Esteemed magazine

Employment vs EntrepreneurshipA long star studded employment record

Perspectives

Surviving Office PoliticsCustomers valued

Investment

Reaping from mind empowerment

At peace

Making the most of your current

EsteemedQuality for a lifetime

June - July lsquo07 Edition

Managing EditorWangari Kimani

Advertising ExecutivesNahashon Mithanga

ContributorsWangari KimaniWinnie Mwangi

Design and PhotographyFrederick RukunguNahashon Mithanga

Distribution amp CirculationEagle Afric Holdings Ltd

Published byEagle Afric Holdings LtdPO Box 24329 Karen00502

Contact usEmail infoesteemedonlinecomURL wwwesteemedonlinecom

Copyright InformationEsteemed is a bi-monthly magazine published by Eagle Afric Holdings Ltd Views expressed in the articles and contributions are not necessarily those of the publisher

All rights reserved While every reasonable effort has been made and precautions taken to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the content herein neither the Esteemed team nor its advertisers nor printers can accept responsibility for any damages or inconvenience that may arise there from The views expressed within the publication are those of the authors exclusively and not necessarily those of the Esteemed owners Any material sent to us will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and may or may not be acknowledged as receipted This material will also be subject to scrutiny for unrestricted editing and commentary at the discretion of the Editorial team

All content including adverts created by Esteemed are Copyright of Eagle Afric Holdings Ltd and may not be recreated in part or in whole without prior consent of the publishersCopyright copy

ContentsEmployment vs Entrepreneurship Page 3

Principles behind a long standing employment Page 4

Investment Page 5

Perspectives

Human Relations Page 6

Customer Relations Page 7

Quiet Time 1

Esteemed Feedback

ldquoI read and re-read the articles in the first edition and my my my they made

such good reading and I was so encouraged especially by the entrepreneurs and the

inspiration pointers and especially the one on stop being afraid Yaani I must say

I learnt a lesson from those two guys article of just how things can come to be and

not to give up and to press onrdquo

ldquothe quiet time was refreshing it was a reminder for merdquo

ldquohaiya where have these people been

ldquowhen is the magazine going to the shelfrdquo

ldquothe articles are really nicerdquo

ldquothe articles are short and precise and not monotonous we are used tordquo

ldquothe pictures in the magazine can be improved

Thank YouIn between the hustles and bustles of everyday we all need a break during which we relax our minds and rebuild our hopes for the future and ideas on how to make the present a little bit better

Thank you for making Esteemed a part of that break and with this second edition we hope that you will have a good read and get a new outlook on life

Successful is the term I would give to our launch edition We received very humbling responses that were the icing on the cake You should have seen the finger biting and wrist rubbing that went on after the upload on the website (wwwesteemedonlinecom) was done Your responses have served to spur us on to another edition According to our statistics we had a total of 2948 hits since our launch on March 31 2007 with e-visits from Kenya USA European Union Bahrain The Netherlands United Arab Emirates and France among others

Thank you for passing the word on Esteemed and please continue sending us those comments and points of concern to make us better and to provide a better read for you

In this edition we interview three individuals in different industries hospitality motoring and academic (a teacher) They give us an insight on what keeps them going in their chosen career paths and where they see themselves in relation to their daily arenas We also feature articles on customer relations human relations - if you work then you know office politics can be as interesting as national politics by our honorable members For the quiet moment we have quite a read in store for you as well as the investment idea of the season and much more which is sure to make No 2 a good No 1 read

In our editorial this time around we take the opportunity to console and share our heart felt condolences with the bereaved families of the KQ flight 507 and those whose kin have fallen prey to the Mungiki spate of killings Our God in heaven is all seeing and all mighty As His good and right word says He made everything and everyone for a purpose even the wicked for the day of trouble God will do justice to those that have been wronged and for sure He knows our joy and our sorrows Nothing is hidden from Him and if we need the comfort He will provide it

Be strong and of good courage God picks up from where you cannot take it anymore and remember this He is not so unjust that He will bring to us trials that we cannot stand or trials that are beyond our strength If you know a cake bakes at 80deg Celsius that is the temperature you will set for it to come out perfect If you know it cannot withstand 95deg Celsius you will not give it that How much more God in heaven He knows us better than we know ourselves and as He watches over us without so much as batting an eyelid nothing will happen to us that He has not okayed

Enjoy and learn

Liz

n pursuit of understanding what keeps some of us in one

company or industry for so long a time such as more than five

years we got to interview three individualsIPriscilla (P) Teacher at a private primary school 45 years oldO

Level training Teacher Training from a teachers training institute Work

Experience of 25 years teaching lower level primary school

Passion Children

Nicholas (N) Sales Executive at a local motor vehicle dealership 30

years old Polytechnic Diploma Work Experience of 7 years in sales

dealing with FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) motor

vehicles Passion Speed and making money

Susan (S) 3-Star Hotel Manager 29 years old College higher diploma

Work Experience of 4 years working in the hotel industry Same

employer since graduation

Passion Satisfied customers

The interviewees requested that their photos are not used during this

interview and so we substituted them with modeled pictures

P I have worked as a teacher for the past 25 years My work is my life

and my life is basically my work I eat sleep and drink teaching I find it

the noblest career on the planet

N My job has increased my knowledge of people of different

characters my network of acquaintances and friends has continued to

grow everyday and for sure I can say it is an endless sea of knowledge

out there A good sales person is one who is blest with the gift of garb

Combine that with the virtue of truth and honesty and he or she can sell

anything Thats me and thats what my job has cut me out to be

S A lot My career has done a great deal for my naivety if I may call it

that I have greatly come to appreciate that everyday is a new day to

learn and the worst thing I can do is approach issues people

circumstances and our environment with a slow and closed mind

Attitude mindset is the greatest hindrance to personal development but

it is also the greatest asset in succeeding to unbelievable heights of

success

P Let me first put it across that no one in this world will ever come to

you and say ldquoHi here is your fulfillment reaped from the good work that

you have donerdquo Not even the mother who gave birth to you will ever do

that As an individual you have to find that out for yourself and believe

me it cannot be limited to one thing only By thing here am referring not

only to the physical but to even emotional psychological social and

much more My fulfillment is in seeing an otherwise feeble mind pick

up on their performance and develop it to great heights I also derive

great fulfillment when I am walking in town or in the market and I meet

with one of my former students who I may not know because the last I

saw them they could barely fit into their shorts or they had pussy cat

hair styles with colorful beads There is no greater joy for me when they

tell me of their exploits in business or in their personal lives because I

know I was instrumental in shaping that brain I would spend close to

eight hours a day pumping knowledge into their very impressive minds

And if they turn out as great people in their own way I will know I did a

good job and if the past is anything to go by then I am still impacting

another generation

N My fulfillment comes through watching my customers react to their

new cars with nothing but joy and pride written all over their faces After

all it doesnt happen everyday that you will get a new car from the

showroom Honestly my second most fulfilling moment of my work is

the pay factor Do you know why I choose to find fulfillment in that (

) Its very simple actually I get paid because I put effort and

energy into it If I did not work at satisfying a customer my life will not

be the way I expect it to be So when I work and the financial fruits of

my labor are reflected through my bank account then why should I not

be happy and get fulfilled

S ( ) The most fulfilling part of my job is

when a customers stay at our hotel under my service is rated (by that

customer) as ldquoIts just like I have been homerdquo or something close to that

sentiment Our hotel is not just an alternative accommodation or sit

down meal place I believe itrsquos a place where if you come to stay for a

night you will get so comfortable you will want to stay under our care

every time you are in town or out having fun My team and I purpose to

welcome a guest make them feel at home right from the moment they

enquire about our rates to when they enter through our doors fill in the

check in forms their first meal their sleep and even when they leave

And my fulfillment is doubled when I see that for the rest of the team

and myself serving like this comes naturally It is not plastic and we

love it I am hoping that it is our good service that will bring the next star

home

S Thank you very much Welcome again and I will take you up on that

vote

E How much has your career impacted upon your life

E What is the most fulfilling part of what you do for a living

I

shake my head in awe because of all things this answer I did not

expect

She smiles before she answers

E If you ever need a vote on that please let me know because for

sure I know you are not lying I came there long before Esteemed was

and I did enjoy a wonderful afternoon meal and it did not do injustice to

my wallet either

E When did you realize that you wanted to pursue a career in

your field

E Well you know ladies we want the best so we take our time to

choose the best

E What is the least favorite thing in your job

P The funniest thing and sometimes I think is the most basic My

mother back in those gone years was very strict with academics

and my siblings and I had to read or face the music In school we

were very many in one class and the teacher would not have

enough time for each of us and as a result we had to struggle a lot

individually So in my very conventional mind I decided that when I

grew up I would be a teacher and I would be very attentive to each

of my students And look where my dream got me some thirty years

later Today even my worst academic performer stands out from the

crowd for something that he or she is May be its the sporting skill

or ability to memorize things that gets them into an acting level at

the drama club or a beautiful face and voice that get them on stage

to entertain during events You see I purposed to teach lower

primary because they are such impressionable minds and if I can

challenge them to be great at that tender age then I know going by

statistics that only a negligible percentage will fail me When I see

my students today I remember the child that I was and I work with

an adult mind fitting into those shoes - it is the most humbling

experience

N I wouldnt say that I planned my career I actually studied to be a

mechanical engineer because I loved messing around with engines

and motors and all that however when I was in college I always

wanted to have some extra cash so I found myself a job at a certain

boutique and I was asked to sell cosmetics to ladies (He smiles

cheekily with tongue in cheek) You guys sure are in a class of your

own when it comes to choosing

N No mistake So anyway I learnt so that I wouldnrsquot lie and appear

unknowledgeable about what I was selling It was a tough one but

not tougher than a brother who needed to get to the top of the

ladder I love people and talking to them is a part of sales

Unfortunately life started going downhill after my parents couldnt

pay fees for me any more I had to get serious with life and when I

realized that my hobby was earning me more than my academic

certificate would a light bulb lit in my head I decided to finish the

Mechanical Engineering course and in the working world combined

it with my love for people And here I am after a brief sales and

marketing course By no means am I wealthy and rich from this

employment but I love every minute of it

S I didnt do very well in school I have to admit that except in

English and Home Science I was also very good at public speaking

but through our education system these were not exactly the

courses your parents wanted to hear you are successful at If it

wasnt the sciences then it was mathematics and vice versa So

when I finished school and my father was through with being

disappointed he agreed to pay for a hotel management course I

then went into internship at several hotels at the coast This was

made possible by the fact that I always emerged top of my class and

recommendations both verbal and written were in plenty Honestly

back then when the words ldquoYou failed merdquo came out of my fathers

mouth I always beat myself up about it wondering what I ever did

wrong that I could not become the lawyer my father wanted me to

be But today he sings a different song

P I have two actually One is spanking a child and second is being

the only point of solid reference the child has There is nothing as

lousy and disheartening as a child who knows that the teacher is the

only person they can run to in times of trouble Some parents bring

their kids to school and expect the teachers to raise them on their

behalf We are supposed to complement not to be substitute

parents Tiny children are expected to be adults who know how to

plan their work dress themselves Tell themselves not to watch

some programs meant for adults and so much more Its true that

the children spend most of the day at school and with the teachers

and that is where they are moulded But remember every teacher

has about 30 children per class and that is a small number in a

small private school How in all honesty are we expected to take

care of each individually with 100 attention It pains me when a

kid tells me they would rather be at school than at home From the

years I have spent with children those who know that the overall

person in their lives is their parent develop a stronger character and

personality

On spanking I believe in what the Good Book says ldquoFolly is bound

up in the heart of a child but the rod of discipline will drive it far from

himrdquo Thats Proverbs 2215 Discipline a child and years later when

they are grown up they will thank you for it How do you tell a child

after they have done wrong and even you as an adult know that it is

wrong tell them to go to their room and think about what they have

done The same brain that was responsible to reach the wrong

decision is the same one that should be trusted to figure out and

convince the same child that his actions were truly wrong Give me a

break Spank him right not to the point of injury or damage but

enough to make them know that they will be in more serious trouble

next time Let the punishment act as a deterrent for wrong behavior

Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived even in our time today

and am sure he was not speaking out of imagination

N Inability to fulfill a promise to a customer Selling cars is a

business that involves several parties most of whom are invisible to

the customer So when all these parties work in harmony the

customer is happy and I am happy because I get to serve my

customer right In the event that I cannot meet the very deadline I

gave I tell my customers and therein comes my least favorite time It

doesnt happen often but when it does (he shakes his head) I am my

own worst judge I demand the best from myself and when I dont get

that I am not a very happy camper

S Withstanding insults has to take the day on this one There are

some customers who are just a pain and I say this with all due

respect You go out of your way to make them comfortable offer the

food at the right temperature air the room they want to sleep in and

smile at them but they still find something to whine and nag about

Sometimes it is so trivial and may even have nothing to do with the

hotel but they still find a way of making it your shortfall I have come

to appreciate that for some of these there is an underlying problem

and when they need somebody to be the scapegoat of their woes

trust me they will pick on you On the other hand I think these

scenarios have enabled me become a better person Humility

patience self control and the ability to forgive I have developed these

over a long time and I thank God for each difficult customer I have

ever had and I thank them too for being difficult

P Nothing The experiences I have had both painful and joyous

have made me into what I am and I am proud of who I am and what I

have become I would add onto my academics though in the sense

that I would take a course in child psychology to enable me be of

further help to my children I call my pupils my children

N Develop my academics further than a certificate level in different

courses For me selling comes naturally but should I become a

manager I know I would be a walking disaster With this in mind I

am now doing night classes to prepare me for a managerial position

Our company is rapidly growing but should the opportunity of a

promotion to a sales or branch manger come up I would not be

considered because of my academics I may be a good salesman

but I have no evidence of successful team leadership such that I can

be a sales manager If I want to go up the corporate ladder I need to

be both streetwise and paper-wise

S Grow a spine for dealing with people sooner than I did After my

O level results came through I got into a psychological war and I

almost gave up on myself My dad called me a failure My mother had

to tolerate my fathers insults about how useless my life would

become I could see her struggle and pray that something good would

come out of it all Even the joy of success I had in catering school

was not very long lasting because I believed my father For a long

time I worked to ensure my father would eat his own words Then

soon when I started working here at the hotel I attended a seminar

that changed it all for me Since then I work for me and not for

vengeance The joy I have at every success lives for as long as I

want it to

(Cont Page 4 Col 1)

E If you were to go back in time what would you do differently

Entrepreneurship vs Employment in love with your job

1 Self Motivation

2 They strategically place themselves as ambassadors for their companies

3 Matured mentality of Office is Home

4 Being the change you want to see

5 Wisdom is the only true friend to embrace

No one in this job market and business environment will ever motivate you They may create environments that encourage you to be motivated but they sure wont say ldquoHi my name is Jared and I am here to motivate yourdquo Motivation is like a bonfire A woodcutter may provide the wood and the matchbox to light it but if the one who intends to get warmed by it does not bother to gather the wood and strike the match then the fire will not be lit No matter how long he she looks at it Same thing happens with employment Your employer may offer the right perks in addition to your salary you may have heavenly ergonomics to work around you may have all the resources but if you do not have an interest in the job and you do not use your talents and abilities that job will always be a heavy burden to bear Self motivation to a great extent pegs itself on creating and seizing the opportunities to apply your knowledge skills talents and creativity to deal with interesting important problems issues and situations as and when they arise Such an employee will remain in their current organization even when their skills and competencies are in high demand elsewhere

Years back once or twice while under employment in a certain company I asked myself ldquowhy should I give up so much of myself for this company Does it belong to my father so that I can easily justify the hard work and long hoursrdquo Often at night I would go to bed feeling guilty because of that question but sometimes we all feel like that Yes even the loyal employees What differentiates them though is their ability to get over it and get moving on to accomplishing the next task with fire and passion There is no greater feeling than knowing you have given it your best and unless one has a vendetta against you there is no ground available for claims of lack of dedication Doesnt it do you proud to walk on the streets and see your handiwork in your companys products You always make sure that those around you know that you deal with that product And if you are asked to dress to represent your company you would gladly take your best suit out of the wardrobe to be seen to work for that company You will tell a companys ambassador when he or she begins with words like ldquoAt my company we helliprdquo And you would be forgiven to think that they hold a high office in the company

If you thought it is difficult to cultivate a culture of self-motivation wait till you get to the level of cultivating the mentality that your office or place of work is your home And this is a major component to you being a loyal employee such that you can work for eight to ten years or more without suffering burnouts that have major irreversible effects on your life The trick is to find the emotional connection to your company by asking yourself questions such as Whats important about the work I dordquo ldquoWhat can I do to make my workplace a little better for merdquo What do I love doing what do I have passion for What is it that I can continue to do joyfully even in the absence of a pay slip If you do this exercise as truthfully as possible you will reveal things about yourself that you didnt even knowIf the answers are mostly money related with little if any connection with passion and drive then consider some change in your mind setOnce you have realized where your passion lies align your actions with the direction of the overall company Once you tap and connect with this you will see yourself going places just as the company does

There is nothing as challenging as leading by example nevertheless in a corporate culture that values experience and encourages growth from within this can and should be a very fruitful endeavor for the individual Often in change management classes there has always been a reflective thought of ldquobe the change that you want to seerdquo Long Term employees will witness and shape unforeseen changes in the organizations mission to its clients and resources and processes of business Based on the change processes adopted in the company these employees will help the desired change take root But it doesnt happen overnight neither does it happen successfully based on only the individuals commitment You have to see the organization through its owners eyes and embrace itThe concept of initiative is what stands out the most here and for sure if it is appreciated and tapped into by management of a company then it shall stay there within that company for a long time without suffering burn out

A loyal employee is a wise person He she is able to read between the lines pick out the relevant data and leave the useless They are able to read the signals sent out by their employers and thus they are able to know if they have a future in the company or not To illustrate the importance of wisdom in our daily lives look at King Solomon who is reputed to be the wisest man to ever walk the face of the earth There he is in the presence of the Almighty He would have asked for live everlasting on earth to enjoy the pleasures he had as a king He would have gladly said let me remain king over Israel forever he would have asked for so much more but he said ldquohellipYour servant is here among the people you have chosen a great people too numerous to count or number So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrongrdquo And God did not just give him what he asked for ldquoSince you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice I will do what you have asked I will give you a wise and discerning heart so that there will never have been anyone like you nor will there ever be Moreover I will give you what you have not asked for both riches and honor so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did I will give you a long liferdquo That was Gods reply to Solomons request In one of his famous proverbs and sayings Solomon put it very simply ldquoDo not forsake wisdom and she will protect you love her and she will watch over yourdquo and in another phrase he said ldquoOf what use is money in the hand of a fool since he has no desire to get wisdomrdquo Whether employed or retired or self-employed

Wisdom cannot be too much

6 Not for love of the money Some very harsh reality to deal with No one will ever employ you to make you rich Unfortunately a lot of us might get into the trap of thinking our future is in the company and we refuse to look elsewhere in terms of income generation We then get to retirement age in the same company and even if a bigger opportunity were to arise in another place we would not be eligible for that Imagine being employed as a caretaker and due to advancement in years you cannot even be appointed as Assistant Security Manager of your company How sad Even if you choose to remain with the same employer sharpen your skills and fight to climb the corporate ladder so that even if you retire in the same company it will be at levels higher than you were initially employed

Entrepreneurship vs Employment(Cont from Page 3 Col 3)

P Work on developing nine very basic principles of life - Love Joy

Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness and

Self-Control Also learn as much as you can from the classroom

Assess our society and understand which courses to pursue and will be

applicable like I said previously a course like child psychology will

enable you deal with the different personalities of children to be found

in a classroom

N Know your strengths and weaknesses Capitalize on the strengths

and learn how to create opportunities out of your weaknesses If you

are shy when talking to people go for public speaking courses and

equip yourself If you have a problem pampering someones ego deal

with that If you do not know yourself you are in a world of trouble

S Give yourself room to grow and develop As human beings we all

make mistakes in life and the question is what you do about it The

hospitality industry requires someone who is beautiful and strong both

on the inside and the outside Customers can detect a phony character

and once they do they dont judge you as an individual They look at

you as the organization You are a representative of the company you

work for When people see you they see the company

P Yes I have I always wondered what kind of a headmistress I would

make if I started my own school but because of several reasons such

as lack of capital love for children and my dedication to my own family

I figured out a long time ago that I am fit to be employedN Standard procedure Here is a question how many of us have wanted to go it alone But I figured my salary at end month supported by several investments here and there will do me good Furthermore I have not gained enough experience and skill for me to establish my own company But I believe that once I do get that experience I will start my own company Dont ask me whether it is in the same field because I am yet to figure that outS Yes I have But at the moment I need to build the experience and proper foundation I know most start ups are in a litmus test for the first three years and since I do not want to start something and it fail I am watching my steps before I go down that road

P Education and respect for yourself for others and respect from others for youN Savings You never know what tomorrow holds and while a payslip at the end of the month is good and stable you need to save up so that even if the company goes bankrupt and God forbid you will still have enough financial resources to continue living your life Your company is an entity of its own and should it go down it doesnt need to go down with youS Network of contacts and friends These are people who you associate with at different levels and since no one is an island you need to keep in touch with people and dont burn your bridges even if you have already crossed the river You just might come back down that path and you will have to use the same bridge if you did not burn it or spend time building another one

P Retired and taking care of my grandchildrenN I see myself having gone up the corporate ladder in this company As a manager with a team to manage and playing a pivotal role in developing salesmen and saleswomen with a passion from deep down insideS Hopefully retail manager in charge of several hotel branches when it is converted into a five star hotel I intend to grow old with this hotel

P Keep up the good work and thank you for recognizing that even teachers contribute enormously to the corporate worldN If Esteemed has passion as one of its founding values then we had best watch out Keep the fire burningS Thank you for the interview

E What advice would you give to someone interested in pursuing

a career in your field

E Have you ever thought of venturing into private business and

abandoning formal employment

E What would you consider the most important investment one can make for a successful employment period

E Where do you see yourself in another five years

E Do you have any endorsements for Esteemed

Business Principles Success doesnrsquot come easyHave you ever wondered how our parents aunts and uncles ever managed and still manage to work for the same employer for like more than 10 years and they are still waking up at four to beat the traffic and get to the office by eight am And if any of them sat you down for the tale of ldquoback when I first started workingrdquo you will shake your head and wonder how they can even begin to relieve their hey days with the same employer who is now looking for someone with your skills The one thing that consistently repeats itself is that when they were employed their families being well taken care of was the most elementary Career development profession and career paths were as much foreign concepts as computers and mobile phones So in trying to share on the principles that govern loyalty for long employment please pardon our concentration on the 21st century employee

So how do people manage to work for such long durations for the same employer in the current day and age without getting bored with the jobs they hold

Food for thoughtoyalty hinges on the alignment of values between employee and employer If an employee finds value in the company cause he or L

she will naturally support it

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in ldquo the air You name them - work family health friends and spirit - and youre keeping all of these in the air You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball If you drop it it will bounce back But the other four balls - family health friends and spirit - are made of glass If you drop one of these they will be irrevocably scuffed marked nicked damaged or even shattered They will never be the same You must

understand that and strive for balance in your life -Brian G Dyson

hellip From now on you will be paid for your human capital your ldquoknowledge skills experience creativity and adaptability not on your past education resume number of years in the organization rank and position You earn an income by trading hours for shillings dollars with a fixed salary You create your fortune and your future security by selling your ability and creativity You must act self-employed from now on moving from employee to entrepreneur No matter what organization you work for you must take responsibility for your own career security and advancement by constantly improving your skills and contribution You must consider yourself a permanent student and lifelong learner The shelf-life of your formal education is about 18 months So more than graduation from a university you need a lifelong learning commitment This means constantly upgrading your computer literacy and understanding of electronic commerce and the awareness that customer satisfaction will be the critical edge in personal branding of products and serviceshelliprdquo Borrowed from

httpwwwdeniswaitleycomezines2005ezineissue27htm

hen it comes to employees personal experiences of their workplaces the top five drivers of loyalty areW

1 Care and concern that the employer shows for workers displayed by working conditions policies and style of management2 Fairness of pay and evaluations3 Employees feelings of accomplishment in their work4 Satisfaction with daily activities5 Management appreciation for employees ideas and input

egarding employees attitudes about their work and workplaces the Rtop five drivers of loyalty are1 An employee-focused atmosphere in the office demonstrated by a clear priority put on staffers2 Development opportunities evinced by training3 The quality of the employees job4 The corporate brand that is how the employee feels about it5 Personal sacrifice required for the job that is the so-called work-life balance

Source httpwwwciocomarticle29836_Ways_to_Develop_Truly_Loyal_Employees

Eagle Afric Holdings LtdRedefining Professional Business Relationships

Mail infoeagleafriccom

Tel +254-722 962 034

Httpwwweagleafriccom

Quality Service You will not want to go anywhere else

Talk to us for

Uuml TransportUuml PublishingUuml ICT Products amp ServicesUuml Electronic amp Electrical Equipment

Eagle Afric Holdings Ltd will go an extra mile in making sure that you get the best services in all the sectors that we are involved

Contact us on any of the following

Computerized Study Centre

Proposed Location Estate with high population

SummaryTap into the very vibrant society of professionals who have opted to increase the number of balls they are juggling by going back to school

DetailsThe other day I got late in the city centre of Nairobi and was very impressed to see quite a number of students in suits carrying handbags and folders all coming from the general direction of where several colleges are located including the university of Nairobi It was then that I began to appreciate one of the local Ohangla songs where the singer says we have turned night into day and day into night as we are doing things meant for the day at night

The investment idea being applauded by Esteemed today comes from this back-to-school phenomenon If you live around an estate such as South B South C Nairobi West Madaraka or such other estates in other large towns think about the following

v how many of your neighbours are in night school trying to juggle books family and the office

v how many of these would highly appreciate a quiet study place where they can revise for exams do assignments and even hold group discussions without being disrupted by playing children loud TV loud music or a house help singing while washing dishes and ironing clothes

v how many of these would appreciate a facility being a stone throw away from their houses such that they can easily walk there early in the morning or late at night without fear of being mugged

v how many of these would further appreciate the ability to surf the internet to get through their assignments with good references (think about it for a moment you will be saving a lot of employers the loss of man hours spent doing personal jobs on the net)

v how many of these would gladly pay for the service

v do you have a location in mind where you can easily set up a computerized 24 hours internet study centre

If you have been getting positive and very indicative answers to the questions above then you may need to start putting together a business plan and may be establish this in one estate and lay a foundation for a chain of them

Some aspects to consider would be1 License of operation2 Security3 Ownership of premises4 Size of premises5 Furniture6 Internet Access7 Equipment - computers and printers scanners8 Staff to man the study centre9 Electricity Charges10 Water amp Sanitation11 Refreshments

NB No replication without direct approval from Eagle Afric Holdings Ltd Publishers Disclaimer The publisher is not engaged in the business of rendering financial legal or other professional advice If such advice and or information is required in relation to the investment idea highlighted herein the services of professionals should be sought No responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of material in this publication can be accepted

Suggested Layout

Writing your Business Plan

Contents of a good business planIn our last edition we discussed what a business plan is Our assignment from that was for us to align ourselves to the business we have in mind and begin researching on it (If you missed our last edition please visit wwwesteemedonlinecom) This time around we cover the contents of a good business plan

There is no preset and standard set length to a business plan but the average length seems to be 30 to 40 pages including the supporting documents section eg certificate of registration partnership agreement business licenses etc In generating your business plan the text and wording used must be concise but at the same time must contain as much information as possible This sounds like a contradiction of some kind but let us explain it

Imagine you are the loans manager of a big commercial bank responsible for loan approvals for small SMEs You receive like ten loan applications each having an attached business plan which you must go through before you decline or approve the loan You are also pressed for time because in your marketing campaigns you promise loan disbursement within 48 hours of applying As the manager you need to go to the first page and from the summary therein you will have a generally good appreciation of the business that requires the loan In the event that you need more insight on say for instance cash flow projections the summary introduction on the chapter on these projections should tell you everything you need to know

In essence when you are doing your business plan lay it out with your reader in mind

Break down the plan into segments sections and using the Key Word approach you can easily do the plan providing both summary and detail The words are (i) Who (ii) What (iii) Where (iv) When (v) Why (vi) How (vii) How Much

Write them on a card and line them up on your work desk every time you are writing your business plan Then Address all of the questions asked by the key words in one paragraph at the beginning of each section of the business plan Based on the paragraph summary put in the details by telling more about each item in the text that follows

To avoid a rush and confusion while working on your plan you need to address each section in its own time Set up blocks of time with target dates for completion You may find it effective to spend time at the library where the reference materials needed will be close at hand It takes discipline time and privacy to write an effective business plan

Please note that your flow of information will rely very much on how you plan you time and work schedule You will save time by compiling your list of supporting documents while writing the text For example while writing about the legal structure of your business you will see the need to include a copy of your partnership agreement Write ldquopartnership agreementrdquo on your list of supporting documents for that segment When it comes to compiling that section of your plan you will already have a list of the necessary documents As you go along you may realize the need for information that you do not have at hand and so you make a note of it and have it provided by the time you complete that section

With these in mind you are ready to begin formulating your plan

Assignment With the network that you have and the resources such as the library and the internet go through several business plans and see how they are laid out Make short notes of how you would wan to structure yours and next edition we get down to more details on your business plan

Starting A Business That Will Succeed

1) Invest in and do what you love A new business will demand a lot from you in every way - money time and energy and so its really advisable to engage in that which you truly deeply enjoy doing - pottery painting cooking laundry etc2) Start your business while youre still employed (if you are) If you were to quit your job today how long can you do without a guaranteed cash flow Definitely not long and it may be a long time before your new business actually makes a profit If you a start your business while you are still employed that means money in your pocket while youre going through the business start up process3) Dont do it alone No man is an island you NEED a support system while youre starting a business (and afterwards) This can be comprised of a family member or friend that you can talk to and let them know what you are thinking your ideas and they will provide a reliable support during the hard times If possible and even better find a mentor -experienced guidance is the best support system of all4) Write a business plan A business plan is an objective look and future lay out of your business A good one will enable you see the business truly and it can help you avoid sinking your time and money into starting a business that will NOT succeed5) Get professional help Do not lie to yourself that you know everything there is about the business you are doing Seek professional help when you and your business need it eg A lawyer to draw up an agreement an accountant to do your books a furniture maker to make good furniture etc You will waste more time and possibly money in the long run trying to do things yourself that youre not qualified to do6) Get the money lined up Your savings are the best capital source you can ever have Save up from your current source of income Approach potential investors and lenders and at the same time figure out your financial fall-back plan Traditional lenders dont like new ideas and dont like businesses without proven track records so dont expect to start a business and then walk into a bank and get money7) Be professional from the start Everything about you and the way you do business needs to let people know that you are a professional running a serious business That means having professional business cards a business phone and a business email address and treating people in a professional courteous manner8) Get the legal and tax issues right the first time Its much more difficult and expensive to clean up a mess afterwards Figure out which requirements you need to be compliant with to avoid being shut down trouble with the government revenue authorities etc Remember - Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar Learn what your legal and tax responsibilities are before you start your business and operate accordingly

Reception Area

Group Discussion room 1


Study Area 1

Study Area 2

Study Area 3

Bathrooms

Entrancecopy

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lict

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with

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Ea

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Afr

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Investing Wisely

Customers are important in your business

a) Acquire new customers ndash

b) Provide superior customer satisfaction ndash

C) Build customer loyalty ndash

There is no business that I have come across that does not involve a customer One customer relations professional is said to have told her class that even for a housewife her husband and children are her customers In that regard it occurred to me that everyone who deals with people needs to learn some very basic customer service and customer skills

At Esteemed Magazine there is no way we are going to work on raising the bar of professionalism in all businesses without talking about customer how to handle them and how to handle ourselves as customers and so much more that would encompass customer relationship management But not all at one go Today we talk about what customer care is and some of its very basic background information

According to Wikipedia (enwikipediaorgwikiCustomer_Care) ldquocustomer service is the set of behaviors that a business undertakes during its interaction with its customersrdquo while according to httpwwwiecorgonlinetutorialscust_care ldquoCustomer care is a customer service that seeks to acquire new customers provide superior customer satisfaction and build customer loyaltyrdquo (wwwflexiblelearningnetautoolboxdemositesseries3317resourcesglossarygls_idxhtm) says ldquocustomer-care is a phrase that is used to describe the process of taking care of our customers in a positive manner The term is used in place of complaint handling due to its positive focus and is a reminder that customer satisfaction is a priorityrdquo

Given the business society we have today in Kenya and what the future seems to hold the definition by IEC applies greatly In taking care of our customers we want to

ldquoThe average person who has a bad-service experience tells at least nine others about it and l3 of complaints relate their experience to more than 20 other peoples In comparison people who receive an excellent service only tell three or four others about it Research Institution of America

this will lead to return customers who will not mind how much they pay for the service as long as you treat then as royalty Surveys suggest that service-driven companies are able to charge up to 9 more for the goods and services they offer and grow twice as fast as the average These are powerful incentives for becoming the best customer-service company in any industry Equally poor service has a cost penalty It costs up to five times as much to go out and get a new customer as to retain those we have

a well-treated customer is one who will always come back to you because of the superior way you handle their business The doctor who takes the time to listen to your tale of what is wrong with your body and takes the time to explain what may be wrong and what tests he wants to do and what they will accomplish and even takes the time to empathize with you even if it is just a flu is one that you will keep going back to If you make a purchase and your supplier simply gives you a quote and expects you to work out the math and other details then when you give him her an order they donrsquot even bother to update you about its progress you will have doubts about their quality of work and even though their product quality is good you will be open to alternative suppliers who even though they may charge more for the same quality you will be willing to make the extra payment if only for the peace of mind about your transaction

Keeping existing customers is easier than finding new ones and satisfied customers will do a lot of our advertising for us Most people consider doing business with a certain company because of recommendation by a friend or acquaintance Unhappy customers spread the bad news like bush fire and undermine our business which ultimately threatens everyones jobs Am sure a lot of us can testify to this

Bottom line ndash The best customer care that you can give matters more than can be valued in monetary terms ndash you can go home at peace with yourself that you have been of help to someone and that you have resolved somebodyrsquos problems Your self-esteem is raised

Make a resolve today that in being Esteemed this time around always aim for excellence provide the highest standard of Customer Care possible

You donrsquot need to work in a customer care department to treat a customer well Just as an extra remember the outside world is not your only customer

Here are a few pointers to being exemplary with your customers

This cannot be overemphasized If you disappoint a customer on the first deal then it is almost guaranteed that repeat business from that customer is a sad tale to tell I recently came across a sticker that read ldquo We donrsquot only get it right the first time We get it right all the timerdquo On reflection that message was in essence saying getting it right from the word go is something that should come naturally to any person who desires to give exceptional service to their customer What should then be conditioned into the activity is getting it right all the time Imagine yourself in the worst state of attire and the look of your future or current mother in law when she first sets her eyes on you You will never ever erase that image from her mind no matter how many Giorgio Armani suits you wear later on after that first meet The same case with our customers If we serve them below expectations the first time that is what they will always judge us by and we will have to work twice as hard to improve that image we have created in them

Imagine you own an African buffet restaurant in the heart of Maasai land and there are some tourists from China that have come to visit the area who have only heard of the sumptuous roasted goat meat yet the best ready to eat meal you can offer them is chips and sausage You need as a businessperson to understand what your customers really want and what they really value Why You may ask Knowing your customers forms the very basis upon which you establish and build the character of exceptional service into your business An understanding and embracing of this character plays a pivotal role in establishing the procedures and the mind set with which to achieve it Know what is good enough for your business and the customers you attend to then seek to go beyond that to reach and take a firm grip on the actions that will make it a goal to be consistently attainedBy the way it will not be an instant But with maintained consistency the next tag line you will find people using to your company is ldquothe place where I have no qualms spending my moneyrdquo

Good customer service is more often than not the level of service given for the sake of getting the money from the clientrsquos pocket and even in our Kenyan business setting isnt good enough anymore Exceptional service is what the customers are now expecting And this by all means does not come easy It means using route 11 or letting your fingers do the walking as you seek to know what is top-notch client service When with your employees and clients this kind of service becomes the rule rather than the exception then you are assured of a long-term relationship with every customer who walks through the door And they are most of the marketing that your business needs Anything less and itrsquos a disaster

YOU NEVER GET A SECOND CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION ndash

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS ndash

DO NOT SETTLE FOR ldquoGOODrdquo CUSTOMER SERVICE -

You need to devise and cultivate a strategy to help ensure that your business matches that extra ordinary standard on a daily basis Dr Noelle Nelson author of The Power of Appreciation in Business puts it across beautifully Often being extraordinary means offering someone a truly exceptional experience and The quality of something may be good but its the overall experience that will really define customer loyalty

Ever heard the phrase lsquowalk the talkrsquo Saying you want top-notch service for all your customers is one thing and carrying it out another story all together more so if you do not have the necessary manpower and the established authority The business environment stops being static when you are dealing with more than one party There are issues to deal with such as shifting conditions of operation employees and colleagues mind-sets customersrsquo mind-sets and expectations market trends personal commitments and so much more As a manger or entrepreneur or team leader or junior staff member of an organization exceptional customer service always boils down to the one-on-one interaction with the customer Availability of necessary information to the personnel dealing with customers whether directly or indirectly impacts on your organizationrsquos level of customer service Also contributing are factors such as ndash commitment (and no lip service) to extraordinary service by management reward top performance ndash if your customer is impressed by the work of your janitor tell the janitor in the very same words the customer used investing in training for the entire workforce to help the team carry out and maintain high performance standards allowance of a reasonable level of freedom of choice to read a situation and react accordingly Sharing the information with your employees lets them know whats hitting on all cylinders Customer buying habits particular needs interests and other data can be stored in a central location and easily shared As Karen Leland author of Customer Service for Dummies says hellip creating a lifelong culture for service excellence hellip helps build an understanding of the concept of service And that means a top-down commitment Leadership should set the tone for the entire effort

As mentioned before high quality extraordinary service is not a simple matter of saying ldquoI dordquo It is a challenging path to follow and only the strong of characters make It through More so pretending that it is smooth sailing and that everything is okay when obviously your world of customer service is falling apart is a perfect recipe for disaster Acknowledging a slip up and slight set back is the beginning of a re-commitment to extraordinary performance For example if a customerrsquos order is delayed because the expected shipment was not dispatched on time from head office go beyond an apology and a normal delivery and a give away worth less than one dollar - if it is an electrical gadget go the extra mile and install it for him or her offer your extra services and little but well meaning giveaways like key rings The bottom line is to let the customer know that youre sorry for the mistake and build their confidence that it wont recur According to Berke Build customer loyalty not just satisfaction and When you apologize for problems and really listen you build a relationship

WORK WITH YOUR WORKFORCE -

PREPARE FOR EVENTUALITIES ndash

Finally rememberSome mistakes are too much trouble and cost too much to only make once

Perspectives Customer Relations

With Winnie Mwangi

Watch what you say -

Be honest with and to yourself -

Do not be petty -

Learn to stand up for yourself -

Often office politics is deemed as a bad thing but on the contrary it can be a positive thing and anyone in every organization is going to play the politics of the day especially if they are individuals whose ambition is to get to the top of the corporate ladder Ever notice how some mediocre employees rise while more competent ones languish Often its because they know how to play office politics Wed all like to think we can succeed purely on our merits In some offices you can but in many others you must know how to play the game and win - without selling your soul

Office politics can be found in anything from the gossip in the office to ego trips envy and resentment both from self and from others

Office politics is neither good nor bad I would say for human relations For example two colleagues fight - if you do not take sides and remain on the periphery you are not exactly avoiding politics if anything you have actually participated in the listening and all you are doing is being the good guy Sometimes though this can backfire on you big time Reason being when you are a good guy you automatically become a threat as there will be a tendency of no one trusting you as they do not know when you will take sides and to which direction There is the positive of that for sure (good guy) and the negative which is being a threat

When does office politics occur Usually it is when there is lack of strong management and people have to resort to political maneuvering to get things done When that happens people start having the feeling of ldquowhat if the boss pulled the rag off my feetrdquo With that in mind people find themselves wanting to be unfair because they think that is what is expected of them They start having self-interest first and treat others the way they want if they can do it without negative consequences This attitude forces people to align and shift to this thinking which I must say may corrupt a few There is then the probability of facing resentment and envy and the feeling of maneuvering people to get things done Just remember if you can prevent it please do It is far worth less than trying to recover from effects of politics

Politics can sometimes be hard to avoid and please donrsquot think you can avoid them forever If anything if you say or think office politics dont matter you will die a slow painful career death This is because theres no getting around office politics Office politicians will always be on the prowl for a target It is not wise to always ignore someone who is trying to undermine you nor does it help to play tit for tat You find that with this the first thing to do is try the defensive game doing only what is necessary to let the boss know that you are doing a good job Ironically this takes more energy and fore thought The trick is to play positive politics though and your coworkers and bosses will probably turn any stabbing instincts elsewhere

I would suppose that the best tactics for survival are

words spoken can never be retrieved Thatrsquos why we are often told that the power of life and death are in the tongue Ensure that it is aligned to the corporate values or culture

if you have no confidence in yourself or you often doubt yourself your colleagues will read that and for sure it will be used against you Your enemy knowing your weakest point is equivalent to you giving them the gun to shoot you and licence to bury you We all have our strengths upon which to build results and the willingness to look at ourselves honestly is what makes us want to improve If you can learn to do that then you can survive the game brutality

You must learn to be above pettiness and have no ego trips Pettiness impacts the ability to get a job done and ego trips makes the job difficult

As mentioned many people have self interest and sometimes expecting to be treated fairly can block you from seeing reality If you lower your expectations regarding fairness and expand your range of phrases to improve you will start to find yourself in positions of

Perspectives Surviving Office PoliticsCoffee Break MomentKiss and SlapA young Technician and his General Manager board a train headed through the mountains on its way to Wichita They can find no place to sit except for two seats right across the aisle from a young woman and her grandmother After a while it is obvious that the young woman and the young tech are interested in each other because they are giving each other looks Soon the train passes into a tunnel and it is pitch black There is a sound of a kiss followed by the sound of a slap When the train emerges from the tunnel the four sit there without saying a word The grandmother is thinking to herself It was very brash for that young man to kiss my granddaughter but Im glad she slapped him The General manager is sitting there thinking I didnt know the young tech was brave enough to kiss the girl but I sure wish she hadnt missed him when she slapped and hit me The young woman was sitting and thinking Im glad the guy kissed me but I wish my grandmother had not slapped him The young tech sat there with a satisfied smile on his face He thought to himself Life is good How often does a guy have the chance to kiss a beautiful girl and slap his General manager all at the same timerdquo

Technology ReviewBy Stephen H Wildstrom

Later this year most new PCs will probably use some kind of hybrid solution to help satiate Vistas hunger for processing power and memory Pure SSD drives will take longer to hit the mainstream mainly because of their cost But they have great potential especially because of the added flexibility they can give designers of small laptops

Avoid the ldquoself-talk of resentmentrdquo

Perform Deliberate Acts of Kindness

Do Visible Important Tasks

Keep Your Antennae Out

Office politics is inescapable

Dont try to change or resist

Practice self-awareness

Manage your stress levels

Be approachable all the time

Network before you need to network

And stop dwelling on the idea that co-workers are resenting you Shift that focus to energy and goals ahead How Learning how to respect and recognizing someone elsersquos talent or ideas would help to keep the mind away from thoughts of resentment Try and start by listing down strengths and weaknesses of others and develop a training pattern to improve others That way you become slower to judge

Also learn to share credit Credit is usually not limited and it can be shared Rewarding anyone especially junior staff and analyzing their positions in trying to see their output can also be another way of surviving the politics It will enable one to put aside any ego tendencies and also to study individual shortcomings

If you are able to engage the above you will learn to consider things like the source of any politics you hear and be able to analyze and to see if it is a genuine concern from an older colleague berating (in a cooing manner) for not paying attention to the political process at work or it might be a detriment or still might be crazy stuff that will keep you awake Although not all of those in office politics sleep well they have a higher craziness tolerance than you

Office politics take up your space you need to ask yourself if the politics contribute to the overall efficiency or productivity and once you doubt then its not a good idea

A few thoughts on office politics

eg help a coworker on a deadline by staying a little late

If such tasks arent in your job description ask if you can take one on Be sure everyone knows you did the work For example you might email key employees a draft of your projects final report for feedback ensuring your boss or rival doesnt try to steal the credit

Listen to people you will be surprised what you will hear

because its about dealing with the people People who are good at politics are generally empathetic (they understand who needs what) and they have good self-discipline (they can moderate themselves so they are pleasant to be with) Anyone who is being their best self kind considerate expressive interested in others will do fine in office politics

company culture including dress communication styles and office hours Being different does not work

This is a life-long task and every day you can become a little bit more aware of how people perceive you Just doing your job is not enough You need to do it in a way that makes a positive impression on everyone else

so you can avoid emotional displays of inconsistent behavior and inconsistent messages Most emotional outbursts come from unmanaged stress

Being good at politics means that you are good at relationship building and you can count on a wide range of people when you need them

Pack the ego Forget the experience and attend to responsibilities No gossip Focus ndash stay on the business Apologize

Focus those extra hours on being incredible in your job and your career will be fine

Brain Development

I love reading and writing and this is the greatest gift I can ever share with you

I would like to suggest the following two e-books If you have read them please re-read If not please browse the net but whatever you do make sure you get your copy and the best part about them both is this - they are FREE

Rating Comment -

Book 1Acres of Diamonds by Russell Conwell available httpwwwdigitaldugancomFreebiesAcresOfDiamondshtml

Book 2As a Man Thinketh by James Allen available httpwwwasamanthinkethnet

but if what they contain was to have a price tag we would never afford it

Gateway to East Africa

The other day I was in a predicament wondering about two life altering decisions about my profession earning a livelihood what I do to place food on the table pay rent and make an impact on society today While going through the psychological struggle God in heaven sent a word to me to consider His servants depicted throughout the entire Bible What I have gone through was and still is an inspiration even as my heart calms down after the tempest

When God wanted something done (even today in the 21st Century) He did not and does not need to physically come down from heaven to get results When God wanted to punish a rogue society He recruited Noah because He (Noah) was found to be the only righteous man on the face of the earth Upon his employment God established a covenant with him - God told Noah ldquo I now give you everythingrdquo The second covenant God established was ldquoNever again would all life be cut off by the waters of a flood never again will there be a flood to destroy the earthrdquo The rainbow is a frequent reminder of this Genesis 8 and 9

Abraham was employed by God with the promise of being made into a great nation to have his name made great Those who would bless him would be blessed by God and those who would curse him would stand cursed by God Abraham would be the channel through which God would bless the peoples of the earth During his employment Abraham had to give up much comfort and to travel far and wide had to endure famine food rations and most of all lack of a son He had to keep up with Godrsquos promises that came every so often as much as the physical status circumstances spoke a different prophesy from what God kept repeating to him At one point he even asked God ldquoWhat can you give me since I remain childlessrdquo In return God told him that if he (Abraham) could indeed count the stars indeed his offspring could also be counted (Genesis 14 15 and 16)

Joseph was a dream guy - he could dream ( a gift that worked well enough to have him sold off like a slave) interpret peoplersquos dreams and he was used of God His call to be under Godrsquos employment was a little indirect though but whatever he put his hand to Joseph was successful - God was with him and He (God) gave him success in everything he did Entrusted with the wife and properties of one of pharaohrsquos officials Joseph caused his master to prosper over and above his imagination and then as with all things that go well there had to be a challenger of Godrsquos purpose Joseph was hustled back into prison and even there success for Joseph was guaranteed to the point that Pharaoh was ready to step aside for Joseph to be King Pharaoh was quoted as saying ldquoYou shall be in charge of my palace and all my people are to submit to your orders Only in respect to the throne will I be greater than youI am pharaoh but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egyptrdquo At 30 years Joseph was still so humble even being in such high command that when he was blessed with a son he named him Ephraim saying ldquoit is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my sufferingrdquo How many of us remember to tell God thank you when finally great blessing comes amid all the mess we may be going through

Moses was employed to Godrsquos service from the day of his birth and his direct calling by God was as dramatic as it is taught in bible class Here is a guy who gave every conceivable reason (at that time) as to why the job he was being given should not be assigned to him In current day it would boil down to things like I am not competent enough I am okay with the job I currently hold people wonrsquot accept me people will doubt and test me to know if I have got the job through the right means etc The good book says that given Mosesrsquo arguments the Lordrsquos anger burned against him Moses tendered his resignation as a shepherd to do Godrsquo assignment You know thatrsquos the amazing bit about Godrsquos work Its rewards are great but so are the sacrifices God comes before your comforts so when He asks you to give them up for His glory to be seen best thing is to follow His word With all the drama that ensued Moses was one person who had serious issues as far as his new job was concerned and even though he was dealing with the Almighty God he had no qualms telling Him what he thought about the entire assignment Moses even asked to be distinct from the rest of the pack - ldquowhat else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earthrdquo Moses even demanded that God show him His glory At the close of his job Moses had this to say about his Boss ldquoHe is the Rock His works are Perfect and all His way are Just A Faithful God who does no wrong Upright and Just is Herdquo

We could endlessly talk about the people of God put in the right place at the right time to conduct His business and from all of them at least all the values needed to be successful at your workplace will be found Honestly every time we attend a customer care training supervisory skills course or training in time management strategy meetings selling skills refresher courses leadership skills planning and so much more we will repeatedly hear of values whose very first foundation is the Bible and not boardrooms worldwide Patience trust loyalty humility honesty faithfulness habit character love self control growth and development peace happiness contentment and risk are just a few Whatever our position at our workplaces there are basic tenets that have to be employed These are essential for healthy relations and unless one is connected to God for divine guidance it becomes very challenging to deal with the diversity that exists in the company Simple example - Patience is demanded highly of wronged parties while respect for other peoplersquos jobs no matter how menial they may seem and appreciation for good job done keeps the person going

There is no better teacher of the values and virtues of life than the Bible The work place can be a complex nightmare or a place you look forward to going every day You can choose to be nasty or you can choose to embrace the virtues that require a personal commitment to be successfully applied

On such a background I choose to share with you a few pointers to guide you to be almost at par with Godrsquos appointed servants

Remember the days when you were in college wishing you had a job through which you could earn some money to move out of your parentsrsquo home groom yourself party all night with friends drive your own flashy car and all those other dreams you had You may not be holding down your dream job it may not be paying as much as you believe it ought to you may have to deal with a boss who is as difficult as they come but guess what Thatrsquos the job you have right now Be grateful that you are not a statistic under the unemployed percentages

I will give this a two-pronged approach

Is your job an answer to a along standing prayer Can you stand up before a congregation and testify that the job you have was a direct result of Godrsquos intervention If your answer to these questions are a solid yes then quit being negative about it Am sure in the hundreds upon hundreds of prayer sessions you made God so many promises that you should fulfill now that you have a job God in His wisdom knew what the job would entail Remember Job in the Bible Even after losing everything with his wife telling him to curse God and die and even with his friends arguments about Godrsquos unfair treatment he (Job) stood firm that whatever was happening to him was not happening behind Godrsquos back And for sure God had granted permission to the devil to try and shake Jobrsquos faithfulness The end result of this steadfastness was a replacement in multiples of all he had Serve the Lord through your job with diligence and a cheerful heart The end results will make the tough times look like small mountains

Is your job supposed to maintain your lifestyle make you rich (money wise) develop your profession or career earn you a daily bread for today while tomorrow cries for itself Is your job just one of those things you were forced into otherwise the couch and TV remote would be the perfect 24 hours companions because your folks are set with the inheritance Is your job just another something you have to cope and put up with in life The right attitude and being honest with yourself will determine your reception of the job its challenges blessings humourous moments tearful moments and much more If you are working simply for the payslip you will not even work at improving yourself as a person You will not read books on your profession your work may be yielding the expected results but that is the most you will do - be a mediocre person

(a) Appreciate the very obvious fact that you have a job -

(b) Remember why you are holding down that job -

(i)

(ii)

(c) Refuse to be complacent and refuse the ldquoreaching earlyrdquo attitude -

(d) Pray and seek for guidance from God Almighty -

(e) Whatsoever your hand finds to do do it with all your heart and with gladness and God Almighty in HIS RIGHT amp APPOINTED TIME will repay ALL your efforts

(f) Enjoy the walk Donrsquot wait until arrival

Donrsquot do that to yourself Enjoy the ride even God wants you to enjoy it Believing otherwise is deeming God unfair and that is one

of the many things that He is not

In one of the many languages in Kenya when someone has achieved a lot and is wealthy as per the defined societyrsquos standards he or she is defined as ldquoakinyire tene na akihurukardquo (that is to say indirect translation he she arrived early and rested) This is usually the beginning of many peoplersquos downhill spiral You get a job that pays your rent in one of the upmarket estates you can afford to repay a car loan and after all other deductions and normal expenses you have enough cash left over to party in pubs across the country every weekend You fail to see that there is more land to be covered more battles to be won in Swahili yaani wewe umefika My friend best you wake up Complacency is not a character of any of the top ten richest persons in the world Just because your current pay can accommodate your basic needs doesnrsquot mean your purpose on Godrsquos earth is attained Far from it it is just beginning You are just enjoying some of the fruits to be found along the way If your job is not keeping you happy do something about it send out job applications until the right one comes your way Appreciating your circumstances and embracing them to the point that you start having a one-man pity party are two very different things At one point I got tired of being hustled everyday while going to work and going home by matatu conductors and I remember asking Jehovah how I could endure the misery everyday of daylight robbery from unreasonably hiked fares and dangerously speeding matatus while I was in college and then I still have to put up with it while working I appreciated that my job was not very well paying at that time but I chose not to have self pity and whine every day at the feet of Jesus I prayed to Him to give me a car that would get me home peacefully without much hassle And for sure a certification that God hears and answers our prayers came six months into a new job - I was driving a sports car and to date the biggest issue it has ever had cost Kshs 5000= to repair in addition to the normal car service Complacency and a ldquoreaching earlyrdquo attitude will hinder you from going as far as your potential allows

Nothing and allow me to repeat NOTHING in this world can ever take the place of prayer to God and meditation on His true word found in the Bible Sometimes the answers to our prayers may not be what we want or expect but if they are from God then they are undoubtedly guaranteed to be right and appropriate Sometimes we may feel that our prayers are going as high up as our ceilings then they get back down to our head or if they do get to heaven they are swept under some carpet or collected and thrown into a dustbin There is no dustbin for prayers in Godrsquos presence sometimes we are in the valley of decision and all around is haziness and Godrsquos clarity is not coming through Take this word - our God is not a God of confusion Sometimes His answer to our payers may tarry but for sure He does answer prayers His word should be meditated upon for our sustenance because God speaks to us through His word for every situation and we just canrsquot afford to do without it Prayer is the best link to God and you can have it at anytime of the day Hannah in the Bible prayed constantly to God for a son in spite of the co-wifersquos taunts her husbandrsquos words and even despite being perceived as a drunk woman by the priest and God blessed her with a son after years of barrenness

You ask how long it will take for God to see your good work and repay it or bring His blessing upon your faithful and cheerful effort My answer is (though i would not be in a position to say this if I had not gone through what I have) in His Own Time Remember Moses was asked to lead the people into the promised land He did not set foot into it he only saw it from afar but his benefits in the journey have never in history or in the future been experienced by any other human being How long did it take Abraham to get his son and even after that imagine his agony when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac So what are we doing asking God how long it will take for our paycheck to come through the bank account as long as we remain faithful to Him HE IS NOT AN UNJUST GOD

There may be more joy in the journey than in the destination A little story from the Bible may help us get by Remember how Jacob got His bride Jacob fell in love with Rachel at first sight and when he was told he would have to work on Labanrsquos farm for Rachel for seven years he accepted it and the seven years seemed like days to him When the time was over and he asked for Rachel guess who he was deceived into bearing a child with Rachelrsquos older sister Leah Jacob was furious to say the least but based on the love he felt for Rachel and with God on his side Jacob worked another seven years for her Unfortunately God closed her womb and she could not bear her very loving husband any children The more Leah got sons the more Rachel nagged Jacob to give her a son Her desperation led her to given Jacob her maid servant to give birth to a son From then on Jacob was tossed to and fro between his wives He even got blessed with a large family cattle and the promise that God gave him about his prosperity did come to pass But if he had waited only to enjoy at the end of it al the man would have suffered greatly

Quiet Time Inspired by the Author and Perfector of our faith

Godrsquos blessings for sure do not add any sorrow in our lives

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and hasteand remember what peace there may be in silenceAs far as possible without surrenderbe on good terms with all personsSpeak your truth quietly and clearlyand listen to otherseven the dull and the ignorantthey too have their story Avoid loud and aggressive personsthey are vexations to the spiritIf you compare yourself with othersyou may become vain and bitterfor always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourselfEnjoy your achievements as well as your plans

Keep interested in your own career however humbleit is a real possession in the changing fortunes of timeExercise caution in your business affairsfor the world is full of trickeryBut let this not blind you to what virtue there ismany persons strive for high idealsand everywhere life is full of heroism Be yourselfEspecially do not feign affectionNeither be cynical about lovefor in the face of all aridity and disenchantmentit is as perennial as the grass

Take kindly the counsel of the yearsgracefully surrendering the things of youthNurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortuneBut do not distress yourself with dark imaginingsMany fears are born of fatigue and lonelinessBeyond a wholesome disciplinebe gentle with yourself You are a child of the universeno less than the trees and the starsyou have a right to be hereAnd whether or not it is clear to youno doubt the universe is unfolding as it should Therefore be at peace with Godwhatever you conceive Him to beand whatever your labors and aspirationsin the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul With all its sham drudgery and broken dreamsit is still a beautiful worldBe cheerfulStrive to be happy

Max Ehrmann Desiderata Copyright 1952

EsteemedWe give recognition to the African Child

The Day of the African child falls on June 16 2007

At Esteemed we honor all the parents who have committed themselves to the upright raising and development of their children despite and inspite of the hardships on the African continent

For those that have faltered along the way we pray for grace to be upon them

For those that have taken it upon themselves to share in the upbringing of orphans AIDS affected children Children who have suffered uncalled for violence we honor and salute you here at Esteemed Magazine

The day of the African Child - ldquoit dates back to the 1970s when there was violence in South Africa and youth stood up to make a difference this day celebrates the lives of those who we lost in the battlerdquo (Source - httpwwwuniceforgvoydiscussionscalendarphpdo=getinfoampe=701ampday=2007-6-16ampc=1)

Esteemed Magazine takes this opportunity to convey our prayers and messages of condolences to all families

friends relatives colleagues and the entire Kenya Airways community affected by the tragedy of flight

KQ 507

May the good Lord in heaven give you peace and serenity in these trying times May He give you

strength and courage to move on positively and live in His grace



KQ 507



Page 1

2 Welcome amp Editors Comment

3 Entrepreneurship vs Employment

4 Business Principles

5 Eagle Afric Advert

6 Investing Wisely

7 Perspectives - CR

8 Perspectives-HR

9 Featured institutions

10 Quiet Time

11 Desiderata

12 Back Page

Managing EditorWangari Kimani

Advertising ExecutivesNahashon Mithanga

ContributorsWangari KimaniWinnie Mwangi

Design and PhotographyFrederick RukunguNahashon Mithanga

Distribution amp CirculationEagle Afric Holdings Ltd

Published byEagle Afric Holdings LtdPO Box 24329 Karen00502

Contact usEmail infoesteemedonlinecomURL wwwesteemedonlinecom

Copyright InformationEsteemed is a bi-monthly magazine published by Eagle Afric Holdings Ltd Views expressed in the articles and contributions are not necessarily those of the publisher

All rights reserved While every reasonable effort has been made and precautions taken to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the content herein neither the Esteemed team nor its advertisers nor printers can accept responsibility for any damages or inconvenience that may arise there from The views expressed within the publication are those of the authors exclusively and not necessarily those of the Esteemed owners Any material sent to us will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and may or may not be acknowledged as receipted This material will also be subject to scrutiny for unrestricted editing and commentary at the discretion of the Editorial team

All content including adverts created by Esteemed are Copyright of Eagle Afric Holdings Ltd and may not be recreated in part or in whole without prior consent of the publishersCopyright copy

ContentsEmployment vs Entrepreneurship Page 3

Principles behind a long standing employment Page 4

Investment Page 5

Perspectives

Human Relations Page 6

Customer Relations Page 7

Quiet Time Page 11

Esteemed Feedback

ldquoI read and re-read the articles in the first edition and my my my they made

such good reading and I was so encouraged especially by the entrepreneurs and the

inspiration pointers and especially the one on stop being afraid Yaani I must say

I learnt a lesson from those two guys article of just how things can come to be and

not to give up and to press onrdquo

ldquothe quiet time was refreshing it was a reminder for merdquo

ldquohaiya where have these people been

ldquowhen is the magazine going to the shelfrdquo

ldquothe articles are really nicerdquo

ldquothe articles are short and precise and not monotonous we are used tordquo

ldquothe pictures in the magazine can be improved

Thank YouIn between the hustles and bustles of everyday we all need a break during which we relax our minds and rebuild our hopes for the future and ideas on how to make the present a little bit better

Thank you for making Esteemed a part of that break and with this second edition we hope that you will have a good read and get a new outlook on life

Successful is the term I would give to our launch edition We received very humbling responses that were the icing on the cake You should have seen the finger biting and wrist rubbing that went on after the upload on the website (wwwesteemedonlinecom) was done Your responses have served to spur us on to another edition According to our statistics we had a total of 2948 hits since our launch on March 31 2007 with e-visits from Kenya USA European Union Bahrain The Netherlands United Arab Emirates and France among others

Thank you for passing the word on Esteemed and please continue sending us those comments and points of concern to make us better and to provide a better read for you

In this edition we interview three individuals in different industries hospitality motoring and academic (a teacher) They give us an insight on what keeps them going in their chosen career paths and where they see themselves in relation to their daily arenas We also feature articles on customer relations human relations - if you work then you know office politics can be as interesting as national politics by our honorable members For the quiet moment we have quite a read in store for you as well as the investment idea of the season and much more which is sure to make No 2 a good No 1 read

In our editorial this time around we take the opportunity to console and share our heart felt condolences with the bereaved families of the KQ flight 507 and those whose kin have fallen prey to the Mungiki spate of killings Our God in heaven is all seeing and all mighty As His good and right word says He made everything and everyone for a purpose even the wicked for the day of trouble God will do justice to those that have been wronged and for sure He knows our joy and our sorrows Nothing is hidden from Him and if we need the comfort He will provide it

Be strong and of good courage God picks up from where you cannot take it anymore and remember this He is not so unjust that He will bring to us trials that we cannot stand or trials that are beyond our strength If you know a cake bakes at 80deg Celsius that is the temperature you will set for it to come out perfect If you know it cannot withstand 95deg Celsius you will not give it that How much more God in heaven He knows us better than we know ourselves and as He watches over us without so much as batting an eyelid nothing will happen to us that He has not okayed

Enjoy and learn

Liz






Passion Children


























success


















another generation
























home


vote



I


expect





my wallet either


your field


choose the best




















experience



















































personality
































































want it to

(Cont Page 4 Col 1)



1 Self Motivation



















in a classroom









































Tel +254-722 962 034



Talk to us for


















Suggested Layout














Reception Area



Study Area 1

Study Area 2

Study Area 3

Bathrooms

Entrancecopy

ep

ai

ot

ic

t ro

lr

m

l

il

i

t N

or

lict

on

with

u d

rea

pp

va

fo

Ea

ge

Afr

c H

od

ng

sL

d

Investing Wisely






























With Winnie Mwangi



Do not be petty -








































Brain Development



Rating Comment -



















(i)

(ii)













Desiderata













KQ 507





KQ 507



Page 1





6 Investing Wisely

7 Perspectives - CR

8 Perspectives-HR


10 Quiet Time

11 Desiderata

12 Back Page






Passion Children


























success


















another generation
























home


vote



I


expect





my wallet either


your field


choose the best




















experience



















































personality
































































want it to

(Cont Page 4 Col 1)



1 Self Motivation












Entrepreneurship vs Employment(Cont from Col 3)







in a classroom









































Tel +254-722 962 034



Talk to us for


















Suggested Layout














Reception Area



Study Area 1

Study Area 2

Study Area 3

Bathrooms

Entrancecopy

ep

ai

ot

ic

t ro

lr

m

l

il

i

t N

or

lict

on

with

u d

rea

pp

va

fo

Ea

ge

Afr

c H

od

ng

sL

d

Investing Wisely






























With Winnie Mwangi



Do not be petty -








































Brain Development



Rating Comment -



















(i)

(ii)













Desiderata













KQ 507





KQ 507



Page 1





6 Investing Wisely

7 Perspectives - CR

8 Perspectives-HR


10 Quiet Time

11 Desiderata

12 Back Page

1 Self Motivation



















in a classroom









































Tel +254-722 962 034



Talk to us for


















Suggested Layout














Reception Area



Study Area 1

Study Area 2

Study Area 3

Bathrooms

Entrancecopy

ep

ai

ot

ic

t ro

lr

m

l

il

i

t N

or

lict

on

with

u d

rea

pp

va

fo

Ea

ge

Afr

c H

od

ng

sL

d

Investing Wisely






























With Winnie Mwangi



Do not be petty -








































Brain Development



Rating Comment -



















(i)

(ii)













Desiderata













KQ 507





KQ 507



Page 1





6 Investing Wisely

7 Perspectives - CR

8 Perspectives-HR


10 Quiet Time

11 Desiderata

12 Back Page



Tel +254-722 962 034



Talk to us for


















Suggested Layout














Reception Area



Study Area 1

Study Area 2

Study Area 3

Bathrooms

Entrancecopy

ep

ai

ot

ic

t ro

lr

m

l

il

i

t N

or

lict

on

with

u d

rea

pp

va

fo

Ea

ge

Afr

c H

od

ng

sL

d

Investing Wisely






























With Winnie Mwangi



Do not be petty -








































Brain Development



Rating Comment -



















(i)

(ii)













Desiderata













KQ 507





KQ 507



Page 1





6 Investing Wisely

7 Perspectives - CR

8 Perspectives-HR


10 Quiet Time

11 Desiderata

12 Back Page















Suggested Layout














Reception Area



Study Area 1

Study Area 2

Study Area 3

Bathrooms

Entrancecopy

ep

ai

ot

ic

t ro

lr

m

l

il

i

t N

or

lict

on

with

u d

rea

pp

va

fo

Ea

ge

Afr

c H

od

ng

sL

d

Investing Wisely






























With Winnie Mwangi



Do not be petty -








































Brain Development



Rating Comment -



















(i)

(ii)













Desiderata













KQ 507





KQ 507



Page 1





6 Investing Wisely

7 Perspectives - CR

8 Perspectives-HR


10 Quiet Time

11 Desiderata

12 Back Page






























With Winnie Mwangi



Do not be petty -








































Brain Development



Rating Comment -



















(i)

(ii)













Desiderata













KQ 507





KQ 507



Page 1





6 Investing Wisely

7 Perspectives - CR

8 Perspectives-HR


10 Quiet Time

11 Desiderata

12 Back Page
















(i)

(ii)













Desiderata













KQ 507





KQ 507



Page 1





6 Investing Wisely

7 Perspectives - CR

8 Perspectives-HR


10 Quiet Time

11 Desiderata

12 Back Page

Desiderata













KQ 507





KQ 507



Page 1





6 Investing Wisely

7 Perspectives - CR

8 Perspectives-HR


10 Quiet Time

11 Desiderata

12 Back Page



KQ 507





KQ 507



Page 1





6 Investing Wisely

7 Perspectives - CR

8 Perspectives-HR


10 Quiet Time

11 Desiderata

12 Back Page

Esteemed magazine

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Transcript of Esteemed magazine