Green Office Blog

This must be one of the most powerful talks I have attended as part of the EQ Entrepreneur Network Durban South Africa.

Richard’s talk was filled with valuable insights and statistics on the biggest health epidemic of the 21^st century: DEPRESSION.

I was amazed by this South African man who had accomplished so much. Richard’s credibility is backed up with an incredible track record where he has worked with some of the world’s best athletes and businesses.

The talk was split into two parts, the ‘cause of stress’ and ‘how to be exceptional’.

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” Dale Carnegie 

I recently read this amazing book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, by Dale Carnegie, and this raised the question in my head as to what impact our phone would have on developing relationships.

The current state of our nation and the world would suggest that the moral compass has gone a little haywire.  Almost every bit of news we read is filled with corruption, violence, greed, power and generally negative stuff.

I was fortunate enough to share a panel discussion with Stephen Saad, founder and CEO of Aspen Pharmaceuticals.  

Something that he said resonated with me and I will certainly use it in the future.  When he was posed with the question, “What tips could you share with the audience that have assisted you in reaching your business success?”  He responded by saying that he continuously advises his people to focus on four things a year, only four.  To make sure that those four things get your undivided attention.  If something gets thrown at you that is not going to assist in reaching those four things, leave them alone. If you complete those four things, you will be amazed at what you can achieve.    

1. You need to have a plan or a goal
   Make sure you think carefully about what the key things are that you would like to achieve.
2. Keep it small and simple and measurable
   Don’t over complicate things, his example - only focus on four things.
3. 100% Focus
   It is important to focus all your energy and effort on these four things.  Don’t get distracted.
4. Regular progress checks
   Have a system of checking in on how you are doing.  Have regular status checks to make sure you are on the right track and making progress.

Managing Vendor Relationships is often focussed on finding suppliers with the cheapest price for a product or service, however, it’s about much more than just that.  Vendor management is about ensuring that the agreement between the company and the supplier is mutually beneficial for both parties.

By ensuring that you manage vendors effectively, you ensure proper service delivery at the required rate and satisfaction to help achieve your business goals.

Does the culture of a team have an influence on whether the team wins more than it loses?