change of blog space

For anyone who’s trying to access the site at this location, please visit my new blog space at www.MystaKool.com.

Hope all of you are doing well.

What's Next....

After the continuous rain for almost 36 hours, we have seen none. All is calm, the weather getting really cold at nights, and throughout the day it is quite pleasant (much like what I would prefer to have throughout the year).

Much like everyone else, I too eventually faced a bit of flu and fever, but thankfully recovered within a day. Saturday 3 of us bloggers and a couple of “others” gathered for lunch at Nando’s. None of us having met before, it was quite an experience, with good food, , and quite the fun. One of the poor chaps ended up paying the bill (right now must be cursing all 4 of us) :P

Sunday was ok, as is usual with me – nothing much on the agenda. Oh yes! Got the car tuned up, and now its racing just fine :)

So back to work, and yesterday was one of the days I actually enjoyed. I can’t believe we wound up at 4 clients between 3 and 7pm, a record for me at least.

Question: What's Next...

‘Tis the season to be jolly…

And yes, we have rains and we have winter, and most of the upper parts of the country have had quite a bit of snow in the last couple of days. We had a brief rain session last week in the middle of the night, with a lot of glitz and glamour (thunder and lighting). Many just slept through though (that includes me), only to find that the roads were all soaked in the morning.

Then we had it again, right from Sunday afternoon, thru till last evening. And this officially marks the start of winter. Many people got stuck yesterday too, and didn’t take the lesson learnt from the summer storms. People, when you have a weather like that, you try and keep away from short routes, that includes Sharae Faisal, being inundated Nursery and near Hotel Metropolitan (former, that is). Funnily enough, there are 2 easily accessible and most used exit points from I I Chundrigar Road, M A Jinnah Road being the other (again, going through Burns Road).

Today I manage to post after a fortnight. Yes, the nights are getting longer each day (ok, now this was a weird link) and days getting shorter. And soon it will be the end of 2006. Another year gone by, another set of memories accumulated, both good and bad; many reasons to ponder on past events, some lessons to learn, and some moments to cherish. I’d like to look at this as an opportunity to correct the wrong, to learn from experience, and rejoice over whatever good has happened… and of course, thank the Almighty, for whatever He has given and gifted in all this time.

Many friends made in this very year, and some lost friend regained. More recently, we’ve been meeting up and chatting up quite regularly, which brings many old memories back, and also something new to enjoy. Moon sighting issues occurred 2 times this year, and were we all in for one big turmoil. And then we also have the Women’s Rights Bill being passed with much tantrum and shocks. Quite a ride!

So, it is the season again to seriously be jolly. It seems we are to have a really cold and slightly longer winter this year (unless the MET office has screwed it up the forecast again). Although this will not be the last post for this year, there are some things I would prefer not to talk about again, at least not in this month.

Yes, why should I forget the sudden change in my own stance to make things suddenly better at work? I guess it was all for the best and I seriously am going to keep people on their toes; they better not underestimate me, ever.

Yesterday the downpour, today the sun was up. Evolution! It keeps happening, and as long as there is change, there will be something to look up to at all times. The only thing constant in this universe is change.

My new year’s resolution: bring some change… a good and positive change in my life, and for those around me. And Insha Allah I will :)

With the grand IDEAS coming to town, in comes the chilly weather at nights, right up till the early morning. Honestly, I haven’t had any issues with the security arrangements, and much to my delight, I haven’t had any reason to go in such areas where I would encounter those 25,000 odd armed men. By the way, this figure appeared in the papers recently, and I was utterly shocked.

I do know several people who live close to the Expo Center, who have been facing trouble throughout the week, each day cursing why this event has to take place right in the middle of the city. If you ask me, I’m speechless too.

Saturday’s here, the end of the week (almost), have a group of friends gathering for lunch. The morning was quite cold, and it’s obvious I wouldn’t feel like getting up, love hibernating at times :P

What else. Yes, the task I started off in managing a completely different department is streamlining. I’m happy, at least it’s going the way I foresaw it. A bit slow at times, but hey, it takes time to adjust to things that are moving faster than you’re used to. Not saying that I’m slow, the rest of them are. I’m quicker than many others in the whole company, much like I was in my previous employment too. Too bad they have to settle with someone who is more agile than the rest.

Yes, its getting cold, and I love the winters. This year Karachi is expecting a lot more colder weather than last year. This year we also had an intense level of heat.

Later; gotta work now :)

time goes by... quite slow usually

The phasing in period has started, and I'm on the move to being completely part of the Technical Team. It may seem that I've migrated from being a core business/finance person, to a tech oriented person. I actually disagree, because here are the core business logic and methods at work, with a lot of concentration to improve a ridiculously under-managed system of sorts.

 

Anyway, that being said, I like to keep all this on a low level, although I'll be involved more and more each day in fire-fighting quite a few areas that require immediate response, and have a critical position in ensuring better operations. So, back to business I guess :)

 

On the other hand, my dad's flight has taken off by now (provided no VIP or some lunatic decided to delay it). I already miss him!

 

I like the idea of having changes frequently. I get tired of routine things too easily, and more so if they are not to my liking from the first day. Yup, there are quite a few things that happen on a regular basis, which I just cannot stand, yet have to get along with it, most of which are at my office.

 

I'm planning up something to clean up the mess... no, not at my office, but maybe a moving around would just do the trick ;) hehe... working on it...

 

The weather in the morning and nights is quite cool, and giving signs of winter nearing, the days are quite hot though. Hopefully this will settle down gradually. In a couple of days an exhibition of defence equipments will take place, and we'll be all stuck with several streets being hijacked for the sole commute of dignatories and guests of the exhibition. What's more, I won't be able to find a decent parking spot for almost a week. Might as well just give the whole city time out... the only thing is that Karachiites just can't spend a whole day trapped in their homes. Must get some air... and unfortunately our good old security concerns will kill the very access to any fun or road travel.

 

We'll have to wait and see what unfolds from the 20th of November.

It's been well over a fortnight that internet access has been blocked at work, leaving only a few systems to have the access and do whatever they want. Nevertheless, much as I expected, I did get my way around and now keep accessing the internet on-and-off, without making the impression that I'm taking undue advantage.

 

The trouble with me is that you keep me in the dark and I'll revolt real bad. Yet, I kept my silence, considering that I have that advantage which no one else does, ie access to the IT department :P

 

Anyway, a lot of things have happened in the last 2 weeks, and that includes the fact that I've decided to take up the opportunity that my company has given me - the role that I initially applied for over a year ago. That, by itself, gives a major boost to my profile with the company, and also with the clients.

 

To add to that, I get what everyone else gets too after spending some time with a particular organisation and working to expectations. Need I say more?

 

Progress is the name of the game here, and that's what I can't do without. Tomorrow have a queue up of 4 meetings all in one area, and that's what I just wanted - more interaction.

 

I guess I'm getting used to interacting more now :) in a good way...

 

That reminds me, I haven't done much browsing around on blogs lately, so I'm commenting around.... hope it fills up for a few days :D wishful thinking on my part... heheheh...

week long exercise...

one thing i just don't enjoy is NO INTERNET... since the last week of Ramadan, there has been no internet access provided to the whole office, except the top management and the technical team (as if they are the all too pious). virus attacks they say... that's what you get for not listening when an expert advise is given for IS security.... did that over 6 months ago...

managing to access the internet through only my phone, and occassionally on the home PC or laptop... other than that, just dependent on the GPRS service and the phone's battery life. as is always the case, any data transmitted or received (that includes calls) over the network consumes more battery that you would transferring in a close range over Bluetooth or IRDA. even WiFi sucks out all the battery because it is after all an OTA interaction of a not so close proximity.

over the week, i have been missing out on a whole lot of information coming my way. had a habit of constantly searching out for new stuff to feed my brain... and that's not happening. I HATE THAT! what's more, i have to tell my subordinates to be patient, and we are trying our best (YEAH RIGHT!)

anyway, progress has been there. my boss has asked for a response to what we discussed some weeks ago. i think a response is due. and i finally got to talk to the person who was due from the US to identify the key people for his business here. met him today, and have asked them to respond tomorrow, or else the decision will be made in favour of my current boss. as much as i would like to move on, i can't do without making a decision. and that means things remain stuck in oblivion till something really happens. uncertainty being at a high like never before.

i still haven't decided on what to do with my cell phone. today i took it over to the Service Center to get an upgraded software. didn't get that done because they couldn't supply me a temp phone which had bluetooth on it for transferring my contacts. said they'd give me something like 3310 (i would NEVER go for that). told them to shove it, and i'll make my own arrangements for a download and installation. the one thing i hate is making things complicated for no reason.

at the office, was myself throughout the day, and no questions were asked. as i said earlier, the matter is that of absolute uncertainty. need to settle this by Saturday. and when i do confront him again, i should have a decision at hand, and be prepared to spend at least one whole year at my chosen destination.

lots of choices to make... let's hope for the best.

Building your Brand

I've written several articles over the last few years, mostly business related, over 200 of them (I've even lost count unfortunately). Many of them are lost, forgot to move them while I was leaving my previous job. Anyway, managed to get some of them through a friend of mine, and periodically I'll be posting them here.

The first of the series is about building a brand, from scratch. So those who are keen on reading something on certain core business areas may tag along.


Building your Brand

Any new business starting off must focus on creating and maintaining the brand name. The aim should be to create a favourable image of the company and its product, by getting it across to the customers in the most appropriate manner, and able to distinguish it as a distinct identity from competing products and services.

The message that you are trying to give to your customers also has an impact on your brand. Each word used in promotional literature, advertisement or even conversation must be strategically positioned. Many companies require sales personnel to stick to a script, which covers all possible questions that customers may ask or enquire. The message should be constructed keeping in mind the relationship the company wishes to build with its customers. It should contain the elements that clearly make the brand stand out against its competition.

To maintain a level of customer satisfaction, it is important to maintain a quality communication strenght with your won staff members, especially those in customer services. A small business has the benefit of being closely connected with its staff, but this is not enough. Being the manager, you should be able to control their actions, words and get your message through efficiently and effectively. Get them to give their suggestions, build plans on how to manage the bridge between production/purchases and the sales department, thereby managing stock levels. You should also consider their involvement in decisions regarding managing the brand and creating new strategies.

Make your brand a customer-oriented product or service. A strong and targeted brand goes a long way in building a strong and long-term relationship. Focus on providing a service, satisfying them in a way they can't experience elsewhere. Find out what features do customers value the most, and work on them to improve your brand. Also focus on improving overall quality, price, customer service and efficiency.

Customers are a major influence in making a brand successful. Many of them give valuable advice to help improve quality where possible, and how to increase market share. You should also understand what keeps your customers attached to your brand and what they look forward to. Focus on customer needs, they higher the satisfaction level the higher the demand.

Now comes the most important element - consistency and maintenance. It is said that getting a new customer is easy compared to maintaining one. Your intention should be to not only quick sales revenue generation, but also to keep your sales ledger healthy and in good shape. You also need to maintain your standards, your customers expect a commitment of quality and service from your brand; you can convert this into a launch pad for your future products and services.

And last but not the least: every product and service has a life cycle. Do not anticipate a prompt return, and certainly do not start making drastic changes in your sales policy or the production/purchases policy. Have patience, and wait for a proper and authentic report regarding the performance of your brand. It is not always possible to strike gold on the first swing. Study the consumer response carefully, and then plan your next move.

first day after Eid

First day at work again, although quite silent for a first day. Late today, I still managed to find an appropriate parking spot conveniently, with the least rush in any of the service lanes. More importantly, over 80% of the staff is already here, yet it seems that half of them are still not here, and not over the Eid Holiday phase.

Unlike me, many tend to enjoy the whole Eid mood, and have lots of things to do, and find a mere 3 days to be quite less to make sure they have had the much deserved fun they have been waiting for.

As I mentioned in my last post, for me Eid is boring, with barely any activity. In a previous post I mentioned that I am not socialite to the core, which still stands true; though I do feel that being a socialite does change everything, especially how you go about and meet so many people that you barely get to meet, other than over an occasional phone call.

Back in the office, we’re all greeting each other as we meet up again after almost a whole week. The internet supply to all our desks have been cut down, due to some odd reason that still needs justifying from the management, and as you may have guessed, I absolutely do not support the idea of killing access to information. I am and always have been the source of many pieces of information for many people that I work with and even those that I don’t. Which means, having access to such information is crucial and limiting is killing what I stand for. Therefore, my productivity is hurt, and I know it as a fact, irrespective if others share this idea or not.

I hate to say this but I feel more detached due to this approach, than I have before. Hence the old saying – Old work and no play makes ME a dull boy!

Eid Mubarak

Eid is here, and its late in the evening as i post this on the second day. Too bad I have never enjoyed Eid much, other than occasional visits across the city, like the trip last night, leading to dinner.

The weather hasn't been comfortable either for the last whole week (I say that since this long weekend had started, we've been facing a hot and dry weather across the city).

I personally don't enjoy a whole lot of rush, tend to run away from it, hence my shopping experience is kind of hit-n-run. And then we had the usual issue of who wants to celebrate Eid on which day. As usual, the NWFP people somehow saw the moon, when it wasn't even possible to view it in the northern areas, followed by some more cities like Chaman, where again there was no official news on the sighting of the moon. The moon was actually not sighted at all, because the probability of actually viewing it was remote on Monday evening, and that too only in the coastal areas of the country. The rest of the country therefore had a full 30 days of Ramadan, followed by Eid on Wednesday.

After the Eid prayers at around 8am in our nearest mosque, we went off to get some halwa puri, after a whole month. It was good, not bad at all, as we had ourselves willingly settled for the nearest alternative in our area. After that, SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!

Just a day earlier (Monday), there was a question on the radio about "why do men sleep on Eid, compared to women". Of course, I did have a response to that, and it was well taken by the program host. Of course, that was my opinion, and others may clearly differ. By the way, what do you guys think about the relation between "Eid & Sleep"? I'd like to hear from you guys about that.

The cell phone choice making is still on. I opted to hold on a bit till after Eid, because I heard and verified that the prices of all commodities (including cellphones) have been hiked up by the market, owing to exceptional demand. The prices rose from anywhere between Rs 1,000 to over 5,000, depending on the type of cellphone and also the type of people who demand it. One example is the Nokia E61, bought by a friend of mine for 16k just last week, with a Chand Raat market value of 22k. And what's more - the shopkeepers say that the prices will fall again, in fact the value will be near 15k soon after Eid (say on Friday). And if that's not enough, car prices even escalated just in the last week of Ramadan.

We join work from tomorrow (Friday), and although most people will be voluntarily taking a day off (especially if they have Saturdays off), I will be heading to work by 8.30am. Unless of course I kind of get late again. Personally I don't like holidays, but sometimes it does seem good to relax often at home and hangout with the family and friends. Of course, that does not mean that it extends beyond 2 days, otherwise it's just not right for me.

Iced, if you're reading this, don't change your phone yet, unless you are due for an upgrade on your contract. I'm thinking of going for the same phone, but its a tough debate over an entertainment vs business phone now...