Tag: Minute Motivation

  • Four Seasons Story

    Four Seasons Story

    Case 9: Four Seasons

    The Case

    The Four Seasons Hotel – How far will service take you?

    The Four Seasons hotel was started in 1960 by Isadore Sharp in Toronto, Canada and is currently ranked as one of the most luxurious hotels in the hospitality industry, receiving the highest honour of 36 five-star ratings from the Forbes Travel Guide. Today the hotel chain has over 100 hotels worldwide, with each Four Seasons hotel or resort unique to its locale and character, while retaining the common thread of unscripted, empathetic care and service of their customers.

    What this unique character of embracing the locale and culture means is that if you wake up in a Four Seasons hotel in Paris, you will feel Parisian because the staff and culture within the hotel will be Parisian. And when you arrive at the Four Seasons in India, the architecture of the hotel as you drive up as well as the staff and culture while in the hotel will portray the best of India. This ability to successfully embrace the feel of the local environment has enabled Four Seasons to obliterate a problem usually encountered when multinationals expand called NIH (Not-Invented-Here) syndrome.

    The Four Seasons have had their share of lows, especially after 9/11 when the travel industry took a hit. At that time, the hotel was confronted with the choice of dropping their prices to attract clients, which they refused to cower to, choosing rather to compete on a differentiation strategy of exceptional service instead of a cost strategy.

    First, let’s examine how this service strategy is delivered consistently, by looking at the company’s philosophy –

    1. 11 years after the company opened, the decision was made to remain a medium-sized hotel of Exceptional Quality. Quality, not necessarily size, would be the differentiator in every hotel.
    2. Offer Unparalleled Service by making service their competitive advantage. The goal is to ensure that the service experienced in the Four Seasons hotel you stay at will be the best you can experience in that city.
    3. Make their Brand name synonymous with Quality, expressed right from check-in through your entire stay and until you leave.
    4. And the last one, which I really like, probably because it’s also a pillar in my current company is The Golden Rule. This is even considered when employing staff!

    Choosing to live your life with these four tenets will definitely make you a stand-out success at home, work or the community. However, there is an added advantage in adhering to the Golden Rule, which is to treat others the way you would like to be treated. Cast your mind back to when you needed to attend a very important meeting or event – you probably took a few looks at the mirror, straightening yourself to a preconceived image in your subconscious. You had an idea of what you wanted people to see and you adjusted your outward appearance to become that person.

    Can I recommend that when you relate to people, imagine you are looking at yourself in a mirror and adjust your words, behaviour and actions to align with what you would want done to/for you? It encompasses the simple things like saying hi when you walk past someone on the streets, (if you would like someone else to say hi to you), to the big things like buying someone lunch if you would like someone at some point in time to buy you lunch too.

    Now, let’s make it even better by applying the second lesson from Four Seasons. Remember I mentioned the locale nature of their delivery, which puts into consideration the culture of the new location when determining what service looks like. I like to think of this as an attitude that puts the recipient first in service-delivery. I remember reading a book by Gary Thomas, about ‘The 5 Love Language’ and his explanation that it’s the effort or attempt to speak to the other persons love language that often improves the relationship. When you are privy to information on what makes the person in front of you valued, do that instead.

    I guess my message is simple – don’t just focus on treating people the way you want to be treated, try your best to also ensure it’s the way they enjoy being treated.

  • DISNEY Story

    DISNEY Story

    Case 8: DISNEY

    The Case

    Disney Corporation – A masterclass in Diversification

    Disney has different meanings depending on the audience in question. To some, it is a company that produces animated films, to others, a theme park, to others a large store in the middle of the mall which every child wants to visit, and every mum wants to avoid and lastly it could mean a dream cruise-liner for unforgettable family holidays. (more…)

  • NETFLIX Story

    NETFLIX Story

    Case 7: NETFLIX

    The Case

    NETFLIX – Luck or Preparedness

    Inspired by Amazon’s success in selling books online, Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph decided to create a similar company and chose to distribute films. This was the beginning of NETFLIX in 1997. (more…)

  • IKEA Story

    IKEA Story

    Case 6: IKEA

    The Case

    In 1943, Ingvar Kamprad started his company, selling pens, wallets, picture frames and other such small items from his Swedish home base.
    Five years later, he introduced furniture as part of his product offering, using wood from the forest behind his house. The popularity of his products is the reason why catalogues were launched in 1948, to showcase the items of furniture Ingvar had available in his company.

    Due to competition from other low-priced manufacturers, the first showrooms were open in 1953. This allowed the customers to have a taste of what their furniture would look like in their homes. It’s what I call ‘experiential selling’, and is the model now used by many retailers, especially in the cosmetics industry.
    To contend with rising costs, flat packed furniture was introduced in 1956, and to appeal to people like me who would never dream of assembling flatpack furniture, IKEA now partners with TaskRabbit in the UK to assemble furniture that you purchase from them.

    Do you see a pattern in the story I just shared? It seems IKEA is a company that is quick to respond to the pain point of its customers without compromising its core values of simplicity, affordability and stylishness. The commitment to the strategizing and execution of this strategy around its customer needs is the reason, in my opinion, for IKEAs continuous growth and market appeal.
    Even now, I remember walking into IKEA a few years back and feeling comforted that there was a creche downstairs for my younger daughter and a restaurant upstairs to refuel in . Conveniences like this made the choice for me as a mum of young children to shop in IKEA

    So how does that relate to you and I as individuals?

    1. Firstly, what is your core purpose? Who were you designed to reach and what help can you offer them?
    2. Secondly, how do you consistently evolve to ensure you are positioned to serve your world better?
    3. Thirdly, are your daily decisions congruent to the needs of this target audience

    Let me share a personal example – I believe one of my core offerings to my world is to “build women to build ventures”. Yes, my eyes light up when I meet a woman with potential and who desires to explore and exploit this potential. And when I say ventures, I define it to include a family setting, a career choice and obviously businesses. I love helping women to overcome the hurdle of self-doubt and equip them with the tools to prepare her for success. In answer to Question 2, most of my decisions in personal development therefore centre around becoming more equipped to serve these women for example, I went to Etiquette school to learn social and business etiquette and went back to school after 21 years to learn theoretical frameworks for business start-ups. I’m sure you get the idea. And lastly in response to Question 3, I daily research a way to serve my audience better, from being innovative with these vlogs, to MAP Workshops, MAPTribe or MAPMe sessions.

    Today, I would like you to do the same by asking yourself those three questions above. You are here for a purpose and the world is waiting to enjoy awesomeness. So, get yourself on the program and, just like IKEA, become someone we remember and love!

  • Ebay Story

    Ebay Story

    Case 5: Ebay

    The Case

    Who would have thought a company created to allow us sell off items we no longer want would one day become one of the best-known companies in the world.

    I doubt Pierre Omidyar could have predicted this level of success, when as a 28 year old, he started a side hustle in September 1995 called AuctionWeb. Even the business model, predicated on generating revenue from sellers who list items on the site, is reputed to only have been introduced when Pierre’s internet service provider increased his monthly tariff from $30 to $250 because of the traffic on his site.

    That site, coded by Pierre himself, became known as eBay in September 1997 and today generates revenues in billions of dollars as shown in the chart below.

    Ebay Chart

    Curiosity often leads me to ask the question ‘how did the company achieve so much?’ and this drove me to investigate what eBay’s mission statement is, afterall, every good company makes strategic choices which are authentic to its mission. It is interesting to find that eBay describes its purpose as to ‘pioneer new communities around the world built on commerce, sustained by trust, and inspired by opportunity’. And I agree, it really must take trust to give money to someone you’ve never met and who is, most times, not an established business structure, expecting them to honour their promise and send you the products you bought off them.

    Lest I digress, today’s focus is not on the nuances of eBays operation but on investigating the life lessons we can learn from eBay:

    1. Firstly, every successful enterprise starts with an idea that fixes a problem that irritates you. Chances are that if you need a solution to a problem, many others do too. Pierre needed a platform where he could auction used items, he fixed this and realised many of us also had that problem. Isn’t it true that the best innovations are simply ideas that solve pain points? So, your action point as you build to significance, our theme for this year in MAPHer Ltd is to jot down your pain points and then spend time brainstorming solutions to them. When you find those solutions, SHARE THEM!

    2. Talking about sharing your solution, it takes me to the second life lesson we can learn from eBay: true success only comes when it benefits others. Even now, I recollect people who have become wealthy by having an eBay shop. Many micro-preneurs have had the opportunity to advertise their wares and sell them to a wide array of customers, at minimal cost. I often talk about the LW, LF, LO framework in describing success that creates significance and personal satisfaction. Your second task is therefore to look at the luxuries you enjoy today and decide how you can better the lives of others with it. I chose to share my life hacks through vlogs and I love when I get a message telling me how beneficial it has been to others. So, what’s in your hand and how can you use it to help others be better?

    I could draw even more life lessons from eBay, but I will stick to these two for now and hope that you follow through with applying them to your life.

    I look forward to hearing your success stories. Remember, a simple idea that makes your life better can also make the lives of many others better and open the doors to abundant riches for you and your world.

  • McDonald’s Story

    McDonald’s Story

    Case 4: McDonald’s

    The case:

    Founded in 1940 by two brothers, Richard and Maurice, the McDonalds corporation, our focal company for today was sold to Ray Croc in 1955. What started as a hamburger stand is now probably one of the most recognised companies in the world. As of 2018, McDonalds was reputed to serve over 69 million customers daily in 100+ countries and just under 40,000 outlets. The revenues of McDonalds corporation come from rent, royalties and franchise fees as well as direct sales to customers at company-operated restaurants.

    Apart from burgers and milkshakes, McDonalds, the second largest employer in the world does its share in contributing to the economy and has even been documented as positively influencing culture. A group of anthropologists in a study entitled the “Golden Arches East” reported that when McDonalds opened in Hong Kong in 1975, it was the 1st restaurant to always have clean restrooms, causing customers to demand this of other restaurants and improving quality across the region of East Asia and Hong Kong. Such impact is the reason why McDonalds has remained successful.

    In this series, I analyse two key aspects of McDonalds, and as usual, draw life lessons from them.

    1. First, the business model. Many say McDonalds is more a real estate company than a fast food chain. It owns all the properties of its franchises and makes money from rent. Understanding the true source of your advantage is essential in thriving. Questions such as “Am I a writer or do I write?” can be invaluable in positioning yourself. Using myself as an example, I am a teacher who writes. Therefore, in determining what skills to exploit, teaching always comes before writing.
    2. Secondly, three words synonymous with McDonalds: consistency, simplicity and speed. I remember going on holidays with my kids when they were much younger. The frustration of them not eating anything served in the hotel restaurant was often dispelled by sighting of the golden arches. I was sure that if all else failed at least we had a familiar place to go. In relation to our personal life, it is essential to embrace consistency. People relating with you should know what to expect as this builds trust and ensures that they continue to call on you with lucrative propositions. Additionally, realise that simplicity is always an advantage. The brain naturally gravitates towards simplicity and to ensure we remain prominent and of worthwhile value, we must continuously practise the 3 characteristics of simplicity, consistency and speed.

    In conclusion, Simon Sinek in his ‘Golden Circle Theory’ said success comes with the clarity of WHY (purpose); the discipline of HOW (process) and the consistency of the WHAT. This is what McDonalds does well and what we must do well to be successful.

  • Southwest Story

    Southwest Story

    Case 3: Southwest Airlines

    The case:

    A couple of months ago, one of the founders of Southwest Airline, Herb Kelleher sadly passed away. Many articles have been written about his legacy, but most importantly, his revolutionization of the airline industry, with Southwest Airline. When Southwest Airline took to the skies in 1971, the mission was simple – “to democratize the skies”. It sought to open up the skies to the everyday American so they could enjoy the luxuries of the rich. It was a decision to create vast economic value based on genuine and generous human values. Even at the lowest point of airline travel in the US – the period just after 9/11, while many airline operators were suffering with loss of revenue because of lack of passengers, Southwest enjoyed loyalty from its customers with some even sending them money and choosing to receive credit instead of refunds. Despite Southwest’s unconventional choices, including allowing passengers to change or cancel flights up to 10 minutes before departure, to giving refunds to those afraid to fly after the 9/11 attacks, it is noteworthy that they have never had a money-losing year and have been ranked by Smartmoney as the best performing stock over 3 decades with a 1000% return on every dollar invested.

    So how exactly did Southwest achieve this feat? They kept their operations simple and humane, they kept their staff happy, and when there was a choice between business or people benefits, they always chose people. I remember my own personal experience flying Southwest from Maryland to Houston in 2004. It was such a relaxed and friendly atmosphere and the announcements were particularly colourful.

    Life Lesson:

    As I reflected on Southwest Airline’s success, one thing was clear: I can build a very successful life while looking out for the needs of others. In fact, the success I build when being humane is the best sort of success.

    At times, the notion of success can be laced with thoughts of needing to put others down in a bid to thrive, which as we can see from Southwest, is unnecessary. As you make your plans for the top, ask how you can help lift others up too? Ask what problems you can solve? Ask how you can make the lives of those around you better? In doing so, you will not only be blessed monetarily, but you will have raised an army of supporters who will have your back in every circumstance.

    The power to make a difference lies in us all. We can choose to make a change and to be the answer to the ills of our world. When we step in and take that place, we too will thrive. As Oprah Winfrey said in her book “what I know for sure”, true power is purpose aligned with personality to serve a greater good. “Exercise true power today!

  • Nokia Story

    Nokia Story

    Case 2: Nokia

    The case:

    With humble beginnings from a small Finnish town, Nokia became a household name in the world of mobile phones. So successful was it that in 1991, it made a profit of $1bilion. In 1998, it made sales of $20billion, posting profits of $2.6billion. Nokia did everything right – it was innovative and launched new handsets every year. It was the first to introduce radio and music capabilities into their handset and even toyed with the touchscreen idea with is Nokia 7710 model in 2004. In the area of gaming, some may remember the “snake” game and even now, I struggle to think of a phone which compares with Nokia in terms of battery life and durability.

    Going back to a statement I made earlier – Nokia did everything right! Perhaps I should qualify it a little bit better. Nokia did everything right in making their phones more suited to making calls, however they missed a trick – its customers wanted more from their device; they didn’t just want to make calls, but to have an all-purpose device at their fingertips.

    So, it wasn’t surprising that in 2007, at the height of Nokia’s dominance where it had a 51% market share of mobile phone sales, it faced its first threat with the launch of the Apple iPhone. Slowly, Nokia lost its dominance and continued to slip in rankings. Sales dwindled and eventually, Nokia had to be sold in 2013. In just 6 years, all the hard work of many years prior had been undone…

    Many business scholars have tried to explain how this came to be – some blame it on the fact that Nokia’s headquarters was not based in Silicon Valley, hence it didn’t have the ability to benefit from knowledge spill overs. Others have said it was the rigidity of Nokia and its lack of speed in responding to market needs and the one I particularly like is that Nokia did not possess the dynamic capabilities needed, meaning it couldn’t sense the market needs and didn’t seize opportunities to innovate correvtly. I believe Nokia’s downfall was more a combination of all three.

    Life Lesson:

    In relation to our life, we are not immune from making the same mistake as Nokia. There is a place we all love to dwell – it’s a place more commonly known as a “comfort zone”. The sad truth is the comfort zone is mostly arrived at after a period of prolonged success. We enjoy the success so much and rather than choose not to rest on our laurels and take a leap forward to the next level, we plateau. Sadly, as the adage says: “standing still is equivalent to going backwards”.

    To continually be relevant, we must learn to constantly be aware of our surrounding and what skills need to be developed and adapted to remain relevant. The simplest example I can think of is social media, which cost me a lot in my business because I took too long to learn how to use it. For some of us, its out-dated work skills, yet for others it could be new lingo used in the market place. Whatever it is, we must learn to have our feelers out to sense new opportunities and seize the opportunity to be transformed through adapting our learnings. This is what business scholars refer to as using dynamic capabilities and is key to ensuring we stay relevant and on the constant path of success.

  • Honda Story

    Honda Story

    Two subjects that I’m passionate about are excellence in business and excellence in life. Interestingly the more I learn about business and the more case studies I read, the more I see an intersection. I believe there’s a life lesson to be learnt from each business success or failure story. Today, let’s learn from Honda!

    Case 1: The beginning of Honda in the USA

    The case:

    It was the 1950s, Soichiro Honda decided it was time to explore the US market, so he sent his trusted ally, Kihachiro Kawashima to make Honda great by competing against established motorcycle manufacturers such as Harley Davidson. After all, the Americans rode long distances and the fuel-saving capabilities of his motorbike would be a welcome bonus.

    Well, not so! At the time, motorbike riders were seen as outsiders or what many of us will refer to as “bad boys” thanks to Hollywood’s portrayal on the screens and they liked their brand names as much as the benefits they offered. Besides, Honda had under estimated the effect of long distances on its new invention and there were several reports of engine failures.

    There came the dilemma – with losses piling up and no sign of a turnaround, should Honda have cut its losses and folded up its US operations? Should it have persisted with its initial plan and keep developing its big bikes until they were accepted? The Honda team continued in their development work and ran errands around town with the lightweight “50cc Super Cubs”. It was great for intercity commute – inexpensive to maintain and a great way to avoid the busy traffic. It was so good that it caught the attention of locals who wanted to purchase them.

    Before long, Sears, one of the leading US retailers came along. It offered Honda the opportunity to supply them large quantities of the super cub and of course Kawashima refused. He was adamant on pursuing the initial goal of selling the big bikes and taking the market share off companies such as Harley Davidsons and the likes. Eventually, when Honda realised its purpose was not just big bikes, but wealth creation, it yielded to Sears demands to sell these Super Cubs in their sports section and open motorbikes to a new market. The offer worked… Sears achieved its aim and Honda came out of the red. By 1959, Honda went from no presence to 63% market dominance. Today Honda is not only successful with small motorbikes, it sells high capacity too. More interestingly, it managed to change the perception of bike riders with its campaign slogan “you meet the nicest people on a Honda”

    Life Lesson:

    Honda’s success came as a result of their flexibility with the initial strategy and an understanding of their underlining purpose. I get it because I have been in this situation many times and you probably have been too – goals don’t line up, and you end up frustrated with the outcome of your decisions and a step you made to advance in reality translates to a more disastrous position than the point from which you started. Can I encourage you to ask this question: “What was the end goal in the first place?” For Honda, it was wealth creation through expansion to a new market. No, it wasn’t to sell the big bikes, it was to gain market share and make money. It was only by deferring back to this starting point instead of insisting on the latter that success came.

    In conclusion, I want to remind you to be true to your core purpose and be flexible with strategy. Remember, strategy can change as long as it delivers on the underlining purpose.

  • True BEAUTY

    True BEAUTY

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    On 13th December 2002, my life took a completely different course… Not just because I became a Mary Kay consultant and all of a sudden started the migration from being a ‘tom boy’ to a ‘girlie girl’, but because it exposed me to aspects of me I never knew; for instance I realised I love helping budding entrepreneurs set structure for profitability in their business. Moreso, it helped me discover the meaning of true BEAUTY.

    This is a special edition to celebrate my 16th anniversary as a Mary Kay Beauty consultant. It captures my learnings over the years and shares my perspective on what brings out BEAUTY in a woman, or man.

    Beauty acronym

    Believe in yourself

    • Belief is confidence in yourself
    • It is knowing that you can achieve what you desire
    • What are you going to back yourself up to achieve?

    Equip yourself for tomorrow

    • Every dream you have can be realised if you equip yourself
    • Ask yourself – where do I want to go? Where am I currently? What do I need to get there?
    • Daily do something that takes you closer and your CONFIDENCE will increase

    Affirm yourself consistently

    • An affirmation is a public or emphatic declaration of belief
    • Mary Kay taught me to say what I wanted, not what I saw!
    • Simple exercise on writing affirmation

    Understand your Uniqueness

    • Look at your palm – very different and so unique. Why are you trying to be a copy, when you have been created an original?
    • Do you know that products have competitive advantage because of their uniqueness, not their resemblance to everything else?
    • When you get home today, write out your strengths, your desires, your weaknesses and begin to connect the dots on how you can nullify your weaknesses and maximise your strengths with your uniqueness – an example of me as an acronym queen

    Tenacious in the face of adversity

    • Many women wither and allow adversity to taint them
    • Are you allowing adversity to shape you or steal from you? Don’t make a moment a season!
    • Hold on to your dream like your life depends on it – that is tenacity

    Youthful disposition to life.

    • Youthfulness is the ability to have a young person’s qualities of mind and character
    • We can describe the ideal young attitude
      • Carefree
      • Live for today
      • Have fun – parties, dress well, well groomed
    • What makes you feel young at heart again? Slip into that moment every now and then and just ENJOY!

    I really enjoyed reflecting back and writing that acronym for you. My prayer is that it teaches you to embrace BEAUTY that goes beyond the surface, but one that stems from within.

    In rounding up, I must say that, when looking at myself in the mirror today, I looked much younger than when I started out, so great products and a little bit of lipstick is great as well! It helps express the inner beauty you feel on the inside[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]