I know a few of you have reached out to me, asking – where’s my blog posts, where’s my Friday Thought… can I share an update on particular tech, what do I think of the latest gadgets, etc…
I’ll be honest. It’s not that I had too much going on. It’s just someone, made a few comments, that seemed to suggest, I shouldn’t be posting as much.
I started this blog several years ago. I know I don’t have millions of readers – and you know what, that’s absolutely fine. Because, what I do know… is there are some readers. And they engage with me. And I know I’m making a difference.
So, I had to re-collect my thoughts. Think about, the purpose of this blog – and then do what I want to do.
And with that, I give you my Friday Thought… I’ve been following Steven for a while, and really do like his perspective on life…
As ‘normality’ kicks in, with covid-19 restrictions lifting, many folk have started to go back into the office. And is this the right thing to do?
You remember the office right? – the commute to the office, the sitting around, the coffees, etc.. oh, and yes – don’t forget the work.
For the office-based folk – homeworking enabled them to the work they could from an office – but at home. Now… couple of things when you’re working from home (many would’ve realised…)
There’s no commute. I’m not counting you coming down the stairs. That’s not a commute.
The coffee breaks. Well, you can have a coffee break, but who will you talk to?
Just looking up and talking to someone – unless your kids are there – it’s not going to happen.
The whole social aspect is kind of lost at home. You can try a zoom beer hour, it’s not the same thing.
Now saying all the above. I’m not saying you have to go into the office. What I’m actually saying is, you need a model that works for you. What is best for you, home working might be best for your personality – you might enjoy it, maybe you hated the commute, maybe you never took those coffee breaks, maybe you didn’t enjoy talking to other – and just loved the excel file your head was buried in all day.
Everyone is different.
Telling people to go back into the office is not the right thing.
Everyone should be able to make their own decision.
I’m going back into the office a day or two a week.
Why?
Collaboration. Ideas come better and problems are solved quicker when you can talk to someone face to face. You can see their body language, their facial expressions and get more done when you are with someone.
Communication. Yes, we can communicate over the phone and talk about things but when in person – you can use the softer sills that are needed for particular communications – such as changes to the organisation, new and upcoming events, etc…
Consideration. Let’s be honest, a lot has happened in the past few years. Alot. and we need to be considerate to everyone. You just don’t know what they are going through. And if you know a little, and you are present… it may give them an opportunity to talk to someone. It’s good to talk.
One size does not fit all.
It’s what works best for you.
And with today’s technology enabling us to work from anywhere… do we really need offices?
I remember the old days… vaguely… when hard cash was used to purchase items. And if you didn’t have the money, then guess what… you couldn’t really buy it. Yes, you could go ahead and borrow money… but it came down to knowing what you had.
Technology has and has not…. helped.
Fast forward… we had debit/credit cards… now, we can pay via phone/watch and in some instances, we have repeat orders (where we get items delivered and automatically charged to our account!)
The issue here is… with this happening, we become a little lazy.
Not checking accounts. Not doing the due diligence required.
Online subscription scams, many using bogus celebrity endorsements, are costing victims tens of millions of pounds a year,Â
And it’s easy to fall victim.
The ‘fraudsters’ have become more clever. Making websites, apps, letters, etc… all look real and authentic!
But there’s some good advice available to help you but be careful when…
It seems too good to be true – for example, a holiday that’s much cheaper than you’d expect. Honestly, you’ll get some good deals but if it’s way cheaper than everyone else… ask yourself, why?! What could be happening here…
Someone you don’t know contacts you unexpectedly – what would you do? – I was always told, don’t speak to strangers (when I was a child)- same rules apply online. Today. As an adult.
When you suspect you’re not dealing with a real company – for example, if there’s no postal address…. Everyone should have an address. Everyone should have an office/unit/etc… search online get some details. Do some research first!
You’ve been asked to transfer money quickly – old trick in the book. Don’t lose out… this offer won’t last long… please, take the time to understanding what and who you are dealing with.
You’ve been asked to pay in an unusual way – for example, by iTunes vouchers or through a transfer service like MoneyGram or Western Union… if this happens, remember the old days of hard cold cash!
You’ve been asked to give away personal information like passwords or PINs… Alarm bells please. Under no circumstances, even if it’s the bank calling you on the phone – NEVER GIVE OUT ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION TO ANYONE! Especially passwords and PIN’s. And Especially if they’ve called you. Now if you ring a bank or a company, find their telephone on their legitimate website – and then they’ll only ask for verification details – they will not ask for your whole personal details!
It’s been a few weeks, since I shared that I was on the local Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) committee, as the Youth and Community Officer. I’ll still be honest, not something I wanted to do, but once I said yes… it was full steam ahead. And I’ll be sharing my progress here – I’ll put it under the category YCO!
So… with the mindset I have, I asked the sangat (folk who attend the Gurdwara), if they had any ideas to increase community engagement and/or help with the youth who attend. Lots of great ideas… but also, comments and ‘things’ they want fixed.
It’s great – looking forward, but sometimes, you need to fix what you have before you can move forward.
Let me give you an example. There’s a projector and screen in the main hall. And it’s not worked for several years. Many want it to work. They want to read the hymns. It’s these small things. So, I enquired. It’s all run from a laptop (so this is on my list of ‘things to do’ – get the laptop running, make sure the screen works and hook it all back up!)
BAU – Business As Usual. (in the below Horizon 1)
(Yes – I did have to put a technology spin on this).
So whilst we are on the Horizon 1 (BAU), there’s an element of the Horizon 2 and 3 – looking to the future, and more importantly being aware of the disruption points.
And bringing this back to the Gurdwara.
So I’ve started doing some basics… such as, taking over their social media.
I started an Instagram Account and started to post more on their Facebook account.
The results…
253% Increase in Post Reach!
189% Increase in Post engagements.
19% Increase in New Page Likes.
It’s all about the engagement. More photo’s. More videos.
Instagram is growing also – with 182 accounts reached in the past 30 days!
You have to start somewhere.
Next up… (my recommendations) are… a website. Whilst I face many challenges to digitise the ways of working – we are definitely headed in the right direction. I’d also like to say Thank You – to all those who reached out to me, supported me, offered me advice and shared contacts of those who’ve been on a similar journey. It’s much appreciated.
So in summary, there’s 2 things…
Get Started – I took over the social media and had an impact. It’s great talking… it’s better doing!
Remember the 3 Horizons… and make sure you’re not on the H1 Trajectory for a long time, because H2 and H3 will take over…. It’s important to fix the basics but then move onto more innovative solutions, where possible.
I don’t really share a lot on here, what else I do… Well, I kind of do with the football – but this blog mainly focuses on technology, new things that can help in life and a few motivational quotes to get you thinking about life.
So, I’m going to do something here – which may, or may not work. I’m going to share, (on a regular basis), success (however limited it may be), within a new volunteer role I’ve recently accepted.
The local Sikh Temple, had some ‘openings’ for local volunteers… so they could be part of the ‘management committee’. Every two years, the Sikh Temple holds elections – but this time, they had enough people to go ahead without elections. One of those people, who had their name put forward… was me! So, cut long story short… I’m the Youth and Community Liaison Officer for the Ramgarhia Sikh Temple, Nottingham.
Now… let’s be honest. Many of you will go to Google, and type it in to understand a bit more about what Bal has got himself into…
And so… you’ll quickly notice, they have a presence on Facebook… (who doesn’t!), and a few other websites share some information. But no website of their own….
Online presence is so important. For an organization. To communicate.
And I’ll be honest, there is soooooo much to communicate. In addition, your website provides the organisation with so much more….
So… as I mentioned as the start of this blog post, I’ll be sharing more on this journey of mine with you. First things first, is to understand the current landscape and the Sikh Temple’s Online presence. Then it’s about enhancing those channels and communicating more, providing options and most importantly… being clear what the Sikh Temple provides.
We often do over look the basics. Because we don’t know how to go about it. Because we don’t know where to start. Because we don’t understand the importance of it. Because…. there’s so many reasons. But the key thing here is, this is a journey and we are all going to be on it – yes, you included! As you’re reading this… I’ll ask you to be part of the journey!
So, I’m armed with my 30/60/90 Day plan.
And I’ll keep you updated!
(Once I’ve shared my plan with the Management Committee – I’ll for sure share it back here, and share the feedback I get!)
My earliest memory of it was, when I newly into a role… and the manager (GM) had a blackberry. We were on the shop floor (manufacturing company) and he asked me if I’d seen a particular note from another senior person. I said, no. He instantly, pulled his blackberry out – and said, it’s in your inbox, have a look and walked off.
Wow. The power in his hands at that moment!
I rushed up a flight of stairs, to the office, and put the laptop on and had a look for the email – and rightly so, it was there! Read the email and replied and knew what was happening.
It was rather ground-breaking.
Having the power to do your emails on the go. Not having to get to the laptop. Not having to run up a flight of stairs. Nope… none of that. In the palm of your hands – you could be quicker, simpler and empowered (to a certain extent) to make decisions and get work done!
What was your first memory of the BlackBerry phone? (if you’re old enough to remember them!)
But… we know what happened to the trusted BlackBerry device. Don’t we?
You’ll have heard, it’s the End of the Road for them.
Sales have been plummeting for a while. Every since Apple and other devices didn’t use physical buttons, every since other devices had better integrations with other applications and then the whole eco-system between devices (laptops, phones, tablets, etc…)
BlackBerry stuck with their unique selling point – the physical buttons. And to be honest, there were some die-hard fans that loved them. But the problem was, technology moved on so much… that honestly, there were other features that were more important than having the physical buttons. And on top of that, we all got used to the simplicity.
Simplicity of the screen.
Unfortunately, BlackBerry didn’t advance. They didn’t innovate. They stayed as they are.
And the other strand to this is… people aren’t sending as many emails as they used to previously.
We have more chat functionality. (Yes you had that on blackberry – but it was limited).
We have MS Teams. We have Slack. We have Whatsapp. We have all the social media platforms – Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, etc…
Let’s be honest, who has the time today to read long emails. It’s quicker and easier to send a quick message.
I think this only proves one point. It’s not the strongest of the species that survive…
Blackberry/RIM’s revenue from fiscal year 2004 to 2021 (in million U.S. dollars)
… it’s those, who are most adaptable to change.
Unfortunately, BlackBerry, like Blockbuster, like Kodak… just didn’t adapt to the change. Didn’t innovate. We know companies like Apple have that innovative spirit built within…
Look at the two graphs from 2011 to 2013. Blackberry’s huge decline and Apple’s huge increase in sales.
I’m sure there’ll be many who are emotional about BlackBerry being no more… and I’m sure they’ll tweet/share their sorrows via their Apple or Android device. Basically, their non-BlackBerry device.
Hope you had a nice Christmas and a lovely start to 2022!
And following on from my previous blog post – you may have set some new goals and objectives for 2022. Whatever they might be, hope that you are successful.
Hope. What a word. In fact, to share with you – I received a book for Christmas which I’m currently reading. It’s the follow up to, ‘the subtle art of not giving a f*ck’. This one is called, Everything is f*cked. So far, great read! Anyway – back to goals… and in fact, I don’t ‘hope’ you achieve and accomplish them… because you’ve got to plan to achieve them!
So, I recently shared an excellent article via my Linkedin profile – all about taking your big goal… and then breaking it down to monthly achievements.
One thing that I loved about the article was the ability to breakdown your goal (and be ambitious) to monthly goals. It’s simple when you think about it, right? – for example.. you wouldn’t eat a whole cake at once… you’d most probably slice it up! then consume a slice at a time.
And likewise with your goal – break it down…
What I’d love to hear from you is what your main goal is for 2022?
What is it, that you’d like to achieve?
I’ve written my goal on my wall. I’m now in the process of breaking it down per month. And then, I’m holding myself accountable by sharing these monthly goals with a few close friends – so, we have a quick call at the end of the month, and I have to report back to them – how well (or not) I’m progressing – and any corrective action I need to take.
This is all simple stuff really. But putting it into action is the hardest.
Oh, and if you’re unsure what goal you should have… I refer to my previous blog post. What do you enjoy? What do you like? What is your passion? and work on that…
And if allowed in 2022 (depending on restrictions etc… because of covid), I’ll be holding some Ted-type talks! We were meant to hold them in November 2021, but unfortunately, we couldn’t due to a number of issues. We’ll overcome them. And if you’d like to come, listen and grasp a few golden nuggets of information… stay tuned to my blog posts and I’ll keep you updated!
On that note…. write down your goals, enjoy that cup of coffee and share what you’re going to do with me!
It’s Friday. Usually I have Bal’s Friday Thought on a Friday. But today, it’s a 2021 thought. That’s right – I’m thinking about the year that’s just gone.
What a year. Let’s be honest. A alot happened, right? Whilst a lot happened, we were still restricted and a lot didn’t happen. Covid still lingers in the air. Mutations of the virus are with us – and we are still having to be careful. Flights, holidays, etc… not the ‘normal’ as we expected. But the main thing is, if you’re reading this, you’re alive.
Unfortunately, in 2021 – I attended more funerals than I actually wanted to. Sad times – and a few tears shed. Some were unexpected – in fact, most were unexpected. And that’s why I’m grateful, to be able to continue to do what I enjoy.
Whilst we all learnt a lot in 2021, and technology (and business) grew more advanced – with some super rich people going into space (the billionaire space race)… I took some time to reflect locally.
For me, I was on BBC Radio quite often, to share my thoughts on technology (and other topics when on BBC Asian Network). And it’s something I’ll continue into 2022. We often do an exercise at the end of a project – what went well – and what we need to improve. A lessons learnt type of exercise. So we can improve and get better. The interesting thing here is, I’m doing something similar for myself. What is it that I should continue… and what should I improve on.
One thing for this blog, which I’ve been doing for a few years, is to improve what I talk about. I’ve mainly shared articles on technology, motivational elements and how we can improve (as people). I will continue to do that. But improve with more videos, and providing more information. I do need some help though. It’d be great if you could ask questions, share your thoughts… help with building more content. Recently, I was asked about Christmas presents. Which I shared a blog post. Then I was asked for ‘lower cost’ presents. Which I did. And the great thing there was, it helped a few people. I know this. From the replies I received. Thank you.
In general – there’s a number of things I’ll continue as-is… but there’ll be things I want to improve. As I make my list… it’d be great for you to share via the comments section below, what you want to improve on. Could it be health? Could it be to train and learn a particular skill? or could it be, you want to follow your passion? Speaking recently to a family member, they’re a teacher… but love to clean cars. I mean, really clean cars. Like, detail them. And they’re seriously considering, quitting their job, and clean… sorry, detail… cars for a living. I personally, think it’s a great idea! Follow your passion – if your finances allow you to, great! If they don’t, make a plan… and when the time does come that you’re financially able to follow your passion – do it. Because, you never know – when your time will come and you end up in a box and that’s it. So whilst you’re on this planet – enjoy your life and do something that brings a smile to your face… just like this family member who got a small vacuum cleaner (with liquids and water, and all sorts) to be used in cars for christmas and was absolutely in love with it! (Honestly… not seen a grown man, talk so passionately about a vacuum cleaner.. in fact, whilst he was showing me, is stayed in between us the whole evening! (that is the sign of true love!).
And if you don’t know what your passion is, try different things. Experiment. Talk. Understand. Watch youtube videos. Just do something – and try. You’ll find it. And on that journey, you’ll pick up lots of other skills.
So with that, I hope you have fun seeing what you want to continue into 2022, what you want to improve on in 2022… and wish you, an awesome New Year. Thank you so much for supporting me and reading my blogs in 2021.
