Education & Career Archives - Ultimate Excellence

10 Effective Steps to Deal with Difficult Changes for Excellence

September 23, 2020/in Blog, Education & Career, Inspirational, Life skills, Personal development/by admin

10 Effective Steps to Deal with Difficult Changes for Excellence

1. Avoid seeing change as all about yourself. Do not always take change personal, especially when others are involved. People are dynamic and different; be ready to accommodate them in the change process.

2. Instead of viewing change as a major upheaval, see it as a challenge with solutions. Ensure a shared vision towards the change process. It can cause more harm than good if you not explained well before implementation.

3. Realize that changes often are temporary and cyclic. One change leads to the need of another one. Do not fall on the trap of always being on the change mode or never thinking of more change…find an equilibrium.

4. Adjust to the altered landscape without sacrificing the quality of your work. Appreciate change within change. Not many things, if any, are cast on stone.

5. If necessary, do some new power mapping to find other paths toward your goals. Have a way out if circumstances change. Keep thinking along and accept new ideas.

6. Always stay positive so you can maintain an upbeat attitude. Negativity will bring you and your team down. Celebrate small wins. Handle loses quickly.

7. “Challenge your assumptions from a position of strength.” Avoid biased beliefs and skewed conventional thinking about change. Be your number one critic.

8. Keep in mind that it is about quality of change not the time and resources used in the process…quality vs quantity. 20% change may lead to 80% of post change results.

9. Admit other reliable and independently minded people into your “circle of influence” to help you solve problems. Sycophancy may fail you.

10. Seek alternatives if you’re thwarted. Do not leaving a changing process hanging. Don’t give up at the middle!
Samuel Kanja

Certified Life Coach | Lead Trainer & Consultant

Ultimate Excellence Ltd

0729368307
www.ultimateexcellence.co.ke

Unleashing the Best in You

WORK-LIFE BALANCE

May 30, 2019/in Blog, Education & Career, Inspirational, Life skills, Personal development/by Samuel Kanja

WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Work-life balance can be seen as an optimal integration of various life aspects in anticipation of getting the best out of an individual’s engagement. It has a way of determining the productivity, morale and satisfaction levels.

Work life balance should actually be referred to as work-life equilibrium or work-life harmony
Work is part of life and life has many other components such as family, talents, leisure, investments, spirituality, relationships etc. Having a priority list of these component is the first step towards having a sense of work-life balance
Work-life balance starts with self -awareness around ones ability, value system and belief system.
Value system in this context means: what is this that gives you genuine satisfaction and defines your success. On this, one must honest and very honest.
Work life balance is not only beneficial to employees; it does good to both employer and employees.

10 Basic Principles about Work-Life Balance:

It is personal; it is only an individual who can access themselves and conclude if they have a balance or not
It is a moving target; it keeps changing in form and in nature. It is always work in progress. It cannot be achieved in an event. It is a PROCESS.
It starts with knowing what one needs, wants and what they value. The balance is all about creating quality time for what one ought to do or loves doing or others expects them to do..and having the feeling of attainment.
It obeys very few rules but feeds on beliefs. It is not about setting strict rules, schedules and timelines; it is all about being a lifestyle that one does not struggle to live in. Once in a while, flexibility should substitute strictness. Entertain an overlap of events; do not live life in very disintegrated stages where you choose to do one thing and not any other; you may loose on one and that may be irreversible. Balance is key.
It thrives on objectivity; ensure that you are real, you care for others, you know the consequences of your actions and avoid retrogressive unconscious bias in your actions. Ensure that your state of work life balance does not unnecessarily inconvenience others unfairly or cause harm.
It demands consistency and consciousness; it is a deliberate process that one must be aware of. Keep asking yourself; what is the contribution of what am doing on my work life balance.
Learn to say NO/ YES…avoid sitting on the fence on every issue. Respect the power of NOW. Do what you ought to do now; if not actual doing, plan for it.
It is all about QUALITY not QUANTITY; giving quality time is far much better than giving all your time with zero reliability levels
Work life balance is a state of mind; it is not something that can be measured on a scale; that is why for many people, they find it difficult to rate themselves. It is not about how many things you do in a day but how you, and others connected with you gain from what you have done.
Everything work-life balance must add up and fit in the equation of EXCELLENCE. Give it your all and always be at your best. In that you achieve the balance every day, every time.

Further Reading can be accessed in ‘THE CAREER DECODER‘ book by Samuel Kanja on 0729 368 307.

By Samuel Kanja

Life Coach, Trainer & Author

www.ultimateexcellence.co.ke

LEST WE FORGET WHAT EDUCATION DOES TO OUR CHILDREN

November 26, 2018/in Blog, Economic, Education & Career/by Samuel Kanja

Lest we Forget, There are Widening Disparities and Inequalities between Private and Public Schools

Is the FREE Primary Education, FPE providing results commensurate to the resources invested in the national exams? With the 2018 registering the highest number of candidates in the last decade, did the government increase the resources to cater for this increase? I do not think so.

Almost a 100% of the celebrations are happening in private schools, owned by individuals, partnerships or religious organizations.

Something is wrong with most of our public primary schools ranging from poor and unconcerned management, demotivated and unfocused teachers, absent and ignorant parents…leading to slow learning and poor teaching that cannot give quality nor normal curve performance.

The government spends billions on administration of exams but cannot commit to improvement of infrastructures, supervision and quality assurance, human capital as well as timely disbursement of funds; which are then mismanaged in most cases.

Now with the K.C. P.E out, how many kids from public schools will miss national and extra county schools (I do not intend to mean that other categories don’t perform, this is only for this context). They won’t miss because they cannot make it but because they have been taken up by private school candidates…sasa makosa ya mtoto ni gani? They become victim of circumstances and this in 10 or so years will widen the gap between the rich (relatively) and the poor. You are asking how?

a.Frustration due to difficulties in some harambee secondary school leads to social ills.

b. Performance in KCSE takes the same trend, national schools and top tier extra county schools where most of the students are from private schools end up getting most of their students to public universities. They will not have to pay a lot since the government subsidies will be in place. Those who didn’t manage to go to ‘good’ schools end up with kawaida or so-so grades with few exceptions of the strong ones. They will have to choose between raising money from menial jobs, harambees and relatives to go to college or to miss it…

c. Missing college or technical training will limit their opportunities with them unable to be competitive and sellable. This may lead to social vices or inherited poverty, and the cycle repeats itself with their sons and daughters.’

Lest We Forget, Nothing free is free.

Nowadays, I tend parents meetings in public schools, both primary and secondary and it has stopped being a surprise that a ‘whole’ parent cannot support any initiative from the school administration that requires an addition coin. When the same parent goes to a public hospital, he or she is ready to go and buy drugs as prescribed by the doctor. Parents in both public primary and secondary schools must learn or at least be aware that the government works with a budget and it is not in the business of marketing itself; they do not invest in luxury unless for personal gains. Lest we forget, Parent must avoid ignorance if they want to see the fruits of their children’s education. They ought to uphold objective opinions on various issues regarding the education of their sons or daughters. It is a pity that most for them take the government word as the gospel truth without putting it in a context. Why should parents not go an extra mile to do for their children what the government can’t do for all the children?

Why is it that most, if not all teenage pregnancies (won’t call them early) happened in public primary schools and are now happening in public secondary schools? Are you not worried that we no longer getting the updates as if they only gave birth the first 2 days? Kenya that is sensational and forgets. Lest we forget, teenage pregnancies is a sign of uninformed or misinformed community of teachers, learners and society…where hope is less thus so many hopeless cases. It is a problem of the poor Wanjiku.

If we can rally for 2/3 gender rule as part of affirmative action to help women rise in POLITICAL leadership; we ought to think about affirmative action for public schools or the government makes the situation better and more competitive. Why do they assume all is well? I tend to think it is because their children are beneficiaries of a cooked and crooked system of examination.

Now they are talking of 100% transition to secondary schools and this looks like a good deal to the citizens. Is it? After 4 years in secondary schools, what will the 100% take home? Another 100% to tertiary institutions? Other early pregnancies? Better grades? Disillusionment? Better characters or bigger bodies? Lest we forget, we must rethink if we do things guided by reason or political and streetwise rhetoric.

Is it about Elimu Bora ama Bora Elimu? The government must tell us. Affirmative action must not be applied selectively. We should also not punish the kids from parents who have invested in their children education. An objective and more inclusive way of placement in secondary schools must be thought about before this time bomb explodes.

The failure of the government should not be used to dilute the quality performance of privately owned schools. The education ministry must wake up and see this reality. As John Stossel says in his book ‘No, They Can’t: Why Government Fails-But Individuals Succeed’, the government has the habit of providing the basics ONLY. He has also said that reality teaches us that teachers unions want what’s best for the union. In matters education, the government must now force itself to go the extra mile and give more than the basic. Just having the basic of something is usually not very far from not having it. If it continues doing this, we may end up having a wider gap and this will make schools that are stable and sound be a preserve of the ‘able’ or for the few who strive to PAY for the education. We should not expect the unions to fight for the rights of the children.

By Samuel Kanja
Educationist, Trainer & Life Coach
samuelnkanja@gmail.com

Parenting 101; A Dad gives a hen to his daughter for being number 18 from 23.

May 11, 2016/in Blog, Education & Career/by Samuel Kanja

Parenting 101 indeed. It was at Kahiga Primary School in Kipipiri Constituency in Nyandarua County where a father of a class 2 pupil requested for a chance to reward her with a hen for being position 18 from position 23 the previous term. The girl and the whole audience was elated and excited.

Seated down as the speaker of the day, I was smiling all through and taking snap shots knowing that my work has been made easier with a very relevant example in the eyes of the audience, especially the parents.

Later after the event, I had to sit down and think of why this moment was great enough to raise the emotions of many, especially in the social media- the facebook post got more shares than like and comments added, something that has never happened to any of my posts. It was shared by even people I didn’t know. Some requested for the contacts to reach the girl for interviews with national televisions eg NTV and others volunteered to purchase books and uniform.

I thought of the 10 lessons on Parenting 101 from this DAD:

A father should lead by example
A parent should always look for avenues to reward
Reward and gifts should not only be tagged to great, conventional achievements
Any reward is a source of motivation
Always look at the positive side of things in your kids
Parenting is not about riches but about how to used the much you have
No one is too poor to be a good parent
Academic excellence is a route to life excellence
Setting remarkable lessons in the society is not a preserve of a few
The best gift to a son or daughter is trust and believe

It is my wish that all the parents, aspiring ones and others who think and teach on parenting will find this act of love a big lesson to share with others!

Article by Samuel Kanja

Student’s Pledge of Allegiance

January 18, 2016/in Blog, Education & Career, Inspirational/by Samuel Kanja

I (Name…) promise to strive in doing what is right;

I promise to defend my future from NOW henceforth;

I promise to make the best out of life at all times;

I promise to unconditionally show respect to self and all people;

I promise to set and work towards specific and ambitious goals;

I promise to observe discipline in all what I do;

I promise to accept and improve myself wholesomely;

I promise to make every moment a chance of success;

I promise to cast my life on the best values and principles;

I promise to let God lead the way of my life;

I promise to do the best I can using what I have;

I promise to purposefully make all the above my priority;

By Samuel Kanja: In his book ‘The Ultimate Recipe for a Wholesome Student‘.

Why Education? Is it Worth the Struggle?

December 10, 2015/in Education & Career/by admin

It is wisely said that “without education, man is a slave”.

In today’s world, we all want to be independent. We all want to be rich and superior to others. We would all like to have our pockets full all the time. But as things are, we are living in a competitive world where you expect no mercy; nobody will pay you without extracting a certain amount of benefits for themselves. The materialistic system of ‘give and take’ seems to be rooted at the very foundation.

This can be illustrated with the projection of a whole cycle whose basic element is ‘education’. It was born with the birth of the human race and it will continue to function as long as the human race lives. It is not only reading books or attending classes in an academic institution or knowing how to read and write that makes you an intelligent and rational person but also analyzing situations using the accumulated knowledge. It improves who you are. It is a sign of freedom. Here it is important that one should know the difference between being educated and being literate.

A literate is a person above the age of seven who can read and write in any language and perform some basic arithmetic skills whereas being educated means much more than just being literate. One should not just be literate but educated. Repeatedly, we are reminded by our parents, teachers, elders and those around us to study and attain a good education. Parents often go to harsh limits to bestow good education on their children and make them fit to face the world outside. Parents spend their lifetime savings to get their children quality education. One wonders, why so much stress on this? Why education? Why do parents do it?

If you consider how much of the national budget goes to education, then you will also make it your personal manifesto. In the 2014 /2015 annual budget, education received a hefty cheque of from the treasury. Most young people find themselves in school but they cannot give an account of why they are there. It is so unfortunate that most of the students cannot find a correlation between school life and their future. Some perceive school as a prison while others look at it as just another stage of life that you must pass through.
No student should think that there is only one reason to be in school; the one they think. Rather they should be informed of the many reasons that justify learning. It is what our minds conceive about what we do that counts, more than the value in the things we do. That is why some people will hate what they do but many people appreciate that which they don’t like. For instance, you appreciate your mother’s occupation as a nurse but she does not find it fulfilling at all. There must be value addition in our lives in whatever we do because fulfillment can only come from within us but not from what we engage in. We can only change ourselves but we cannot change how something is or the way it is done. Education is worth more than billions! The value of education isn’t confined to the employment or the survival skills you acquire. Most of the people never appreciate an unemployed educated person. They look at the job and the social status. This is how low we have placed education.

Education without learning is of no use to your life. Learning might not be what will be examined. Learning is a continuous process and it comes with experience. This experience gives knowledge, which is like the treasure that education propagates. Without learning how to form our principles, cultivate virtues and uphold integrity in life, we cannot claim to be educated. I have visited many schools and I can confidently confirm that some students think that education is a comedy club. Most of the students don’t know what they want from school. Some cannot give you credible narration of their past performance, yet they intend to improve it. It is so unfortunate that some students do not have targets. Knowing the value that one gets from constructive education is one of the best secrets that can be brought to light. Some people don’t understand how big a difference good education could make.

For clarity, let me enumerate ten reasons why education is important for an individual.

• Education will make you think deeply. • It is a personal developer. It gives you the sense of belonging.

• It adds confidence to your life.

• It enlarges your horizon and creates flourishing life networks by opening your eyes to a wider world.

• It comes with opportunities; job-related and progression in life. • It demolishes ignorance and mitigates negligence.

• It equips you with the most natural life skills.

• It helps you understand things you never understood before.

• It gives you opportunities for a better life that you would never have had without the education.

• It makes you have a competitive advantage in life.

• It remains to be the best and most lucrative investment!

• Education remains one of the strongest and versatile pillars of life.

There are so many reasons why education – and not school per se – is a necessity in our society. Below, I have outlined some of the many reasons that will help you see and attach more meaning to education. Most of us tend to think that education is just a job-oriented activity that comes to an end when we get our dream jobs. Education does not lose value and it never degrades one’s dignity; it can only make it sounder.

Excerpt ‘The Ultimate Recipe for a Wholesome Student by S.Kanja- Motivational Speaker & Author