Every employee must be trained to think and behave like a business person

Rizal Philippines
July 24, 2019

I heard this from a former sales manager a kapadyak who worked for Japanese firms.  That is the first thing he teaches his trainee:  that since the trainees are working in a business  they should be taught this basic tenet.  That they should be taught strategic thinking ie, that they can contribute to sales, and reduce expenses.

Once upon a time, I asked a regular employee of HR and asked her how does she make money for the company. She answered, "When I do my job well I contribute to the revenues of the company or reduce costs...."  I was hoping that she would say, "When I make sure that there is 100% product knowledge, that people think in terms of PNL, then I would be able to contribute to the growth of the company"

Or if I hire staff who are A OK in customer service....

A while ago I was talking to a personnel in the north, and he was giving away a service at low low price. In the first place he lacked the product knowledge.  And for him, he forgot marketing is meeting customer wants and needs at a profit.  Maski  malulugi o kaunti kikitain ng kumpanya ok lang sa kanya....  (basta ok lang suweldo niya.  How can his suweldo be sustainable..

Being resourceful rather than being resource oriented

Rizal Philippines
July 22, 2019

I grew up as a businessman in very scarce and entrepreneurial environment -  not much resources, and at times 0.  I was born poor from a family who were squatters.  Our family started on a land that was not hours.  By virtue of thrift and hard work, we were able to build something.

An entrepreneur is defined as somebody who built a product/business with little or no resource.  So my hair rise if a subordinate reports that he cant do something because he does not have this or that  -  ie being resource oriented.. rather than being resourceful or having a culture of entitlement.  -  a nice car, a nice office, perks first, rather than finding out or delivering the results.

Thus corporate souls usually end up failures when they put up their own businesses.  Rather than focusing on what the new enterprise has (ability) they focus on what they  do not have (disability) waste their energy on the latter and thus fail...

The E(ntrepreneur) myth by Michael Gerber

Rizal Philippines
July 21, 2019

One of the things we did in the Entrep Class at GSB was to summarize books and report/share this to the class to expand their mastery of self and of the opportunity.

One such book is that of Michael Gerber -   the Emyth

The book attempts to answer why some small businesses dont work.  He observed that those who put up businesses are classified into three:    technicians, managers, and entrepeneurs.  The first two having shown their skills and capability as technicians and managers think that they can all ready put up and manage a business.  Nothing can be further from the truth.   Starting and sustaining a start ups require much much more skills and traits.  To jump from technicians and manager to entrepreneurs is a quantum leap.

Taking a seminar or even an MBA would not make you an entrepeneur.

Why do people still do bad things after you have given them jobs?

Rizal Philippines
July 15, 2019

Every employer entrepreneur will tel you that you are not one, unless you;

1. Have scrounged Friday, on the 15th or 30th month for the payroll of your staff, even borrowing from 5 6

2.  Your staff have done any or all of the following:

    1. Stolen money from you;  - and even running to millions  (this has happened to us thrice.

   2.  Complained before SSS or DOLE about you and the company

   3.  Did all sorts of immoral things in your premises

   4. I bad mouth ka sa community or social media?

Why? You gave them jobs, security and life... Gods daily bread passed through you?  Well even the Lord was crucified even  after he did many good things to the Jews....We just have to bear this, prosecute the criminals and go on.  Some of the culprits I know died...  "The wages of sin is death.  " is true

Forgiveness lessens the pain