Impact Impression Blog

It is easy for things to start happening so fast that many people begin to lose sight of what is important. Yea, the year is ending and targets must be reached. That might be the sound of determination. But, if that determination is not balanced it may lead to burn out. You don’t want that to happen now. What should you do then? A couple of simple adjustments will save you a lot of stress: a. Choose your one thing. That particular thing that if you achieve it, other things will become easier or unnecessary your year will still feel complete b. Settle it with yourself that there is no competition with anyone else but your old self. This way, you are not prone to rate how well you have done by the standards of others but by your own standards. c. Seek out better ways of doing whatever you may have chosen to do. There is never a wrong time to do it better is a saying you would want to keep in mind. Post by Ajuwaya It's midweek and I wish you a blessed day. #Inspi...

Before we begin, let’s destroy the myth called Entrepreneurship Gene. There is none. Entrepreneurship can be taught. While in the school of trial and errors, or knowing the facts by following proven principles, remember this, Action, not truth, will set you free as an Entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, you don’t see the world through your eyes, company’s perspective or gut feeling, no matter how exotic they are. You must see the world through your customers’ eyes. There’s no better pair of lenses than the customers’ eyes. It is called, entrepreneurial garment . We all know that customer is king and their kingship reign forever, as far as business is concerned. And to miss or discard the whims and desires of these royalties is like staging an orchestra in your living room without an audience – a total waste of time. Remember again, it is the customer and only the customer that determines how good and viable you products are. It doesn’t matter if you think your products are...

Alibaba is planning to open its first brick-and-mortar mall in April at its headquarters in Hangzhou, China, MarketWatch reports . “More Mall,” as it is reportedly called, will be five stories tall and offer products from brands on Alibaba’s Taobao platform and elsewhere. It will also feature retail technologies like virtual fitting rooms, high-tech makeup testing mirrors, and Alibaba’s tech-based grocery store. More Mall is another step in Alibaba’s plan to go after traditional retail. The company has invested as much as $8 billion in brick-and-mortar retail in the last two years, according to Forbes, with its current footprint including Hema, its grocery store chain, and Tao Cafe, its unstaffed convenience store. Hema stores allow shoppers to get additional product information by scanning a barcode and order items to be shipped from the store, while Tao Cafe offers customers the ability to pick their products and pay automatically upon their exit. These innovations could ...

When you’re trying to resolve a conflict with a colleague, the venue will have an effect on whether you both feel able to speak freely, express any emotions, and reach a resolution. Select a location where you’ll both be comfortable. Ideally, you want the conversation to happen face-to-face and in private. Maybe you’ll meet in a neutral conference room or at a nearby coffee shop . Or you might take a walk outside together for a change of scenery. Avoid choosing a place that gives you or your coworker an advantage. Inviting someone into your office puts you in a power position, for example, because it’s your space and you’re the one sitting behind a desk. And when choosing a conference room, think about who’s in the adjacent rooms. Sometimes walls are thinner than you think. [culled from: HBR] Chip.ng is Nigeria’s number one online Shopping mall that meet all your needs. We boast of providing products and services from well known brands, local and international at alw...

In a world so cramped with lots of struggles and competition, it is safe to assert that it is only those who manage to stay fit and sane that survive; hence, the epiphany - The survival of the fittest. Fitness does not just mean muscles and weights. It also means skills, practicable skills. If you are not productive, you fade out. It's that simple. While acquiring formal education in school, we were given the similitude of survival skills to which is expected we apply in real world, which in turn will deliver at least our basic needs - food, shelter and clothing. It worked then. But now you need more than school grades to actually get even the basic need. The basic skills learnt in traditional  schools today is no longer enough. Hence, the Bow and Brain strategy. The education, which is hoped to have inculcated a skill, is your Bow, i.e., your weapon. This is what conventional education gives you. But specialized education gives you a renewed creative mind, which is ter...

Since this administration got into power, the most recurring word in Nigeria's economic industry is recession. Many did not even know that this word exist until they were plunged into it. However, this ugliness is here among us and is threatening to cohabit with us for much longer than is necessary or required. Hardship is bad - when viewed from an angle. But if viewed from other angles, it can be a tool of greatness. Many successful people in the world today have credited their success to a one time hardship, or deficiency, which prompted them into doing the extraordinary. Of course if everything were rosy, some of the great inventions in the world today wouldn't have been thought of, let alone brought to being. Napoleon Hill, in his address said, "There is one quality that one must possess to win, and that is  definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants and a burning desire to achieve it." To live above this evil called recession, you must be...

Everyone holds his fortune in his own hands, like a sculptor the raw material he will fashion into a figure. But it’s the same with that type of artistic activity as with all others: We are merely born with the capability to do it. The skill to mold the material into what we want must be learnt and attentively cultivated. -  Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe As I travel through this world and meet diverse people – both real and virtual – I have come to the understanding that the term Gift or Talent has been thoroughly misunderstood – actually overrated. People don’t just excel because they have inert abilities or are genetically endowed. No. They become geniuses because they consciously hone a skill to the level of mastery. This of course does not rule out the possibilities of inert abilities. In fact, I believe that no one was born empty. But if you do not do anything with this ability or talent – like the unfaithful servant in the bible illustration – you will not make ...

There is time for everything under the sun. But a lot of people have ignored this principle and this is why they struggle with money. For you to die a wealthy man, you must be willing to live the beginning of your life as many people wouldn't, so that you can live the rest of your life as many people can't. The goal is to be rich and not to look rich. Unfortunately, a lot of people prefer the other way round. They spend the money they don't have to impress the people that don't care about them. This shouldn't be you. Don't allow your expenses to drag your income, rather let your income drag your expenses. What this means is that you first increase your income before your spending. NOTE: At all times, your income must be more than your expenses. There are certain things that you pay for right now that you haven't grown up to. The fact that you can pay for them doesn't mean that you can afford them. This is the difference between payability a...

We've all got weaknesses. Fortunately, those weaknesses usually are not due to lack of ability; more often, they’re the result of bad habits. When you’re sitting in your office with a daunting presentation to prepare, and you keep checking your inbox and returning calls instead, it isn’t necessarily because you’re bad at prioritizing. It might be that you’re playing out a deeply habitual, practiced response to anxiety, inadequacy, or fear. The key to changing these kinds of habits is to identify the nature of the moments that provoke the ineffective response. Pay attention to the time of day, the location, your mood, and your physiological state. If you can pinpoint the circumstances that cause you to act in ways that lead to bad results, you’ve shrunk the size of your problem. Change seems daunting when you think it requires constant vigilance. But it’s usually about handling a few minutes per day better than you have in the past. (Harvard Business Review)

In this part of the world, inheritance is taken so seriously that it often leads to strife or total destruction of families of the decedent. These days, most youths (especially from wealthy descents) depend on their prospective inheritance and thus aspire to be nothing. Their belief would be, why labour when the result for it (labour) is already given free of charge? Inheritance is the passing of title or ownership of physical properties (and even debts) to another (mostly family members) by a person upon death. Most reasonable people love the idea of leaving a good inheritance for loved ones but is that all you leave behind? Would you like to be remembered like Steve Jobs or Nelson Mandela? Both were great men and did great things while they walked this earth. The former was the co-founder of Apple Inc. while the latter was the former president of South Africa, an activist and philanthropist. Both left inheritance for the people they left behind, but something was different be...

Most people do their best work when they know their manager trusts them. If they worry that you think they’re lazy, incapable of directing their behavior, or lack integrity, they’re unlikely to take feedback or coaching from you. So go out of your way to gain your employees’ trust by demonstrating positive assumptions about them. Give challenging assignments, with the clear and confident belief that your expectations will be met. And don’t hide information, or assume people will mishandle it. Instead, promote transparency. Try adding a “through the grapevine” agenda item to meetings as a fun, informal way for people to share company information they’ve heard, so you can either confirm or debunk the rumor. When managers demonstrate positive assumptions, employees respond in kind. [HBR]

Have you ever tried to wish things away or pretend a particular problem will go away if you just ignore it? I have; a considerable number of times. But do they go away? Most times, they don't. Let's take this scenario for an example: you visit a doctor for your regular check-up and the learned man advises you to watch your diet because you are becoming obese; or, your bank account radar tells you that you are on the fast lane to bankruptcy - if you continue in your loud lifestyle. Then what do you do? Relax and wish it away? I've heard many advice that sometimes, all you need to do is to give " that challenge"  some time - allow it slide - and things would get sort out (by itself). Most times, we declare, It will pass, give it time. But does every problem require this passive approach? No. Going back to the sited examples above, if you don't heed your doctor's advice by actively  watching your diet, you will end up obese and sick. And of course, ...

The best leaders are able to execute the core of their business while remaining open to trends in the market and adapting to meet them. Being strategic in this way requires that you balance two traits. The first is consistency: Work hard and show up on time. Set goals for yourself and your employees, and then achieve them.  You also need the second trait, agility: Be intellectually curious, ready to learn from others, communicative, and collaborative. But just as consistency can turn into rigidity, agility can become a lack of focus when it isn’t tempered. So aim for a balance. Have high-quality standards, but also be open to change and understand when old ways of working no longer serve you or your company. From: Harvard Business Review