THE HONEY COMB SYNDROME

Recently I shared a moment with a friend of mine who happens to be one of the best civil engineers in the making. We shared grievances about a particular building under construction that had something he called a Honey Comb (Must be one of those engineering terms).

Filled with anguish, he grumbled at the little proportion of material the cite engineer had used in comparison to what was actually needed to set up the building’s foundation and by virtue of my limited knowledge in this field, I probably did not fully comprehend his distress.

A Honey Comb( Engineering Terms)

 I later on learnt that the only solution to a stray construction is demolition with purpose of renovation or worse still; collapse which obviously is not an option many would take  given the atrocities with which it comes. Truth infallible is there is no shortcut to solving the Honey Comb syndrome.

Going deeper, I learnt that this syndrome is rooted majorly in two factors; Time & Resources. It is a result of engineers working shadily to save either on the resources or to redeem time.

In a report made by Construction Review Online, around 60 lives were lost during collapse of buildings around Africa. The recently collapsed building along Sir Apollo Kaggwa road around Kampala city center cannot go unmentioned. Should we really put more lives at risk with dangerous buildings erected due to the Honey Comb syndrome?

An increased rate of buildings collapsing is as a result of the #HoneyCombSyndrome

Currently many managers cut down costs of staff development and training, bonding and team work because of high training costs or even claims of limited time. The bitter truth is that this only leads to failure. However the timing of the failure is highly relative.

Not until we get rid of this Honey Comb syndrome shall we hear no more of organizations failing and collapse of buildings.

Astute managers therefore ought to resolve to spend now and save much more in the future for it is wiser than saving now and spending then.

 Get rid of the Honey Comb syndrome. Take your staff through capacity training, bonding sessions, and many more.  The cost is worth it.

 Get rid of the Honey Comb syndrome.

COUNT ALL LOSS!

I have for long seen people very agitated about results in various aspects. Many a times the cause of their agitation is simply a perception of unequal harvest in comparison to sow.

The Bible says that if a man wants to build a house, they must count the cost!

“For which of you, intending to build a tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost, whether he has sufficient to finish it?”  Luke 14:28(KJV)

 This is the reason we have architects in this world. Such is also the reason men set long and short term goal. It is the reason their exist something called B.O.Q’s. (Bills of Quantity)

Therefore if a man wants to excel at his job or even their managerial position, there is a cost that they need to incur and as the Bible says; what guarantees the success of their intention is actually foreknowledge and planning of what they need to incur.

Many a time men sacrifice and do not get as much as much result as the cost they incur. I once read that a result is simply the measure of the effort incurred. This means that it is impossible for one to work harder and reap any less.

Let’s look at the experience of a man who greatly experienced the grace of God and ended up writing a great portion of the New Testament; Paul. He says he counted all but loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

“…I count all things but loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my lord…”
Philippians 3:8(KJV)

Paul did not look to gaining mere knowledge or even mediocre knowledge of Christ but rather the excellence and for that reason he had to count all loss. This means there are times we count loss but not loss of all.

An excellent loss is an ALL loss

Therefore if we are to experience an excellence in the work we do we need to count ALL loss. Not only few things for that ultimately leads to mediocrity and ordinary results.

It is expedient to acknowledge that that which should be reckoned loss is relative depending on that which we intend to achieve.

I choose to count all!

THE FRUIT OF MANAGEMENT #1- THE OVERVIEW

”A part of the plant that contains seed capable of generating a new plant” Sound familiar? Yes! That’s the Merriam Webster definition of a fruit. The mention of a fruit brings forth a refreshing and nourishing taste. A smothering one with a relaxing and hydrating effect.

 However, it is argued among some circles that not all fruits bring forth a similar experience. “Extraordinary Facts of Plants (EFP) rates lime and lemon as the world’s most sour fruits. Isn’t it amazing that some people enjoy the lime and lemon? I guess pleasant taste is surely relative.

When one takes on or is assigned a managerial/ leadership role, a seed is sown. The manager becomes a plant that must produce fruit to be pleasantly enjoyed by the people they lead for a plant cannot enjoy its own. In fact the plant keeps the fruit for as long as it can to the point of dropping if no one plucks it.

The Fruit Of Management #1
Photo Credit; Karama Ralph

All fruits have seeds within them which can consequently grow into other plants. That is the concept of replication; the ability to replicate only that which you are. No impatient plant can reproduce a patient fruit. The beauty actually is that from one fruit can come various plants since it has multiple seeds.

Managers today ought to produce fruit for those around them to enjoy but most importantly one with seed to plant and reproduce others of its kind. That’s the concept of multiplication under the “Fruit of Management” principle.

The life of the fruit is not a straight forward one from planting to harvest. But rather does come with a number of technicalities.

Every manager should therefore commit to the process of bringing forth this fruit of management.

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