The Higher You Go

The higher you go, the cooler it becomes. Really? Let us begin from first principles. This is a maxim we learnt in geography about the weather. Having come a long way in our professions and careers, can we really say it has been cooler over the years as we ascended the corporate ladder? Even at that,, how can we sensibly apply the Higher You Go principle in the way we work, and the way we live?

Has it certainly been cooler for you over the years as you climbed higher? The higher the cooler may work in geography or in atmospheric conditions, but certainly not in conditions of work, the professions, vocations, family and relationships. It is so because of mounting responsibilities, challenges, economic and social problems.

Maybe it has certainly not been cooler for you. If it has been, then you are a superstar. While there may be some consistency in geographical conditions, it is not necessarily so in economic and social conditions. In geography, it may just be true that the higher you go, the cooler. In the professions, you may be up today, and down tomorrow. Either way it gets hotter.

And so to remain cool, should you stagnate? No. You need to be upwardly mobile to improve your fortunes and the quality of life for you and your family. But you need to consistently do a number of things to make it cooler as you go higher. You just have to do so because the challenges of leadership and the hassles of remaining competitive in the marketplace are becoming overwhelming in Nigeria now. The higher you go..

Everything has an atmosphere. For your personality, it is called aura or charisma. This personal atmosphere can pull or repel using interplay of forces with other persons or objects. Metallic objects that do so are called magnets.

Atmospheric conditions such as hot, cold, harsh, winter or summer are real for tangibles and intangibles. Growing up and making progress in life, business and work also have atmosphere. And so the challenge for you as a manager is to emulate nature and make your atmosphere and others, cooler as you go higher in life and your profession.

You need to chill your atmosphere of going higher so that you can live long and be more productive. For professionals, businessmen and women, it is certainly getting hotter. And many are dying or getting terminally ill in their 30s, 40s, and 50s largely because of high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, kidney failure, automobile accidents, assassinations and others. Check out the obituary pages of newspapers, you will see a familiar caption: Gone too soon. Then a tribute, followed by names of Committee of Friends. Then the pay off- barrangements as announced by the family. Who wants to die young? Certainly not me. The higher you go...

You don't want to be a victim, then chill your atmosphere. The critical question for you now is: How cool or hot is your present state of working and living? Cool. Congratulations. Please maintain the status quo so that you may live long and it shall be well with you. Hot. You must act fast and begin to chill your atmosphere as nature does...

So how can you chill your working condition? Adopt what I call the Compressor Strategy. If possible, be a compressor. Doing so enables you to increase and multiply using considerable less space, time and energy to achieve more.

To understand this better, take a look at all the electrical appliances in your home that chill, your refrigerator, air conditioners and others. They all have one thing in common, a gadget called a compressor. What does it do? Powered by electricity, it compresses a special gas that circulates, causing condensation which transforms the gas to liquid droplets. When that happens, temperature drops, heat is reduced, and the atmosphere becomes cooler. That is essentially what the air conditioner does. It circulates and chills the air simultaneously.

So why don't you begin to compress all your circulating thoughts, ways, methods, and actions. The way you work and live, why don't you simplify and compress them, chill your atmosphere and make life easier for yourself, your business and your family?

See how technology makes working and living easier with new developments. Any improvement in that field shortens, space, volume, improves speed and productivity, and simplifies work. The coming of the computer has achieved this. Tons of data that were once stored in huge volumes of files, shelves and cabinets are now conveniently stored and retrieved in diskettes, CD ROMs, and flash discs.

What started as mainframe computers have been reduced to laptops? That is compression and simplicity. So how simple is your lifestyle, your work, and the way you run your business. How simple are your products and services, work process, even production process? Are they cumbersome, or has everything been compressed, reduced in time, length, and volume? How simple are your brands for consumers to understand and use? For instance, insurance companies operating with complex wordings of their policies written in very tiny prints, are you listening? Do your policies make buying of insurance policies simpler or more difficult? What about your communication lines, chain of authority and command in your organization, are they compressed or simplified or they are circuitous, of many layers?

If you are a CEO, General Manager or Senior Manager, have you compressed your work processes and the way you communicate with junior staff? Are you one of those bosses that believe so much in line management: You must relate to me through your boss?

Every Monday morning, you hold endless management meetings to stem the dwindling fortunes of your organization in the market place. The business temperature is rising, heating up the atmosphere for your company. The higher you go, the cooler it becomes- that is if you are a leader and not a boss. There is a difference. Leaders command respect and have disciples whom they groom, care for, and give a future. When they do so, the corporate atmosphere is cool. Not so for bosses. They shout and heat up the system with rigidity and arm twisting tactics. They demand loyalty, and are grudgingly followed by unrepentant and complaining workers.

Nothing heats up a system like complaining workers. They poison the atmosphere. Even almighty God does not tolerate complaining followers. That was why he chose Moses, a man with a large heart, tested by age and experience, to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt through the desert to their promised land. And it is also why, when God wants to use you for any great work, he first of all crushes and compresses you in the school of wilderness experience, because He knows that without humility, you will make things hotter for your followers as you go higher.

And so dear professional, how large is your heart? How humble are you? Do you serve to lead (servant hood), or do you lead to rob (robbing hood)? Call any leader today, a server, oh, he will quarrel with you Yet watch every IT installation, without the server, nothing works. What managers need now is not leader-ship training, but servant-ship training?

As a professional, leader, CEO, manager, supervisor, stop heating up the system. You have a responsibility to make it cooler, not just for you, but for others as well. My charge to you is this: be a compressor, humble yourself, have a large heart that has no room for pettiness, serve, motivate, simplify, and put your trust in God.

Do these and you can confidently harmonize your ways and means with geography which tell us that, The Higher You Go, The Cooler It Becomes.

Eric Okeke, corporate storyteller, motivational speaker, business writer and copy writer. He is one of Nigeria's most experienced financial journalist. I recommend that you read this valuable book, "How To Tell A Great Story" that is dedicated to teaching people just like you about the famed R.P.I Principle. Go now to http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com

---

Google News Updated : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:51:33 GMT Manatee dies before reaching rehab site - Boston Globe WHDH-TV Manatee dies before reaching rehab site Boston Globe - 4 hours ago By Emily Canal After a 27-hour trip to Florida, Dennis the manatee, rescued from the frigid waters of Cape Cod, died in Orlando yesterday as SeaWorld employees carted the mammal to a rehabilitation center. Video: Rescued Manatee Dies After Mass. Rescue AssociatedPress Manatee rescued off Cape Cod dies en route to Florida Sea World New York Daily News WFLA - eFluxMedia - Cape Cod Times - South Coast Today all 565 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:21:21 GMT UK government takes stake in three banks - CNN International Canada.com UK government takes stake in three banks CNN International - 32 minutes ago LONDON, England (CNN) -- The British government on Monday said it would make a multi-billion investment in three of the country's major banks to help them through the "first financial crisis of the global age. In quotes: Bank bail-out reaction BBC News TEXT-Lloyds TSB terms for acquisition of HBOS Reuters guardian.co.uk - Wall Street Journal - Bloomberg - AFP all 1,923 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:18:47 GMT Forecast: Summery Sunshine Sticks Around - Washington Post Chicagoist Forecast: Summery Sunshine Sticks Around Washington Post - 2 hours ago Columbus Day will feel a lot more like Labor Day as temperatures climb to around 80 degrees. This unseasonably warm weather will continue for the next several days. Enjoy a warm, sunny Columbus Day Times Herald-Record Beautiful start to the work week The Star-Ledger - NJ.com The Capital Times - Journal and Courier - Richmond Times Dispatch - The Virginian-Pilot all 241 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:03:26 GMT 1.5 million G1 Android phones pre-ordered - TG Daily Product Reviews 1.5 million G1 Android phones pre-ordered TG Daily - 6 hours ago By Wolfgang Gruener Chicago (IL) - T-Mobile’s upcoming G1 may not be the best-looking iPhone rival, it may not have the most complete feature set and T-Mobile may have undersold the device at the recent launch event. Get ready for next-gen mobile InfoWorld HTC G1 Android Phone Racks up 1.5 Million Pre-orders eFluxMedia Brighthand - InformationWeek - ReadWriteWeb - ZDNet all 153 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:21:21 GMT Dodgers stand up to Phillies in Game 3 win - FOXSports.com Washington Post Dodgers stand up to Phillies in Game 3 win FOXSports.com - 4 hours ago by Ken Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX. LA revitalized at Moyer's expense MLB.com Kuroda's pitch serves its purpose for Dodgers USA Today New York Times - Los Angeles Times - Boston Globe - Philadelphia Daily News all 2,467 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:00:36 GMT European, Asian markets bounce back - The Associated Press Vancouver Sun European, Asian markets bounce back The Associated Press - 1 hour ago LONDON (AP) - European markets opened strongly Monday following Asia's lead in response to the widespread government efforts over the weekend to shore up the world's troubled financial system. The financial crisis A light at the end of the tunnel? Economist World stock markets welcome European bank rescue AFP MSN Money - New York Times - New Straits Times - Voice of America all 769 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:23:04 GMT Fantastic finishes: 5 NFL games down to the wire - Washington Post Washington Post Fantastic finishes: 5 NFL games down to the wire Washington Post - 3 hours ago Dallas Cowboys' Mat McBriar (1) has his punt blocked by Arizona Cardinals' Sean Morey as Monty Beisel (52) looks on during overtime of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 in Glendale, Ariz. Blocked punt downs Dallas San Francisco Chronicle Backups Burst Through Line and Lift Cardinals in Overtime New York Times Sports Network - FOXSports.com - Houston Chronicle - Philadelphia Inquirer all 749 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:15:50 GMT Rss Feed Reader Website Traffic Promotion

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Internal Prisons: The Thief of Productivity and Quality in our Workforce

As a professional speaker, one of my biggest challenges is... Read More

From Boring to Interesting - Making Training Effective

Being a good trainer requires experience and skill. Experience comes... Read More

Five Habits of Highly Effective Conflict Resolvers

Steven Covey had the right idea. There are discreet skills... Read More

Teaching Large Companies To Think Like The Little Guys

Q: I am an executive at a large company and... Read More

Process and Procedures Investments - How to Get Money Back

In September 2004, President Bush signed the $146 billion tax... Read More

How To Use W Edwards Deming

Human beings and the way they interact are extraordinarily Complex.... Read More

Maximizing Sales through the Ultimate Tracking Software

Every small to mid-sized business owner would love to know... Read More

Will a Workplace Bully Bankrupt Your Company?

Safeguard Your Company Against Harrassment ClaimsTwenty-five percent of employees suffer... Read More

Learning To Let Go

If you have the entrepreneurial spirit (which clearly you have!),... Read More

Employees - Treat Them the Way They Expect to be Treated

When you have to deal with one of your team... Read More

Efficiency Around The Office

Nearly every office, be it commercial or home-based, may have... Read More

Why Training Fails

Sometimes when I conduct my workshop on Effective Meetings, one... Read More

Getting Software Developed for Your Business

At some point, your business is going to need to... Read More

Developing Your Management Style

One thing a lot of us don't do in sales... Read More

The Seven Cs: Partnership Danger Signs - Communication Breakdown

An ongoing series of articles exploring the seven critical areas... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management in Conservative, Staid Organisations

Conservative and staid organisations generally have a harder time implementing... Read More

Goodwill is an Intangible Asset

'Goodwill' is regarded as an intangible asset in a business.... Read More

Innovation Management ? Emotion, Habit, and Culture can be Hard to Change!

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Innovation Management ? IBM Opens Lid On Its Treasure Chest

IBM, which registered 3248 patents last year, has decided that... Read More

When Politics Prevent Innovation - Or? Still Fighting Battles and Losing Wars

The objective is to beat the competition and make money.... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management - Turning Ideas into Action

The phrase "turning ideas into action" is a Russian doll.Managing... Read More

Improving Your Inter-Company Communications At No Cost

It's all very well having a flashy (and expensive) advertising... Read More

5 Ways to Work More Effectively With Your Administrative Assistant

Stop hiring new administrative support staff. And learn how to... Read More

Do You Really Care What People Think?

You had better care! Because what people think usually leads... Read More

Spinning Gold from Straw: Low-Cost Employee Retention and Motivation Tools in a Changing Economy

New York, NY, February 25, 2005 ? Employee retention and... Read More