January 2010
The Success Hangover
Submitted by Erik Vermeulen on Fri, 2010-01-15 16:44
I recently met with Bruce a company owner and MD intent on growing his already-successful company. He’s in the process of employing Regional Managers, Sales Managers and devising an aggressive sales and growth strategy. He is looking to partner with me as a coach and mentor to his company – but what I discovered was astounding. Bruce has decided to cancel company conference. He’s cancelling the very bastion of motivation and team-building. I think he’s doing exactly the right thing.
“Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to yourself and others.” Buddha
Submitted by Erik Vermeulen on Sat, 2010-01-16 07:48
True fulfillment comes not from attaining your own goals. They are merely the catalyst. True happiness and fulfillment comes from sharing your knowledge, experience and wisdom with others. Research in Sport Psychology also shows that you perform better when you are able to transcend yourself - when you do something because you get fulfilment from the activity and not from the result.
Why we'll never be #1
Submitted by Erik Vermeulen on Tue, 2010-01-19 08:29
I listen to young people at my seminars and they all tell me they want to be great, successful, the best at something. That is indeed admirable, but then we are subjected to the drivel our young leaders in business, sport and politics spew from public platforms. Julius Malema aside, the latest guffaw was from SA’s national cricket team (The Proteas) captain Graeme Smith. Read it here. The first thing we need to accept before we can be #1 is that we must keep our personal power instead of handing it to elements outside ourselves.
When companies still believe.
Submitted by Erik Vermeulen on Thu, 2010-01-21 11:47
It’s fair to say that, given the recovering economic climate, companies are still a bit shy to dish out sponsorship. Especially when the arena of the sponsorship is a sport that is easily tainted by mal-practice at administrative level, performance-enhancing drug abuse by athletes and the Caster Semenya debacle in 2009. Athletics gets a bad rap in South Africa.
What Doctors can teach us about Marketing.
Submitted by Erik Vermeulen on Tue, 2010-01-26 13:45
Marketing hype today is all about so-called “viral marketing”. If your budget is big enough, and you want to embrace internet technology, almost any viral marketing company will get you to throw some of your budget their way. The truth is though that viral marketing is nothing new: Doctors have been doing it for years, at a fraction of the cost. In fact we've been paying them to do it. Let me explain.
The Changing face of Teambuilding
Submitted by Erik Vermeulen on Wed, 2010-01-27 09:23
I have been involved in the teambuilding industry since 1994 and as a result I often get asked by industry publications if I’d like to write editorial or them. When I agree, they want to charge me a fee because they feel that my article will constitute “marketing”.
The real message behind this practice though, is not that they want to charge me for marketing, but they are willing to place anyone’s contribution if they are willing to pay. Irrespective of the author’s experience and / or standing in the industry. The teambuilding industry has changed dramatically in recent times, in part due to the recession, but for the most part because people have changed along with companies' expectations of these excursions.
6 Reasons why Obama’s votes count more than those on American Idol
Submitted by Erik Vermeulen on Thu, 2010-01-28 12:16
I woke up this morning to screen-shots and clips of Barack Obama’s SOTU speech and I’m still astounded that a year ago he was heralded by all in sundry as the saviour of the universe – but in true American style, the very folks that elevated him have been slating him. His ratings have been lower than GW’s!! But if we’re going to decide Leadership purely on ratings and number of votes, then perhaps American Idol wannabees can take a few lessons from Barack Obama. Here’s why.
Why South Africa may not be 100% ready for 2010 FIFA SWC.
Submitted by Erik Vermeulen on Fri, 2010-01-29 12:07
I’m in the fortunate position to get contributions from all over the world for my Blog – which is great. Clients, past and present, send me stuff. I very seldom publish it as I try to keep posts here from my own keyboard so to speak. But I can’t resist posting this.
We know that public transport in South Africa in non-existent or diabolical in the first place. So in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup its astounding to read that the public transport infrastructure in one of the host cities has now virtually ceased to exist.
I'm still trying to trace the original source, it was sent to me by someone in the SA Justice system. He's trying to get hold of the original author.
Read carefully and draw your own conclusions.
