuse me, but for imparting every lesson, there is always a story.
A big corporation hired several cannibals. "You are all part of our team now," said the HR manager during the welcome briefing. "You get all the usual benefits and you can go to the cafeteria for something to eat, but please don't eat any of the other employees."
The cannibals promised they would not.
A few weeks later, the cannibals' boss remarked, "You're all working very hard, and I'm satisfied with you. However, one of our secretaries has disappeared. Do any of you know what happened to her?" The cannibals all shook their heads, "No," they said.
After the boss left, the leader of the cannibals said to the others angrily, "Right, which one of you idiots ate the secretary?" A hand rose hesitantly in admission. "You fool!" said the leader. "For weeks, we've been eating managers and no one noticed anything, but noooooo, you had to go and eat someone important!"
Are you someone important to your company? Would they miss you if you were no longer there?
When most people hear that dreaded word ‘restructure,' fear fills their minds and the thought arises: “Am I going to be made redundant?” This is generally followed by a blubbering cry of, “Who will hire me? I have a mortgage to pay, car payments, and I need money to wash the dog!”
Becoming Indispensable
How can we make sure that we are someone important? What can we do to be in the best position to remain in the company? How can we be one of those people that are indispensable?
In my preparation for writing this, I decided to get some wisdom and read some articles and talk to people whom I respect. I asked some of our best clients — senior managers who work for global companies. These people have walked the walk; they have been bulletproof when it comes to restructure.
These are their 5 keys to becoming indispensable at work:
1. Hold the mindset that change provides opportunity.
2. Do not overfocus on the next job position but rather on the skills to be developed.
3. Build relationships with key decision-makers.
4. Exhibit the ability to get ‘stuff’ done.
5. Treat everyone with genuine respect.
From India, Mumbai
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NLP at Work - The Difference That Makes a Difference in Business.pdf
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