The biggest pitfall to progress

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The biggest pitfall to progress

BUSINESS MATTERS(Beyond the bottom line) 

By Francis J. Kong (The Philippine Star) | 

Updated August 9, 2015 

I love funny materials, especially those that play with words.

I have this material kept for so many years and this concerns businesses that are not doing well. Here is the material.

Did you hear about the ……

Paper company that folded?

Brake company on the skids?

Bra manufacturers that went bust?

Surgeon who was forced to take a cut in his salary?

Cigarette company that went up in smoke?

Baker who was short of dough?

Refrigerator manufacturer that had its assets frozen?

Corset firm that felt the squeeze?

Upholsterers that couldn’t cover their costs?

Adhesive tape company that got into a sticky situation?

Tennis ball manufacturer that ended up in court?

Downfall of the bungee suppliers?

The train company that went off the rails?

The ship building company that sunk?

The dental practice that was rotten to its roots?

Most of my clients are bullish. They either hit or surpass their targets and as they go through the second half of the year everything seems to be bright and rosy.

It makes me happy knowing that my clients are doing very well. Most of them are highly charged and motivated since it’s now the business-planning season.

Unfortunately though there are a few businesses that are going downhill. Some of the owners and executives are aware of this and they embark into drastic measures in order to revive it.

Others are still in a state of denial and refuse to accept the fact that their business is hitting the bottom. This is a very dangerous situation. Why is this so? Let me present a scenario, as this seems to be the most common one in many cases of enterprise and career failures.

The business started many years ago. The initial phases were very difficult but the tides began to change. The business gathered traction, market share was gained, work force expanded and all the praises for the business were collected from TV Business News show as well as magazines.

Move forward a few years later and it seems that the business has slowed down. The excitement is no longer there anymore. Continued progress seems to be replaced by an uncomfortable sense of stillness.

What’s going on? How come the brakes are on and there seems to be no sign of advancement?

The most common cause of failure: EGOISTIC PRIDE.

To be proud of your work is okay. To be proud of the company you work for is commendable. To be proud of the enterprise you are running is essential but pride that is anchored on ego and grandiosity kills progress.

There is always more danger in success and praise than in criticism and correction. What once used to be energy spent in the creative process in building the business or career/profession begins to drift to the constant crave for attention and ego stroking from people.

When this is not checked the ego inflates and the person begins to believe his or her own press releases.

And then the predictable happens. A grandiose defeat and failure to bring the proud back to earth and this time humbled and perhaps humiliated. They have to start back to zero and live with the scars of the devastation and shame.

Some recover, others do not and they are still living in denial, too proud to admit they have erred.

We are all susceptible to this and we should arrest this unhealthy attitude the soonest to prevent further damage not only to the business and profession but even more so in terms of our personal character.

The solution is simple. And this is to constantly consider others better than ourselves; to accept the fact that we can all be blindsided.

Consistently craving for attention is a character defect. Constantly searching for public approval can be addictive. It would be most appropriate to stay away from people who flatter and praise. Best to stay grounded and realize that we are not the center of the universe and the universe will continue to run long after you and I are gone.

Life is simple. Love God, love men. Seek to improve and work earnestly on our talents and skills. Celebrate successes but not too loud and not too long. Channel the fruit of our labor to help others. This keeps us in our place and is a key to long-term sustainable success. And trust me, this makes life worth living and we stay happier too.

How do you stand?

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How do you stand?

BUSINESS MATTERS(Beyond the bottom line) 

By Francis J. Kong 

(The Philippine Star) | Updated July 19, 2015

I did a keynote in Macau a few years ago. As usual I had the Ilocana (a term of endearment I have for my wife Lilia) with me. After the work my very kind and generous client surprised us with a treat and brought us to a show – a water show.

We were fascinated as we watched high flying trapeze artists swing from one place to another and dive from what seems to be hundreds of feet high into a magnificent stage that converts into a pool. The audience marveled at how the artists delivered their acts with grace and precision.

I thought to myself that these artists/athletes must have taken years to perfect their craft and wondered how many injuries they had to suffer for them to reach their level of mastery.

There is something similar with these artists/athletes and ballet dancers. Then it hit me. It is the way they handle their posture. I have never seen a ballet dancer slouching. Their balance, their equilibrium and most importantly their posture is not only aesthetically desirable but is a matter of life and death as well in this dangerous profession of athletics and acrobatics.

One slump of the shoulders, one false move and one slouching of the body can mean “show’s over” for the high-wire acrobat or the partner whose very life depends on his or her movement. In this case, posture really matters.

Now you and I are not expected to go up a structure and swing and dive like these athletes and acrobats for a living and maybe this is the reason why we slouch most of the time and more often without us even noticing that we actually do.

The Ilocana constantly calls my attention when I slouch especially when all of my attention is riveted on the screen as my fingers bang the keyboard away doing another article or writing another page for my new book.

Like a schoolteacher she would give me a stern look and say, “watch your posture” and then I will straighten up. When she sees me walking up, down or around the stage doing my training or presentations during break time, the schoolteacher of my life would say, “Sweetheart, you are slouching again.”

You are probably wondering why I would make such a big deal out of posture and what it has got to do with doing business and success but let me tell you one discovery I had as I was studying books and audio materials on public speaking.

This is what I discovered.

That in the eyes of the audience as well as employees, THE BAROMETER FOR SUCCESS IS POSTURE!

A good posture is a sign of assurance, good health and confidence. A good posture is actually a knee-jerk reaction and an assurance every time something good happens to us.

For example, when somebody tells a nice funny story, when the boss announces promotions, or when the client signs on the big order and an immense jolt of happiness hits your heart and you feel like a winner.

Watch the signs and the behaviors as your head jerks up automatically, your shoulders straighten back, a smile forms on your face and a sparkle lights up your eyes. It is as if the body releases its instinctive reaction every time you and I experience a “win.”

And all these exude confidence.

This is the posture of winners. Their posture reveals their confidence. They move with assurance. There is a soft smile on their face that shows they are in control of the situation and you cannot help but be inspired and encouraged.

This is the posture that wins the hearts of their people and trust me, I have been in the presence of some of the most powerful business people in this country and they all exhibit this winning stance.

Perhaps it would be good for us to imitate their winning posture. Maybe we do but we are just not aware of the ramifications of it.

But the key to this is confidence that is derived from knowledge and self-improvement, assurance that what we do is right and honorable. A good posture that is indicative that you and I are in control of the situation and trust that we are doing things that are not to fulfill selfish interest but for the good of others.

“Watch your posture.”

“Do not slouch.”

Now you know why I love my schoolteacher.

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Your competitor’s evangelist

BUSINESS MATTERS(BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE)

 By Francis J. Kong 

 (The Philippine Star) | Updated August 4, 2013

The line at the counter is always long. The wait is uncomfortable. Sometimes the organizers for my events ignore my request and preference for a particular airline, and buy me one of those cheap-fare tickets because they want to save money. I don’t complain to them since they’re my clients; I just complain silently. Have you ever been restrained to complaining silently? It’s not a very good feeling, isn’t it?

One time, I had an early morning flight. I knew I had to muster an extra dose of patience and kindness because checking in and standing in an overcrowded airport can really wear my patience thin. Then the thing I really hate happened – we were told that “…flight is delayed due to turnaround aircraft, and so on and so forth…” And I wondered, like I often have, “How come if I’m late, they won’t accept any of my reasons? They just cancel my cheap-fare ticket and force me to buy another one? But when their plane is late, I can’t complain, and I can’t cancel my ticket and force them to buy me a new one from another airline? Life is so unfair, isn’t it?

But “counter experiences” are the most dramatic of them all. One time, the person behind my counter was talking to a person behind another counter. In a loud voice, he angrily complained how his salary was so little, while the work is so heavy and the company makes a lot of money. The passengers waiting in line listened to his complaints, while his companion at the other counter affirmed and patronized everything he said. “My goodness,” I thought to myself, “If I were his manager, I would’ve fired him right on the spot. And if I hadn’t been tired and in a hurry, I would’ve given those two nincompoops a free seminar, badmouthing their employer in front of customers as they did.

Here’s a more recent counter experience.

The line at the first counter I was at was long. I moved to another counter with a shorter line. My associate and I were the last ones in line. We waited 15 minutes, and when it was my turn, the girl behind the counter asked me where I was going. I told her, and she responded, “This is not the line. You have to switch to another counter.” I looked at the counter she was pointing at. The long line there would mean we had to wait in line for another 20 minutes or so. I reasoned, I pleaded. I told her, “Miss, we’re the last in line. Can’t you do something to help us?” Not for once did the girl look at me again. She just kept pointing at the sign that said, “Counter Closed.” No eye contact, no smile, no explanation nor offer of help. And with the compassion of a serial killer, she said with full condescension, “The sign was there early, you should’ve seen the sign.” How’s that for customer service?

I know it’s unfair for me to hate this airline just because of that one (or two) employee. It may be unfair because the girl doesn’t represent the whole company. Or does she? I’ve met some kind and pleasant people from the airline, yes, but I’ve become inclined to think that the company doesn’t really care about their passengers, they just want the business.

The girl at the counter may be right, but how she went about it was wrong. And everything right was obliterated when she failed to show empathy, offer help or even just look at me while we were talking.

Every customer wants to be respected. Airfares don’t come cheap when passengers are cheapened by the way they’re treated.

Train your front liners. You save on costs by skimping on your training, but one day it’ll cost you. Now I make sure that all my invitations for out-of-town talks would necessitate another airline. How come I’ve become an evangelist for this airline’s competitor? You tell me.