You can afford everything but not anything!

A fundamental principle of micro-economics is that every choice has an opportunity cost. Economists commonly place a value on time to convert an opportunity cost in time into a monetary figure. In other words, opportunity costs represent the potential benefits an individual, investor, or business misses out on when choosing one alternative over another. I think every choice that you make is a trade-off against something else and this does not just apply to your money - it also applies to your time, energy and attention to any limited resource that you need to manage.


The idea of opportunity costs is a major concept in our lives. Saying yes to one thing implicitly means saying no to countless other alternatives and this opens us up to two questions:

1. What really matters to you? I do not mean what society says should and I do not eat what you previously thought may matter to you. I mean when you take that deep dive and examine yourself, what truly matters in your life.

2. How do you align your daily, weekly or yearly decisions in a way that reflects that?

Starting with your daily objectives, as answering these two questions is a daily practice and as lost time can be a significant component of opportunity cost, therefore, why are you waiting? Contact me via e-mail for coaching, consulting, workshops or lecturing opportunities.

The truth may be puzzling

““The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with.
It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices.
It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true.
But our preferences do not determine what is true.” - Carl Sagan”

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The ABC's of leadership

For many years the ABC’s of leadership was an abbreviation for Act, Build and Commit. Under the current circumstances, perhaps it’s time for a new acronym. What do you think about Korn Ferry’s Accountability, Belief and Capability?

• Accountability. The accountability we wish to see in others starts with each of us. In other words, we must first be accountable to ourselves for our own behaviors. Believe it, say it, mean it, act it!

• Belief. When we believe we can make a difference - that change is possible - then our actions will follow. And if we don’t believe, we won’t achieve..

• Capability. This is a broad brush: listening, connecting, inspiring, giving and getting honest feedback, expanding networks, exploring with others, and constantly looking for opportunities to learn. It’s all about allowing belief and accountability to shine through actions.

Ordering a pizza in 2022

This morning one of my friends sent me the below conversation on Facebook. I initially laughed and then I thought welcome to the future…


CALLER: Is this Pizza Hut?

GOOGLE: No sir, it's Google Pizza.

CALLER: I must have dialled the wrong number, sorry.

GOOGLE: No sir, Google bought Pizza Hut last month.

CALLER: OK. I would like to order a pizza.

GOOGLE: Do you want your usual, sir?

CALLER: My usual? You know me?

GOOGLE: According to our caller ID data sheet, the last 12 times you called you ordered an extra-large pizza with three cheeses, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms and meatballs on a thick crust.

CALLER: Super! That’s what I’ll have.

GOOGLE: May I suggest that this time you order a pizza with ricotta, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes and olives on a whole wheat gluten-free thin crust?

CALLER: What? I don’t want a vegetarian pizza!

GOOGLE: Your cholesterol is not good, sir.

CALLER: How the hell do you know that?

GOOGLE: Well, we cross-referenced your home phone number with your medical records. We have the result of your blood tests for the last 7 years.

CALLER: Okay, but I do not want your rotten vegetarian pizza! I already take medication for my cholesterol.

GOOGLE: Excuse me sir, but you have not taken your medication regularly. According to our database, you purchased only a box of 30 cholesterol tablets once at Lloyds Pharmacy, 4 months ago.

CALLER: I bought more from another Pharmacy.

GOOGLE: That doesn’t show on your credit card statement.

CALLER: I paid in cash.

GOOGLE: But you did not withdraw enough cash according to your bank statement.

CALLER: I have other sources of cash.

GOOGLE: That doesn’t show on your latest tax returns, unless you bought them using an undeclared income source, which is against the law!

CALLER: WHAT THE HELL!

GOOGLE: I'm sorry sir, we use such information only with the sole intention of helping you.

CALLER: Enough already! I'm sick to death of Google, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and all the others. I'm going to an island without the internet, TV, where there is no phone service and no one to watch me or spy on me.

GOOGLE: I understand sir, but you need to renew your passport first. It expired 6 weeks ago...

Play your cards right

Information and data is really important, in reality human beings are moved by emotion. I help people build that emotional connection whether it's in a one to one conversation or if you have to give a presentation in front of many people. By being your true self and conveying your message in a way that is going to connect is easier said than done. What I attempt to do is align everybody, so they are singing from the same hymn sheet, and are working towards the organisation's common mission.

It starts by doing the work within oneself, first question is ‘Who am I?’
Do you know who you want to be as a person? How do you want your life to look? What kind of impact do you want to make on other people? I will guide you in how to look within and understand what experiences have shaped you, and from here, how to present it in a way that is going to affect and elevate others. And ask, ‘Now do I have clarity about my story and why I behave in the way I do?’


Learn how to share a short story that other people in the room can relate to. Demonstrating which parts of your life are relevant to share and when to show your vulnerability are essential ingredients of storytelling.

• What do you stand for? In other words, what do you believe in so strongly that regardless of the circumstances around you, you will stand up for that principle?

• When people know that this is what you stand for irrespective of circumstances or your own personal gain they will gravitate towards you, they will trust you more.
  
  
  

My work revolves around growing your influence and building trust with people you work with. Be connected to your story, what shaped you and know what you stand for and believe so strongly that you will bring it naturally every day. Contact me via e-mail for coaching, consulting, workshops or lecturing about storytelling.

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Future proofing our youngsters

Someone asked me the other day about what I thought our youngsters should be learning in order to counter the threat of AI (artificial intelligence). Here’s what I think and not in any particular order:

1. Public speaking

2. Project management

3. Negotiation

4. Conflict resolution

5. Critical thinking

6. The art of selling

7. Storytelling

8. People management

9. Customer service

10. Marketing

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The best of the best

I think that there is a huge difference between skill and talent. In my opinion, skill is something you learn and talent is something you are born with. And with very few exceptions, everything in our own lives is a skill, for example, learning to read is a skill, being brave enough to speak up with the truth is a skill, caring about customers is a skill, etc. When telling yourself that you don’t have the talent, “I wasn’t born able to do that!” That story is not based on facts, in fact it’s letting yourself off the hook, it’s an excuse. Remember, skills are easier to acquire today than ever before.


The amygdala is part of the brain's limbic system and it’s here where we process emotions. It’s here where the voice in our heads says, “don’t do that, you are in danger”. This resistance is what makes us hesitant, it’s resistance that makes us nervous before we try something for the first time.


In the western world we have been conditioned to look out for ourselves, ”survival of the fittest”. We are judged on individual performance - how well we do on exams, work, projects, etc. - and are rewarded with awards, promotions and increased wages. How can we connect and collaborate on a level where we are looking at that common mission? People may be rated individually, but what can we do to align and more in the same direction?
Contact me via e-mail for coaching, consulting, workshops and lecturing.

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Guidance from a mentor

I have been an educated mentor since 2011 and unofficially, I have been guiding individuals to gain clarity in their message for the whole of my adult life. With the mission to identify how they can grow their influence with the right people and build trust in the workplace.


We all want a sense of purpose, a feeling of being connected to the mission for the company that we work for but what is more important is feeling a connection with our colleagues. Collaborating and supporting each other and when we speak up we are heard in a non judgemental way. Many people are lacking a connection to their purpose, they do not know how to create fulfilment in their lives. Many people are lacking internal clarity. Just imagine what it would be like to become better at public speaking, giving presentations or being a better communicator.


In order to help people to become better communicators in everyday life, here’s some example questions I ask mentees:
What do you expect to gain from our sessions?
Who are you as a person?
Where are you struggling?
What is your current mission?
How are you connecting with people in a way that influences and moves them?


Contact me via e-mail and let’s arrange a virtual meeting. I will be thinking about whether I can make a difference for this mentee and in which areas of their careers or business would I be most helpful?

Telling yourself stories may have bad side effects

There is not a huge difference between reporting and storytelling. For example, if five people see a bicycle accident, does one person see what actually happened and the other four are wrong, or do all five persons process what they have seen in their own way?

We know that all human beings process incoming information by telling themselves a story about what they saw, a story about what change it will require, a story about how it fits into their existing world. These stories need fertile ground to grow and that comes from our culture. Culture is all around us, culture beats the truth, culture beats any offer you can make. We have to understand the culture, we have to understand the world view, we have to understand the perspective of the people we are talking to.

I think that anyone who wants to make change has to tell a story that resonates with the people who are hearing it. I have guided companies that look good and want to be great. My business is desire and desire is the backbone of storytelling! I cannot help organisations to compete on price, therefore, all my offerings are focused on helping them compete on storytelling. And I do this by changing the narrative and looking at their strategy, culture, customer experience, etc.
Contact me via e-mail to arrange a virtual meeting. 

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Look and you will see

I’m pretty good at not carrying regrets around and I choose to be happy. I no longer allow negative things in my life to spoil the good things. I have been described as a skilled strategic developer. My things are planning from conception to implementation whilst defining the corporate mission, objectives and branding. How can I get to the heart of the change I am trying to make in the world?


It matters to me that human beings step up and speak their truth. It’s important to me that we look each other in the eyes and take advantage of this moment we have, as in reality no one knows how long we will have these opportunities. I think all of us are more powerful than we can even imagine and all of us have the ability to make things better.

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You need to care

Sales persons, I have very bad news for you! Buyers only buy from you for two reasons:
1. Awareness - they know you exist, and
2. Trust - they trust you.


The thing about awareness is that they are making anymore of it. Nowadays, we are getting more and more focused on keeping our attention to ourselves and not giving it to whatever shows up, for example, Senate election in Georgia (USA), the most recent pandemic lockdown restrictions in the UK, etc.


Marketeers have a history of just taking attention and just wasting it, going forward I hope that marketeers will begin to treasure, grow and nurture our attention. And these marketeers will perform better than those who just go around creating panic and emergencies. Marketing campaign: “I made this and it was really hard. Look at me and buy it, as you owe me your attention.” There is no humility, there is no generosity and there is no connection. I think that it would make more sense to patiently try to earn the attention of the people we seek to serve.

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Self Help

c/o The Telegraph

Everybody is talking about Matt Haig’s book, “The Midnight Library”. I think that his book “Notes on a Nervous Planet” is a masterpiece as it offers a personal look at how to feel happy and stay human in the twenty-first century.


On New Years Day, Matt posted on his Instagram feed a “Self Help” guide, it’s simple and easy top follow:
1. How to stop time: KISS
2. How to travel in time: READ
3. How to escape in time: MUSIC
4. How to feel time: WRITE
5. How to release time: BREATHE

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Why me

I have been a director, senior leader and commercial executive with experience of running teams, and I have a proven track record of exceeding results in highly demanding environments from start-ups to corporates. Through my varied professional experience, I have gained a deep understanding how effective relationships impact the bottom line.

Over the past few years I have used my coaching, active listening and mentoring skills to help organisations to get better feedback from their customers and subsequently improving business results by changing how they deal with customers. As part of this focus, I examine strategy, culture, interaction design, customer service, branding and leadership practices.

I am passionate about spotting emerging best practices and helping companies master them and I also speak about these topics in keynotes and lecturing engagements. Contact me via e-mail and let’s arrange a non-binary virtual meeting to discuss collaboration opportunities.

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How does what we do change the lives of our customers?

Running a business is very hard. You have to stay true to yourself, your passion and be consistent. You can reduce stress by not having strong opinions on subjects outside of your expertise. Today, customers expect you to know them and know what they want, in the moment.


Contact me for coaching, consulting, workshops or lecturing via e-mail and let’s arrange a non-binary virtual meeting to discuss the opportunities.

“Strategy is a commodity, execution is an art. - Peter Drucker”

Hello 2021

Just because I’m a Londoner, it does not mean that I know what is going to happen with Brexit. The continuation of the global pandemic restrictions means that life has thrown up another challenge and part of our own personal growth and self-responsibility is to be able to meet those challenges and rise above them. And the elephant in the room is climate change…

Here’s a little advice to myself, which may also be relevant for you:
Be a good person and do not waste energy trying to prove it, and continue to focus on the things that are within your power to change.

Goodbye 2020

“There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. - Nelson Mandela”

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As we are entering the last days of 2020, I think it’s time to offer some “friendly” advice…

Don't be impressed by:

1. Money

2. Job titles

3. Appearances

4. Experience

5. Affiliations

6. Imitations

7. Big words

Be impressed by:

1. Kindness

2. Trustworthiness

3. Unselfish generosity

4. Humility

5. Good manners

6. Courage to dare, dream and do

7. Integrity and benevolence

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Today is my birthday

Advertising works best when it is specific

Image via Kimberly Amici

I am a father, son, little brother, big brother, uncle, friend, leader, manager, mentor, coach and role model. I’m noticing this thing, here’s how I think it works and here’s how I think it may help you make things better. Would you pay me for that advice?


I made a great product, delivered wow and waited for them to tell other people. What I realised is that they will only tell other people if it will helps them, they will not tell other people if it only helps me. In order for other people to share your story, it must help their status, authority or life and then they will be more or likely to do it.

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Habits

Earlier this year I became a certified Power of Habits trainer as I believe the biggest influence in life is habit. I think the outcomes you seek are based on the habits you develop and maintain. Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement and a small habit, when repeated consistently, grows into something significant.


It’s almost that time of the year where everyone starts making New Year’s resolution. It’s almost that time of the year where everyone starts “dry January”. It’s almost that time of the year where everyone starts to think about the habits that they would like to change.


I am here to guide you and your organisation, send me an e-mail and let’s arrange a non-binary virtual meeting.

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