“Winnie-the-Pooh,” as he was originally called, first appeared in a story written in 1926 by A.A. Milne, who based the characters on his young son, Christopher Robin, and the boy’s stuffed animals. The original toy bear was named after Winnie (short for “Winnipeg”), a bear that had been adopted as a cub by a Canadian…
Cockroaches are not my most favourite insects – these ‘bugs’ are considered repugnant by many folk, however, certain species are eaten in some parts of the world. These hardy insects are an ancient group, belonging to the order Blattodea, the Latin meaning ‘insects that shun light’. I say ‘hardy’ as many of them are able…
Acclaimed athletes and international sports teams have many of them – coaches for different aspects of the game or discipline. This group of professional advisors often includes physiotherapists and masseurs, sports psychologists, nutritionists, fitness specialists and even doctors, quite apart from analysts, agents and the like. All the personnel exist for one thing alone –…
An optimist was once defined as a fellow who believes that a housefly is looking for a way to get out! Well, that’s maybe ‘silly’ optimism. Expressing some humour, James Branch Cabell (The Silver Stallion) said: “The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is…
The word “genius” perhaps brings to mind a prodigy or mastermind of the past, either in the musical, scientific or mathematical fields – Bach, Einstein, Mozart, Aristotle, Beethoven and Da Vinci, to name a few. There are conflicting ideas, however, on how a genius is developed. John Dryden (English poet, literary critic, translator and playwright)…
It is often said that flexibility and adaptability are the hallmarks of a good employee, but what exactly does that mean and why are these skills so important? Risk and instability have always been present in any growing business, but today’s hyper-competitive and fast-paced environment has turned the workplace into a much more turbulent and…
One of the key roles of leadership is to assist your employees with their growth and development. Jim Rohn noted: “A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better”. This involves the mind-set, skills and knowledge…
The world needs talented people who make their respective contributions willingly and who act with the “bigger picture” of growth and development in mind. Creating opportunity and possibility for others as they apply these talents and skills appropriately, they not only engender stability in the economy, but also steer its growth. This is partly the…
I’ve been a consultant to a couple of organisations where it’s hard to get to the truth: the facts about a situation, an opportunity or a problem that they are facing. They tell you what they require and their expected outcomes, but don’t really divulge the apparent complexities of the presenting issues – people problems,…
It is the main task of the CEO or business leader to establish the priorities that hopefully synergise to create a powerful money-making machine. Unless you are a one-person show (like a street vendor), you cannot personally implement them all – you need other key people to get them done. It was Walter Wriston who…
Growing good citizens who contribute fully within society is perhaps one of the key goals of parenthood. Children who have been raised well realise that life doesn’t revolve around them – they treat others with dignity and respect, they attempt to fulfil their own respective callings and they assist others with the journey of life….
I love watching cricket in all its forms, but the excitement generated from a T20 (20 overs per side) game is catching. In a moment, one is sucked into the drama and emotion of the match and shortly, one is living and sharing in the pressure of the clash. The high expectations of the supporters…
