fall seven times,get up eight

My friend,who we shall call Geraldine, lost her job two weeks ago.She has been working in a fairly specialized industry and she had to train all of seven years before she could get her first qualification. Now that she has been laid off,not many other employers will be very eager to pick her up,since her experience and training are not relevant at all to their industries. I could appreciate her feelings,but what is done is done and a new life awaits.

When we had this talk,she was inconsolable(still ,I understand),but my intention was not to pass on consolation. I told her that all we could do is acknowledge the situation as it and start planning for the future.

The truth is,not many of us are where we would have wanted to be...and a lot of us blame this on something,or someone,that boss who fired you,your parents who forced you to study a particular course that you did not like.There is a lot to blame. You want to go on? Be my guest: The economy,the dollar rate or even the fact that you were born Ugandan and not Russian,for example. Every motivational speaker will tell you that you are what you think you are...and that you cannot go where your mind has not been. Very true. It is during moments like these that we need our positive attitude the most.Give your mind free will to take you places.You will be surprised what you come up with.

But not many of us will make sense of these facts.We will be inspired for a while,go home with a happy face,but reality sets in by morning and we are back to where we were,jobless and sometimes hungry. I suspect the reason I was told this is so I can get my friend a job,isn't that what friends are for.But she didn't say.But even if she had,I doubt I would have been useful in that aspect. You see,a positive attitude and no money or skills will always beat a poor attitude and skills;throw is some experience too,if you like.

Ask how many entrepreneurs shave had to start all over again when their lifetime empires come crashing.They lose much more than just money.Its a lifelong dream. But the only way is to cry a little,pick your self up and start building again. That is what termites do too every time someone crushes the anthill.(But to be honest I don't know if they cry).But they build,sometimes from scratch yet again. Sometimes they change location,and start again. Having lost a business once,my biggest lesson then was to perhaps start all over from a totally new environment.

I know people who have re-invented themselves several times and tried out something new every time what they were doing failed. A lawyer turned dee jay, dentist turned comedian and they have succeeded at their new vocations.They did not whine about their many years of training and preparation for the legal and medical fields respectively.

So,I say here,what I said to Geraldine then.Take time off for the shock and anger to wear off and resume living.It is going to be a little hard,but it doable.Since you received specialized training,do you think you could even star ton your own.Serve the under-served clients in that field! You could even forget education for a while.Imagine if you had not gone to school,how would you have done in such a situation! Start there.So,whether your set back is a job you have lost(and there a few given these tough economic times) or a business that has failed,your best life is ahead of you,go a head and claim it. That is why the Japanese say,fall seven times,get up eight.

Baby,do I look fat in this?

..and with that inquisition,the sanity of full nations is put at stake. You see,intelligent people tell us that a family is the core unit of every nation.Destroy it and an entire nation is going down.The assumption of course is,that by the time such a question is posed,you are in a family setting,even if it's just the two of you,or maybe just one of you has intentions, however far fetched.That is why this is an important question,and its answer must be offered with the weight it deserves.

If you are wise,and I assume you are,other wise you would not be reading this,don't answer.Exercise your constitutional right to remain silent.This serves you in two ways;one you avoid the avalanche that comes your way if you answer correctly and two,you keep in her good books when you don't have an answer.That prevents you from giving the right answer and hence being swept away by aforesaid avalanche..in today's speak;tsunami.

But let us assume you waive your right,and answer,metaphorically speaking,what are your options?
1. You could say 'Yes dear.You look fat.'
2.'Oh my Gawd.Is that you! You look amazing!'
2(a) i. 'No way.How could you even consider that.Of course you are (not fat).'

But like I said,answering in itself is foolhardy.You see,my friend,ladies who ask such questions are hard to understand. They may require different answers for the same questions from different people. If you are her bosom buddy and you are used to being honest to each other,give it to her the way it is. "Yes,dear,you look fat"...or "No my dear,what got into you,you are thinn"(with double n).Then she will smile and thank you for your friendship.
But if you are either man,husband,boyfriend,or even a one-night -stand your chances lie in psychology.Find out whether lady-in -question,,is really fat but is in denial.You answer is No.2 above.
If she is really fat ind she wants to lose weight or even seriously is looking for a fashion opinion,you must have guessed that your answer is no.1.Say it with a sweet smile and a caress to her(likely to be )fat arm. No guarantees though.

Or perhaps she is really thin,or to be politically correct,'not fat',but wants to know whether bananas recently eaten have been transformed into ass,I trust you are wise enough to choose your response wisely. Even I have no answer.Go with your gut.

Or,make up something.Force your phone to ring at that time. Pray a bee stings you that particular moment. Anything.
Because if you ever answer not rightly.... That will be the last answer yo are ever allowed to give in a long time,and I hope ou don't frget you would have put an entire nation's behind on a sigiri.

hell on heels

The next time you feel a particular employee is not giving their best, invite them to the board room, draw the blinds, set up a big projector and slot in the movie The Devil Wears Prada.

You see, in the employment world, we don't always go where we love, sometimes we take jobs ranked Z on our list(A-Z in line of most and least desirable)but as long as it pays the rent, why not! We even fantasize we may grow to like the job. That is how life is. And since most employers have been employees before (entrepreneurs inclusive) it should not be hard for you to realize someone is just growing older on your premises and getting away with doing as little work as they possibly can. Hence the movie.

I only mean to use the movie as a motivational tool, so take it as such. I know there in are some romance scenes; we shall ignore them this time.
Let your choice employee sit close enough in order not to miss the dialogue, especially between Andrea (employee) and Miranda (boss). A lot of employees miss to understand that their employers have needs too, like getting as much work done with as little resources as possible. That they also watch the bottom line, so you can have your rent money at the end of the month. But because it is none of your business, you reason, you may instead put forward the fact that after all you did not want the job that much, you are only here till your favorite job comes along.

It is the responsibly of he entrepreneur/team leader to use whatever resource they have to the maximum, this includes employees however sick- in -attitude they may be or unwilling to be useful. Just like Andrea, they may actually despise your type of work, or the company where they have come. That is not your concern either. Now that they are here, work must go on. If you have tried all types of positive enforcement and you have failed, let them ‘act’ the movie only as a last resort. Role play is good for the memory, ask the army. (Why did you think they were watching it in the first place? For entertainment?)
Pushing an employee too hard with almost impossible assignments gets you to know who to keep and who lose. People react differently under pressure (including work pressure) but they are unlikely to react with afterthought. You get to see who they really are at the core. At this point, you could even role play a little, like getting them to secure you a flight to South Sudan Independence celebrations a few hours before the National anthem. It seems very hard, but it is not impossible. By the end of the assignment you will know who exactly you are dealing with. Just how hard can they go if pushed!

You may also be surprised to know that the reason, said employee is sitting on his laurels is just because there was no reason to do better. They may even do impossibly well to get you off their back. But at least you will have learned two important lessons, how does their attitude pan out and just how hard can you push them to deliver. You may be surprised you have an achiever in your hither to celebrated office slob.

I admit, this is a really cruel way of find talent and un developed potential, but life is lived in raw form and people, like clay, are raw material to achieve better and grander creations.

By the end of the movie, you employee would have realized that there are people out there who perform under pressure, even unwillingly, and they have supporters. But they would also have realized that they have to make a choice, either to adapt or to move out (after a few sessions of crying their lungs out and calling you some un mentionable names of course).

Lesson to them, like Andrea be even more surprising.They can actually do better than they ever thought (like when she gets the unpublished manuscript for Miranda's twins, surprising even the boss herself).More importantly, they will have known that life is full of choices, and every single moment we choose what we want. If they leave, you have one less headache; if they stay, you have just polished up a new diamond formerly in the rough, and they will owe you for along time.

when it is time to write your business proposal

Forget the time you wrote letters at school (nodding to this may lead to actual revelation of your age, beware), with technological advancement, there are fewer and fewer times when you really must communicate formally, either in writing or in typing (is there is such a thing).

You realize we put our points and opinions across without need for formality both in thought or expression. A status update will suffice, just like a text message could be all the update you need to your banker, employer or employee. Not so with investors. If I have found a crop of old fashioned Club members, everyone investment related seems to belong here. With reason.

On the other hand, people who branch out into entrepreneurship are rarely your average guy or girl on the block. Some of these people border on creepy. A lot of them are talented. They don't just think out of the box, they don't know of any boxes. Ideas flow effortlessly and they seem to have a crazy out-of-this word way of seeing and doing things.

The meeting of Investors and entrepreneurs therefore, is one you want to experience. It is talent meeting money. You, my entrepreneur friend may need to prepare well. The best acceptable presentation of all time is the business proposal. That is why I referred you to your old letter writing ways. It is one thing having a great idea, it is a totally another league presenting that idea for funding. You need to know what you are doing.

You could argue that if the idea is yours and you are running without any outside funding, you have no need to write the business plan after all. Wrong. As you grow, you will attract more people, be they employees or partners. Your head alone will therefore be insufficient as safe custody for company ideas and solutions. You need to put them where they can be seen, read and filed.
Reasons why:
A lot of us will only find reason to write a business plan, at the start of our business and we seem to think we shall never need one again. Wrong, again. A business plan is a working document one that should have life and therefore should grow with your business.
Most of the people associated with business plans or proposals are social entrepreneurs. If you belong here (in the civil society world), read on because most of resources (financial mostly) are outsourced, you need to be able to write a flawless business proposal and since the end of the need to do good is not anywhere in sight, this is a skill that will serve you well in life.

You could also be a business person, working for profit, and for bankers and investor and partners to join you in the venture, they will need a plan or proposal.

Most importantly, it is when you grow bigger that you need this even more, you may want to invest in another country or be accorded investment privileges that come with big investors even in home countries. You will therefore need an Investment license and before that an investment or business plan. Several billions later, when you need to raise more resources or take a company public be sure number one requirement will be our friend the business plan. How else will people invest with you if they don't know how you do what you do!

The format:
I regret, we may not be able to go through everything about writing a business plan here, but I will give you what you need to start with.

Whether research means asking questions or scouring the internet, do it. Get information about your potential partners, what they want and what the don’t. You may also need to learn all about where you do business, like who else is in the game with you and how good or bad they are. You may not have needed to know this before, but someone will definitely ask, so be sure to have an answer.
In line with that, ask you everything there is about your business .
Why, well, exactly why are you doing business and why this next step?
How? Telling how you intend to run business.
When, for timelines.
Who, for everyone on your team, now and in the future, and be sure to answer all these till there are no more questions.
The budget, for materials. People who may need to be paid; time that may cost, say foreign exchange changes and inflation, other material.
In a nutshell the cost implication of each and every activity that will be undertaken in your plan.

Note, at this point, that if you are the kind who had high school letters written for you, then you need to find someone here too. All I am saying is prepare well, even if you need to quire external help

Make the presentation of your life, both in writing an in person if you get the chance.

However, remember that if you are unable to present your case on paper in less than three pages, don’t be tempted to write more. Speaking or writing more does not always mean hitting the point. Sometimes less is more and these are some of those times. If someone is not interested or convinced enough in three pages of great presentation, you won’t do better in forty.

Au revoir

Yesterday,Tuesday 28 June 2011,I waved goodbye to Rotaract,a home I have had for the past decade or so.It was a fairly large audience,and I don't know whether it was just to see me go or it was a mere coincidence.Well,I wasn't the only one leaving. More than ten years ago,I was an ashen faced,shy,slim young man who was starting university.My first port of call as the Rotaract Club of Makerere University.I found my friendship in Rotaract.I belonged. Alot of my friends then probably remember the attachment because when we meet now they are surprised I never left.
I tend to be long term,by the way.

I was allowed to share a little about me throughout the years. Particularly about my Immediate Past club,the Rotaract Club of Kampala city. I have grown up here.I now carry myself better,hope I am a better leader and I know I have taken out more than I have given. I am truly proud. The journey has taken me through several lands,from Kigali to Nairobi,from Dar -es Salaam,Zanzibar to Addis Ababa.
I have toured the District and neighbors...and that usual friendliness that only comes with years of sharing,surprisingsly that is brimming in the family which meets you every where,and always that tag.."any time you find yourself in this Country,give me a call". True hospitality.

My start was actually at the Interact Club of St.Henry's College,Kitovu,and for a past seminarian in a school of 200,you can't say I knew every one.Leaving the exclusive club needed new friends,and I will be honest here I simply joined for the word,'Interact',well it means Interact and I was not wrong.

So life has been great.I found a wife,in Rotaract,I shared a Club with a brother,you could say adding new meaning to the word family.A brother who by the way got me very emotional narrating his journey in the Club. Those deep truths that come out with tears!

Like I said, Iam glad to leave,not because I have had enough,you can't have enough here,whether fun or friendship.Infact the longer you stay,the longer you want to stay..you get comfortable.
But I need to move on.To create space and room for the new members to bloom and grow..and honestly I had reached the maximum age limit.

So I will move on to new lands,new territory and Iam brimming with mirth,I may yet be the youngest there...

But it hasn't been love alone-I have also been deeply hurt,and you could say such is life..and it's the experiences that make us who we are.I have learned as well.It is also said that when you get hurt,it teaches you to apreciate love and friendship more. I will do the same.Besides,we need to apprecaite that every rose carries with it a thorn,and the work of the thorn is to prick.Can you imagine roses without thorns, they wouldn't be roses then!

So,to all family and friends,see you around. I would never ask for another life.

there is no such a thing as failing a job interview......

If you are out of school, congratulations, you are soon to embark on the new job of finding a job. In effect, you have already got a job, to search for a job..And I am not kidding or being sarcastic. Reality is that if you whole heartedly would like to be gainfully employed as they say, you need to go to work and give your all to the job at hand of finding a job.

By a mere stroke of luck I have found myself in this situation before (don’t we all) but I have also found myself observing people who are looking for a job at length. Now, employers do look for specific aspects in a potential employee, but don’t be fooled; however professional the search is and how well worded the job ad was, the panel is still composed of humans, who, like all humanity have predictable behavior. We like people who seem to like us, for example. Friendly people are easy to get along with and we do hope they make better employees. You could have a great track record of leadership and performance and achievement, but if you are ever not selected for job you interviewed for, don’t beat yourself too much, you did not fail the interview, you were just not the right person…and that is not failure.

I don’t want to delude you that there fore there is no need to prepare for the interview, the whole point of an interview is to present your best side, so work on it, but you can relate it to a date that even when your best is not seen as such you don’t say you failed a date, so why an interview! There are special circumstances of course, like when your potential has been misrepresented. Some of us only blossom in familiar territory - one brief interview may not be enough to show you in all your glory, hence the need to prepare, but this need should not be taken to give a picture of who you are not.
We shall agree here that if you have held a job before the last thing you will ever pray for is to be accepted for a job for which you are not suited or that is not personally stimulating. You don’t want to live your life like that. Therefore, other than wearing clean clothes and well kempt hair; working on your accent and polishing up your current affairs (like who the Minister of Portfolio is) also know that one of two things will happen. The panel will either find you suitable or not. If they do, you have every right to celebrate. That is the reason you applied.
If they don’t however, stay calm, and look at things the way they are, you did not fail, it was not an exam, it was an interview you simply did not fit the picture they wanted. Apply for more jobs. Remember, that till you find one, this is the process that should occupy you more. Put time and tact into it. Eventually you will find your calling where everyone is happy with the outcome.

Of course I am making this argument on the premise that you are otherwise fairly qualified for the job you are applying for and someone just happens to be better, the other assumption being that you are fairly treated and you had a good fighting chance, and may be there is just one required out of seven hundred applicants, like the norm is for Civil servant’s jobs. Otherwise, if you are a qualified Accountant and this is your twentieth rejection for a simple cashier’s job, barring over qualification assumptions, then may be you are living proof that one can actually fail a job interview.

Don't tell me nuthin'. All men are dogs. tsk

Over the next couple of months,I will be writing about issues you wish you knew about men. You see,a lot of 'truths' you think you have about the menfolk are actually myths.You know why? Because they have been passed on by fellow women,who are not men(duh) so they don't know how a man reasons,what he wants and why men do what they do.

I believe in world peace and harmony,so I have decided that the more women and girls know the truth about men,the better we shall co -relate and live happier.

Of course I don't expect all smiles,especially from the brothas who will regard me as a snitch and wish to pour beer on me for telling on them,but I believe they will see the light soon.That this is for their won good too...and anyway if the beer was poured properly I won't lodge any complaints either.

So,here we go.
Where did you ever get the concept that men are dogs? How can you even liken us ,the best creatures to have walked this earth, to a dog! Beats me.
Okay ,people who keep dogs( I don't have any people I know who do ) tell me that dogs are God-sent.They are humble,polite ,loyal and protective.Great aspects of character,if you ask me.May be that is why we may be referred to as dogs too.

But No,someone here is screaming,The noun dog here has a negative connotation,for what,you tell me.

Small break as I be updated.....

Yes.I am back.
Out of my class,attended while you waited,we did not agree with the student teacher.But student teacher says that being a dog has nothing to do with sexual conquests.No? Yes(uumm she lied,it does).But the point ,normally dogs hang out together, clubs on weekends, strip clubs on Thursday’s, a bar on the other nights of the week,Rugby on Saturday while looking for something new to hit. Okay. I may agree there.

In our defense,even dogs sometimes tire of waiting for something to happen,(you get the point if you are the type)but once you have their attention,you need to keep it. It's not them,it's you.

But my promise of the whole truth about our ilk will be honored. See you after break.
Class dismissed.

bird poop

Yesterday I was humbly taking my walk through my leafy neighborhood when I felt something cool.No.Cold on my head. I looked up,and then I Couldn't see any more,well for the next four minutes.Then I wondered,when they talk about blessings flowing from heaven,is this how they fall?

Kumbe some family of birds had decided I was the nearest thing to a flush toilet for them.

All my swagger was gone.I thought of returning home,but how do you return home like that! If those of home don't laugh at you they will pity you,and me and pity are not exactly very good friends.

Seriously,how does one go ahead to address situations like that?
Its only later that I realized that birds are taught these things in their schools.

the excusitis disease and how to find help

Dr.David Schwartz diagnosed a disease among people in all walks of life. He even gave it a unique name based on what causes it.He intimates that people who are normally called failures have this condition in advanced stages.

I am not in the habit of doling out self help information and neither do I want to be referred as a know-it-all telling you who to listen to or which books to read in order to get better. But if you are the reading,or the leading type with people you need to motivate in order to get work done,The Magic of Thinking Big is one book that I am sure would serve you well.

This particular chapter came to mind recently after attending a do-it-your self presentation. Much as I realized that a lot of people were appreciative for the information shared and there were obvious signs of envy for the guy who was living the life,a totally different side turned up when we interacted after the presentation. The side that gives all reasons why we cannot do what others have done.Those who have achieved are either con-artists or have had an unfair advantage over others.Such voices tend to be so loud they wont give opportunity to positivity. Granted,we all recognise that it takes inconsiderable effort and opportunity to be successful,but it starts in self belief. We all want to live a good life,where money is more than our needs.We all want to travel and afford life as we know it.I suspect that that is why we listen to people who have the life we would like to have. The people who have lived in places and countries we want to live in .The people who drive the cars we would like to drive.The people who live in houses we would like to live in.It's as if we want to confirm just how good our life will be when we archive our dreams by observing others.

Why then would we decide to find reason not to be what we dream of? Confusing? That is what Dr Schwartz calls the 'excusitis' disease. People afflicted with this disease find reason not to get started. They will dig deep and find all possible reasons why something cannot be done,especially by them.They may hide behind age;they tend to be either too young or too old.Education;they are either with little education or not the right education. They may hide behind health,always with a condition which prevents them from being who they want to be. They may also hide behind luck and the fact that the universe has conspired to deny them their life's joy at all times. The list is big.It is a self defeatist mentality which unfortunately once rooted leads people who have real potential into real failures.

The truth is that all of us have the same opportunities in life.WE all have twenty four hours in a day,for example.No one is created with an extra heart or a bonus pair of hands.Yes we are gifted differently,but there lies the diversity of our strengths. We can get whatever we want no matter our background,our education,our faith or even how powerful our ancestors are. People who we look up to in life have achieved what they have, not without challenges,and grave challenges at that.If you listen to them,they could have hidden behind a lot of excuses just like the normal average guy,but they didn't. Some have found success despite being foreign in the country where they find themselves.Some have battled with the limitations of poor health,old age,death of parents,abuse as children,no contacts,no education or even several false starts to make it in life.They could have thrown in the towel when met with hard challenges but they didn't.

If you recognize even a miniature thread of this condition, take a few steps. It may also be that people you are responsible for,people you lead may have this excusutis condition.Take heart ,it is curable.

Develop a positive attitude.Look for what you can do and not what you cannot do. Realize that your mind only works with what you feed it.If you choose negativity and why you can't, it will work overtime to give you reasons why you cannot do what is at hand.On the other hand if you challenged it to give you reasons why you will succeed, it will give you thousands of reasons why you will succeed.

Decide to live for now and not for the past.The past is gone and you cannot change it.Look at the opportunities you have now and use them.Go for them with all you have.
If it is poor health you are worried about,the fact that you are still alive and not dead yet means you have more opportunity than most people.Stop feeling sorry for yourself and live with what you have. You are alive for a reason,poor health or not.

Life is too diverse for us to know everything,so we only use what we know.Education is good,but if you focused on education alone you may not have time for anything else. Use what you have. The greatest singers did not go to music school...and every time you fail,throw a party,you have found one more way that wont work and you are getting closer to what works.

Transform talent into business

Tim is a globetrotting celebrity photographer. He is good with the camera and he flaunts it. His equipment is his life and he lets everyone know on first meeting. He boasts about the fact that he can make his rent money over a week end and life can only get better.

The first time we met, we didn't have a lot in common, so conversation did not flow that well. It is on the second meeting that we got beyond the usual, hello, and nice to meet you. Since you already know that I do, I won’t dwell on that but rather share what Tim shared. Other than being a bit jealous of a young man who makes his rent money in a week end, I also got a lot to learn from my friend Tim.

"The journey here has not been easy. But I love photography and travel. I am blessed I am doing what I love. Since these two are my passions, photography makes the money and pays the bills while travel gives me the exposure and well, that is where the money is spent."
He didn't need to elaborate much. Both times we had met on trips.
“I decided I will be a photographer when I realized that is all I want to explore. It didn't pay the bills at first, but I lived on what I had to make it last. I am luckier these days. I am so on demand, sometimes I have to keep clients waiting. Full events get rescheduled because my calendar is full"; he continued.

I could only marvel.
"So what happens if you are unable to make it for a really important client? Do you pass on the chance? What happens when you fall sick?" I asked.

With this look that only very wise people can muster, he looked at me long and hard, as if wondering how I could ask a question like that. I waited.

“You see, I work like a musician. He only gets paid for days worked. If he was booked for a concert and had a bad throat, tough luck." he reasoned.

"But does it have to be that way? I mean you have been in the field that long, you must have spotted young talent that you can groom to fill in for you."

"You are not listening, my friend. By the time a client calls Tim, they know me. They can rely on my work. They will not allow anyone else to do that." The lesson continued. “And besides, by the time someone is good enough to do the work I do, then they are good enough to get their own work."

From my experience. That was not so. A lot of talented people prefer a steady pay check to the life of hustling on their own. They would rather work with an established artist than strike it out on their own. Not because they are not equally good or even better in some aspects, but because security of income is top of the list in most people's lives. I told Tim as much and told him that there may be some really talented people out there, and it doesn't hurt to get them and play mentor. Or even employ a few. Set up a business structure which will keep work going and money flowing even when you are unable to be there physically.

Several months later, and Tim had a shoot in our lovely town. He called me up.
"Man"; he started. “I cannot put a price to our chat the last time I was here. I am glad we talked.
I waited.

"Two months ago. I went to visit my sister, and her two year old son woke up when I entered the house. I went to get him. As I was bending to pick him from the mattress on the floor, my back snapped. Those were the most painful two weeks of my adult life. Not just from physical pain but also from the fact that clients' work was waiting. It’s only then that I thought about what you said the last time we talked.
My first company was registered last month, and I have you to thank for it. Even when I travel, I know work will still go on"


May be I should start charging for consultancy.

notice of intention to sue

The first time you ever receive one of these (notice of intention to sue), you will have a bowel movement. Sweat suddenly decides to leave your body at great speed, your throat is suddenly very dry, and you may develop a stammer.
By the time you get here, there must have been some background, and this may seem like the justified step to take.
Unfortunately in business, situations where you have to resort to courts of law often occur. Here is when you need a good lawyer. Although some would argue that if you had used one in the first Place you would not have got here.

Assuming you are the aggrieved party, you may have to prepare well, unfortunately one way to do that is to put more money aside. This process can be costly.

But what happens when you are the one being sued? The answer doesn't change much. Prepare well too. Call up an equally good lawyer, (big firms first, please), though your banker could be of help here. Luckily most disputes in business revolve around money and unless there is simply bad blood and ill intention, you may be lucky if you have a friendly banker.
Truth is, lawsuits are often a pretty poor way of resolving business disputes. The problem however is that we have yet to come up with something better and so litigants are usually forced to make some hard choices.
The cost goes beyond money. You will spend a lot of time, emotions flare and you are not immune either from being sued in return.

Sometimes though, that is the only way to get justice, closure or just recover what is lost. I warn you though. It is quite draining, and to both parties. You may also need to check in with your doctor before a big show down.

Of course there are ways to avoid the suits and you could try some.

Threaten a lot of action. People in business generally dislike litigation and work to avoid it. Use that. If you have a grievance, consider hiring the big names (firms and individual lawyers), have them threaten to sue, but offer to settle for less. Your defendant just may come to the same conclusion that you did – that a lawsuit is just not worth it – and therefore may look to settle.

Being willing to settle for less than you are owed is another sometimes wise action: If you want to avoid the expense and time of a lawsuit it is almost a guarantee that you will have to settle for less than you want. Be happy if that is the case. Plenty of defendants will not settle. But if your good lawyer friend offers a reasonable settlement, and the other side agrees, you just avoided paying a lot in legal fees, and your Accountant will be the happier for your action.(Did you know good lawyers bill by the hour?)

Walk: Not every dispute is a litigation-worthy dispute. Even in the best of cases, you should think that your odds of winning are 50-50. The judge may say yes, or she may say no. It's 50-50. Of course some suits are better than others, but you just never know what a judge may return with, and your work my friend is to make money, to do business, if it is not worth the fight, don’t waste your time.
But you only have these choices if you are the aggrieved, other wise if you find yourself on the opposite side; this is what the Bible says;
“Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.”(Mathew 5:25)

end of the word(kigambo)

I am sure by now you have already noticed that we postponed the end of the world.Our leader here

agreed with us that every one needs a second chance(you must have watched the soap) we did too. So you were spared. You see,this was going to be fun,remember us the followers would be watching the rapture on TV,can you imagine,as the rest of you die.Let me break this down. Some where around the world,the world would end.But there would be news teams filming,and reporting,then the faithful would be praying,oba for what and also watching a horror kind of movie,okitegeera?
Meaning this thing was going to be selective. Yes,even things of heaven be like that;ani akumanyi sort of. But then we re-scheduled,because we had not subscribed to enough channels to watch bulungi.

This should be a warning then for you to move away from places where you see news crews gathering.

While we were still reeling from the postponement and wondering just how St Peter would feel for having postponed his work,I watched TV. I told you we would be watching. But it was our Ugandan TV and it was Channel 44.You know it? Yes.There was this preacher working(read preaching) and something hit my eyes hard. A Mobile Number (registered for Mobile Money). Us viewers and congregation I guess were also being encouraged to send in the money.I didn't send ,well, because there was no network on mine,but I am sure those who sent in,plus secret code a fat blessing must have been SMSed back. Ensi eno!

and that is how industrialisation took place

May be its just me, but every time I tour a big factory and look at the intricate network of machinery in perfect coordination, I just can't help but marvel. And I try to imagine myself at a point where I can put perfect sense to the workings of those machines. It even gets better, since I have this childhood ambition of becoming an industrialist, while the guide is explaining away what this machine does and what that machine does, I am far away in a far off pace in my mind wondering just how I could put a perfect price to that maze of machines and how I would determine that this, and not that machine is the better one for my industry.
One day the day-dreaming caught up with me, and I decided, I was going to mechanize, with disastrous results. At that time I was selling eggs, most of them to supermarkets, packed in nice little plastic trays with a green label. So, I decided, since I sell eggs, I can also sell their mothers, the chickens. And the plan was hatched. However, unlike eggs which come ready to sell, chicken need some preparation, so to say, if they will be sold through the same outlets.

True, I knew how to use knife on a chicken, but then how about the parts. Who even comes up with those names, like drumsticks, breast; on a chicken? So I go buy a packed chicken from a nearby supermarket to start my study of packed birds. That was lesson one. More were in store for me. I also realized that a knife alone could not suffice. I needed more machinery. Yeah. Machinery. The puzzle was unraveling. Then the visits to machine show rooms began, and you should have seen me, trying to explain to bewildered machinery sales people what I needed to cut up chicken ,and mostly getting blank stares as if to say, go disturb some one else. Haven't you ever heard of knives!

After several searches, I decided on my ensemble of machinery and where to procure them. I needed a butcher knife (you know what for) a tray sealing machine, a work table and a deep freezer. A few other consumables would also be necessary. So I got to work. Due to the fact that I couldn't head hunt from established enterprises that did what I was planning, (salary and other money issues) I decided to do it myself.
The receiving clerk at the supermarket didn't know whether to be horrified or to laugh. So she decided to carefully ask me what each part was while checking it off my order and delivery note. She was even kind enough to educate me how breast for chicken actually means breast (not breast and back) and, Sir could you compare what you have just delivered with this from storage? I had no answer. But I was taking mental notes fast. I took quite a beating that day, and I did my best to be brave and learn about meats and chicken portioning, from a supermarket receiving clerk. My next delivery was more acceptable and several orders later, I had some one helping me part time from the established competitors.

I have learned a lot since then. I have also found outsourcing such a life saver. At some time we were churning out delicious local chicken gizzard at a good rate. There was this client who instructed the supermarket orderlies to notify him every time we delivered so he could buy the gizzards before any one. We were stuck with more gizzard orders from the store than any other chicken portion. We had to explain both in writing and in person that gizzards come from slaughtered chicken and each chicken has just one, and a pack of gizzards means about twelve chickens gave their lives so the pack can be complete, therefore we can not just slaughter chicken for gizzard only. Orders had to be complementary. That was a challenge even intense mechanization couldn’t take away. But my awe for machinery and production lines has not gone away yet.

CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE THE JOB. OH WAIT, NOT QUITE

I would not be writing this if a certain accidental occurrence had not happened in my life. A particularly bone -cracking incident that changed my life. Purely accidental, it was. As a result, so many years later, I have had this rare opportunity to sit on either side of the table. Seeking a job, and seeking to give a job. Each side has its interesting aspects.
When you go out to seek a job, your interests are very clear, a lot of times. You need a monthly pay, may be some medical allowance, you will work from 8 to 5, unless you work in the strong room in a bank.(and you will expect to be appropriately compensated for over time in such circumstances) You have your rights and you are quick to point them out, if you as little as suspect they are being infringed upon. First among employee's rights is to be paid salary on time. Not a day late.

If you choose entrepreneurship however, the tide changes, you realize you are the employer now, responsible for other in your fold. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. How did you get here in the first place? Business is tailored in away, like a merry go round. The more, the merrier. And there is so much to do; you need more hands every time. One time you realize you need to hire some one to carry forward some work, while you are busy fitting the business puzzle together and we all know it rarely fits from an office. If at all, you are rarely in office. The four walls don't seem to be able to contain you. This task is carried out like your first bike ride, you have the confidence, but no skill whatsoever and a few falls are eminent. Woe unto the first candidate you choose to interrogate (because it is more of that than a job interview). At this point, not even you the supposed boss know what you want or even know how to get to it. You are prodding in the dark, hoping you do a good job about it.Un be-known to your soon-to-be employees; the only systems that exist at this point are only in your head. There are no manuals, no guides, and sometimes not even enough work tables.

Sometimes you select fitting people. A lot of times you are not so lucky. Because you didn't know better any way, don’t beat yourself up too much. However, you have to make up for this flaw with being easy to let go. If you don't fire all incompetent recruits as soon as you know you have them, you will soon end up with the worst team any team leader could dream of. But it is not their fault; you chose them out of naiveté. Unfortunately, business must go on. It's at this point that you realize the biggest turn over, soon to hire, soon to fire, till you get it right. You may get bruised too; a lot of people do really walk the streets a lot before they even get a chance at an interview, let alone a job and a desk. Firing them is like throwing them into an abyss, yet gain. Some won’t go without a fight. Do it with kindness and refer them to appropriate employment, if you can. But you must know by now, that it is more in business than anywhere else where the adage holds, that it is okay to make a mistake but you can only make i t once. Learn fast, correct and move on. You may be sued a few times.
Of course a few will leave on their own, having not received fulfillment in current employment, or just fed up of running battles with creditors that tend to characterize young businesses at this time. Wish them well, and keep doing your best. But all through this, look out for loyalty. This is a trait that is priceless, and however much you train, this is not a trait that is easily learned in old age. One either has it or has not. And it is people like this who will stick by you even in the hardest of times. Make a point to reward them appropriately as you grow.

Lord, I need a partner

So, you have searched your brain.You have double checked your business plan too. You have just scrutinized your bank statement. Something is wrong. You need an answer, and an answer fast. You have come up with all the justifications for you r choice. You just need to act now. So the search begins. A search for a partner. (This, my friends, is a business column. No lonely hearts here. We are talking business partners.)

Just like the social scene. People who fit in to what you had in mind are not far off. I mean, they are people we see every day. People we admire, people we pray we emulate (sometimes.)We could even share a church. Your search probably starts from your phone. You check the names and appraise them. You write them down, with notes on the side. Pros and cons against each. You could also ask around for a perfect fit. You are looking for people who are a bit like you .You think alike. The ambitions are alike, and they make great partners.

Maybe you succeed, maybe you don’t, but you try again, till you get one, or two. Business life, just like social life can get lonely at times. It also has that canny habit of making you feel insecure, a tad unfulfilled, in need of more company, or even thinking heads. Sometimes more hands.

The truth is partners are worth their value in gold. Well selected, that is. They make hard life a walk in the park. They make hard situations easy. They financial support makes friends out of creditors....and life doesn't seem so lonely after all. So every one’s prayer is that they be directed in their steps to find their perfect partner. Say a prayer before you start the process. You don’t want to choose wrong.

Because entrepreneurship is not just about money, and how many trucks you can fill with it, getting a business partner cannot just be about how much money you are going to make. Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle, a haven of sorts for people who think alike and cherish the same things in life. The freedom, that comes with directing your thoughts and operations. The creativity, finding solutions and who are we kidding, the money. But it is not just the money. In cases where you may have failed or ignored to consider the fact that you are stuck with this person almost for life, you have my pity and prayers too. You will need them.

There are going to be nasty situations where you don't agree, where their opinion is theirs alone, and because there is money involved, such arguments, are more like fights. Forget how we fought when we were young, adult fights are more long term and consequences maybe dire. You need to find someone who you share something with other than that business. In fact the business and the fact that you are partners should be a result of your other relationship, not the other way round. You need a friend, someone who understands you and vice- versa and someone with principles you can rely on.

You see, business comes out of character. Our business takes on our persona. If you are geek of some sort, your business smells the same (yeah, smells geeky, if you like). If you are a friendly person, who loves people, people around your business feel that trait on interaction. Therefore, you are not just doing yourself a favor, you are setting a good foundation for employees, clients and all stakeholders in doing your very best to get the very best partner. Someone who complements you .Someone whose strengths back up your weaknesses and someone you will want around you and your family even after business hours.
Because, my friend, if you ever get unlucky or pretty silly and end up with the wrong partner, you are in for a long ugly marriage.

Farming as a business with Njuki Emmanuel CEO of The Chicken Company Ltd

With Kind introduction from Yusuf Mulinya.

Any sane young entrepreneur carrying out farming as a business is deemed to have committed a certain form of class suicide. I highly suspect this is a result of our education system which hardly inspires us to be farmers. However, I also suppose that the current breed of farmers in business is also not particularly an inspiring kind - or the kind you’d want to have on your company advisory board.

But as the scales and tidal waves begin to change, as the need for food rises together with population and an opportunity to profit, farming is becoming more and more appealing. The current inflationary levels are opening up our minds to the fact that food security is the true independence. One cannot claim to be independent if one has no food security.

By food security, we mean households having access to affordable, sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet the dietary needs for an active and healthy life. Isn’t it shocking to realize that Uganda, a country with the largest organic soil percentage in the world, a country gifted by nature, a country in which one only requires a ‘do nothing guide to farming’ for one to succeed, can be a country without food security? How is this possible?

Our podcast with Mr. Njuki is timely. Not only does he address the concern or the need for us to view farming with a keen business eye, he addresses the key challenge of facing the second class citizenship and how to deal with it plus opportunities involved. The future billionaires will be food billionaires - he quotes Al Gore.

In the last part, we highlighted current issue of sustainability. To a certain extent, we need to grow some food for ourselves, and not outsource the entire operation to farmers in business. The main criticism I have found with this issue is that not all of us can be farmers, we specialized into various professions, so this is unworkable. It is my sincere opinion that if we find it hard to carry out some of the farming ourselves, or difficult to practice farming as a business, then perhaps we should consider investing in farmers who are willing to work. A vast majority of farmers, like any other businessmen, are facing capital and short term financing problems. If we found ways of partnering with them to form investment partnerships, they would be able to expand capacity, and we would get returns on investment both in the form of food and in dollars. A win win situation is definitely good business.

Enjoy the podcast.Farming as a business with Njuki Emmanuel CEO of The Chicken Company Ltd

Move over entrepreneur;hello C.E.O

Interesting things happen in life. I guess that is why it is sacred. Dreams and ideas coming to life, and there the magical transformation of just a thought or dream into something real must indeed be magical. Yet that is what life is, magical, and those who don’t take the time to enjoy the journey realize that life just like a journey the beauty lies in the experience, the buildup. There is quite no definite end.

In a world where there are no defined roles, the world of entrepreneurship, you are everything and anything. You pay the bills, (lining up in the bank, for both Accounts, the business and your personal Savings Account).You make the sales, you grow the ideas, you ward of creditors, and you take out the trash. At this stage, you also tend to lose a bit of weight and sometimes have toned muscles (due to heavy lifting I suspect.Tables and shelves do that to you)

Other than well established entrepreneurs whose creation of new businesses is never the same as when you craft your own small business, the small- time, first time entrepreneurs tend to start out alone or with a fairly small number of people. It s this multi tasking that makes them succeed and quite at home in a structure free business world. Sometimes, there is talent attached to the entrepreneur. Sometimes it’s just what we call business acumen. Seeing things in a particular way (a lot of times not very popular with other people). This state of mind, or mentality and the attached talent (if any) is what makes you tick. It also gives you confidence to chase a dream.

Several years later,(sometimes decades) you are joined by employees, people designed to man(or woman, if you like) particular and specific jobs and pieces of work within the company. An Accountant here, a driver there. A cook somewhere. The all rounder is not entertained at this level, you will be competing with the boss, and a rebellious and stubborn streak tends to follow such people.(I suspect again that is why they are entrepreneurs in the first place.)
As employees become more, and more specific job descriptions are written and enforced, ironically the person who started it all is also boxed in. Most times you become C.E.O or MD, with specific roles. It will most probably amount to a scandal if you are found enforcing discipline to guests, including those who visit mostly at night through the back door(sometimes also called thieves) .That is the duty of the guard or the watch man. He may sue you for interference and rendering him redundant.

Manners and some decency finally have to be learned such as the ability as to speak well and dress properly. There are conferences to attend and briefs to make. You must do all these well. For someone who loves freedom and hence left employment to attain it, it’s then disturbing that institutions take on the very shape you had escaped. The only consolation is that this time you are at the top. Some people fail to make the transformation. I don’t think I ever will fit in properly myself. The roles are so different. But necessity dictates so. The more stubborn ones stay clear and appoint a Chief Executive Officer who fits the role so they can continue to act out of structures themselves. Coming to work when they feel like, or working through the night and experimenting with new ideas. The others conform and wear the suits, and learn the ropes of corporate governance.

You realize after that long period that success pushes more work towards you, including learning new things faster every day. You then hire people to do what only you were able to do, and a lot of times you are left with nothing visible to do,(having assigned all the work to professionals)
My experience tells me, that if you have not honed people skills for all this while, kindly create the structures and let someone take over the day to day management of your business, because if you are not honest with your own appraisal, you then become a liability to a business whose success you have sacrificed a lot for. Know when to move over. A lot of times to start something new yet again.

is there such a thing as too much inspiration?

Every piece of advice we receive involves encouraging us to plan and research and find out what else had been done in our field of interest. We get that from history class, from bible school and from medical class(I guess). History is all around us. Those who know how those who walked before us did so, tend to perform much better. We look to our superiors for inspiration.
I am a book fanatic. Scratch that. I am a reading freak. I read practically everything and anything. It must have been nurtured from childhood. Both my parents were teachers and I learned to read before I went to school.( Quick math tel you I skipped nursery school.Which might explain strains of anti-social behavior)But I digress.

The point though is not when I started to read and how much I have read since then. I Picked up on the growing trend of self help books at some point after school .I don’t remember exactly how I dug in ,but the trend and the self help books industry is growing and so is my reading list. I know I speak to someone right now, It has grown to include podcasts and audio books too.

Self help books are those which are meant to encourage us, to press on, to inspire us to be better,by achieving, getting inspired or even break some habits. My favorites have been from Gordon Wavamunno,to Bill Gates and Donald Trump to Sir Richard Branson. From Russ Whitney to Ambrose Kibuuka to David Schwarz, and of course the legendary Robert Kiyosaki.

I have also attended an enviable number of seminars and conventions where earth moving speakers have presented. I have a collection of DVDs too and audio books. This is all healthy I fathom, after all I want to chart the water they have sailed. And so do you. Question Is.. How much inspiration is enough?

I know there are several faces I keep meeting at every speaker’s forum or every Inspiration event and they never change. They keep soaking up more and more information and skills from the professionals. However, there never seems to be any progress in their business life. They tend to tell the story of just about to start that business, just about to write that book, just about to do that project,let me just do a little more research. Yes

I had read all this for about three years before I decided enough was enough. You just can’t take directions all your life. You need to start on your own and start on your own journey. That is when I choose action against, well, more inspiration and repeating what Kiyosaki was saying about business. I know a lot of us have come across several useful guide books in business, and I congratulate you. You need a guide on this journey, but like an infant you need to be weaned of this habit if you are to begin. Especially if it threatens to become addiction and impede action and progress.
I confess, once in a while I go back to my collection of books, and it’s a quite a collection, for more inspiration; when I am down, when I am looking for a new solution but I had to put it aside to be able to start on my own. Do not substitute thinking with reading.

If you are in my boat then, where you read more self help than do business, stop now, please, and start working on your dream. Because I believe, yes, there is such a thing as too much inspiration. You need to create your own and move. Do that. Do not be held up by what they sometimes refer to as Analysis Paralysis, where you analyze too much, the finer details scare you and you don’t move on. It is such an idea killer. I know I have come full circle with my second business, I seem to find more reason to do more research and read one more book, but I should hide my collection for a while till I have taken some more steps in that direction. You should do the same, or if you have moved this journey, congratulations for having been inspired just enough to move on and begin.

tell me, do you really want to be a priest?

For the majority of my readers ,that can only come from a movie.Nah,not many of you even watch Padre Pio movies.It could only have come from a fictional book.Sixteenth Century perhaps.

For 15 year old Emma,that was a real question that put that real fear into him. The answer would mean chasing a dream or letting it fly.(Padre Pio is a saint by the way)

This young boy was two weeks late reporting to school at the minor seminary. All horror stories had been told about that place.Still he went. Two weeks late.

Even before he could settle into his 40 student's class,the biggest so far in a long history,he is hand picked for the worst student career killer ever in the whole school.A trip to the lake(also the worst punishment you could ever have)
Crime was asking just what the phrase :
"Tu periurare timeto -- commodat in lusus numina surda Venus" meant.

Subito(Latin for suddenly) a name given to a particularly mysterious teacher Priest finds me in action and there on my first day in school I am led to the lake for punishment.

Once there,the following conversation occurs,
"So young man,you have come to the seminary!?"
Knees shaking I barely whisper,
"Yes Father",
"And a few hours later you have your first punishment. Will you even make an average Seminarian?"(that asked with so much anger I wonder why,and a sneer to match)

I f I say YES,he will say,how then do you find yourself in this situation?,If I say No,I swear to God he will send me home. So I say,
" I will try"
......and he goes,
"Laba,Just trying? You will just try?" I don't think you are good enough."

Don't blame then when I chose to leave after a whole four years. My start was not the best. I tried.
And for you Latin starters,sentence translates as, "... fear not to forswear thyself. Venus makes the gods deaf to the plaints of the deceived lover."

Gold Jazz in this city

It’s Thursday and it been a chilly day. After the government warning us on our phones of an impending drought, it starts to rain like this!I swear I still have the text. I don't want to be that minister or even the intern who sent us the texts! Drought planning committee indeed!

Its one of those days where you are looking for something to make your day, but with rain like this I decide I will make it myself. Off to bodaboda for the Nile Gold jazz night. Code9 is playing. You know how a beer goes down after a hard day. Sheer awesomeness.
I get to Garden City. I climb the steps, up, up. One by one. I am at Bodaboda. Now when you get to bodaboda, the first expectation is one of those beefy security guards at the gate. You want to be careful with them. Their chest says it all. So I empty my pockets, keys, ka-torchi phone,coinage and I proceed almost automatically, arms raised.

Mother of all surprises, I don't find them this time! Instead I find two drummers. Serious. A chick and a guy,enjoying the drums with this smile. Am I at the right place? I rub my eyes. I look again. Ah,so jazz evening starts here! They smile me through.
That's creativity.
That is ushering with a difference !
The mood caught on. I go straight to where the band is. Singing along to the entry drums.

Now,I am sure you are mostly used to watching performances below the stage while the band drums and sing at the plat form. Here,there are ringside seats if you like.Close to the action. You are like those 3D movies where you are inside the match oba?. Tip:next time go for those seats.

So,the band plays and the beer flows. I tell you,this music here is good. Not the usual jazz of tululululu...This is jazz you don't have to pretend to enjoy. It sips right into you..you can't complain. The evening wears on. Now, I may not be able to express myself fully about the crowd right now. I was concentrating on the music (ears and eyes) and the drink(other senses). I hope the same crown attends next time, so I will tell you.

I only hear the next day that there was a movie too. No! Why didn’t some one tell me?