Need I say more?

It has been my observation that when this kind of thinking is applied on any level, be it in business or just in our normal day to day lives, it can produce powerful results.

Sustainability is a key ingredient to successful partnerships and relationships, yet it is impossible to achieve without a vision, a sense of ownership and responsibility – which also happen to be the key attributes of an effective leader. Coincidence? You decide.

On a more fundamental level, sustainable thinking also demonstrates that individuals or organisations care for other people and not just themselves.

This kind of thinking comes naturally for some but it is a challenge for others – why this is so I cannot explain. I can only strive to be part of a society that applies and promotes sustainable thinking.

I felt proud that this is the community that I came from and I decided that it was time to give something back.

gyrationfive’s contribution to this event will be revealed over the coming weeks. We are excited to be a part of this project which celebrates the lives of the people who want to ensure that a legacy is left behind for future generations.

It is in cases such as these, that technology and people compliment each other and where collaboration and community can make a difference in the lives of ordinary people.

This is why taking the time to do a value ladder exercise for your organisation can be invaluable. Richard Stutely covers this in detail in his book The Definitive Business Plan.

Showcasing the value that your people bring to your organisation internally will result in them continually aspiring to do their best work. Showcasing this value to your clients will result in them having no excuses to pay the appropriate price. This is the foundation of any strong business partnership: the relationship between value and price. As a bonus they will continue to partner with you. We ALL win when value is at the core of the partnership.

Some benefits of doing a value ladder exercise for your organisation or team:

1. It serves as a check and balance – If you are leading a team toward a specific goal, this ensures that you have a handle on your processes.
2. It helps with scoping out your prospective projects – Doing the exercise puts you in the position to, at a later stage, analyse and evaluate your cost against your customers value. This will minimise your risk on future projects and help you to make informed pricing decisions.

More importantly, in a challenging economy, clients need to clearly see the value that you add as their service provider of choice.

For some, getting a message across with clarity is sometimes not as simple as one would imagine – yet effective communication is a critical element for good personal and professional relationships and partnerships.  

It is important that the message or thought you are trying to convey resonate and connect with the intended audience. In my experience I’ve found that it helps to communicate with authenticity. 

• Believe in the message that you are conveying.  In my experience this makes it a lot easier for the audience to believe it too.
• Get to know your audience, or at least make an effort to understand who you are talking to. This gives you an opportunity to make your message a little more personal.  

 Finally, just like with learning to play the guitar or perfecting your golf swing, practice makes perfect. So work on mastering this skill on a daily basis.

Truth be told – gadgets can cause clutter. Clutter can result in time wasting and these days it seems that what people (and organisations)really need are simple, uncomplicated solutions to their day to day challenges, in other words, efficiency – getting more done with less clutter in the same amount of time.

It is important to reflect on how technology can contribute to our lives (or business) as well as the lives of those around us. Productivity is key to your success and making the right device choice can help you get things done faster.

In my opinion, productivity plugs into how you are “wired” and  by this I mean how you think, absorb your surroundings, analyse and solve problems etc. As an example, one device that I see working a lot harder for me over the coming months is my Windows based Pocket PC. It has also become a lot more than “just a phone”. For me, it has become an enabler – a tool to increase my productivity at work and at home. In fact, sections of this post was written on my Pocket PC. I capture my thoughts immediately and revisit them later – simple.

So before you rush out to purchase your next gadget, pause for a moment and answer one question… All things considered will having it make my life easier or will it add to the clutter?

One last thing. If your “gadget” handles data, be vigilant about doing regular back ups!

Let’s be honest, business is ultimately about profit. Business leaders and management teams are responsible for executing on the organisation’s strategy and to ensure that goals and targets are met.

Experience suggest that, in business, meeting goals and targets are easier said than done. One reason for this is because we have to rely on our people to apply their skill and talent day to day in order for the organisation as a whole to generate profit. When you have a team of people working together toward a common goal your organisation has a greater chance at achieving the ultimate business goal – being profitable.

Not rocket science, but my comments above form the foundation of the main idea for this post – a good attitude toward your job, your colleagues and the organisation.

So why is it so important for everyone on the team to have a good attitude?

When the individuals in your team have a good attitude it;

• promotes openness  and trust (communication)
• encourages participation and innovation 
• is a motivating force     

These are the softer elements to managing an organisation and frankly many of us don’t have time for this, but these elements indirectly affect the bottom line.

Great companies and organisations know this – and find unique ways to cultivate an environment that promotes satisfied and content employees. So what about those baddies? In time they will find the need to move on to “greener pastures”. If they don’t (on their own) start nudging them toward their greener pasture.

Another key factor is the numbers side of the organisation – Every organisation (and even individual) needs a strong financial support structure.

A strong handle on your financial position keeps your feet on the ground! Dream (by all means) but have a plan to help realise your dream.

Your vision drives you. It helps you get through the day to day challenges and victories as you pursue your goal. Finance is the enabler. It allows you or your organization to acquire the resources (people and technology included) to reach your goal.

So be sure to keep your eye on the numbers. Get it wrong and you get caught up in the realities of debt and the challenges of inconsistent economic times. Get it right and you are able to respond to, and act on, more opportunities even in a tough and fickle economy.

Businesses need leaders.

Good leadership has a positive effect on our surroundings. I can go on forever and write paragraphs on the topic of leadership, but I won’t.

I want to make one point:  Leaders are not machines or algorithms, they are people. Human beings like you and me. While we may not all be leading countries or companies there are many other opportunities where we can shine as leaders.

Our communities need leaders.

Our homes need leaders.

This can be you (and me).

• No information at your fingertips
• No sharing of ideas and opinions
• No “instant” communication

The Internet – What an amazing resource for business and personal growth. The reality is that many of the young people that I interact with (and many South Africans in general) still live in a world with no access to the Internet.

I believe that there are many reasons for this and I won’t go into those reasons right now, but I am excited to note that things are improving.

To me, this reality highlights the opportunities that exist for so many young people who do not currently have this powerful resource at their disposal.

I have so much more to say on this topic (and over the coming months we will explore many of these thoughts), but for now this is a good place to pause and emphasise another key building block of gyrationfive – Technology (specifically, the Internet).

Personally, being connected has been enjoyable and profitable (and yes, it is important to disconnect sometimes). We would love to hear how technology is impacting your life. Share your experiences, views (good or bad) with the rest of the WWW by leaving your comment(s).

Oh, remember to check back as we explore more around this topic. You can also subscribe to this blog using this RSS feed or click on the button in the sidebar.