To be productive in whatever you do, you have to be proactive. To be proactive is to anticipate future problems, needs or changes and prepare for them. In the business world, things have changed and not the same again. To thrive in business, you should always evolve and come up with better ways of doing things, lest you go into extinction. The Bible says that a slothful man does not know how to process the meat caught in hunting, so that, he can make more money from it, but a diligent man’s hard work yields precious results. A slothful man works and get poorer, but the diligent man works and get richer. The slothful man wastes his hunting effort by just selling the meat raw, instead of processing it into a finished product. A good example of processed meat is Kilishi. Kilishi, a spiceddry meat enjoys wide patronage by travelers.
Today, we have slothful people everywhere, be it in business, career, profession, and so on. They refuse to evolve and stick to their old ways of doing things. Don’t get into bad business, but be streetwise. The worst problem of church people is good behaviour void of streetwisdom. There is something you must add to be fruitful, that is being streetwise. People who are streetwise do better than those who went to university (Luke 16:9 MSG). Streetwise people take advantage of bad economy and make plenty of money. During the Congo (1957-1958) and Cameroun (1958-1962) uprising, some smart Nigerians were canning eguisi soup and jollof rice and sending it to Congo and Cameroun.
In Congo, there were about 22,000 soldiers who were buying these canned foods. As the countries were having uprising, someone was smiling in Nigeria and busy making money. Job 22:29: “When men are cast down, then thou shall say there is a lifting up.” Streetwise people sell smartly and convincingly their products or services. They understand how to interact with customers. They are resolute in succeeding against all odds. Streets-marts tend to adapt to different situations.
Social capital determines your growth. Social network is a wealth-generating asset. Your network determines your net worth. Part of wealth creation is sustaining valuable relationship. Why the latter end of Job was better than his beginning was because his friends came to his aid. The Bible said that each one gave him a piece of silver, and a gold ring (Job 42:11). The better your association, the better your self-worth and the better opportunities at your disposal. You will always play better when you play with better players.
Learn to surround yourself with great people. Jim Rohn said: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
The people you spend the most time with shape who you are. According to research by social psychologist Dr. David McClelland of Harvard, “the people you habitually associate with determine as much as 95 percent of your success or failure in life.”
The rise of artificial intelligence is redefining the world of work at lightning speed. Roles that once seemed secure are now being automated, and new industries are emerging overnight. Inthis era of rapid transformation, staying still is no longer an option. If you are not actively upgrading your skills, you are slowly becoming obsolete. Adaptability, digital literacy and continuous learning are the new currency of relevance. The question is not whether Al will impact your career – its whether you will evolve fast enough to stay ahead.
• Today’s nugget: Be streetwise! Phone contact: 07032361509. E-mail: [email protected]. Joel Ejiofor, business coach and strategist
