Knowledge is the difference between life and death. Experience indispensably counts the most. Wisdom is the assurance for success. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 31 August 2022.

Knowledge illuminates, brings stability and eliminates vulnerability. Knowledge alone is insufficient and its possession does not automatically translate into the creation of availability of expected outcomes. Without knowledge, darkness sets in and with darkness, death looms large.

Experience is the fuel that can guarantee achievement of expected outcomes. Experience increases confidence, removes anxieties and creates capabilities. Experience alone may be insufficient in today’s knowledge and digitally connected environment we live in, as additional confirmatory information may be required before undertaking any action.

Wisdom is the ability to act on knowledge gained or possessed. It requires discernment and decisive performance. Wisdom is not about intelligence. Those without wisdom are at greater risk of destruction. Every person and business alike should strive to increase their wisdom, for it assures enduring success. With wisdom, nothing can be trivialised if success is the goal to be attained. Owing to many reasons such of which being lacking energy, trivialisation of issues, laziness, apathy, among others, we often let success pass us by, not because we did not know what to do, but did not act on our knowledge.

Let your failure not be attributable to the following easy wins:

Understanding business drivers of service providers

When choosing service providers, try to understand their drivers for success or existence. Like individuals, businesses too have different goals and motivation. Some are driven by their desire to maintain good image with their customers while guarding their reputation in the market as quality service providers. This type is more interested in delivering according to the spirit of the agreement and ensuring their services result in customers enjoying peace of mind in having their problems solved.

Others are more interested in achieving sales targets while everything else comes second. To this type, volumes matter the most and though generalising, it is not unusual for them to be defensive and resorting to pointing out contract terms when customers express some dissatisfaction with service received.

Strive to look for service providers more eager to build and maintain lasting relationships while eager to solve problems you face tangibly.

Integrating business information

Nowadays, it is easy to find “plug and play” type services on almost anything. Gone are the days when automation meant heavy investment in tools and services requiring employment of an army of technocrats. Many services are now available on the cloud, and these range from freeware to commercialised ones. They enable you to enjoy the best without concerning yourself with intricacies of their provision.

It becomes unforgivable nowadays for businesses to have departments or functions still behaving as though we live in the dark ages. Integration of information, especially customer (management) related information, should by now be a basic requirement of every business to master. Gone should be the days when one function of the business is unaware what the other is doing with the same customer, or what the customer is consuming from the other.

Not only is lack of knowledge of such activities across the different functions likely to annoy customers, but it results in wastage of resources and opportunities, and increases risks to the business.

Information about the identity of the customer and products or services consumed, should be common and obtainable from a shared source. Atop this, endeavours should be made to ensure information about (recent) interactions with the client are commonly available from a shared source across the different functions. Divergence can then be maintained above all this. And even then, all efforts should be made to ensure integrated, common and shared information is available as much as possible.

Problem-centricity

Though people often purchase “things”, not because there is a specific problem they are focusing on and wish it be solved but because they wish to fulfill their desires, the underlying cause and/ or problem necessitating such purchase can be identified. Avoid indirect acknowledgement of problems. Rather, focus on understanding and articulating the issues and problems clearly and using the understanding to explicitly define requirements and desired outcomes of the situation you wish to experience.

Without such understanding, you risk solving unimportant problems and the discomfort currently experienced may likely persist. Buyer’s remorse can be said to be the consequence of acquiring solutions without clear understanding of the problems experienced and importance of solving them. Peace of mind and joy can thus be regarded as the fruits of solving the right problem correctly.

Open cards

Be driven by the truth and do not (try to) conceal it. Some things are unavoidable and their occurrence cannot be prevented. Truth is one such thing and cannot be concealed forever, neither can progress always be stopped.

Too much energy and time are wasted in chasing rivals and competition rather than focusing on bettering ourselves, the outcome of which may inevitably result in us gaining dominance in areas of our activities.

Avoid greed. Some companies misdiagnose problems and on finding the actual problem to have been minor necessitating that related solution costs also be lowered, they are reluctant to readjust their costs to match reality. Rather, they would find ways of inflating activities to ensure the final cost matches the originally quoted price.

We should learn to handle disappointments while maintaining our integrity. We should not have a scarcity mentality but believe there will be other and better opportunities in future.