Upgrade and update yourself

BUSINESS MATTERS (BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE)

Upgrade and update yourself

By Francis J. Kong

You cannot upgrade yourself unless you update yourself. Without new information, change will never happen.

You know the worst kind of employees? Those who are not bad enough to fire, yet not good enough to keep – they are the worst kind.

Some wounds are self-inflicted. You cannot put a gun to your head, fire, and then press charges. You may not be able to go backand make a new beginning, but you can certainly go forward and make a new ending.

We made reports when we were younger; we should make decisions now that we’re older. Choose to update and upgrade yourself.

Some people never update themselves.

You know why pres-chool chairs and tables are so small? Because they’re for tiny tots, not grown-ups. Yet many who have grown old insist on staying there. You cannot expect to increase your price unless you increase your value. Take for example cars. They come with all sorts of options. The more options a car has, the greater the price it can command. It’s the same thing with people. The more you know, the more value you can contribute to your organization, the more you can raise your price.

Updating and upgrading are keys to pursuing success in life.

I took up a business course in college and graduated at the top of my class. But had I applied what I learned in business school tomy businesses, my ventures would have closed down a long timeago. Because everything changes continuously. Thus, information needs regular updating, skills need frequent upgrading, and we need constant training. We should never stop learning!

These days, you don’t walk around wearing your “bell bottoms”from the 60s. You would simply look ridiculous. Yet there are many people today who still walk around with their 60s to 90s mindset. They are not a pretty sight.

But people who continue learning – who update and upgrade themselves – do not grow old. They are always relevant.

We should always update and upgrade ourselves. Because anything can happen.

I was speaking in front of 250 doctors in a beautiful hotel. The room temperature was perfect; the sound system, great. I waxed eloquently for almost an hour. At the conclusion of my talk, I gavea most dramatic presentation. It held every single doctor captive. Every eye was on me. Some of the lady doctors held back tears; others could no longer keep theirs from falling. But no one spoke. You could hear a pin drop in that place. I knew I had them.

And just before I gave the final sentence that would awe my audience, the clear, unrestrained, recognizable sound “schzzzzzz” of snoring stole the moment! One of the technical guys was sleeping behind the stage, and the microphone picked up his snoring!

You never know what to expect. You and I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen in the world this year. But what we know is that we should do what we ought to and can do to make ourselves better.

I want to be the best I can ever be. Not that I may be better than others, but because I do not want to waste God’s purpose for my life.

My philosophy in life is very simple. Every good thing comes from God. And when He opens a crack, I barge in and pursue what He wants me to do. If He presents an opportunity, it is my responsibility to be a good steward of that opportunity, to give it the best I’ve got.

Perhaps you have been blessed with immense talent, and you’ve developed it into a great skill. That talent and skill of yours is not meant to be kept to yourself. You are supposed to be a channel of blessing to others as well. As you upgrade and update yourself, make sure you are becoming more selfless as you are becoming more successful. This is your purpose in life. Live it well.

(Attend “Winning Disciplines for Success” on Feb. 24, 2012 at the SMX Convention Center. Learn best practices on business, creative, physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual disciplines from the industry’s best: Butch Jimenez, Dyan Castillejo, Jeric Soriano, Paul Soriano and Francis Kong. For further inquiries, contact Inspire Leadership Consultancy Inc. at 632-6872614 or 09178511115.)