2011 was so far the worst. I have failed left and right. The worst failure was not being able to sell any of products for more than 6 months. Monthly expenses such as utility bills and salaries were eating me alive. That is why I do not have any choice but to cut some of  those expenses by minimizing electricity and water consumption, as well as downsizing.

A number of people in my workforce resigned because even though they like their job, in the end it is about the food they provide on the table. They were greatly affected by delayed issuance of salaries.

I accept failure and only get myself affected by it. But to see people suffer because of my failures, that’s the worst feeling ever. I have to stand for my people but I also have to protect the company. The least I could do was to let go of people who wants to go and treasure those people who are willing and loyal to the company despite the situation. I will surely make it worth for them.

I understand we, entrepreneurs, managers, leaders are only human and is bound to commit mistakes. We are just about 60-70% to make good decisions. But what matters most is how we react on bad decisions.

I may let 10% of my employees down. I’m sorry.

But I will work harder for the 90%.

He is a kid who’s not yet good with failures.

But I believe Sean’s behavior is completely normal. I too sometimes is guilty of that.

There is a game in Nintendo DS called Brain Age 2. It’s about playing a series of test, and the game will grade you by giving the age of your brain – according to the result of your tests. The ideal brain age is 20. The lower the number, the better.

When I reached a brain age of 25, I thought I got a pretty high grade, and stopped playing the game. The reason? I got comfortable with my success that I fear I may fail the next game, and would get an older brain. Since then I never played the game until recently…..got an age of 46.

The truth is we are so afraid to fail that we actually Fail.

It is OKAY to fail, and there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.

But there are two failures that are not acceptable: Failure to TRY and Failure to LEARN from your failures.

To close this post, let me leave you with 3 of my favorite quotes about Failure:

“Success is a lousy teacher.” – Bill Gates

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

Photo by rachelsmarties

The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.

We all only have 24 hours a day, and sometimes the difference between success and failure lies thinly on how effective you spend your day. In my current position as a general manager and part-time entrepreneur, 8 to 12 hours of work seems like not enough to carry out all my day’s tasks. I have tried to restructure my daily routine ever since.

I read tips from various articles online and practiced which one works for me. I have formulated a simple routine, that I am using for the past 3 weeks, which gave me better productivity.

1. Before going to bed, Ponder on important tasks that will be accomplished the next day.

By doing so, it will align your mind with your tasks and will greatly help you be more organized the next day. Being organized saves you a lot of time.

2. Divide your day in 2 halves. First half, with routine. Second half, free-for-all.

I usually have my routinary work when I got to the office until lunch time. After lunch I spend the rest of the day: spreading the word about my products, getting involve in trainings, developing our website, meetings, planning and conceptualizing, etc. Basically it depends on my mood, whichever I enjoy doing.

3. Accomplish everything in Bursts. Avoid multi-tasking.

Give pure 10 to 15 minutes in every task. If you’re checking your emails, then just check your mails. Do not invite another task that may intervene with the  current one. This way, you are clear about your task’s progress.

The first thing I do when I arrive my office is to check and reply emails. Then open our company’s Chatter to get updated with what happened yesterday and if there are any pending tasks. Then go to our company’s Facebook or Twitter to see if there are any queries. After accomplishing all those online stuffs, I then go ahead to offline matters. It starts by checking out my incoming documents that is needed for review and signature.

After accomplishing those, the number 4 item is what I do next:

4. Delegate.

There are corresponding responsibilities for every department in the company. Be sure to delegate those tasks that are applicable to the department. This not only workout the company’s system, but it also helps you proceed to the next task.

5. Pray.

No matter how good and organized a routine is, your day may be ruined by a single unexpected problem. Be sure to always backup your plans with a prayer.

How about you? How do you make your day effective? Share!

God Bless!

Due to financial instability, there are times when salaries and wages of employees comes a bit off-schedule. Even though they do not say anything to me, I can sense their disappointments regarding this matter.

There’s a point in time when everyone is buzzing about resigning from the company due to the delays that happened. One by one I am receiving resignation letters with no indicated reasons at all. Some just left without any advise.

Frankly, it has been very difficult for me knowing that these people are just here for the “Up” side of the company. As I truly believed that everything is well until recently.

I called up a meeting, told everyone that if anyone is just here for the 15th and 30th salary day, anyone who is more concerned about himself rather than the company, anyone who cannot endure the Down times of the company, – perhaps this is not the right company for them, and that I would expect their resignation letters to be tendered 3 days from now.

Surprisingly, no one handed his/her resignation after 3 days. But received two letters after I extended the deadline.

Now, I wish those who left a more fruitful career. For those who stayed, I know that they are the ones who are worth investing for. And I won’t let them down.

One of my favorite game shows on TV is the show named Distraction. The concept is simple and funny: A simple question and answer game show with a little twist. Any participant who gives the wrong answer will be punished – Punishments like putting a snake inside their underwear, beating their car, etc..

It’s really funny when participants couldn’t get the right answer even to a simple question because they are greatly distracted.

HOW GOOD ARE WE AT DISTRACTING OURSELVES?

If we are working for a specific goal, here should be a simple illustration of how it should be achieved. If we work without any distractions, we are creating a clear channel from work to our goal. As a result, our goals can be achieved faster with better quality.

But there are times that we are just good at distracting ourselves (I’m guilty of this); That even a simple task that could be done in the span of 30 minutes, will be accomplished in an hour or two.

CUT IT

I easily get distracted at work when I started to open the internet. I tend to Stumble and Tweet, the next thing I know I already spent 30 minutes online. And my work still undone.

The first step to cut the distraction is determine what distracts you most. In my case, it’s the internet so now I make sure to accomplish my work first before going online. If there’s a need to go online, I make sure to control myself from launching Tweetie or TweetDeck – Sometimes even Safari. I check my mail via Apple Mail and calendar on iCal, rather than Gmail and Gcal.

Discipline is the key. Don’t temp yourself to get yourself distracted.

How does short-term memory loss affect your efficiency?

I think short-term memory loss, or others may call it memory gap, has its way to every person once in a while. Well as for me, I sometimes have to pay high price of consequences because of it. Like going back home from the office after realizing that I left my mobile phone on top of the dining table; Going to a basketball game without the ball that I already prepared; Placed a drink inside the freezer to chill it faster, but turns out to be an ice candy. These are just some of the hassles that I have encountered just because I simply forgot about such little things.

I have discovered a trick, or rather a technique, to aid this short-term memory gap – in the absence of pen&paper, Cellphones, or PDA’s. I call it “The Memory Finger.” This has already saved me from a number of potential hassles. So I guess it is quite effective, at least for me. =)

:: Here’s how it works:

If you remember a task that needs to be done, it’s either you do the job right away OR use the memory finger by just crossing your fingers.

:: The Rules:

• You cannot un-cross your fingers until the task is done. Or until you’re already doing the task.

• Only one task at a time.

It is quite simple isn’t it? This technique works for me pretty well. Hope it works for you too. =)

Looking for a misplaced documents cannot only be annoying, but also wastes a lot of precious time as well. Spending forever turning the office upside down, looking for a single document, that in the end you’ll find it on the coffee table outside.

More than a result of memory gap, it’s a result of being unorganized. Organizing can be a challenge especially on busy days.

This happens to me quite often. So I devised a simple system for myself that would delay the organizing process without the risk of misplacing important documents.

I call it The Clutter Box.

Here’s how it works:

Files/documents —–> Clutter Box —–> Organize.

It’s really simple. Upon receiving an important document, instead of putting it elsewhere, I dump it in the clutter box. This way, whenever I need my documents I know where to find it. Then just organize everything on free time.

I also apply it on my macbook:

******************

Lesson 1:
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her
shower, when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a
towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the
next-door neighbor.
Before she says a word, Bob says, “I’ll give you $800 to drop that
towel.” After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands
naked in front of Bob After a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.

The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she
gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, “Who was that?”
“It was Bob the next door neighbor,” she replies.
“Great!” the husband says, “did he say anything about the $800 he
owes me?”

Moral of the story :
If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with
your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent
avoidable exposure.

******************
Lesson 2:
A priest offered a Nun a lift. She got in and crossed her legs,
forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident. After
controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.

The nun said, “Father, remember Psalm 129?” The priest removed his
hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again.
The nun once again said, “Father, remember Psalm 129?”
The priest apologized “Sorry sister but the flesh is weak”
Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.
On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129
It said, “Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.”
Moral of the story:
If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great
opportunity.

*****************************
Lesson 3:
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to
lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie
comes out.
The Genie says, “I’ll give each of you just one wish.”
“Me first! Me first!” says the admin clerk. “I want to be in the
Bahamas , driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.”
Puff! She’s gone.

“Me next! Me next!” says the sales rep. “I want to be in Hawaii ,
relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of
Pina Coladas and the love of my life.”

Puff! He’s gone.

“OK, you’re up,” the Genie says to the manager.
The manager says, “I want those two back in the office after lunch.”

Moral of the story:
Always let your boss have the first say.
*****************************
Lesson 4
An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him,

Can I also sit like you and do nothing?”
The eagle answered: “Sure , why not.”
So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a
sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story:
To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high > >> up.

******************************
Lesson 5:
A turkey was chatting with a bull. “I would love to be able to get to
the top of that tree,” sighed the turkey, “but I haven’t got the
energy.”
“Well, why don’t you nibble on some of my droppings?” replied the
bull.
They’re packed with nutrients.”
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him
enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day,
after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally
after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of
the tree.
He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story:

Bull might get you to the top, but it won’t keep you there.
***********
Lesson 6:
A little bird was flying south for the Winter. It was so cold the
bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying
there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.
As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to
realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He
lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.

A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.
Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung,
and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Morals of the story:

(1) Not everyone who s on you is your enemy.
(2) Not everyone who gets you out of is your friend.
(3) And when you’re in deep , it’s best to keep your mouth shut!

THIS ENDS THE 5-MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE

Source: http://resources.alibaba.com/topic/34583/5_Minute_Management_Course_.htm