"Apathy is the glove into which evil slips its hand" - Bodie Thoene (http://goo.gl/N6cnR)
I feel that I might be slipping into apathy. Need to reignite my passion for doing things right, for looking at the bigger picture. Need to pray more, too.
Sent from my BlackBerry®
On motivation
“People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.”
- Andrew Carnegie (taken from http://goo.gl/nKe3K)
Can I just say, I'm glad to be finally blogging again! I know, I know - I said I shall be blogging every Thursday as part of my routine. This week, though, was a bit different - we were on holiday! The beauty of working for a US-based company is that we also follow their holiday schedules. And of course, since this week included the fourth Thursday of November, it only meant one thing: Thanksgiving! Well, fine - two things. Thanksgiving and Black Friday. The latter is not really a holiday in the real sense of the word, but it's something worth celebrating all right. America, after all, is the land of consummerism. Who else would have thought of having a mega-sale the day after a traditional holiday? You gotta admire the marketing beauty of it all.
Anyway, let me get back on topic. Motivation. Just what is it exactly anyway? Wikipedia says it is the "driving force by which humans achieve their goals" (http://goo.gl/X1t3x). The website Wily Walnut says that motivation is like an engine that drives you forward and gets you going; about getting you "out of that state of inertia and into motion" (http://goo.gl/Xjosy).
(photo credit: http://goo.gl/HzNqd)
I feel that this word is very powerful. At work, I would hear people say that they need the motivation in order to get things done. Or, how one management decision would lead people to becoming demotivated, which might even lead to employee relations issues. The term may be a tad overused, true, but it does not make it any less significant. As human beings, we feel that there has to be meaning to the things that we do. Otherwise, what's the point right? Those who are privilieged enough to have a comfortable life tend to have "motivational" issues. By that I mean: since food, shelter, survival is not an issue for them, they look for a deeper explanation. Something more meaningful, more profound.
The quote at the beginning of this entry struck a chord within me. I know I have been going on for the longest time about how I am at the longest quarter-life crisis ever. For crying out loud, I am already 30 years old! So I got to thinking: what is it that really motivates me? Whilst I am still supposedly trying to figure out what it is that I am destined to become, I might as well think of the things that would take me there, right? Let's see...
Doing a challenging task - I am "fortunate" to be in a position that has a lot of challenges. Fortunate is in quotation marks because, at times it can be too much. But for the most part, I enjoy how my job requires me to think. As we are dealing with systems, designs, and money, it pushes me to really come up with solutions that will be sustainable (i.e., not a band-aid or quick-fix) and beneficial to the customers. Plus, it pays to have team members on your side with the same goals. Time will come when I would have to take on a different role (and from the looks of it, the time may come sooner rather than later). Maybe my new role would be less challenging, I don't know. Given the chance, I would want to continue with this role for the next twelve months or so. But that decision is really not up to me. Enough of that for now.
A generous compensation and reward scheme - I am not ashamed to admit this bit. Like the thousands of employees out there, I feel that I deserve to be paid more. I don't want to dwell too much on the reasons why I am right (ahem). But I do know this - there should be more creative ways to reward people. I mean, it does not always have to be about money, right? I can accept tablet PCs, a new smartphone, a spa treatment perhaps, or even gift checks from a good bookstore. See? I'm not being greedy. Hehehe. Seriously, though, I firmly believe that you attract more flies with honey. So employers should come up with generous reward schemes. Make people feel special. Celebrate their victories.
Seeing the bigger picture - I have always been an advocate of this. One should look at the bigger picture. If there is something you are doing that does not seem to make sense, try to look at the bigger picture. Does it fit in the bigger scheme of things? If you're having challenges with seeing it, then go ask. Seek help. It does not hurt to ask, right? Looking at the bigger picture is a big step towards maturity, I would say.
There are a lot of other motivators that we shall come across in our lifetime. For me, I think the three listed above definitely in my top ten (or maybe even top 5). The point is, knowing what it is that inspires or motivates you puts in a good advantage. It fits perfectly with the seven habits, me thinks, especially when it comes to beginning with the end in mind and putting first things first.
Today's quote
"You cannot be a leader, and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow, too" - Sam Rayburn, 1882-1961
Sent from my BlackBerry®
Before I doze off
Things have been going crazy at work. There is a particular indirect channel (read: distributor) that has been giving us all sorts of problems ever since they migrated to a different platform. Or, should I say,since WE migrated them to another interface. Did we really bring it upon ourselves? I would like to think not. Hehehe.
Anyway, I am happy to report that we have been pretty consistent with our use of the VMC, daily huddle and activity. Let's go consistency! You rock you rule (sorry, private joke - check it out in David & Goliath retail outlet).
Thanksgiving is coming up! Whilst I live thousands of miles away from where it is actually being celebrated, I am excited for this holiday because of two reasons: long weekend and Black Friday. The latter is a super sale event across all stores. I was checking out the offers they have posted so far online, and man what a steal! The BlackBerry Playbook 16GB is being offered for just $199. Amazing! And the LED screens, Blu-Ray players, PS3 or Wii...the list goes on. This is one of the very rare instances I wish I lived in America. I am thinking of asking my mom or a friend to buy something for me (the Playbook, or another tablet that's a steal like the Kindle Fire); but with my finances being totally whacked right now, I just couldn't afford to do it. Fail.
Earlier I was able to book myself a flight to...Boracay. Total amount? PhP500+. Yahoo! Catch, you say? Well, two things - it's on October 2012 (few days after my birthday), plus I bought a one-way ticket. That's right, one-way. Hehehe. The return flight was not on sale, so I figured I might get better options with other carriers. Fingers crossed.
I am craving for Dunkin Donuts' Premium Choco Wacko. Man, talk about chocolate overload!!!! If you've tried their Choco-Wacko in the past, it's that made bigger, with even more chocolate added. It's amazing, I'm telling you. :)
I have been writing weekly that I should diversify my reading content more. Little Women is on the list. I have already started the first two chapters a couple of months back, but I keep on forgetting to open it. Even if I have already booked it as a big rock for the week. So much for the 7 Habits is practice. Fail. But perhaps I should give myself more credit. I do get a lot of things done, after all. Just need to balance my QI/QII activities more, and really choosing to take out the QIII/QIV activities off my list.
Guess that's all for now. I must say, I am really pleased for having created this post. Never mind if it is just a random mix of things. Laters.
Anyway, I am happy to report that we have been pretty consistent with our use of the VMC, daily huddle and activity. Let's go consistency! You rock you rule (sorry, private joke - check it out in David & Goliath retail outlet).
Thanksgiving is coming up! Whilst I live thousands of miles away from where it is actually being celebrated, I am excited for this holiday because of two reasons: long weekend and Black Friday. The latter is a super sale event across all stores. I was checking out the offers they have posted so far online, and man what a steal! The BlackBerry Playbook 16GB is being offered for just $199. Amazing! And the LED screens, Blu-Ray players, PS3 or Wii...the list goes on. This is one of the very rare instances I wish I lived in America. I am thinking of asking my mom or a friend to buy something for me (the Playbook, or another tablet that's a steal like the Kindle Fire); but with my finances being totally whacked right now, I just couldn't afford to do it. Fail.
Earlier I was able to book myself a flight to...Boracay. Total amount? PhP500+. Yahoo! Catch, you say? Well, two things - it's on October 2012 (few days after my birthday), plus I bought a one-way ticket. That's right, one-way. Hehehe. The return flight was not on sale, so I figured I might get better options with other carriers. Fingers crossed.
I am craving for Dunkin Donuts' Premium Choco Wacko. Man, talk about chocolate overload!!!! If you've tried their Choco-Wacko in the past, it's that made bigger, with even more chocolate added. It's amazing, I'm telling you. :)
I have been writing weekly that I should diversify my reading content more. Little Women is on the list. I have already started the first two chapters a couple of months back, but I keep on forgetting to open it. Even if I have already booked it as a big rock for the week. So much for the 7 Habits is practice. Fail. But perhaps I should give myself more credit. I do get a lot of things done, after all. Just need to balance my QI/QII activities more, and really choosing to take out the QIII/QIV activities off my list.
Guess that's all for now. I must say, I am really pleased for having created this post. Never mind if it is just a random mix of things. Laters.
Sent from my BlackBerry®
Just a few (work-related) updates
I know I have not been updating my blog this past couple of weeks, so here I am, desperately trying to catch up. :) Here's what went on the past week, as well as what is to come. Most stuff will be about work, so consider this a head's up.
Visual Management Content - aka VMC, or VMS (Visual Management Systems), or Kanban. Like my previous post, I have been in a visual management frenzy, what with our competition which happened on Friday, November 4. According to the criteria set by the manager, it should reflect what is going on, stats-wise, but on a team level. It should also be sustainable - materials used should be found in the office, plus it should be sustainable. So for my team, after reading a ton of articles online about this whole visual management, I decided to keep it all about the content. I formed a team of four who will be in charge of the board - its design, of couse, but most especially, its upkeep. I informed them I want to see the board being updated DAILY, and that we will be having daily huddles around the board. This way, we would not lose sight of where we stand, and we would know how to get to where we need to go.
I must say, I am VERY proud of my team and what we have done with our board. We were the first (among 12 teams) to finish making the board, and we have started using the board as a tool days before the judging began. Aesthetically, it is very simple and straightforward. We have decided to make a motel theme, for reasons unbeknownst to outsiders. We all know that motels have taken a lot of flak here in our country, and there have been occasions when we were swapping "mot-mot" stories. Some teammates even have a "I heard" disclaimer - that is, they're claiming that they have not been to mot-mots themselves, they just heard the story from a friend. Hahaha! Anyway, back to the board. As far as content is concerned, it is very clear and easy to understand. We have statistics for the past 3 days, the past 3 weeks, as well as on a monthly basis (starting on the 3rd quarter). We got the sustainability part covered, too - we stuck to using the whiteboard as a whiteboard, and the stats on a weekly and monthly period covers everything until year-end (we just update using pens and markers). I say whiteboard as a whiteboard because some teams covered their entire boards and resorted to having their data printed. Each to his own, of course.
And what I feel most proud of is the fact that we have started conducting daily huddles. We discuss what went on the previous day, what will happen for today, and other updates from the center, RDS, etc. I have tapped one of my teammates to conduct small activities, and he obliged. We had sharings about our fears, saying something good about the other person, and even answered random sets of questions, beauty-pageant style as another teammate said. But it's all in good fun. So the challenge is to maintain consistency. Let's go!
Training on Coaching - I have a lot of catching up to do. The deadline has been extended until Wednesday close of business. I have two more assignments left to do. During the close out call last week, we were asked to share any challenges we had in doing the pre-work. A lot of people said it's the time given to complete these. I was like, "Dude! We were given almost two months to complete everything!" Besides, all activities were spread out on a weekly basis, so it is really up to us to finish everything on time. Part of being an effective leader is being able to organize as much as 80% of your tasks/meetings, both on a weekly and daily basis. I know, I know, I am ineffective in that sense too - I was not able to complete my pre-work on time, right? But hey, at least I admit it. It's the first step to maturity. Hahaha!
Virlanie Foundation visit - we have finally started the groundwork for this, and I am REALLY hyped! Been too long since our first visit (Feb 2011). I even asked my team member to consider having us booked in advance for 2012 - maybe 3 or 4 visits throughout the year. My goal is to ensure continuity and making our presence felt with these kids. Anyway, I have a feeling this will be a very memorable one for us. I can't wait to go to Divisoria and buy our supplies. This is going to be awesome!
Dayshift on Tuesday - one of the little things I look forward to, to be in honest. I have a Global Anti-Bribery and Corruption Training going on, so my Monday would extend to Tuesday morning. After the training I will report back to work on Wednesday evening. But I think I would still go back Tuesday night, if only to have our daily huddle and to make sure things are in order. Still undecided on that - I got a whole day to figure it out.
October stats and coaching - have to finish the stats TODAY and start the coaching sessions TODAY as well. Whew! Wish me luck!
Anyway, I am off to meet a friend in Pasig - we are going swimming! Hopefully the traffic is light, considering it is a holiday today. Laters.
Visual Management Content - aka VMC, or VMS (Visual Management Systems), or Kanban. Like my previous post, I have been in a visual management frenzy, what with our competition which happened on Friday, November 4. According to the criteria set by the manager, it should reflect what is going on, stats-wise, but on a team level. It should also be sustainable - materials used should be found in the office, plus it should be sustainable. So for my team, after reading a ton of articles online about this whole visual management, I decided to keep it all about the content. I formed a team of four who will be in charge of the board - its design, of couse, but most especially, its upkeep. I informed them I want to see the board being updated DAILY, and that we will be having daily huddles around the board. This way, we would not lose sight of where we stand, and we would know how to get to where we need to go.
I must say, I am VERY proud of my team and what we have done with our board. We were the first (among 12 teams) to finish making the board, and we have started using the board as a tool days before the judging began. Aesthetically, it is very simple and straightforward. We have decided to make a motel theme, for reasons unbeknownst to outsiders. We all know that motels have taken a lot of flak here in our country, and there have been occasions when we were swapping "mot-mot" stories. Some teammates even have a "I heard" disclaimer - that is, they're claiming that they have not been to mot-mots themselves, they just heard the story from a friend. Hahaha! Anyway, back to the board. As far as content is concerned, it is very clear and easy to understand. We have statistics for the past 3 days, the past 3 weeks, as well as on a monthly basis (starting on the 3rd quarter). We got the sustainability part covered, too - we stuck to using the whiteboard as a whiteboard, and the stats on a weekly and monthly period covers everything until year-end (we just update using pens and markers). I say whiteboard as a whiteboard because some teams covered their entire boards and resorted to having their data printed. Each to his own, of course.
And what I feel most proud of is the fact that we have started conducting daily huddles. We discuss what went on the previous day, what will happen for today, and other updates from the center, RDS, etc. I have tapped one of my teammates to conduct small activities, and he obliged. We had sharings about our fears, saying something good about the other person, and even answered random sets of questions, beauty-pageant style as another teammate said. But it's all in good fun. So the challenge is to maintain consistency. Let's go!
Training on Coaching - I have a lot of catching up to do. The deadline has been extended until Wednesday close of business. I have two more assignments left to do. During the close out call last week, we were asked to share any challenges we had in doing the pre-work. A lot of people said it's the time given to complete these. I was like, "Dude! We were given almost two months to complete everything!" Besides, all activities were spread out on a weekly basis, so it is really up to us to finish everything on time. Part of being an effective leader is being able to organize as much as 80% of your tasks/meetings, both on a weekly and daily basis. I know, I know, I am ineffective in that sense too - I was not able to complete my pre-work on time, right? But hey, at least I admit it. It's the first step to maturity. Hahaha!
Virlanie Foundation visit - we have finally started the groundwork for this, and I am REALLY hyped! Been too long since our first visit (Feb 2011). I even asked my team member to consider having us booked in advance for 2012 - maybe 3 or 4 visits throughout the year. My goal is to ensure continuity and making our presence felt with these kids. Anyway, I have a feeling this will be a very memorable one for us. I can't wait to go to Divisoria and buy our supplies. This is going to be awesome!
Dayshift on Tuesday - one of the little things I look forward to, to be in honest. I have a Global Anti-Bribery and Corruption Training going on, so my Monday would extend to Tuesday morning. After the training I will report back to work on Wednesday evening. But I think I would still go back Tuesday night, if only to have our daily huddle and to make sure things are in order. Still undecided on that - I got a whole day to figure it out.
October stats and coaching - have to finish the stats TODAY and start the coaching sessions TODAY as well. Whew! Wish me luck!
Anyway, I am off to meet a friend in Pasig - we are going swimming! Hopefully the traffic is light, considering it is a holiday today. Laters.
(I've Had) The Time Of My Life
For the past couple of days, I've been listening to this song over and over again. I especially like the Glee version, although I downloaded the original one as well (sung by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes). I wonder what's with this song that got me hooked? It's not as if I've never heard the song before. Might as well just post the lyrics. Enjoy!
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