Ola Barnabas

FUELSCARCITY IN NIGERIA, KAICHUKWU’S COMMENTS AND MATTERS ARISING First, let me state that it is not a little disappointment for Nigerians how that there have been several conflicting explanations from the government on the situation at hand, and how obviously it appears that the government does not have a central information source, or that the blame shifting game that has been the strategy since this administration has not abated. The president and minister of Petroleum says one thing, the minister of state for petroleum says another, and then the minister of information compounds the confusion. Anyway, it is not all about how they have not been able to get their information dissemination right, but rather how they have not been able to manage the crisis and keep Nigerians spending productive hours at the filling station with many actually sleeping there all night some nights. The comments made by the available minister for petroleum at the Port Harcourt refinery on T

GRACE A LAD SAID AT MEAL Some have food but cannot eat Some can eat but have no food We have food and we can eat Glory be to You oh Lord

DO ONE LITTLE GOOD TODAY Every day has some good in it waiting for our hands to express. The good that we do to others is their measure of the good that the day has for them, and there is just enough good in every one of us to benefit our neighbour. Can we do some good today? Are you looking for an occasion to extend some kindness to someone? Are you making efforts today to be nice to someone even if they do not seem to merit it? Truth is, if God were to weigh our worth, very few of us qualify for His kindness, yet it is said that daily He loads us with His benefits. The place where you have found yourself in life, whether you acknowledge it so or not, in some way, is a privilege. Someone somewhere envies what you have, and where you are. Someone somewhere wishes they could just have some of the things you say are inadequate. Can you please extend out of that inadequacy to someone who is desperate for some? It is far easier to notice the things that we lack than

Please don't be mad at me. I know I've not been with you much of lately. It's just that I checked my life again, and I didn't find much reason to retain you in it.

THE BECAUSEs OF UNANSWERED PRAYERS Ever come to that point where you are asking, “God, are you there? Do you still answer prayers?” Sure. Good news is you are not alone. We all come to that point every once in a while in our lives. I assure you, God still hears and answers prayers. His word says when we call, He will answer, He will show us great and mighty things that we do not even know of. So why are prayers not answered? This is in no way exhaustive on the theme, but I know it will help you to know that prayers are not answered because: -          We do not ask. The word says, “Until now have ye asked nothing…” We assume perhaps that God should know what we need and should just give them to us. Sure He knows, but yet, He says you should ask. Asking is your responsibility, you cannot abdicate it, or presume God will just do it. ASK, and you shall receive. -          Of our unbelief. When we ask, we must ask in faith. If you do not believe when you ask, shoul

TOP TEN MISTAKES THAT CHURCH LEADERS MAKE As it is in workplaces, so it is in all other organizations, even religious places. Mistakes are made by leaders, and most times they are not even aware that they are making such mistakes until these are pointed out to them, or they do some introspection to find out what they are doing right or wrong. As it concerns our places of worship, these are some of the mistakes that are commonly observed, some of them similar to the ones committed in the workplaces. 1.      Running the ministry on human wisdom rather than God’s instruction When it has to do with the work of the ministry – the commission of God, it has to be done with the wisdom of the Lord. The Called has to spend adequate time with the Caller to understand the call and the intent and direction thereof. What we find most times however is that, the called receives the call, and takes it over from there forgetting that there must be a pattern that the One who called him wants

TOP TEN MISTAKES LEADERS MAKE AT WORKPLACE Everyone aspires to leadership position especially at workplace, and that is a good desire. However it is far easier to criticize leaders from afar than to be a leader who is criticized. Sadly, most people will do better as followers than they will as leaders. Leadership, as a responsibility, comes with a lot of encumbrances; some imposed on the leader by the work environment, others self-imposed by the leader himself/herself. As you aspire to, or actually do lead in your workplace, watch out for these mistakes that leaders have been observed to make regularly at workplace. By knowing them, you can at least help yourself out of them. 1.      Not being able to separate personality from the work. This is a common mistake among leaders especially as work attitude is truly difficult to separate from personality behavioural tendencies. For example, for someone who loves to pour all of his emotions into his work, it is rare to f

MOTIVATION: THE CARROT AND STICK MODEL This model is an adaptation of the donkey story. Two things make the donkey move: either the Carrot or the Stick. If you put a carrot in the front of donkey, it moves, whip it with a stick at the back, it moves. The carrot is a bait which can be likened to rewards which await subordinates on the accomplishment of their tasks. The stick can be seen as penalties which awaits them on the non-performance of their tasks. Both of them (Carrot and Stick) cause or instigate performance. It is quite interesting to induce behavior in workers by “dangling rewards in their face,” Most workers put in efforts because of what they expect in return. This may not be the best way to motivate. Carrot is most times Money or Bonuses. Managers need to get subordinates to work and produce maximally without having an eye on the carrot. More so, carrot is made available to people at times regardless of performance. People get promoted, salaries are reviewed upw

THE NEED FOR MOTIVATION IN LEADING PEOPLE I will be sharing with you in my post for the next few days on leadership. Actually I am feeling lazy to write, and since I have a book (Fundamentals of Management and Administration) that deals somewhat with leadership – a topic I should be writing on, I feel I should just copy some of my thoughts in the book out for you. I know you will enjoy reading them. It is one thing for individuals to be assigned duties and tasks, the performance of those duties is a totally different ball game. Job performance most times is a direct off-shoot of motivation. There must be some prodding, some ‘push’ to achieve the required results of jobs. This ‘push’ aimed at improving performance, is motivation. Motivation can be seen as a set of factors which ensure that people make the choices and carry out the roles, tasks and functions assigned to them and inducing desired behavior and actions in them. Motivation can also be seen as a general ter