The following are the ideas presented by Ugo Nwagbaraocha, president of Diamond Discs International, at the BizTimes Media 90 Ideas in 90 Minutes event:
1. Invest in the future
“Be a visionary, where do you see yourself, company, employees, etc. in two, five years? Invest in resources that allow your company and employees to provide more value to your clients’ current and future demands and your organization to be more competitive.
“With immediate access to information and with the unremitting increase of modes of communication, the world is a much more dynamic environment, rapidly changing with constant entry of disruptive products and organizations to the industry. In today’s business world, the historical 5-year and 10-year business plan may appear to be a primitive concept, not as easily applicable to many firms due to the inevitable and often relatively unmediated evolution of many industries. However, the aforementioned factors disparately demand that leaders have a keen insight on the upcoming changes in the topography of the business environment to ensure their firm is equipped to navigate the terrain.
“As a business owner, resist the temptation to be myopic in solely planning only for today and responsive to current opportunities and perceived existing threats only. Investing in the future not only aligns your firm and products to be more valuable to the client base but it also best positions your employees for long-term rewarding careers.”
2. Invest in the community
“This is truly a global economy and Milwaukee is a great city. The humble success I have achieved is based firmly on the role models demonstrated by my parents, who immigrated to Milwaukee over 50 years ago from Nigeria, and achieved respective nursing and doctoral education degrees while raising a family, and helped found thriving community- and religious-based organizations. Even in the 1960s, my parents had a global perspective and understood the value of the City of Milwaukee, a city of values, hard-working town (with) employment opportunities and great place to raise a family.
“My parents demonstrated and established the importance of family, education, hard work ethic and paying it forward.
“There is a civic and global business perspective imperative to pay it forward. Increase opportunities to retain talent and access for business opportunities. Provide the same positive role models, demonstrate the importance of education and work ethic, value of family, creation of employment opportunities for our new generations and less advantaged. Our continued investment in the community allows the best utilization of our resources and empowers the city of Milwaukee to be a first-in-class, globally competitive city to raise families, retain talent and increases the opportunities for all businesses.”
3. Value to the Industry
“Understand Why You Are Here. Become educated and truly understand the industries you serve. Own the Value of your organization to the respective industries. On the verge of the 202nd decade, it is not enough to simply know the features and benefits of your products and services. Ask yourself why is your organization relevant to your industry? What is the unique value proposition of your organization to the industry? All employees, especially your ‘ambassadors’ (sales representatives) should know the unique value proposition if they are expected to honestly and properly represent the organization.”
4. Journey of Succeeding
“True Success is a journey of progress – small steps. Fully understand and embrace the Journey of Succeeding as equally and/or more important than simply the outcome of success as a destination. Develop a mind set for consistent and/or continued achievement of progress in a positive direction.
“For each individual story of business success there are a multitude of unreported disappointments, failures and debacles which underlies the importance of avoidance of unnecessary risks. You can properly align the organization on a successful path with gradual, and consistent successful progress. Focus on productive progress in the right direction, not one large leap with huge unnecessary risks to a perceived successful end result. One’s focus solely on the destination of success often leads to large jumps, or unnecessary risks to acquire immediate or rushed acquisition of perceived success. Honing and execution of the successful traits of a fisherman are more important than leaning over the side of the boat/extension and overexertion in the blind hope of snagging a big fish.
“The Journey of Succeeding focuses on the journey of progress as a result of planned preparation, proper execution, education, and understanding that constant, consistent gradual smaller steps – progress – in a successful direction over a long period of time minimizes risk and increases opportunities for greater and long term success. Success and money, are the natural by-products of successful actions. Focus on the actions and achievement of progress.”
5. Trust, Value, No Headaches
“Diamond Discs’ business mantra and daily creed. Very straightforward concept that can be implemented by any organizations – should be important to most organizations.All Diamond Discs International’s sales representatives / employees resonate organization’s very straightforward business mantra everyday – Trust, Value, No Headaches.
Trust – Earn the clients’ trust.
Value – Demonstrate value to the clients’ operations.
No Headaches – Provide all the clients with a No Headache experience.”
6. Plant Seeds
“Don’t Judge Each Day by the Harvest You Reap, but by the Seeds You Plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
“What have you planted today? The success of a day should not solely be determined on immediate gratification or immediate outcomes. Every week outline four to 10 Seed Planting Opportunities. Activities and efforts that promote and/or enhance your long term success.”
7. Reputation – Integrity
“A reputation of integrity is most important. Build your brand based on trust and honesty. Be sincere. You can’t always be right, and you won’t always be wrong. But you can always be sincere. Promote ethical behavior within organization. Align the company with organizations that promote and/or safeguard ethical behavior within your respective industry.”
8. Mistakes
“Have a positive disposition to handling of mistakes and shortcomings. Mistakes are opportunities to learn, demonstrate and build character. No matter how successful you are, mistakes will happen. Utilize mistakes as opportunities to learn. The mistake does not define your success. Do not be afraid to tell customers and employees that you have made a mistake. Take full accountability. That demonstrates honesty, and responsibility. What you learn from your mistake and how you respond to the mistake will define not only your success but also reveal your character.”
9. Make It Happen!
“Have a Make It Happen Attitude – demonstrate an unrelenting drive to achieve purposeful steps towards success. No one can hold me to higher ideals and expectations of me and my business than the ideals and expectations I already hold for myself. Begin every day imagining your success. Let this positive inner fire enkindle members of your organization. Do not waste time and efforts complaining about shortcomings. Utilize energy to engage in meaningful discussion and directed efforts to achieve progress, resolutions, accomplish tasks. Many things are considered impossible until they are accomplished.”
10. What is Most Important – Family
“Understand and recognize what is most important to you. The health, safety, well being, and happiness of my family is most important to me. Utilize what is most important to you as motivation and direction for the efforts achievement of the success of your business, your investment in the community, education, etc.”
Click here to see a video of Nwagbaraocha’s remarks at the 90 Ideas in 90 Minutes event.
