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May 2024
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PAST WANTS3/7/2024 I remembered when I was a fresh Masters graduate, I had been wanting to just travel and work abroad. It happened fast enough for me. Sooner than later, I got to travel for a really good reason, as a volunteer advocate internationally and then travel more because of work. Now, with 33 countries under my belt, I would only travel for a very strategic reason. My wants are totally different five years ago when I started my business. Now at my 6th year, I have learned lots, made mistakes along the way, some wants became old. I used to want to grow fast and do all kinds of stuff that would increase my market share. I found out that it's better to niche and dig deeper in one specific market where I can be distinguished from the rest. It's better to create your own track than to follow someone's framework of success. What's working for me is where I truly feel am perfectly situated. This realization improves my wants. My current wants are important but not enough to the level of needs. My mission is to help other people get the kind of leadership capacity they want, the organization they dream about, and impacts they want to bring. And my gosh, it already a mission statement of a lifetime!
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UNTOUCHABLES3/4/2024 There are sacred cows in many purpose-driven organizations. it can be a personnel, a Board Member, a funder, a practice/framework, an over-staying product, a founder's mantra, or a habit. All of these can be sacred cows- never questioned, continued to exist and proliferate despite its obsolescence/irrelevancy and sometimes exaggerated, larger-than-life value. You can't touch it, complain about it, or suggest an alternative route/option/offering. The employees would point up (ceiling) saying, something like, "Word from Management." Just follow or resign. Who is the management? Who is the boss? Board of Directors. The Executive Director. The Management Council. When there are sacred cows, it means that the organization has lost it adaptability and relies on tradition, dogma, and unfounded beliefs, usually not based on any thing factual and evidence-based. There's a place for tradition in building high-performing cultures in organizations. Cultures that are deeply rooted in values. For tradition's sake, continuity (some may say), or laziness, people revert to 'whatever been around for a long time' and seldom ask why. Tradition without relevance is fanaticism. In many societies, sacred cows roam the street unhindered. But in organizations, too many roaming unhindered sacred cows can cause a massive catastrophe. You don't want that. Ask, listen, evaluate. Rinse and Repeat
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PRE-MEDITATED NOTIONS2/26/2024 I used to respond to Request for Proposals. Not anymore. No way Jose. I call them: Pre-meditated Solutions Pre-conceived Notions Pre-pared Frameworks Pre-planned Realities Well, to tell you the truth: These RfPs: Do not conform to real-life situations, experiences, and delivery practicalities. They are developed by a bunch of staff sitting on their desks all day and doing the charts, formula, and frameworks they have studies/learned in their sector. They usually have a consultation team that favors bureaucratic processes and practices rather than getting the best candidate for the job. They focused many times on the money factor, Eg. Value for Money as if money/costs are all to this. It's like a vacuum. Nobody knows what happened to these ideas and insights. For all you know, these ideas are suggested to the chosen candidate. Much of the proposals are responded to by those who have actual relationships with the organizations tendering these. If you don't have a foot nail on the door, don't even try. Waste of time. There is power balance. It's all rigged to the issuing organization. They can cancel anytime, take 1-2 candidates that they liked, and the scoring system is prejudicial to their own biases and preferences which have no bearing on reality. In short, it's not fair, equitable, and just. |