Tuesday 12 February 2013
Mohammed Duba Dida on JSO show on Kiss TV.
Will the Presidential debate influence your choice of President?
Presidential Debate: Who lied more?
KARUA: There is no difference between a poor Kikuyu and a hungry Luo. We are better united. Kenyans shouldn't be divided.
MUDAVADI: We are campaigning across the country. I have supported Uhuru in 02' and Raila in 07'. I am not tribal.
KENNETH: We are tribal and we shouldnt deny. Tribalism is an excuse that poor leadership gives to Kenya. It is never learnt but brought about by poor leadership. We should elect what is right and not what is convenient.
Uhuru Kenyatta: Tribalism has been the source of conflict and death. This problem is largely because is the battle of resources.
RAILA: I have not changed parties but LDP just changed names to ODM and now we have merged with Wiper former ODM-K. #KeDebate13
MUDAVADI: We are campaigning across the country. I have supported Uhuru in 02' and Raila in 07'. I am not tribal.
KENNETH: We are tribal and we shouldnt deny. Tribalism is an excuse that poor leadership gives to Kenya. It is never learnt but brought about by poor leadership. We should elect what is right and not what is convenient.
Uhuru Kenyatta: Tribalism has been the source of conflict and death. This problem is largely because is the battle of resources.
RAILA: I have not changed parties but LDP just changed names to ODM and now we have merged with Wiper former ODM-K. #KeDebate13
Presidential debate: DIDA: You should not eat to fill your stomach.
DIDA:
You should eat wisely, not eat to fill your stomach. It is a shame that
we still treating jiggers and learning how to wash hands.
10 Great underrated Careers for 2013 and Beyond.
1. Kindergarten-ECD- teacher. Parents are forking gazillions for their children to study in top notch private kindergarten schools. Whilst in our generation nursery school wasn’t something our parents thought much about, these days it’s different. The fee for top kindergarten schools easily outstrips the fee for many primary schools, and quality teachers at this stage of a child’s development are hard to find. What’s more, psychologists proclaim that the early years of a child have a profound bearing on their future intellectual development.
2. Executive Assistant. This is the posh name that is now used to describe secretaries. Today’s secretary- effectively now the Executive Assistant- needs to be polished, and be knowledgeable on a great deal of information. With the boss on constant travel in and outside the country, executive assistants who schedule their bosses’ activities well are a prized asset. Besides, executive assistants, due to their close association with the boss, will yield an increasing power in the office, so, to navigate office politics, you better be in their good books.
3. Language translator. With the East Africa region integrating, knowledge of French would be of utmost importance. Equally, as the country does more business with China, a working knowledge of Chinese language- especially mandarin, would prove to be a key career milestone.
4. Employee Trainer. This is a good career for people who'd enjoy teaching but worry about their ability to handle unruly kids in a kindergarten classroom, or those who don't have the Ph.D. usually required for University teaching. Corporate, non-profit, and government trainers may specialize, for example, in technology, communication, or diversity. But some are generalists who get to learn and teach something new all the time.
5. Grant analyst. With the increasing number of NGOs, the need to analyze the funds and to fundraise for various causes will be of utmost importance in years to come.
6. Counterterrorism Specialist. As the threat from Alshabaab and other forms of terrorism continues to be felt, it's difficult to foresee a situation in which demand for counterterrorism experts will decline. The military,
When to Fire a Top Performer Who Hurts Your Company Culture.
This is an all too familiar story. A new executive is hired. He
immediately delivers results. But he is doing so in a manner that is
inconsistent. He is "winning at any cost." Perhaps, it’s time to fire
him. In simple terms, he is a vampire, quite unlike the stars.
Stars are the employees we all love — the ones who "do the right thing" (i.e. perform well) the "right way" (i.e. in a manner that supports and builds the desired organizational culture).
High potentials are those whose behavior we value — who do things the right way but whose skills need further maturation or enhancement. With training, time, and support, these people are your future stars.
Zombies fail on both counts. Their behavior doesn't align with the cultural aspirations of the organization and their performance is mediocre. They are the proverbial dead wood. But their ability to inflict harm is mitigated by their lack of credibility. They don't add much, but the cultural damage they do is limited (and, naturally, these are the employees most of us try to "flush out" of our organizations).
Vampires are the real threat. These employees perform well but in a manner that is at cross-purposes with desired organizational culture. Because their functional performance is strong, they acquire power and influence. Over time, they also acquire followers: the zombies who are who share their different set of values and aspire to better performance. Soon, there's a small army of vampires and zombies attacking the stars, high potentials and leaders who are doing the right thing.
A vampire, regardless of his functional performance, has to be terminated.
Stars are the employees we all love — the ones who "do the right thing" (i.e. perform well) the "right way" (i.e. in a manner that supports and builds the desired organizational culture).
High potentials are those whose behavior we value — who do things the right way but whose skills need further maturation or enhancement. With training, time, and support, these people are your future stars.
Zombies fail on both counts. Their behavior doesn't align with the cultural aspirations of the organization and their performance is mediocre. They are the proverbial dead wood. But their ability to inflict harm is mitigated by their lack of credibility. They don't add much, but the cultural damage they do is limited (and, naturally, these are the employees most of us try to "flush out" of our organizations).
Vampires are the real threat. These employees perform well but in a manner that is at cross-purposes with desired organizational culture. Because their functional performance is strong, they acquire power and influence. Over time, they also acquire followers: the zombies who are who share their different set of values and aspire to better performance. Soon, there's a small army of vampires and zombies attacking the stars, high potentials and leaders who are doing the right thing.
A vampire, regardless of his functional performance, has to be terminated.
A Better Way to Plan Your Career.
In today’s rapidly changing job market, one thing is clear. That you simply
cannot control the trajectory of your career. There are just too many factors
beyond your control that will shape your job options--global economic trends,
political elections, and technological changes, just to name a few. So don't
commit the hubris of thinking that you can determine your professional glide
path.
On the other hand, you can increase your probability of success by approaching your career with the right mind-set--one that recognizes that career planning is a continuous process that has to be actively managed. At each step in your career, you need to ask yourself: What can I do next that will maximize my options in the future?
Gain Transferable Knowledge
This process begins with the choices you make at school. You want your education to provide you with the necessary skills and expertise to succeed in a wide variety of jobs. This means that you need to make smart choice about the courses you will follow. I favor those that involve extensive writing, rigorous analysis, or quantitative skills.
Once you have finished your formal education, search for jobs that will allow you to further expand your transferable knowledge — to help you find your next job. Let's say you take a job putting together airplane leases. Within a few years, you could become the world's expert on the subject; however, this narrow expertise probably won't help you in any other line of work. By contrast, if you take a job that will expand your communication, writing or computer programming skills, you can greatly boost your options for later steps in your career.
Gaining experience outside your home town is another way to develop transferable knowledge. By working in various towns- Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa, or even regionally and internationally if you work in a fairly big company, you will gain tremendous experience that will make you a top candidate for a managerial position. Even if you will not rise to the level of a manager, those skills, contacts, and networks could help you start your own successful business.
Similarly, you can make yourself more attractive to more employers by working in different types of organizations during your career. You may be a prime candidate for a government or a parastatal job if you’ve worked in private companies, for instance.
Grow Your Network
As you gain transferable knowledge, remember that that is only one piece of the puzzle: your next step should also help you expand your web of personal relationships with peers. To paraphrase a slogan,
On the other hand, you can increase your probability of success by approaching your career with the right mind-set--one that recognizes that career planning is a continuous process that has to be actively managed. At each step in your career, you need to ask yourself: What can I do next that will maximize my options in the future?
Gain Transferable Knowledge
This process begins with the choices you make at school. You want your education to provide you with the necessary skills and expertise to succeed in a wide variety of jobs. This means that you need to make smart choice about the courses you will follow. I favor those that involve extensive writing, rigorous analysis, or quantitative skills.
Once you have finished your formal education, search for jobs that will allow you to further expand your transferable knowledge — to help you find your next job. Let's say you take a job putting together airplane leases. Within a few years, you could become the world's expert on the subject; however, this narrow expertise probably won't help you in any other line of work. By contrast, if you take a job that will expand your communication, writing or computer programming skills, you can greatly boost your options for later steps in your career.
Gaining experience outside your home town is another way to develop transferable knowledge. By working in various towns- Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa, or even regionally and internationally if you work in a fairly big company, you will gain tremendous experience that will make you a top candidate for a managerial position. Even if you will not rise to the level of a manager, those skills, contacts, and networks could help you start your own successful business.
Similarly, you can make yourself more attractive to more employers by working in different types of organizations during your career. You may be a prime candidate for a government or a parastatal job if you’ve worked in private companies, for instance.
Grow Your Network
As you gain transferable knowledge, remember that that is only one piece of the puzzle: your next step should also help you expand your web of personal relationships with peers. To paraphrase a slogan,
How to Get Ahead Without the Corporate Ladder.
Gone are the days when you progress up the hierarchy at a
steady pace, headed for the CEO’s corner office. There simply aren’t enough
leadership positions to go around, and most people regularly switch jobs and
organizations. With no ladder to climb, look at career moves differently.
Cast
a wider net. Be open to horizontal experience, not just vertical progression.
If you’re a financial analyst, for example, consider analyst positions in other
areas, perhaps in market research or sales.
Prove
you can handle the responsibilities. Find ways to demonstrate your
capabilities. Are you interested in taking on a management role? Offer to help
your manager by interviewing job candidates or training new people.
Grow
your skills. Seek out opportunities to learn — and pounce on them. If no one in
your company knows how to do something, take it upon yourself to master that
skill. The knowledge you gain might make you a natural choice for the next open
leadership position.
Are You Sure You're Not a Bad Boss?
Conjure up the term "bad boss" and what comes to
mind? Scenes of stony people berating subordinates in public. Wicked souls
taking credit for other people's work or saying one thing and doing another.
Cutting remarks. Yelling. Feel free to continue — we're sure you can.
This is iconic bad boss behavior — defining in our minds the very essence of
what bad bosses do. When we see these things portrayed on TV or in the movies,
we can't help laughing, even while we're thinking "Whew! I don't do those
things; I'm not a bad boss."
But, not so fast. Our research suggests that the offensive actions so often associated with being a bad boss make up less than 20% of the behavior that actually defines the worst bosses.
The sins of the bad boss are far more often those of omission, not commission. That is, bad bosses are defined not so much by any appalling things they do as by certain critical things they don't do.
Here's the list in order, from the most to the least fatal:
But, not so fast. Our research suggests that the offensive actions so often associated with being a bad boss make up less than 20% of the behavior that actually defines the worst bosses.
The sins of the bad boss are far more often those of omission, not commission. That is, bad bosses are defined not so much by any appalling things they do as by certain critical things they don't do.
Here's the list in order, from the most to the least fatal:
1.
Failure to inspire, owing to a lack of energy and enthusiasm. Again
and again failed leaders were described by their colleagues as unenthusiastic
and passive. This was in fact the most noticeable of all their failings.
2.
Acceptance of mediocre performance in place of excellent results. The
poorest leaders did not set stretch goals, inadvertently encouraging mediocre
performance by letting people coast along doing less work, less well than their
counterparts working for better managers.
3.
A lack of clear vision and direction. Poor leaders have a murky view
of the future, don't know precisely what direction to take, and are (not
surprisingly) unwilling to communicate about the future, leaving their
subordinates with no clear path forward.
4.
An inability to collaborate and be a team player. Poor leaders avoid
their peers, act independently, and fail to develop positive relations with
colleagues. The worst of them view work as a competition and their colleagues
as opponents.
5.
Failure to walk the talk. Saying one thing and doing another is the
fastest way to lose the trust of all your colleagues. The worst offenders here
also pose a wider threat as dangerous role models — creating the
How to Stand Out in Your Interview.
You've just landed a job interview for a position you really
want. Congratulations. Now, you know you only get one chance to impress, but
how exactly do you do that? Given all of the conflicting advice out there and the
changing rules of getting a job, it's no wonder that job seekers are confused
about how to best prepare for and perform in an interview.
"The reality is that the interviewer is in control. Your job is to be
as helpful as you can." "You need to help interviewers do the right
thing since most of them don't follow best practices." According to many
HR experts, most interviewers fall prey to unconscious biases and focus too
heavily on experience rather than competence. It's your responsibility to make
sure this doesn't happen. Here's how.
Prepare, prepare, prepare
Most people know they need to show up to the interview having done their homework, but many rarely prepare enough. "You can never invest enough in terms of preparation. You should find out as much as possible about the company, how it's organized, its culture, the relevant industry trends, and some information about the interviewer," says Fernández, a HR consultant. He also advises researching the specific job challenges. This will allow you to demonstrate you have what it takes to fill the role.
Formulate a strategy
Before you enter the room, decide what three or four messages you want to convey to the interviewer. These should "show the connection between what you have achieved and what is really needed to succeed in the specific job and context," says Fernández. The best way to do this is to draft narratives ahead of time. "People buy into stories far more than they do evidence or data," he says. Your stories should be concise and interesting. Make sure they have a good opening line, such as, "I'm going to tell you about a time that I rescued the organization." Then, learn them like the back of your hand. Know how they begin and end so you can relay them without stumbling or sounding like a robot. Whenever possible, use one of your stories to answer an interview question.
Emphasize your potential
"No candidate will ever be perfect, and you will be no exception," says Fernández. Instead of harping on where your resume might fall short — or letting the interviewer do the same — focus on your potential. This is often a far better indicator of future job performance. "If your past achievements are not directly related to the job, but you've demonstrated a great ability to learn and adapt to new situations, you should very clearly articulate that," says Fernández. For example, if you're interviewing for a regional role but have no global experience, you might explain how your ability to influence others in a cross-functional role, such as between production and sales, proves your ability to collaborate with different types of people from different cultures.
Ace the first 30 seconds
First impressions matter. Lees points to psychological research that shows that people form opinions about your personality and intelligence in the first 30 seconds of the interview. "How you speak, how you enter the room, and how comfortable you look are really important," he says. People who perform best in interviews start off by speaking clearly but slowly, walk with confidence, and think through what "props" they will carry so they don't appear over-cluttered. Lees suggests rehearsing your entrance several times. You can even record yourself on video and play it back without the sound so you can see precisely how you are presenting yourself and make adjustments. The same applies to phone interviews. You need to use the first 30 seconds of the conversation to establish yourself as a confident, calm voice on the line.
Don't be yourself
Lees calls the "be yourself" advice "demonstrably untrue." He says, "It's a trained improvised performance where you're trying to present the best version of you." Bring as much energy and enthusiasm to the interview as you can. But don't oversell yourself. Because there's an oversupply in the talent market, employers are wary that people are exaggerating their experience and skills. "If you're going to make a statement about what you can achieve, you need to back it up with hard evidence," Lees says.
Be ready for the tough questions
Many people worry about how to answer questions about a pause in their work history, a short stay at a recent job, or other blemishes on their CV. Again, the best approach is to prepare in advance. Don't just have one answer for these difficult questions. Lee suggests three lines of defense. First, have a simple, straightforward answer that doesn't go into too much detail. Then have two additional answers ready so that
Prepare, prepare, prepare
Most people know they need to show up to the interview having done their homework, but many rarely prepare enough. "You can never invest enough in terms of preparation. You should find out as much as possible about the company, how it's organized, its culture, the relevant industry trends, and some information about the interviewer," says Fernández, a HR consultant. He also advises researching the specific job challenges. This will allow you to demonstrate you have what it takes to fill the role.
Formulate a strategy
Before you enter the room, decide what three or four messages you want to convey to the interviewer. These should "show the connection between what you have achieved and what is really needed to succeed in the specific job and context," says Fernández. The best way to do this is to draft narratives ahead of time. "People buy into stories far more than they do evidence or data," he says. Your stories should be concise and interesting. Make sure they have a good opening line, such as, "I'm going to tell you about a time that I rescued the organization." Then, learn them like the back of your hand. Know how they begin and end so you can relay them without stumbling or sounding like a robot. Whenever possible, use one of your stories to answer an interview question.
Emphasize your potential
"No candidate will ever be perfect, and you will be no exception," says Fernández. Instead of harping on where your resume might fall short — or letting the interviewer do the same — focus on your potential. This is often a far better indicator of future job performance. "If your past achievements are not directly related to the job, but you've demonstrated a great ability to learn and adapt to new situations, you should very clearly articulate that," says Fernández. For example, if you're interviewing for a regional role but have no global experience, you might explain how your ability to influence others in a cross-functional role, such as between production and sales, proves your ability to collaborate with different types of people from different cultures.
Ace the first 30 seconds
First impressions matter. Lees points to psychological research that shows that people form opinions about your personality and intelligence in the first 30 seconds of the interview. "How you speak, how you enter the room, and how comfortable you look are really important," he says. People who perform best in interviews start off by speaking clearly but slowly, walk with confidence, and think through what "props" they will carry so they don't appear over-cluttered. Lees suggests rehearsing your entrance several times. You can even record yourself on video and play it back without the sound so you can see precisely how you are presenting yourself and make adjustments. The same applies to phone interviews. You need to use the first 30 seconds of the conversation to establish yourself as a confident, calm voice on the line.
Don't be yourself
Lees calls the "be yourself" advice "demonstrably untrue." He says, "It's a trained improvised performance where you're trying to present the best version of you." Bring as much energy and enthusiasm to the interview as you can. But don't oversell yourself. Because there's an oversupply in the talent market, employers are wary that people are exaggerating their experience and skills. "If you're going to make a statement about what you can achieve, you need to back it up with hard evidence," Lees says.
Be ready for the tough questions
Many people worry about how to answer questions about a pause in their work history, a short stay at a recent job, or other blemishes on their CV. Again, the best approach is to prepare in advance. Don't just have one answer for these difficult questions. Lee suggests three lines of defense. First, have a simple, straightforward answer that doesn't go into too much detail. Then have two additional answers ready so that
How to Prepare for a Career Catastrophe.
You may have heard about National Geographic's television
program Doomsday Preppers, which chronicles the lives and activities
of otherwise ordinary Americans who are preparing for a catastrophic event,
such as nuclear war, financial crisis, or major natural disaster. This
edutainment program, 50 percent education and 50 percent entertainment, shows
Preppers, as they call themselves, stockpiling food and taking other proactive
measures to protect themselves and their families in case of a disaster. What
can you learn from Preppers to help you prepare for a career catastrophe? These
are some proactive measures and supplies to stockpile in case you find yourself
suddenly without a job.
Have a plan. No one likes to think about their job ending
or being laid off. But having a plan can ease your mind. Just ask yourself what
you would do if your job were to end tomorrow. What will you need to start
looking for a new job? How long can you survive on your savings? Is that enough?
If you needed a job tomorrow, where would you work? Doomsday Preppers don't
live in a state of constant fear. They have thought through their plan and know
what they will do and as a result, and many say that this gives them peace of
mind.
Save money. Preppers strive to stash enough food to last them two weeks. Many do this by making small incremental food purchases. You can take the same approach by regularly putting small amounts of money into your savings account. If you are like most Kenyans, you don't have sufficient funds to cover six months of being without an income. Expect your search for a new job to take longer than you want, and you should have enough money to last you through this dry spell.
Be ready to run. A well-stocked go bag is an essential part of a Prepper's evacuation plan. It contains vital supplies they'll need when they leave their home base. We've all heard stories about people who were walked out of their office- or lift, without notice, leaving personal belongings and files behind. Instead of a go bag, which you may not be able to take with you, store your important paperwork at home. This might include your copies of performance reviews, contact information for people you've done business with, emails from satisfied customers, recognition from the company, training certificates, and any other documentation supporting your successes and growth in your job. One final reminder: Be sure your LinkedIn profile is connected to both your personal and work email address so you will always have access to it.
Build a bunker. Preppers have a pre-determined location they will go when they need to hide out. In many cases, they've built a bunker. You can do the same by identifying who your next employer will be. Decide where you would like to work next and take steps to build contacts within that new bunker.
Watch for signs. Preppers look for signs that indicate an event is eminent. They regularly monitor global and local news sources looking for warning signs that might trigger a disaster and require them to take action.
Save money. Preppers strive to stash enough food to last them two weeks. Many do this by making small incremental food purchases. You can take the same approach by regularly putting small amounts of money into your savings account. If you are like most Kenyans, you don't have sufficient funds to cover six months of being without an income. Expect your search for a new job to take longer than you want, and you should have enough money to last you through this dry spell.
Be ready to run. A well-stocked go bag is an essential part of a Prepper's evacuation plan. It contains vital supplies they'll need when they leave their home base. We've all heard stories about people who were walked out of their office- or lift, without notice, leaving personal belongings and files behind. Instead of a go bag, which you may not be able to take with you, store your important paperwork at home. This might include your copies of performance reviews, contact information for people you've done business with, emails from satisfied customers, recognition from the company, training certificates, and any other documentation supporting your successes and growth in your job. One final reminder: Be sure your LinkedIn profile is connected to both your personal and work email address so you will always have access to it.
Build a bunker. Preppers have a pre-determined location they will go when they need to hide out. In many cases, they've built a bunker. You can do the same by identifying who your next employer will be. Decide where you would like to work next and take steps to build contacts within that new bunker.
Watch for signs. Preppers look for signs that indicate an event is eminent. They regularly monitor global and local news sources looking for warning signs that might trigger a disaster and require them to take action.
Are You a Job Hopper?
For most people, gone are the days when they'd stay at a job for 20 years or
more. Today, most people move around to multiple companies over the course of
their careers. However, it's possible to change jobs too frequently and get tagged
with the "job hopper" label - which can make you look like a poor
prospect to future employers.
Here's what you need to know about how to avoid being labeled a job hopper.
What does job hopping mean? Hiring managers look at a candidate's pattern: Is this someone who seems inclined to leave jobs quickly, or do they generally stay for at least a few years? In most fields, multiple stays of two years or less will look like job hopping. Particularly for mid-level to senior jobs, most hiring managers are looking for at least a few stays of four or five years or more.
Why is job hopping a problem? Savvy interviewers believe that the best predictor of how someone will behave in the future is how they've behaved in the past -- their track record. So if someone has a pattern of leaving jobs relatively quickly, an interviewer will assume there's a good chance they won't stay long in a new position either. Since employers are generally hoping that anyone they hire will stay for at least a few years, a resume that shows little history of this is a red flag.
In fact, recruiters and hiring managers say that a history of job hopping is the single biggest obstacle for job-seekers.
Does this mean you have to stay at a job that you hate, just to avoid being labeled a job hopper? No. Leaving a job only becomes a problem when it's a pattern. If you have one short-term stay on your resume, hiring managers are unlikely to care. It's when it looks like your normal behavior that it becomes a problem. That means that you can leave a job quickly if it's not for you - but that you can only do that once (or maybe twice) in your career without starting to raise concerns for prospective employers.
What about short-term contract jobs? Job hopping means that you've had multiple short-term stays that
Here's what you need to know about how to avoid being labeled a job hopper.
What does job hopping mean? Hiring managers look at a candidate's pattern: Is this someone who seems inclined to leave jobs quickly, or do they generally stay for at least a few years? In most fields, multiple stays of two years or less will look like job hopping. Particularly for mid-level to senior jobs, most hiring managers are looking for at least a few stays of four or five years or more.
Why is job hopping a problem? Savvy interviewers believe that the best predictor of how someone will behave in the future is how they've behaved in the past -- their track record. So if someone has a pattern of leaving jobs relatively quickly, an interviewer will assume there's a good chance they won't stay long in a new position either. Since employers are generally hoping that anyone they hire will stay for at least a few years, a resume that shows little history of this is a red flag.
In fact, recruiters and hiring managers say that a history of job hopping is the single biggest obstacle for job-seekers.
Does this mean you have to stay at a job that you hate, just to avoid being labeled a job hopper? No. Leaving a job only becomes a problem when it's a pattern. If you have one short-term stay on your resume, hiring managers are unlikely to care. It's when it looks like your normal behavior that it becomes a problem. That means that you can leave a job quickly if it's not for you - but that you can only do that once (or maybe twice) in your career without starting to raise concerns for prospective employers.
What about short-term contract jobs? Job hopping means that you've had multiple short-term stays that
