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Why everyone needs a Mentor…

If you’ve read a little about me, you’ll know, I started my career at Kodak.

That’s right, Eastman Kodak, the giants of Photography…

Well, when I joined Kodak, I joined on the graduate scheme. I had a mentor, and at the time, she was ok. She gave me advice but I was fairly strong minded back then, that I listened but was insistent on doing what I had in my mind and wanted to do.

It was only when I joined a small team on the Harrow, UK site.. who were doing some lean activities. And it was within this team, I met my ‘real’ mentor.

Mark Chamberlain. He’d come from Toyota. Knew vast amounts about Lean. But the key thing was, he never taught me. He always took me with him to Gemba and various site walks. Showed me, asked me questions, but never told me the answers. I had to figure them out myself.

Yes he guided me, and taught me some of the lean principles… but it was the simple things that I learnt from him.

For example… we had a cupboard for our overalls. All the overalls were white. But they had our names on the inside. So… when you’d open the cupboard, you’d spend a minute or so, looking for your overall amongst all the others.

One day, I opened the cupboard, and there was a bright red sticker on one of the hangers. It was Mark’s. I thought, why’s he done that. Didn’t ask… just spent some time looking for my coat, found it and left.

Later that day, I was sat at my desk, and saw Mark go to the cupboard. he opened it, and immediately, got his coat and walked away.

It was at that moment, the penny dropped.

Visual controls. He opened the cupboard. Saw a red sticker. Immediately knew where his coat was, got it and went. No time wasted.

Genius.

I want to learn from this guy.

And so I did. During my time at Kodak, I kept on learning.

There were various instances, where we’d walk into a room which had boxes and some scales, and he’d ask me what I saw… and i’d tell him. He wouldn’t say anything. Which at times frustrated me. Then a few weeks later, we’d walk into that same room, and this time… I said, I see inventory… I see… and he paused me. Smiled. And we both walked away.

I’ve kept in touch with Mark. Often reach out for advice, not as often as i’d like… but I know he’s there.

And that’s my story about my mentor.

So, why do you need one?

Well… someone to guide you. Someone to show you. Someone to not give you the answers… but someone to ensure you will achieve the best you can.

Where do you find a mentor? Well… start by looking within your company, your organisation or network.

If there’s someone you look up to… ask them. You could be in the music industry, and look up to some musicians… ask them. What’s the worse that could happen? – they say no… then you either keep asking… or find someone else you look up to. Either way, if you can find someone to show you…. you’ll learn so much… and that’s only a good thing in your journey.

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Is this the Start of the End of the High Street?

We’ve seen Toys’R’Us announce they’re closing stores.

We’ve seen it with Maplins… they’re also closing shop.

I’ll be honest – I’m surprised Maplins kept on going so long with their physical stores. Most of the ‘tech’ items you can buy in there… you can probably buy at a lower cost, online.

I remember, a few months ago – I went in there. Can’t remember what it was that I wanted, but the staff were really helpful, and they said – we’ve not got it in store, but it’s available online.

I left, went to my computer – had a look – and he was right, there it was online. But then, I thought, how much is it with Amazon (other online retailers are available). And you probably guessed it – yes, it was a little cheaper with Amazon, and being a Prime customer, I also had the option of free next day delivery.

Yesterday, in the news – it was announced that shares in Carpet Right and Mothercare fell – concerns that they’ll follow the same path as those mentioned above.

Mothercare is in the midst of a store closure programme. Their shares fell 12%. 140 down to 80 stores they have proposed… now that’s a lot of store closures.

Then there’s Carpet Right. They have 409 stores across the UK – and have been struggling and under-performing.

So the question is… Is this the Start to the End of the High Street?

Well… it’s all about change. As Darwin said, it’s not the strongest that survive.. but those who are most adaptable to change. Now admittedly, he was talking about species… but you can apply the same thinking to businesses.

Have any of the above evolved over time? Have they introduced or used, new technology to help their customers?

I feel, there’ll always be a need for a physical presence of a store – depending on what they’re selling – and a great example of this is Amazon and their new physical store they are trialing out.

It’s a shame to see these great big stores close. But if you can buy it easier, cheaper and with less hassle… elsewhere (be it online or in other stores) then why not?

All businesses should be thinking – what do I need to do, to ‘future-proof’ myself?

What technology can we use to make the life of our customers easier? – Look at Ikea and how they’ve evolved… now using Augmented Reality… or should I say, are offering within an app, Augmented Reality, so you can see what furniture looks like, in your home…

What is the overall process our customers have to go through – that we can understand better, and help them to make their decisions quicker and ensure we offer everything to them…. because it’s all about the customer.

High street shops & companies must adapt.

Otherwise – this is the start, of the end… of the High Street.

 

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Bal’s Friday Thought…

Emotions and Intelligence

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From Bedroom to £2m turnover…

You’ll see quotes and hear about how people made a simple yoghurt into a million dollar business… or how someone made a fortune from selling nuts in a box. Sounds easy, right?

Well, it’s not.

You need a) passion and b) some serious commitment to make it work.

My good friend, Gurdeep…. decided one day, he’d had enough working for someone else, so him and his brother… set up shop from their bedroom!

That’s right – they wanted to have their own business.

Now, the great bit is, several years later… they’re on course to turnover £2m. Fantastic news. Indeed… but it hasn’t been plain sailing.

There’s been some up’s and downs on their journey, more downs than up’s at times… coming to a point of quitting and ‘getting a normal day job’.

But this is where my second point, about having some serious commitment – comes into play. You will have all sorts thrown at you, but you need to keep going.

Now, as 2 Red – the name of his company – continues to grow, he’s branching out, looking at other opportunities and most importantly… meets up with me, for a Nando’s to discuss, what else he could do. And you know what, i’m happy to share thoughts, ideas and what I think could help his business grow over some peri peri chicken.

What advice would he give to people thinking of setting their own business?

Here’s his top 3 tips…

1. Have a clear vision of what you want to achieve

2. Thoroughly research and understand the market you are going into

3. Stay focussed on your goals and don’t worry about competitors.

Some good tips there. And I totally agree with them. Now to see the main man in action – well, not in action literally, but to watch a little video of them (it was filmed by someone else – so it centres on staffing and skills, but the key messages are there… how they started, how well they’re doing now… and most importantly, if you need a boiler, who you can contact).

Link is below to the 2 Red Linkedin Page, where the video is shared…

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6365300208737222656

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Why should I read your blog, Bal?

Just before Christmas, I shared a blog post, within which there were a few items/suggestions, that you could buy as Christmas presents for loved ones.

These were centred around technology items, gadgets… for the home.

Now, whilst I don’t often do this (saying that, I did it again for Valentines!) – I will only share the best, and what I’ve actually experienced and/or tested with you. I wouldn’t be sharing any old thing, or something I feel does not hold value.

That is one reason why you should read my blog. For what I share, will have some value. And if you can read in-between the lines, there’s more value for you, than what you may realise.

Let’s take one of the items that I mentioned, it was Ring.

What is Ring? – well, to remind you… it’s a door bell, with a camera… which can communicate to your phone or tablet device, and you can see who’s outside. Great in so many ways…. for the older folk, the lazy folk, for those who are not at home, etc…

I also mentioned, how a number of these devices are all connectable making your home, a smart home. They can connect with the Amazon Echo, for example.

And this morning… what did I hear…

That’s right. Amazon… paid $1billion for Ring.

Now, 2 things here…1) Imagine you’d never heard of Ring, read my blog and thought – this looks good, might buy some shares in it…. 2) All these connected devices, surely they’ll come under one company one day… I should look into investing in them.

Either way, you’d be very happy this morning.

Now, I want to make it very clear – i’m not in a position to advice you.. in what to invest and what will provide you with great returns.

The position I am in, is for you to read my blog, have conversations with me… and then assess for yourself, what may work and what may not.

I too, have invested my money into various companies, businesses and start-ups. Moreso, to help them grow… and for them to help my pension pot to grow. Let’s be honest… who wants to be working when they’re well into their 50’s and 60’s… mind you, there’s even possibilities for many folk to be clever with their money and retire earlier! (On which point, I know some folk who have just done that).

So, you’re probably wondering… when will I be sharing my next ‘top things to buy for a particular occasion….’ well, I’ve nothing scheduled right now. But what I might do, is share individuals whom I’ve met, working with, listened to… who’ll be successful. Becuase at the end of the day, it’s the people that make the businesses work.

Oh… on the conversation of investment – there’s various places you can look and research, where you can invest your money… anything from Kickstarter (the potato salad was my favourite) to various websites & organisations. I would however, encourage you… to do your research. And continue to read my blog.

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Stack ‘em high… sell ‘em low…

Mass manufacturing. Build, build, build…. sell, sell, sell… introduced by Henry Ford. The move was from Craft Manufacturing… where cars, were individually built for the customer.

Highly unlikely would it be that there were two cars that were the same.

Henry, saw this, thought… damn! – this is expensive, what if we made 100 doors, the cost would drastically reduce… combine that with the production line and hey presto, you had mass manufacturing.

Today, we’ve moved a little back into craft – were many folk, do like individualisation and are willing to pay for it.

Manufacturers are also using techniques to manufacture low batches and more variety.

But then, there’s industries, whom are looking at stacking them high… and selling them low. Take the airline industry. Norwegian Air are squeezing folks onto their plane…. and offering them a no-frills, low-costs ticket, to a number of destinations.

Now, why is this working?

1. You want to get from A to B… without paying too much. There’s many folks who’d happy, go backpacking, a holiday with their friends, and when cost comes into the equation – having the option to spend more on beers and sightseeing, and minimum amount on getting there – well, the maths is quite easy.

2. No frills is fine – It’s like having the basics and then you bolt on top, what you want. Like a car, you get the basic, and pay for extras. Maybe a friend wants that reversing camera but you want a heads-up display.

3. Close by…. the airports that Norwegian are less expensice then well known and the ones used by major airlines – hence they can keep the price down, but the good thing is, they’re close by. In this example, Gatwick. Not a million miles from Heathrow. Once again, depends on the final destination – there’s plenty of trains and shuttles from Gatwick to London. Central.

So it looks like there’s a mix between mass and craft…. in the sense, there’ll be lots and lots of people on the plane… but then you’re all individually adding on the extra’s you want. Which works. That’s why many of the low cost airlines are seeing it work. Now… for long haul… would it work?

Why not?… new technology, new planes… allows more options.

Just like the introduction of the production line by Henry, which had the cars going down one line faster than ever before… means, airlines can use aircraft that holds more people… travel longer distances… use less fuel… be more efficient… Yes – there’s a big outlay for a new aircraft, but then… just like Henry, you can stack ‘em (the people) high… sell ‘em (the seats) low.

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Bal’s Friday Thought…

Don’t Complain. Train.

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Technology…with Love.

Valentines Day soon. Very soon. This week, in fact. And if you’re like most people, you’re probably wondering, what do I buy!?!

Yes, you could head over to Pandora and buy some more jewellery… or you could get something from Amazon… where you’re more than likely to spend a few hours, searching… and going round in circles from one gift idea to another.

I thought… why not share my top 3 tech gift ideas for your loved one!

1. Apple iWatch

If your partner hasn’t already got one – this is a must, in my opinion.

Series 3 is the latest one. Full connectivity and does everything you’d want in a tech-loaded watch, from tracking your fitness to taking calls… from sending ‘I love you’ messages to notifications suggesting you ‘breathe’.

They’re £329… just think of the expression on your partners face, when you share your thoughts on how many calories they should be burning a day.

2. Headphones

We’re more and more using tablets and our phones to watch videos. So why not purchase a nice set of headphones to ensure the listening pleasure is as good as the viewing.

There’s a variety of headphones that are available… and there’s some great makes, but i’m going to play it fairly safe and go for something that’s not all about the branding… but about the beat.

That’s right – Dr Dre’s Beats.

Now, whilst looking around, I noticed there’s some great offers available!… for example, check this out…

3. Power Bank

It’s all about budgets. The iWatch is expensive… but worth every penny. The headphones is a mid-range present.. but if you’re thinking, Bal… I don’t really have that sort of money to spend, but would like to buy something tech related and something nice for my partner… what could I buy?

Well… these days, we seems to be needing to charge and power, virtually everything. From watch’s to phones, from cars to Sony’s Aibo (the robotic dog). So why not purchase a power bank.

That’s right… a power bank!

This is a Tecknet power bank, that is available on Amazon. Good quality… good ratings… good to power up anything! And let’s be honest, it’s one of those things that isn’t glamorous… nor is it sexy, but it’s realiable, trusting and always there when you need a little ‘pick me up’.

Obviously, other types and brands are available, and there’s great variety on some of the leading on-line stores…. like Amazon.

There were other tech items you could purchase for your loved one, I did think of Fitbits, but thought the iWatch does much more.

There’s rings that store your personal data… but then, this could get a little complicated and what happens if you lost your ring… you’ll lose your personal data… but moreso, if it got in the wrong hands, that’s a bad thing!

You could also buy DIY electronic kits… Nintendo Switch’s… the list is quite endless. It’s all about, what your loved one will appreciate. And i’m sure, one of the above with some flowers… will do the trick!

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Throwback Thursday… my days at Kodak!

I thought I’d relive some of my old memories… And one to start off with, is my time at Kodak.

That’s right- I used to work for Kodak. In fact, it was my first ‘proper’ job.

By that, I mean – I had several summer jobs, and other side jobs… to earn some spare cash which I’d spend on my car… (BMW 318iS Coupe – just for reference!).

So what did you do at Kodak, Bal? – Well… I was one of the five graduates for the year that I started. I know… Out of hundreds and hundreds off applicants, they chose me… as one of five… to join them!

To answer the question – I was a graduate, rotating for 2 yrs within Kodak, experiencing various projects, programmes and activities. It was here that I worked for someone who is an inspiration… and for someone whom I lucky to call Sensei today (but more on this topic another day).

Kodak was a great place… for those who remember, the makers of film, paper and other photographic products. Huge factory in Harrow… UK, is where I was based. Rochester, New York was the home of Kodak in the USA.

Unfortunately, film declined… due to Digital Cameras… and we all know how the rest of the story goes.

Kodak is used in many ‘innovation’ presentations – highlighting how ‘digital destroyed a huge company’. Didn’t fully destroy it.. but definitely disrupted the industry.

Kodak is still going! – I know… I get my pension letters from them! – well, what’s happening to my pension, i’m a few years away from withdrawing it.

It’s funny… because Kodak actually invented the digital camera (also, isn’t it funny, we don’t actually use the term ‘digital’ when we talk about cameras – it’s just the norm…)

The problem was – we.. I mean Kodak, were making so much money from film, they decided to keep it under lock and key – and invest the minimum amount into it.

As mentioned, we all know how the story goes… and digital cameras became the norm, Kodak were late to the party… in fact, they weren’t that late, they quickly ramped up and started making them to meet customer demand… but as people didn’t need film… didn’t need paper to print on… the core business was shaken, and the fortunes of Kodak changed forever.

It’s easy to sit here now… and say, well, they should’ve done more… should’ve have done this and that… but when you’ve got huge sums of money rolling in… why should you? why should you fear? – you’re huge… you’re Global… you’ve got thousands and thousands of people working…

There’s one key lesson we can all learn… don’t get comfortable.

Someone, somewhere…. somehow… will come and disrupt.

What can you do? – Collaborate. Engage. Understand. Explore.

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Technology and getting hands on…

You may recall, I shared a blog post towards end of last year about Lego – and how they were encouraging children to play with Lego and learn about robotics – introducing technology with Lego.

It’s always a hard one. Children these days, do spend a lot of time on tablets and consoles. Either playing games, on social media or just watching YouTube videos of someone jumping up and down.

It’s beginning to change… Nintendo have recently decided to introduce the Labo… and hoping to encourage children (and adults) to not just play on their Switch, but learn by making items out of cardboard and interacting with it.

The Labo is a do-it-yourself cardboard kit, that offer projects for children to make and learn from, with the Switch.

For example, you could make a piano out of cardboard, insert the Switch.. and then learn and play the piano! Rather than tapping on a screen… you actually pressing down on keys (admittedly made out of cardboard, but remember… learning should be fun!)

You can make a remote control car… a motorbike… and a few other items. There’ll also be a Robot kit. An interactive cardboard robot!

Couple of reasons why I think this is great –

  1. Really brings out the ‘engineer’ in the children…. get them physically making things… thinking how it works, how it goes together and how it will work. They could even make improvements… make a larger piano (if possible)… there’s so much that can be engineered out of cardboard. And it’s all in a safe learning environment.
  2. Moving away from the screen – Technology is great. But too much screen time, isn’t that good. This allows children to a) move away from the screen for a short duration and b) learn how technology with real life moving interactive items are connected and how they can be controlled to perform certain actions….

The Switch is a great console – and there’s data to back that up, by record sales figures… and this is a great add-on, which will only make the console more appealing and further increase those sales.

So, if you were thinking what to get… and what to make… here you go… make – play – discover.

https://youtu.be/P3Bd3HUMkyU