Customers: Lernaean Hydra Syndrome

As an entrepreneur, dealing with some customer is quite challenging. Your goal is to offer a premium value that gives their business an edge at a competitive price, and as you do so, you observe the following:

Some customers wants you to do more than what they pay for (products or services rendered), well that might not be an issue because it shows that you are adding value to their business or operations. However, when such customer does not appreciate the extra effort (at least by words) that when it’s morally wrong and frustrating. Knowing that you want your services to stand-out, should one keep on attending to such customers with same effort or minimal effort?

Another observation is that: Some customers will never be satisfied. Though this might be influenced by the changing nature of business operation or market trends, an entrepreneur having a foresight of these changes has an advantage. The worst for an entrepreneur is having a nagging customer and your woes are compounded when the exceptional cliché “The customer is always right” is used despite the extra effort. How then does one tackle these many problems, which are not directly yours?

This customer behavioral pattern of bringing problems that were not there is what I term as the Lernaean Hydra Syndrome. The Lernaean Hydra (aka Hydra) is a mythical reptile creature with many heads, and for every head cut-off two more grew. This is depicted in the famous Walt Disney animated film Hercules, though defeated by causing a landslide attack, not by cutting off it heads.

Business expert say having a Service Level Agreement with prospective customers will suffice as solution; but in this present market, an entrepreneur reaching agreements with customers is more time consuming than offering the services or products, even when there is an agreement, it is not totally enforced. Hence for start-ups and entrepreneurs the Lernaean Hydra Syndrome lingers on as they try to create a niche for themselves.

Hope and Light

Once, on a very dark night, I searched for a star, gazing at the plain dark sky, I looked deeper and darker, yet no sign, still I continued patiently, suddenly from afar a twinkling light beacons, radiating in glory and wonder, without frustration it induced the horizon, a break-forth of sunshine, my spirit rekindled, my fears dissolved, my hope restored, a new dawn.

Where there is light, you will find refreshment and hope. Always hope for the best and the best will be yours.

Furthermore, be that light in the world. 

Moving On

How do you continue living, after you’ve hurt so many people? How do you forget an ugly stained past and hope for a glorious and happy future? You have numerous past; some you didn’t end well while others you kept has an open wound and any time you try re-visiting them it causes more pain, how then do you heal?

These past are unforgotten mistakes and repairable regrets; and they’ve become weight over the years, it’s time to shed them off.

  

My mind says to me: Forget the past and the people in it, it’s time to move on, I’m not perfect neither do I want to be seen proud, though if circumstance and event have painted it so, please pardon me, also forgive me if ever I’ve wronged you or seemed stupid.

  

And, if we ever cross path in the future, hopefully we meet on new terms.

Thanks and all the best.

The rich fool

Then he said, this is what I will do, I will take down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods and I will say to myself you have plenty of good things laid up for many years take life easy; eat, drink and be merry. But God said to him you fool this very night your life will be demanded from you, then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? Luke 12: 13 – 21


I learnt four lessons:

Never make yourself God
After accomplishing your goals and been successful through it, do not attribute the praise, glory to yourself, for God gives the power to achieve success and generate wealth. Always put God in the picture.

Do not store up treasure for only yourself
Your success and accomplishment are not for your consumption alone do not store up wealth and keep it for yourself only. God blessed you such that He can bless others through you. Ensure you are not a closed channel of God's blessings to others.

Wealth value has to keep increase
Wealth or money means the gifts and talents God has given you. You have to trade with it to acquire more else it will be taken away from you. Money/wealth has too keep increase else it will grow wings and fly away , you need to keep turning the wealth around to generate more so that others around you could be more blessed and it also shows you are more responsible of what is given to you (parable of the talents).

Wealth must be transferred
When wealth is not turned around, it spread it wings and fly away, the question is, where does it fly to? Or when a wealthy fellow dies, the robust estate is handed over to whom? This is a great mystery, which is explained in Eccl 2: 17 – 26, I compel you to read it with understanding.


Conclusion
If you feel you have accomplished all on earth and you want to retire to merry, then it’s best to leave this earth as God demanded from the rich fool.

Genesis: The Future is Now

During the Christmas and New Year hol’s of 2008/2009, a long seen family friend visited us for a whole day, cousins that I have not seen for six good years where now big and mature boys and girls, at their sight I was shy and couldn’t relate with them properly as we did six years back, I was the first to see them and I couldn’t even hug them because I welcomed them in to the house, though I was older than all of them, at least I age the eldest by three to four years older.

After welcoming them in stylishly which I know they observed, I went into my room to balance myself, stayed there for a while pretending to be doing something, if possible I will never step out till they leave, but unfortunately, they (younger ones) found their way into my room, I was compelled to come out of my shell and begin to relate with them, we got talking, tried to relive old memoirs, see if they would catch up, and as we were having fun I asked one the most common kid question, “what do you want to become in the future?”, with delight and sharp as a little girl she gave me response and instantly she threw back the question at me, which I wasn’t expecting, puzzled and disturbed unaware of the surrounding, I paused, froze and thought about the question.

The analysis I did in my head, was so many per milliseconds, first was, what is the meaning of future? The future she is asking is it the future I had when I was younger and aspiring? or is it the future I’m thinking today for tomorrow? I tried to balance the future I had when i was younger with the future i'm in today, still I couldn't answer her.

Today is the tomorrow we talked about yesterday, all these are in one space connected to us and are all happening now.