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Shelter Chieza Change Management
MARIJUANA is believed to contain excellent medicinal effects. I watched a special feature recently which showed that marijuana, popularly known as coke or pot, has been tested and proven to be a cure of extreme cases of epilepsy. I have heard that there are some states in the United States like Colorado that have legalised the growing and consequently the consumption of marijuana.

I watched in disbelief as a girl who experienced at least 100 seizures a day got better after the doctors introduced marijuana to her at the age of three.

It felt like I was looking at a scene from some horror movie and it got me thinking that this is similar to how some business managers often respond to accentuated business situations.

That desire to find a cure or a solution drove the little girl’s parents, who in the wildest of their imaginations would never introduce marijuana into their little girl’s life, to do so just to save her life.

A manager is frequently exposed to situations and environments which call for extreme reactions.
In some cases it could be an immediate reaction and in others it is delayed reaction.

The skills required for this sort of situation goes beyond crisis management type of reactions.
Such types of exposures are mostly driven by helplessness and victims often fall short of rational thought and control. Those among us who have amassed a wealth of experience have probably been driven by survival instincts and the influence of less understood elements such as irrational feelings and intuitions.

Every manager must have the ability to shift and adapt to emergency situations.
You also need to be cognisant that there is a reputation to protect.

In Zimbabwe, there is a culture that is slowly being accepted as the norm, that of giving kickbacks to the individual that may or is giving you business.

Many have come up with fancy names for it, some call them commissions some incentives.
Whichever way it is, a “kickback” is unacceptable on professional grounds. You cannot turn to any direction without meeting someone that requests for it directly or indirectly. I spent a little more time contemplating on the issue surrounding the prescription of marijuana for treatment of epilepsy.

Yes, after so many years of suffering, the little girl who had a twin sister could now have a normal life.
It is an immediate solution to the problem but . . . what will happen to that little girl’s future?

Marijuana is believed to have an active ingredient THC which influences activity on nerve cells to bring pleasure, excitement, concentration, relaxation and co-ordination.

It does, however, affect the heart, lungs and brain. Managers often find themselves faced with high level negotiation engagements.
It is wiser to try and understand what is motivating the other party to come up with such decisions.

If its negotiations with a supplier over a large unexpected price increase, do not always expect the worst that the other person is out to extort you.
You might want to find out if the suppliers’ increased significantly or they are trying to raise revenue for something that might benefit you.

Don’t always be aggressive when posing questions. Be diplomatic in your questioning on why and how this has happened. Come up with various alternatives and pose them to the person you are negotiating with.

That conversation might require you to build trust over the duration of the conversation.
Power in many negotiation cases arise from adequate preparation. The less preparation you make, the less power you will discover you have in presenting your facts and opinion. Always be prepared and focused. Business is pretty much “reactory”, if you make a strong advertisement with a strong message behind, it is bound to give back strong messages.

The social type of adverts that address societal problems entrenched within the society will give more reaction. Expect sharp responses and always be prepared to defend your position, it will demonstrate that you are a cut above the rest.
Till next week, May God richly bless you!!

Shelter Chieza is an adviser in management issues. She can be contacted at [email protected]