James Ezenachi

"The One Minute Manager" is a popular management book written by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson.  It revolves around the concept of effective and efficient management using a simple and time-efficient approach.  I didn't know what to think when I first picked up the book, because it was small and the title was witty. But, then again like I always do, I followed the old adage that says " don't judge a book by its cover" so I delved in to read. Here are some of the key takeaways from the book: 1. Set Clear Goals: The authors emphasized the importance of making sure to set specific, clear and measurable goals for yourself and your team.  By defining specific goals, and communicating them clearly as a manager, you get to provide your team with a clear direction and a sense of purpose. 2. Practice One Minute Praising: Catch people doing things right and provide immediate, specific praise. Recognize and acknowledge their efforts to reinforce positive behavi...

  This is a book that explores the concept of purpose and its significance in personal and organizational success.  In the book, Sinek suggests that great leaders and organizations focus on the "why" behind their actions rather than the "what" or "how."  Here are the important points I got from the book: 1. The Golden Circle: Sinek introduces the Golden Circle, a model that consists of three concentric circles: why, how, and what. The why represents the purpose, cause, or belief that drives an individual or organization. The how and what represents the processes and products.  He argues that starting with the why and communicating it effectively is crucial for inspiring and motivating others. 2. The Law of Diffusion of Innovation: For this, he explains how ideas or products spread in society.  Innovators and early adopters are driven by the why, while the majority follow when they see the tangible benefits (the what).  It is crucial to identify the early a...

  Have you ever felt stagnated and worried about implementing your Ideas? Adopting the strategies below will solve your problem. Yes, feeling stagnated is a thing, and many people feel that daily. It's not that you feel it is the problem but do you know how to get out of it?  You know, having an idea is most times not the problem but rather implementing those said ideas are the issues that the majority of people face. So, if you are feeling stuck in a rut and struggling to implement your ideas? It's time to break out of your stagnancy and make things happen.  Here are some tips to help you get started. Set clear goals: The first step to implementing your ideas is to set clear goals. Try to Identify your big goal and then go ahead and break it down into smaller, achievable ones. Big goals can be discouraging sometimes because we seem not to know how to go about them and even when we start it's like we are not getting anywhere. However, when you break down your goals into s...

Gratitude in this case is a way in which you show appreciation for something that you have or have access to. It’s giving ∼ that if you appreciate something it tends to increase, just like the saying goes ‘what you focus on expands.’ Gratitude can open up big doors for you that you would ordinarily not have access to. It works like magic and even those who enjoy its largesse may never be able to explain its powers fully. However, what I have seen and can say about it is that; When you show genuine appreciation for something, it puts you in a mood which in turn necessitates the happy emotion. Happy emotion is a very powerful vibe that is magnetic. When you meet a person with a happy vibe you can’t help but get a spice up on your mood as well. So, as I was trying to explain… When you show gratitude and start to exude the powerful emotion of happiness, it becomes easy for people to want to associate with you and thus partake in the vibes. This will ultimately lead to you getting support f...

Many great ideas have come to life because the people that thought of them were ignorant of the beliefs of others. I recorded a podcast one time talking about this, but I will like to share it here. Contrary to what we have been groomed to believe that ignorant is a very bad thing and even many scholars put it this way “If you say education is expensive try ignorance.” I get it, and this is not to shit on all those ideologies but rather to expand on the possibilities embedded therein in ignorance. Yes, many people might have had great losses because they were ignorant and didn’t have enough knowledge about something. But then… Some people have also made great inventions and achieved exceptional results even without knowing about something in the first place. And just to give you a common example that should ring a bell. How many times have you heard people especially someone successful during interviews say something in the light of “I didn’t know what I was doing back then” or “We wer...

Culture is something I am big on and I understand how hard it is for communities to maintain their traditions despite the pressures of globalization and modernization: And I talk about these because cultural preservation is critical for ensuring that the traditions and practices of different communities are not lost to history.  Therefore, It is the responsibility of all of us to respect and preserve the cultural heritage of our communities and share it with future generations. Yes, Globalization and modernization have brought many benefits, but they have also put tremendous pressure on traditional ways of life.  In many cases, cultural practices are being lost as people adopt more modern lifestyles and technologies. However, as I have noticed in my little research many communities around the world are working hard to preserve their cultural traditions.  They recognize the value of their culture and are taking steps to ensure that it is not lost. A good way that communiti...

  Forget all that you have done up until now, they are all in the past! Because… If you want to achieve success and reach your goals, you have to do more.  Yesterday's achievements are what they are “yesterday's achievements” You need a new one for today, just like Les Brown said: “Make each day count by setting specific goals to succeed, then putting forth every effort to exceed your own expectation” Doing more means pushing yourself beyond your limits and putting in extra effort to achieve your desired outcomes. The key to doing more is to have a clear understanding of what you want to accomplish and set a clear goal that you can work towards Another essential factor in doing more is to focus on your priorities. Identify the tasks that will have the most significant impact on your goals and prioritize them over less critical tasks. It's also crucial to develop a strategy that outlines how you will achieve your goals and break them down into actionable steps. This approach...

  It causes you to focus on what you lack rather than what you have. You only see the highlight reel, not the behind-the-scenes struggles and hardships. It's human nature to compare ourselves to others.  We look at what others have, what they've achieved, and how they look, and we can't help but compare ourselves. However, the truth is that when we constantly compare ourselves to others, we rob ourselves of the joy and happiness that comes from being content with who we are and what we have. Comparison can lead to feelings of envy, jealousy, and inadequacy.  It can cause us to focus on what we lack rather than what we have, and we can lose sight of our own accomplishments and strengths. We often forget that the people we compare ourselves to are also flawed and have their own struggles and challenges.  We only see the highlight reel, not the behind-the-scenes struggles and hardships. Instead of comparing ourselves to others, we should focus on our own journey and pro...

Making excuses and putting things off is easy, but that won't help you achieve your goals. Because … 1/ Holding yourself accountable means owning your actions and decisions,   Yes, I get it, it's not always easy.  But when you hold yourself responsible for the outcome of your efforts and recognize that you are the one who has the power to make things happen. You will instantly notice a change in perspective and a feeling of freedom. There is an apt quote from Steve Maraboli that says “The victim mindset dilutes the human potential. By not accepting personal responsibility for our circumstances, we greatly reduce our power to change them.” In essence, you can't complain about being a victim and at the same time want to change your situation. You can only successfully change your situation if you are in control and to be in control you have to take responsibility for your actions and own them. 2/ If you want to hold yourself accountable, start by setting realistic and achie...