As much as a possible your plan B should be plan A

It is about getting better...

When I was a reservist, and we were supposed to be preparing to join the Independence Day parade, I happened to converse with the Sergeant in charge of the rehearsal.  What happens if it rains?  What is the plan B.   He answered it is alway Plan A.  No ifs and buts, but go ahead.  Full steam ahead.

Today,, I am to leave at 6:30 but it is still raining hard.  And all ready, I am about to call the other party to postpone this meeting. because of the rain. But that would be the third postponement.  We originally set it last Wednesday, reset by Friday, but it happened that he had emergency last Friday.  So today if we defer this, it would be the third. 

And it goes on and on and nothing gets accomplished.   Postponing at times is the most practical  thing to do but getting used to this I think builds a mindset  of failure, ie of not getting anything done

What do you think?  Is having Plan A always as Plan B is being inflexible or being OC.  What do you think?

"Pag gusto may paraan, pag ayaw maraming dahilan" - if there is a will there is a way

It is about getting better...

A proposed deal went south and the hopes were zero.  Nothing.   It was this state for a couple of months.   However rather than sulk over this various measures were thought of:

       1.   Mortgage the property to get some funding

       2.   Endorse the project to a new developer cum funder

So the arranger opted for no 2.   They got a contractor and funder.   The funder agreed last Friday to provide 10 big 8 numbers.   We had all the documents and some of the procedures all sewed up.  

Its an example of Peter Thiel's "From Zero to One"   Before it nothing.  Penniless, It was nada, nothing.  Now we are thinking of construction projects, marketing, commissions, designs, timelines, personnel, jobs.

Really if you persist, continue, are determined, there can be projects.  There can be miracles

Strategy - making a choice

It is about getting better...

From A. Lafley - author of Playing to Money, former  head of P & G. 

Strategy - strategy means making a choice to win.  Winning means creating more value for the customers.  It means finding who that customers are, and finding out the best way to deliver that value.

Recognition of SWOT:

   1.  Understanding the changing the customer wants and needs

   2.  Our capabilities:

        1.  Our strengths

        2.  Our partners

        3.  Scaling up our strengths

Its a relationship about the product.  Best expressed by BRAND

Customers change, competitors change.

What do you value in business deals? The hard issue vs soft issues? Bottom line numbers or/relationship

It is about getting better...

In our recent business negotiation all went well when the other party acted oddly in a impolite way,  Not once but twice.  They dared us not to go with the deal.  This end wanting no more headaches and resolving of personal issues, having been given an  ultimatum  yes or no, opted for the latter.

Lately we are into a deal.  The other party wants us to give an offer although he has not furnished us a document.  Although his property is nice, this post posits that we cant go into a long term relationship.  An outright purchase is out of the question, his property being untitled.  We feel he does not trust us, and he too for us.   Thus we cant work together for a long time in a joint project

So we are ready to drop the deal and look for another.  As in Leron leron sinta......"humanap ng iba"

Thus many mergers and acquisitions fail.  Analysts and decision makers look at the number and find them to be superb without factoring in the socio cultural aspects.  Cultures positions clash, workers fear threatened -  do not cooperate.  Key personnel leave, leaving the surviving company without talent.

How many M & A failed because of this.   I have heard many bad stories about local acquisitions and merger.   

Warren Buffet was thus a genius of buying shares of stocks.  He bought shares not companies thus let the existing managers and just watch managers produce results. 

Most colonial imperialists conquered successfully not through hard means but by soft means.  Spain conquered Philippines via word rather than sword.  They used religious means founding of schools vs. armed struggles.  The quelling of uprisings were few and far in between.   Alexander the Great conquered many nations by letting the locals run their govt and let his soldiers intermarry the natives.  

What are your thoughts on these:    numbers of relationship, hard vs soft issues?

The Road Less Travelled by Scott Peck

It is about getting better...

The reality is that life is hard.   We often practice denial or running away from this.

The book teaches responsibility.   You must accept responsibility.   It does not happen in instant, easy society.  

Oftentimes, some psychiatric problems and crimes happen because of denial, because or escape from reality -  life is hard.  Stealing is resorted to because one does not want to work hard;  one murders because it is hard to understand the other person.   So with psychiatric disorders, schizophrenia, catatonia are body's defense vs difficulties in life

Thus we lie as a defense.  

Dale Carnegie mentions that criminals seldom admit to their crimes.   A person can not degrade himself.

Thus the mandate is for us to work hard, even harder.   Just to survive and exist.  

Are we escaping reality?   Are we guilty of Scott Peck's thesis

Maturity needed, being a techie is not enough

It is about getting better...

This post was trying to pass a project that would be "sayang" if the opportunity  is not seized.   My cohorts disliked the other party for their uncouth behavior.  

So I was trying to interest a former staff, an engineer, well versed in construction and who is now in contracting business.    So as I was trying to convince him (he just needs some little money to get started).  it seemed to me that he lacks the financial and marketing perspective and even leadership to run the business/deal.  So he said, I had to be there and that I should live longer

I thought that since he is all ready into contracting business, it would be enough for him to be bold enough to take on a 10 number business, and earn nine numbers

We should be grateful

It is about getting better...

Good manners and integrity (keeping your word) are important

Attended a lunch party and they were talking about our former washerwoman.   She did not appear in a 10 am appointment.  Was wondering why she has not appeared for a couple of months. 

I learned that she had spat with a wifey.   The wifey kept her in employ:   domestic, washer woman for over 3 decades.  She lost her respect and gratitude.

Why does it happen that way.?  Playing victim or a class struggle

Courtesy respect, good manners count

It is about getting better...

We went on an outing to an out of town luxurious 5 star hotel resort.   There were free  buffet breakfast.  

As we were eating, one of the members of the party, placed his used plate on my table.  He did it twice, and I had to call him out.   Would you allow used plates be placed on your table as you are eating?

Of course not.

So I had to call him out.  Told my daughter, he has to reminded because he might get into quarrel if he does the same to other people.  Above all it would work against their family for having uncouth members.

What do you think

Come early for a business appointment - be a professional and high value person

It is about getting better...

I had an appointment yesterday at 8:00 am.  I biked to the appointed place and started biking before 7:00 just to be at the appointment on or before time.  And early did I come.  I arrived at 7:30 and promptly texted the other person.   And responded at 8:00 am that he was OTW (on the way -  was just leaving)

He arrived at 8:20.   And later found out that he missed call me twice.    (To kill time I had to continue my biking up and down the hills)

In no uncertain terms, I made it clear that this was not welcome.  I mentioned what my father reminded me that especially for real estate transaction you can not be late.  Do not be late.  That is why, in the office we emphasize coming to work 30 minutes before time.

In running the financial firms, we do not give credit to those who cant keep up with the timeline.  Paying your loan on time is same as coming to your appointment on time

In a training with BSP, the trainor called me out, for being late.  I live 27 km from the BSP and there was lot of traffic along the way.  So what I did, I left at 4:30 am.  I arrived at 7:00 am at BSP.   There are solutions.  

What do you think?

It is faster, easier, more efficient to change the mindset vs the infrastructures

It is about getting better...

What could be the best way effect change?   The best is via the mind.    Not having new stuff:  infrastructures, gadgets, machinery, equipment and the like.  You may change the environment but not the group think, attitudes and everything still remains the same.

Everything that was improved was via thoughts.    -  Saddhguru.

Even the European missionaries understood this well.  That is why their first step was establishing schools.  That made conquering by pen faster than the sword.  Capture their minds and capture the adversary.  

That is why deception also plays an important role in defeating the enemies

Dont ever ever give up, Impossible is Im possible

It is about getting better...

There was a deal given up by the majority of the board of the company.  It was simply because of the negative gesture of the other party.   However the basics of the project was sound:    near the city, no more inventories, positive response of the barangay and the city.  

All seems lost.  However, when we put our minds together we found we can do this:   there is a new developer.  We can have the landowner borrow money   The developer can be asked to fork in P10M and the project can proceed

So dont give up.  A little bit of money, knowhow but tons of enthusiasm and determination

Ghosts at BSP

It is about getting better...

Ghost at BSP

They were alleged to be at office of the Monetary Board.  They have resigned.  But charges will be filed on dates prior to their resignation.

For a govt office;  GOCC paying higher than average salaries, it does not follow the logic that low paying jobs can only do such horrendous acts.  Dishonesty take place up and down the organization.   And this happening at the highest office of policy making body of our monetary policy is unspeakable.  

We are glad of cleansing process that is being undertaken including the disciplinary action.  But that it was allowed to fester under the previous administration is unthinkable

Top execs: CEO and CFO forced out because of embezzlement?

It is about getting better...

The son of a mega resort and building offices mogul took over his father.   Now the company is making huge profits.   Part of the strategy caused the top execs to quit.   Maybe forced to quit.   It is unfortunate that this occurs at the top suites of the company.   A top young executives laments that top graduates from Ivy League schools and top Asian schools have also the same problems.   Its not only problem of corruption in govt;   it is also a problem even in private companies.

Lack of integrity, bad character lacks everywhere.   That is why a Catholic GSB teaching values, Jesus Christ is a uniqueness that must be admired.

According to Alan Greenspan, a society that has lost value causes its wealth to lose value.

There could be no love of God without love of country

It is about getting better...

Love of God manifests first in love of country.  There could be no love of God without love of country.  However we as a leading Christian country in South East Asia certainly lacks patriotism, love of country that is typical of Japanese or Koreans.

We leave our Philippine jobs, because they are pay less for better jobs abroad    But Philippines is the land of our birth and we studied in its free elementary high school (and even college) for our talents to be harvested by foreigners.   And then when we come back we criticize our fellow men for their shortcomings.  Its better we worked hard at it making our country a better place to live in.

We, they are selfish and we work only for our own self interest..  ITS FOR HIGHER SALARY.

We have been led to believe that OFWs who leave the country prop up the country with their remittances.  We must remember that despite being so called heroes, they do not pay their taxes here, and they went abroad not for the country's welfare, but themselves, for selfish purposes. 

It would have been better if we work harder in our own country and solve the problems first.   We cant afford brain drain. 

But we have to thank them for propping up the economy and helping their families.  

There is much social cost we have pay for the OFW -  drug addicts, teen age pregnancy plus more problems for loss of  jobs.