iunie 22, 2009

#28 Warren Buffett’s advice for 2009



Today I thought to bring to your attention the thoughts of a successful person nowadays. Keep in mind these learnings and apply as many as you can ;)next to your coach or yourself.

Warren Buffett’s advice for 2009


We begin this New Year with dampened enthusiasm and dented optimism. Our happiness is diluted and our peace is threatened by the financial illness that has infected our families, organizations and nations. Everyone is desperate to find a remedy that will cure their financial illness and help them recover their financial health. They expect the financial experts to provide them with remedies, forgetting the fact that it is these experts who created this financial mess.

Every new year, I adopt a couple of old maxims as my beacons to guide my future. This self-prescribed therapy has ensured that with each passing year, I grow wiser and not older.

This year, I invite you to tap into the financial wisdom of our elders along with me, and become financially wiser.

Hard work : All hard work bring a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Laziness : A sleeping lobster is carried away by the water current.

Earnings : Never depend on a single source of income. (At least make your Investments get you second earning)

Spending : If you buy things you don't need, you’ll soon sell things you need.

Savings : Don’t save what is left after spending; Spend what is left after saving.

Borrowings : The borrower becomes the lender's slave.

Accounting : It’s no use carrying an umbrella, if your shoes are leaking.

Auditing : Beware of little expenses; A small leak can sink a large ship.

Risk-taking : Never test the depth of the river with both feet.

(Have an alternate plan ready )

Investment : Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

I’m certain that those who have already been practicing these principles remain financially healthy. I'm equally confident that those who resolve to start practicing these principles will quickly regain their financial health.

Let us become wiser and lead a happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful life.

Article SOURCE: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/warren-buffetts-advice-for-2009/423658/

iunie 02, 2009

#27 Romanian Managers and the children



Hi everyone,

I have taken a lot of time for reflecting so I want to share something important today (after not writing so long). It is about management, responsibility and empowering ourselves and the people we expect results from.
Romanian culture has a deep need of control, perhaps because we aren’t most of the time in control, but just driven by pressure, money, problems and misunderstanding ourselves and others. It is not only a Romanian feature but here in the Black See area is more preponderant.
Instead of empowering and sharing responsibility with the people around, we tend to take all the things upon us. The team players have to do our solutions to the problem and then we complain that nobody takes any responsibility for the work done. We do try to give a constructive feedback but in a rudimentary style (full of blame, not clear and descriptive, full of emotions like anger or guilt).
Manifesting the management style at home with children is perpetuating this behavior and instead of having a leader approach with our children we use the overreactive approach. This mean that we are in the chasing mode: “what is happening here, I expected another outcome and as consequence what is happening now is not right!?” (What is not in my mind or in my range of thinking is good for being thrown away.)
A home should inspire. „My ‚leaders’ know how to support me in the long and full of adventure trip I make every day” sais a child. „And every day I receive a lesson on how to become stronger and wiser in my trip next to the people around”. This is what a happy child would say.
It is clear no parent, manager, leader or person in this world can be perfect, but sharing warmth, understanding and joy is the best we can do as living persons on earth.
At work we need effectiveness, profits, efficient time usage but what if all these are in the wrong direction. What if more will come easier if we pay more attention on the long term expectations and not just stressing the moment with small and unimportant issues?
Profit must come, results must be seen (this is real world), but just as a small shift made into our mind to value the things around and to act more as leaders. This means having a vision about our purpose in this company, in this job, our purpose and values at home.
It has become a cliché to build a healthy company culture. It is just the stream of this period for most of us and not because we don’t want to do it well but because we don’t know how. When will we start learning?
So, having a house culture full of rules, interdictions, long speeches, demand of effectiveness, instead of values, purpose, feelings experiencing understanding and non judgmental attitude is like having a company culture based on overreacting, controlled actions, high expectations and low understanding instead of responsibility, trust, power, integrity and growth.