The Secret To Success

SUNSET BOAT CRUISE- ZAMBEZI RIVER-VICTORIA FALLS

VICTORIA FALLS 2018-HIGHWIRE ADRENALIN

THERE'S NO MAGIC TO ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS

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THE POWER IN COMPLIMENTS AND RECOGNITION.

My Partner and I

It’s at night in the air about 36,000 Feet  and the pilot is cruising about 890KM/H from Hong Kong to Doha-Qatar when this particular hostess jumped with joy with a shout, “Sir you have just made my day”.

While returning from magical 7 days vacation, there was this

particular amazing hostess who was serving meals  with such passion, smile and positive attitude to the extent that I couldn’t resist when she came to serve the next meals. First I told my partner seated next to me if she has made an observation about this particular hostess and her observation was that she was damn good at her work. When she came to serve my next meal with her charming face , I uttered these words, madam , you are very good at what you do, your services are simply excellent “, Her response was another great one, she jumped with joy saying, Sir you don’t know what your words mean to me, you just made my day and for sure I could see her facial expressions. Anyway, enjoyed my meal and expressed my recognition. To me, it was just those words but to her it was a huge thing such that she told her supervisor and during that entire  flight , I and my partner received even extra special attention during the entire flight.

My key lesson from this is that as people we intend just to watch even when someone is doing their best at work , we just ignore and comfort ourselves that its her or his work so why appreciate her or him for simply doing his or her work ? If you’re a person who thinks in these lines, you have to re-think . In work psychology, lavishing recognition and compliments is a very serious motivation factor and it simply reinforces that particular behaviour in that particular employee. So whether you’re just a passenger, fellow workmate or supervisor always learn to give recognition for outstanding quality of work there and then without waiting for labour day or big functions and you will see how that person will strive never to perform below the expected standards.

The other lesson is that even if people don’t recognise and appreciate your works, don’t give up, don’t relax , don’t get frustrated, just continue doing your level best as one one particular day by one particular person your works will surely noticed and appreciated. 

Truly, exceptional works will one day be recognised and rewarded in one way or another . Ultimately, in whichever calling you have , Hostess, Nurse, Teacher, Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer, Human Resources , Police etc do it unto the glory of God . The big recognition and awards comes from God who He is just and watches all your works. 

God bless.

SACRIFCE FOR SUCCESS

IMPORTANCE OF VACATIONS FOR YOUR HEALTH

Victoria Falls-Zambia

The 1992 Framingham Heart Study, which still stands as the gold standard for long-term health studies, tracked workers over 20 years. It found that "men who don't take vacations were 30% more likely to have heart attack and for women it went up to 50%," These numbers hold true even after researchers took into account other health factors like diabetes, cigarette smoking, income levels and obesity. The conclusions from the study have been backed up by other similar research studies.

In today’s hyper-connected smartphone world, we’re often working 24/7. Our minds are constantly switched on, constantly online. That leads to fatigue-metal and physical and when the fatigue is there all the time, you don’t even realise you’re fatigued as it has become the order of the day.

That’s why, now, more than ever, it’s so important to take vacations/sabbaticals. Taking time off is a fantastic way to recharge and recalibrate your career goals. The disconnect allows then to see the bigger picture and realign your compasses for the next big target or goal.

Traveling improves on relationship via spending quality time with family and Friends.

With amazing friends-Zimbabwe

Spending more time away from the office with your family and friends is very essential.  By the way, work is a never-ending process and life is not only about work, office, meetings and customers. Sometimes in our efforts to provide for our families, we miss a key point: quality time with them.  That meeting is important but so is your family and friends. On our death bed, we will not wish to spend more time in the office or checking emails, writing reports or minutes but spending time with family and friends. That’s why, its important to disconnect regularly and experience real life with those that matter most to you.

Travelling Reduces Stress

Researchers have also found that vacation is also valuable for mental health and well-being. "Vacation is essential to reset and remind yourself that career is not the be-all and end-all. There are other facets to a healthy existence [outside work]," said Sherry Amatenstein, a New York City-based Therapist.  Those who don't take time off are "sicker, less productive, stressed, and more anxious and depressed—that affects your work as well."

Emotional Agility

One of the benefits of travelling is enhanced emotional agility, or the ability to not react immediately to emotions, but to observe those that arise, carefully collect information to understand the possible causes, then intentionally decide how to manage them. In a study of 485 United States adults, exposure to foreign travel was linked to a greater ability to direct attention and energy, which helps us function effectively in diverse situations and display appropriate verbal and nonverbal signals of emotion. By spending time in unfamiliar towns, cities, or countries, you become tolerant and even accepting of your own discomfort and more confident in your ability to navigate ambiguous situations.

With amazing friends-India

Increased Empathy

Empathy also increases when your travels thrust you into new territory. In that same study of Americans, those who’d traveled abroad showed a greater ability to suspend judgment about a person until acquiring information beyond surface qualities (age, sex, race, or ethnicity)

People who travel to more countries develop a greater tolerance and trust of strangers, which alter their attitudes toward not only strangers but also colleagues and friends back home. They became more appreciative of people with new knowledge, philosophies, and skills. I can resonate with this as few times I have traveled , it has enabled me to respect other cultures, enjoy other food stuff, music and language. My perception of certain ethnicity has drastically been altered after interacting with them and am now more tolerant than before.

Increased creativity.

A study of 46 Dutch workers found that after going on an international holiday for two to three weeks, they were able to generate more and more-diverse ideas for alternative ways to use everyday objects, such as bricks, tires, spoons, and pencils. Researchers in Singapore have likewise found that greater exposure to other cultures through traveling, having international friendships, studying languages, and consuming music and food from other countries is linked to unconventional problem solving.

Highwire adrenaline adventure on the Victoria Falls

You have heard for yourselves, therefore start by writing in your calendar beforehand when to schedule time for a your next vacation. Once the vacation is in your schedule—even if it's six or eight months from now—you can organize around it. 

Next booked trip-Macau

As for me with my family and friends, we plan and have already planned our trips through a proven systematic, convenient and affordable system (leave a comment or drop email: bmchishimba@gmail.com for more details about this system). You too can do yours and get the benefits of traveling. Start viewing vacation time as a non-negotiable—like nutritious  food, it's a vital part of your health care, so start treating it as such.

Enjoy your next vacation!

TravelwithBrighton

InspirewithBrighton

(References: CNN Travel, HBR, 2018)

NOURISH YOUR MIND FOR SUCESS

USE EMPLOYEES STRENGTHS TO MAXIMISE PRODUCTIVITY

I was privileged to be among the few to attend Gallup Accelerated Strength Coaching Course in India-Mumbai in June 2017. One astounding finding during this training was to focus on my strengths rather than my weakness. The question is, why would a supervisor focus on fixing employee’s weakness instead of maximizing employees strengths?

“Why should supervisor focus on fixing an employee’s weakness instead of maximizing their strengths?

“What will happen when we think about what is right with people rather than focus on what is wrong with them?”

Before we delve into the discussion it is important that we define two concepts:

Talent is a naturally recurring pattern of thought, feeling or behavior that can be productively applied 

Strength is the ability to consistently produce a positive outcome through near-perfect performance in a specific task. To finish with strength, start with talent.

Research has found that Employees who use their strengths are more engaged, perform better, are less likely to leave -- and boost your bottom line. 

Do you know your strengths? I never thought it was necessary until I attended the training. 

I highly recommend that you take Clifton StrenghtsFinder survey which measures the presence of talents in 34 general areas or themes. My test results revealed my top five themes as Maximizer, Responsibility, Activator, Woo and Communication. When you know who you really are, its easier to have a laser focus on what you are good at than trying to be the jack of all trades. It should be established that every individual in an organization  has talents which when properly identified, nurtured and applied will bring productivity at work.

• Power of Strength

Research by Gallup has established a compelling connection between strengths and employee engagement in the workplace -- a connection that has the power to accelerate performance when companies work on enhancing both simultaneously.

• Strength Improves employee engagement

Gallup has found that building employees' strengths is a more effective approach to improving performance than trying to improve weaknesses. When employees know and use their strengths, they are more engaged, perform better, and are less likely to leave their company.

When you apply your strength in your area of work, there is an inner sense of accomplishment in which makes you feel happy and motivated. As you achieve these targets and get recognition by your boss, you ultimately want to repeat that hence productivity becomes the order of the day.

• Strength Improves Employees Confidence

One of the best ways for employers to maximize employees' strengths is through their supervisors. But what happens when supervisors choose to ignore their employees or focus on their weaknesses? The employee will most likely lose confidence in themselves as they can’t perform best. It’s like putting Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi as defenders instead of strikers.  While they will try their best to defend, the team will benefit more when they are strikers.  

Unfortunately, many Managers don't focus on helping employees use their strengths which is costly to the Company.

When employees feel that their company cares and encourages them to make the most of their strengths, they are more likely to respond with increased discretionary effort, a stronger work ethic, more enthusiasm and commitment which will yield positive results for the Organisation.

In conclusion, if organisations want to be more productive, they should identify employees strengths through deliberate efforts of facilitating strenthfinder survey, let employees set goals based on their strengths and measure performance accordingly . Further , focus on strengths instead of fixing weaknesses as its very costly , time wasting and frustrating  like a farmer who want to fix infertile soil using all kinds of chemicals instead of using a fertile ground and apply less effort .Using  your fertile area of life brings  Return on Investment-ROI.

Be Blessed!

Brighton M. Chishimba (MZIHRM/MSHRM)-The author is a Chief Human Resource Officer at Rural Electrification Authority.  Trainer, Strength Coach and Inspirational Speaker.

THREE CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE WE NEED TO SUCCEED

THE POWER OF YOUR WORDS

100% RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR LIFE

EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP: A PANACEA FOR AFRICA'S PROBLEMS

Have you ever wondered , why the richest continent in natural resources is also the poorest in the world? Have you ever wondered , despite Zambia  enjoying a long period of peace and stability, 60% of the population lives in poverty with stunted growth of Children? People of Nations, just hear these findings from the 2017 Global Hunger Index: http://www.globalhungerindex.org/results-2017/

• 15% of Liberian families don’t know where their next meal will come from; 
• Over half of Madagascar’s children are chronically malnourished, and 50% of children under five are stunted;
• The Central African Republic remains at the top of this list as the “hungriest country in the world.”;
• Sudan has spent decades facing violence and conflict, including two civil wars. Waves of displacement have impacted the country, where 3.5 million face hunger;
• 60% of the population lives in poverty, and stunting impacts almost half of Zambia’s children.

Zambia and her neighbors are among the poorest Nations in the World and yet en-dowered with minerals such as Copper, Diamonds,Oil, tourist attractions , good climate for farming and other natural resources.The question is, WHY??????????

After reflecting, reading and watching  what is happening in Africa, my conclusion is that Africa has a serious Leadership Vacuum? The kind of Leadership styles exhibited in Africa  has negatively impacted most Nations of Africa. Even after political liberation from the colonial masters, most of our so called Leaders highly exhibited traits of conquest, enslavement and new colonialism. In the African context, leadership has been viewed as individuals’ predisposition to serve their families, their peers, and their communities they emanate from. Its most focus on accumulating POWER and not loyal service to the Nations and Continent.

The African continent is known for suffering from leadership vacuum. Excellent leadership is obviously rare in Africa. Whenever there is an emergence of a progressive leader in Africa, the enemies of the African progress always find ways to hinder the progress. Poor leadership is the top most source of most problems plaguing African Nations. Its therefore not the lack of resources as Africa has 50% of the world's gold, most of the world's diamonds and chromium, 90% of the cobalt, 40% of the world's potential hydroelectric power, 65% of the manganese, millions of acres of untilled farmland, as well as other natural resources but lack of effective Leaders.

The African continent need to take deliberate sacrificial steps in establishing a new generation of leaders committed to fostering development; tackling conflict, corruption, and dictatorship; and building a new Africa.  Africa’s hope for effective leadership is thought to be a younger generation that, for the time being, remains on the margins and used for political campaigns. There is therefore a need to get younger generations involved in leadership. The older generation should remain as fountain of wisdom to guide, mentor the young generation without using them for their own hidden agendas.

Africa needs transformational Leaders as change agents. Africa is in serious need of a new breed of ethical and moral leaders to deal effectively with evils that plague Nations. These evils include among others systematic corruption, economic mismanagement, senseless war, crime, poverty, hunger, political tyranny, violation of human rights and property rights  and disease etc.

Anyway, we won't give up on Africa and there is hope for a better and brighter Africa.

God bless Africa ! May God bless Us with Effective Leaders !

PROFESSIONALS VS AMATEURS

TOUGH SACRIFICES FOR YOUR DREAM LIFE

TOUGH SACRIFICES FOR YOUR DREAM LIFE

LEARNING FROM YOUR FAILURES

I recall some years back in my teenage stage when i was learning how to ride a bicycle.I had to fail off the bicycle several times and bruise myself on each occasion. Sometimes, mum through her motherly heart, would even forbid me to try again in order to prevent her beloved son from injuring himself. But each time I saw a friend cycling, I would encourage myself to try again and again and I would fail again and again. After several attempts, I finally got it and acquired the skills of cycling which is now in me.Mission accomplished .

The simple lessons in this short narration is that in life, we sometimes learn through failing and no matter how many times you fail on your dream, on your goal, never quit, never get discouraged and keep on as each failure teaches you how to avoid certain things or how certain things doesn't work.Before you know it, you will be a master in it and achieve your dreams.

It’s through failure that we learn the greatest lessons that life could teach us.Note that, this may not be necessary you failing but learning also from others experiences in similar circumstances.

           Don’t give up in the face of your present struggles, just persevere! 

 “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” — Winston Churchill

THE ENEMY WITHIN:PROCRASTINATION

CREATE MULTIPLE SOURCES OF INCOME

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/create-multiple-sources-income-brighton-m-chishimba?published=t

IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN ENGINEERING SKILLS

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-human-engineering-skills-brighton-m-chishimba