My Ice Lolly Experiment - Investment Barriers

© GC Diaries

My children asked me to buy them some Ice Lollies, so we did.

It was in the evening so we said, "you can't have that much sugar this time of the day - put them in the fridge and you will have them tomorrow."

I then decided to run an experiment!

I said to them, "lets make a deal - if you dont have your Ice Lolly tomorrow, I will take it and give you two Ice Lollies after seven sleeps."

They smiled, looked at each other and all said; "Yeah! I am not going to have mine tomorrow."

I said, think about it and let me  know.

I arrived from work a few minutes ago and guess what:

THEY FINISHED THE ICE LOLLIES!

So I began to think about the possibilities:
1. They don't trust me to give them 2 Ice Lollies in seven sleeps?
2. Seven sleeps is probably too long?
3. The reward of an additional ICE LOLLY is insufficient?
4. They just want to have it today?
5. All of the above.

So I asked them.

The eldest said she was feeling so hot like a stove and she had to have the Ice Lolly. She even went for swimming, it was such a hot day.

The second one....i couldnt even ask - he was busy putting water in the plastic packaging of the Ice Lolly and playing with it.

That made sense, right - perhaps he was more interested in the packaging than its contents.

The youngest is 2 years old so she is excused.

I couldn't help it but think that actually, most of us adults may not be very different from the behaviour displayed by my children when it comes to investments.

We like the idea but we fail to actually do it - WHY?

1. We think its risky, we may not get our money back?
2. We think that after "seven sleeps" we will get another Ice Lolly or we won't need it anyway?
3. We are more interested in talking about investments and sounding clever around the dinner table than actually its value to us?
4. We just have to spend our money today?
5. All of the above.

Do children think about investmemts the same way adults do?

 The answer is YES!

Perhaps, growing up is not the answer to overcoming our barriers to investing;
And its hardly useful as advice when it comes to investments...especially to an adult!

The truth is:
1. It's too risky not to invest.
2. We will need the money later; for one, retirement is real.
3. Our knowledge must work for us.
4. We can spend less today.
5. All of the above.

I am not saying I get it. I am still trying to expose my barriers to effective investing.

For now though, I have established that the behaviour of my children, when it comes to investing, is not too different to that of adults.

I will continue with my little experiment in order to understand myself better. More importantly, in order to understand my children better.

© GC Diaries

The Inverted Pyramid Model of Career Progression.

© GC Diaries

The year was 2013, the time was 11pm and I was about to go to bed. 

As I switched off the TV, I began to think about my career. I stood up from the couch, took my note book and sat on my "thinking chair" until my wife came to see if I was okay. To my surprise, it was now 2am.

What follows are my reflections and a model I developed to capture the reality of career and career progression...as I saw it that night.

A typical career has a path. 
Each one of us can shape their own.

A typical career has a pace.
Each one of us can influence their own.

A typical career has stages.
These stages are there but often, we fail to acknowledge their existence at our disadvantage.

I looked at what I observed when I spent some time doing my internship at a Coal Mine.
I looked at the people around me's careers in different industries.
I looked at my own career.

I saw trends, obvious trends because organisations are typically a hierarchical structure.

I knew this, everyone does, right?
But I began to see some insights most of have often missed.

All along, I had thought that a career and its progression structure was a pyramid:
- you start off at the base, with many of you.
- you rise up and up to the elite
- ultimately the blessed one filters through to the top tip

But this was a very simplistic view.
Without scope considerations, we miss the insights that can help us navigate the journey.

In fact, I realised that career and career progression was not just one pyramid; 
But two (2):

The first pyramid (Pyramid 1) sits upright on its base,
Its base is only as wide as necessary to develop experise in a particular area.


The second pyramid (Pyramid 2) sits inverterd on top of Pyramid 1 and represents an inflection point where the objective is to build a competent cross-functional generalist with a broader understanding beyond the immediate functional area "home base".

Let me explain a little bit more.
I will start from with Pyramid 1 at the very bottom.

At the beginning of your career.
You have to do a lot of things.
But these things are primarily within your area of technical training.
Thus a broad base to give you a leg for your career in a given field to stand on.

If you are an Electrical Engineer,
This captures your graduate Electrical Engineering training for example.

As time goes on,
You slowly focus on fewer and fewer aspects of your field.
But in much greater depth than before.

You are becoming a specialist.
In a very specific limited area.
You are acknowledged because you make things happen.

Soon, you hit the tip of the bottom pyramid - Pyramid 1.
You are the expert and Rock Star.
You are given a chance to manage other technical specialists.

You are excited but you still want to keep your hands dirty.
Afterall, this is what you love 
This is what you are good at
And this is what got you here.

Then you realise you are not progressing anymore.
Everything has slowed down, 
And you wonder why?

Yes, there are now more people,
 And fewer positions.

But there is something more important:

The rules that applied in the lower pyramid,
Do not apply the same way in the upper pyramid.

In the Pyramid-1,
The hero knows so much about so little.

Yet in Pyramid-2,
The hero knows a little about so much and puts it together.

This is a hard truth.

Your previous success habits which you have mastered for more than a decade,
Become your greatest weaknesses that hinder your progress.

What you have built your identity and reputation on,
Can no longer stand but stands between you and the next promotion.

This is much more difficult for Engineers but applies to everyone.

To break into the upper Pyramid-2,
Requires you to start looking,
Not only straight ahead, but left and right.

To break into the upper Pyramid-2,
Requires you to start caring,
Not only about you area of expertise but others.

To break into the upper Pyramid-2,
Requires you to start learning,
Not only about your area but the entire value chain.

In other words,
YOU NEED TO START BROADENING YOUR SCOPE AGAIN.

Here is the trap:

At first it may seem as if you are taking backwards steps.
Afterall the breadth of the upper Pyramid-2 just above the expertise tip, is comparable with the breadth of the lower Pyramid-1 below.

Seek and embrace opportunities to create and add value beyond your traditional boundaries.

It will be painful and uncomfortable.
You have to ask of it is worthy it.

You need to know where you are.
Broadening your interests too early may keep you in the lower pyramid for longer.

Yet mantaining a sharper focus for too long may hinder you from moving on ahead.

The Senior Manager, has to think and act a little more broadly than the functional team leaders sitting at the tip of the lower pyramid.

The Division Head, Chief Technical Officer and Executive has to think and act a little broadly than the Senior Managers.

Ultimately, the CEO needs to think about the entire company and the scope is much wider than when the career journey started.

This is why the base of the top inverted pyramid is much wider than the lower pyramid.

Using this model,
Take time to reflect on you career.
Correctly determine where you are.
Understand what is required.

Proactively go above and beyond your official scope of duty to sharpen your technical expertise.

Proactively go above and beyond your official scope of duty to broaden your understanding of other areas of the business.

An MBA was designed to help you do this.
But it takes more than academic training.
You need to start caring more and living it.

Afterall, career progression and responsibility is not about ego,

IT IS ABOUT MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

© GC Diaries

 SUCCESS FOLLOWS THOSE WHO FOLLOW THROUGH!

-  © GC Diaries

WE MAKE IT THROUGH,
Only when......WE FOLLOW THROUGH!

In Basketball, a shot is not a shot;
Unless you Follow Through!

After releasing the ball,
Your hand needs to continue following the ball's trajectory towards the hoop.

Somehow...if you do not Follow Through,
You are more likely to miss than score.

This is also true in Golf;
You need to follow through with your swing.

THIS IS ALSO TRUE IN LIFE!

SUCCESS FOLLOWS,
THOSE WHO FOLLOW THROUGH!

WE MAKE IT THROUGH,
Only when......WE FOLLOW THROUGH!

In life, you can not achieve success;
Unless you Follow Through!

Plans on their own, never get things done.
Follow Through!

Thoughts on their own, never get things done.
Follow Through!

Dreams on their own, never create a thing.
Follow Through!

Relationships may open doors, but you still have to walk through them.
Follow Through!

Follow Through with actions.

Follow through with determination.

Follow through with perseverence.

Follow through with patience.

Follow through with good attitude.

Follow through with character.

Follow through with humilty.

Follow through with personal development.

Follow through with belief.

Follow through with faith.

Follow through with conviction.

Follow through with boldness.

Follow through with confidence.

Follow through with PRAYER!

Follow through whichever way you know how.

Because, in life...as in Basketball;

SUCCESS FOLLOWS,
THOSE WHO FOLLOW THROUGH.

WE MAKE IT THROUGH,
Only when......WE FOLLOW THROUGH!

 © GC Diaries

TIME - A FAITHFUL SERVANT!

I have a friend,
She decided to go back to school this year,
And do an MBA.
In a few weeks time, she will be graduating.

She has a friend,
Who decided to do his Masters this year,
While working.
In a few weeks time, he will be graduating.

I have a friend,
Who decided to do a certificate in coaching this year,
While working.
In a few weeks time, he will be graduating.

I have a friend,
Who decided to change careers this year,
He applied and networked tirelessly.
In a few weeks time, he will be starting a new job.

I have a friend,
Who decided to relocate this year,
To a new country.
In a few weeks time, he will be flying out.

I have a friend,
Who decided to move on ahead;
Despite the heart break.
A few weeks ago, she told me Life was Good again.

Yet another friend,
Decided to go on holiday this year,
And saved a dime each month.
In a few weeks time, their ship will undock.

My wife, decided to write her CFA Level 3 this year,
While starting her business.
A few weeks ago she got her CFA Charter,
And this evening was working on an order for her client...while I watched her toil.

As for me,
This year, I decided to do nothing,
And a few years before that as well
In a few weeks time, I will be congratulating my friends.

Whether we do something or not;
Like time in an hour glass,
So are the days of our lives.
It passes us by.

Everyday is an opportunity
To decide to do or not to do.
To be or not to be.
One day at a time - we determine our fate.

Our destiny awaits.
But the choice to move towards it is ours.
The pace we move towards it is ours.
After all, its our life.

In a few weeks, a new year will present itself.
Pregnant with abundant opportunities.
Why dont you start planning now.
And make it count...because you count!

Time is a faithful servant,
Working tirelessly each ticking second,
For you....or against you;
Whichever way you command it!

 ©GC Diaries