adminBen Chiganze A Bassfisherman’s Approach
Our first outing with him was one of the most revealing fishing outings that I have ever had. My friend Previous and l were very keen to show our new found fishing partner what we are made of but we found the going tough. We toiled on the same spot but Mbaimbai had his own tactics. If he failed to catch bass fish at a spot, he did not cast back at the same place even if he had a good bite.
He firmly believes in getting it right the first time. From dawn till dusk he maintains his fishing habit and surprisingly it works.
I noticed that his tackle was not different from the one we had. There was however something funny about his tackle.
Most of it is modified though it looks relatively new. He buys tackle and breaks it and joins it with tackle of the same design but of a different colour. He told me that he uses candle flame to join the tackle.
“Why do you bother doing that? Do you think you are cleverer than the renowned manufacturers of these rubbers?
“These are scientifically designed and tested. Why change what has been immaculately produced?’’ asked Previous. In response Mbaimbai referred him to the story of Zaccheus in Luke chapter 19.
He said Zaccheus was a short man but badly wanted to see Jesus. “Given the popularity of Jesus and the sizeable crowd that were pressing on Jesus, he realised that he could only do so by climbing a sycamore tree.
“This was not expected of a rich man at that time. He sought to be outstanding by doing things differently. “As a result he got the attention of Jesus.
I rest my case’’ said Mbaimbai. Mbaimbai’s rubbers were actually doing far better in attracting the bass than our original rubbers. It had never occurred to me that some of the things that I see and use are not fixed and permanent as I perceive them to be.
He demonstrated that bass fish, just like people, need a wide spectrum of goods to satisfy their needs. Zaccheus demonstrated that results are not always obtained by following the crowd.
He found a unique way of attracting Jesus’ attention. He attracted Jesus’ attention by climbing a sycamore tree, something he might not have managed to do if he had attempted to push through the crowd, which most were doing.
Would we be having cellphones today if someone had not dared to be different? For a long time people though that nothing will beat the landline.
Apart from just facilitating communication cellphones have become so advanced that they can now perform all the functions of a personal computer.
This aptly demonstrates that some of the things we have are not as permanent, user friendly and relevant as they appear today.
I hope you saw the cartoon which came out in one local newspaper about a convict who upon release through the recent Presidential amnesty, immediately advertised that he could repair typewriters.
Little did he realise that during his long stay in prison, type writers became obsolete and were replaced by the computer.
Given that human needs are not static, it follows that our service or product offerings must be dynamic. Any company which relies on old, static, products is likely to be irrelevant in the future. We can only come up with better solutions for our customers by behaving like kids who are bold enough to try new things.
This explains why kids find it relatively easier to use information technology equipment such as computers, television and cellphones.
There is always a better and more creative way of executing work than what you are currently doing even if your customers appear satisfied with your current services. You have to think beyond the norm and current.
For you to conquer this world you have to learn to do one of the following. You have to have the courage to challenge the status quo by doing things differently.
The writer is a managing consultant at CLC Training International. E-mail [email protected].
Online Reporter