Challenges Hampering eCommerce Growth of Retail & Office Products in UAE & GCC

Challenges Hampering Retail eCommerce growth in uae

Evolution Of eCommerce Retail in UAE Filled With Challenges

UAE, particularly Dubai is a place where malls and air conditioned markets are main source of purchasing ration, electronic goods, home/office products and any box that can be either used or traded further. This is due to the fact that trade like other places has been done in the same fashion for many years.
However, for people residing and working in UAE be it a simple consumer or a purchasing manager including the expatriate workforce which constitute for almost 85% of the total population, value bargains, ease of shopping and time constraint push them towards shopping for products online although we are still far away from a full-fledged online e-tailing model and customer clutter like its followed in UK and USA primarily.
Some of the online retailing players in UAE market that have built their credibility around the masses of UAE are:
1. Dubaimachines.com – A Leading Electronics and Office Automation Store in UAE with Integration Services mainly dealing in products for office use.
Business Model: B2B, B2C and D2D Model (a term coined by Dubaimachines.com gurus for dealer to dealer based transactions where one dealer shares his stock list with other dealer and vice versa for swift depletion of inventory from the market),
2. Souq.com - A Leading Electronics Store mainly for consumers.
Business Model: B2B, B2C and C2C model. One of the early birds of eCommerce in UAE market and based on self claimed amazon model for GCC.
3. Jadopado.com - In the writer's opinion, it is still trying to find its niche in this market but well known.
Business Model: Started as a B2C business few years back and has gradually moved towards the same model as Souq.com,
There are many more stores and deal offering portals such as techsouq.com, awok.com, cobone.com, nailadeal.com to name a few that are core evolution partners and core foundations of eCommerce retail success in UAE.
But the old saying goes, all that glitters is not gold. Unlike US market, where the distributors and manufacturers ensure fair pricing and have an understanding and methodology of enforcement of terminologies such as MSRP and MAP Policies, the online retailer pricing is not regulated.
To dig a little further, distributors for famous brands have opened up their own online stores where they start marketing their products in prices that are lesser than the pricing given by the same distributors to their offline and online channel partners in the country.
This challenge has caused lot of online retailers and offline retailers to start importing their own products to maintain their market presence which ultimately hurts the interests of the principle manufacturers. To quote an example, Dubaimachines.com's CEO Muhammad Zeeshan Hussain said "We deal in interactive whiteboards and projectors alongside many other electronics and office products. We have noticed many times in the past that we quoted a pricing to a customer on a certain product and came to know that our own distributor has hired a sales team for these segments and quoted a price cheaper than us. This practice de motivates the interest of retailers who want to be loyal to their distributors but are periodically ditched."
To deal with this issue the retailer has started importing their own interactive whiteboards by the name of DMBoards.
"This will ensure that we are less in prices in comparison to Distributor pricing. It is sad but that's the only way out with the kind of old mindset that prevails in the distribution industry in UAE", said Zeeshan Hussain.
Another challenge is due to the fact that there are no online payment gateway providers that are willing to work with on line retailers as they feel that the risk of on line retailers is higher than having to work with a retailer that has a physical presence such as a showroom or a big office. The online retailers can digest the conservative nature of the online payment processors but then they will also like to understand why PayPal is not being conservative sitting 10000 miles away from here. Why does it take just few clicks to sign up, integrate and start accepting payments more seamlessly using PayPal? The only reason why the retailers are skeptical about using PayPal is the interchange fee that is charged due to the fact that base currency remains US$. Secondly, the access to payments received in PayPal account can only be withdrawn to visa cards and not to the bank accounts.
For businessmen having experience in USA market, they feel that dropship model of ecommerce in UAE has a long way to go until the challenge of distributor to retailer supply chain and pricing + eCommerce Payment Processor is addressed. Also on the Government front, there should be a dedicated business type inducted as “eCommerce” within the economic departments in UAE so as to bring about a regulation that will enable genuine retailers to enter the market and easier coordination between consumer rights, business and the customer.
To sum up, eCommerce industry specialists have two important tasks at hand. One is to get the manufacturers acquainted with dropshipping model within eCommerce and get them to push distributor to empower their retailers rather than reaching out to end customers directly and living up to the example "I will eat the cake and then have it too" or just be a stockist. If they do not agree to it, try to open up channels with manufacturers to open up their stock houses in this region and directly bill channel retailers and power retailers through tier pricing models.
And secondly, explain and convince payment processor to come up to the change by being more liberal in their terms, if they want to reap benefits and profitability out of this market.
Solving these challenges will just be the tip of an iceberg towards transition to mCommerce for retail businesses. But until that happens there is another old saying and it goes like this: "We'll live"

Boost Your Self Confidence and Self Esteem

1 Make decisions

Making - and sticking to - decisions can give your confidence a massive boost, says life coach Yasemin Demirtas of Effect Coaching Group (www.effect-coaching.com). "One of the important issues I work on is decision-taking, as low confidence inevitably reflects in our ability to take decisions. Making a decision when needed and then sticking with it will not only free you from the burden of being stuck in between, but will also reward you with respect from others." 

2 Become an expert

Whatever you do, do it well, says career coach Sandi Sayer (www.best-coaching.co.uk). "Anyone can become an expert at any stage of their career, even if your job is photocopying. Simply learn how to fix the photocopier, know how to get the best resolution on a faded page of text, and file everything in a clear and logical order. It doesn't matter what you do, taking ownership and learning everything there is to know makes you an expert - and gives your ego an enormous boost." 

3 Look the part

When you wear clothes that fit right, suit you and that you love, your confidence soars. Experiment: try on all the clothes in your closet and ask yourself how you would feel if you bumped into someone whose confidence and style you admire. If you'd want to run and hide, toss it! 

4 Quality over quantity

With clothes and work accessories, stick to the rule ‘spend twice as much, buy half as much', and go for quality over quantity. Find a good cut that flatters your best bits and hides whatever you are shy about. And wear the right underwear: nothing zaps your confidence more than ill-fitting undies! 

5 Give yourself a pep talk

Instead of concentrating on your flaws, weaknesses and negative sides, concentrate on what you are really good at, says Demirtas. People will value you as much as you value yourself. Stay strong in your opinion and what is important to you, and don't give in easily. Ten times a day, look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you are good. Changing habits comes with practice! 

6 Be nice to be around

It doesn't only matter how well you do your job, says Sayer, it is important that your colleagues enjoy being around you too. "I have known many colleagues who are very good at what they do, but nobody wants to work with them because they are unapproachable, negative or not a team player. These individuals may get to a certain point in their career and then plateau. In order to do well, to get ahead and to get what you want, it is always wise to make sure you get on with those around you." 

7 Pay it forward

Psychologist Devika Singh of the Dubai Herbal and Treatment Centre (www.dubaihtc.com) says that doing things for other people has a great impact on how you feel about yourself. "Especially random acts of kindness where you reach out to someone when they least expect it, and sometimes need it the most. The neurotransmitters released during helping behaviour has an impact on the brain's supply of ‘happiness chemicals' which can contribute to more positive feelings about yourself," says Singh. 

8 Have a Gratitude List

Research in the field of positive psychology has identified gratitude as a critical building block for self-esteem. This doesn't refer simply to fleeting thoughts of gratitude, but a more focused approach to experiencing and expressing gratitude in your life. "A thank you letter to someone can not only boost your self-esteem, it will probably boost theirs too!" says Singh 

9 Stand tall

Watch your posture. You can usually pick out a shy person in a crowd by the way their shoulders are turned down and by the way they walk. A self-confident person has a straight back and walks with a purpose, showing the world she has things to do and places to go. 

10 Pass it on

Studies show that young girls often have issues with self-confidence and constantly underestimate how well they will perform when faced with a task, whilst boys just charge ahead. Boosting confidence in children is linked to unconditional love and support from parents, but not too much support. As psychotherapist Colette Dowling states in her book The Cinderella Complex (Pocket Books), many parents tend to ‘over help' their daughters in particular, when they should be learning to falter and self-correct, a process fundamental to the development of self-confidence. So if you have a daughter, make sure you let go a little and help her grow.

Linkedin Has Revolutionized Professional Networking

It was back in 2007 when I first created my profile on LinkedIn. I'd like to tell you what made me land on linkedin.com. It was the emergence of Facebook as a social networking platform that tickled my mental curiosity buds as to who can build a community as populated as them.

One day while searching for the competitors, I came across this simple interface that was engaging me to connect professionally to exchange information, ideas and mostly importantly "OPPORTUNITIES". I was immediately sold out on it. Once i started creating my profile on LinkedIn, I did not give much attention to recommendation section, groups, etc. I just created a simple profile to mark a presence. After 10-11 months approximately, I got an email from an HR Department of a well known organization based in USA to share my contact number with them so that we can discuss mutual benefits.

I was taken aback and thought it was a spam. I did a search on the person's name that I had an email from and found it to be a legitimate email. But just to be safe, I called them instead (I found the number in the signature of the person's email). To my utmost surprise, they had seen my profile on Linkedin and wanted to discuss whether I would be interested in a career move for a position that was vacant in their organization. During that time, the word "Recession" was alien to me and I was doing quite well within the organization that I was working for, hence I decided to stay. But the whole event changed the way I used to think about these online networking platforms.


I used to be mostly an introvert before being associated with LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.. Being in a customer services industry, I used to have enough time talking to so many people that I hardly had time to build further networking professionally. Today, LinkedIn has become more important to me than newspapers. First thing, when I reach home, I have to make sure I check whether someone has sent a request to connect to me. I also make sure that I contribute in professional discussions within the groups that I have joined. I also make certain that I post vacancies within the jobs section of the groups if ever I come to know about them.


Lately, the latest added feature of sharing your blogs through added applications on LinkedIn has instigated me to become a blogger. If i sum up how LinkedIn has changed my life and what have I achieved from it, I would make sure that I mention the following points:


1. LinkedIn has provided me with an opportunity to connect to professionals that were not reachable at one time due to limitations of technology.


2. It has assisted me in professionally presenting my profile in front of the professional and educated crowd. Today, it is not just about having a CV. It is about having recommendations published directly from people you have worked with, directly or indirectly. It is also about adding files, presentations, blogs, etc. to your profile in order to share knowledge and demonstrate your versatility and resourcefulness.


3. It has supported me in keeping myself updated through discussions and topics posted by leaders right on the top of the industry.


4. It has made me feel concerned about how can I always keep learning new ideas of approaching people and minimizing the inaccuracies.


I can keep on blogging about it whole day but one thing is for sure and we all might have consensus on it:


In future, companies will definitely develop an interface that would enable users to submit profile data directly on the company's website through LinkedIn. Visualize for a while, how easy would it be to go to a recruitment website, fill in your LinkedIn ID and Password to retrieve all the data from your profile and submit to the website as opposed to visiting the recruitment websites and company websites filling in all the professional details about oneself again and again. It is a wakeup call for all the headhunters and HR professionals. You can cash on it today. Many people don’t apply for open positions due to the fact that it requires them to fill in their entire academic and experience details manually.


I always say “Get Inspired, motivated and strengthened to make it to the top. Make yourself known through your sword of intellect.” Today in order to get yourself known and strengthened, you should have a presence on a professional and intellectual platform such as LinkedIn.

M Zeeshan's Views

10 Common Avoidable Mistakes During an Interview (By Samreena)

No matter how good you look on paper, everything you do­ from how you treat each member of the interview team, to what you’re wearing, to what you say or don’t say during the interview is noted, and taken into account in the hiring decision.

A big part of a successful interview is avoiding simple mistakes. Mistakes are deadly to the job seeker and easy to avoid if you are prepared.


Here are ten of the most common mistakes people make during job interviews:


Arriving Late. One of the worst job interview mistakes is to not be on time for the interview. Collect all the necessary details beforehand to ensure that you arrive on time. Get directions from the interviewer or a map. Leave home early. If you cannot make it on time, call the interviewer, and arrange to reschedule.


Not Being Prepared. There is no excuse with today’s technology to go into an interview without doing basic research on the company interviewing you, their executives, products, customers, and competitors.
You also should prepare answers on the most common interview questions such as, “What are you strengths and weaknesses? Where do you see yourself in ten years? What can you bring to the company that nobody else can? What brought you to this part of your career?” You will be more than likely asked these questions.

Dressing Inappropriately. When hiring managers were asked to name the most common and damaging interview mistakes a candidate can make, 51% listed dressing inappropriately. You make your greatest impact on the interviewer in the first 10-17 seconds, an impression you want to make powerfully positive. It’s therefore important to carefully consider what you should wear to impress your interviewer.


Talking too much and saying too little. There is a misconception that the length of your response to an interview question is as important as the quality of your answer. The interviewer really doesn’t need to know your whole life story. Answering to a simple question with a fifteen-minute reply can be avoided if you practiced what you want to communicate. Good answers are succinct, to the point and focused when demonstrating your knowledge, expertise, and value. The best way to do this is to prepare and practice your interview answers beforehand.


Being too modest. Don’t be afraid to talk up everything that you’ve accomplished, whether in school or in previous companies. This is your time to shine. It’s really hard to communicate with someone who answers a question with a word or two.

Speaking Negatively About Previous Employers. Your previous boss was an idiot? Everyone in the company was a jerk? You hated your job and couldn’t wait to leave? Even if it’s completely true, you don’t want to be labeled a troublemaker or someone who isn’t a team player and you do not want to look like a complainer. You also don’t want the interviewer to think that you might speak that way about his or her company if you leave on terms that aren’t the best. Complaining about former employers and colleagues creates a negative impression. Focus on the positive - that you are looking for opportunities to grow professionally and be a part of an organization where you can make a difference.

Failing to Ask Questions. Interviewers are unimpressed when they ask the candidate if they have any questions and the candidate does not! Prepare at least 3 or 4 questions in advance to ask the interviewer. Interviews are an exchange of information, and having no questions indicates that you are not sufficiently interested and have not thought much about the position.

Not Displaying a Positive Attitude. This is your first and sometimes only chance to showcase your personality. Managers want to hire people who are enthusiastic. Put a positive spin on the situation and your job search. This is particularly important for people who have been in the job hunt for a long time or who left their past employers under strained circumstances. Show your enthusiasm for both the job and the opportunity to interview for it. And don’t forget to thank the person at the end of the interview!


Asking about Salary too early. Don’t ask about salary at a job interview. Wait for the interviewer to bring up these issues. The interviewer will inevitably tell you what salary and benefits come with the job. There are so many people looking for jobs, so if the company sees you as someone who just wants the money and does not necessarily care about the job, it will work against you in the long run.


Allowing Distractions. While you will probably be nervous prior to and during your job interview, try not to fidget. Think about what you are doing with your hands to keep them under control. Fiddling with your clothing, your notebook, your hair, tapping your pen, etc are all distracting and irritating. No employer wants a fidgety co-worker in the building.

Lastly, I'd like to mention that sometimes you can be shortlisted for an Interview even if you do not fulfill the complete requirements in the Job Description. It is strongly recommended to prepare for the prerequisite. Thanks to Internet and sites like Wikipedia, there are lots of information available for candidates. I can assure you that preparation will make you feel more confident and it will lead to better presentation and body language.

Best of Luck! 

7 Rules for Deeper Inner Peace

Leadership skills are not one skill set, but rather an amalgam of many different skills involving communicating, delegating, recognizing, empowering, and of course "inner peace". Leadership emerges from doing whatever it takes to do the right thing for others as well as the organization. Leaders can talk about what is right, but it only has meaning if they live by their words. To a member of a jump rope team, leadership is example. And so it must be for us.
Leadership is a cornerstone attribute that many in positions of power have used to better themselves, their people, and their organizations. As such it does not belong in the ivory tower; it is part and parcel of the fabric of a successful organization.


One integral part of being a good leader is having inner peace. When your heart and mind is focused towards your goals, it is just one step towards leading yourself and your followers towards it.

But it cannot happen if our hearts and mind is not focused. To focus our hearts and minds towards our goals, we have to gain inner peace in them.
What is leadership to a child? All of the below and more, of course.


1. Feel things fully
Expanding your capacity to feel things more fully – is one of those things that can dramatically improve your capacity to experience inward peace.


2. Remove tolerations
As humans we have this amazing ability to “make things OK” and to allow things to drain our energy in our environments.

3. Regret proof your life
There are many ways to regret proof your life : Do your best – always. When things get off track start fresh. Lower your implusivity – do things with your feelings and your thinking in alignment with intentionality.

4. Have a “connection” practice
Inward peace that comes from meaning and inspiration is one of the most rewarding elements of inward peace. Whether it is a meditative practice like walking, meditating, writing, or just being out in nature or being of service to your community.


5. Know what you want and don’t want in life
There are so many people in this world with out a clear definition of what they want, what success would look like – that when they actually reach it – they loose out on the opportunity to relax .


6. Take a positive stance
Attracting more ease in your life through the use of language is one of the more simple changes to start making on your own. There are many words we use for example which can keep us further from a state of inward peace.


7. Do the work
Doing the work or the practice that is needed to accomplish is not often talked about as a way to create greater inward peace. The key here is to understand what happens to us when we are willing to do the work towards our goals and intentions. When there is a full willingness – there is more allowing that happens, and it is that allowing that brings us closer to peace. When we resist – we often take ourselves into a place of frustration and isolation. Two places that are quite distant from peace.

Micromanagement and Macromanagement

Micromanagers

In business management, micromanagement is a management style where a manager closely observes or controls the work of their employees, generally used as a pejorative term. In contrast to giving general instructions on smaller tasks while supervising larger concerns, the micromanager monitors and assesses every step.

Micromanagement may arise from internal sources, such as concern for details, increased performance pressure, or insecurity. It can also be seen as a tactic used by managers to eliminate unwanted employees, either by creating standards employees cannot meet leading to termination, or by creating a stressful workplace causing the employee to leave.

Regardless of the motivation the effect can de-motivate employees, create resentment, and damage trust. Micromanagement can also be distinguished from management by worker to boss ratio. When a boss can do a worker's job with more efficiency than giving the order to do the same job, this is micromanagement.

Micromanagers are managers that oversee their workers too closely. They are constantly looking over your shoulder, commenting positively or negatively. They tend to look at the details of an employees job many times during the work day, usually making unwarranted remarks.

The worker who is micromanaged will reason, "Why can't my boss just let me do my job and leave me alone? What mistakes are they looking for now?"

Micromanages will do compulsive overseeing with both good employees as well as those who are not performing well.

They engage the lowest frequency emotion, FEAR, in the workplace. Fear ----> frustration -----> Depression ---->Sabotage ----> Accidents ----->or Lack of Productivity. Too much micromanagement can cost a company its best and brightest.

This often taps into childhood issues for workers who had dictatorial parents and are now reliving that pain.

Remember that adulthood is often about moving past childhood traumas created in the first 20 years of one's life. In the 21st century we recognize issues, and hopefully deal with them, or else dwell in dysfunctional behavioral patterns, using them as a crutch to not function.

Micromanaging is a compulsive, behavioral disorder similar to other addictive patterns. People who micromanage generally do so because they feel unsure and self-doubting. Sometimes they are pressured by a supervisor above them.

Employees may see them as controlling, dictatorial, judgmental, critical, bureaucratic, snooping, and more.

Do you micromanage? If the answer is Yes and you wonder why no one has brought this to your attention, the obvious answer is that they are afraid of repercussions. Micromanager do not see the 'big picture' because they are too busy dictating font size and controlling everyone else's moves that it totally escapes you and your workers. They are probably not getting your job completed because they are doing everyone else's. They lose the respect of co-workers and fellow employees.

Micromanagers should seek out professional help, perhaps offered by their company. Seek out other fellow managers and discuss how they operate. Have group discussions with your employees to resolve issues.

Macromanagers

On the flip side, we have the Macromanagers.

For the most part they leave their employees with a lack of decision making, especially when the details of the job change and they need immediate assistance.

Employees need guidelines and someone to talk to if they have a problem. Macromanagers leave their employees too much on their own. As a result the lack of direction and input is so lacking that an employee wonders if they are doing the job correctly.

Macromanaging can lead to inefficiency on the part of employees in regards to time spend on the job, work completed, and who they seek out for answers.

A boss who takes on too many projects, moving from one to another, and is therefore not easy to reach for guidance by anyone as he have overextended his time, will never get any of the jobs done properly, will always consider his employees incompetent, and will have to waste company time and money correcting mistakes.

For the best efficiency, there must exist an ongoing communication between employer and employee, that is not dictatorial, but gets the job done in the most efficient way.

There are souls who are very efficient, who do not micromanage, but cannot tolerate the inefficiency of those they work with. Yet they often have to work with people who are not equipped to get the job done, or they just goof off all day playing on the computer, coming in late, leaving early, talking on the phone, gossiping in the office, flirting or having sex with co-workers, etc. Often the efficient employees has to complete or correct the work of the other person. That must be very frustrating.

This takes us to another archived article about firing employees who do not do their job efficiently.

Behavioral scientists propose the presence of three psychological states that could result in a highly motivated and productive worker. The worker must experience:

1. Meaningfulness or significance of their job

2. Responsibility for outcomes

3. Feedback on the work performed

Wise management never underestimates people's pride and dignity for work. Recognition goes a long way. When the environment is happy, work translates to play. Money matters but that's not all there is.

At the end of the day we have to wonder whose fault is it if things go wrong, an inefficient employer who micromanages or macromanages, or an efficient employee who is wrong for the job?

This is almost like balancing a marriage or friendship!

References:
crystalinks.com

Solve Problems Like a Genius!

Genius level thinking is not reserved only for highly mentally gifted. Geniuses have a system for how to work through problems, which they may or may not be conscious of. Once you learn the system, you can use it to solve problems the way geniuses do. The difference between them and you is that they've simply used their system longer than you have. Once you gain some practice with it, internalize it, and begin to use it automatically, the people in your life will see you as a genius to.

Here are the 7 steps to genius level problems solving.

1. Identification
In most cases, we tend to think that the symptoms of a problem are the problem itself. We then set off to address the symptom. After our time and effort has been spent, the symptom has been temporarily eliminated. Since we did not solve the root cause of the problem, the symptoms will return again and again. Geniuses spend a large portion of their problem solving time in identifying the true problem. They understand that a problem can be resolved once and for all if they can identify its causes. When the root causes of a problem are found, all of the symptoms of that problem also vanish. It's the equivalent of killing 10 birds with one stone. Plan on spending a lot of time and thought on finding the real problem. If you begin with a symptom, ask yourself what causes it to be a problem for you. When you find an answer, ask yourself again what cause it to be a problem for you. Somewhere between 5 and 10 "why's" deep, you'll find the root cause of the problem.

2. Mindset
When we have a "big" problem in our lives, we sometimes become overwhelmed by it. We see it as insurmountable. We don't believe we can get passed it and it becomes a major source of stress and worry. Since we can't see life without this problem, it seems unsolvable. Our thoughts repeat on the phrase, "it's impossible". Our mindset is that this problem has us in its grasps. Geniuses believe that all problems are temporary and solvable. Think about a major problem in your life 3 years ago. Remember your mindset at that time? You didn't know how you would ever get passed that situation. Yet, here you are 3 years later. As you look back to 3 years ago, you realize that the problem that was gigantic then is either greatly reduced or not a problem at all today. Geniuses start with that perspective in mind. They know that it's usually not as bad as it seems today. Also, they don't waste their time thinking about aspects of the problem that they cannot change. They know that a major part of any problem is their thoughts about it. So, if they can't change a circumstance contributing to a problem, they focus on the aspects of the problem they can change. Understand that new problems create new perspectives. Therefore, welcome the challenges because they stretch your minds. It is that mental stretch and growth that allows you to see major problems from 3 years ago as minor today. Fast forward the process. View problems as challenges, know that they are temporary, and that a solution can be found.

3. Vision
We typically direct our minds toward what we should do as the first step towards solving a problem. Then, we focus on the next step, and then the next. Eventually, we may hit an obstacle that makes the solution path we were following ineffective. So, we try again with a new first step, and another, and another to see where that leads. This can often result in frustration, lack of faith in how things are going, and the creation of brand new problems while trying to solve the current one. Geniuses make their first step visualizing the end state. They focus on a vision of the true problem and all of its components and symptoms solved. By doing this, they begin to understand how it will feel once the problems are solved, and they receive clues from that vision as to the correct solution path. In "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," Stephen Covey lists one habit as "begin with the end in mind". This is what geniuses do, and you can do it too. Know where you are going before you try to get there. Knowing the end state, and keeping it in mind until the problem(s) is/are solved is a major contributor towards resolution.

4. Brainstorm
When someone begins to think of solutions to a problem, they tend to think about problems in their past and how they solved them. Sometimes there are great clues there. Other times, the current problem is unique enough to require a fresh perspective. Also, fixing the real problem may require a multi-layered solution verses a standard one-action reaction. Geniuses brainstorm. They will sit down and think through dozens of solutions. Even the solutions that at first glance they may think won't work are viable solutions for them at this stage. Even when they think they've found solutions that are perfect, they keep going. They come up with as many solutions as they think they can, and then squeak out a few more until they have 20 - 30 possibilities. Then the magic happens. Combinations of those possibilities jump out to sometimes form brand new solutions to completely solve the problem. When they are done, they know that the problem will be solved, and they know exactly how it will be done. Take out a pad and a pen. Write down 20 - 30 possible solutions for the real problem you've identified. You'll find that it's easy to get the first 10 down on paper. Typically, you'll find that the next 5 are a bit off the wall and unrealistic. However, those last 5 to 15 possibilities are where your creative juices start to kick in. You switch from pulling solutions from your memory and begin creating new possibilities. This is the stuff of genius level thinking!

5. Plan
Most of us never plan our solutions out. We keep throwing stuff at our problems until something sticks, we go with it, and we hope for the best. Geniuses plan. Armed with the vision of the end state, and a solution or a group of solutions, they create a plan to implement those solutions. They determine what they need, help they need to request from others, the timeline it needs to be done within, and they move forward. Many of us have no problem planning out a vacation, a birthday party or a night out on the town. Those are the same skills you'll use here. The difference is that instead of a fun evening, you'll successfully eliminate a major problem from your life permanently. Isn't that worth taking some time to plan for?

6. Act
Procrastination, perfectionism, and denial are the enemies of action. When we know there is something major we must do, many of us all of a sudden find 10 other things that we think we need to do right now. We spend the time on things that can wait and ignore the major problem we could resolve right now. Also, we often stop our own progress because we don't think we have everything perfect. We'd rather not act and wait until we have everything perfectly laid out than to begin making strides towards resolution. Geniuses act. They act now, they act swiftly, and they act with confidence. It's not that they know all of the answers. They are confident in knowing that they will make mistakes and learn from them along the way. They don't allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good, as Barrack Obama often says. When the time comes to act, they do so. Don't wait. Now that you have a solution to a problem you once thought was big and overwhelming, don't sit on it. Know that mistakes are a part of the process, and that you will make far less mistakes moving through these steps than just trying anything. Trust the process, trust your solutions and trust yourself.

7. Adjust
There are some folks that are going to do what they want to do, even when they know their plan has a flaw. Rather than change course along the way when necessary, they move forward as if their plan was written in concrete and they have no other options. Geniuses monitor their progress against the end state vision they have in their mind and adjust course along the way to ensure they fulfill that vision. They understand that as they proceed along their plan, they learn more, get smarter and need to make adjustments here or there if they are going to succeed. They are committed to their end state vision. They understand that their plan is a means towards that end. Observe the results you are getting, project your thoughts forward to see if you are on track towards your end state vision, and adjust your plan as needed. No plan is perfect, and all plans need fine tuning as you move further down the solution path. Adjusting the plan here are there doesn't mean the plan was bad. It's a natural part of the process that should be embraced if there is a need to succeed. These seven simple steps will aid in solving any problem you come across.

Practice using this system and you can become a genius-level thinker.